From his home near Mt. Sugarloaf in Massachusetts, 61-year-old triathlete John Reino keeps a steady rhythm of racing, training, and learning. He’s been part of the sport since 1999, when he entered his first triathlon, and more than two decades later he’s still lining up at start lines across the country. In 2025 alone, he completed nine races, including one in Florida and a string of sprints across New England and New York.

John is self-coached and has slowly climbed the USA Triathlon national rankings year after year. His focus now is on steady improvement rather than speed alone. He and his wife, both longtime racers, plan to return to Nationals in Milwaukee next August which would be their first appearance there since 2011. “The challenge of improving each year is always a good motivator,” he says.

Over the years, John has become something of a student of bike fit and biomechanics. He’s on his second tri bike, second fitter, and has developed a thoughtful approach to the aero position. “If I curl up into a ball on the seat, I might maximize aero but can’t pedal with power. If I stand up, I can make power but lose aero. The aero bars are the compromise,” he explains. Finding comfort within that balance has been his quiet obsession.

The Short Crank Experiment

Like many time trial riders, John once struggled to breathe comfortably in the aero position. His bike fitter suggested shorter-than-stock cranks, which reduce hip compression and make it easier to stay low without restricting breathing. He tried them and immediately noticed the difference. “He asked if the smaller arc bothered me. It didn’t,” John recalls. “If your bike position hurts, you’re not going to ride it.”

Since then, shorter cranks have become a constant in his setup. His tri bike and trainer both use 145 mm cranks, and he even climbed Mt. Washington with a 145 paired to a 50T ring. For John, comfort isn’t about taking it easy, it’s more about creating a position that lets him push harder for longer.

A Life Built Around the Bike

The bike is woven into John’s daily life. His road bikes stay in the house, his tri bike gets a spot in the bedroom, and only the mountain and track bikes are relegated to the garage and cellar. It’s a fitting reflection of someone who simply loves to ride. He jokes about crashing ten days before his wedding and spending that time just trying to grow enough skin back to fit into a suit.

His wife has been an All American every year since 2009, and together they’ve built a quiet rhythm around training and racing. Between steep climbs up Sugarloaf and sprints across Massachusetts, their shared commitment to the sport keeps them both motivated.

Chasing the Next Split

John’s perspective on racing is practical and earned through experience. He knows every setup is a compromise and that comfort is what makes performance sustainable. Each season brings new races, new ideas, and a few more lessons about what works and what doesn’t. He’s still pushing for small improvements not because he has to, but because he still loves the process.