For The Daily Sun Rookies, warm weather means time to ride

LACONIA — The past couple of weeks have seen the return of warm weather, and for people who are training for a triathlon this summer, that means one thing: bicycling weather.

The Laconia Daily Sun Rookies have been training on indoor bicycles all winter, and last week met with Myles Chase, owner of MC Cycle and Sport, to see what was needed to take their training into the fresh air and real roads. 

The rookies are two locals who have never participated in a triathlon before, but have agreed to the challenge. They also have a series of supports, and agree to regular check-ins for the benefit of readers.

This year, the competitors are Lauren Howard, 50, a nurse and soon-to-be nurse practitioner who lives in Laconia; and Jeremy Hart, 43, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and information technology professional who lives in Gilford and is married to a member of The Daily Sun’s editorial team. Howard and Hart — both grandparents — have agreed to participate in the Olympic Distance event at the Wolf Triathlon, hosted by Tri Tek Events on July 29 in Wolfeboro. That distance challenges participants with a 0.9-mile swim, a 19.5-mile bike ride and a 6.2-mile run. To help them meet the challenge, they’ve been offered access to the pool at The Wellness Complex and strength training and cardio equipment at Fit Focus. MC Cycle has agreed to ensure they’ll have bikes for training and competition, Bootlegger’s is providing shoes, Colin Cook of Peak Triathlon Coaching has created a training plan for them, and the Fuelin app has guided their nutrition.

All that’s left for the athletes to do is train, train, and train some more.

“This is my whole life now,” said Howard. “I work out every day. I dress in workout clothes now.”

She has found some surprising results since starting the training in February. The exercise is taking more and more time — it’s not unusual to devote nearly two hours to Cook’s workouts, now that they are advancing in difficulty — yet she’s increasingly enjoying it. And, though the training days are ramping up in difficulty, it’s somehow becoming easier.

“I’m able to do what Colin is asking of me,” Howard said. “Everything is getting a little bit easier.”

That isn’t always the case, which Howard found out the hard way. She decided to take her run outdoors on a nice day — only to be pushed back inside by the heat. It’s one thing to cycle for virtual miles on a stationary bike, and another thing to head out on two wheels in the real world, especially since she hasn’t ridden a bike since she could drive a car.

For Hart, who recently returned from a visit to Florida, where he was able to get a full dose of warm-weather training, the cycling part is also challenging. He has more bicycling experience than Howard does, but not competitively, and not for the kind of distances that are included in even an Olympic-level triathlon.

The cycling portion of multi-sport events has the potential to be the most intimidating. There’s a whole industry of gear sellers, each of whom aim to convince athletes that they just can’t train or compete without this one specific item, gel, powder or piece of clothing. Then there’s the cycles themselves, which now come in more flavors than ice cream does at the local scoop shop. The term “road bike” could include endurance bikes, sprinters, time trial or triathlon bikes, among many others. Frame materials include steel and aluminum on the more affordable side, and for riders who are willing to spend for speed, there’s carbon fiber or titanium rides.

Chase said prospective athletes should close their eyes to the marketing hype, and focus on finding the two-wheeled conveyance that feels comfortable to them.

“On the bikes that you guys will be riding, 19, 20 miles isn’t a very far distance,” Chase said to the rookies when they visited last week to talk about bikes. “By race day, that’s going to be an easy distance for you. When you’re training indoors and you’re just looking at numbers [on the screen], it’s hard to put into perspective how quickly 20 miles will go by. I think you’ll be surprised. Don’t be frightened by that distance.”

Most triathletes will find their way onto a bike with dropped handlebars, which allow riders to lower their torso, providing a lower center of gravity and less wind resistance. However, Chase said there might be reason to steer clear of those kinds of bikes, particularly for Howard.

“For someone who hasn’t been on a bike in years, it could be a bike that’s a little more demanding,” with dropped handlebars, Chase said. Dropped bars tend to be narrower, which can lead to a twitchy or even unstable feel. For a rider with less experience, that could be unwelcome.

“If you want something that’s a little more stable, we could go with a fitness hybrid,” Chase said.

“I definitely don’t want to fall,” Howard responded, and so he set her up with a Jamis Allegro, a bike with wide, flat handlebars. It will be easier to maneuver, will allow for a more upright riding position, and has a broad range of gearing so Howard will be able to get up and down hills.

Bicycles, especially those at higher price points, can be very specific in their intended use. Chase said when a new triathlete comes in to talk about bikes for their race, he instead asks how they plan to ride when they aren’t competing. Someone who might like to explore dirt roads or stone dust bike paths would do better with a gravel bike or more casual fitness bike, one they can enjoy all year round, even if it means they’ll be a minute or two slower on race day.

For Hart, he found his comfort in a vintage Raleigh 10-speed, a bike that he’s had for years, has used for commuting and for training indoors this winter, but needed tuning up.

Hart is comfortable with his bike, but not quite comfortable with the idea of cycling amid a crowd of competitors.

Chase had good news for that concern.

“We are starting up our beginner rides in May,” Chase said. “Monday nights, we are going to do group rides out of the shop here, starting at 5:30. That will be a great opportunity to get some coaching and advice.”

The group rides, structured for the needs of beginners, will likely head down the WOW Trail and across Mosquito Bridge, then explore some of the easy back roads in Sanbornton, before heading back. He said the rides will help new riders learn the rules and etiquette of riding in a pack, and they’ll also likely pick up some technical skills by watching those around them, such as how to use a water bottle while cycling, and how to shift gears to maintain pedal speed as terrain changes.

“We’ll start out pretty relaxed, we’ll head out for 30 to 45 minutes, and see how the group progresses from that,” Chase said. There’s no sign-up, registration or fees — anyone who wants to join should just show up at the shop. Check the MC Cycle Facebook page for details.