Category: Biking

A bike crash, whether it involves another vehicle or not, can be traumatizing, It can end one’s triathlon career even if the physical wounds heal.

This post is meant to answer a question from a member of the Senior Triathletes community about restarting to bike after an accident with injury.

Restarting to Bike After a Crash Can Be Physical and Emotional

One of Our Community members, Marty Hunter, knows too well how devastating a bike crash can be. She wrote the following when I asked our readers to share topics about which they would like to learn:

“[I am e]xperiencing difficulties recovering from a bike accident. Wondering what other athletes did to cope.”

Here is the background.

Training for Ironman Arizona in 2021, Marty fell on her bike while clipped into the pedals. A femur was broken in the fall, After surgery to repair it, she went through a period of walking with a cane and through many physical therapy appointments.

Even after healing physically, Marty has not recovered emotionally. She has ridden on a trainer but struggled to ride her bike outdoors on roads or trails. She told me “mentally, I’m mush”.

I am rooting for Marty to realize her dream of completing Ironman Arizona. So, I tapped into the experiences of others in our community who have been through this process of recovering from a bike crash. I am hoping their advice will help Marty return to training and racing.

Advice from Coach Jenn Reinhart

The first one to offer help was Senior Triathletes coach Jenn Reinhart. She is familiar with recovering from a bike crash having experienced a few, including being hit by a car, during her triathlon career.

Jenn and Marty spoke, after which Marty shared what she had learned from Jenn.

“Jenn found the right words to cut through my anxiety, especially my fear of being too old [to pursue my Ironman goal]. I tend to look way-way too far ahead instead of celebrating smaller but no less significant triumphs. 140.6 miles [of the Ironman] is huge. However, an 800 yard swim, 25 mile ride, and three to six mile run are totally doable. Each of these is great on it’s own. Being able to thread them together will be a mental podium finish for me.

“The basics are what I need to return to. Just get on the bike without any pressure for distance or pace at this time. Get confidence back for clipping [biking shoes] in and out. Eventually get the legs ready for power drills on the trainer.”

Advice from Other Senior Triathletes

I also spoke with two senior triathletes, Donna Maquire and Gene Peters. Both are Ironman finishers and have been injured in a bike crash.

Donna Maquire

During a triathlon in 2022, an impatient driver decided to turn when he should have waited. Because the bike course made a left turn, Donna was slowing down. These two factors – the car moving at a still low speed while accelerating from a stop and bikers slowing down for the turn – led to Donna ‘bouncing off’ the car’s side.

While her bike was undamaged, her back was fractured in three places. This was the beginning of nearly a year of back-pain as the back bones mended and aggravated discs were treated.

Within a couple of weeks of the accident, Donna was able to ride inside on the trainer. Four months after the crash, she did her first ride outside. This ride was not long and in her neighborhood where traffic is light and slow. She has continued to ride longer as time went by.

Given her experience following the crash, she does most of her training rides on a relatively flat trail near her home. She still struggles with pain when riding on hills.

Donna’s advice for Marty is to get back on a bike or trainer. When outside, never ride alone and always stay alert for cars. She uses a rear view mirror mounted on her glasses and a Garmin Varia radar that detects traffic from behind her.

She added, “Go slow. Increase the distance you ride a little at a time. And, be patient. As you ride more, you can expect your fitness and confidence to improve.”

Gene Peters

Gene Peters (look for his story here soon) told me of his experience while on his first ride after moving to Park City, Utah. During this ride, he collided with a car. In the accident, his back was broken in two places.

How did he get back to riding after healing?

The first time out after recovering, Gene rode less than six miles, enough to get comfortable riding.

Gene says that he is always concerned about cars, but realizes that there are some times when you can’t avoid riding with them around. This is another reason he does a lot of this bike training on the Computrainer his wife bought for him.

My Experience With Clip-In Shoes

I have not been in a serious accident with my bike. However, I have fallen twice during races, once because I was clipped in the pedals and unable to unclip quickly enough.

My first fall, at my Rhode Island triathlon, occurred because of a flat front tire.

I fell a second time, at a triathlon in Arkansas. This time, the fall was because I was not able to unclip my shoes quickly enough after the chain came off and jammed between the wheel and sprocket.

Interestingly, upon returning to the transition area after the bike leg of this triathlon, I saw another racer use traditional pedals with a toe cage (not clip-in) with his triathlon bike. I followed this example for the next several triathlons.

Besides making it easier to get in and out of the pedals, this configuration eliminates time in T2 to put on running shoes.

One qualifier: I am not sure this is valid for longer distance races. However, it can be helpful for restarting to bike after a crash.

