Question:

Forgive the cross posting but there is no news group specific to sports related fractures and figured that people in these groups may have had experience with wrist fractures or be interested in the subject. On Feb. 23 I suffered a Colles fracture to the right wrist (my dominant hand) while Ice Skating.  On March 14 I had surgery because the reduction of the displaced fracture did not hold.  The surgery involved an open reduction (re-broke the fracture and positioned) with an internal brace (T shaped plate with screws across the fracture of the radius bone).  On 3-26 my arm was transfered from a surgical splint to a removable one resembling a roller hockey wrist guard.  Today I had my arm out of the wrist guard and was discouraged to find I could hardly move it.

Don’t get too discouraged. you’ll get some flexibility back pretty quickly. The challenge is getting most or all of it back, getting your strength in the joint back, and avoiding re-injury. Uh, were you SUPPOSED to be trying to move the wrist yet? Can someone tell me from their experience how long it takes to recover from this kind of injury?  If I can’t set a PR this year in running, swimming, or cycling maybe I can set one for fastest recovery time  This kind of an injury is a bitch.  Stay safe and wear protection whenever possible.

Physical therapy is an absolute requirement for an injury like this. Be honest with your therapist and MD about your goals, and listen to their advice. Do the therapy, even if it hurts. Be ready to write off those IM races for this year if the recovery takes too long. BTW, you keep asking the "how long does it take to recover from this" question as if you’re hoping to get a more optimistic answer. My guess is that you don’t like what the MD and/or therapist have told you, and are hoping to hear something better here. This concerns me. Most of us with an active lifestyle go nuts when we’re sidelined with an injury. Most of us push our recovery too hard, or are at least tempted to. My fear is that you will push too hard, re-injure, and never be able to bear weight on that wrist again. It is possible to bike with one arm, I know a guy locally that does it because a shark got the other one. I still don’t think he’d recommend it. If you keep asking, you will eventually find a twelve year old who will reply, "dude, no problem, I was back on my skate board the day i came out of the cast!" Do you intend to take that advice over the MD’s? Listen to the MD and therapist. If you don’t trust them, get second opinions. My mom destroyed her wrist in her late fifties in a bike fall. When she got up, her hand was no longer centered on the end of her arm. They had to use plates, screws and wires to re-assemble her wrist, and yet she recovered 90% range of motion and strength within 18 months with the help of PT. Others have recovered less than 50% with much more minor injuries and will never improve on this because they did the wrong things during the critical phases of recovery. Thanks, Tom

Response:

My mom destroyed her wrist in her late fifties in a bike fall. When she got up, her hand was no longer centered on the end of her arm. They had to use plates, screws and wires to re-assemble her wrist, and yet she recovered 90% range of motion and strength within 18 months with the help of PT. Others have recovered less than 50% with much more minor injuries and will never improve on this because they did the wrong things during the critical phases of recovery.

    I had a Colles fracture which required external fixation (6 weeks) plus being casted before and after the surgery.  I have full use and range of motion in the wrist.  It did take a while, but I credit physiotherapy and a good surgeon. Jean S.

Response:

Thanks to everyone for their input.  My doctor hasn’t given me any estimates on recovery time.  I think he’s waiting to see how well I do in the first two weeks with a removable cast.  My x-rays look really good according to my surgeon but they can’t show any soft tissue damage that might have occurred. I’m using a tennis ball and racquet ball to exercise the wrist since the doctor said I should work the wrist ‘within reason".  Can anyone who has undergone therapy for Colles fracture recommend other exercises/tools to use while I’m waiting to get connected to a PT?  Thanks!

Response:

Well, I may have some info to add.  I am a physician and triathlete. I was in the unfortunate end of two accidents within the last 14 months, and broke each wrist, on separate occasions.  First was on a off road motorcycle, my fault of course.  The first one very severe. 6 fractured bones with a severe "peri-lunate" dislocation.  Two surgeries with hardware inside.  Again, with a talented surgeon, I gained all of my movement in supination/pronation(flip you hand over, palm down to palm up) and most of extention(pulling my hand back).  I did not recover much wrist flexion at all but this is probably my least important motion.  I feel I am still recovering now but have come such a long way.  Don’t give up hope.  I never thought I may operate again and also thought my athletic career was over.  I am training for another ironman this year happily enough and just have to roll with the good and bad days that it still gives me.  When I came out to the cast, I had a frozen wrist for the most part so it progressed quite a bit. The other fracture was about 6 months later, scaphoid bone only with no dislocation.  No surgery, 6 weeks in a cast, some PT and it healed to 100%.  Thank you lord for that one(was from a head on collision with a car which ran into me in my lane on the road, uninsured of course).  I never had a broken bone in my life before this, and at 30 yrs old, it wasn’t what I was looking for either. Biggest advice, be patient and do your therapy-ALWAYS.  There is only one time to heal correctly and if you don’t do the right things, it won’t recover or will give you unnecessary grief for the rest of you life.  Hang in there and you’ll make the most of it. Nick Ranson

Response:

Can anyone who has undergone therapy for Colles fracture recommend other

exercises/tools to use while I’m waiting to get connected to a PT?  Thanks!

        The surgeon actually had me start physiotherapy two days after I got the fixator because I was developing what he called a claw hand, which resulted from not using my hand and fingers enough for the week or so before the surgery that I had the big cast on.  One of the main exercises was moving the fingers – touching thumb to each finger in turn.  At first I couldn’t do this.  At home I was told to have my husband bend each knuckle in my fingers back and forth to get the synovial fluid going.         The first thing the therapist did when the fixator came out and the small cast (which followed the fixator) came off was to forcibly bend the wrist – I had zero range of motion at this point.  I remember she said that it would hurt, but it wouldn’t break.  Then I graduated to little tiny weights – I think one pound.  I would hang my hand over the edge of a table while grasping this weight and flex my wrist up and down.  I remember that I would go to the Y and go into the weight room and do this, and all those guys hoisting bar bells were real nice to me.  The therapists also had me do shoulder exercises as they wanted to be sure I didn’t develop frozen shoulder, which I was told I did not want to have.  There were paraffin baths for the wrist which felt real nice.  I was encouraged to do the exercises on my own at home.  What was particularly helpful was that I knew what kind of exercises to do to help myself.

Response:

On Feb. 23 I suffered a Colles fracture to the right wrist (my dominant hand) while Ice Skating.  On March 14 I had surgery because the reduction of the displaced fracture did not hold.  The surgery involved an open reduction (re-broke the fracture and positioned)….. This kind of an injury is a bitch.  Stay safe and wear protection whenever possible.

I worked part time as an orthopaedic technition in the fracture room at a hospital for the four years that I was attending chiropractic college. I assisted the orthopaedic surgeons in hundreds of closed reductions of this fracture and watched several open reductions. This is not a good injury to have. A normal Colles with a closed reduction usually involves six weeks in a cast followed by a couple of months of physical therapy exercises. The open reduction will  complicate things. The most important thing is to try and get your range of motion of your wrist back as soon as possible. This will involve passive and active stretch exercises for wrist extension/flexion and to bring back your muscle wasting. It is possible that you may never get the full range of motion back if there is a deformity of the joint caused by the fracture, but it is hard to predict. Muscle wasting also takes quite a bit of time, probably six weeks for every one week spent in a cast is a general rule of thumb. Get on an exercise program and stick with it. It will be hard and frustrating at first, but eventually you will see results. You will have to have patience. BTW I see roller bladers all the time without wrist protection. Very foolish, as roller blading accidents are common causes of a Colle’s fracture.

