Train for a triathlon on a fixie

By parkr on Monday, Jul 28 2008.

The aim of this article is to persuade you of the advantages that fixed gear cycling can bring to your triathlon conditioning. Triathlon by nature involves x training but there's no reason to just stick to your road or triathlon bike in preparation for the bike leg.

Tools required

You will need...

A fixed gear bike

1. Try a different form of cycling

Nothing is like a fixed gear bike for the feeling between rider and road. Riding a fixie will improve your technique. For one thing there's no rest time. You don't have the luxury of a freewheel. You are training your legs to keep pumping, no matter what the conditions. Riding hard will train your legs to spin fast.

2. Gain fluidity and focus

Aside from the cardio benefit, this feeling of "flow" makes you faster through the corners. Without the thought of gears and shifting, riding becomes a simple pleasure. You have just one gear. It teaches you to read the road ahead, to modulate your speed efficiently. It might shave a few seconds off your next race time.

3. Have fun

Riding a fixie is fun. It can liven up an uninspiring training routine. You can mix it in with other forms of training. Fixie bikes are simple to maintain and can be ridden year round, even when the weather where you live doesn't inspire you to take your $4,000 tri bike out in the gloop.

4. Experiment some more

Remember that mountain biking is a great discipline to try too. Singlespeed or not, ex-mountain bike riders who transition to the road often have fantastic technique. The steep gnarly stuff encourages them to spin circles, applying pressure right through the dead centre position of the stroke without stamping and loosing traction. The same terrain also encourages a more efficient seated position instead of standing out of the saddle.

Good luck - please leave us a comment and let us know your thoughts on the subject...

Happy riding!