Conclusions

A bike crash, especially one with an injury, can produce a major setback in one’s triathlon training. However, in most cases, it need not be career ending.

The concensus among other senior triathletes for restarting biking after a crash is to begin by getting on the bike for short rides. Ride in a safe area. And, if appropriate, use equipment that makes you feel safe, such as pedals and normal running shoes instead of clip-in shoes and pedals.

While you are regaining confidence riding outdoors, build your biking endurance using a bike trainer or stationary bike. Eventually, you will be able to put the bike handling and bike fitness pieces together.

Comments

What advice do you have for restarting to bike after a crash? Share your comment below.

Comments: Please note that I review all comments before they are posted. You will be notified by email when your comment is approved. Even if you do not submit a comment, you may subscribe to be notified when a comment is published.

How does training for the bike leg of triathlon occur when you can’t ride outside? There are more opportunities than you might imagine.

It’s Getting Cold Outside

I woke this morning to an outside temperature of 11°F (-12°C) and new snow. On top of this, the fitness centers are closed because of COVID-19 restrictions.

I don’t have, nor do I intend to purchase, a fat tire bike for riding in the snow.

So, how can I maintain fitness for the bike leg of triathlons in which I hope to compete next spring?

There are plenty of options. While these may not be as good as going to a warm climate where I can ride outside, they still take away any excuses.

In this post, I will highlight the training I intend to use over the next several months to prepare for my next races.

Bike Trainer

The most common way of developing bike fitness without riding outside is to use a trainer. In most cases, you connect your road bike or triathlon bike to one of many styles of trainer.

One benefit of using a trainer is that you develop and maintain a familiarity with the bike you will use for your next triathlon.

When the fitness centers re-open, I will also use their stationary bikes both for individual sessions and classes. I prefer the latter.

My trainer session, usually one hour, is divided into a few periods. Each segment is designed to work on a different goal. Breaking up the session also helps to prevent boredom. (Trainer sessions are also a great time to catchup on one of my favorite podcasts.)

A common one hour trainer session involves:

• Warm up – 10 minutes at a moderate pace, 80-90 rpm cadence.
• Single leg drill – 5 repetitions of 1 minute per leg at 80-90 rpm cadence – 10 minutes total. (NOTE: This may not be advisable for some trainers, but is for the Saris CycleOps Fluid2.)
• Intervals – 5 repetitions of 4 minutes in the highest gear in which I can maintain 60 rpm cadence followed by 2 minutes easy at 80-90 rpm cadence – 30 minutes total.
• Cool down – 10 minutes at moderate pace, 80-90 rpm cadence.

You can find many workouts to match your current fitness level and specific goals on-line or in books like “The Big Book of Bicycling” by Emily Furia and the Editors of Bicycling.

Advantages

• Safer than riding in traffic or in the aero position on winding trails shared with pedestrians, especially in the winter but really any time of the year.
• Efficient – A rule of thumb is that one hour on a trainer represents two hours riding on the road because you aren’t (or shouldn’t be) coasting on the trainer.
• Some training, such as single leg drills, are best done on a trainer.
• Accessible within your house or apartment.

Disadvantages

• Static trainers don’t help to develop stability and coordination or bike handling skills.
• Can be terribly boring. Some call these sessions the ‘purgatory’ of bike training.

Strength and Endurance Exercises

Strength training throughout the year should be a regular part of a triathlete’s training. I recommend Mark Allen’s program, especially if your fitness center is open.

However, if it isn’t or you want to give extra attention to strength training for the bike leg, look at the TrainingPeaks routine.

Except for the row, the exercises that involve weights can be done with homemade alternatives such as a weighted backpack (kettlebell) and plastic jugs filled with water (8 pounds per gallon/1 kilogram per liter) or other materials (beans, sand, coins) depending on the desired weight.

Advantages

• Allows you to focus on strengthening the weakest areas for the greatest improvement.
• Can be done from the convenience of home or at a fitness center.

Disadvantages

• The only disadvantage of which I am aware is that doing exercises without the benefit of a coach or training partner can lead to less than optimal results because of poor form.

Cross-Country Skiing

In the northern USA state where I live, Nordic skiing, or cross-country skiing, and ice skating are popular winter sports. I enjoy both skiing and skating, though have not skied for over 20 years.

Nearly every county park in our area has groomed cross-country ski trails. Larger parks also rent ski equipment (skis, boots, and poles) and offer group and personalized instruction.

Cross-country skiing produces endurance and strength for both the large muscles and the smaller muscles that support the larger muscles. Brett Sutton, coach of world champion triathletes, calls cross-country skiing “the hardest overall body workout out there”.

