The cheapest and easiest ways to get faster at your next triathlon

Triathletes are obsessed with getting faster, which is why we spend so much time training. All that hard work is great, but you could be leaving free speed on the table by ignoring a few simple tricks that won’t cost you all that much money. In a sport where races are at least $100, a new bike is a few thousand dollars, and any other gear is pricey, too, it’s refreshing to find ways to improve that won’t break the bank. Try these affordable options out ahead of your next race.

Shave your legs

We know you’ve heard this before, but shaving your legs really can save you time on the bike. Studies have found that you can reduce drag by about seven per cent, and over a 40-kilometre ride (the same distance you’ll be cycling for an olympic triathlon), you can save anywhere from 40 to 90 seconds. All that for the price of a razor and some shaving cream.

Work on your transitions

We spend so much time working on the three main legs of a triathlon, but so many triathletes fail to practice the unofficial fourth leg of transitions. You can lose valuable time if your transitions are not seamless, and a bad showing in T1 or T2 could be the difference between you making your age group podium or missing out on it.

You don’t have to have your cycling shoes on your bike waiting for you in T1, nor do you have to take your feet out of your shoes before you hit T2. You simply have to find a process in both transitions that works for you. Get the method down in training and you’ll do it without thinking about it on race day, which will produce the best and quickest results.

Think about bottle position

You’ve gone and spent so much money on an aero bike frame so that you can save precious seconds on the ride, so why would you ruin that aero profile by slapping a bottle on the down tube? Instead, get a bottle holder that goes behind your seat or between your aero bars. Neither of these positions will create any extra drag, as they are directly in front of or behind your body.

Get no-tie laces

You don’t want to waste time in T2 trying to tie your running shoe laces. You’ll be stressed and you probably won’t tie them as efficiently as possible, and you might even have to stop and re-tie them mid-race if you don’t do a good enough job. Avoid this by getting no-tie laces. These are elastic laces that you can tighten in a matter of seconds, ensuring that you’ll be out of T2 and onto the run in no time.

Get good at sighting

A surefire way to lose time in the swim is by not swimming in a straight line. A good way to make sure you swim as straight as possible is to get good at sighting in the water. Practice looking up between strokes as you breathe so that on race day you can get your head above any waves and other athletes who might be blocking your view. Making sure you know where you’re going will keep you on the right path and prevent you from veering off course too much.