Triathlon tips: bike

The bike is an essential piece of equipment for triathlon, but as long as it's roadworthy you don't have to have a racing bike to start with. We do recommend it fits you properly though.

Helmet You will have to wear a helmet from the moment you remove your bike from its position in transition until you return it. Remember, no helmet -- no race!

Bike A bike has to count as an essential piece of triathlon equipment, but until you get to a more advanced level, you don't have to worry about the quality of your bike. Any bike is ok to race on - it doesn't have to be a racing bike - but it does need to be roadworthy, so we would recommend a full service before you train / race on it. Handlebars must not have bare metal ends - ensure that you purchase stoppers to plug them before the race.

With the hours that you'll spend in the saddle training, and to prevent injury, we would recommend getting your bike set up correctly. triandrun offer a bike fitting service on all their new bikes to ensure it is correctly sized for you - both male and female - but they also offer this service if you already own a bike. For details on their full range visit www.triandrun.com.

TREK offer male and female specific design bikes. For a full range and stockists visit www.trekbikes.co.uk

Eyewear It is a good idea to wear cycling glasses on the bike to protect your eyes from grit, flies and other debris.

Special triathlon bike shoes These are a luxury if you're just starting out, but you definitely want bike shoes that are easy to get on and off during transitions. The advantage of cycling shoes is that they attach to the pedals giving you better cycling stability and power.

Drink There will be no water provided on the bike course. Therefore, we highly recommend that you fit a water bottle cage or use a Camelback to carry water or an energy drink (such as SiS) with you on the bike.