Triathlon Transition Hacks | Race Day Tips To Save You Time

Want to improve your overall triathlon time without any training or new kit? It’s amazing how much time can be saved with a few small tweaks to your transition techniques. Let’s look at them both T1 & T2 as opportunities to shave off seconds even minutes from your finish time!
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Fancy improving your overall triathlon time without any training or the requirement of a new kit? Sounds too good to be true but it’s amazing how much time can be saved with a few small tweaks to your transition techniques.
We’ve got T1 and T2, let’s look at them both as opportunities to shave off seconds even minutes from your finish time.
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[@gtn]

Do you practice your transitions before race day? What are your top tips? Let us know 👇

[@PackBackerTom]

Yes, I do. The top tip is to actually rehears T1 and T2 in a training session. And not only once.

[@john12mclaughlin]

+1 Practicing transitions is the perfect thing to do as part of a taper. I've saved up to a minute just practicing taking my wetsuit off. One other tip -- if there's a long run-in from the swim to T1 find a good place to strip the wetsuit before T1. It's easier to run carrying, rather than wearing a wetsuit, and you avoid some chaos in T1.

[@uptimescott3021]

Best tip is to know where your bike is!! When racking up, walk to entry point from the swim, how many rows, what features to pick out. Same for entry from Bike, possibly harder to find your spot as only stuff on the floor to look for... Or be crap at swimming and be last out, ergo only 1 bike left!!

[@VeronicaMartinez-kw1qb]

Ha ha... the win

[@connorfarrell2172]

This was my method for my first 70.3 😅😅 easy to find when you're in last!!

[@paulplant9658]

Always put talc in my trainers and use a brightly coloured towel so I can see my pitch!!

[@pinjaliina]

Thanks Heather! Will we soon have a video of the GCN guys practicing these tips? :) I've been relatively fast in my age group (currently W40) on T1, so here are some of my tips: 1. Walk calmly out of the water and remove your wetsuit partially as Heather demonstrated. You'll be just as fast and you'll avoid the worst of the post-swim HR peak (many athletes have their all-race peak HR at this point!). 2. Organise your stuff in advance just like Heather demonstrated. Difficult on crowded transition areas, I know, but all-important! Covid-induced extra distancing on transition areas might even help you here. 3. EAT ON YOUR BIKE! This also applies to pre-T2! Ride a bit slower if necessary; you'll still be much, much faster than if you'd eat being stationery. Attach extra gels and bars to the frame of your bike with some electric tape to be eaten just after transition, if your normal storage boxes are already full. 4. Even if you're not actually going to do a flying mount without stopping, do clip in your shoes regardless, use elastics to tie their heels to the frame and practice putting your feet to them after you've mounted your bike and are already rolling; it's faster the same way as eating on the bike is. 5. Grease the heels of your shoes from the inside. Any anti-chafing cream will do. DO NOT: 1. Forget where you've racked your bike. Yes, I have screwed up this one! (thanks for reminding me, @Uptime Scott!) 2. Attempt a flying mount by putting your other foot on the pedal closer to you (like you'd do with flat pedals). If you do, you'll break the elastics immediately, before your feet are both on the pedals. If a pedal then accidentially rotates to six o'clock position with your weight already on the bike and a shoe clipped on it but your foot not being stepped on the shoe and keeping its heel off the ground, the force of the heel striking the ground easily unclips that shoe from the pedal, sending it rolling down the road, forcing you to stop to pick it up. Yes, I have screwed up this one as well (in a super-sprint, even)! You need to jump on the saddle and then put your both feet to pedals at the same time to break the elastics correctly. If you have not practiced this quite enough, err on the safe side and stop after the mount line to mount the bike; it's not really much slower. BONUS (for T2): 1. Again, eat on your bike 1-2k (2-4 mins @ 30 kph) before T2. It's usually easier to eat riding than running, and you'll lose less speed. 2. 0.5k before the line, open up your shoes and lift your heels off them. Then, 100-150m before the line, take your feet off your shoes completely, stepping on top of them, just like you did in the start of the bike leg, if you used elastics. Just before the line, dismount on the fly, standing on the other pedal. Keep your fingers on the brake levers, brake down to running speed just before the line and jump off the pedal. 3. If it's rainy, have a bag to keep your shoes, socks (if any) and a towel (to dry up your feet) protected from the rain. Pulling socks and shoes over wet feet is often slow and difficult. (I'll leave it here because I've always been on the slowish side on T2 despite following varying tips meticulously!)

[@jamiefuhrman403]

These are great, thanks for the in depth tips!

[@pinjaliina]

@@jamiefuhrman403 Hope you'll find them useful!

[@MikeSmith-ni5eh]

I utilised mental transition prep before last race as I was bitten by a dog 2 days prior to race. Mental visualisation worked just as well. Absolutely perfect transition. Best I’ve had. Highly recommend this as well as physical practice 👍.

[@iggalan]

My first triathlon this years is in 3 weeks from now. I've been practicing T1 and I'm not doing a flying mount, I tried and I'm not confident that I can jump into my bike (maybe if I had a dropper seat post as my MTB :) ). I'm considering elastic laces to speed up T2, next week I'll try them and see if they work for me. Apart from that I think that I'm ready to go, I've swam more than ever, cycled quite a bit and been doing "smarter" runs (running a bit less but with a well structured plan.) I've also planned the nutrition and hydration of course, even though it's Olympic distance.

