Silly Commuters..... Racing

tailwindhome

You see what I did there.

What about a thread to discuss commuters taking part in proper races

Well Wednesday night should see me embark on my first time trial. A 16.75km circuit course organised by Ballymoney CC.

I will just be doing it on my Cannondale R600, with no Aero gear and have no expectations of coming any better than last place. It will be primarily to set a benchmark for next year.

Any tips?

jonginge

Enjoy it! Well, as much as you can. The first few are a learning experience. Pacing is key, it's very easy to set off too fast.

Get a decent warmup in. Make sure you include a burst at approx your racing intensity. This preps the muscles/cv system for the effort to come.

As you're going for an athlete's TT don't worry too much about anyone else with all the gear.

Good luck

asprilla

TailWindHome wrote:

Any tips?

Pain is failure leaving the body.

cjcp

What JG said.

If someone passes you early on, resist the temptation to go into the red and chase. When you reach the half-way mark, bury yourself. :twisted:

Good luck. Let us know how it goes.

bigmat

Here's my latest foray:

http://www.londoncyclesport.com/index.p ... &Itemid=92

Warm up sounds like a good idea, but I'm not a morning person (especially after the week I had last week) so I did my usual trick of arriving at the start gate with 15 seconds to spare - at least the adrenaline was flowing!

rjsterry

Surprise package, eh? Chapeau!

tgotb

MatHammond wrote:

Here's my latest foray:

http://www.londoncyclesport.com/index.p ... &Itemid=92

Me too (though I was a full minute slower than MatHammond, who modestly omits to mention that he made the podium).

Frustratingly, I still haven't managed to beat the PB I set at the first event (and my first ever race) back in June; this is despite riding what I felt was a better race...

Clever Pun

TGOTB wrote:

MatHammond wrote:

Here's my latest foray:

http://www.londoncyclesport.com/index.p ... &Itemid=92

Me too (though I was a full minute slower than MatHammond, who modestly omits to mention that he made the podium).

Frustratingly, I still haven't managed to beat the PB I set at the first event (and my first ever race) back in June; this is despite riding what I felt was a better race...

I meant to ask you actually are you doing the BWC's in October?

andy83

I rode my first time trial last week with no aero stuff or anything and was very pleased with my time. I came somewhere in the middle out of about 15 riders

I did have an advantage though as i have actually rode the course a few times and knew where to put the power and speed in and when not to bury myself.

Hopefully your spoke doesnt snap before the start like mine did

rjsterry

Did you actually do the TT with a busted spoke? Whenever I've snapped a spoke, the wheel has gone way out of true and been almost unrideable, never mind racing.

il_principe

Chapeau Matt!

Is this the route?

bigmat

Il Principe wrote:

Chapeau Matt!

Is this the route?

Slightly different route:

http://www.cyclingtimetrials.co.uk/Link ... d&tabid=36

Start at line on road outside Robin Hood Gate car park, go anti-clockwise up Sawyers Hill and round to the roundabout at the bottom of Dark Hill, then go back the way you came, all the way round to the Robin Hood Gate roundabout, turn right up the hill into the middle and finish line is at the stop sign next to the car park where the road ends for cars. 10.4 miles in total.

Agent57

JonGinge wrote:

Pacing is key, it's very easy to set off too fast.

Yeah, you don't want to "fly and die". That will probably yield a slower overall time than if you started at a more conservative pace and maintained it to the end.

But remember; it's a time trial. If it doesn't hurt and you don't hate it, you're not trying hard enough.

tgotb

Clever Pun wrote:

I meant to ask you actually are you doing the BWC's in October?

B****r! The answer was going to be yes, but just discovered that entries are already closed :-(

cjcp

MatHammond wrote:

Il Principe wrote:

Chapeau Matt!

Is this the route?

Slightly different route:

http://www.cyclingtimetrials.co.uk/Link ... d&tabid=36

Start at line on road outside Robin Hood Gate car park, go anti-clockwise up Sawyers Hill and round to the roundabout at the bottom of Dark Hill, then go back the way you came, all the way round to the Robin Hood Gate roundabout, turn right up the hill into the middle and finish line is at the stop sign next to the car park where the road ends for cars. 10.4 miles in total.

Cracking time, Mat. Not sure about the "surprise package" bit, mind: the writer ought to check out your 3LC time!

lost_in_thought

Chapeau indeed!

Valy

What hat trick? :S

tailwindhome

TailWindHome wrote:

Well Wednesday night should see me embark on my first time trial. A 16.75km circuit course organised by Ballymoney CC.

Nervous doesn't even begin to describe how I'm feeling.

Thanks for the advice guys.

Preparations so far has been limited to not shaving this morning.

cjcp

TailWindHome wrote:

TailWindHome wrote:

Well Wednesday night should see me embark on my first time trial. A 16.75km circuit course organised by Ballymoney CC.

Nervous doesn't even begin to describe how I'm feeling.

Thanks for the advice guys.

Preparations so far has been limited to not shaving this morning.

Good luck!

bigmat

TailWindHome wrote:

TailWindHome wrote:

Well Wednesday night should see me embark on my first time trial. A 16.75km circuit course organised by Ballymoney CC.

Nervous doesn't even begin to describe how I'm feeling.

