I have been working on pretty much have the sweetest bike set-up imaginable for Ironman and was stoked to do a little dry run today at Ironman Couer d’Alene. An injury kept me from training during the crucial final weeks before the race, so I did the swim, bike, and 12 miles of the run, then called it a day.
Hydration – Torhans Performance Hydration Aero30 (oz.) bottle fixed to the aerobar – no need to get out of the aerobars to drink! Another nice feature is the reverse facing bottle cage on my descending stem. When you get the smaller width bottles from the aid stations, it actually stays in place! Figured that one out during a tinkering session at Woodinville Bicycle.
Nutrition – Did 2 double strength bottles of Generation UCAN on the bike (in addition to some solids and a few standard gels), and a held a flask of UCAN on the run. I took advantage of Special Needs to transport all the UCAN I needed.
Bike – Specialized Shiv, size M (courtesy Woodinville Bike). Not only super aero, but rock solid handling in corners and crosswinds.
Wheels – Hed 3 Front (courtesy Woodinville Bike) , Zipp Sub-9 Rear, 11-23 casette.
Upgrades – ISM Saddles Prologue Saddle; Quarg Elsa powermeter with 55/44 Rotor Q-rings; SRAM Red Derraileurs.
Other Features – Pitstop fix-a-flat in old minipump bracket. No need to use an entire roll of electrical tape affixing all my extras this time!
And not to mention one out of shape rider (me)!
Next time I would like to cover how to use a control sheet to record your bikes measurements and geometry. This is essential to maintaining your EXACT fit when swapping parts in or out or when changing to a different bike.