Watching Javier Gomez, Vanessa Fernandez and the International Triathlon Union elite field execute surgically precise transitions at the world championship this weekend reminded me just how inept I am at the fourth discipline. Vanessa may not need assistance in transition, but I need all the help I can get. To get a leg up, I tried Multisport Design Works Transition Hooks, talcum powder and Lickety-Split Transition Mat.

MULTISPORT DESIGN WORKS TRANSITION HOOK SYSTEM, $8
Javier ran effortlessly out of T1 with his bike shoes dangling off his pedals, jumped on his Soloist and pedaled away. When I execute a flying mount on my bike, I always kick the bottom of my shoes and make them spin into the ground. Not so graceful.

The Transition Hook System is a mount for rubber bands that attach to the cycling shoes, keeping them upright and parallel to the ground. They aren’t a make-or-break improvement, but the hooks saved me five or 10 seconds on the bike. I’d say they’re worth the $8 for the flying-mount challenged.

TALCUM POWDER, Cheap - Check the supermarket
Sliding wet feet into a dry shoe is no easy task. I got a tip that sprinkling simple talcum powder into cycling and running shoes helps them slide on and keeps the feet dry. Surprisingly enough, it actually works! I’ve always fumbled with my running shoes in T2, but the powder made them slide right on. Definitely worth plunking down the couple dollars for a bottle.

LICKETY-SPLIT TRANSITION MAT, $25
I found the Lickety-Split Transition Mat useful, as it's the perfect size on which to leave your shoes and race belt without encroaching onto your neighbor's turf. The mat's bright color makes it easier to find your spot in the maze of bikes and shoes, but a colorful towel could serve this purpose as well. Although the Lickety-Split does everything a transition mat should do, a $6 towel does a decent-enough job for now.

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Aaron Hersh is the Technical Liaison at Colorado Multisport in Boulder, Colorado. He has been competing in endurance sports for the last seven years. Hersh has a B.A. in Integrative Physiology from the University of Colorado, focusing on biomechanics.

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