Thanks for the advice guys.

Preparations so far has been limited to not shaving this morning.

I hope that doesn't include your legs!

tailwindhome

I don't want to talk about it

cjcp

Yes you do.

I was a dribbling mess after my first 10 and had my @rse handed to me on a plate repeatedly. One guy flew by me and he was on the hoods, while I was on tri bars.

So, your turn now.

jonginge

I was also a mess after my first 10. My mate beat me by 2 minutes. That made me train harder. He never beat me again.

Doing TTs is great training for SCR


Go on, go on.

tailwindhome

cjcp wrote:

I was a dribbling mess after my first 10 and had my @rse handed to me on a plate repeatedly. One guy flew by me and he was on the hoods, while I was on tri bars.

JonGinge wrote:

I was also a mess after my first 10. My mate beat me by 2 minutes.

Yeah those are good stories. But let me ask you a question.

Either of you get lost on a 10 mile TT?

Suprisingly it's not quite as stupid as it sounds. Pull up a chair, I'll go back to the beginning.

When I arrived at the circuit I stopped to ask another rider where I could get parked. Turned out that he had just been knocked off his bike by a Smidsy and was waiting (with the moron driver) for the police. After double checking that he was alright I headed round to the car park just as the organisers arrived.

My entry was sorted out and I mentioned the Smidsy incident, obviously full of concern for their clubmate they headed out to assist him and I went for a warm up and to reccy the first couple of miles of the course, a useful exercise as it turned out as it was very up and down. Not your typical dragstrip.

As I arrived back at the start line the organiser gave me a shout that I was next up and had one minute. Just as well it was such a close call, I was starting to think better of the whole venture but this gave me a shot of adrenaline and I threw off the rain jacket and was away.

The first couple of miles were difficult as I never seemed to be able to settle in the right gear and several times found myself shifting between the front rings.

My unscheduled diversion happened at 6.6miles (of 10.5). Long story short, with the Smidsy incident the organisers hadn't put the normal signage, this route is also used for the club races and I mistakenly followed the signs stenciled on the road, took a wrong onto the other circuit.

After a couple of miles I began to think I gone the wrong way as I knew other riders should be coming past me. Then it all started to look a bit familiar and I knew I f*cked up.

A bit of farting about later I got back onto the right circuit and was pootling to the finish when the broomwagon arrived. Apparently everyone else had finished and they were a bit concerned about my absence.

Pity as I was really happy with how I was going, I have no computer on the bike but I reckon I was averaging about 18mph.

I was always going to finish last, that was never an issue but I reckon I would have broken 35 mins, poor by most standards but I would have been happy and I would have had a target for next time. The course is slightly more than the 10 miles, average times were about 4 mins slower than 'normal' 10 mile TT times

The winner BTW was local time trialing legend John Madden in 23-25mins. This guy is in his late 40's and only a couple of weeks ago recorded 20-23 for a 10miler.

Up to my navigational difficulties only 3 riders had come past me (Madden being one of them). While they comfortably rode away from me it wasn't ridculous. Madden however may as well have been on a moped. Awesome stuff.

The same circuit is run in a couple of weeks. I'll be back for another go. Canellara can sleep easy in his bed tonight.


*goes to browse for TT bikes

[/quote]

cjcp

Excellent! You're not the first: there are two large roundabouts on our club's course - you turn back for the finish on the second. I'm sure I've heard of people taking an early turn on the first or taking the wrong "left" and wandering up a lane.

jonginge

Yep, going off course is all part of time-trialling. So, no worries.

In my first club they ran a summer TT league. I'd been pretty even with this guy from another club for the whole series: 15 seconds either way in each round. One time he was my minute man; he went off-course and rejoined just in front of me. A free minute in the league.

I, too, have been off-course. Was in a 25m TT on a course I wasn't familiar with. In the first few miles a car pulled out on me from a side-road and I locked the rear stopping from about 31mph. Wasn't happy and the driver got an earful. I was young and full of righteous rage and on a good time. The turn was on a mahoosive roundabout and I exited one too early. I knew immediately coz the marshal was shouting at me but it took a couple of minutes to get back. All chance of a good time gone I struggled to the finish. On the ride home my rear tub exploded. All in all not a good day.

Agent57

I do all my 10s on a closed 1.5km circuit, so haven't managed to get lost yet.

But I've been lapped by guys 20 years older than me -- and I'm 41!

Valy

JF wrote:

On the ride home my rear tub exploded. All in all not a good day.

LOL!!! Just imagine that bit of your post told in a really pessimistic voice.

cjcp

JonGinge wrote:

I locked the rear stopping from about 31mph. Wasn't happy and the driver got an earful. I was young and full of righteous rage and on a good time. The turn was on a mahoosive roundabout and I exited one too early. I knew immediately coz the marshal was shouting at me but it took a couple of minutes to get back.

jonginge

Yeah, it was something like that. The smoke was coming from the tyre while stopping and out of my ears afterwards

The tub went bang miles from anywhere. I didn't have a spare only foam sealant: not much good for a 6inch rent in the tyre. I walked a lot that day

mrc1

Me and three others are on the cusp of entering one of the more epic races - just waiting for the formalities to go through..... then we begin one hell of a lot of training.