Two-Up TT

gattocattivo

I'm doing my first ever 'two-up' time trial in about ten days' time. I've done no specific training for it and probably won't actually ride with my partner until the morning of the race, but we both get very similar times in ten-mile individual time trials so hopefully we should be evenly matched for it.

Does anyone have any tips for this? How long a turn on the front would you normally do before swapping over? And does the lead man drop back on the right (into the traffic) or on the inside? Are you likely to use the same gearing as for an individual time trial, or would you use lower/higher gears?

jibberjim

30-45second turns, pull off into the wind, so direction changes at the turnaround if there is one, or potentially more often if it's a square. And always call someone through when you have stuff left, when they can't come through, just do another 30 seconds and then see if they've recovered again.

Don't be surprised if you're not much faster, you're possibly only looking at a minute faster at most anyway!

Be very careful on hills to stay together.

gattocattivo

cheers jim

celbianchi

Sit on his wheel for 9.9 miles then jump him at the finish, crossing the line arms aloft. Then start the search for a new TTT partner.

More seriously - I did the national TTT on Sunday, was only my second TTT. We were a trio of roadies (I started doing TT's last season to mix the RR season up).
We were doing short turns on the front of around 20 pedal revolutions each. As Jibberjim says, pull off into the wind. Keep as tight together as you can at all times. Communication is key- if one of you is starting to struggle let the other know before it is too late and you blow. if one of you has a rough patch let the other one take slightly longer turns.
Move one gear lighter when you are recovering to help you catch your breath.

I found that the nationals (33 miles) passed in a blur, time seemed to pass much more quickly, though in reality it didn't. More the perception.

gattocattivo

celbianchi wrote:

Sit on his wheel for 9.9 miles then jump him at the finish, crossing the line arms aloft. Then start the search for a new TTT partner.

Will definitely try this. Might also attack hard on every hill, then free wheel down the other side.

Airwave

If there any hills,try to time it so the stronger climber does a turn before you reach it.That way the weaker climber will be recoverd for the hill,rather than blowing.

jibberjim

Airwave wrote:

If there any hills,try to time it so the stronger climber does a turn before you reach it.That way the weaker climber will be recoverd for the hill,rather than blowing.

But if the weaker climber is taking the wind and the hill you'll be going slower overall than if you have the stronger climber still in front, just ensuring they're not going harder than the weaker climber can do on their wheel.

Airwave

jibberjim wrote:

Airwave wrote:

If there any hills,try to time it so the stronger climber does a turn before you reach it.That way the weaker climber will be recoverd for the hill,rather than blowing.

But if the weaker climber is taking the wind and the hill you'll be going slower overall than if you have the stronger climber still in front, just ensuring they're not going harder than the weaker climber can do on their wheel.

I was assuming the stronger climber would pull the weaker one up the hill.

SBezza

Ease up slightly on the hill, you can only go as fast as the slowest rider, drafting effect is not as great when you are going slower.

What you don't want is the stronger rider to ride hardish, only for the weaker rider to go into the red and then spend too long recovering from the effort. Nothing stopping you from changing whilst going up the hill as well.

Whatever you do, do not drop the weaker rider, even if it means backing off slightly keep together.

penugent

I have only done one 2 up 10 and did it with a guy with an individual PB within 10secs of mine. We just let the lead man stay on the front until the pace started to slow by the least fraction and then changed. We took 90-100secs off our PBs and both felt that the tactic worked as we were kept at our max, without going into the red zone.

As others have said, the main thing is to be able to hold a wheel while recovering from your turn at the front.

willbevan

+1 for letting the better climber take a pull before the hill, and also for shouting loudly if your falling off the back.

I have never felt so stupid as when I lost my TT partner up a climb, accelerated down the other side (didn't check behind me as I knew my partner would shout to slow down but I must of missed it), kept pushing the pace down a straight and moved over for my partner to come past. He didn't. Looked back and he was at the other end of the straight about a 1/4 behind me. felt such a p****

We still put in a good time, but should of been better all down to the stratergy that being the better climber I would pull him up the hills, doesn't work if hes tired from a previous pull!

John C.

just done first 2 up 10. With no plan we just went and past the lead rider when he looked to be tiring or the 2nd rider felt he could up the pace. We knocked 100 seconds off my last weekend time on my own.