Chris Lieto’s custom creation from Trek

Can anyone comment further on this bike? Is it common for elite triathletes to use single speed hubs? I know the Hawaii course is pretty flat, and these guys know cadence/power better than anyone, but given the ups and downs of an Ironman tri, it seems like a single speed bike would be a disadvantage, doesn’t it?

Also, are they not required to have the pedals and aerobars that they’ll be using for the race on the bike when they check in?

Tri riders knowing power and cadence the best. I dont think so, these guys might be good at biking but lets be honest that is 1/3 of the event. Just because you post a good bike split doesn’t mean you will even come close to winning.

one more over riding issue, the bike has two brakes and a belt drive with a free- wheel. Really? You could have trek make any bike for you to play on and you got a custom single speed with a belt drive? Couldn’t you have at least done an internally geared hub or some thing to make this bike a little more than a custom paint fad of the bike industry?

This is not Chris’ race bike, just a fun bike Trek did custom for him. Since riders have to check their bike in the day before the race many pros either have a scooter or bike dropped off for them to ride back to their condo after dropping off the race bike. Chris is riding a sweet custom Speed Concept 9.0 with custom paint and wheel decals.
Also, the bike course in Hawaii is not really flat. I’ve raced it on 3 occasions and can tell you first hand that it rolls and has a nasty false flat, steady climb that kills the spirit. This is in addition to the trade winds that can blow you off the road.