What Are Triathletes Such Tightwads About Drafting?

Because it isn't allowed within their rules?

That's racist.

A rule that doesn't make any sense?

BarryP wrote:

That's racist.

I think you were looking for one of the Trump threads.

Triathletes fart a lot. (8 hours of Gatorade, gels and shot bloks.)Hence their disdain for people following close behind due to embarrassment.

Wise One wrote:

BarryP wrote:

That's racist.

I think you were looking for one of the Trump threads.

No. Everything is racist to me. I am, however, better than that. Racist.

Draft-legal tri races actually exist. The triathletes on the forum are specifically talking about non-draft races.

Since you're going faster on a bike, there is greater benefit to drafting during the bike leg versus the run/swim leg. Overcoming air resistance becomes much more important if you're going 20+ mph on the bike versus 10+ mph on the run. There is a disproportionately large benefit to drafting on the bike versus on the run/swim. That's why there is such an obsession with being aerodynamic on the bike (aero helmets, deep dish wheels, skin suits, etc.). The little things make a huge difference when you're moving fast. Also, it's worth noting that the bike leg composes a greater percentage of the race than the swim or run.

If we are talking about why have non-draft races at all, that's another discussion. Most people would argue that it removes some variables outside ones control, the main one being the importance of coming out of the water in a good pack that you can work with (i.e. draft off of) on the bike v.s. coming out all alone. At this point, at the elite level, in draft-legal races if you're not in the first pack of athletes out of the water, you're not going to make up the deficit even if you're a superior cyclist/runner since the front pack will work together to distance themselves.

Non-draft races also give rich triathletes an excuse to fill the gaping holes in their souls with more aero gear. It's easier to buy speed in non-draft races ($3,000 Zipp wheels, $10,000 super bikes, etc.) than in draft-legal races.

I would guess that triathletes just aren't as technically proficient as pure cyclists, so they don't like drafting because they aren't good at that type of riding.

triiii wrote:

Draft-legal tri races actually exist. The triathletes on the forum are specifically talking about non-draft races.

Since you're going faster on a bike, there is greater benefit to drafting during the bike leg versus the run/swim leg. Overcoming air resistance becomes much more important if you're going 20+ mph on the bike versus 10+ mph on the run. There is a disproportionately large benefit to drafting on the bike versus on the run/swim. That's why there is such an obsession with being aerodynamic on the bike (aero helmets, deep dish wheels, skin suits, etc.). The little things make a huge difference when you're moving fast. Also, it's worth noting that the bike leg composes a greater percentage of the race than the swim or run.

Drafting makes a much bigger difference in the swim than it does on the bike because water is much denser than air. Hence the tryathlete hypocrisy.

I'll play along. If you were swimming at 25mph, and doing doggie paddle (fair approximation of the frontal area of a cyclist), then yes, drafting would be more important in swimming. But you're not and it's not.

Abdoujaparov wrote:

I'll play along. If you were swimming at 25mph, and doing doggie paddle (fair approximation of the frontal area of a cyclist), then yes, drafting would be more important in swimming. But you're not and it's not.

Drag is proportional to the density of the fluid being moved through. The last time I checked, water is an order of magnitude denser than air. Hence why drafting is more important in swimming.

Wise One wrote:

Drafting makes a much bigger difference in the swim than it does on the bike

No, it really doesn't.

no wrote:

Wise One wrote:

Drafting makes a much bigger difference in the swim than it does on the bike

No, it really doesn't.

Your command of physics is enlightening.

It would be nice if the forum had a like or dislike button for comments rather than adding another redundant comment.

incompetence wrote:

I would guess that triathletes just aren't as technically proficient as pure cyclists, so they don't like drafting because they aren't good at that type of riding.

No. the bike leg in a triathlon is a time trial. there is no drafting in a time trials because racers go off 30 secs to 1:00 apart. In order to make the bike leg of a tri a "bike race", there can be no drafting.

Drafting on traditional TT bikes is also risky which is why TT bikes are not allowed in group races or even local group rides. Draft legal tris have different bike regulations.

longroad wrote:

incompetence wrote:

I would guess that triathletes just aren't as technically proficient as pure cyclists, so they don't like drafting because they aren't good at that type of riding.

No. the bike leg in a triathlon is a time trial. there is no drafting in a time trials because racers go off 30 secs to 1:00 apart. In order to make the bike leg of a tri a "bike race", there can be no drafting.

Drafting on traditional TT bikes is also risky which is why TT bikes are not allowed in group races or even local group rides. Draft legal tris have different bike regulations.

What kind of messed up time trial starts with a mass pack? Triathlons that's what.

Either you do real time trials like how cyclists start time trials or you don't call triathlons time trials.

LOL an active thread on the same board about people cutting the swim course.

http://forum.slowtwitch.com/forum/Slowtwitch_Forums_C1/Triathlon_Forum_F1/IM_Florida_swim_cheats_P6133801/?forum_view=forum_view_collapsed&

longroad wrote:

incompetence wrote:

I would guess that triathletes just aren't as technically proficient as pure cyclists, so they don't like drafting because they aren't good at that type of riding.

No. the bike leg in a triathlon is a time trial. there is no drafting in a time trials because racers go off 30 secs to 1:00 apart. In order to make the bike leg of a tri a "bike race", there can be no drafting.

Drafting on traditional TT bikes is also risky which is why TT bikes are not allowed in group races or even local group rides. Draft legal tris have different bike regulations.

I'm confused. How is a tri bike leg a time trial if racers start 30-60 seconds apart during a time trial?

Let me explain in terms that you guys can understand. If you draft immediately behind a group of cyclists, you can go the same speed with about 20-30% less power.

If this principle was true in marathon racing a 3:00 hour marathon runner could draft behind a 2:20 marathon runner and they would both finish at the same time.

This surely does not seem fair right?