Ross Ross

TSP6: The Timex Triathlon Watch

Today I’m going to talk about a  piece of equipment that was super-important to me in the 1980s. The Timex Triathlon watch. I remember buying my first one from Argos in Slough. Maybe in 1985 or 1986. 

It really was a technological leap forward at the time. You could store lap times and the buttons were easy to see and press. Features you only previously got on classic hand-held stopwatches.

So here’s a bit more about the history of the device and my plans to go back to using one with a pen and paper training diary in 2023.

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Ross Ross

TSP5: UK Triathlon Magazines 1986-1990

I started buying Tri-Athlete UK in July 1988. Then early editions of 220 Magazine and British Triathlon Scene. On a family holiday to Florida in 1989 I even picked up a few copies of the US version of Triathlete.

Over the last couple of years I’ve been buying up vintage triathlon magazines on eBay. Some of them I’d previously owned. But they hadn’t survived multiple international house moves and a few loft purges.

Then I started researching the early UK triathlon magazines.

This episode is therefore just a gathering of my resources rather than an in-depth historical study. But I hope it sets the scene. Starting in 1983 with the emergence of the first two triathlon titles in the USA.

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Ross Ross

TSP4: The Le Coq Sportif Grand Prix

In 1988 I started buying Tri-Athlete UK magazine to follow the Le Coq Sportif Grand Prix Series. There were 10 events that year. The venues were Swindon, Barry Island, Otley, Ripon, Milton Keynes, Redbridge, Keswick, Wakefield, Leicester and Bedford. 

For the 1989 season the series was sponsored by Carlsberg. I also had club-mates at Berkshire Tri Squad who were driving up and down the country to do as many Grand Prix races as possible. Finding cheap B&Bs or camping at lake complexes and beach towns. 

They wore fluorescent clothing and had the new Scott DH aerodynamic handlebars bolted onto their Dave Russell Bikes. As far as I was concerned they were living the late-80s triathlete lifestyle that I aspired to.

In the spring of 1990 I passed my driving test and bought my first car. A Skoda Estelle. The engine was at the back which left a bike-shaped space under the bonnet.  So my plan was to do a mediocre job with my A-Levels to take on the Grand Prix.

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Ross Ross

TSP3: I Bought 4 Sets Of Scott DH Handlebars

In 1987 The Scott DH handlebar became the first aerobar to achieve popularity in triathlon. The improved aerodynamic advantage from the hands forward position instantly took minutes from your bike split.

So in early-2021 I bought 4 sets on eBay. Long story. Then I started to trace the history of the bars and how they first made their way to triple-effort start lines in the USA and the UK.

Thanks to Brad Kearns, Scott Molina and Phil Gable for all your help on this episode and your overall enthusiasm for the project!

Images:
My 4 set of Scott DH handlebars
Triathlete (USA) June 1987.
Triathlete (USA) June 1987
Triathlete (USA) August 1987
Triathlete (USA) September 1987
Cycling Weekly (UK) 21st January 1988
Tri-Athlete (UK) April 1988
Tri-Athlete (FR) Juillet 1987
Tri-Athlete (FR) Septembre 1987

Links:
1987 USTS Miami
Story of Innovation - Charley French
Can You Make A Living Doing That by Brad Kearns
1987 USTS Hilton Head

Sources:
Triathlete: Was the first aerobar really not the first?
Slowtwitch: Profile Design A Coherent Strategy For Aerobars
Simon Ward Podcast with Mike Harris
Scott Sports History Page

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Ross Ross

TSP2: The Speed And The Sweat

In this episode I tell you about my first triathlon. The race was held on 7th May 1989 at Martin’s Pool in Wokingham. It was organised by Thames Valley Triathletes. Britain's first triathlon club. 

As I crossed the finish-line I knew this was the most exciting sporting thing I’d ever done. And by the end of the season I’d already made the decision that I wanted to be a professional triathlete.

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Ross Ross

TSP1: What Is The Streak Podcast?

Let me tell you about the triathlon history podcast that I’m starting. It’s only taken me nearly 15 years to hit the record button after reading a book called Podcast Solutions back in 2008.

I’ve also had 2 or 3 false starts but with a re-organised work schedule I’ve got way more time to dedicate to research, writing and recording. And once again I'm enjoying the process of preparing the shows, tinkering with the gadgets and experimenting with audio quality and editing. 

So on this podcast I’ll mainly be using my collection of vintage triathlon magazines to take a deeper look at the articles inside.

Stories that inspired me as a young triathlete and some that I’ve discovered recently. Whenever possible I’ll be talking to people who were there as well as exploiting the triathlon history resources available on YouTube.

So expect future episodes about the big races, the different race series that existed, the athletes, the bikes, the clothing and kit; and occasionally triathlon politics and controversy.

I’ll also be building my own experiences into the narrative to help explain the triathlon scene at the time. And although I’m starting with the late-1980s and early-1990s I'll definitely be exploring other periods.

At the moment I’ve got 12 episodes finished. So I’ll get them out as soon as possible. Before trying to drop into a weekly schedule. On Fridays.

Images: The Streak from Mark Allen’s Total Triathlete

Links:

1987 USTS Hilton Head
Podcast Solutions
Mark Allen’s Total Triathlete
Dave Scott’s Triathlon Training
1987 Hawaii Ironman
The Streak Podcast YouTube Channel

Sources:

Triathlete (USA) May 1987. World Sprint Championships in Perth Report
Triathlete (USA) January 1988. Hilton Head and Hawaii Reports
220 (UK) August 1991. Windsor Triathlon Report
Triathlete (UK) September 1991. Windsor Triathlon Report

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