Downhill skiing is also good for building lower body and core muscle strength and for improving balance and coordination. However, downhill skiing does not yield the endurance benefits of cross-country skiing. Also, it much less accessible and more expensive than cross-country skiing.

“Nordic skiing, or cross-country skiing, is also great cross training for cycling. While downhill skiing brings more strength gains than endurance, Nordic skiing brings more endurance gains along with the added development of supporting muscles.”

ILoveBicycling.com

Classical vs. Skate Skiing

Today, there are two types of cross-country skiing – classical and skate-skiing.

Classical cross-country skiing involves a kick and glide motion. Skis remain parallel to each other, unless ‘snow plowing’. The classical cross-country ski courses are characterized by the parallel ruts in which the skis glide.

Cross-country skiing can also be done on fresh snow, that is, without a groomed trail. Most snow covered walking or bike paths are a candidate for classical skiing.

In contrast, the side-to-side motion in skate-skiing is like that of ice skating. Therefore, it uses muscles even more similar to those for pedaling.

One disadvantage of skate-skiing is that it requires a groomed trail. This makes it less flexible in where it can be done. Skate-skiing is also more difficult because it requires greater balance and coordination. However, it is faster than classical skiing.

Advantages

• Provides both endurance and strength benefits.
• Accessible – classical cross-country skiing can be done at your nearest park, golf course, or snow-covered lake. (Be sure the golf course is open for skiing and the ice on the lake is thick enough.)
• Relatively inexpensive, especially compared to downhill skiing.
• Gets you outside, into the fresh air and, hopefully, the sun. Think Vitamin D.

Disadvantages

• While cross-country skiing uses many of the same muscle groups as cycling, you may put more strain on certain muscles and tendons than when biking. To avoid injury, start slow and increase distance gradually.
• A beginning skier is likely to fall. Expect it and try to relax as you fall to avoid significant injury.

Note

From the reading I did in preparing this post, I have taken the first steps in scheduling cross-country ski lessons at a nearby county park. I am hoping to learn to skate-ski.

Ice Skating

Most cities in the northern climates, large or small, have an outdoor ice skating rink. Elsewhere, given the popularity of ice hockey, many of the more populated areas in the USA and Canada have indoor ice arenas.

Ice skating, like skate-skiing, is great for working smaller muscles that are often overlooked but valuable for biking performance. It is also great for improving balance, flexibility, and coordination.

Advantages

• Great for strengthening leg and abdominal muscles. Skating is also reported to increase the flexibility of more joints than cycling and running by strengthening ligaments and connective tissue around these.
• Low impact, unless you jump or spin (or fall often).
• Relatively inexpensive, often free (after purchasing or renting skates) if you live in a climate where outside temperatures are consistently below freezing. Even small towns typically have an outdoor ice skating rink open to the public.
• Gets you outside, into the fresh air.

Disadvantages

• Ice skating requires good ankle strength (which you probably have as a runner). However, you may put more strain on some muscles and tendons of the feet and ankles than when biking. As with any new sport, start slowly and increase gradually.
• Expect to fall, especially as you begin. At least that’s my experience. However, since I am usually bundled up for the cold, I have seldom been injured and then only with a bump or bruise to my ego.

No Excuses!

None of us has an excuse related to weather for not continuing to train for the bike leg of a triathlon throughout the winter. Even if I stay in the north part of the USA, there are plenty of opportunities inside and outside my house.

Some may actually be better than riding outside.

How Do You Train for Triathlon Biking When You Can’t Ride Outside?

How do you continue training for the bike when you cannot ride outside? Share your comments below.

Selecting a bike for triathlon, especially for the beginner triathlete, can feel overwhelming. However, considering a few factors will make the process simpler and less stressful.

In this post, I will summarize the factors I used to choose the bikes for my first sprint triathlons.

Factors in Choosing a Bike

If you have visited a bike shop recently, you will find a mind-boggling number of bike styles. The many options target a range of budgets for different riders, terrains, and activities.

Selecting the bike you will you use for your triathlons is an individual decision. The following five factors can be useful for making this selection.

• Cost
• Comfort
• Construction
• Course
• Commitment

Why Ride in the Aero Position?

Compared to other activities involving bike riding, the conventional (swim/bike/run) triathlon involves the triathlete completing the bike leg, getting off the bike, taking off their helmet, putting on running shoes, and setting off for a run of at least several miles (kilometers).

The amount of work done by the running muscles, primarily the quadriceps and hamstrings, during the bike leg and the time that it takes for the running muscles to adjust to running is key to the run speed and one’s overall performance (time) in the race.

For this reason, the triathlon specific bike, or tri-bike, is designed to be ridden in an aerodynamic (also known as “aero”) position as pictured below. 

