Race Reports

 

Charlie, 2017 Ironman Kona Finisher

 

After eight attempts at Ironman, hundreds of hours training before and after work and numerous highs and lows, I finally had the race of my life at Ironman Chattanooga in 2016 and stamped my ticket to the 2017 World Championships in Kona. The final weeks before Kona arrived, and I shipped my bike out from Florida for delivery a week before the race. Unfortunately, the day before I flew out to Hawaii, I got the call no one wants to get. My bike had arrived but had significant damage to the top tube.  I rode a Quintana Roo CD.01, and it was my baby.  I’ve always ridden QR’s, so in a scramble, I contacted the folks at Quintana Roo.  Within 15 minutes, I had been put in touch with Sam Voigt, the Rent QR program manager.  Sam was immediately on it, and within a couple of hours, he offered to rent a PRSix with Ultegra Di2 components in just the size I needed.  Fate had it that a cancelation had occurred, and the only available rental bike was just the size I needed. Typically, this late in the game, you just don’t happen upon an available bike.

 

I arrived in Kona, and Sam set me up on the bike.  He got me set up just as I had been on my CD.01. It felt like I was on the same bike. My CD.01, however, had manual shifters, so I was unexperienced in using electronic. Additionally, I’d trained totally on power, so I was without my power meter. I got out on the course for two rides, one of which I took the climb to Hawi.  I had plenty of times when I clicked the gear the wrong way, but the electronic shifts were so seamless, I could easily correct to the proper gear without missing a beat. I got two rides totaling maybe 40 or 50 miles on the bike before I raced.

 

Race day arrived, and the gun went off. I had a solid swim and smooth transition to the bike. It is a steep uphill climb for a few miles out of transition. The Di2 shifters were simply a dream. I was able to stand while pedaling and switch gears without missing a beat. I played it safe all the way to the 60-mile turnaround in Hawi, and from there I did nothing but pass people over the final 50 miles. Rolling into T2, my legs felt better than they have ever felt after a 112-mile bike. I contribute a big part of that to the quality of bike on which I rode that day. I then had the best marathon run I’ve ever had considering the conditions. I attribute those fresh legs in large part to the smooth ride afforded me by the QR that Sam set me up on.

 

So, in closing, I can comfortably say that QR is a bike that will make you faster and happier, and the service you receive from the company’s great people is second to none.  Now what are you waiting for?

 

Angela, 2017 Ironman Kona Finisher

The service you offer is fabulous and if I qualify next year I am going to rent a bike from you again!. The race was ok for me, not as fast as I expected but the bike part was good. It took me  around 5h 50 min which is a bit slow but faster compared to many other competitors.

 

 Eric, 2018 Ironman Texas Finisher

My bike portion of the race was awesome and the QR handled very well!!  Very tight and comfortable!  It made travel so much easier overall and I got a great upgrade for the bike and wheels. I will definitely look at renting again in the future!

 

Ed, 2018 Ironman Augusta 70.3 Finisher

Traveled from Chicago to Augusta for the 70.3 in September 2018.  I primarily ride a road bike and was looking for an opportunity to upgrade in bike for the experience, plus not to have the hassle of transporting the bike.

The QR rent process was a breeze from the beginning and will be doing again for sure.  Rented the PRSIX Di2 which was my first time using Di2.  Was very easy to transition to the electronic shifting and the bike felt like a machine.  The fitting process was very easy and I felt very comfortable on the bike.  I sent my measurements ahead of time and they had the bike set up for me for pick up at the expo.  Because I primarily ride a road bike being in aero for the duration of the race did put some strain on my neck that I wasn't used to, but I now know to incorporate that more in my training. The electronic shifting was very useful on the hills as it gave me an opportunity to rest my back and neck without worrying about reaching for gears. I didn't ride the bike much more than from the expo to bike drop off. When I do it next time, I would like to pick up the bike a day earlier to be able to spend more time on the bike before racing. This was my first time racing in nearly 3 years and wasn't at the fitness level I have been in previous races.  Despite my lack of fitness, I had my fastest bike split in over ten 70.3 races by more than 10 minutes and my legs felt fresh for the run.  I did purchase a hydration system to put between the aero bars which helped me to stay aero more often.

Logistically, it couldn't be any easier.  I was traveling with the family so not having to worry about packing up a bike and lugging it through the airport made travel and race day much easier. I picked up the bike in the expo.  Some small adjustments to the bike set up took less than 30 minutes.

For out of town races, I'm only considering races that are on the rent QR calendar.  At a comparable price to transporting your own bike and getting a top of the line bike, this is the only way to go.  Thank you again for providing this service!

 

Mladen, 2018 Chicago Triathlon, Chicago, IL 

Just want to say Sam and all crew was super nice and super professional.They did amazing job, thank you guys for that. Every single dollar i spent on the bike is worth it. Cheers!!!

 

Kelly, 2021 Age Group National Championships Milwaukee

Renting through Quintana Roo for the Age Group National Championships in Milwaukee was definitely worth it and completely hassle free. I was nervous at first, not bringing my own bike, but the service was excellent. I arrived at the expo, and they had my bike ready to go with the measurements I gave them. However, they also got me on the trainer to ensure a perfect fit, and made some minor adjustments. They made sure I felt comfortable and confident on the bike before I took it out for a test ride, and then checked it into transition. I was able to improve my bike section by an average of 2mph on a longer, hillier course than my previous triathlon. Dropping off the bike was super easy and quick. The staff was knowledgable, friendly, and worked great as a team. I would recommend the renting experience to anyone and will be doing it again in the future.