Training for Time Trials

[Eden]

I always wear a tight-fitting jersey with no pockets, but thats as brave as I'm gonna get - think I'd look too darn scarey in a skin suit...

I soooo wish I had a photo of a woman who races around here.... You wouldn't be afraid to wear a skin suit if this woman were to be showing up at your races cause all eyes are always on her so no one would notice you at all. She wears a flourescent pink full body skin suit. She even wore it on a day it was in the 80's (that's over 26.6 c) for an uphill TT. BTW if it was racing at a higher level she would not be allowed to wear this getup - the rules say your skinsuit can't have full legs, but no one really cares at the 4's level.

Really though don't be afraid of wearing a skin suit. I didn't get one this year because I didn't have one on my clothing order yet and I'd already gotten the total up to over $400... Pretty much no one looks good in them so you wouldn't be alone. My husband's team kit skinsuits (and I think ours too for that matter) since they are black in the shorts area and a light color above make everyone look a little potbellied when the are standing upright no matter how skinny they are, but its not a fashion contest and everyone is more focused on their own race than bothering to look at you (unless you are head to toe in hot pink that is)

[RoadRaven]

Whew! I suppose it is safe to say that if the TT is indoors, all that aero stuff doesn't matter? That I better work on the power? (Yea, I know, clipless!!! But ya know, it's even more fun to go hard in sneakers... I could tape myself in like in Breaking away, maybe?)

I don't know about indoor TTs, never having ridden indoors at all (though the local club and council are making exciting sounds about a velodrome for this region).

I imagine the aerodynamics are important, but in a different way.

Outdoors you have the wind eddying and shifting, the temperature, cars creating drafts and swirls, inconsistency in road surface, gradations...

Indoors the surface, the air resistance, flatness of course are all consistent...

Any experienced indoor racers shed some light on the aero indoor/outdoor question?

Def clip in pedals/shoes/cleats will improve your speed and power output once you have mastered them. No question.

[Eden]

I don't know about indoor TTs, never having ridden indoors at all (though the local club and council are making exciting sounds about a velodrome for this region).

I imagine the aerodynamics are important, but in a different way.

Outdoors you have the wind eddying and shifting, the temperature, cars creating drafts and swirls, inconsistency in road surface, gradations...

Indoors the surface, the air resistance, flatness of course are all consistent...

Any experienced indoor racers shed some light on the aero indoor/outdoor question?

Def clip in pedals/shoes/cleats will improve your speed and power output once you have mastered them. No question.

I think Geonz's indoor tt was on computrainers... (or something similar) since you aren't actually moving forward no amount of aero gear will do much of anything

As far as indoors in a velodrome goes - yes! aero equipment and positioning will help you! If it didn't the pros wouldn't use it. Even without the inconsistancies in airflow outside you still need to overcome air resistance. Because its safer (no side winds) track racers inside can even use two solid disc wheels. The guys going for the hour record even go as far as to go to a velodrome in Mexico City (I think) because it is the highest elevation velodrome and the air is thinner there. Its debatable whether the decreased air resistance is offset or not by the fact that there is also less oxygen at that elevation.

[RoadRaven]

I've ordered my helmet from the team, so aero helmet check

Just purchased a used disc wheel last night (Hed superlight) and got a front wheel from ebay a while ago (Hed Jet 60), both tubulars.

The first TT is at the end of February, its totally flat, and only 8 miles so it should be a real barn burner.

I don't have an aero helmet or wheels

My partner has the helmet, which he shares with my eldest sons - but my head is too small

We also have only one disc and a couple of tri-spokes - again, my partner and sons are the contenders, so they use them.

My partner did order me some bar-end shifters and together with the bull bars we picked up second hand a couple of weeks ago this will make my bike truly TT specific - I will not be able to road race at all with it. It will mean I do not lose time shifting position to change gears (inevitable on two of the TT courses which have hills) - the only time I will need to get out of the aero position will be at the turn around.

Hopefully this will be set up by the 8th of February - the next ITT the club is having.

Looking forward to reading your race report - don't forget to describe how you feel the gear went - the physical difference but also if it made a diffence to the way you prepared and acted mentally.

[RoadRaven]

I soooo wish I had a photo of a woman who races around here.... You wouldn't be afraid to wear a skin suit if this woman were to be showing up at your races cause all eyes are always on her so no one would notice you at all. She wears a flourescent pink full body skin suit....
<<SNIP>>
....above make everyone look a little potbellied when the are standing upright no matter how skinny they are, but its not a fashion contest and everyone is more focused on their own race than bothering to look at you (unless you are head to toe in hot pink that is)

Well - flurescent pink I could cope with, its the pot-bellied thing that bothers me, and the muffin that stretches round my back, and the "wings" near my shoulders... I know people wouldn't be looking at me, but I just wouldn't feel comfortable...

I think Geonz's indoor tt was on computrainers... (or something similar) since you aren't actually moving forward no amount of aero gear will do much of anything

As far as indoors in a velodrome goes - yes! aero equipment and positioning will help you! If it didn't the pros wouldn't use it.

