Am I TT ready ???

[Noodley]

Give it a go, nowt wrong with being last.

Very true. My mate came 'last' on the TT last week, but held off everyone on the APR this week

I am fully expecting to be well down the field on my first 10TT.

But I also remember thinking 10 miles was a long way to go on a bike...

 

[nmcgann]

I think that's what appealed so much to me. Audax is/was a distance challenge for me, TT will be a speed/effort challenge.

I found the same - I started out doing Audaxes when the time/distance was my focus, but have pretty much stopped now in favour of TTs and speed

It's very absorbing trying to find new ways of getting more performance out of yourself, I only wish I'd started earlier in life rather than wait until my mid-late 40s

 

[MLC]

Thanks for all the advice but I have one further question

My club holds it TT at 7pm it is a 25 minute ride from my house to the venue and I struggle to get home by 6.45pm. Will I be frowned on if I ask for a late start as a newbie ?

 

[madguern]

I've also been curious about TT's for a while, but don't want to make a berk of myself/come dead last etc at a club.

My compromise was to find out my local clubs' course and have a go on my own on a quiet weekday morning with no one looking.

I recce'd the course in the car & found the start/finish paintmarks on the road then went home and got the bike.

I rode 11 miles to the start line, took a big swig of water, reset the cateye and went for it.

29 mins 42 secs later I finished - almost puking at the finish line !

I rode the 11 miles home (slowly!) elated that I'd broke 30 mins

then....checking the standards on the VTTA site for my age (48), I was brought crashing back down to earth....it appears my time was ok..for a 67 year old!

seriously though, have a go, At least you can say you've got a TT PB time if anyone asks

LR

Hey know that feeling, ran my clubs 10 and 25 miles but each week get a little faster. Went from 67 year old male to 45 male (38 year old male) , if I change sex then spot on for 35 year old time. Given that most of the clubs riders are either up for a laugh or deadly serious may give it a go properly at the next open event. may come last but least I have done it

Cheers


Mad Guern (Rob)

 

[cisamcgu]

In years gone by I did quite a few 10 mile TT's ... I think in all the time I did them I was either last or next to last, but - and here is the bit that kept me going - I tended to get faster each time I did them. A TT is race against the clock, not against others really.

Have a go, pedal like mad and have fun

 

[frank9755]

What did you get?

I got a second hand Cannondale Six13 Slice from eBay.

Would have cost the original owner a lot more than I paid for it!

Weighs almost nothing and was a bit scary to ride to begin with. I took it to a bike shop to have a fitting. They raised the saddle about 3 inches () and brought the bars in a bit. Need to decide if I will debut it on Sunday or if I will wait until I've ridden it a bit first. Might like to try a 10 on it to begin with in case I am in agony after half an hour!

What did you get?

 

[frank9755]

a question for those in the know, on a 10 mile TT, what percentage time difference is made by a TT bike over a standard drop bar bike given the same rider?

I did some searches on this a couple of weeks ago. I can't find the reference I saw then, which did wind tunnel testing to assess the impact of all the various bits of kit. This is what I remember from it (will post link if I re-find it):

Using aerobars has the greatest impact on performance (NB doesn't have to be a TT specific bike, just one with aeros). The impact on 25-mile times was of the order of 1-2 minutes.

The next greatest impact is from... a pointy hat (damn!). Maybe that gets you 20 or 30 seconds on a 25 miler

The other things - disc wheels, skin-suits, etc are giving you just a few more seconds, often for vastly greater financial outlay - and don't make sense for someone of my ability at any rate.

 

[johnnyh]

pair of clip ons it will be if I ever get there then cheap, me...

 

[MLC]

What the f... have I done.

I am booked on my local club's 10 on Wednesday 12th May at 7pm

I do actually feel a bit sick ......

 

[Kablinsky]

Well, I'm convinved. Have just mailed my local club to try and get involved next wednesday evening also. It will also be my first (@ 40 years old)

 

[MLC]

Well, I'm convinved. Have just mailed my local club to try and get involved next wednesday evening also. It will also be my first (@ 40 years old)

Shot in the dark but you are not doing the Southend Wheelers one are you ????

 

[frank9755]

pair of clip ons it will be if I ever get there then cheap, me...

That's sort of where I started.

But then I thought there were a couple of other mods I needed to do to my racing bike to get it right for TT (such as flip the stem, put the road cassette back on - currently has an 11-34 for hilly rides, and take the mudguards off). I actually want those other things for when I am using it normally, and don't want to keep adjusting, so decided I did 'need' another bike

I looked into various options like getting an old frame and buying the bits to build up a TT bike or buying a normal racing bike second hand and converting it - and getting a second hand TT bike seemed the best solution, the least work and probably less expensive than the other two options.

That's how I managed to justify getting another bike!

 

[Will1985]

a question for those in the know, on a 10 mile TT, what percentage time difference is made by a TT bike over a standard drop bar bike given the same rider?

Some direct comparisons from the last month - I've done 25:07 on an out and back single carriageway on a road bike with standard wheels compared to 22:37 with a TT bike with deep section front and disc rear plus aero helmet.

On another (circuit) course I've done 24:35 on the TT bike, and last night did 26:01 on the road bike with the rear wheel at ~40psi because I had a flat just before the start sealed with a bit of Vittoria Pitstop.

On all 4 of those rides my power was between 296 and 304W.

 

[Will1985]

I did some searches on this a couple of weeks ago. I can't find the reference I saw then, which did wind tunnel testing to assess the impact of all the various bits of kit. This is what I remember from it (will post link if I re-find it):

Using aerobars has the greatest impact on performance (NB doesn't have to be a TT specific bike, just one with aeros). The impact on 25-mile times was of the order of 1-2 minutes.

The next greatest impact is from... a pointy hat (damn!). Maybe that gets you 20 or 30 seconds on a 25 miler

The other things - disc wheels, skin-suits, etc are giving you just a few more seconds, often for vastly greater financial outlay - and don't make sense for someone of my ability at any rate.

It was bikeradar last July IIRC. The funny thing is that the best change to save time is actually free - position can have more of an effect than anything else.
The next easiest time saver is tight fitting clothes - doesn't have to be a skinsuit, just not flapping. Changing the tyres to ones with really low rolling resistance (plus latex inner tubes for clinchers) are useful.
After that the cost goes up and up: it's basically tribars-helmet-front wheel*-rear wheel-skinsuit-TT frame.

*Front wheel is more significant as that is the one carving through the air, but in practice it isn't comfortable to ride deep front and shallow back so wheels should be together.

 

[Noodley]

I do actually feel a bit sick ......

You'll feel that during it as well

Good luck.