Joining The Arms Race

In no other sport in which I've competed has equipment had such a large effect on finishing time as a triathlon. I'm not used to losing due, in part, to opponents spenting thousands of dollars more than me on better wetsuits, bikes, carbon fiber this, and aero that. Well, now that I feel like I've committed myself to the sport, I've decided to go all in. I went to BikeSport, a triathlon bike specialty store in Dearborn, to get an exact fitting. I ended up getting a 2006 Cervelo Dual on sale. Here's a list some of its features:

• Wolf TT carbon fork
• Shimano DuraAce 10 speed drive-train
• Visiontech aero cockpit
• Shimano R-550 wheels w/ Vittoria Diamante Pro Lite tires
• Variable geometry seatpost
• FSA Gossamer MegaExo Crankset
• Cervelo's light, aero aluminum frame
• Yellow!

It's a great bike for the price, and if I can't place well with it, then it's not the bike; it's me. And that's all that I'm asking for—an even playing field. I've got one more triathlon in a week, and I've been hitting the roads trying to get accustomed to riding in an aero position. The trickiest thing has been staying on the bike. I haven't fallen off yet, but there is a lot less control over a tri-bike than a road bike. It's much harder to steer with your elbows at the center of the head tube, and it doesn't help to have the brake levers on a different set of handles than the shifters. Of course, I was just as fearful when I took my road bike out for the first time, and now it's second nature.