Riding a mountain bike during a race

[mroper]

I'm new to the world of triathalons.. I'm considering doing the Tulsa Tri, however, I don't have a road bike. I would like to ride my mountain bike in the first couple of races to see if it's something I'm going to enjoy before I invest in a new bike. I feel uncomfortable doing so. Will I be the only one on the course with a mountain bike?

[Flagor5]

Probably not.  There usually is an eclectic group of bikes from the hammerhead tri to the casual cruiser.  Please come out and enjoy the race.
R

[CoachJanet]

Several people will ride a mountain bike or cruser in a sprint race.  The Tulsa Tri is a challenging race.  The bike coarse is very rolling and most likely will have head winds for 80% of the ride.  Maybe 1 or 2 people will race on a non road or tri bike.  This coarse can take 2 MPH off your average pace for the distance.  On a mountain bike that is usually slower anyway (heaver, non aerodynamic, large tires (friction)) you can possibly be 20 minutes behind the average bike time.  

But there are people that can cruse on a mountain bike.  Back in the early 1990's there was a young woman from Kansas that was very competitive on a mountain bike.

2 cents

[Lancy Pitts]

Swap out your knobby tires for a smooth tread and you will do fine.  The first couple of years after taking up cycling I rode a mountain bike.  I did not have the funds for or desire to purchase a road bike until I was sure I would use it regularly.

[mroper]

Thanks for the feedback! A friend of mine actuallly suggested switching out the tires yesterday. I thought that was a great idea!