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Forgive the cross posting but there is no news group specific to sports related fractures and figured that people in these groups may have had experience with wrist fractures or be interested in the subject. On Feb. 23 I suffered a Colles fracture to the right wrist (my dominant hand) while Ice Skating.  On March 14 I had surgery because the reduction of the displaced fracture did not hold.  The surgery involved an open reduction (re-broke the fracture and positioned) with an internal brace (T shaped plate with screws across the fracture of the radius bone).  On 3-26 my arm was transfered from a surgical splint to a removable one resembling a roller hockey wrist guard.  Today I had my arm out of the wrist guard and was discouraged to find I could hardly move it.  Can someone tell me from their experience how long it takes to recover from this kind of injury?  If I can’t set a PR this year in running, swimming, or cycling maybe I can set one for fastest recovery time  This kind of an injury is a bitch.  Stay safe and wear protection whenever possible.

I had both colles fractures at school (2) and also a scaphoid fracture while at Uni. The scaphoid is a little bone in the wrist near the base of the thumb. Classic break when you put out your hand/arm to break your fall and land on the base of your wrist. It has poor blood supply so I was in plaster for 5 months. Not good – almost no movement in wrist when cast was removed. Arm muscles were wasted severely. 3 weeks of 3 times per week physio (very painful, I hated it). Then monthly visits to check progress for a couple of months. What seemed to get things moving was swimming. I was a keen body surfer and keen on large surf, point breaks etc so used to spend a lot of time in the water. The movement of the hand through the water seemed to build up strength and flexibility much more quickly than the physio exercises, plus it was more fun. 35 years on, I have no problems from it that I am aware of. Persevere and good luck. — Ian Lilly

Response:

Forgive the cross posting but there is no news group specific to sports related fractures and figured that people in these groups may have had experience with wrist fractures or be interested in the subject. On Feb. 23 I suffered a Colles fracture to the right wrist (my dominant hand) while Ice Skating.  On March 14 I had surgery because the reduction of the displaced fracture did not hold.  The surgery involved an open reduction (re-broke the fracture and positioned) with an internal brace (T shaped plate with screws across the fracture of the radius bone).  On 3-26 my arm was transfered from a surgical splint to a removable one resembling a roller hockey wrist guard.  Today I had my arm out of the wrist guard and was discouraged to find I could hardly move it.  Can someone tell me from their experience how long it takes to recover from this kind of injury?  If I can’t set a PR this year in running, swimming, or cycling maybe I can set one for fastest recovery time  This kind of an injury is a bitch.  Stay safe and wear protection whenever possible.

Response:

Question:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Tim- Don’t return the watch…  the 100 lapper Ironman is a kick ass watch in my book.  It’s the only digital watch that I actually replaced the battery on… Usually when the battery goes, I just get a new watch! What has you stymied with the instructions?… I don’t recall much about them really, but I thought the watch was pretty easy to figure out without them… Lemme know what’s got you hung up… I can walk you thru it… But keep the watch!  Seriously!

Too late.  I was so disgusted with them I returned the watch witin hours.  Call me impetuous if you like but there really is no excuse for manufacturers for providing such appalling instructions.  If nobody protests then  there’s no motive for a company to try and improve things.  I did try to give the company the benefit of the doubt and checked their website before I returned it but all I could find was a pdf version of the same instruction sheet I already had. It really did smack of a company trying to spare every expense when it came to instruction provision. In addition, the strap and buckle were quite the cheapest and nastiest items I’ve seen on a watch in a long time. I’ve since bought a cheap Casio that admittedly doesn’t have half the functions of the Ironman but *does* come with a commendably clear instruction sheet. To give Timex their due, I e-mailed them at the same time as I posted here and they did respond very quickly with plain English instructions.  Too bad they didn’t think to include them with the watch. Tim

Response:

well, there’s timex.com…. but you may get the same instructions as came with the watch.

If there was a plain English version available on the website, it was too well hidden for me.  All I found was a pdf version of the supplied instructions. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – i, too, found the instructions quite cryptic. i’ve fussed with it and have learned things bit by bit. when i recently had a new battery put in it at a watch shop, i stood in awe as the watch expert just wizzed through all the functions…. he eventually explained, in very brief terms, how the thing worked. i think i picked up more that day than from those stinking instructions. refer to them, revise them, whatever. mode is obvious. the recall and stop buttons advance and back up (respectively) the numbers (times) for intervals. most other functions work without hassle. i’ve had my watch for a few months now and i’m STILL figuring it out. but i’ve (nearly?) mastered the functions that i need the most. good luck Cam

Pleased to hear I’m not the only thickie posting here! Tim ps.  I’ve just had another look at their website and I *still* can’t find any plain English version.

Response:

Hmm, I bought mine in the Netherlands so it didn’t even come with English instructions – I can still use it OK, you just have to play with it till you work out what does what. — Regards, Barry Running & Stuff: http://distancerunner.tmfweb.nl "The woods are lovely, dark and deep; but I have training logs to keep; and miles to run before I sleep".

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – In search of a running watch with more than a 10 lap memory I was beguiled into buying a Ironman triathlon with a 100 lap memory. My balloon of my joy at the ownership of said watch was instantly punctured when I pulled it out of it’s box and sat down with the instructions.  These have *got* to be some of the worst watch instructions I have ever come across.  Poor instructions in a basic function watch I can cope with but these were simply appalling considering the capabilities of this watch. Am I spectacularly thick (don’t feel you have to answer that one or have other folk had difficulties with these instructions?  I dare say that once mastered it’s not too difficult to work out all the functions but as my age increases, my patience decreases. It may be a good watch but I’m returning mine pronto just to show my disgust. Tim

Response:

well, there’s timex.com…. but you may get the same instructions as came with the watch. i, too, found the instructions quite cryptic. i’ve fussed with it and have learned things bit by bit. when i recently had a new battery put in it at a watch shop, i stood in awe as the watch expert just wizzed through all the functions…. he eventually explained, in very brief terms, how the thing worked. i think i picked up more that day than from those stinking instructions. refer to them, revise them, whatever. mode is obvious. the recall and stop buttons advance and back up (respectively) the numbers (times) for intervals. most other functions work without hassle. i’ve had my watch for a few months now and i’m STILL figuring it out. but i’ve (nearly?) mastered the functions that i need the most. good luck Cam

