TTing with a computer can adversely affect performance

Bronzie

Interesting test results here:
http://www.bikeradar.com/road/news/arti ... ance-19628

Although I don't try and ride religously to a set speed or heart rate range, I do like to see if my current speed is up or down on average and I set HR alarms if I'm outside of my target range (especially below target).

Maybe next season I should just ditch the speedo and HRM and see what happens?
What do other "testers" on here use while racing?

schlepcycling

I have a Garmin 305 and I use the virtual partner function and have all my fastest rides stored so I can 'race' against myself on a specific course and try and beat my best time if I do I replace the current fastest ride with the new one an dthen use that as my baseline next time I race that course. Since I've had my 305 (18 months) I've posted PB's at 10, 25 and 50 miles using this 'method'.

singlespeedexplosif

HR and 'feel' only. wouldn't want a computer on my testing bike.

Mog Uk

I use HR, again with alarm zones set.

I'm also partial to a quick glance down to see if I'm under or above my required average speed....

SteveR_100Milers

Only ever use qa speedo when testing, and always set to average speed then I know if I'm going to hit target time or not.

Bronzie

schlepcycling wrote:

Since I've had my 305 (18 months) I've posted PB's at 10, 25 and 50 miles using this 'method'.

That's very interesting - I've just got into using an Edge 705 myself and I think the virtual training partner is one of the best functions on it. But I haven't actually tried TTing with it yet (leaving that until the new year).

Reading the article again (a bit more carefully :oops: ), essentially all it's saying is that you can better judge distance covered when riding blind if you never ride with a computer.............which perhaps should be a bit of a no brainer really.

Presumably if you train AND race with a computer, it's pretty easy to judge how far you've gone just by looking at the computer! So perhaps only an issue if you train with a computer but don't use it when racing.

superlightweight

I never use a computer when TTing as i think it can be very distracting and seriously effect pace judgement. There are too many variables that could affect your speed. For example you could look down at your speedo after 2 mles and be way off your target pace - but this could be due to the wind, or the course profile. In that situation you may push harder to make up you average speed and consequently blow up! I've done 10's and averaged 24mph on the way out and 33+mph on the way back!

I do wear a HR monitor though, but will only check it occasionally to ensure that i haven't gone off too hard (or slacked off too much later on!)

I'd be quite interested to do a TT with power, as that in theory is a better quide if you want to stick to a pre-determined level of effort - it won't be affected so much by external factors.

bahzob

I am a fully signed up power geek, having several powermeters and not feeling any ride is complete until its safely downloaded and converted to TSS points in WKO+ (sad....)

But still I have to admit my best 10 and 25 TTs were both done pretty much ignoring my powermeter. I think there is a fine line to tread between you getting enough info to pace yourself and too much. I'm still learning about where exactly that line sits.

andrewgturnbull

schlepcycling wrote:

I have a Garmin 305 and I use the virtual partner function and have all my fastest rides stored so I can 'race' against myself on a specific course and try and beat my best time if I do I replace the current fastest ride with the new one an dthen use that as my baseline next time I race that course. Since I've had my 305 (18 months) I've posted PB's at 10, 25 and 50 miles using this 'method'.

Hi there.

Oh man, I've had to turn the virtual partner off on my 405. Ever since I got it a couple of months ago I discovered that the only thing more destructively competitive was me, racing me... Every ride or run turned into a search for a new pb.

At this time of year it's maybe best to switch everything off and just get out there!

Cheers, Andy

ps The article above looks like the typical sort of nonsense produced by sports 'scientists' with statistically insignificant studies and more variables than the national lottery...

Alex_Simmons/RST

bahzob wrote:

I am a fully signed up power geek, having several powermeters and not feeling any ride is complete until its safely downloaded and converted to TSS points in WKO+ (sad....)

But still I have to admit my best 10 and 25 TTs were both done pretty much ignoring my powermeter. I think there is a fine line to tread between you getting enough info to pace yourself and too much. I'm still learning about where exactly that line sits.

