The Time Trial Thread

[okgo]

louiebaby said:

Bit of a thread resurrection, as it's not really the season, but my local club did a their New Year 10 yesterday. It was my first proper time trial, although I did the "little bit short of 10 miles" Sky / Jaguar event last year.

It was touted as a fun event, so I did it in some Chinese eBay cycling gear in the design of Iron Man, but other than that, I took it reasonably seriously. (Some warm up, unshaved legs, had a proper go at it.)

I'm please with my time of 24:54, which put me at 4th overall, however I am more than aware that most people were on their winter bikes. I will be joining the local club and doing some more this year. I liked it.

n+1 - Who makes the biggest half decent TT frames?

Probably most of the main brand will, the planet x one looks alright for the money, bear in mind most people go down a bit on size for a TT bike vs their road bike.

[johno_78]

A thread resurrection as the seasons getting underway. I did my first of the year yesterday (2nd ever) on the same steel framed bike as last time. Managed to go 25s faster for 28.07. Time to do it on my new aero bike and see if i can get into the 25's this year.

[yellowjack]

Just seen this on my Strava feed...

https://www.strava.com/clubs/5712/discussion

...a "Come and Try it" Time Trial held by Cranleigh Cycling Club.

WyndyMilla Strava discussion said:

When: Sunday 24th April – first rider at 8:30am

Where: Course is G10/44, the course is 10 miles on local, quiet roads with marshals.
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/9311490

Head Quarters (HQ): Plaistow Village Hall,
“Winterton Hall”, Loxwood Road, RH14 0PX, Plaistow, West Sussex

Entry Fee: £5 per rider, on the day

To Enter, Please register by 10th April: Send entry Requests to: Kerry Bircher
Email: [e-mail]
Late entries may still be accepted on the day, however preregistration is recommended for any updates in regards to the event, please email Kerry.

Refreshments afterwards back at the hall with a prize giving to follow once last competitors have finished.

It's near Kirdford, SW of Dunsfold, NE of Petworth. Worth a tickle for anyone in that area who's been toying with the idea of entering a Time Trial?

[Dowks]

I did it last year, was a really good event, well organised and good fun

[TSCfree]

Did my first ever TT on the road bike without bars the other day. Not sure why its taken me so long to do one, perhaps it was the thought, but it was enjoyable none the less. I thought I'd blown the start going off like the clappers, legs burning by 5 miles. By luck rather than judgement there was a slight downhill that allowed the legs the tiniest amount of recovery and rolled it home with a backwind. Thoughts, riding on the drops for 10 miles flat out is pretty tiring on the arms, so I'll have to sort the clips ons for the next one. I don't need another bike, I don't need another bike, I don't....

Edited by TSCfree on Thursday 7th July 08:49

[yellowjack]

TSCfree said:

...I don't need another bike, I don't need another bike, I don't....

Will you have another bike then?

[TSCfree]

yellowjack said:

TSCfree said:

...I don't need another bike, I don't need another bike, I don't....

Will you have another bike then?

Stop it you!!
No I can't, it's getting more expensive than keeping cars and bikes....and I've just sold a motorbike and it wasn't getting used....

[Steve vRS]

I'm not as quick as you Simon but on my local club TT, I took almost 1 min off my PB using clip on tri bars.

I also don't need another bike......

Steve

[johnxjsc1985]

Everyone needs another bike. I haven't raced for 10 years now but I still have 5 bikes lying about and I still get tempted to buy another one.

[TSCfree]

Steve vRS said:

I'm not as quick as you Simon but on my local club TT, I took almost 1 min off my PB using clip on tri bars.

I also don't need another bike......

Steve

Yeah I saw that ride Steve. I can't believe they make that much difference. As I'm only slightly shorter than you I think the effect may be reduced

[SoliD]

Been updating the TT thread, but have made some good time gains this season.

Previous PBs last year

10 - 22:19 P881
25 - 58:34 H25/8
50 - 1:59:30 P885/50

2016

10 21:40 P881/R
25 55:08 P885/25
50 1:53:25 P885/50

Big chunk of this down to a new bike and nopinz skinsuit, but also getting myself more aero. Running similar power to last years power bests currently with a good 6-7 weeks of regular events left. Hoping to get to low 21 by the end of the year for a 10 as have made some position tweaks and not ridden a 10 since then.

[944fan]

Quick question about pacing a 40km TT.

I am a triathlete (I know) and next season want to focus on Oly distance. I want to do a standalone 40km TT and also a 10K run soon to set my current level and then work on improving both.

I have mapped out a local 40km course which is a little hilly but has some nice wide straight open bits to get the speed up.

How should I pace this though? Lots on the internet say that this should be max effort around existing FTP, but this is based on the person taking 60 mins to complete. I wont be this fast. I estimate I will come in around 78-80 mins. Do I go hard for the lot? Start at around 95% FTP and then bury myself in the final few KM?

