Teach Me About Duathlons!

JTick

So I really suck at swimming, and don't currently have access to a pool, so triathlons are out right now. BUT, I found duathlons and they really intrigue me. What are some good resources for learning about them? Any groups on MFP? What kind of bike would I need?

Platform_Heels

What do you mean "learning" about them? They're a run/bike/run and they can be any distance. I am training for one right now and it's a 5k run/26k bike/5k run.

If you just want more information then Google "duathlon" and you should get a bunch of hits.

Also the bike you use depends on what you're going to use it for when you're not racing. Are you going to ride it strictly on the road? Then get a road bike. Do you plan on riding it on trails? Get a mountain bike. Both? Get a hybrid.

JTick

I have no idea what to expect as far as transitions, what to wear, etc. Are there any groups on MFP I can join and start learning?

BrianSharpe

Check out http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/105-triathletes-duathletes

Pretty much any resource relating to biking , running and/or triathlons (minus the swimming part) will be useful.

As far as the bike goes it depends on how competitive (and wealthy) you are. For starters ride what you already have (assuming you have a bike) at our local events you'll see people riding every type of bike. The more competitive participants will usually be riding road or TT bikes.

One of the most important skills you can develop (outside of being a good runner & cyclist) is transitions. Fortunately transitions in duathlons are going from running to biking and back to running. If you're not using clipless pedals you don't even need to change your shoes.

Tip.....invest in a pair of tri shorts. they're like bike shorts but with a much lighter chamois so you can run and ride in them (I couldn't imagine trying to run in cycling shorts.....)

JTick

Check out http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/105-triathletes-duathletes

Pretty much any resource relating to biking , running and/or triathlons (minus the swimming part) will be useful.

As far as the bike goes it depends on how competitive (and wealthy) you are. For starters ride what you already have (assuming you have a bike) at our local events you'll see people riding every type of bike. The more competitive participants will usually be riding road or TT bikes.

One of the most important skills you can develop (outside of being a good runner & cyclist) is transitions. Fortunately transitions in duathlons are going from running to biking and back to running. If you're not using clipless pedals you don't even need to change your shoes.

Tip.....invest in a pair of tri shorts. they're like bike shorts but with a much lighter chamois so you can run and ride in them (I couldn't imagine trying to run in cycling shorts.....)

Thanks so much, I'll check out the link!

ETA: Also, I don't currently have a bike. I've been wanting to get one, but I don't want to get something cheap that's going to fall apart so I'm still saving up. Do you have favorite brands? Brands to stay away from? I'm hoping to only have to lay down a couple hundred for a bike.