The flying mount in triathlon: what it really gains, what the rules require and how to practise it step by step with shoes pre-clipped to the pedals.
Is the flying mount worth it for you? The honest answer: it saves seconds, but no miracles, and it is riskier than a calm mount. In a lab study on an ergometer with ten junior triathletes, the transition took on average 44.7 seconds with feet out of the shoes and 55.7 seconds with feet in the shoes. That is a good 10 seconds. But the following cycling time was worse, so in the end there was no overall advantage [2]. A tactical advantage may exist in races where drafting is allowed, where position on the bike counts [2].
For most age-group athletes this means: first a clean, calm mount, then maybe the flying mount. If you learn it, do it for the seconds in the first bike minute and because it is fun, not because it will decide your race.
In a flying mount you run next to the bike, get on after the mount line and only slip into the shoes that already hang on the pedals while riding. The rulebook allows shoes on the bike [1]. This is a safety-critical skill: build it up in stages.
Prerequisites before you start:
Attach the shoes to the pedals and heels with thin rubber bands so they hang level. With the bike against a wall or on a trainer, practise getting into the shoes. Milestone: you get into both shoes ten times in a row without looking.
Roll on a clear area at walking pace and slip into the shoes, first one, then both. Keep the bike steady with your upper body and look straight ahead. Milestone: ten attempts in a row without wobbling or losing a pedal.
You run next to the bike with one hand on the bar. After the line you put one foot on the ground and swing your leg over the saddle. That is what the rules require: after the mount line one foot must fully touch the ground before you mount [1]. Milestone: a clean mount at jogging pace with no swerving.
Now combine: mount, a few pedal turns on top of the shoes, then slip into the shoes. Start with a very short distance and extend it step by step. Milestone: ten repetitions with no shoes falling off.
Simulate the line with chalk, a helmet with the strap closed and some fatigue after a sprint. In a race the helmet must be fastened as soon as you take the bike off the rack [1]. Milestone: you manage the sequence even after hard effort.
Serious accidents also happen on the bike course in triathlon. In a US review of 135 deaths and cardiac arrests, 15 deaths were trauma-related and happened on the bike [3]. Right after the swim, heart rate, lactate and cycling power change because the body switches from swimming to cycling [4]; so leave yourself a margin.
Never practise the flying mount for the first time in a race and never in a crowded transition area. Build it up in stages, always wear a helmet, and stop at once or skip it if a stage does not work safely. If you lose shoes or other equipment, officials collect them without penalising you [1]. That is no reason to rush. This guide explains and motivates; it does not replace supervised training. If in doubt, find a coach or a club.
Set the crank horizontal when you pick up the bike, so the pedal on your mounting side is back and down. Then you can start pedalling at once and do not have to hunt for the pedal. This is a practical trick, not a study result.
Usually only to a limited extent. In a lab study the no-shoes variant saved a good 10 seconds in transition, but cycling time was worse afterwards and there was no overall advantage [2]. An advantage may lie in draft-legal races [2].
After the mount line you must put one foot fully on the ground before you mount. Anyone who rides off inside the transition area is disqualified [1].
Yes. Shoes may stay attached to the pedals [1]. If you lose them while mounting or dismounting, officials collect them without penalty [1].
That is individual. Plan several weeks with regular sessions (experience, not a study value).
It carries a higher risk than a calm mount, which is why you practise in stages and with a helmet. After the swim, heart rate, lactate and cycling power change [4].
Flying Dismount: Getting Off the Bike Before the Triathlon Transition