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – In search of a running watch with more than a 10 lap memory I was beguiled into buying a Ironman triathlon with a 100 lap memory. My balloon of my joy at the ownership of said watch was instantly punctured when I pulled it out of it’s box and sat down with the instructions.  These have *got* to be some of the worst watch instructions I have ever come across.  Poor instructions in a basic function watch I can cope with but these were simply appalling considering the capabilities of this watch. Am I spectacularly thick (don’t feel you have to answer that one or have other folk had difficulties with these instructions?  I dare say that once mastered it’s not too difficult to work out all the functions but as my age increases, my patience decreases. It may be a good watch but I’m returning mine pronto just to show my disgust. Tim

Response:

        I agree, hide the directions and play!         I’ve been a loyal Timex ironman wearer for my entire 11 year running career, starting with the 8-lap and moving to the 50-lap, which I love.  I get to buy a new one today since my venerable 4-year-old one just died by leaking in the rain on a run last night (back had been off twice, you think they could make these resealable by now!).           Timex is a good company too.  My last one died mysteriously a week out of warranty, and I sent the company an email praising their product’s function but voicing my disappointment in my last one.  They emailed me back that they’d send me a package to mail my watch in and they’d repair/replace it for free.  The free one they returned had a non-functional button, whcih they promptly apologized for and finally sent me the working new one that has held up to a belligerent amount of abuse over the past four years.  RIP, old friend         Andy

Response:

Hide the instructions.  Play around with the watch first.  Hit some buttons try to get it to do what you want it to do.  You might get a few of the function right, then you can get out the instructions. I have two Timex Ironman watches and they are both pretty easy to operate even without the instructions.  My 100 lap lets you download stuff from the computer and my 50 lap will save multiple races. *HOWEVER* if you got the Timex Ironman with the HRM and it does not say anything about "laps" on the watch, you were screwed royally.  I hate those watches because they look like it stores laps but it won’t recall any.  You have to buy either the 50 or 100 lapper for that and I haven’t seen a store yet that sells anything but the 0 lap Ironman with the HRM. Thanks,         Roger – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – In search of a running watch with more than a 10 lap memory I was beguiled into buying a Ironman triathlon with a 100 lap memory. My balloon of my joy at the ownership of said watch was instantly punctured when I pulled it out of it’s box and sat down with the instructions.  These have *got* to be some of the worst watch instructions I have ever come across.  Poor instructions in a basic function watch I can cope with but these were simply appalling considering the capabilities of this watch. Am I spectacularly thick (don’t feel you have to answer that one or have other folk had difficulties with these instructions?  I dare say that once mastered it’s not too difficult to work out all the functions but as my age increases, my patience decreases. It may be a good watch but I’m returning mine pronto just to show my disgust. Tim

Response:

     Tim,      Timex has online instructions for each watch on their website (www.timex.com).  They’re actually written in full-sentence English, unlike the ones that come with the watch, which are one word/phrase in English, same word in German, French, Japanese, Swahili, etc., and then the next word/phrase in English, and so on.  If you already have the English version, well, you’re on your own.  Anyway, most running watches have very similar lap-counter controls — a chronograph is a chronograph…      I agree with Chazzer.  I’ll be definitely replacing the battery on this one (when time comes)!  The only feature that I don’t particularly like is that the split time (unlike the total time) is shown in very small numerals, though this only presents a problem in poor lighting.      Michael – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – In search of a running watch with more than a 10 lap memory I was beguiled into buying a Ironman triathlon with a 100 lap memory. My balloon of my joy at the ownership of said watch was instantly punctured when I pulled it out of it’s box and sat down with the instructions.  These have *got* to be some of the worst watch instructions I have ever come across.  Poor instructions in a basic function watch I can cope with but these were simply appalling considering the capabilities of this watch. Am I spectacularly thick (don’t feel you have to answer that one or have other folk had difficulties with these instructions?  I dare say that once mastered it’s not too difficult to work out all the functions but as my age increases, my patience decreases. It may be a good watch but I’m returning mine pronto just to show my disgust. Tim

Response:

In search of a running watch with more than a 10 lap memory I was beguiled into buying a Ironman triathlon with a 100 lap memory. My balloon of my joy at the ownership of said watch was instantly punctured when I pulled it out of it’s box and sat down with the instructions.  These have *got* to be some of the worst watch instructions I have ever come across.  Poor instructions in a basic function watch I can cope with but these were simply appalling considering the capabilities of this watch. Am I spectacularly thick (don’t feel you have to answer that one or have other folk had difficulties with these instructions?  I dare say that once mastered it’s not too difficult to work out all the functions but as my age increases, my patience decreases. It may be a good watch but I’m returning mine pronto just to show my disgust. Tim

Response:

Tim- Don’t return the watch…  the 100 lapper Ironman is a kick ass watch in my book.  It’s the only digital watch that I actually replaced the battery on… Usually when the battery goes, I just get a new watch! What has you stymied with the instructions?… I don’t recall much about them really, but I thought the watch was pretty easy to figure out without them… Lemme know what’s got you hung up… I can walk you thru it… But keep the watch!  Seriously! -Chazzer

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – In search of a running watch with more than a 10 lap memory I was beguiled into buying a Ironman triathlon with a 100 lap memory. My balloon of my joy at the ownership of said watch was instantly punctured when I pulled it out of it’s box and sat down with the instructions.  These have *got* to be some of the worst watch instructions I have ever come across.  Poor instructions in a basic function watch I can cope with but these were simply appalling considering the capabilities of this watch. Am I spectacularly thick (don’t feel you have to answer that one or have other folk had difficulties with these instructions?  I dare say that once mastered it’s not too difficult to work out all the functions but as my age increases, my patience decreases. It may be a good watch but I’m returning mine pronto just to show my disgust. Tim

Response:

Question:

        How about doing some indoor runs on a treadmill and raising the temperature in the room a few degrees each time so that you are getting acclimated.         Otherwise when you move to FL, take it easy and spend a lot of time outdoors even when you are not training.  Increase fluid intake along with electrolyte intake to aid in hydration. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – i am moving to florida shortly from new england and need to acclimatize to the heat fast if i am to continue my marathon training…PLS HELP…tips on how to do this will be most appreciated. — Lillian

Response:

i am moving to florida shortly from new england and need to acclimatize to the heat fast if i am to continue my marathon training…PLS HELP…tips on how to do this will be most appreciated.

Lillian: You’ll need to back off at the beginning and really work on staying hydrated. Limit your running to the morning and evening until you get used to it. You need to learn your body’s specific needs and capabilities in the heat and how fast/long  you can go without hurting yourself. You need to find that edge of the cliff and figure out the warning signs that keep you from going over it. The only way to do that is to do it. Experience counts. Once you have a handle on that, then you can work on the mental side. I personally think that except for hydration, running in the heat is more mental than physical. We all have to slow down in the heat and we all have to drink more. That’s physiological. But the willingness to run as fast and long as we can <without hurting our selves physically comes from inside. I train in the heat because I often have to race in the heat at the end of a triathlon.  I’m one of those crazy people out running at mid-day in the south in July. It’s not fun, but it does prepare you to race in it. Mike Tennent "IronPenguin" ‘98 Ironman Canada, 16:17:03

Response:

i am moving to florida shortly from new england and need to acclimatize to the heat fast if i am to continue my marathon training…PLS HELP…tips on how to do this will be most appreciated. — Lillian

Response:

i am moving to florida shortly from new england and need to acclimatize to the heat fast if i am to continue my marathon training…PLS HELP…tips on how to do this will be most appreciated.

