A race can be won or lost in the transition area, its time to look at the nitty-gritty of transitions..

Jason Spong won the SA duathlon champs this year because of one incredible transition (other than his undoubted ability of course!)

For those who were not there to see it, Jason, who was cleverly using pedal adapters, came into T2 with Nic Sacco and Lieuwe Boonstra. Jason was out the transition before Nic and Lieuwe had even taken their helmets off.

The transition put Jason in a commanding position and placed pressure on both Sacco and Boonstra.

On the other hand, a poor transition can cost you plenty! At that same race, it is easy to breached one of the golden rules of racing: Never try something new on race day. By experimenting with a new method at the transition, it cost me a decent bunch and left me riding most of the way on my own - not something you want to do in a draft legal race!

Hopefully, the anecdotes illustrate that spending some time on your transitions will not be time wasted.

Tips for a good transition
Check out the transition area beforehand.
Identify where you will enter the first transition and where you will exit. In most local races, you will not be allocated a specific place to rack your bike. Look for a convenient place where you will have the shortest space to run with your bike.

Racking your bike
Ensure you leave yourself sufficient space for your running shoes and/or cycling shoes.

However, be considerate to fellow competitors. Try not squeezing into a small space just because it is closer to the exit. This increases the risk of something happening to your helmet and shoes. Athletes are not thinking about your equipment when they are changing from swim to bike or bike to run.

Be able to identify your space easily
It has happened to the very best of us, that we cannot locate our bike! Identify some “landmarks” that assist you to find your bike. It may be a tree or a stake in the ground.

Do practice runs from the water
Once you have racked your bike, make a few runs up from the water where you look for your bike. This helps you remember your bike’s location.

More practice
Before the race, it is a good idea to take your bike outside with your helmet and shoes. Practice running up to your bike, fastening your helmet and putting your shoes on (if you do not leave them on the bike that is).

After a few turns, time yourself. It gives you something to work for. As a suggestion, allocate some time the day before just “going through the motions” with regards to the transition. Practicing for 30 minutes will not go wasted.

Towels
It’s a good idea to take a towel into the transition area. For one, the towel is another symbol to help you find your equipment easily. You can use it to dry your face - especially if you are doing a triathlon and the swim was in the sea - and body. You can also put your shoes on it, and use the towel to wipe any sand or grit off your feet before putting on your shoes.

By the way, if the triathlon is taking place at the sea and the run up from the water is on the beach with no water tunnel before the transition area, it may be worthwhile taking a small bucket with water to your transition spot to quickly rinse the salt from your eyes/face and to dip your feet into to get rid of all that sand.

Plastic bags
Look at the weather conditions. If the weather looks threatening, it is not a bad idea to cover your shoes. Sure you will be wet from the swim, but having dry cycling and running shoes will make you feel better at the very least. Furthermore, wet running shoes will be heavier than dry ones too.

Helmets
Where do you place your helmet?

Generally place my helmet on my bike on my handlebars, usually sits between handlebars and aerobars, place it upside down with the straps open. This makes it easier to put on in a race.

Gloves
For a short ride, do you really need them. Secondly, it seems to take a while to put them on which in turn wastes some valuable time on the road, unless you practise putting them on while cycling.

However, if it makes you feel comfortable, then use them. In a case of a draft-legal race where the possibility of a group fall is always bigger, gloves will protect your hands in the case of a fall.

Shoes on the bike: what to avoid!
The elites usually place their shoes on their bikes.

However, be sure to place the right shoe on the right pedals! In other words, the left shoe on the left pedal.

Water bottle
Make sure put your water bottle on the bike. Silly thing to mention, but some athletes dehydrate on a cycle leg because they forgot their water bottles in the car.

In conclusion, let's ask a question:

What is the value of a good, smooth transition? If the transition goes well, it definitely reduces your stress levels. Having a slow transition causes you to be anxious, and could cost a few places. Rather try to make sure that everything is in place before the race starts and then - well,

Good Luck!