12hr TT

Surfr

Just filled in my form to try the WCA 12hr next month.

This could possibly be the most stupid decision I've ever made as I've spent this entire year trying to go faster rather than longer. Most of my training has been 30min - 1 hour intervals, chaingangs, spin classes, 10 or 25 mile TTs, cyclocross races, crits and circuit races. Not much over an hour long! I did a club training weekend back in march with 3 days of around 75 miles avg per day.

I'm also riding the 200Km Dragon Ride this weekend which should at least give me an indication of endurance ability at the momeht, and the boys I'me riding it with will be treating it like a chaingang so I'll get the race pace effort too.

Anyway, hints tips, horror stories etc. Lets hear them please.

I'll be on a racey road bike with clip ons and I might borrow a pointy hat. Currently trying to sweet talk a mate into providing support on the day as there's a few fron the club entering.

P_Tucker

Jesus. Rather you than me.

JamieW

guessing similar to the 12 and 24hrs on the mtb that i do...

1. Eat and drink well - make sure you get on it early and maintain
2. Find your rhythm and stick to it - much too easy to go h*ll for leather in the first 2-3 hrs and burn your legs out and loose a lot of time in the last few hours.
3. Make sure your comfy - favorite bibs and comfy position on the bike. couple of long runs on tt position will help as well.

hope some of these tips help. tends to be more about common sense and just pacing (most in the first couple of hours)

sub55

Surfr wrote:

Just filled in my form to try the WCA 12hr next month.

This could possibly be the most stupid decision I've ever made as I've spent this entire year trying to go faster rather than longer. Most of my training has been 30min - 1 hour intervals, chaingangs, spin classes, 10 or 25 mile TTs, cyclocross races, crits and circuit races. Not much over an hour long! I did a club training weekend back in march with 3 days of around 75 miles avg per day.

I'm also riding the 200Km Dragon Ride this weekend which should at least give me an indication of endurance ability at the momeht, and the boys I'me riding it with will be treating it like a chaingang so I'll get the race pace effort too.

Anyway, hints tips, horror stories etc. Lets hear them please.

I'll be on a racey road bike with clip ons and I might borrow a pointy hat. Currently trying to sweet talk a mate into providing support on the day as there's a few fron the club entering.

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Surfr

sub55 wrote:

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SBezza

If you just intend to complete it, then what you are doing will get you through it. If you really want to do well, as said above get cycling and then cycle some more. For a 12 hour there is nothing better than time in the saddle.

As for the event itself, don't start off too hard, and make sure you have a good supply of all types of food, and drink. Your desire for different foods can be quite strange. Don't stop too long, and keep well hydrated. If you can have a helper it makes a huge difference.

You WILL go through a bad patch, and you will hurt, hot foot, back ache, leg pains etc are all bound to hit you at different stages, this is where having time in the saddle helps.

andy_wrx

Try your equipment beforehand, on extended rides.

You mention maybe borrowing a pointy hat : I wouldn't, cos if it doesn't fit and gives you a headache or something, then you'll find out about it in a 12...

You need to have tried-out your skinsuit/jersey & shorts, your shoes, helmet, etc and be sure that they're comfortable, don't wear anything you've not tried-out before on long & extended rides
- would you borrow a pair of trainers from someone if you were running a marathon ?

Pross

Can't offer any advice but good luck - I've thought about entering that event a few times but fortunately I've always seen sense when I think back to how hard a 100 mile TT was! Ouch

Billy Dunlop

I suggest plenty of Pot Belge

Surfr

Billy Dunlop wrote:

I suggest plenty of Pot Belge

Never heard of that before. On reading up, it sounds like a right good party!

SteppenHerring

I've done one 100, thinking about another in a few weeks. Then I saw the ECCA 12 hour is on in August and it's not too far from my brother's house. I was wondering how stupid I am.

From experienced people: my 100 time suggests I could hit evens for a 12 - is it best to start out at that speed or a bit slower and look to increase?

Sorry for the threadjack.

ex-pat scot

I'd set out steady and maintain it. Don't try and bank time. Don't blast ANY hills, roundabouts or whatever. Concentrate on the rhythm. Expect the last 2 hrs to be hard- you'll be digging deep around the finishing circuit.

If you're expecting evens, then I would be thinking your first few hours should be cruising around 21-22 and to anticipate a gradual fading plus pit stops.

(EDIT) - what's your 100 time? as a guide

Surfr

Don't worry about the threadjack. It's nice to see some more discussion.

I did a 100 miles with my TT setup yesterday and I'm happy enough although I've realised that my club bib shorts become uncomfortable after 5 hours due to a 4 way non-flat seam which meats RIGHT in the perineum. Not a very good design but I'd not noticed it on shorter rides. I'm investigating a pair of Assos bibs for the big day now instead.