   I have lived in Florida most of my life and have run the New York City Marathon several times (which means that I had to do a lot of running in the summer).  The best time to run is when the sun is going down – the air is beginning to cool, and the humidity is relatively low at that time.  Early in the morning is good too as it is cooler then than it is in the evening, but the humidity is close to 100% in the morning.  I did my long run early in the morning and most of my other runs in the evening.  Be sure to bring a water bottle with you.  I think I used hanteens, which were advertised in Runner’s World – they were shaped like dumb-bells and were very easy to carry.  The alternative is to plan your route so that you will periodically pass a drinking fountain.  I used to refill my handteens when needed at a small public park and a Unitarian Church that had a drinking fountain outside.  Don’t run during the middle of the day when the sun is high in the sky.  This may sound like silly advice, but I have seen people out doing runs over the bridge (Florida’s version of hill training) at noon time.  Needless to say, there are no trees on the bridge!    Good luck – you’ll get used to it.  Don’t do too much at the beginning.                         Jean S.

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I’d say the only thing to learn about running in the heat is to get a sense of at just what point to back off the pace. If you’re breaking into a profuse sweat at 8 min/miles then slow down until the sweating is manageable.  That’s what you have to teach yourself.  The heat is just like lactic acid. You need to learn how much you can handle and for how long. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Running in the heat is as much mental as physical. You have to learn to accept it. I used to think that running in the heat was better training than running in cooler weather, but have changed my mind. Why? Because you can’t do the same quality runs in the heat – you have to reduce the pace.  Training at a slower pace makes you…. slower.

Response:

I’ve lived – and run – in one of the hottest, most humid places in the U.S. (Washington DC) all my life.  I’ve spent some summers with air conditioning and some without.  I’ve not discerned a difference in running efficiency. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – It just occurred to me as I was cranking up the air conditioning that maybe I could actually do better running in the heat if I spent less time living in the cool. I know that one’s body learns to sweat more efficiently (i.e., one becomes acclimatized) the more one runs in the heat.  So I was wondering if living conditions also play a role.  That is, can one gain an advantage by "living in the heat", so to speak.  It’s not really that bad here in southern New England (mid 80’s for highs, 65-70 for lows), so I could conceivable make do with just natural ventilation and save a bundle on the electric bill…admittedly it’s about 10 degrees hotter than I would like, but I could get used to it… I guess this is somewhat related to the whole "live high/train high" vs. "live high/train low" argument. S

Before you buy.

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – It just occurred to me as I was cranking up the air conditioning that maybe I could actually do better running in the heat if I spent less time living in the cool. Probably not so.  I have lived in Florida most of my life, even in the days before most people had air conditioning in their homes.  When you are hot all the time, 24 hours a day, you don’t feel like doing much of anything.  I had a little reminder of what it was like when Floyd knocked out my power for four days last September – it was very very hot inside. So, don’t feel guilty about the ac – enjoy it!  :-) jean S.

Interesting. I was going to say that spending more time in the heat would help one to acclimate and perhaps even run better in cooler weather. This is my experience: I returned to Ghana (a country in West Africa) for research this past summer and was unused to the heat and humidity. After doing research there for two months and returning to the U.S. I realised that running in the cooler California weather was actually much easier. That’s why I say spending time in the heat (not necessarily outdoors, but just being indoors without A/C, would help). By the way, I didn’t get much chance to experience A/C in Ghana except for the few times in the restaurants. Of course, I’ve lost that edge now….but until I return to Ghana again. C

Response:

It just occurred to me as I was cranking up the air conditioning that maybe I could actually do better running in the heat if I spent less time living in the cool.

I doubt if there’s much correlation, even tho I use the AC as little as possible – only during summer. We live in very hot and humid southeast Georgia. We also keep it set warmer than most folks do. But it’s not a training thing. I know that one’s body learns to sweat more efficiently (i.e., one becomes acclimatized) the more one runs in the heat.

Running in the heat is as much mental as physical. You have to learn to accept it. I used to think that running in the heat was better training than running in cooler weather, but have changed my mind. Why? Because you can’t do the same quality runs in the heat – you have to reduce the pace.  Training at a slower pace makes you…. slower. I’ve only got anecdotal evidence, but I see a lot of northern triathletes kick butt in hot southern courses, despite all our southern "heat training." Their overall quality of training my be better because of the longer period of cooler (faster) training time. Mike Tennent "IronPenguin" Ironman Canada ‘98 16:17:03 Great Floridian ‘99, 17:13:38

Response:

Interesting. I was going to say that spending more time in the heat would help one to acclimate and perhaps even run better in cooler weather. This is my experience: I returned to Ghana (a country in West Africa) for research this past summer and was unused to the heat and humidity. After doing research there for two months and returning to the U.S. I realised that running in the cooler California weather was actually much easier. That’s why I say spending time in the heat (not necessarily outdoors, but just being indoors without A/C, would help). By the way, I didn’t get much chance to experience A/C in Ghana except for the few times in the restaurants. Of course, I’ve lost that edge now….but until I return to Ghana again. C

Sorry. In case I confused anyone, I actually ran a lot in the heat while in Ghana. It was that type of training that helped me run better when I returned to he cooler United States. I’m not sure just sitting around in the heat while in Ghana would help. But training in the heat helped tremendously. I also found out that coolmax material and other high tech fabric are fairly useless in the tropical weather of Africa. It’s a bit better than cotton, but within 10 minutes, my coolmax shorts and singlets were soaked to the point where sweat was dripping by the ounce. The problem is that the humidity prevents the quick evaporation of the sweat, so the sweat accumulates to the point where the fabric can’t hold it any more. Every time after my run, I look like I went swimming. C

Response:

It just occurred to me as I was cranking up the air conditioning that maybe I could actually do better running in the heat if I spent less time living in the cool.

     Probably not so.  I have lived in Florida most of my life, even in the days before most people had air conditioning in their homes.  When you are hot all the time, 24 hours a day, you don’t feel like doing much of anything.  I had a little reminder of what it was like when Floyd knocked out my power for four days last September – it was very very hot inside. So, don’t feel guilty about the ac – enjoy it!  :-)                                         jean S.

