Just signed up for my first ever race (10 ITT)
Discussion
Put in a recce today as there is 1 road that I'd never ridden before, and the roads I do, I ride in the reverse way so thought it would be a good idea. Thought it would also help me get over my fears of riding in windy conditions and boy was it windy out there!
Rode out to the start point with a good cross wind, with high blustery winds intermitantly blowing, which almost had me in the 8 foot deep ditches a couple of times, before I'd started
Started off on the 10 miles, and was quite happy that I'd got to the 5 mile marker in 15 mins, with cross winds and 2 bits of climbs which weren't that bad to be honest. The wind then became a head wind for the next strech to the next climb, ugg, did I mention I don't like wind
, the top of the climb is about 6.5 / 7 miles in, but not sure of my time to that point.
The last sector is the road I'd never ridden before, and also had the worst headwind I'd experianced, I'd say it was a 20mph avg with nocking on 40 mph gusts! Its mostly arrow straight, so was relentless, at 1 point I was in a single figure speed (wasn't aero, becuase I didn't know the road, and riding on drops kills my neck). The only saving grace is its mostly down hill.
Still, Strava reports a 38 min time for the 10, so I'm happy with that, as the first digit isn't a 4, and I wasn't really going for it as much as I'd like because I was trying to stay upright.
My question for myself now is how much time did I loose due to wind? Hopefully there won't be any in 2 weeks and I'll get under 35 for the first attempt, and I'll find out.
the 30 miles done today, certainly helped with my fear of the wind though
Rode out to the start point with a good cross wind, with high blustery winds intermitantly blowing, which almost had me in the 8 foot deep ditches a couple of times, before I'd started
Started off on the 10 miles, and was quite happy that I'd got to the 5 mile marker in 15 mins, with cross winds and 2 bits of climbs which weren't that bad to be honest. The wind then became a head wind for the next strech to the next climb, ugg, did I mention I don't like wind
, the top of the climb is about 6.5 / 7 miles in, but not sure of my time to that point.The last sector is the road I'd never ridden before, and also had the worst headwind I'd experianced, I'd say it was a 20mph avg with nocking on 40 mph gusts! Its mostly arrow straight, so was relentless, at 1 point I was in a single figure speed (wasn't aero, becuase I didn't know the road, and riding on drops kills my neck). The only saving grace is its mostly down hill.
Still, Strava reports a 38 min time for the 10, so I'm happy with that, as the first digit isn't a 4, and I wasn't really going for it as much as I'd like because I was trying to stay upright.
My question for myself now is how much time did I loose due to wind? Hopefully there won't be any in 2 weeks and I'll get under 35 for the first attempt, and I'll find out.
the 30 miles done today, certainly helped with my fear of the wind though
Well, I've done it! Tonight was race day and for the first time ever I pinned on a race number.
Was hoping for a slightly quicker time, but I predicted a 35 min time an came in at 34:59! I started as no 13, and only had 5 riders pass me which I'm chuffed with, as I did expect to be passed by more riders. Slightly unhappy in that I was 3 mins down at the 1/2 way marker, and wanted to be there in 15 mins apposed to 18. The upside to this is as its my first timed run with the club, it counts as a PB and towards my handicap for 1 of the trophys at the end of the season.
I now hurt, and I'm going to know about it tomorrow.
I can see this getting addictive, much to the bank managers dissaproval.
https://app.strava.com/activities/290673171/segmen...
Was hoping for a slightly quicker time, but I predicted a 35 min time an came in at 34:59! I started as no 13, and only had 5 riders pass me
which I'm chuffed with, as I did expect to be passed by more riders. Slightly unhappy in that I was 3 mins down at the 1/2 way marker, and wanted to be there in 15 mins apposed to 18. The upside to this is as its my first timed run with the club, it counts as a PB and towards my handicap for 1 of the trophys at the end of the season.I now hurt, and I'm going to know about it tomorrow.
I can see this getting addictive, much to the bank managers dissaproval.
https://app.strava.com/activities/290673171/segmen...
Celtic Dragon said:
Well, I've done it! Tonight was race day and for the first time ever I pinned on a race number.
Was hoping for a slightly quicker time, but I predicted a 35 min time an came in at 34:59! I started as no 13, and only had 5 riders pass me which I'm chuffed with, as I did expect to be passed by more riders. Slightly unhappy in that I was 3 mins down at the 1/2 way marker, and wanted to be there in 15 mins opposed to 18. The upside to this is as its my first timed run with the club, it counts as a PB and towards my handicap for 1 of the trophys at the end of the season.
I now hurt, and I'm going to know about it tomorrow.
I can see this getting addictive, much to the bank managers disapproval.
https://app.strava.com/activities/290673171/segmen...
Nice work. I still plan to try one or two this year!Was hoping for a slightly quicker time, but I predicted a 35 min time an came in at 34:59! I started as no 13, and only had 5 riders pass me
which I'm chuffed with, as I did expect to be passed by more riders. Slightly unhappy in that I was 3 mins down at the 1/2 way marker, and wanted to be there in 15 mins opposed to 18. The upside to this is as its my first timed run with the club, it counts as a PB and towards my handicap for 1 of the trophys at the end of the season.I now hurt, and I'm going to know about it tomorrow.