If I were to give general advice for a power meter user in a TT, it would be the PM is mostly useful for:
- practicing good pacing in training, so that you begin to tune your internal pacer to the relative effort level that's right for climbs, flats and declines (many riders overcook the climbs and don't push hard enough on the other side)
- making sure you don't over cook the first few minutes (better to be slightly under target than over)
- a quick ref to make sure you are not slacking off anywhere

Other than that, pacing by feel during a race is the way to go as sometimes you're on a good day and others not so good and overall power can vary accordingly.

Certainly I have done a lot of work on the analysis of TT pacing with power meter data and I can provide detailed feedback on how well a rider paced (relative to the power they had on the day).

To the extent that I have developed a method to score TT pacing, in terms of a relative index, potential time to be gained through better pacing, expresed in seconds (or minutes and seconds for long events like IM racing) and also in terms of seconds per km.

It also shows where on course the pacing deviates from an optimal one. It's a retrospective analysis tool, so it won't help you on the day but what it is meant to do is provide feedback to identify whether pacing is a "skill" that needs attention as far as an individual rider's TT abilities go.

There are three P's in TTing:
- power to the pedals (improved aerobic fitness)
- piercing the wind (reducing the air, rolling and any other frictional resistance forces acting against you)
- pacing well (using the power you have wisely)

You need all three to be competitive.

schlepcycling

andrewgturnbull wrote:

schlepcycling wrote:

I have a Garmin 305 and I use the virtual partner function and have all my fastest rides stored so I can 'race' against myself on a specific course and try and beat my best time if I do I replace the current fastest ride with the new one an dthen use that as my baseline next time I race that course. Since I've had my 305 (18 months) I've posted PB's at 10, 25 and 50 miles using this 'method'.

Hi there.

Oh man, I've had to turn the virtual partner off on my 405. Ever since I got it a couple of months ago I discovered that the only thing more destructively competitive was me, racing me... Every ride or run turned into a search for a new pb.

At this time of year it's maybe best to switch everything off and just get out there!

I only use the virtual partner when TT'ing not when training.

(edited because the post made no sense)

andrewgturnbull

schlepcycling wrote:

I only use the virtual partner when TT'ing not when training.

I struggled to find which bit you wrote there!

I think I'd be the opposite... I have raced since I bought the 405, but not TT (crit, cx and xc). I only really wore the thing so that I could look at the data afterwards though.

My 10mTT pb this year was ridden in such wet conditions that the computer I was using at the time packed in completely... and I never wear a watch in Triathlons.

I think my take on this is to use all the toys in training to learn more about your body and how it performs - then use that knowledge when it comes to race time - not the toys.

Your mileage may vary!

Cheers, Andy

bahzob

Alex_Simmons/RST wrote:

.....There are three P's in TTing:
- power to the pedals (improved aerobic fitness)
- piercing the wind (reducing the air, rolling and any other frictional resistance forces acting against you)
- pacing well (using the power you have wisely)

You need all three to be competitive.

Take your points and indeed have applied them (and would be interested in hearing more of the TT pacing method tool you have to understand how I managed to knock 25s of my 10TT by breaking what I thought were the pacing rules)

That said however think, at the risk of stretching the formula, there's also a fourth P

- psychology (self belief and will to win)

Depending on type of person too much/wrong info risks interfering with these which I think is the finding from study in OP and why different riders may opt for differing types of feedback.

andrewgturnbull

...and a 5th P if you're a professional rider: 'Preparation'

Mark2Bikes

Riding triathlons (but not draughting - honest) you notice how you compare to other riders around you more than on a plain TT. Often ending up in a sort of group after the first few miles I have noticed how others power past me on the hills and I pull away on the down hills and flats. Maybe they are trying to maintain a set pace or keep to their Avg speed? Yes of course some people go past me and away like I'm standing still, but of those who settle into this game of cat and mouse over the first several miles, on almost every occasion I have pulled away from them over the second half. I put this down to NEVER looking at the speedo even for average speed, just use it to see how far to go and hence when to use up what's left in the tank. I try to keep in my head what someone told me early on - "ride your own race", which I suppose goes for not racing your own speedo either, just 'feel the force'.

Mark2Bikes

Of course I meant drafting not draughting !
:roll: