Time trial Virgin!

[Justinslow]

Forgot to say, actually caught and passed no. 16, my pleasure evaporating quickly when I realised he was probably 20+ years my senior and riding a very retro racer, and then in turn I was very quickly passed myself by no.20 (the eventual quickest guy) who just cleared off.
My point is I realise the placings don't matter, it's all about improving your own times at my level, but it's nice to know I'm not completely embarrassing myself with pitifully slow times.

Edit, and everybody really friendly and approachable, I had a good chat with the quickest guy, who was telling me it's taken 5 years to get to his level and get the kit that he's got, and that he was slower than me when he started! He was also telling me about interval training, which I need to look into as I know nothing about it.

 

[Cuchilo]

Interval training is when you drink beer and watch tv . Maybe look online for tips on how to be fast . I'm getting quite good at it
Seriously though . There seems to be a few training methods that involve a world of pain I think the sufferfest downloads give a pretty good interval work out on the turbo trainer but you can get free ones on you tube . Or just go out and ride like you stole it for 2 mins and then get your breath back and do it again .

 

[Justinslow]

At the risk of this thread getting a bit boring.
Third time trial tonight, 8.1 miles 22.28, (quickest time 19.59) 9th out of 18 (21 starters 3 DNF's) #crackedthetop10!
Ok dwindling field and sketchy conditions, roads wet and dry. With my crappy treaded road tyres on though I felt ok.
Still using the R501 wheelset as I wanted to get a base time on all four courses before I switch to my new Superstar wheels and racier tyres.
Next week is a hilly 13 mile route so will switch wheels after that.

https://www.strava.com/activities/295515905

 

[Benbeckid]

Just keep chipping away at it. Work on your fitness first before you buy the gear. Start some spinning classes which will help. Then invest in clip on tri bars, aero lid and maybe a set of 50mm wheels if affordable (try45s from quest which will be much cheaper) other than that good luck but enjoy it

 

[Justinslow]

Second attempt tonight on one of the 8 mile courses, managed to beat my time by 1.09, so pretty pleased with that. Still only finished 16th out of 26, but was talking to a guy on a lovely s works which would have cost over £6000 including the wheels when new (he got it secondhand), I may be slightly out of my depth here on the Ventura!
https://www.strava.com/activities/308986620
My time was 21.03 and the quickest was 18.27 on pukka kit (and a good rider)

 

[Justinslow]

Second TT on the local club 10 course tonight, was a little breezy and didn't feel great, still recovering from a "dad's football match" last Friday whereby I was stiff as a board and hurt my ribs. Anyway, turned up with no prep, just being doing some stretches over the past few days, hadn't even touched my bike since last Thursday.
Only managed to PB the course and beat my first official TT time by 2.09 with a 26.33 (although I had managed a 27.03 in a practice run a few weeks ago) quickest time was 22.51, and I finished 15th out of 28. Just goes to show sometimes even when you feel a bit rubbish you can still do it!
Must be my new wheels

 

[e-rider]

if you train more you will go faster, if you buy all the expensive kit you will go faster; at some point you will stop getting faster, and you will never be as fast as Wiggins - that is basically the road you are on!

 

[Justinslow]

if you train more you will go faster, if you buy all the expensive kit you will go faster; at some point you will stop getting faster, and you will never be as fast as Wiggins - that is basically the road you are on!

Early stages for me, so still taking big chunks off my times, but yes you're right, will soon be reaching a plateau I'm sure.
Was talking to a guy last night with a skin suit, he reckoned that was saving 20 seconds on the 10. So I guess if you want to go really fast you need to spend the money.

 

[Justinslow]

An extract from our local club monthly newsletter (including typos)

Ashton Dyson and Dave Crisp are also in the same ball (cycle?) park, so it’s certainly going to get interesting later on especially with in some great improvements by Trevor Pillet, Dan Upton and newcomer Justin Bellwood snapping at their heels.

Made the press - I'm famous!

 

[Justinslow]

So my clubs TT season is at an end. I completed every week bar one which was cancelled due to adverse weather (heavy rain) and one where I marshalled (which every rider did through the season).
The points are worked out on this basis -

So the championship is not necessarily the fastest rider that wins but the one that improves the most through the season.
I started off as hard as I could and improved every week on each of the four courses as I got fitter and better at TT ing, and making small improvements to my bike and kit.
The up shot of all this is I managed to take the lead in the championship with one round remaining and hold to it to the end even though in the last round I got a puncture and DNF'd as my closest rivals did not score many points either.
So my first TT season had a happy ending! I've enjoyed it immensely and there's been a great feel to Thursday nights with a good bunch of people and great craic. I've improved my riding and had a "third" place on the night together with several "fifths" all on a rather un fancied "Argos Ventura CP50" (with a few mods) proving you don't need to spend "squillions" to go racing (at a club level).

 

[HLaB]

Its probably similar at other clubs but mine operate a scratch and a handicap race based on your 8 best rides; I was 7th in the Scratch and 3rd in the handicap. Three were cancelled due to roadworks (I did another club's tt two of the times ) and I was stuck in the office once. We only have one marshal though and the other club has none (it could do with at least four ). Our club tt's are finished but that other club has one more and I've entered an open next Saturday. Took over a minute and a half off my opening tt and 61s off my pb by adding a forward seatpost and adding tt bars with bar end shifters and going back to 53/39 from a compact (last years pb was set with a 52/38 but it was changed for a 50/34 for Liege-Bastogne-Liege). Went for a bike fit, I think its faster but I've not had ideal conditions to find out. Although I've been happy with this year, next year I think I'm going further down that slippery slope and ordering a TT frame and try to knock a few more secs off; I may also do more marshalled and faster open courses.

 

[Justinslow]

A couple of shots from the penultimate round.

And this one which I'm afraid is not so sharp.