Response:

It just occurred to me as I was cranking up the air conditioning that maybe I could actually do better running in the heat if I spent less time living in the cool. I know that one’s body learns to sweat more efficiently (i.e., one becomes acclimatized) the more one runs in the heat.  So I was wondering if living conditions also play a role.  That is, can one gain an advantage by "living in the heat", so to speak.  It’s not really that bad here in southern New England (mid 80’s for highs, 65-70 for lows), so I could conceivable make do with just natural ventilation and save a bundle on the electric bill…admittedly it’s about 10 degrees hotter than I would like, but I could get used to it… I guess this is somewhat related to the whole "live high/train high" vs. "live high/train low" argument. S

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Question:

Check out www.scheduleit.com. Not only do they list all the races in the south, but you can register for the race right there on the site! It’s cheap to do, and VERY convenient. They also have a deal going where if you refer them to a race that you want to run in, and they are able to post that race on the site via your referral, then they will pay your entry fee into that race for you. Andrew "Go hard or go home" West Lake Placid ‘99 – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi, I am looking for some races in the Northeast for the upcoming year.  I haven’t been able to find a comprehensive calendar.  Does anyone know of one that exists online? I thought I remember seeing a few triathalons on the Jersey shore, (Cape May?) and now I can’t find them. Any good resources would be appreciated. Danielle *** Posted from RemarQ – http://www.remarq.com – Discussions Start Here

(tm) ***

Response:

Danielle, Sorry this response is delayed, but… I’m from the Philadelphia region, and I found an excellent site listing Northeast races, with entry forms, info., etc., and it’s kept very current.  Go to www.lin-mark.com.  It’s run by a husband-wife team (I think) who time triathlons, swims, and road races. I was particularly interested to see that there is a series of triathlons in S.J./PA which includes the USAT National Sprint Triathlon Championship in Bridgeton, NJ in July.  Anyway, check it out. Greg

Response:

Hi,
I am looking for some races in the Northeast for the
upcoming year.  I haven’t been able to find a
comprehensive calendar.  Does anyone know of one that
exists online?
I thought I remember seeing a few triathalons on the
Jersey shore, (Cape May?) and now I can’t find them.
Any good resources would be appreciated.
Danielle *** Posted from RemarQ – http://www.remarq.com – Discussions Start Here ™ ***

Response:

Women’s Multisport Online maintains a world wide event calendar, with an east coast section. However the 1999 event list will not be up until January, as race directors are finalizing dates, and just begining to send them out to the media. http://www.womensmultisport.com – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi, I am looking for some races in the Northeast for the upcoming year.  I haven’t been able to find a comprehensive calendar.  Does anyone know of one that exists online? I thought I remember seeing a few triathalons on the Jersey shore, (Cape May?) and now I can’t find them. Any good resources would be appreciated. Danielle *** Posted from RemarQ – http://www.remarq.com – Discussions Start Here ™ ***

Response:

Check out http://www.raceforum.com for races in the New Jersey area.  They have a section for running races and one for multi-sport.  It’s pretty comprehensive. Dave – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi, I am looking for some races in the Northeast for the upcoming year.  I haven’t been able to find a comprehensive calendar.  Does anyone know of one that exists online? I thought I remember seeing a few triathalons on the Jersey shore, (Cape May?) and now I can’t find them. Any good resources would be appreciated. Danielle *** Posted from RemarQ – http://www.remarq.com – Discussions Start Here

(tm) ***

Response:

Hi, I am looking for some races in the Northeast for the upcoming year.  I haven’t been able to find a comprehensive calendar.  Does anyone know of one that exists online? Any good resources would be appreciated. Danielle

Danielle- Both Triathlete Magazine (http://www.triathletemag.com) and Inside Triathlon (http://www.insidetri.com) have very comprehensive race calendars.  Each are organized by region.  The reason the calendars are a little thin right now is because, with the exception of the ‘big’ races, many Race Directors haven’t finalized their dates yet.  Check back at the above named sites and watch how the Calendar grows.  Most race dates get finalized by mid winter. Being from New Jersey, one race you can not afford to miss is the Shamrock Duathlon (http://www.erols.com/magoo34) in Glastonbury, CT on June 13.  It is the USAT New England Regional Duathlon Championships, an excellent course, and a guaranteed good time.  For more information check the web site or contact…..ummmmm….ME!

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Question:

Someone asked me if Mrs. Ts was still the "largest triathlon in the world," and I didn’t have the answer.  I don’t recall the promotional literature billing it as such.  And if it is the largest, is that a good thing or a bad thing?

Response:

yes its the biggest.  some see this as a good thing because it brings increased popularity to our sport, great expo’s and a chance to meet the pro’s.  Others stay as fay away from this race as they can because they hate the crowds of people, mass starts, and potential problems a race like this can bring.

Response:

Someone asked me if Mrs. Ts was still the "largest triathlon in the world," and I didn’t have the answer.  I don’t recall the promotional literature billing it as such.  And if it is the largest, is that a good thing or a bad thing?

Yes, it’s the largest.  On net, I’d say that’s good because we need a "gathering of the tribe" such as Mrs. T’s Chicago Triathlon to 1) bring energy to our sport, 2) give us age groupers large fields to compete with and measure ourselves against, 3) give our sport a larger public profile, and 3) attract new competitors.   I believe Mrs. T’s does all this. A related thought–having done Mrs. T’s for a number of years, it’s my observation that it is feeling more and more like the LaSalle Banks Chicago Marathon.  By that I mean, a really big time, professional, large-scale, well-run event.  The finish line and party at the end strike me as being similar to the marathon.  The cheering crowds feel like the marathon.  Seems to me that Jan Caille and company are learning some things about putting on a really big show.  That’s good, I think. So will the limits on competitors be worked around so the race can continue to grow? And will the "world’s longest run to transition" from the exit from the swim at the north end of the yacht basin to the "grassy knoll" be somehow eliminated or greatly reduced?  It’s my only real bitch about the race–seems like every year I get glass or a thorn or something in my foot from this seeming half-mile "run before the bike." –Lee (Tri-Hard)

Response:

And will the "world’s longest run to transition" from the exit from the swim at the north end of the yacht basin to the "grassy knoll" be somehow eliminated or greatly reduced?  It’s my only real bitch about the race–seems like every year I get glass or a thorn or something in my foot from this seeming half-mile "run before the bike."

Remeber a couple of years back when the swim was at Ohio St. beach and the transition area was on middle Wacker Dr. ?  That was a legitimate half-mile run made even worse by the fact that people had to cross Illinois St. and were blocking cars exiting from Navy Pier and Lake Point Towers so the Chicago Police would periodically stop the triathletes at the intersection and let traffic through.   I had a 9+ minute transition!! I do recall however that race officials carpeted that entire run and have wondered why they don’t do the same for at least some of this shorter distance.  I guess the fact that the trail is used by bikers and in-line skaters throughout the race prevents them. The only solution is to move the race much further south but that would also mean an isolated finish line and less room for the after-party.  Can’t get everything I guess. td

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I think it was the 1996 Mrs. T’s that was put into the "Guiness Book of World Records" as the largest ever held. Someone asked me if Mrs. Ts was still the "largest triathlon in the world," and I didn’t have the answer.  I don’t recall the promotional literature billing it as such.  And if it is the largest, is that a good thing or a bad thing?

– Keith A. Folske

Response:

The organizors certainly touted the race as the worlds biggest with 4800 participants, of which about 1000 knew what they were doing. The only reason I do this race is that it is on my doorstep and is a IMH qualifier ( did not make it) Graham – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Someone asked me if Mrs. Ts was still the "largest triathlon in the world," and I didn’t have the answer.  I don’t recall the promotional literature billing it as such.  And if it is the largest, is that a good thing or a bad thing?

