Top Tips for TTing

jgsi

10 top tips for timetrialling anyone?
Last competitive event (10 miler)for me on Sat.... don't normally do TTs but giving it a go . for the hell of it
Doing it on road bike and not going to expense of fitting extras , I'm afraid so what should I be mindful of...?

danowat

Don't go out too hard would be my biggest tip, first 0.5-1mile should feel easy.

Don't draft, don't bother warming up and then standing around for 10mins at the start, don't take a bottle.

PLF and enjoy the pain 8)

Pokerface

Get a good warm up in and try and get to the line still warm.

Don't overdo it at the start or you'll blow at the end.

Keep a good rhythm and cadence throughout.

Breathe!

Stay focussed and pedal through the pain.

PLF for the last mile.

Enjoy it - it's over before you know it.

jgsi

Whats all this pain business, guys?
Now.. should I pedal hi cadence 100 - 120 or so? or dust down that big ring small sprocket combo and drop the cadence?

danowat

JGSI wrote:

Whats all this pain business, guys?
Now.. should I pedal hi cadence 100 - 120 or so? or dust down that big ring small sprocket combo and drop the cadence?

Its a good pain 8)

As for cadence, depends how you like to pedal, I'm a grinder, so I tend to push hard gears, you'll just have to suck it and see.

jgsi

Well I do tend to spin , I might just do the last 1/4 in big gear , might have had enough of that pain and want to get it over with as soon as...
have a plan and ..... all downhill from there

markos1963

Try and ride or drive the course first so you know where to turn and any other potential hazards. I got lost on my first TT as I hadn't looked at the course. I did a very good time for a 14miler, shame the rest of them were riding a 10'

jgsi

Did all right despite it being a tad blowy and undulating course makin difficult to get into a steady rhythm. As I was on road bike,so it helped to ride relaxed in the knowledge that whizzy things would pass me.

danowat

[quote="JGSI"]Did all right despite it being a tad blowy and undulating course makin difficult to get into a steady rhythm. As I was on road bike,so it helped to ride relaxed in the knowledge that whizzy things would pass me.[/quote]

Which was.......

Mark Alexander

JGSI wrote:

Whats all this pain business, guys?
Now.. should I pedal hi cadence 100 - 120 or so? or dust down that big ring small sprocket combo and drop the cadence?

Get to the start 3 min before your start time,
check the starters time against your computer by watching an early rider go off from nearby.
Do not do u-turns by the start/finish.

DO warm up well (for a 10 or 25)
Drink well on yur way to the HQ.

jgsi

danowat wrote:

[quote="JGSI"]Did all right despite it being a tad blowy and undulating course makin difficult to get into a steady rhythm. As I was on road bike,so it helped to ride relaxed in the knowledge that whizzy things would pass me.

Which was.......[/quote]
was.. a 27:55 but remarkably came away with a little memento to remember 2011 season with...only has me waiting impatiently for 2012 road race season! ;-)

danowat

Nice one 8)

Angoose

Nice time mate, i started my TTing experience back in june and set a time of 29:19 and after plenty of worth while pain and windy race days i managed to get my time down to 25:38 so stick at some training for next year.

Agree with the comments above a good warm up makes a huge difference and going out the block like a bat out of hell just helps to stiffen your legs up before the end of the 1st mile. Once i've got up to speed i sit in the big ring small cog set up and just plug away. One thing i've always been told is to concentrate on body postion and keep your body and bike as smooth as possible. Expect to be cursing the pain by the last two miles and if your smiling your not trying hard enough :P

and finally don't if it helps but i always eat two bananas within the hour before the start time. Good luck for next season.

Johnpsanderson

Nice time mate, i started my TTing experience back in june and set a time of 29:19 and after plenty of worth while pain and windy race days i managed to get my time down to 25:38 so stick at some training for next year.

I've made about the same sort of improvement - albeit over longer than 1 year. Training, technique, positioning aside - i think the biggest improvements if you are starting out are in establishing how far you can push yourself.

I'd been shaving a few seconds off my 10 times here and there over several weeks thinking I was at my limit - only to turn up one week to find myself setting off just before a complete novice. I expected to catch him after 3 miles or so - so went off with the same approach as usual. I didn't catch him at 3 miles - so thought i must be riding slower than usual - upped the pace - finally caught him after 9 miles - and got the finish to discover i'd lopped nearly 1 min off my time. I simply hadn't realised i could push myself that far and maintain it...