I can see this getting addictive, much to the bank managers disapproval.
https://app.strava.com/activities/290673171/segmen...
Celtic Dragon said:
Just been confirmed, stone dead last by 54 seconds. Winning time was 21:53.
Then you know where your targets are!1 - 34.58 or better.
2 - Not last.
The season i did, i was good at nibbling away at (1) but (2) was more hit and miss. It's the "bonus" though - keep beating your PB and all is good
Some Gump said:
Then you know where your targets are!
1 - 34.58 or better.
2 - Not last.
The season i did, i was good at nibbling away at (1) but (2) was more hit and miss. It's the "bonus" though - keep beating your PB and all is good
My target for this season is getting to 25 mins, my run time target at present is 29:59. 1 - 34.58 or better.
2 - Not last.
The season i did, i was good at nibbling away at (1) but (2) was more hit and miss. It's the "bonus" though - keep beating your PB and all is good
To help with 2, 1 has to be reduced and I have plans for that
as the ride did highlight a couple of things that need to be addressed.Grateful to you, Celtic Dragon. Thanks mainly to this thread, I plan to ride my first TT tomorrow evening. A local club's hilly 10.
Had a practice round the course this morning. One of the roads being closed off for drainage works rather spoilt the average though!
If you don't mid the thread hijack, may I ask if people tend to leave their bottles, tubes, pumps and what have you at the start on these things, or ride round as equipped as they would on the way up there and back? An alternative would be going up by car, but it's only 16km away and I quite enjoy the ride up there and back.
Had a practice round the course this morning. One of the roads being closed off for drainage works rather spoilt the average though!
If you don't mid the thread hijack, may I ask if people tend to leave their bottles, tubes, pumps and what have you at the start on these things, or ride round as equipped as they would on the way up there and back? An alternative would be going up by car, but it's only 16km away and I quite enjoy the ride up there and back.
SixPotBelly said:
Grateful to you, Celtic Dragon. Thanks mainly to this thread, I plan to ride my first TT tomorrow evening. A local club's hilly 10.
Had a practice round the course this morning. One of the roads being closed off for drainage works rather spoilt the average though!
If you don't mid the thread hijack, may I ask if people tend to leave their bottles, tubes, pumps and what have you at the start on these things, or ride round as equipped as they would on the way up there and back? An alternative would be going up by car, but it's only 16km away and I quite enjoy the ride up there and back.
I did my first one last year, I drove to the start (even though it was only about 16km away). The course I rode was pretty much a loop and I left my saddlebag/pump/bottle etc in the car.Had a practice round the course this morning. One of the roads being closed off for drainage works rather spoilt the average though!
If you don't mid the thread hijack, may I ask if people tend to leave their bottles, tubes, pumps and what have you at the start on these things, or ride round as equipped as they would on the way up there and back? An alternative would be going up by car, but it's only 16km away and I quite enjoy the ride up there and back.
If you decide to drive to the course be sure to warm up well before hand (but be back in plenty time for your starting slot).
Here is a guide from British Cycling:
https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/knowledge/articl...
Many thanks, Celtic D and jesusbuiltmycar. Exactly what I needed to know. 
Thinking abot it, driving does makes most sense. I can also have a drink and warmer clothing in the car, and push myself to my best without having to leave a little bit for the ride home afterwards. It wouldn't even occur to me to jog 5K to get to a 5K running race, so quite why I wanted to ride 10 miles to a 10 mile TT I'm not sure! I suppose just because it's in on one of my usual training routes. Anyway, I'll be sure to warm up first - I know I'm slow(er) when the muscles are cold.
Thanks for that link too. Some useful tips there.
Thinking abot it, driving does makes most sense. I can also have a drink and warmer clothing in the car, and push myself to my best without having to leave a little bit for the ride home afterwards. It wouldn't even occur to me to jog 5K to get to a 5K running race, so quite why I wanted to ride 10 miles to a 10 mile TT I'm not sure! I suppose just because it's in on one of my usual training routes. Anyway, I'll be sure to warm up first - I know I'm slow(er) when the muscles are cold.
Thanks for that link too. Some useful tips there.
SixPotBelly said:
If you don't mid the thread hijack, may I ask if people tend to leave their bottles, tubes, pumps and what have you at the start on these things, or ride round as equipped as they would on the way up there and back? An alternative would be going up by car, but it's only 16km away and I quite enjoy the ride up there and back.
Lol, I think I can claim "worst" prep for TT.So far, I've tried:
Leave work late, run to shed grab bike and get there in time to start as last rider. Cold legs, last.
Leave work on bike late, set PB up local hill, PB to macc, PB to start point, second last.
Leave work on time, relaxed ride to start, but quite early. Ride about a bit in a vain attempt to emulate the quick guys with sperm helmets. Last.
Leave work roughly on time, Pb up the hill, not on the rest of the route, get a mid start time, start OK and set PB. 3rd last.