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Question:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have asked her and she said she wanted to.  So she definitely wants to try one.  I don’t know if she will stick with it but it is just something we will try, not a big commitment or anything.  I am supportive of her if she wants to continue competing in them but if she wants to stop that is fine too.  I am, in no means,  going to push her into doing something she doesn’t want to. Great attitude…I wish all fathers were like this. In one of the local races we do, there is a father who actually forces his daughter to run. As they are running, the father says to the effect, "faster, go faster, what is wrong with you?", as the kid wearily runs on. It’s an embarrasing sight  To be around them is embarrasing to say the least, and was an issue that a lot of people in my club talks about. The people in my club were so disgusted that they wanted to intercede and throw them out of the run. I haven’t seen them lately, but I’m sure he’s still doing it to that poor kid. Just the fact that there are a lot of them out there is very disturbing.                          |26      | IMC’96: 10:36:37          |   Fe   |   ‘98 IMC, GCT, BSLT IMC’97: 10:42:53          |        |                 "THE BEST ELEMENT OF RACING"

I think that that is the only thing you can for them. Expose them to the sport, give them the opportunity to do it, but leave the decision to stick with it or how seriously they want to take it with them. My daughter (11) swims competitively. Last year she practiced five times a week, next year there will be two more morning sessions. The parents have to work the meets the club hosts and other activities for the club. It is a huge committment to my wife and me and we probably spend almost as much time at the pool than at home. But that’s what you have to do for your kid. The day that she doesn’t want to swim anymore and wants to try something different she can do that. In the club there are some parents similar to the ones describe in a earlier posting. They always complain about the coach and about everthing. Just let your kid have some fun! — Achim Wilfried Heinle

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Response:

I have asked her and she said she wanted to.  So she definitely wants to try one.  I don’t know if she will stick with it but it is just something we will try, not a big commitment or anything.  I am supportive of her if she wants to continue competing in them but if she wants to stop that is fine too.  I am, in no means,  going to push her into doing something she doesn’t want to.

Great attitude…I wish all fathers were like this. In one of the local races we do, there is a father who actually forces his daughter to run. As they are running, the father says to the effect, "faster, go faster, what is wrong with you?", as the kid wearily runs on. It’s an embarrasing sight  To be around them is embarrasing to say the least, and was an issue that a lot of people in my club talks about. The people in my club were so disgusted that they wanted to intercede and throw them out of the run. I haven’t seen them lately, but I’m sure he’s still doing it to that poor kid. Just the fact that there are a lot of them out there is very disturbing.                           |26      | IMC’96: 10:36:37          |   Fe   |   ‘98 IMC, GCT, BSLT IMC’97: 10:42:53          |        |                  "THE BEST ELEMENT OF RACING"

Response:

I know how you feel…  I’m 17 now and am just discovering how great triathlon is.  Sometimes I wish that my parents had gotten me into running and things like this when I was little, but then I think that maybe I would have grown tired of it because I was so young and not liked it today…  I feel that its best that you let them decide for themselves if they like it. Introduce them to it, but let them make the choice.  Probably the best thing is for them to see their mom and dad in the races and see how much fun it is. My 2 cents. — Salvador Santolucito III

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -I have asked her and she said she wanted to.  So she definitely wants to try one.  I don’t know if she will stick with it but it is just something we will try, not a big commitment or anything.  I am supportive of her if she wants to continue competing in them but if she wants to stop that is fine too.  I am, in no means,  going to push her into doing something she doesn’t want to. Great attitude…I wish all fathers were like this. In one of the local races we do, there is a father who actually forces his daughter to run. As they are running, the father says to the effect, "faster, go faster, what is wrong with you?", as the kid wearily runs on. It’s an embarrasing sight  To be around them is embarrasing to say the least, and was an issue that a lot of people in my club talks about. The people in my club were so disgusted that they wanted to intercede and throw them out of the run. I haven’t seen them lately, but I’m sure he’s still doing it to that poor kid. Just the fact that there are a lot of them out there is very disturbing.                          |26      | IMC’96: 10:36:37          |   Fe   |   ‘98 IMC, GCT, BSLT IMC’97: 10:42:53          |        |                 "THE BEST ELEMENT OF RACING"

Response:

Simon’s a bit cautious, I think.  When I was 13, we were swimming 4,000-5,000yds per day.  And it seems we put in several miles per day in track as well. Come to think of it, that’s probably why everyone quit!  :) — Mark  (those who didn’t quit ended up with short legs and an over-developed upper-body, forever destined to be slow runners) – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – BABorden11 says… I’d suggest yes to something like a 300m/5km/1km (or shorter) but I’d be really cautious about anything longer. This sort of distance means that she can still enjoy the fun of triathlon but without the risk of damage to growing bones caused by the training for longer distances.

Response:

What does she want to do? Is she interested in competing in triathlons or are you interested in having her compete in triathlons?

I have asked her and she said she wanted to.  So she definitely wants to try one.  I don’t know if she will stick with it but it is just something we will try, not a big commitment or anything.  I am supportive of her if she wants to continue competing in them but if she wants to stop that is fine too.  I am, in no means,  going to push her into doing something she doesn’t want to.

Response:

GOOD ANSWER, CHARLIE ! Give them Els’ web site !

Response:

Check out Elsie’s WebSite !! http://www.auburn.edu/~crawfcj/elspeth.html

Response:

BABorden11 says… Hello.  I was wondering if anyone could give me any advice about entering my 13 yr old daughter in a small triathlon.  

I’d suggest yes to something like a 300m/5km/1km (or shorter) but I’d be really cautious about anything longer.   This sort of distance means that she can still enjoy the fun of triathlon but without the risk of damage to growing bones caused by the training for longer distances. AJ — If swimming is so good for the figure, explain whales Simon Haigh Illawarra Triathlon Club – Australia http://queene.epsb.edmonton.ab.ca/itc      

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: : Hello.  I was wondering if anyone could give me any advice about entering my 13 : yr old daughter in a small triathlon.  She already swims on the local swim team : everyday for two hours (they usually do about 3000yds a day) and is pretty good : at it and rides her bike to practice and back which is about 6 miles round : trip.  She also goes out riding with me and my wife.  The most she has gone is : 10 miles.  Do you think if she wanted to do it that she should?  I’m kind of : hesitant because I don’t want her to feel pushed or intimidated by other : triathletes.  But I know it would definitely help her swimming and I think she : would like it.  thanks My daughters have been competing since they were six.  My oldest daughter, Elspeth -14 years old, has an e-mail address triathletes.  Why don’t you get your daughter to write her.  Elspeth has completed over 70 triathlons in the last 8 years, so she may have some advice your daughter would be interested in. -Charlie

Response:

You said you would know how to train her. Gosh at 3000 yards a day and 6 mile round trip biking, she’s in better shap than any kid around and ready to finish a triathlon strong now. Don’t train her at all. If she wants to race, let her and she’ll have a blast and do great without any help from her parents.Let her do it making all the silly mistakes we’ve all made –  That’s how you learn. The moment parents get involved in how to do it better – especially at 13 on her first race – it just sends the wrong message – that how she does really matters to you. Sit back, watch, laugh, and later celebrate regardless of finish. Tony Schiller

Response:

Hello.  I was wondering if anyone could give me any advice about entering my 13 yr old daughter in a small triathlon.  She already swims on the local swim team everyday for two hours (they usually do about 3000yds a day) and is pretty good at it and rides her bike to practice and back which is about 6 miles round trip.  She also goes out riding with me and my wife.  The most she has gone is 10 miles.  Do you think if she wanted to do it that she should?  I’m kind of hesitant because I don’t want her to feel pushed or intimidated by other triathletes.  But I know it would definitely help her swimming and I think she would like it.  thanks Btw:  I have and still do compete in triathlons and would know how to train her but would like all advice I can get.

