The importance of choosing the bike well in an Ultraman.

Choosing the right bike for the cycling sector in a ultraman supposes more than 400 kilometers of comforts or discomforts competing.

Our collaborator Marcos Bonilla, a test expert Ultraman, tells us from his point of view what type of bike is better to use in the most important Ultramans in the world.

 When you decide to participate in an Ultraman one meets a lot of important decisions to make and an endless list with an "endless" of topics to organize; the logistics, equipment of assistance, the vehicle of support, etc… but one of the most important decisions is the bike chosen to compete.

If you do not choose well, the consequences can be catastrophic

Obviously, as in all triathlons, it is an important decision because, as we all know, the cycling sector is the greatest distance in any triathlon, but it is that in an ultraman ... They are more than 400 kilometers! And if you don't choose well; The consequences can be catastrophic.

Logically; Cycling sector training and dedicating the corresponding hours to this part of training within the preparation for an Ultraman plays a decisive role, but choosing the bike with which you are going to compete is essential.

Normally the dilemma is usually between “la flaca” (the road bike) or “the goat” (triathlon or time trial bike).

Then there are other elements; As the development to take or others components such as wheels; that are not usually a major problem to transport and that, when the time comes, you can decide the days before.

Small details that you will have to know when participating in an Ultramam

Of course; prior to pass the official review, revisions that sometimes force you to put such unconventional elements in other triathlons such as front and rear lights, or rear-view mirror, as in the case of Hawaii.

Small details that are not bad to think and then not have to settle for what is in the official store on duty.

But, the million dollar question is: "goat or skinny"?

The factors that determine the decision of one or the other option are usually, in most cases, the travel profile, weather conditions from the place in the world where the Ultraman takes place, and the internal regulations of each Ultraman, which in the cycling sector usually varies from one to another.

To explain myself better I will make a brief analysis affecting the main Ultraman in the world, especially in those that I have competed, of which I can speak better or recommend better from my own experience.

Ultraman Canada

I will start with the Ultraman of Canada, to which I will dedicate more words since it is the case that I like to speak the most about the number of variants it gives rise to.

It's a Ultraman that is characterized by a tremendous and difficult profile with an accumulated positive slope quite important, for a mostly mountainous terrain (yes, spectacular and beautiful).

This translated to the bike means; Many ups and downs. It is celebrated among the towns of British Columbia, southwest of Canada, and at the beginning of August it is usually the same climate that we have in Spain in summer (heat, very hot).

Before these conditions; What do we choose? Some would choose the road bike to climb comfortably and lower more safely, others will prefer the goat, because although it is more uncomfortable to climb, and somewhat unsafe to go down, you can make a tremendous game on the plains and slopes.

The answer is: both!

Here specifically, the regulations make our “dilemma” quite a bit easier since it allows triathletes to change your bike whenever you want, so we can take both and decide based on the needs of each moment, so that if you go with the goat and the ascent of a port arrives, you can raise your hand get off the goat, and get on the road.

It's that easy! ... And that difficult for those of us who come from another country and it is an important complication to "cross the puddle" with two bikes, economically and logistically ... too difficult is to move around with everything you need for an Ultraman, Imagine with two bikes, and if you go alone ... I do not even want to tell you (and by the way to say that from my own experience I do not recommend going only to an Ultraman abroad, I already advance it).

To end this topic; My decision was to take "the goat", and I think that, although it suffers a little more in the climbs, with some exception, most of the descents are tended and you can take advantage of the goat, I personally believe that I took advantage of it.

Ultraman Australia or Florida

In other Ultraman do not leave the option to change as are usually the Ultraman of Australia or Florida.

For these Ultraman I clearly recommend "the goat" since they are not profiles with great accumulated slope, and they are usually “slides” routes with interspersed ascents and descents (especially Australia) with some important ascent, but usually routes that incite to go fast and take advantage of the time trial bike ,

I remember a section of Australia where the organization warned in the briefing that we should be especially careful because we would easily get between 90 and 100 Kms / H (I do not exaggerate) and; nothing could be further from reality, some classmate came to teach me in his data more than 100 ...

Ultraman Hawaii

To finish this short summary, I will end with Hawaii, as we all know; The world championship starts and ends in Kona, going around Big Island, something that has changed the last year because of the eruption of the volcano.

Let us say that before it was an ascending progressive profile in the first stage, and in the second it alternated a large initial descent, with another progressive and long ascent with more than one port, ending with an important and normally dangerous descent.

This year has changed making a most demanding profile on the rise for what the participants of the last edition have commented.

We owe all this add the wind in Hawaii, which increases the hardness and if you go with goat, you will make more resistance.

We can say that normally there is a 60% percent that carries goat and an 40% that carries route, wearing triathletes Road bike usually enters the top 10 normally, so in this case I would recommend the bike with which you usually compete more, because, for all these factors, I would not know how to opt for advice.

If I can say that I brought goat, and that, if I finally go this year, even without knowing personally the new route, I would choose to take the goat to be more accustomed to compete with her in Ultraman.

And here my humble advice to choose a bike in an Ultraman, a topic that I could talk about for hours without getting tired, but of which I tried to convey the most curious, and in my useful opinion, for this decision. I hope you found it interesting:

ALOHA, OHANA, KOKUA.

Marcos López Bonilla