Rules beginners should know?

Put your helmet on (and fasten) before you touch your bike.

Make sure you do not mount your bike before the mount line.

Make sure you dismount your bike before the dismount line - give yourself plenty of time to stop.

Don't draft.  There are official distances that you have to ride behind the rider in front, which I think is 7 meters.  Maybe someone can clear this up - I presume it is not different in the US than the UK?

ETA:  Good luck btw.  And have fun!

Edited by tridantri 2009-05-04 3:21 PM

No shirtless triathlons. Must wear clothes. If you do go shirtless we want pics. :D (Although there IS a rule prohibiting nudity in transition...darn the luck!)

don't cross the double yellow on the road or stray outside the marked bike lanes
No iPods, MP3 players, pacing devices (This may change for local small tri's, check the race rules)
Must be wearing a BUCKLED helmet at all times on the bike.
Don't cut the course.
Pick up all items, so if you drop your water bottle go back for it.
There is a line where where you must get on/off the bike.
No clubbing ones fellow competitors (Although this can be ignored during the swim)
Depantsing a fellow competitor in a sprint for the finish is perfectly acceptable (ok, I made that one up)

Have fun!

John

I think pee'ing in the wetsuit is mandatory. 

Not a rule, but a suggestion for your first tri- if you haven't done any OWS before, hang back and to the side at the start so you don't get clobbered or too disoriented.

Don't block on the bike course: If you're not passing, stay to the right.
It's perfectly legal to hang on to a kayak or other object (other than competitors) during the swim as as long as it isn't moving forward along the course. I actually sat on the rope connecting two buoys at my first race.

My first one was this past weekend. The first thing I learned is to set your transition gear up next to the wheel on the bike that is touching the ground. If you don't it is a 2 min penalty.

Again the no drafting on the bike, but you can draft on the swim and pace on the run.

huh?  was that a local rule?  never heard that one.

Not a rule but don't stop your watch as you cross the finish line, so you can pose for the camera!

Have as much fun as possible!

No drafting. There is a limit as to how far back behind the cycling behind you that you must be. If you are behind the wheel, either fall back or pass. Go to the USAT website an get specifics, or wait till someone with cycling experience responds.

Thanks so much everyone!

No idea since this was my first ever, but there were a couple of elites that were called back to rearrange their transition gear as well. They may not have been locals... no idea.

Edited by Hi-Side 2009-05-05 9:25 AM

Okay, so where did you have your stuff set up since it sounds like you were called back? 

... in the middle lane of three left-turning lanes, near the cement truck...

Sorry, disregard.  Silly inside joke, and a not-very funny one at that.

Edited by dave699 2009-05-05 9:44 AM

Hehe!  I got it and it gave me a giggle on this sleepy morning. 

Might be local, I didn't see anything about it in the rules, but I think it's just a way of saying that you can't put your bike on one side of the rack and your stuff on the other.

John

Yes and apparently the interpretation of that from the officials was that your gear has to be on the same side of the bar as the wheel on the ground... mine initially was under the wheel off the ground, trying to take up the least amount of space I could.

I used the bike seat to hold the bike up on the cross pole, so there was half the bike on each side of that cross pole, with the front wheel on the ground.

Edited by Hi-Side 2009-05-05 11:20 AM

I think I see their point.  If you put your towel up by the wheel on the ground someone else's bike can be racked behind your towel facing the other direction so the bikes end up staggered on either side of the rack.  By putting your stuff under your wheel you still need the space next to your bike to get back there but nobody can put their bike facing the other direction.  This would make more sense if I could draw a diagram but I'm not that fancy. 

That's not a USAT rule, is it?

Not with the wording of the bicycle wheel alignment.  Not that I can find at least. 

I did a half this weekend and they were calling people back (myself included) to re-organize their gear to be on  the wheel down side just like you guys are talking about. 



I know you are doing an OWS, but for first time pool swimmers...... if someone deliberately touches your foot during the swim that means they want to pass you and are asking you to wait at the wall and let them go in front.  Just an FYI for other readers.   Have a great time!  

Be nice to the "staff". Many are volunteers. No vulgarity. If you have a wetsuit and the swim is wetsuit legal (over 78F) and you are not a great swimmer, use a wetsuit - it will help with buoyancy. Ipods are usually banned.

But most importantly, "Enjoy the Day"!