Training for Time Trials

[RoadRaven]

Pssst... I got an early (REALLY early) birthday pressie from my life partner - he really spoils me

Louis Garneau aero helmet... went for a 34km "test drive" today... sweeeeet...

Can't wait to use it in a TT. It fits tight on my head and has a little ratchet at the back to tighten/loosen it.
We shifted my speedo forward on the aeros so it sits between my wrists and I can glance down without moving my head.
The tail snugs in between my shoulder blades so I can just feel it which will help ensure I keep my head in the right place and don't do the "dipping" thing which negates the use of an aero helmet at all.

Very excited, but my next TT isn't til the 14th...

I did a 10km burst over rolling hills which I did in 24:45mins in January. Today, under similar weather conditions I did it in 23:50mins. Not sure how much was the aero helmet, and how much was the psycholgy of feeling fast in a fast hat, but 55seconds over 10kms is quite a difference

[Starfish]

Not sure how much was the aero helmet, and how much was the psycholgy of feeling fast in a fast hat, but 55seconds over 10kms is quite a difference

whatever works...

[SheFly]

An aero helmet is one of the key pieces of equipment to help make you faster in a TT. I now have all the fancy-schmancy gear, but the helmet and the aero bars are the things I can point to that really made a difference (besides training ).

Nice bday gift for sure, and the LGs are nice - that's what I have too!

SheFly

[RoadRaven]

Thanks for the smiley faces Starfish I hope it works... maybe its just a $300 way of making me think I'm fast as well as psyching out those near me in ability... but I do still really like my fancy new hat!

SheFly, I have read so much about aero helmets, and of course the key thing is holding your head still in the best position for aerodynamics - and it seems so many people move their head about it negates any benefits. I have been working hard on keeping my head still and low into my shoulders whenever I train for, or complete, a time trial, so I hope I can "do the right thing".

My partner and some of his training partners as well as some of the LBS guys reckon a TT suit makes you faster than an aero helmet... I dunno... I think I would feel so uncomfortable in a TT suit I would slow myself down because I wouldn't be focused.

I do wear a pocketless snug jersey, and I don't wear gloves, so hopefully that gives me the second or three a TT suit might afford over 18-20kms...

7 days til I get to test my LG in a club TT... am looking forward to it!

What colour is your LG, She Fly? Mine is the silver one - it matches my TT bike beautifully

[Eden]

My partner and some of his training partners as well as some of the LBS guys reckon a TT suit makes you faster than an aero helmet... I dunno... I think I would feel so uncomfortable in a TT suit I would slow myself down because I wouldn't be focused.

At a bike race everyone is so focused on themselves no one has the time to worry about how everyone else looks in their skin suits (unless you show up in a full body hot pink one ) that said, I think the aero helmet will make a bigger difference than a skin suit...
In a couple weeks I'll finally get to try mine out! Hopefully this year I'll have stronger legs to match too (I have my long awaited Giro - yeah!)

[RoadRaven]

I know that everyone is focused on themselves... but the problem would be I would be so focused on myself that I would worry about distracting others from their focus. I am sooooo considerate!
hahahaha...

So, seriously, what date for your next TT Eden, if its only a few weeks away?

And have you had much of a chance to train on your disc? I have decided I don't like disc wheels... they are heavy if the course has any slight hills (and you know me by now... I am not so fast on hills (still working on it...)

I have still not dropped enough in weight to use my last year's birthday pressie - Grammo Vipers (which have a 90kg weight restriction on them) - deep dish wheels and so sweet to look at. But I use my partners tri-spokes and he uses my front Viper with his Zip on the back... so we are both happy.

Looking forward to hearing about it - don't forget to post a race report please... there aren't many of us here that TT and although I can read TT reports on other boards they are usually by males and their speeds are so far from what I can achieve and the way they report is somehow, intangiably, different to the way our reports are written here...

[Eden]

First race of the year, coming right up on Feb 24th.
It's a shortie - 9 mile (14.5 km) flat TT - so really it might be too short to really see much of a quantitative difference from the helmet... I did do the same course last year (hopefully I have the results somewhere so I can compare this year to last)

I don't really train on the disc - its a tubular, so its a real PITA to change the tires... I'd hate to be training on it and get a flat, so if I train on the TT bike I do it with regular wheels. The disc is a bit heavy, but I think on a flatish course its well worth it. Rolling is OK, but for very hilly I'd leave it off. I use my road bike for hillclimb TT's - its just lighter all around and you don't get going fast enough to take advantage of aerogear anyway on a hillclimb.

I'm going to talk you into a skinsuit someday I don't know how much of a difference it really makes, but d*mn it feels good (fast) to wear one...