Ironman Lake Placid : Official Thread (Page 13)

Yup. Have you been fitted? If so, are they both the same/correct size (if memory serves me correctly Felts all have the same stack and reach across models, right?)? With a good F.I.S.T fitting, you can plunk your numbers into the Slowtwitch calculator and it will spit out all of the bikes that will be the most straightforward to set up to your requirements.

...or you could just do it the way we used to in the old days and just buy the red one and hope for the best. If the B16 is stock, then the B2r sounds like it would be the better parts bike in the case it does not fit...

DC - I actually got out on the road for 3 hours today - we are having a little unseasonably nice weather at the moment and I am definitely taking advantage. I have an overgear session on the schedule for Thursday that I would normally do on the trainer, but I think I will head out to a local little 8%, 10 minute climb we have around here and do it there instead. Supposed to be 70 degrees! 4 hours scheduled for Saturday and should still get up to about 60. I did have to do a 3 hour ride last week on the trainer due to some fierce rain storms, so I do love me some trainer!!!! My heavier trainer sessions will come January~March when I have a 12 week "general prep" block scheduled. For better or worse, much of that stuff seems to be on the trainer, no matter the weather.

oops - looks like we cross posted - didn't see you follow up with the sizes of the bikes. Those size numbers don't really mean anything; they are inconsistent between manufacturers and sometimes even between different products of the same brand. If you believe contemporary fitting strategies, what you really want are stack and reach numbers. I am certainly no expert, but basically these numbers help determine what bike will best be able to accommodate your "contact points" in space relative to the inherent adjustability of the base bike. Because they are both different sizes (and again, I *think* Felt has the same stack and reach across their product line) one of them will be able to be set up easier and possibly better than the other.

As to what you REALLY want to know, the B2 is a good bike - the same frame shape as the B16, but a more "integrated" headset more similar to the DA, so a little more "super bikish". The carbon type/layup is probably little different (lighter?) than the B16 - not sure though. The components are an upgrade from the base spec - the B16 is the base model of Felt's carbon tri line.

Since we can only really tell you what *we* would do, I actually would keep shopping. Not a big fan of S bend bars for me (they sure make a bike look cool though!) and the 404 rear would not be too exciting - I would want a much deeper rear or disk (although you could mate it with a cover for a lot less money). The 404 would probably become a training wheel. Oh, and I have never had much luck with Giro Helmets fitting me very well - my head is too narrow and the current Giro molds seems to be made for a head that is a little more round. I have had more luck with Bell and LG lately.

But first I would get fitted!!!!

HA! Now THAT is funny! I don't make my wife do anything - she actually MAKES ME do all this silliness. If it were not for trying to keep up with her I would most likely just sit on the sofa all day watching Jersey Shore...

Sorry, just catching up on the thread now that work has slowed a bit...
Carry on.

70 degrees!?!?!  Where do you live Rusty, Equador? 

Tdotnew2tri I'm assuming since you are looking at a bike package that cost $2800.00, you have that to spend.  The wisest thing you could do is take that money and find your closest local Triathlon Shop.  Not just a bike shop, but a bike shop where they sell a lot of Tri Bikes and have a professional fitter.  This time of year LOTS of Tri Bikes are on sale.  A professional fitter will take several body measurements (height, inseam, elbow to finger tip, forearm, etc...).  A professional fitter will also bend your waist, back and legs on a table and measure your angles of flexibility.  They will then take all these measurements and match them against a formula sheet that will show them what bike manufacturers and size frames will fit you best.  They will then show you what they have in stock, ask them what's on sale, and then they will have you sit on a few different bikes to see which one FITS YOU BEST.  The fitter will then adjust the bike and your position on the bike to get the most aerodynamically comdortable position. 

You can buy the lightest, fastest, most technologically advanced bike in the world; but if it's too big or too small for you, or it does not fit your body dimensions, it will be useless. 

Another benefit of finding your nearest Triathlon Shop is because likely they host group training sessions, or have a Triathlon Team.  Join it!! Tell them you are training for an Ironman.  They will know all the best places to open water swim, masters swim, best places to bike and run.  You will likely find other triahtletes around your skill level with a similar schedule that you can train with.  Training with other people training for an Ironman is INVALUABLE.  

If you live in the middle of the sticks, it'll be worth the travel to visit a good Triathlon Store with a good fitter.  Where do you live? 

HA HA! Now that WOULD be nice! Actually I am home in Atlanta for the next 4 weeks. Revised forecast for the next couple of days has the high reduced to only 69 degrees - rats. But let's be sure to talk about the weather again in July when it is 97+ degrees and about a billion percent humidity.... Feel free to remind me of my December gloating!

There has to be a good Triathlon Shop in Toronto, if not two or three places to go.  My suggestion would be to find the one with the best fitter and best deals on Tri Bikes right now. 

I developed lower back pain when I went from training for 70.3's to 140.6's and had to have my stack on my base bar raised and my position adjusted.  MY fitter refit me three times FOR FREE and made all the adjustments FOR FREE because I bought the bike from them.  When you buy a bike from the shop, the fitting is usually free.  If you buy a bike second-hand and then want to be fitted by a shop, it'll cost $300 to $500.00.  If you are just doing an Oly or even sometimes a 70.3 race, you can often get away with 'fitting yourself' to a bike.  But once you start training Ironman, you're talking about 5 and 6 hour rides on the bike.  It's essential you are properly fitted. 