[SoliD]

Any TT should be a build up with a crescendo. I've always been told about the rolling out a carpet where you get faster and faster. Also with a hilly course you should put in more effort (but not so much you'll be burning everything) on the uphills as you're fighting air resistance less at the lower speed, and benefit from the free speed on the downhills to recover, with the flat bits being at your steady sustainable.

Ideally you just need to figure out yourself what can you do for that length of time!

[944fan]

Cool thanks. I think I will do a reccy of the course at relaxed pace on the roadie and then plan an attack. There are two cat5 climbs on the course which for most people aren't a problem but can be a little tough when you weight 111kg :-(

[okgo]

The power difference between 50 mins and 70 isn't going to be huge, so don't overthink it too much. The difference for many between 20 mins and 50 or so is less than 10%.

Anyway, yes, for efforts of around that time, it should feel fairly easy for the first 3rd and then build from there...

[944fan]

Right did my first 40km. This was just me and a 40km route I had mapped out. Firstly the excuses! Was quite a hilly route (263m gain) and at 108Kg I don't do hills. 2nd it was quite windy and it rained. I am a wimp in the corners when it is wet so couldn't carry as much speed on the descents and through the technical bits. This was on a TT bike set up for a just-get-round half ironman with normal helmet, normal clothes, normal wheels, very hairy legs.

Anyway time was 1:18:05 which I was pretty happy with.

More importantly I fking loved it. I used to hate those horrid draggy 1-2% grades plodding up trying to keep in PZ2. But doing this I was powering up them in the big ring at 35 km/h. Might going and try and be sociable and join a club and do some proper events.

So now how I do break the 60 min mark? I want to get as close as I can through fitness before I get deep wheels and all the aero kit etc. Obviously losing weight will make a difference on the climbs and improving my handling skills will give me some benefit in the technical bits but what about training? What is a good session to improve my average speed? Lots of threshold work?

ETA - my NP for the ride was exactly spot on my last FTP test - 247W.

[Benmac]

My first advice would be to book on to a proper event and take a time from that. A proper course will be very different from anything you have mapped out and just ridden yourself. Chances are you'll take a useful chunk off your time and then can work from there.

If you don't want to spend a lot to start with at least get some cheap clip on aero bars as they're worth a very useful amount.

[nammynake]

247W is a decent NP for 1h18m but obviously your power:weight is going to be quite poor at at over 100kg. When you say sub 60 minutes, is that for that specific course or for any 25-mile TT? If you're able to lose some weight (fat) then you should be able to knock a decent chunk off of that time, however if you're just a big fella with not much fat to lose then I'm afraid your weight will always be the limiting factor on hilly courses. Maybe have a bash a plan-flat course just to see how much faster you are, and you'll be able to see where your strengths and weaknesses are.

[yellowjack]

I'm no regular Time Trialist, but from my limited experience (normal road bike, standard lycra, helmet, no clip-on bars, etc) over a few 10km TTs, I can confidently say that just riding it as an organised TT rather than going out on your Jack Jones is worth about 2m 30s off your time. At least that was my experience when I did a few Trials a couple of years ago. One caveat though - I was slow. PB for 10km was a smidgin over 30 minutes, but when I'd ride the same route on my own it was more like 33 minutes (sometimes slower) in similar conditions. There is a psychological edge that knowing you're formally in competition with other riders gives you.

[944fan]

Benmac said:

If you don't want to spend a lot to start with at least get some cheap clip on aero bars as they're worth a very useful amount.

I am already on a TT bike so have aero bars. I am not adverse to spending loads of money on shinny kit :-) I just wanted to get to a certain level before I trim some mins with marginal gains from kit. I did the same with my swimming, refused to learn to tumble turn until I had gone under 6 mins for 400m on my own.

nammynake said:

247W is a decent NP for 1h18m but obviously your power:weight is going to be quite poor at at over 100kg. When you say sub 60 minutes, is that for that specific course or for any 25-mile TT? If you're able to lose some weight (fat) then you should be able to knock a decent chunk off of that time, however if you're just a big fella with not much fat to lose then I'm afraid your weight will always be the limiting factor on hilly courses. Maybe have a bash a plan-flat course just to see how much faster you are, and you'll be able to see where your strengths and weaknesses are.

So yeah I carry a lot of fat at the minute. I have had a caliper assessment done and my body fat is 28%. I have lost 2 stone already but looks like I could comfortable lose another 2-3 without impacting power at all. However at 6'5'' I am never going to be very light.

So the aim is, and it could be a pipe dream but you don't know unless you try, is within a couple of years I would like to qualify for the age group nationals on Olympic distance triathlon. Looking at what I would need to achieve to do that I should be doing a 40km within the tri in about 65-68 minutes so regularly being able to do sub 60 in a standalone TT should mean I can do that comfortably. I need to build big bike performance to make up for being a weaker runner.

I will look for a proper organised 40km TT and a fairly flat one. I am doing a Oly distance tri in mid August which has a fairly flat bike course so that will give me a good indication of my likely performance in a tri. I am a pretty good swimmer so can get a reasonable time in that without killing myself.