Bike shoes in T1

I don't know of anyway to keep the shoes themselves level.  Rubber bands maybe?  I really don't see the need to have them flat, actually.

Have you practiced doing this before?  Can you do it already?  It's insanely hard to do if you aren't really, really stable on the bike.  Really, really, really, really stable.  Having to run a little slower out of T1 in my cleats is much faster than me trying that method.  One day that might change, but I've practiced it often and it usually ends up with me failing miserably.

Or just HTFU?

Seriously, I find that I have to ride a while with my feet on top of the shoes to get up to speed, and that removes most of the rocks/dirt from the soles of my feet. It wouldn't hurt (with practice) to also pass your hand across the sole of your foot, once you are up to speed.

Anyone can do this.... I am MOP and I do it every race and yes I did place in my age group one time by 8 seconds; so I think every little bit counts.

The big trick is to wait till you are up to speed before you put your feet in, I know everyone thinks they hop on the bike and put their feet in the shoes and they are all wobbly and will crash. If you wait till you get down the road and get up to speed you are not wobbly at all and it is just like reaching down for your water bottle. Peddle with your feet on the shoes, it is no different than having regular peddles with tennis shoes on.

Then when you are up to spped reach down and do one, peddle a little bit, reach down and do the other.... Then you are good to go.

It is really pretty easy, practice it a few times but getting up to speed really makes a big difference.

I know we are all not pros or elites but we are racing the clock against ourselves and beating your goal time is rewarding, so every second counts.

I do it with and with out rubberbands so you dont always need them.

Oh my fastest T1 time is 26seconds.... so even a MOP can be fast in transitions

Add this to the pre-race checklist:

- Once shoes are clipped in and rubber banded, ensure that the velcro strap is OPEN.

I tried without once and it is decidedly NOT a time saving technique. I discovered my error right after I got a shout-out for my "excellent demonstration of the flying mount" from the race announcer.

Oh, and practice, practice, practice just like everybody else has said but do it no matter whether you're riding a $10,000 carbon fiber spaceship bike or a $10 Schwinn from the Nixon era.

Tried this last night on the trainer and this morning on the road. Still working out kinks but I think I'll be good for my first tri this Saturday. I have always been confident on a bike with balance and such and had no problems staying steady while pedaling with feet on top of shoes or reaching down to slide the feet in once up to speed, or with taking feet out of shoes while preparing to dismount. Actually found that easier than unclipping

I am most "concerned" about running barefoot through the transition area. I don't like pebbles under my feet. Yeah, I know... HTFU! I will still be wearing socks for the run portion. I HATE blisters. Do you sense a common denominator? I am a wuss about pain/injury to the skin on my feet.

There are a number of things to consider with the shoes-on method.  I will echo the overall theme to practice this method prior to trying it in race conditions.  Your fellow competitors will appreciate it.  That being said, if you are going to go the shoes-on route, you can do it several ways.  I simplified it and it works for me.  I bought some tri-specific shoes and eschewed any kind of pre-race rigging of the shoes to the bike other than having them clipped in.  I run to the mount line (be aware that some people are not sure where it actually is, so pay attention to the race volunteers telling you where to go, or scout it out before the race....too many people trying to mount 2 or 3 bike lengths back from the actual line a lot of times and it can cause a log jam of people trying to get on their bikes.  At the mount line, I put my left foot on top of the left shoe and push down with that foot as I am pushing off with my right foot.  I swing my right leg over and step on the right shoe.  As you do this, try to keep your chest rearward of the stem, as this will provide stability and allow your hands to temporarily have control of the bike.  Then you can pedal up to speed and make sure you are clear of any traffic behind you.  Slipping the feet in can be a little strange at first, but some practice will make it easier.  A hint would be to make sure you have the foot you are trying to slip in the shoe closer to 12 o'clock than 6 o'clock.  It sounds logical enough, but I have seen people trying to reach WAY down there to grab the loop to pull the shoe on when it is in the extended position.
As for the tender feet problems...adrenalin can play huge tricks on the mind and allow more pain tolerance than the body is accustomed to enduring.  My experience is you don't even really feel your feet on rough surfaces during that brief run to the line, as your mind is on everything else.
Dismounting is done the same way, as far as getting out of your shoes.  Know the course so you don't do it too early or too late.  Be ready and when you are situated on top of your shoes and still spinning (some would say at a higher cadence than you just rode to get that lactic acid moving), look for the dismount line.  As it approaches, you will hear and see people screaming at you to stop.  Stand up, swing your leg over while simultaneously applying the brakes and when you are at a slow enough speed to hop off and continue running, jump.  It should be seamless and make sure not to squeeze the front break too hard, as the rear end of the bike will come off the ground (heh). 
This is the shoe I use, so you can see the difference between a road shoe and a tri-specific shoe.  Notice the strap opens away from the cranks.  Less chance of losing a finger or getting the strap caught on something.  Tri-specific shoes are generally made to be worn sans socks...many don't even have a tongue insert to allow for better ventilation.  If you are comfortable in your bike handling and feel you need to grab some extra seconds, practice this first and get proficient at it and use it in a race.  I did and I won't be doing it any other way, unless it is banned at a particular race or there is a huge hill right outside T1.

(Tri Shoe.jpg)