Oh dear...

[Arch]

...which they get free from the sponsors!

Some people are really clueless. I remember offering to push a bloke whose car wouldn't start. I got him moving down a slight hill but he didn't dump the clutch so I ran alongside his window to tell him to get on with it.... and the stupid pillock was sitting turning the ignition key! This was someone middle aged who you'd expect to know how to start a car with a duff battery.

I'm not sure it's fair to berate people for not knowing stuff - if you've never had to do it, then why would you know, unless you happened to be an inquisitive sort of person? What IS stupid, is not asking when you don't know or aren't clear about something...

 

[Arch]

But going on a bike race and not knowing how to change a tube/fix a puncture is pretty bad, you must admit Arch.

Yes, that's daft, I was replying more to the story about the guy who didn't know how to jump start a car....

 

[Mortiroloboy]

It's £280 for Ironman UK and $550 for Kona! Triathlon is expensive - I think a lot of it goes towards insurance and transition security. They seem to throw in a lot of "freebies" and event apparel as well.

I don't know how much competitiors paid to take part, but they all got a freebie technical 'T' shirt, and I got a slap up curry (paid for by the organiser) and a technical 'T' for volunteering my time so did all the other volunteers, there were 50 of us, we took over the curry house!

 

[Will1985]

...which they get free from the sponsors!

You'd be surprised - there are lots of threads on slowtwitch by tri organisers/race directors who say that the organisers are forced to absorb many of the costs associated with using a sponsor's name which negates the value of some deals. I saw one thread recently where the RD at a 70.3 could only get a major drinks sponsor if they bought a certain level of stock to start with.

 

[Mortiroloboy]

I've just learned from the chief marshal, that they guy I gave two of my brand new conti long valve tubes to, who promised to leave replacements behind the counter of the LBS saying he knew where the shop was...Lives in North London

Guess I'll have to right that bit of generousity off to experience then

Oh well, think of the good kharma I must have created.