If all of a sudden, two months into Ironman training you experience pain or uncomfortability on long rides, you want a place where you can take the bike back to.  Explain what's going on.  And have a knowledgeable fitter work with you to correct the problem.  This is why professional cyclists are constantly tweaking their fit and position on the bike. 

We should not forget, we are training for a 140.6 mile race that will take us between 10 and 16 hours to complete.  If you want to increase your odds of arriving to the starting line healthy, and completing the distance to your potential, you should leave little to chance.  All the things we can control we should. 

We Can Control:  Nutrition, Training, Bike Fit, Using all the same Equipment we used in Training on Race Day (no buying something new at the expo the day before and trying it out on Race Day for the first time!). 

What We Cannot Control is:  Actions of other Athletes, Road Conditions, Weather!  

To 'wing it' with a Bike Fit, Training or Nutrition is taking a huge risk, a huge chance with one of the few things we can control.  And considering 80% of the Ironman-distance is covered on the Bike, it's something I would spend a great deal of time and attention on.  

Sorry to sound righteous! And sorry I'm standing on a soap box, but I can't stress how critical a goof fit on a bike is toward having FUN during training and on Race Day.  And it's still far from a guarantee that everything will go right.   You can still limit your risk on all of the controlled variables and still get injured, sick, crash, etc...  But why not limit that risk. 

These are just my suggestions, and what has been told to me 

Fully agree with you, a good fitting is a very important thing!

When I bought my P2, I did my fitting in one of the best shop in Toronto for that. I don't really like them but I know their fitter is a very good one.

Hey all, have some questions on training and what better place to ask them then the forum where I would be doing my first IM.  I'm following Joel Friels IM plan from his book "Your Best Triathlon" as I've used it for many Olympic races and some 70.3's. 

With the swimming, it calls for a swim on T, Th, and Sat and suggested workout distances / times are given.  My girlfriend has an OWS group I've joined occasionally (I live in southern CA, Orange County), and they meet on those days for Ocean Swims in the morning.  Would it be beneficial for me to swim with them and then do periodic tests in the pool as scheduled?  I would be able to set my Garmin (310xt) to notify me when certain distances / times have passed and not be left guessing.

Also there is a ride I've been doing the past couple years here called "The Ride Around The Bear"  that is about 100 miles w/ 9000' gain (in the first 60 miles about).  A lot of the scheduled rides are 5-6 hours, and this is something that takes a lot longer then that.  Is it okay to still do this ride as long as it falls near a recovery week or should I stay on the plan?

Sadly I dropped the ball for getting a place to stay in the town area, but found some place about 5 miles south so hopefully it works well  ><

Here's a nifty little article that I found that confirms IRONMAN USA will be around for a while to come.  I hope they're right.

http://www.lakeplacidnews.com/page/content.detail/id/503904/FROMT-THE-DMO-DESK--Ironman-speculation.html?nav=5001

And an extra bit of motivation just came today as I have been chosen by TrainingPeaks to be part of their TrainingPeaks Ambassador team for 2012. 20 people have been selected and I'm one of those...

It's not a lot for everybody but it's already something for me

  Congratulations!

Hey Alex - Congratulations! I love me some Training Peaks!
If only we could get BT & TP to play nicely together...

Hello all

Love the site and thanks to all the contributors for sharing their collective wisdom

I would like to know if anyone did the Poconos HIM this year (swim cancelled) to ask how the hills of the poconos compare with Lake placid.

thanks

Dale

I'm not sure what a TrainingPeaks Ambassador does, but when you go to races you should register as Amb. Playmobil31.

Seriously, congratulations.  1 of 20.  That is pretty cool and if it helps with your training or understanding of the system, all the better.

Hey TankBoy,

thanks for the information.

I think im leaning towards clinchers as I have experience changing them!  I think Im gonna borrow a friends carbon wheels, take it for a ride and see how it feels!

Thanks DC
I got my bike fitted from Enduro sport today and the fitter recommended the same build.  I think Im gonna go 50-60front and 88rear.  But then again thats just me right now, ill ask my friend if I can borrow his carbon and take it for a spin and see it how it goes from there.

I got the B2! and Im glad I fit really nicely into it!
Ill put up more pics when I can but the holidays is taking over my life (as it should) with families and get togethers.

Im not sure if we have that kind of store here in toronto but the only triathlon store (Not a bike shop) we have up here only sells and cervelo, cannondale and kouta (i think).  It seemed like they were encouraging me to get a cervelo bike (Ill tell u why).

I went to enduro to get my bike fitted and I can only relate 2 fitter: one where I got my road bike from and 2nd from enduro(the guy used to work for cervelo).  The first fitter I thought he was good, he did all the measurements, adjustments etc etc transforming the road bike to a road bike with aerobars.  I thought I was in good fit until I got a free enduro fit.  He was so surprised that I was able to stay on my aero for a long time and he adjusted so much! at the end the fitter from enduro gave me a very comfortable bike that I tolerated more on aero position than before.

As playmobil already mentioned, I am part of a club and have met wonderful people that I trained with for muskoka.  We do open water in July and bike as much as we can if weather permits.  So much better when you train with people!  So many things you can share, learn, and it just let the time go by fast!

congrats playmobil31!!

Its been awhile since the last time I was here. but hopefuly this message finds you well and healthy and ready for next week new start of training

Merry Christmas and Happy New year to all! (if I dont make it back on time)

7 months, folks... 7 months...

Have fun, happy training and Happy Holidays !