How Hard Did Triathlon Use To Be? | Modern Triathlete, Retro Kit, Original Race!

[@kowreck]

Shout out to James with the dedication to the wig.

[@hillarynoye1959]

I did my first tri in 1985 , did my last one late 2022 -still have my bike from 1985. No wetsuits, speedos , no top either , no standard distances, home made Velcro on the bike shoes … goes on and on -loved James Hair !! Great video..

[@DaveStecker]

The nutrition on the bike had me laughing! Good old coke and the Pez dispenser! 😂

[@natalieplihalova6798]

PEZ in speedos 😂👌

[@andrewmcalister3462]

The outfits, the bikes, the soundtrack, the mullet…. Fantastic. Thoroughly enjoyed watching this video. The temperature, the blisters, the chafing, the gears …. Not sure if the team enjoyed making this video?

[@Frostbiker]

Came here to applaud the soundtrack. Good job, editors!

[@ironmantooltime]

Shout out to the editors 🤘

[@mattbarrett7369]

This is the BEST thing on the internet right now! Loved James’ commitment to the very non-aero wig!!

[@BlakeJames-yk2yz]

First observation: Heather, you're looking ripped! Those gym workouts paying dividends! Second observation: We did NOT look like dorks back then! As a veteran of many 80's triathlons I must defend my generation. Actually pulled out some photo's to check what the heck I wore?! Did wear a speedo. Trisuits started showing up around '87 I think. Before that cycling shorts for longer events (tried it without- Ouch!). Just retired my original 1983 Centurion Le Mans which had Suntace aero bars added ~'87(?) I only retired it because I crashed it on a training ride (train on steel- race on carbon). My friends made fun of me for riding a relic to which I said, "what happens when I pull out the carbon bike that is 8 lbs lighter??"

[@LarsRyeJeppesen]

He, I also had the Suntace aero bars added.. good times. Mine kept falling down though, couldn't keep it in place, no matter how much I tightened the screws.

[@gregorybalint]

and at the end of the season, my upper arm had all the bid numbers as a tan.. xD

[@ngdawgs1]

😂😭 This is great!! Y’all rocked the 80’s look 😎. Heather looks so intimidating on the bike tho 😬. Would not want to get chased by her.

[@ironmantooltime]

I know, more delts than james 😳

[@simon84uk]

Looked like a fun day out, never going to take the modern comforts for granted again! Cool seeing some familiar faces in support too.

[@iggalan]

Haha, "this sport is not going to catch on, no chance" James is too funny 😁😁😁 . I just did a sprint triathlon with my friend, we had some tough moments, swimming in open water can be intimidating, but we got through and ultimately she had a blast, so one more to the club 💪 . Triathlon can be scary, it's tough, logistics are a nightmare, you need to train for three very different sports but it's also so rewarding. Don't be scared to do your first!

[@richcrompton6891]

That totally takes me back to my first Tri! 1985, pool swim, as there wasn’t any sizeable open water at the venue, a very hilly 30 mile bike on a borrowed steel bike (it did have 531 tubes, a step up from my even old touring bike) and the run was a fell run up Pendle hill and back to the start. Fastest swim, by a good margin, then it all went pear shaped from there on! Loved it! Last one was 2010 but lost my tri mojo after my tri buddie passed away. Love to watch all your content, but happy to spend my time on the bike these days. Fell running is not my thing!

[@gtn]

Hey Rich, did you used to rock the mullet look like James did in this video? Sounds like you had a great time in the 80s! Would love to know how it all went pear-shaped? 👀 Really sorry to hear about your friend passing away, sounds like you've got lots of great memories together! ❤️

[@richcrompton6891]

@@gtn ha ha! No mullet in 1985, by then my hair had been chopped back to a more manageable length! My main sport was swimming, so a crew cut was more sensible for me then. I did look like a bit of a bruiser with that style though 🤣. I concentrated more on swimming for a few years afterwards, then went to university in Plymouth and spent my downtime enjoying the college life rather than look at the bottom of a pool for 4 hours a day! From there I moved to north Devon and discovered surfing and rock climbing, then skiing and snowboarding! I guess I just did too many fun things to have tri at the top of my list until the 2000’s, then came back to both swimming and tri. I’m now way faster on the bike than I was, but way slower in the water! Running has always been my weak point though! Loosing my best buddy when we were both really getting back into tri with a vengeance just stopped me in my tracks. I know it shouldn’t, but it did. So glad I’m getting my mojo back. Just need to regain it for running now…

[@felixblock1542]

James is truly the star of the Video :D. First time with the original hair! And I'm totally addicted to the awesome 80s music!

[@MrNicetri]

I joined the BTA in August 83. I competed in the first National Long course Champs later that month.. This was a YEAR after the first triathlon took place as well as the formation of the BTA..1982. The first triathlon to allow wetsuits was the Grand Prix series race held at Sunderland in June 85. From June 85 you could wear wetsuits. I competed for GB in the Euro champs in 85, this of course was when there was just one National Team, all expenses paid and kit, long before age groupers. No aero helmets existed together with no aero bars which were not available until 87. BBC commentator Olympic Traithlon 2012 Steve Trew, was a member of the BTA since 82.

