cripes....! ill never get that fast.

[got-to-get-fit]

Just wondered what i can expect from a 10 mile time trial. Im going to do my first ever on Thursday evening and i have been having a look on the website of my cycle group and their times are anywhere between 23 and 35mins.

Do you reckon the 35 mins is fairly typical or fairly fast .....im just a bit nervy that im going to post a 45 or something similar and look like the worlds slowest man.

I know everyone has to start somewhere but i dont want to look like a loooooooooser in front of everyone.

Im 36 pretty fit and ride 24 mile a day.....its hard to time my commute though because of traffic lights / cars / peds etc etc.

i ride a road bike but have no aero bars ....do you think this will make a big difference...not having any, i mean.

 

[got-to-get-fit]

Cheers Rich

I'm hoping not to do too badly but i suppose its the same with everything new ....you can only get better and you have to have a starting point.

Im going to try and time myself on the way home tonight, i might even run a few red lights if traffic is light (not something i would normaly advocate)

Good luck with your'e attempt as well i would say if you can hit 33mins you will do yourself proud

 

[RedBike]

The times seem pretty much typical. i'm sure you'll be fine. It's amazing just how much quicker you can go when you really try.

You certainly don't need areo bars, wheels etc. Although once you start punching in some quick times they will help. (not worth investing in to begin with).

 

[marinyork]

The times seem pretty much typical. i'm sure you'll be fine. It's amazing just how much quicker you can go when you really try.

You certainly don't need areo bars, wheels etc. Although once you start punching in some quick times they will help. (not worth investing in to begin with).

I don't know anything about time trials and would feel like gtgf thinking on paper if I ever did one a true ten miler would be about 45-50 mins for me. However I would say I agree with the above. I once went cycling with a guy who did TTs only a few years before and thought oh my this is going to be interesting on the way back decided to speed up significantly - 16 miler. I went 4-5 mph faster on that road that I'd done sections of many times before than the average speed I was getting at the time. I've been trying to emulate this ever since.

 

[Keith Oates]

gtgf, I also know how you feel about not being 'shown up' on your first ride but for sure you'll be OK and don't forget this is the ride to set your base line for the future!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Dave5N]

I wasn't sure either where times were at now, but flicking through the comic I see Hutchinson is geting easy tens at 18 minutes plus.

He's good though, so don't be dissappointed if you can't beat 19 minutes.

 

[Keith Oates]

Dream on, Dave!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[walker]

as long as your not riding a hybrid or MTB, you should crack 35 minutes easy. Don't repssure yourself and don't lose heart if you get overtaken by someone on a low-pro. do you have rollers or a turbo, or are you riding to the event? try and get in at least 10 miles ride or 15 minutes before you head off as you might find shooting straight out of the box (letting go) and trying hard for 10 miles, you'd be knackered after the first 5.

 

[palinurus]

Eat about three hours before, warm up well and don't worry about it too much. You can get a good position on the drops, aerobars aren't absolutely necessary. Try them if you get into doing regular time trials perhaps.

I did my first one on a flat-barred bike.

 

[domtyler]

I'd be surprised if you didn't beat 35 mins knowing how long you've been cycling. Forget about beating 25 mins, for that you need the dedication and the kit.

If you get overtaken by someone on a full sus, knobbly tyred MTB though you will never live it down!

 

[palinurus]

Beating 25 minutes on a standard road bike is perfectly possible- riders were doing that before tribars were invented. Every now and then someone turns up at the local 10 as a "come and try" and does just that.

I needed tribars to beat it tho'.

 

[walker]

you could ask Gezza for his skinsuit, and untill you meet him you do not know how funny thats gunna look

love ya really big man

 

[briank]

If you're as self-conscious as I was X years ago, you could always find a ten mile out and back route and time yourself before you go for the real thing.
As has been noted, the adrenalin of the first "real" test will make you go a minute or two quicke. But try to pace yourself: don't start too hard.
More important than such tips though is the strong likelihood that the others will be pleased to see you because-
1 we all remember our first time
2 you'll not be seen as a threat: not yet, anyway
3 most clubs are keen to recruit
Paradoxically, the slower you are, the more your attempt - and persisitence - may be respected. That's what I've seen anyway. The pain is the same for all of us, and s/he who endures it without hoping to triunph is an athlete with purer motives than those who go looking for petty victories.
Good luck.

 

[got-to-get-fit]

Briank.....wow thats very zen like, i feel an inner peace now.

I timed myself coming home from work last night - my commute is 11 mile. I did it on my mountain bike with knobbly tyres cos my road bike is in the LBS getting the wheel re-fitted after damaging the rear hub.

I really went for it and was knackered when i got home but i managed a time of 34 mins which i was pretty chuffed with. The run is fairly flat and im ashamed to say i jumped a couple of red lights...not normally my thing but i needed the continuous motion to be able to time myself properly.

If i can hit 34 mins on my old mountain bike over 11 mile i think i might not be two shame faced come thursday night. Oh also i had a crack with the blokey in the LBS today and they did not have any tri - bars to fit my road bike as my bars have a flattened profile design. Does anyone know if you can actualy get tri-bars that fit profiled bars?

 

[Mortiroloboy]

My club Newbury Road Club , has members of all ages and abilities, some able to turn in sub 20's on a slowish course, with others taking 38 minutes to ride the course. My first attempt was a second over half an hour , since then 5 TT's later my PB is 28m 41s, I'm 50 and I don't ride with tri bars or fancy helmets, just down on the drops and go for it.