photocredit: yelp.com

BY: RACHEL SMITH

 

It’s something most of us learn as a young child.  Starting with stabilizers… training wheels, if you will.  Then comes the phase where our parents run alongside us, hoping we don’t fall immediately and ruin their progress.  Learning to start, to stop, to make that ever-dreaded turn with wobbly handlebars as we do our best the stay upright.

With TRI Clear Lake being only 6 short weeks away, I’d like to shift our focus to the middle section of the race… the bike ride!

Wayne’s Ski & Cycle serves as the official bike sponsor for TRI Clear Lake.  If you’ve never heard of them, they’re located just up the road, on the west edge of Mason City.  They are a full-service bike shop, but also focus on fitness & nutrition, carry hockey supplies and even snowboarding gear.  Basically, if you’re into outdoor fitness activities, Wayne’s has you covered!

With the weather changing from the awful cold and snow brought on by Old Man Winter to the beauty that is spring, it’s the perfect time of year to get your bike in for a tune-up!  Safety is key, and the extremely knowledgeable staff at Wayne’s Ski & Cycle offer a wide variety of services to make sure your bike is in tip-top shape.

But what if you’re not just a leisure rider?  What if you’ve signed up for TRI?  What if it’s your first year and you have absolutely no clue what to do, or expect?  Well… you’re in luck!  Because Wayne’s has YOU covered, too.  On Friday night before the race, Wayne’s will be at the TRI 101 meeting at State Park Beach.  The meeting is designed to answer questions, talk about the course, and tie up any loose ends before race day.  It’s the ideal time to hit up the Wayne’s tent and have them give your bike a final once-over to make sure it’s in perfect working condition for Saturday’s race.

And then on Saturday, Wayne’s will be there until the last biker transitions to the 5K run.  They’ll be on site with bike pumps and tools, and can help with any last minute issues you may have.

See?  No need to have ANY worries or concerns about race day.  You guys are set!

Now… if you’re doing your first Triathlon on your mountain or hybrid bike, that’s great.  However, if this isn’t your first rodeo and you’re seriously considering purchasing an official TRI bike, the folks at Wayne’s can help you out there too.  While they don’t carry them in store, they can surely get you the perfect bike to fit your fitness needs.

And gear?  Well, they’ve got all the gear you could possibly need, too.  An aero helmet and aero bars are a good addition for any rider doing a Triathlon.  These help with aerodynamics, making you faster as you ride through the beauty of South Shore Drive.  And does anyone remember last year?  Yeah… that wind was a bit brutal.  So make sure you’ve got the right gear to be your best on race day.

Matt and the gang at Wayne’s Ski & Cycle can help!  Visit their website at www.waynesbike.com or just stop in to chat!

And if you STILL haven’t signed up for TRI Clear Lake, you can do that here!   https://www.active.com/clear-lake-ia/Triathlon/races/Tri-clear-lake-2018?int=

Trust me.  It’s going to be a GREAT day that you won’t want to miss!

**Hint, hint** There’s SO much swag, and a pretty awesome finish-line party by the Lake.  So get signed up!  You don’t need to be the fastest out there, you just need to give it a TRI.