All of which on a normal road bike, with tool kit, mudguards etc. Lets be honest - at the back of the grid it's you (me) that is the problem, not 0.5kg or even 1kg, and aero won't help much when you're 50 watts down on the main field. The ITT is be ultimate self improvement program - just ride your normal gear and once you start beating the slowest of the aero bike / sperm helmet brigade, then and only then think about better gear. After all - what is the point of beating fat Nige when you're on a 2k TT rig and he's on an old Raleigh? Chequebook racing doesn't make you happy - personal gains do =)
Adding to what Some Gump said, I did similar with regard to Aero/Weight when I did a few TTs several years ago. Five mile ride from home to the event as a warm up, arriving as late as I dared to the sign-on so as to not need a further warm-up. Start early in the field, as a rider with a slower (honest) estimate of ability. Spend the next ten miles/thirty minutes being passed by a succession of riders, some simply quicker on road bikes, and some very serious skin-suited, sperm-helmeted, aero-biked Time Trial specialists. Get disheartened by losing pace on the little 'hump' on the return leg, receive copious encouragement from riders on the outbound leg, and from those passing me (including the owner of the shop who was pleased to see me out riding the bike he sold me), and realise that I've gone off way too fast from the start, and that I should have left something in the tank to combat the head-wind on the run in. Very nearly collapse at the sign-on area after crossing the line at what felt like a crawl. Sip what's left of my drink while crawling around trying to pick up bits of lung and my legs, then hang around trying to take in as much advice from the 'regulars' as possible to make it better next time out, whilst trying to disguise this 'de-briefing' as social interaction.
I simply rode my bike as it was, set up to be a good, comfortable fit for longer road rides, with all the kit I'd normally carry for a ride too. Both bottle cages, a frame-mounted pump, lights (or, at least, brackets for them), a bottle of drink and all the spares and tools I normally carry for any twenty miler. After all, if I get a puncture out near the turn-around point, I've got a five mile walk back to the start, and it's nearer ten to home, and sitting waiting at the side of the road for someone to bring your tools and tubes out to you is going to have to wait until some kind soul finishes the event, or the admin guys can declare the event finished. In much the same way as Some Gump, too, riding the TTs was only ever about testing me, against me (and the clock), with independent time keepers to keep order and prevent me from kidding myself. Sure, nowadays I can go out with a Garmin and ride a local route, even a local club's TT course, and keep a good eye on any improvements I (might) make, but back then I didn't have a GPS and so riding the TT course regularly was a good measure of how fit I was (or wasn't) and if, or by how much I was improving.
I've got a lighter, more 'aero' bike now than I had back then, but I'm slower than I was. Mainly because I don't ride so much in the winter, or in the dark. Back then I rode five winters straight through, rain or shine, dark or light, committed to cycling out of the boredom of living away from home all week. Now I'm back home permanently, there are other things to do, more distractions, more calls on my time in the evenings, so I ride less often, eat more, and I'm older anyway. Maybe I ought to look at entering a local TT or two, perhaps it would inspire me to ride more regularly, and even try training with a bit of a focus.
Good on you, though, anyone who has a crack at a TT. In my limited experience it was a very friendly part of the cycling scene, and newcomers were very welcome. I can't, obviously, speak for every club and event, but I never felt out of place, or anything less than warmly welcomed at the trials I rode.
I simply rode my bike as it was, set up to be a good, comfortable fit for longer road rides, with all the kit I'd normally carry for a ride too. Both bottle cages, a frame-mounted pump, lights (or, at least, brackets for them), a bottle of drink and all the spares and tools I normally carry for any twenty miler. After all, if I get a puncture out near the turn-around point, I've got a five mile walk back to the start, and it's nearer ten to home, and sitting waiting at the side of the road for someone to bring your tools and tubes out to you is going to have to wait until some kind soul finishes the event, or the admin guys can declare the event finished. In much the same way as Some Gump, too, riding the TTs was only ever about testing me, against me (and the clock), with independent time keepers to keep order and prevent me from kidding myself. Sure, nowadays I can go out with a Garmin and ride a local route, even a local club's TT course, and keep a good eye on any improvements I (might) make, but back then I didn't have a GPS and so riding the TT course regularly was a good measure of how fit I was (or wasn't) and if, or by how much I was improving.
I've got a lighter, more 'aero' bike now than I had back then, but I'm slower than I was. Mainly because I don't ride so much in the winter, or in the dark. Back then I rode five winters straight through, rain or shine, dark or light, committed to cycling out of the boredom of living away from home all week. Now I'm back home permanently, there are other things to do, more distractions, more calls on my time in the evenings, so I ride less often, eat more, and I'm older anyway. Maybe I ought to look at entering a local TT or two, perhaps it would inspire me to ride more regularly, and even try training with a bit of a focus.
Good on you, though, anyone who has a crack at a TT. In my limited experience it was a very friendly part of the cycling scene, and newcomers were very welcome. I can't, obviously, speak for every club and event, but I never felt out of place, or anything less than warmly welcomed at the trials I rode.
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