2012 NYC Triathlon - Bike

The bike part is probably the best part of the race for me.  I don't know why I say that because one would think it would be the swim, but honestly, being wet & getting struck in the head with a fish, is well, gross!  Open water swimming is nothing like swimming in the pool.  The water is always dark & murky & lord knows what lurks 2' beneath you.  As it is you can't see the ends of your fingertips when you are in the water.  Which is unnerving to say the least.

I always have a really horrible swim to bike transition time.  Mostly it is because I insist on drying off & getting myself totally ready for the bike portion.  What do I care?  I'm not winning this race, so why not take my time & be prepared.  My only concern is not getting swept off the course because I exceed my bike time.  There was a longer run back to the transition area for the yellow transition area.  I think it was a mile.  I walked a bit & ran some.  But it's barefoot, on the asphalt path in Riverside Park.  It's not a fluffy blob of cotton balls.  So I walked most of it.  Again, who cares?  Not me.

Now, for everyone that has never been a part of a triathlon there's a lot of hubbub around the transition area.  There's always people running in & out (the ones the do care about their transition times) & usually you can piss a lot of people off if you are in their way or messing up their routine.  I try to stay out of the way & make my way out of the bike area at my own pace.  The funny part is watching a lot of these weekend warriors on their $5,000 bikes.  In the pre-race meeting the race director must have stressed over & over that you should leave the transition area in a low gear due to the steep climb out of Riverside Park.  OK, I guess I can remember that.  I think to myself, steep climb?  I was in San Francisco, these people know nothing of a steep climb.  Out of the park I go & wouldn't you know it, the guy in front of me pedals about 4 times and falls right over on his side.  After maneuvering around him, I had to laugh.  So much for your fancy Cervelo dude, you can't even ride it, or pay attention for that matter.

The bike portion wasn't that bad.  It was getting a bit warmer, but the ride was semi-hilly & really gave you a great view of a portion of Manhattan & the Bronx that I have never seen.  The bike route went north on the Henry Hudson Parkway towards the Cloisters & Fort Tryon Park, up the Moshalu & to Gun Hill Road.  Now if you've ever been in NYC traffic & listened to the traffic report, you'll know all these roads.  It was a good ride, all 25 miles of it & I felt pretty good on the bike.  My only complaint is that bike seats are probably the most uncomfortable piece of equipment ever made & well, lets just leave it at that.

Overall, I was pleased with my bike time.  It wasn't anything to write home about, but big kudos to The Red Bicycle in Red Bank for tuning up my bike for me before the race.  The new neck/stem/throat/whatever it is called really made a big difference for me.  & I am really considering aerobars, as sometimes I would like to lean further forward.  But that's something for next year.

Since the bike was so uneventful for me.....stay tuned for the run portion tomorrow!

& here's a pic of my tri-tat day 2.  They don't seem to be very temporary, now do they?