I think I'm looking at around 18MPH average for the 12 and I should keep my HR between 140 and 150 BPM from what I can tell. I was certainly comfortable at those figures yesterday.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/93358558

cyco2

My first 12hr I had an early start so it was a bit cold. So I put some plastic down the front of my jersey. Don't leave it there unless very cold day because it does promote sweat. Carry carbo/mars bars because the amount of calories you use is enormous. You must defiantly have support to get drinks. I dehydrated in a very, very big way and couldn't pee easily because it was coming out like jelly. Getting drinks with glucose/salt in them because your appetite suffers. You must have support. I was having to cadge drinks off helpers because I thought I could do it on my own after doing so many audaxes with very little support. But at race speed you use a lot of water.

If you can get a look at the finish course start because you will be tired and need to see how its marked. Even mark it yourself. Sounds daft but I got to the finish circuit faster than the marshals and missed the turn.

Use a heart rate monitor to pace yourself. I think you need to stay in level 2, even on the slopes.

Get support.............very important.

sub55

Taking it easy at the beginning , im not to sure , although you certainly dont want to go out like a man possessed. You need to understand that you will slow over the duration of the event and you do need to bank some time. I suppose it much depends if your looking to survive the event or your there to win it. In my best 12 , i was just 7 mins down on my 100 mile pb at 102 miles.
Im sure a support crew is going to make life alittle easier but its by no means an essential . Never had one in the umpteenth 12`s that i have ridden , infact ridden a 24 h without support. Its all too do with logistics and being organised.

Surfr

Just found this thread while searching and thought I'd update it.

The Welsh 12 hour went fairly well. It was a scorcher of a day (somewhere in the mid to high 20s I think), and this seemed to cause a fair few DNFs. I managed to stay out there until the finishing circuit, whereupon my lovely Fizik Arionne decided it wanted to sever me (possibly retribution for a diet of gels and PSP22 during the day taking their toll). I hopped off the bike a couple of times but managed to get back on and find a marshall to finish at, come the 12 hour mark. I recorded 201 miles with 90 minutes off the bike in total. I probably paced myself too easily at the start. I'd visited a coach friend to get an idea of what HR to keep, and I kept to it for the first few hours but as the weather got warmer It increased.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/96648818

Having done the Welsh 12, I was a little disappointed at my time off the bike. Had I been riding a more comfortable saddle, I knew I was capable of more, so I entered the National 12 hour event which was being held on the Prees Heath based course in Shropshire. It's a good thing I'd decided to pace myself by average speed rather than heart rate as I forgot my HR strap on the day. It might have been a blessing though. Weather was cooler and generally a much better time in the saddle due to the purchase of an Adamo a month before the event (I tested it in the Welsh 100 mile prior to the 12 though). This time I recorded 231 miles. I'd suffered on a certain exposed drag in the middle of the day. It just seemed to sap me of any speed. I'd averaged something like 21MPH for the first 4 hours and was hoping to see 240 total. In the end I only spent 9 minutes off the bike for comfort breaks and refilling my 4 bottles at Prees Heath. I was riding unsupported, so this was essential.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/106602910

I thoroughly enjoyed both events aside from the saddle pain, and this year I'm planning on focussing my season on the Welsh 12 hour event. This time, I'm setting my goals high. I want sub55s club record of 262 miles. I know theres a few other handy club members looking to go back and improve on their distances from last year too so that will help the competition.

If you want to give it a go and were put off by others comments, don't be. It's fantastic fun and a real sense of achievement. I'm pondering an unsupported 24hr this season or next now.

sub55

I thoroughly enjoyed both events aside from the saddle pain, and this year I'm planning on focussing my season on the Welsh 12 hour event. This time, I'm setting my goals high. I want sub55s club record of 262 miles. I know theres a few other handy club members looking to go back and improve on their distances from last year too so that will help the competition.

8)
LOL
Your welcome to it mate, its been hanging around far too long.
That will be a new average speed pb for you by 2.533 mph. Should be a piece of pi$$ the amount of training your putting in. Have you doing the 24 next. Then theres also the Brian chapman memorial.

RoadMeridaBen

Fair play to you for giving it a shot, I've toyed with the idea of doing the 12 hour Im going to try a couple of 100 TT's this year and see how they go before i make a decision :P

Surfr

sub55 wrote:

I thoroughly enjoyed both events aside from the saddle pain, and this year I'm planning on focussing my season on the Welsh 12 hour event. This time, I'm setting my goals high. I want sub55s club record of 262 miles. I know theres a few other handy club members looking to go back and improve on their distances from last year too so that will help the competition.

8)
LOL
Your welcome to it mate, its been hanging around far too long.
That will be a new average speed pb for you by 2.533 mph. Should be a piece of pi$$ the amount of training your putting in. Have you doing the 24 next. Then theres also the Brian chapman memorial.

2.5 is a pretty big ask, I admit. I just hope I've bought some free speed with a TT bike, disc and deep front wheel over the old road+clip-ons of last season. If I can gain 1MPH from that, I can train the rest by September I reckon. In all honesty, I'd be happy to see 250 miles. You've put that record quite high on the shelf and I've only got short arms!