LOL Eden... we're both posting at the same time!!!
Yeah, thats right re Geonz... I think she is referring to a trainer as opposed to a race track - I forgot! And yeah, if you aint going nowhere theres no point to being aero...

And yeah, I was sure aero equipment would help indoors... there are just more variables outside.

[RoadRaven]

Psst... My bar-end shifters just arrived all the way from Blighty today... will be able to use them in next weeks TT and tell you if they made a difference!

I am REALLY hoping so!

Have any of you got bar-end shifters... or made the shift from "normal" shifters to bar-end ones.

Any suggestions?

[Eden]

That was the first thing I changed on the TT bike I bought. For some reason even though it was a dedicated TT bike the person who owned it before me had it set up with brifters on the cowhorns. It made little sense to me to do it that way since in order to shift you had to get out of the aero position. Mine are set up to be indexed for the back and friction for the front. It took a little practice to remember which way to go to shift them, but when it came to the first race I didn't have any goofs. I don't know if it made a difference in my time or not but it was much more comfortable to not have to get out of the drops repeatedly. If you didn't get a pair of aero brake levers to replace the brifters for braking you may want to make those your next purchase. You can get them pretty cheap and they're a lot more hand friendly than mounting brifters out on the bars.

[RoadRaven]

We got hold of some second hand bullhorns, so they have the brakes but of course no drops.

I am looking forward to using the bar-end shifters for exactly that reason of not getting out of the aero position to change gears.

Hopefully the only time I'll have to change position is at the turn around when I use the brakes!

Good to hear you found them so easy to use - spesh in the first race
Thanks Eden

[SheFly]

Like Eden, that was the first change I made to my TT bike, and it made a big difference! Not having to get out of the aero position to shift was a huge help. Before I made this change, I would TRY to ride the entire course (which is rolling) in one gear for as long as possible, just to avoid changing position. Much better now.

As for skin suits - Eden is right on this one - NO ONE looks good in a skin suit . I'm not sure how much time this has actually saved me, but I feel faster And I still think that for me, it likely made a 10 - 15 second difference.

DH just put new aero bars on my TT bike - now it looks like an alien! He also installed a new drive train and changed my wheels, so the bike is approx. 20 lbs. He claims it should be really fast - I told him that the bike may be fast, but it's the engine that matters .

Can't wait to hear about both of your TTs this month! Our series doesn't kick off until April.

SheFly

[RoadRaven]

Well, my partner has fitted bull horns onto my bike, and the bar end shifters are on my aero bars.

I took her for a ride yesterday... what a difference!
And like you say, Eden and Shefly, SO easy to use!

It was awesome - I "test-drove" over the Dartmoor TT course (in my goals) and the mid-section of that has some rolling hills.

I could feel/see that it is going to be (relatively) easy to lift my time over this section because I could never quite get the right gear on "normal" bars/shifters... but not having to shift out of the aero position to get through the valley is so very sweet!

Next step will be some deep dish wheels to make them slightly more aero I think... TT suit is still a little way away!!! Not brave enough for that!

Well, I'll ride some more on my Giant today and tomorrow, rest on Wednesday and the first ITT of the year is Thursday.

[violette]

RoadRaven:

How old are you, what's your maximum heart rate. It all depends on what this is. I'm 38, MHR 180. Would I work at the same rate as you?

[SheFly]

RoadRaven:

How old are you, what's your maximum heart rate. It all depends on what this is. I'm 38, MHR 180. Would I work at the same rate as you?

Not necessarily. I am also 38 (about to be 39), and my max HR is actually higher than yours - around 186. I have a training partner who is the same age as I am, but has a much lower max HR, and we don't work at the same levels of exertion - she is tiny (about 5'5" and 110lbs), and I am not (5'10", 150 lbs). We have different styles as well - I am a sprinter and great at the TT, but she is an awesome climber.

My point is, that age and HR are not the only indicators of your rate of exertion.

SheFly

[RoadRaven]

Hey there Violette

I am 42 in August, resting HR of 39, max HR of 186 (I know I have posted lower when previously asked, but in December and January consistently got my HR up over 182bpm.

However, as Shefly says, age and HR max are not the only parts of the calculation.

I suggest you try and work out what your lactate threshold (LT) is. You can do this in a gym/sports lab.... or you can do it by perceived exertion. You will need a heart rate monitor to recognise you LT.

If you do it by perceived exertion, you must find somewhere you can ride really hard and fast... or find a hill you can monster. Keep pushing yourself and the point at which your legs ache so they dont want to work (but before you get to the point of wanting to throw up) will be your approximate LT. As soon as you crest the hill keep moving your legs round and you will find the discomfort goes away as the lactic acid disperses. (If you get to the point of throwing up you have found your max HR.)

Once you know your lactate threshold, you can take anyone's training plan if it is based on percentages of LT, and adapt it for yourself.

Good luck

(Personally, I can't wait til I can afford the luxury of a power tap, I would much rather use that than a HR monitor...but that's another story!)

[RoadRaven]

TT last Thursday.... lurve my bar end shifters and bull horns... so fantastic!!!



A MUST have for any of you TTers out there that dont have them yet!

[SheFly]

I knew you would love them! And they made quite a difference in your time, too. Now you just need to add a skinsuit .

SheFly