Time Trialing

york1e

Wanting to do some Time trial this year for a fitness challenge at 59. Is the a category for using a standard road machine with tri attached.

Don't want to spend out on a dedicated bike for 6 to 10 time trials a year, maybe later if I get hooked again. I last rode TT in the mid 1970's

fenix

I'd think the strava would give you a ballpark figure but you would always go faster with a number on your back.
Don't worry about categories - you are racing against yourself - so keep the bike the same and any improvements are down to your performance. (and the weather - searching for the elusive float night)

trivial_poursuivant

You are only really racing yourself so if you do the same TT at a club over the period of a few months, it matter little if you are on a road bike with clip on bars or a S Works Shiv with a custom made skinsuit. It's how much you improve over time.

york1e

I live with 100 yards of a fast 25 mile TT on the A1 bypass.

DeVlaeminck

If you are only racing yourself would it make more sense to time yourself and forget the expense and fixed time of a club or open event? Inevitably while a pb is good you will end up racing the regulars who are around your pace and you'll then start buying equipment to beat them. Modern tech does seem to have made quite a difference - people do 19s for a ten now that aren't exceptionally strong riders - even 15 years ago that wasn't the case.

MiddleRinger

Find a friendly club that runs evening or weekend club time trials. They're a great way into the sport and it doesn't matter if you are a 20 minute or 40 minute rider it's all about racing against yourself and possibly heading to the local pub for some post-race chat and refuelling afterwards. Maybe volunteer to marshal or help out to see what it's like first - the organiser can never have too many volunteers to help these events take place safely.

DeVlaeminck wrote:

Modern tech does seem to have made quite a difference - people do 19s for a ten now that aren't exceptionally strong riders - even 15 years ago that wasn't the case.

Modern tech does make a MASSIVE difference, but I recon anyone who can regularly ride 19-minute 10's is still a strong rider no matter how much of the latest aero goodies they've shelled out for!

rob churchill

MiddleRinger wrote:

Find a friendly club that runs evening or weekend club time trials. They're a great way into the sport and it doesn't matter if you are a 20 minute or 40 minute rider it's all about racing against yourself and possibly heading to the local pub for some post-race chat and refuelling afterwards. Maybe volunteer to marshal or help out to see what it's like first - the organiser can never have too many volunteers to help these events take place safely.

^This, abolutely this. Club '10'. Turn up and pay your four quid on the line. Doesn't matter what kit you're using. But you are guaranteed to go harder than you ever would just timing yourself. A lot of these regular weekday evening club events are listed in the yellow book.

But to answer your original question, I've attended about a dozen Open events a year for the last few years, I've never seen a category for road bikes with clip on aerobars, but I'm sure I've seen categories for road bikes without aerobars - i.e. for road-racing legal kit. Having said that, unless your mindset is that there's no point taking part unless you're contending for a win, what does it matter?

burnthesheep

Or.........do what I did. In the US, I don't have a TT club within 3 hours driving time.

So I researched maps and Strava a lot, rode a few roads, and made my own personal 10 mile TT course segment. I made it public, but this way I know the exact start and end point and Strava does the timing for me.

It's a loop with right hand turns and no interruptions. Given it is a loop, any grade or wind is properly for you AND against you.