[@dylanhunt5368]

Why is everything retro just so much more charming? The music is so important too

[@sbyrstall]

I would have to say that today's world is so bland to look it.

[@markreardon6663]

Oh my God!!! This brought back so many memories. Yep how we did it back in the day, right down to the ramshackle transition area. Kinda miss those days.

[@LarsRyeJeppesen]

Good times

[@erictravis5995]

Shout out to you all, great fun - and Heather looked fabulous in that retro team GB suit!

[@andrewmetcalfe9898]

Aero bars were invented in late 1986, but were used extensively in the US the following year. I purchased my first bike in 1988, a custom built Reynolds 531P frame, which came complete with DS clip on bars.

[@desroin]

That Peugeot bike truly is a thing of beauty 😍

[@wimvdputte]

I did my first triathlon back in 1984, when I just turned 18. In Belgium, that was the minimum age you were allowed to do that crazy sport :-)

[@klewis2048]

I wasn’t doing triathlon back then, but I was running, and the Hi Tec Silver Shadow shoes certainly brought back memories.

[@alexandersoltesz8103]

I love those retro steel bikes, so classy. Also the refreshments... :D Seemed perfectly fulfilling. :D

[@chrisbutler9137]

Awesome vid. First tri in 1988. Weymouth, Bristol, Bath, etc. Those were the days!!

[@jessmolfod2541]

Most bikes of that era had a lever you could turn to adjust and fine tune the tension of the cable pull on the down tube shifters when they would start to slip. Cheaper shifters just had a screw that needed a screwdriver.

[@billlee2726]

They would still work themselves loose....the Shimano shifters had a d-ring on the screw so you could reach down and tighten it just a little so it wouldn't fly up and throw you onto the 13T. I was so happy to get my first 600EX SIS upgrade in '88 and ditch the friction shifting for good.

[@jessmolfod2541]

@@billlee2726 Yes! The D ring. I had Campy Victory shifters. And they would sometimes loosen a bit but just a little tweak with that D ring was enough to make them behave.

[@andyc9187]

Great video, first tri for me was 1992, Peugeot bike, Speedo kit! Thanks for putting this up.

[@tommylobotommy]

This is awesome! I am an 80's/90's kid and feel the nostalgia! (kudos to music selection)

[@Ouga_Official]

James, you win this by far. Love the commitment

[@camilog.719]

this was a fun video to watch! Respect to James for keeping the wig. I ran a 5k at 35°C with a similar wig and it was hell!

[@egled9297]

Give James the best ultra new, super tech, mega advanced bike for once and then send him with a mission to the race. please - it' s always James, who gets bikes, that lose pedals, puncture a tire with a back guard or automatically go to the hardest gear. Justice for James!!!

[@jaegermeister1516]

7.30: James for sure is giving a whole new meaning to “crack a coke”… simply love the dedication to the whole theme! Keep up the excellent work!!!

[@Underdog_Triathlete]

I’m sure we’re all mesmerized by the vintage tech on display here, but are we just not going to mention that heavy-duty off-road Segway in the background at 10:57?

[@Zone2enjoyer]

I‘m so glad that the outfits are different today 😂 also good to know that aero helmets have always looked a little goofy!

[@alfredongos]

Great video you guys put together again. Remembering those days, the idea of riding for sooo long in swim suits was terrifying for me...

[@Ajumi-]

you missed introducing the socks! They where amazing, too!! :D

[@daveslaughter8290]

A guy in my running club in Kentucky in the 1970's claimed that he, his brother and a friend did the very first triathlon ever in the 60's when he was a kid. The three of them found an old bike and set up a course where they started at a hilltop overlooking a pond, where they constructed a ramp out of a log and a board. The idea was to race the bike down the hill, onto the ramp and then into the water, then swim to the opposite side of the pond and run back to the starting point, then retrieve the bike and let another guy have a go at it. My friend's brother competed the event and retrieved the bike, but when my friend started downhill on it water had gotten into the old quill stem and loosened it, so my friend lost steering. He hit the log instead of the ramp, catapulted head over heels with the bike into the pond, and in the process the stem and handlebars detached from the frame. My friend completed his swim and run but they were unable to locate the handlebars to continue the event. Thus ended the first ever triathlon competition. My friend, by the way, eventually ran for the state champion cross country team in high school.

[@masonv45]

You *do know* the socks have to match the wristbands and the headbands!! LOL

[@jamiefuhrman403]

Did they really have the wing style helmets back then?! Love James' version.

[@BlakeJames-yk2yz]

Not where we were! Didn't even have to wear a helmet in the first races. Then it got mandated.

[@drj7352]

the bottle stuffed in the back of the speedo 🤣

[@paulmelde919]

Kudos to Mark for wearing the full-on mankini. Nothing says 80’s tri like that garb!

[@michelleharnett1351]

Lots of nostalgia! I was doing small local tris around this time in NZ.

[@DavidTucker85]

James definitely won 😂 That was fun to watch y'all.

[@lisapet160]

1993: Manchester Tri-nited! Thanks for the historic presentation! Interesting.

