Smith during the 25-mile cycling segment of the Nation’s Triathlon. Photo by Blacknell

Amid the thousands of triathletes that completed a 25-mile bike ride as part of Sunday’s Nation’s Tri, Jefferson Smith certainly stood out—as we reported yesterday, he did it on a Capital Bikeshare bike.

We were curious what motivated the 42-year-old risk management professional from Falls Church, Va. to expend the money and effort—the rental cost $101, though it was waived by the D.C. Department of Transportation, and it took him over two hours to finish the cycling leg of the race—on a bike that’s meant for short jumps around town. Simple, he told us: it seemed fun. But, he added, it wasn’t easy.

We’re curious why you decided to use Bikeshare instead of a normal bike for the 25-mile cycling leg.

Jefferson Smith: Well, I am more of a swimmer. I haven’t had a bike since I got my drivers license. I meant to get one for this race, but I guess I ran out of time. Then, I figured that the Bikeshare bike would provide a better workout and challenge me, so why not. It seemed like it would be fun.

Is this your first triathlon and you just wanted to try it out?

JS: Yes, just trying to get a little exercise, and thought it’d be fun. Also wanted to support a good cause. A friend of mine lost her child to leukemia and this was another chance to contribute.

So, on to what everyone was thinking: was it hard?

JS: If I said it was a breeze, I’d be a liar. Whoever said that trail was flat, should try riding it on a Bikeshare.

How did other competitors respond to it?

JS: They took photos, and were encouraging. I rang my little bell every time another cyclist passed me by. They got a kick out of it. I think they could see that I was struggling. Later, I passed a few of them who had flat tires. Thanks for a sturdy bike, Capital Bikeshare.

How about the organizers and staff?

JS: When I went to rack my bike the day before the race, the guard told me “those bikes” are not allowed in here.

Then a few feet shy of the finish line, a staff member pulled me off the race and said ‘You’re not allowed in here, there’s a race going on.’ He thought I had wandered in off the street. Then when I pointed to my race number, he burst out laughing and kept saying, “Dude, no way…NO WAY!”

Any plans to do that again?

JS: Well I like to keep my options open, but during the race, I swore to never do that again. I work in Risk Management. The bike certainly exceeded my safety and durability standards.