Response:

Hello.  I was wondering if anyone could give me any advice about entering my 13 yr old daughter in a small triathlon.  She already swims on the local swim team everyday for two hours (they usually do about 3000yds a day) and is pretty good at it and rides her bike to practice and back which is about 6 miles round trip.  She also goes out riding with me and my wife.  The most she has gone is 10 miles.  Do you think if she wanted to do it that she should?  I’m kind of hesitant because I don’t want her to feel pushed or intimidated by other triathletes.  But I know it would definitely help her swimming and I think she would like it.  thanks Btw:  I have and still do compete in triathlons and would know how to train her but would like all advice I can get.

What does she want to do? Is she interested in competing in triathlons or are you interested in having her compete in triathlons? — From the Desk of James Nonnemacher Eastman Kodak Research Labs Phone: (716) 477-5259

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Question:

I saw a broadcast of a triathalon with this format about a month ago on the SportsChannel (not ESPN).  It was held in Australia with about 15 professional competitors.  Unfortunately I didn’t recognize any of the names at the time and can’t recall any of them now.  The race was held over two days.  The first day was an open water out and back swim (wetsuits allowed).  The bike and run were both held on day 2.  Again, I can’t remember the winning time or any of the splits, but the format does exist.  If you want to dig deeper, maybe this is enough info to get started.

This race took place earlier in the year and was won by Craig Walton , recognise the name now?? (he just won Mrs T’s). it was a pure time trial event with the swim first and all athletes starting seperately. Next there was a bike time trial with athletes starting 3(?) minutes apart , and finally a 10 k with starting times depending on current placing. This race was also part of the ITGP series. DEFINITELY no drafting at all. Brad Beven was favored however crashed quite spectacuarly early in the bike leg. Ross – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Chad

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Has anyone ever held a triathlon in a decathalon format say over 12 hours, to detirmine the world’s best time. Swim: 1500 meters in an olympic pool Bike: 40K in time trial format Run: 10k on the track If anyone knows of any race held in this manner could they post the results up for me!!!!

Response:

IMHO, until someone designs and builds an "official" triathlon-specific venue, there will never be a recognized triathlon world record. "Life’s a brick" – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Has anyone ever held a triathlon in a decathalon format say over 12 hours, to detirmine the world’s best time. Swim: 1500 meters in an olympic pool Bike: 40K in time trial format Run: 10k on the track If anyone knows of any race held in this manner could they post the results up for me!!!!

Response:

—snip— : : I don’t think I put the question clearly. : : Has anyone experimented with a race over the Olympic distances to detirmine : the best athlete without the requirement of having transitions. : : For example you could select the best 8 athletes in the world and make them : race at an Olmpic pool & track in the morning and have a time trial format : in the evening. : : I was interested in the times each athlete would be able to achieve in the : individual events. : : I know this format has been used for some low key races before but I have : never heard of it beibg done at an elite level. : : It would be a very interesting race and would detirmine the fastest all : round athlete, : not just the best endurance athlete who is probably excellent in the : transitions as well. No, but there was something that came close. I vaguely remember the "UltraMan (?)" in Hawaii every November. It was a 3 day race with a combo swim/bike on the first day. Finishing the bike on the second, and an ultramarathon on the third day. I don’t know what the distances were, but they were loooooong! I don’t know if it is still going, since I haven’t heard anything from that race in over 3 years. "Iron Pete" Priolo Sub 10 hour IMC’97 —Countdown:19 days until D-Day!!!

Response:

IMHO, until someone designs and builds an "official" triathlon-specific venue, there will never be a recognized triathlon world record. Has anyone ever held a triathlon in a decathalon format say over 12 hours, to detirmine the world’s best time. Swim: 1500 meters in an olympic pool Bike: 40K in time trial format Run: 10k on the track

I don’t think I put the question clearly. Has anyone experimented with a race over the Olympic distances to detirmine the best athlete without the requirement of having transitions. For example you could select the best 8 athletes in the world and make them race at an Olmpic pool & track in the morning and have a time trial format in the evening. I was interested in the times each athlete would be able to achieve in the individual events. I know this format has been used for some low key races before but I have never heard of it beibg done at an elite level. It would be a very interesting race and would detirmine the fastest all round athlete, not just the best endurance athlete who is probably excellent in the transitions as well.

Response:

No, but there was something that came close. I vaguely remember the "UltraMan (?)" in Hawaii every November. It was a 3 day race with a combo swim/bike on the first day. Finishing the bike on the second, and an ultramarathon on the third day. I don’t know what the distances were, but they were loooooong! I don’t know if it is still going, since I haven’t heard anything from that race in over 3 years. "Iron Pete" Priolo

Ultraman is definitely still around, Pete. There was a big article on it in IT last November. The guy who won blazed the double marathon segment in something under 5 hours. Yikes. Chaz

Response:

Iron Pete, They just had a race similiar to what you are looking for in Australia. They did an individual 1.5k swim in a river and recorded their finish times. The next day they did a 40k time trial in the morning and then they did a 10k run in the afternoon. For the run they started the person with the fastest cumlative times for the swim and bike first and then the others started in ascending order after the time they were behind. So the first to cross the line was the overall champ. It was on TV a few weeks ago and there is an article in this months Triathlete or Inside Tri, I cannot remember which one I saw it in. Anyways, Craig Walton won the race. Brad Beven crashed on the bike and was out of it from the beginning. Tom Hyslip

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Question:

RSTers Happy Holidays to all of you and thanks for the greatest year ever in triathlon/duathlon! In 1995, nearly 600 races were sanctioned, our membership increased by 6%, and one day licenses were up over 10,000 from 1994. Although we constantly hear the negative concerns within the sport, there certainly are many positive things going on. Thanks to all of you, and now on to 1996! Steven Locke Executive Director USA Triathlon (formerly Tri Fed USA)

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Great Job in 95 – Keep up the good work – The staff of USA Triathlon has been fantastic to work with in 95.  Hope that we can all continue to work together to improve the sport. Tom Ziebart – Exclusive Sports Marketing

