This is a guest post by Derek Garibaldi. Derek reached out to us on Twitter asking for advice and information for competing in his first triathlon, and also wearing FiveFingers for the first time. We thought it’d be a great idea for Derek to write a little bit about himself and what he is trying to accomplish, and then get help from the collective wisdom that our great community has here. So, please read on for info on Derek, and then let him know your thoughts in the comments!
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I’ve recently taken it upon myself to begin training for a triathlon (or two) in the coming summer. In the meantime, I have been doing some minor research about various transition practices and have become very curious about individuals’ routines. As I look to be acquiring my first pair of VFFs in the near future, I would like to incorporate them into my triathlon. Now, as I don’t necessarily want to swim in them (nor am I entirely sure they are even allowed in that portion), my concern comes to the transition: is it better to use “caged” pedals and put on the VFFs at the bike transition, or use standard cleats/shoes for biking and then don the VFFs solely for the running portion? Perhaps forego the VFFs entirely?
Do know that I am not necessarily looking to slim off fractions of a second for sake of competition; rather I am looking to develop efficient habits based upon the experiences of others. I appreciate any support or advice you can or do offer. Also, if there are any VFF triathletes in the Indy area, perhaps I’ll see you this summer.
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Advice, thoughts, well-wishes for Derek?
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I haven’t really tried FIveFingers with swimming/biking but I can say they are outstanding for running. You’ll need to train with them specifically if you plan on using them for longer distances.
Also, I believe others have mentioned that you can not swim with Vibram FiveFingers in a Triathlon. Rules may very for each race though.
Hey Derek. As awesome as it would be to pull off a tri with VFF, I encourage you to only use them on the run. The hard sole of a cycling shoe absorbs a bunch of the vibration and gives you control on the bike that I think will help you conserve energy for the run.
Hey Derek, longtime cyclist considering a tri with vff myself. Totally agree with Tia. Plus a the rigid sole of a cycling shoe does not flex. Riding any distance, or with any significant pedaling effort will cause major flexing of the vff’s and cause a lot of foot pain. Save the vff for the run only!
Other cyclists have put up great comments, but I also wanted to leave this thought: I commute long distances every day on my bike, in Fivefingers, and you just can’t get the same power as you can with a cage or clipless setup. Your foot won’t fill up a cage and you won’t be able to use the upward pull on the cranks. I’ve never had foot pain on the pedals, but I definitely can’t ride nearly as fast due to the limited power.
I purchased my five fingers for swimming about 8 months ago, I swim 5 to 6 times a week and the top of my shoes are tearing, the bottoms look perfect. I am very unhappy with this product! Would not recommend purchasing.
I run everyday and I got VFFs recently and they are awesome for running my feet don’t hurt anymore after long runs I’ve used many shoes from the Nike free runs to the reezigs and these are by far the best for your feet idk about swimming or biking in them though.
Use cycle shoes for the bike – you get more power and efficiency on the up pedal as well as down. Once you have run in your vff’s a few times they will be just a quick to put on in transition. If you have not swum in open/deep water – make sure you get some practice- i swam at international level and surf but the first time in truly deep water can be daunting. Most important thing is relax and enjoy it on the first one
I biked and ran the Nation’s Tri in my vibrams and thought they were great. Definitely make sure you put in some time on the bike so you learn how to get the most out of them. Cycle shoes are probably best, but for someone that will only use them once or twice a year (like myself), they seem like too much of a cost and a hassle.