Bikes and triathlons....

There is an active cycling community on STX. With five triathlons each year on the island. I'm sure you will find someone to ride with if you hang out on the South Shore road between the refinery and the Divi Casino. Most riders include this stretch in their workout with riders wanting a longer workout riding it multiple times.

As for bikes there isn't a full time bike shop any more on STX. We do have a co-op that is open on weekends and Wednesday afternoons. They have a limited stock of parts, a mechanic and several rental bikes. If they don't have what you want they can order it for you. Their web site is www.stamina-sports.com.

The terrain is tough on STX. The triathlon routes often include several steep hills, the infamous beast and the yacht club hill. Both of these climbs include grades of of 15% or more. The climb up Grassy Pt is only 9%, but towards the top you often have headwinds of 15 - 25 mph to fight.

If you have a good bike it would bring it. However given the terrain I would put on a compact double crank (50-34 ) and a rear cassette with a 27 tooth cog. Triples are also good, but a double offers better shifting. Do not bring a steel framed bicycle. Corrosion from the humidity, getting caught in showers, wet roads and salt air will eat them up. You might be OK for a few months if you are religious about cleaning the bike and touching up nicks. Even SS rusts quickly down here so carbon steel just doesn't stand a chance. It doesn't take much rust to destroy butted carbon steel tubes that are only 0.4 mm thick.

As for wheels you need to balance durability vs the super light weight of great climbing wheels. The roads on STX can be rough. Full disc wheels are heavy and with the gusty winds hard to control.

Tires don't last long on the island. A thousand miles is typical of how many miles I get from a set of racing quality Continental tires. Sharp rocks on the road cut your tire's sidwall like a razor blade. Thorns lead to frequent flats, particularly when DPW is cutting back the road side brush. Occasionally you can't find the thorns and end up throwing away a tire with lots of tread left. I prefer to ride wider 23mm - 25mm tires at 120 psi because of the rough pavement. Tubulars are very expensive to train on given the short life of bike tire' s on STX. If you are going to race on tubulars you will need a set of clincher rims for training. For training rides a frame pump is a nice addition to your equipment. More dependable than CO2 cartridges. Also carry your cell phone so if you have a flat(s) that you can't repair you can call someone to come pick you up. It happens to me two or three times a year.

When you get here PM me and I will be glad to show you the two major training loops. The routes are on the east end of STX and along the south shore. I am a retired road racer so I can't tell you much about the triathlons.

Jim