[@trailsandbeers]

My first triathlon was the 1st Cambridge triathlon organized by Sarah Springman in about 1985 or so. My next one was 2018 😂 In my defense I can't swim (or run)

[@P_Izenberg]

Loved it!

[@SBoots29]

Thank you for the walk down memory lane. James might have been last but looked really cool doing it. Great video. Cheers

[@RunAllTheMiles]

12 seconds into the video and I’m feeling personally attacked by the middle aged comment 😂

[@jassaljs]

🤣

[@tylerlyons7144]

So I actually have a been racing on a very similar bike! I got my bike for about 100$… I’ve been starting in the 80’s

[@JeromeSadou]

I started triathlon in 1998 in Normandy, and this is exactly how I looked like (well no fancy helmet though, more of a big super un-aero thing on top of the head). I was riding for my first year my dad's Peugeot from 1984 (we still have it). Frame was a 60mm, which was too big for me, I had added some Look PP206 pedals that I still use on my current bike (a Planet X Guru) !!

[@Ajumi-]

i love these kind of videos! :D haha

[@johannesbader4500]

I totally dig the music

[@johnbgriffinjr116]

Superb!!! By far the best video you folks have produced!….

[@Dolbouck7]

The coke in the shorts was classic.

[@lisapet160]

Couple years ago, when GTN was questioning the swim replacement after "water quality" reports, my SUP suggestion was not based on canoe knowledge of ancient Tri.

[@sethgriffiths6539]

Heather really suits wearing Great Britain on her tri-suit!! 🙂

[@DrGKickAss]

hope you're bringing this gear to Saalbach next weekend!

[@HolisticHealthEducation]

Oh, and I had both a Raleigh as well as a Peugeot. My Peugeot was the iconic "Rapport", which also had those top brake levers, as well as the pioneering quick release wheels. I absolutely loved that Peugeot. The Raleigh was crap.

[@tomrankin4530]

Another great and fun video! I appreciate the use of old-school equipment and gear. However, I do not think the presenters should have to suffer injury to wear out-of-date gear. Did you eat 40 year old snacks as well?

[@fatimaenriquez8348]

😂😂😂memories,memories ,thanks guys❗️❗️🇺🇸

[@atlosass]

James is awesome!

[@jobanski]

Kudos to James! I feel like he may have finished last he won first in style!

[@LarsRyeJeppesen]

Love the music .)

[@chrisstrider]

Memories ❤ Simon Lessing was my hero

[@triroo107]

Great memories, thank goodness nutrition has advanced…. How did we survive this period…. 20 something’s can live off of anything…. Great work… please back to 2020’s … 😊

[@SteveThibault]

Were clip-less pedals a thing in 1983? From what I recall look keo pedals were introduced in 1984.

[@peachxblue]

Fueling with Pez :D

[@MrTheHazelnut]

Those helmets where invented after the start of the alien series!

[@automotive474]

What an awesome, awesome video :)

[@agad2008]

Spirit78 triathlon race in Porto, Portugal have you heard about it?

[@danielmuller3945]

That music!!!!

[@GaneshD123]

Excellent!

[@HolisticHealthEducation]

You forgot the 80’s hits music. I might be biased, but I would have gone for "The final countdown" - by Europe.

[@LarsRyeJeppesen]

That song was only released in 1986

[@ironmantooltime]

Love it 😂

[@gtn]

Thanks! What challenge should we do next?

[@robertnastasi8643]

The wig and pez were the best

[@PatrickDelorenzi]

Hgahha amazing vid

[@jasonmant]

Ha ha i still have alot of the Speedo GB kit

[@sbyrstall]

Did you guys recreate the original bike and running routes or made it up?

[@GroomsJk]

This video would have been better if they would have duplicated the advent of Ironman in Oahu when Navy commander John Collins combined three races and enlisted his best Navy Seal to participate - who - would go on to finish second because he ran out of water on the run and his Seal buddies were pumping him full of beer. The commander is to have said of the race - ‘swim 2.4 bike 115 run 26.2 and brag the rest of your life’. In my opinion this was the real start of triathlons as we know them today.

[@nycdrummingstar]

Hilarious 🎉

[@etherealicer]

Ok immediately spoted a benefit of not wearing a wet-suit. Swimmers are more visible and you can judge technique much better.

[@SrFederico]

Sexiness overload.

[@adrianmayhew6835]

So none of the 90s Speedo kit - it was cut off running vests and plain speedo trunks .

[@scotthumphreys4157]

Turning middle age?! I was born in '84...how dare you!

[@Cookefan59]

My EYES! MY EYES! IM BLIND! BLIND I SAY! 😭

[@JonPrevost]

Feels like athletes of the past might have kicked some modern ass...

[@georgepompydu4673]

It looks wery fanny nowadays but this is beginning of tri

[@brannmacfinnchad9056]

Early triathlon...the only sport where the lady is actually wearing more clothes than the men.

[@aprilpettigrew683]

The speedo action is so distracting 😂

[@westerling8436]

Unsubscribed.

[@LarsRyeJeppesen]

That's what she said

[@westerling8436]

@@LarsRyeJeppesen try again, birdbrain