The aero position is one which the rider is in a forward position with forearms resting on pads mounted to the handlebars. Riding in the aero position minimizes the work required of the main running muscles during the bike leg.

Despite this, one will see many types of bikes in a triathlon, especially for shorter races. After all, most of us take part in triathlon to remain active and fit, not necessarily to set race records.

So, with that background, let’s review the factors in selecting the bike.

Cost

The good news is that you probably have access to a bike for your next triathlon. If you do not already have a bike, you may borrow one from a friend or family member.  

For my first triathlon, I used an existing hybrid bike. Truth-be-told, I had never seen a tri-bike before this race. I had also never ridden a road bike.

If you decide you want to compete seriously to win a race or place within your age group, then you will want a triathlon bike or at least a well-outfitted road bike with aerobars.

In this case, the bike will easily become the most expensive piece of race gear. Price tags for new triathlon specific bikes generally start at four figures. In fact, it is easy to find bikes with five-figure prices.

Comfort

In my experience, riding a triathlon bike is not nearly as comfortable as riding a hybrid bike. I can say the same for the road bike compared to the hybrid.

I have changed the seat on my triathlon bike from the one with which it was first fitted. This has made the ride more comfortable (less numbness in the seated area).  However, it is still not as comfortable as the seat on my hybrid bike. I often joke that riding the hybrid is like biking while sitting on the couch.

Getting comfortable riding in the aero position can be a challenge. For a triathlon bike, riding in the aero position is, for practical purposes, required since the shift levers are at the far ends of the aero bars. For this reason, I rarely ride my triathlon bike on winding trails and never on trails with pedestrian traffic.

On the other hand, the triathlon bike is much faster than a hybrid bike and saves the legs for running.

Construction

As summarized in the table below, factors such as distance of the bike leg or ride, rider weight, and riding frequency can influence the optimum material for construction of the bike frame.

Material	Strengths	Weaknesses
Aluminum or aluminium1	Light and stiff—ideal for shorter distances and hill climbing	Lighter weight riders and anyone with aches and pains, such as a sore back, will feel roughness in the road.
Steel	Strong and elastic (flexible) – good shock absorbency, ideal for long rides.	Relatively heavy, though in the context of the weight of the rider plus bike, this is a minor weakness.
Carbon fiber	Best shock absorbency – good for long distance rides and riders with sore backs.	Flexibility can result in loss of power being transferred to the bike, a more important factor for hilly rides. Expensive to repair.
Titanium	Good shock absorbency for rough roads and stiffness for efficient transfer of power to the bike.	Expensive.

¹ This is the spelling most non-American English speakers will recognize.

The construction of the wheels and drivetrain and brake components can also affect the performance of the bike through their weight and reliability.

Course

The previous section highlighted how the smoothness (or roughness) of the race course affects the optimum material. For a typical spring/summer/fall triathlon with the bike course on roads, the next variable in selecting a road or tri bike for triathlon is the size of hills included in the course.

The ideal bike for hilly courses is low weight and has gearing ratios consistent with the grade of hills. Without the correct gear ratios, one can quickly ‘run out of gas’ when climbing steep hills. (In my experience, this also occurs even sooner at a higher elevation.)

For races with off-road courses, a mountain bike or fat tire bike (‘fat bike’, for short) are best. If the bike course is on sand or snow, the ‘fat bike’ is the best option.

You can see fat bikes in action at the 2016 USAT National Winter Triathlon Championship. While fat bikes were best for this course, some racers still used road bikes.

Fat bikes have grown in popularity for their comfort and all-terrain, all-weather use. At an open house of my favorite Minnesota bike shop, I was told that nearly everyone working in the store now rides a fat bike year round.

Commitment

Buying a triathlon bike represents a commitment to the sport.

After my first triathlon, I decided to get a different, faster bike. During a training ride before shopping for the bike, I spoke with a person from my local bike shop. His advice – which I am convinced is correct – is that if you are looking for a general purpose bike (triathlon plus rides with the family), get a road bike. If however, you want to get the best performance in the bike leg of a triathlon, get a triathlon bike.

Make Sure Your Bike Fits

Selecting a bike for triathlon that fits properly is critical. Having an expensive triathlon bike without the seat, aerobar rests, or other main components adjusted for your specific body proportions will be frustrating.   Riding a bike that does not properly fit the rider can even be painful.

As I have gained experience and flexibility, I have also had the bike fit checked and adjusted.

What Questions Do You Have About Selecting A Bike For Triathlon?

If you are considering a new bike, what questions do you have?

If you are an experienced triathlete, what bike do you use for triathlons? What do you recommend for those starting the sport?

Leave your comments below.

Originally published on March 19, 2016 and updated on March 17, 2021.