Last year a bike made its appearance at the CrossFit Games for the first time in the form of a Cyclocross event. This year Dave Castro is bringing back the bike, but this time it is a real road bike.
In the first event hint of the 2018 CrossFit Games, Castro shared three photos on Instagram. The first picture is of a Trek Domane AL 3 road bike. The second photo shows a helmet, bike clips and bike shoes. And the third photo is a close up of a bike clip.
The hint alludes to either a single modality bike race or possibly as part of a triathlon. Either way, expect the athletes to be riding out in the streets of Madison to kick off the 2018 CrossFit Games.
The Trek Domane AL 3 retails at $959.99 on the Trek website. According to Trek it is a perfect bike for new riders or “anyone looking to upgrade to…a rode bike.” The final sentence on Trek’s site is interesting, “The quality parts are ready to tackle fast group rides and adventures that stray from the beaten path to rougher roads [emphasis by The Barbell Spin].” So it’s likely the athletes stay on paved roads, but never doubt Castro to throw out a curveball.
The inclusion of bike clips does add some complexity to the bike. Athletes who have never used bike clips could struggle getting in or out of the clip during a race. It also allows athletes to get better speed pedaling.
While a road bike a first for the CrossFit Games, the Dubai Fitness Championship opened with a 32km (approximately 20 miles) race. In that race, the top notable finishers were Mat Fraser finished 12th and Sara Sigmundsdottir finished 8th.
Of course how it all plays out will depend on what exactly Dave Castro has in mind. We will have to wait and see what the exact event entails, but for now get practicing on a road bike with clips! And stay tuned to TheBarbellSpin.com for future updates…