[@sk1ppercat912]

Good luck. Elastic laces are a must. Flying mounts are meh, depends on how comfortable you are could be slower. On my tt bike I step on my left shoe which turns the cranks a quarter turn(adds some speed and speed is balance on a bike) and helps me swing my leg up over my seat and the bottles that I mount behind it. I can really do a true flying mount as I get hung up on the bottles.

[@iggalan]

@@sk1ppercat912 I’ve put elastic laces on my road shoes and I’ve been running with them to get used. They are going to be great for races but a no go for training. I have a cheap road bike and I’m sticking with it, prices of bikes are ridiculously high currently, manufacturers have raised prices 20% or more, and I’m not going to bite.

[@ioanparry]

How did the triathlon go and what are the major lessons from it for you??

[@iggalan]

@@ioanparry I practiced flying dismount and I was confident enough to do it in the race, that worked fine. Unfortunately I had cramps in my legs with only 3 Km to the finish line. Fortunately they went away after stopping a few seconds so I could finish relatively well. This year I will take more electrolytes because it's always quite hot in this race, maybe I was a bit short on them.

[@ajculberson6389]

Walk through transitions in order. Swim exit to the bike rack. Bike stuff on. Walk to bike exit. Etc. Look for landmarks. Understand that when you are stressed from the race simple directions and task becoming difficult. Familiarity helps that stress for me.

[@davidclarkson787]

If it’s a wetsuit swim, wear your number belt underneath the wetsuit, to avoid scrunching the number when you pull the wetsuit to your waist, fold number over top of the wetsuit then as you pull up the number remains flat on your back, also like to place a gel in my tri suit pocket in case I lose one on the bike or even for the run, they’re sealed so won’t suffer from water damage.

[@davicito2001gu]

Great tips! Heather, what about washing those shoes? hahaha

[@ingeross4384]

For Olympic distances, I trained myself to go without socks. I've also skipped gloves, water on the bike and eye gear. Not every time though. At T2 I just change shoes and grab a tiny plastic bag containing the stuff I want. Put on your cap and gels in pocket while running and discard the bag in the designated area.

[@livinginsyn4814]

I hold my cap and goggles in my hand as I take off my wetsuit. They get trapped in the sleeve and stay neatly out of the way

[@angrymikko]

Mine would easily cut through the material doing that.

[@alisontriathlonlover]

Great reminder, thanks 😊

[@CarlosEnriqueAmaro]

This is excellent mate. Oy! Don't tell me I have to order this through Amazon now

[@davidhenner9367]

I find a sunny day really takes energy out of me. It is worth getting a compression White shirt instead of applying sun screen, even better to have one made for swimming and hence have it on under the wetsuit. It REALLY keeps me cooler and doesn't let the sun drain my energy away. Plus no sunburn

[@heikkisanelma6625]

I want to see Fraser, Mark, James vs Heather in different triathlon challenges from Catchup to xcountry to Heathers Dream Team Relay... Do it! Do it now!

[@heikkisanelma6625]

also verymuch we need to have a TTT with atleast 80k GCN vs GTN 3man1superwoman -teams!!! GCN inside UCI regulations, GTN team, well, no need for that many regulations :)

[@trent4852]

Small, disposable bottle of water (with cap already loosened) at T1 to wash of sand/dirt from your feet before hopping on the bike. Set your Wahoo bike computer timeout to 2 hours so you can turn it on before the swim and don’t need to remember to turn it on at T1.

[@jamiedilts4609]

When you guys talk about using "elastics" for holding up the tri shoes for a flying mount, does this mean rubber bands, elastic hair ties, elastic string tied in a loop, or something else?

[@sinistregoth]

Sounds un-intuitive, but my biggest saving in transitions, particularly ones with a deal of distance to cover, is to not bother with standard road race cycling shoes. I use my touring shoes, with spd clips, and elastic laces. They take barely a second each to slip on, you can run to the mount point as if youre wearing trainers, and then once on your bike you're away, no trying to get your feet into pedal mounted shoes, similarly in T2, you just jump off and run at dismount, While youre putting 1st trainer on you can kick 2nd shoe off, you can be as quick as someone who's barefoot, but you didn't have to pause pedalling to get your feet out, or worry about scrubbing the skin off your feet landing on tarmac at speed!

[@standandeliver8376]

If it might rain, put something over your shoes and socks so that they don't get soaked in transition.

[@angelaangela8830]

What better to wear under tei suit. A sports bra or a swimming top. Thank you

[@raihanrafi3665]

How about hacking transition with bag?

[@MrTigerlilly68]

Perfekt planning prevents piss poor performance, use bodyglide or vasseline ön ankles and wrist to help remove wetsuit and on feet to avoid blisters, allways check your bike is in the right gear so you dont stall and fall. Have fun and kick ass!!! 🌞🏊‍♂️🚴‍♂️🏃

[@henryyp]

Sun glasses under the helmet strap? That's controversial... 😎

[@heatherfell_oly]

In day to day riding yes, in a race setting no. ;)

[@sk1ppercat912]

A big goop of Vaseline in the heal of each shoe. Makes slipping them on that much faster

[@chrisfoglesong2017]

If it is a salt water swim, a travel size bottle of mouthwash in T1 to get that taste out. A quick swig and you can spit it out, well at least you could, before COVID.

[@stug45]

Why not prepare before you put the suit on?

[@lennoxlocal]

Shoes at 3 & 9? Who wants a flying mount? Try 6 & 12, left shoe at 6. Level with rubber bands, step on fast and go. Easily the fastest way to mount. Prove me wrong.

[@crstepstudy]

💯👍

[@skerminkel9971]

Sunnies? Ha ha!

[@Saledburnette]

"traHnsition"