While there is some merit to discussing the construction and stifness
of MTB vs Road shoes, it really is getting off the point.
Its not difficult to learn to do a running mount with your shoes
already on your pedals. Doing it this way can save anything from
30-seconds to 120-seconds depending on length of the transition area
etc. and the speed with which you can stand still in transition and get
your shoes on.
If I told you that you could save 90-seconds in your swim for an hours
practise you'd be out doing it this afternoon. You just need to apply
the same to transition practise. I regularly come top-10 overall in
transition times in races, often beating pro's, given my running is
hampered by a severaly disfigured right leg this is both surprising and
I need to save time where I can. See my blog from last Sundays race
where I was 7th overall in T1 including a number of elite, . I was
10th in T1 in the 2002 World Age group champs.
The secret is to find a field or astro turf area where you can
practise. You just need your bike, helmet, shoes and 20-24 1-inch
elastic bands and a bucket. he bucket is needed as a transition stand.
a chair could also be used. You attach the bands to the shoes either by
the small heal loop, or if your shoes don't have one, the small heal
raise on most shoes. Then attach the band to somewhere that will hold
the shoes parallel while you run with the bike.
You then rest the bike against the bucket, walk back 50yds, sprint to
the bike, helmet on, grab the bike run foward at least 50yds and then
leap on, cycle for a short distance; get off; walk back; reset your
equipment; go back and do it again and again and again until you can
make a faultless smooth transition from running to cycling, not stops.
Its important to have a decent run either side of the bike to simulate
race conditions.
Once you can do this, you can then go out on the street somewhere quiet
and practise getting your feet in your shoes and doing them up. This
has to be done at a reasonable speed 14-18mph, no 8-10mph wobbles
please.
I've described the steps for the whole process here in a blog post:
http://triman.livejournal.com/36967.html?mode=reply
Once you've managed going out, you can master coming back in. I
overtook 12 people in the last 50m of Sundays race. The amount of
messing about, and the slowness of people always amuses me, then I
remember I was once like that, a novice, then I put the practise in!
