Time Trial

[SheFly]

...time trialing is addictive!

Three years ago, I talked DH into doing a time trial that was being hosted in Maine (we were on vacation, and have a house there). It was a 13 mile out and back. We both showed up with our regular road bike, which, at that time, still had MTB pedals on them. I was VERY intimidated - other racers had skin suits, full TT setups, etc.

It was a relatively "flat" course (a few rollers for good measure), and I ended up having the fastest "First Timer" ride, and the second fastest ride in my age category (36:18/21.1 mph)! That was it - I was hooked.

We came back home, and found a weekly TT put on by a local bike club. I have now been doing this TT for three seasons, on a fiarly regular/weekly basis. Last year, I upgraded to a dedicated TT bike, and this year added aero helmet and a skinsuit (now I am one of those dorky looking people ).

Our local course is a 9.75 mile loop (all right hand turns), and includes one significant (?) hill (it's a big ring climber). The first time I did this course, I finished in 27:18 (21 mph). By the end of the season, I had reduced that to 25:45 (22.71 mph). I set a PR this season, hitting 24:32 (23.72 mph). I am hoping to best that in the next few weeks, before this season is done.

DH and I also started doing this race on our tandem in the first season. In our first attempt, we finished in 23:07 (25.32 mph). This year, we added a TT-specific tandem - full aero bars, disk rear wheel, etc. Just this week, we hit a PR of 21:08:01! This is within 9 seconds of the course record for tandems (which we are hoping to break!).

As I said, this gets addictive! I have learned that the TT is my specialty, but this experience has also launched my road racing for the season, and in my first year (this season), I competed in and finished 12 races! The TT skills come in handy as a great base.

Have a great time! I love competing against myself....

SheFly

[SadieKate]

How did I miss this? Was there something going on that distracted me? Of course, I want to chip in!

I know this thread is long, but over on www.bikejournal.com we've got a pretty detailed thread going. Rather than try to summarize it all, go read it. Good tips on both racing and training. Of course, my schizophrenic approach this year with trying to ride double metrics and mtbike vacations (plus bad weather and flat kharma) has not helped my results but I suspect that things will get better. The Grand Pois did really well in his first flat-free TT.

http://www.bikejournal.com/thread.asp?ThreadID={A19C3EF0-D3B9-44CB-A65B-2A26D52A3FDE}

[Eden]

I did my first road races before I did a TT. The first one that I did was part of a stage race. It was more of a prologue, being short only about 5.5 miles.

The first plain TT that I did was a 12 mile and I finished in 31.45. The course is pretty flat, steady wind tail on the way out, head on the way back.

A few weekends ago I did a 40K TT which I finished in 71.06 on a rolling course with one very short steeper hill.

Sunday is the state Team Time Trial - wish me luck!

Up to this point I've been using my road bike with clip on aerobars, but I found a killer deal on Craig's list and I'm picking up my used Quintana Roo tonight. I'm hoping that this will make a difference to me, though I don't have any of the other specialized TT equipment yet. In any case it will make stage races easier, as I won't have to change around my road setup to do the time trial stage - plus I can't put aerobars on my new road bike. From what I understand, after aerobars, a TT helmet is the next best piece of equipment to own. I might order a skin suit on next year's team clothing order.

[SadieKate]

I forgot to mention that the latest issue of Bicycling Magazine has a great article with the MIT Cycling Team. They talk about aerodynamics. Who know that gloves had such huge drag.

Of course, psychologically I feel naked without gloves. Haven't crashed in years but leaving off my gloves might jinx the kharma.

[kelownagirl]

This is an interesting thread. I haven't been riding long enough to do TT's but it's definitely a goal of mine eventually. I think I do pretty well on the flat courses and have pretty good endurance so maybe someday I'll be able to try one. So my question is - how do you know when you're ready? Is it realistic to go out and do the TT route on my own and see how fast I can go over a 10km ride or are the conditions/ situation just too different from the actual even to be able to compare? There are not many women my age who race around here so I can't even compare myself with others my age.

My fastest average speed on the flats so far was a 25km ride, averaging 29 km/h (about 18 mph?). (Would have been faster if we hadn't had to slow down on a hwy offramp/overpass ) Downside, I was drafting part of the way - upside, I was on my mountain bike. I have nothing more accurate to use as a comparison...

Anyway, thanks for posting the stats etc!

[SadieKate]

I don't have the magazine in front of me to know if this is the entire article from Bicycling Mag:

http://www.bicycling.com/article/0,6..._-Get%20Faster

[SadieKate]

Kelowna, race adrenaline always drives you faster. Our local TT is very informal in that no stats are kept regarding age or gender. There might be a comment about something extraordinary like last week's 8 yr old rider or someone using a racing trike. Name and and time are the only items recorded. I use it as a personal goal and a benchmark for myself and myself alone. I don't have the genetic make-up for superb timetrialing. I really don't care (well, not that much ). I use it as a personal goal and a benchmark for myself and myself alone.

I need to go look up that 8 yr old. Apparently, he rode with Lance in Indiana and the newpaper article quoted Lance's comments about him. He averaged 17.48 mph for 10 miles.

[Eden]

I need to go look up that 8 yr old. Apparently, he rode with Lance in Indiana and the newpaper article quoted Lance's comments about him. He averaged 17.48 mph for 10 miles.

Don't those little kids just amaze you sometimes. There's a little one on the race circuit around here, I'm not sure of his age, but he's looks to be maybe 10 or 12, who rides crit's with the cat 5 men and keeps up just fine. There's a lot of grown men who can't do that, much less with the handicap of being about 80 lbs and having to use junior gearing.

[Hammer]

Hey, fun discussion! I live in Southeast South Dakota, there doesn't seem to be much for racing around here. Our club just sets up different rides with different goals in mind. Tonight they're going to go and do hill repeats. It'd actually be a good night to do them, but it's my turn to go and visit the boyfriend.

I haven't done the time trial since the first attempt two weeks ago. I want to get out there and keep at it, but I've succombed to using humidity as an excuse not to exert myself quite THAT much. oops, I'm a pansy... but like 60+ percent humidity... blah, I'd rather not. AND it's HOT!

Still, if there isn't a race circuit around here, I may as well try to beat myself. I find myself comparing my times to the other gals and guys a bit too.

[SheFly]

I'm picking up my used Quintana Roo tonight.

This will DEFINITELY make a difference! Nice ride, too.

From what I understand, after aerobars, a TT helmet is the next best piece of equipment to own. I might order a skin suit on next year's team clothing order.

This is also true. The aero helmet will definitely shave time off. After aero bars, they claim that this is the next best piece of equipment.

The skinsuit, in my first wearing, actually shaved time as well. Although, I'm unclear whether this was a HUGE factor, or whether it was just a marked improvement given my training and base...

Many of us in our club have been laughing about "buying time" off of our records. I forgot to mention that DH also ordered us "booties". Not sure how much of a difference those actually make...

I don't normally ride with gloves, but did see the MIT research that said you are better off without.

SheFly