Improving my TT'ing

rozzer32

So I want to improve my TT'ing this year. Had a couple of goes last year and think I did a mid 26 ten. I'm probably going to get a set of clip ons for my road bike and then maybe get a TT bike at the end of the year depending how I get on.

I know there are a few experienced TT'ers on here so if you could share any training sessions to help improve my TT then I would be grateful. Obviously I know I could spend £££££ on wheels, bike, clothing etc but just don't have the money at the moment and there isn't really the need as I'm still relatively new to TT.

Thanks.

danowat

One of the biggest ways to improve is to do lots of TT's, as you can "learn" a lot of speed with pacing and experiance.

Otherwise, I personally do a lot of 2hr high tempo rides (this is the bulk of my training) with some interval sessions, 1 or 2 a week, depending on race load, however, in the summer months I use the mid-week club 10 as an interval session.

There are probably more experianced testers than me though that could give you better pointers, this is only my 2nd session, and I am not overly quick (22mins-10mile, 58mins-25mile, 2:03-50mile, 4:15-100mile)

Matt the Tester

stop been modest dano! 22's are QUICK!

anyway. once TT season starts i would try and ride Two TT's a week. if that's possible. you benefit alot more!

hard to say what else. danowat has hit the nail on the head. high threshold training is what you need, just try and get as many races under your belt as possible. you will be learning for quite some time

sub55

Coming into the season now , should have put your mind to 5 months ago.
Anyway, my training was always based around what we used to call upper level 2 , or 100 mile tt pace.
So your giving it some, but do-able just and i was putting in 3 hours a day every day.
Basically, if you do the work , you`ll get quicker. Theres no great secret held by the elite few , just hard work.

RoadMeridaBen

Last season was my first and I went into it with no structured training before hand, like Dano did some decent times.
21 minute 10, 53 minute 25. But I started training properly last November using the Black Book most rides at level 2 and it seems to have made a hell of a difference.

Knocked 40 seconds odd off my club pb 10 on a very windy day, came 5th in the R25/7 on sunday with a 54:25 beating riders that would have put minutes into me last year. But it has taken a solid winter of training and I fear you may have missed the boat.

I havent done any intervals yet as im trying to race myself into some form, maybe do some mid week club 10's as intervals as Dano said. The best thing I think you can do is get some hours in on the bike over the next few months and hope to build up some fitness for later in the season.

rozzer32

Oh I know I have kind of missed the boat as the season has started. But I've had my dissertation to do at Uni which kind of took over my life so cycling had to be put on the back seat. But that has been handed in now so can get out on my bike again

To be honest I was looking at getting a lowish 25 10 or maybe sneak under the 25 by the end of the year. A lot of my rides at the minute are about 2 hours long so think I will up the tempo on them a bit. Also going to start doing intervals, anyone got any good interval recommendations? I have read that 2x20 min efforts are good to simulate TT's.

Surfr

Just race yourself fit this season. It quickly brings you gains. Then try the longer drawn out stuff over winter

Tom Dean

danowat wrote:

in the summer months I use the mid-week club 10 as an interval session.

Do you get an early number and ride twice?

brettjmcc

danowat wrote:

There are probably more experianced testers than me though that could give you better pointers, this is only my 2nd session, and I am not overly quick (22mins-10mile, 58mins-25mile, 2:03-50mile, 4:15-100mile)

You are doing a sub hour 25 and think you are not that quick? Come and be part of my club and you can be the champion with times like that....

andyrr

Pacing and experience count for a lot, that and concentration/focus, something I know that for quite a while I was lacking as I'd realise during some sections of a TT that I had not been riding right at my 'threshold' as it is too easy to just ride 'hard' and not push that little bit more.
If you have a club evening race available then try to ride that and gain practice at these skills plus it is easier to ride hard when there is some competition as opposed to just riding against yourself and no-one will ever know how hard you rode the training ride.
Minor races such as these also allow you to get a feel for things like hydration, nutrition, warm-up etc.
TT bars will also help - something like a minute for a '10' as will a skinsuit but the bars/bike need to fit you so that when stretched out you are not then overstretching.

danowat

Tom Dean wrote:

danowat wrote:

in the summer months I use the mid-week club 10 as an interval session.