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Dear Steve, Thanks for the holiday Email to all USA Triathlon members.  I am glad that 1995 was successful for USA Triathlon.   On another note, I wanted to put in my two cents about drafting in our sport and how you can help us with this problem.  I will start off by saying that I am 100% oppossed to drafting in triathlon.  That includes for pro’s, TV, the Olympics or any other justification or sub-group.  I made sure to vote this year for USA Triathlon officials that support the total ban on drafting. In 1995, I boycotted the ESM triathlon series due to their inclusion of drafting (they have reversed this stance for 1996).  For the 1996 season and thereafter, I will not participate in any event that allows drafting or is affiliated with the ITU.  I definately believe that a governing body such as USA Triathlon has and can continue to do a lot of good.  However, a urge you to help champion our fight against drafting.   Neil McCurry

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Question:

I am looking to move my shifters from the downtube to my aerobars. I am riding Syntace C2’s. There seems to be 3 choices; bar end shifters on the end of the aerobars, gripshift on the aerobars; or the Syntace shifter mounting system between the aerobars. I’m not very excited about the third choice because that is where my computer is mounted and I would like to keep it there. Any suggestions or preferences? Regards Tim Andriesen Decatur, IL

The bar-end shifters seem to work very well.  I too, once used the syntace shifter, but was unhappy due to not being able to use my computer or any Aero water bottle set-ups. Make sure to check out the compatibility with the groupo you are using. eg. Dura-Ace bar end shifters only work on dura -Ace groupos.  I’m not quite sure about the Ultegra-Bar end shifters, but check with Colorado Cyclist or your local bikeshop for their info.  If you contact Nytro Multisport in Encinitas CA, talk to Richard.  He most always will have the latest and greatest info on time-trial setups.  Hope this helps… Ron Williams student/triathlete Prescott, Az

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I’ve got the Syntace Aeroshifters and love them!  You barely have to move your hands to shift because its right where you grip the bars.  I’ve tried the grip shifts and it didn’t have the precise shift feeling and with the round grips it’s hard to visually see what gear you’re in..

I just painted little numbers or dots on my GripShifts to solve that problem. The main downfall of GripShift is the front derailluer.  There is almost no fine adjustment as opposed to traditional shift levers.  The GripShift has two main positions (large ring, small ring) with one less defined position for fine adjustment.  Depending on your setup, this may or may not be a problem.   What I’ve done in the past is have the rear derailluer grip shift on the aerobars and the front shift lever on the downtube.  However, the KILO doesn’t have downtube braze-ons, so now both shifters are on the aerobars (Syntance C2s).  The lack of fine adjustment causes the chain to rub when I’m in the small chainring and either of the smallest two cogs in back. However since this is an 8-speed setup, I have been able to find suitable gears by simply switching to the big chainring and a bigger cog in back. When I had a 7-speed setup,  there was certain times when I wanted particular gears but I wouldn’t shift into them because of the chain rub. OBTW, if my recollections are correct, it seems like quite a few pros are using bars ends (S. Smith, K. Glah…) Pat    W.Patrick Brug, Ph.D.  _-           -_    Los Alamos National Lab -__       __-                                       /    cis:      72410,3372        /  

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I am looking to move my shifters from the downtube to my aerobars. I am riding Syntace C2’s. There seems to be 3 choices; bar end shifters on the end of the aerobars, gripshift on the aerobars; or the Syntace shifter mounting system between the aerobars. I’m not very excited about the third

        I use to ride with shifters at the end of my bars.  Just recently I went with the grip shifters on my Syntace’s.  Grip shifters use to have a bad rap, but I am very pleased with mine.  Just make sure the guy who puts them on does it right, slack is a pain. — Chris D. Combs

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Hi there;         Been useing the Syntace/Gripshift option for 2 years and love it. It gets my vote as the best working setup. Wayne

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Hi Tim, First of all, thanks for using Syntace.   The situation you described has come up before.  There is, however, one more option that you did not mention:  if you have an Aerolink on top of the bar, you can mount your computer up there, right in the center.  This will work well in concert with the Aeroshift. You may run into problems with the length of the computer’s wiring harness, so check to be sure before you install anything.  Some manufacturers offer longer harnesses for just this type of situation. Some people have called us to say that they simply spliced in some wire to do the job. Let us know if you have any questions. Good Riding, Syntace1

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I am looking to move my shifters from the downtube to my aerobars. I am riding Syntace C2’s. There seems to be 3 choices; bar end shifters on the end of the aerobars, gripshift on the aerobars; or the Syntace shifter mounting system between the aerobars. I’m not very excited about the third choice because that is where my computer is mounted and I would like to keep it there. Any suggestions or preferences? Regards Tim Andriesen Decatur, IL

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I’ve got the Syntace Aeroshifters and love them!  You barely have to move your hands to shift because its right where you grip the bars.  I’ve tried the grip shifts and it didn’t have the precise shift feeling and with the round grips it’s hard to visually see what gear you’re in..With shift levers you become familiar what gear you’re in by the angle of the lever. Bar ends seem a long way to reach each time you need to shift although it wouldn’t matter that much on flat courses. The shifters also bother me peering over the Aero link.  As for the mounting of the computer,  there’s a cheap mount that can be attached to the bars further on down wear the tubes narrow or anywhere else for that matter.  I plan to move them up above the shifters so I can get the a Jetsteam bottle installed. IMHO

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Question:

I’ve got a couple equipment questions. 1.  What is considered a safe speed for driving with two bikes on a     fork-mounted Yakima rack?  I drive a Chevrolet Beretta GTU and the     rack was installed by a certified dealer.  I lost a front wheel     off the rack once, going 55 mph with a strong cross wind.(The wheel     bouced off my rear spoiler then rolled for about 300 yards.  Tough     wheel, It wasn’t even out of true.)   Well I realize the schewer(sp?)     wasn’t tight enough, but it has made me very paranoid.  I’ve been     doing a lot of interstate highway driving and some of the roads are     a bit rough.  Is that safe?  Also, what is the best method for     locking the bikes to the rack? 2.  I wanted opinions on which was the best indoor bike trainer.  I have     seen the fans, magnetic resistance?, and rollers in the Nashbar,     Performance, etc.  I would like something that is relatively quiet,     not too expensive, and sturdy.   I would appreciate any advice you can give me.  Thanks,                                                  Alan May                                     Fightin’ Texas Aggie Triathlon Team Keywords:

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[....] 2.  I wanted opinions on which was the best indoor bike trainer.  I have    seen the fans, magnetic resistance?, and rollers in the Nashbar,    Performance, etc.  I would like something that is relatively quiet,    not too expensive, and sturdy.  

IMHO, rollers are by far the best indoor trainer.  They improve your spin and your bike handling.  They are less boring than a training stand (but still boring).  You can get a good workout if you use a resistance device.  The mag units are far quieter.   Rollers take a little work to master.  You should be able to ride them the first day but it will take a couple of weeks of regular use before you’re comfortable.  Set them up in a narrow hallway (which is ideal) or a doorway so that if you execute an "unexpected departure", you won’t fall over. Dave LaPorte U. Minn.

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May) writes:

I think the mag trainers are best. Quiet, simple to use, low cost. The small ones (rear wheel only) a portable but I like the front fork lock ones the best for home use. You can stay in great shape using a trainer. Wonder if this is why East Coast traithletes are so good?

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