Do you get an early number and ride twice?

No, I rideout, race and ride back, its a pretty decent 1.5-2hr session

Tom Dean wrote:

You are doing a sub hour 25 and think you are not that quick? Come and be part of my club and you can be the champion with times like that....

Not really, no, I am firmly a mid-pack rider, flirted with top tens in some races, depending on the competition, I am no athelete though , I am just half decent at turning pedals.

Tom Dean

danowat wrote:

Tom Dean wrote:

danowat wrote:

in the summer months I use the mid-week club 10 as an interval session.

Do you get an early number and ride twice?

No, I rideout, race and ride back, its a pretty decent 1.5-2hr session

Not really intervals is it? But good training. Sorry to be pedantic

danowat

Depends how you ride each leg

markos1963

I'd listen to what Dano has to say. Two seasons ago I reckon I was quicker than him over a 10TT, now I'd need to start at least three places ahead just to save the embarresment of him cruising past me! I have been doing some similar training ie going out and doing 1-2hrs tempo. Hopefully this season i'll start to see some improvements.

a_n_t

To go fast, you have to train fast.

SBezza

a_n_t wrote:

To go fast, you have to train fast.

To go fast you need to train hard and smart train in the position you will be racing in, especially when doing intervals.

There is no easy way to get fast, for 10's though you could do the shorter intervals at higher than 10 race pace/effort. These should be built on a good foundation however, as Danowat says 1-2 hour tempo rides are a good way to build up and then do harder intervals. If you try doing hard intervals with little training, 1: you may find them impossible to do at the right effort 2: you may just do them suboptimal 3: you might find week on week performance all over the place.

Another thing to do is to train regularly, no point training for a couple of days in a row then having to have a week off training because you are tired, or want to rest for a race, alot of the time you will be racing and training tired. You need rest but at the right times

Also accept that it may take a few years of hard training to ultimately go really fast, there is no shortcuts unfortunately, well legal ones anyhow.

sagalout

SBezza wrote:

a_n_t wrote:

To go fast, you have to train fast.

To go fast you need to train hard and smart train in the position you will be racing in, especially when doing intervals.

There is no easy way to get fast, for 10's though you could do the shorter intervals at higher than 10 race pace/effort. These should be built on a good foundation however, as Danowat says 1-2 hour tempo rides are a good way to build up and then do harder intervals. If you try doing hard intervals with little training, 1: you may find them impossible to do at the right effort 2: you may just do them suboptimal 3: you might find week on week performance all over the place.

Another thing to do is to train regularly, no point training for a couple of days in a row then having to have a week off training because you are tired, or want to rest for a race, alot of the time you will be racing and training tired. You need rest but at the right times

Also accept that it may take a few years of hard training to ultimately go really fast, there is no shortcuts unfortunately, well legal ones anyhow.

Listen to this man ^^

After seeing first hand how fast Steve is (on the Nova Open 24 last week) I'd go with whatever he says as it clearly works!

danowat

+1, Steve is fast, proper fast 8)

SBezza

I have a great coach to plan my training, but it does take hard work, and targetted training to get to your best. That might not be as fast as the really fast guys, but it will help get you as fast as your personally can go.

I have got faster each year for the last 3-4 years, it is this timeline you need to be looking at ulimately.

sagalout were you racing at the Harrogate 24, or marshalling. Cracking course that was, surprised how fast it is (or was on that day).

sagalout

SBezza wrote:

sagalout were you racing at the Harrogate 24, or marshalling. Cracking course that was, surprised how fast it is (or was on that day).

I was riding for Harrogate Nova. Completely agree about coaching - I've got Jon from Trainsharp sorting my training this year and its come on loads in just 3 months. I've never actually trained for Time Trialling before and have seen my times ebb and flow around the lower end of the timesheets depending on how much general riding I've been doing, but since working with Jon I seem to be getting PB's every time I ride

rozzer32

Thanks for all your replies chaps.

After a long think I have decided the money I was going to spend on deep section wheels I will spend on coach. And seeing as I get discount on coaching through my new club it made sense.

And I'm sure I'll see bigger improvements from using a coach then I would have seen just training from my own thoughts.