TT riding - Should I persevere?

[lejogger]

Hello all.
Despite being a club rider for 10 months now, I haven't yet entered a race of any sort. Last night I took myself down to the local 5 mile course and had a spin to gauge a rough time on my Boardman team carbon road bike which is all standard factory kit (i.e. original ritchey wheels etc) but I did use some old profile clip on aero bars.
I didn't pace myself very well as I got a stitch at one point! However I kept going and came in with 12:17 which was an average speed of about 23-24mph.

I was pretty pleased but I definitely felt like I left a bit of time out there... Under 12 is definitely achievable without too much work but my question is whether I'm going to be competitive with those sort of times especially over a longer course like a 10 or 25. We have quite a few club riders who are getting times in the low 50s for 25s so I'm obviously nowhere near them despite their fancy kit and wheels. Surely the bike can only do so much and it's the legs that are the most important part? Is it worth the effort to end up being nowhere near these guys without spending every night training and spending £000s on kit?

 

[raindog]

You should be getting pleasure out of it. If you are, carry on - if you're not, pack it up.

 

[lejogger]

You should be getting pleasure out of it. If you are, carry on - if you're not, pack it up.

well that's the thing I guess. I'm a very competitive person. I'll get pleasure out of it if I'm competitive. I won't if I'm not.
I mean don't get me wrong, I do enjoy the purity of the TT, it's just you v the course and I'll always be competing against myself, but I don't want to be embarrassing myself in events. Maybe I should just be asking if those sort of times would put me in the mix or whether there's a lot of work to be done

 

[BSRU]

I have always thought of a time trial was a race against yourself, as well as a race against other riders.
With correct preparation and adrenalin you will go faster in a real race situation.

 

[VamP]

Hello all.
Despite being a club rider for 10 months now, I haven't yet entered a race of any sort. Last night I took myself down to the local 5 mile course and had a spin to gauge a rough time on my Boardman team carbon road bike which is all standard factory kit (i.e. original ritchey wheels etc) but I did use some old profile clip on aero bars.
I didn't pace myself very well as I got a stitch at one point! However I kept going and came in with 12:17 which was an average speed of about 23-24mph.

I was pretty pleased but I definitely felt like I left a bit of time out there... Under 12 is definitely achievable without too much work but my question is whether I'm going to be competitive with those sort of times especially over a longer course like a 10 or 25. We have quite a few club riders who are getting times in the low 50s for 25s so I'm obviously nowhere near them despite their fancy kit and wheels. Surely the bike can only do so much and it's the legs that are the most important part? Is it worth the effort to end up being nowhere near these guys without spending every night training and spending £000s on kit?

NAh, give it up mate yer rubbish....

































That's a good time for a first time. Go again. I reckon you need to try at least three before you decide to give it up.

 

[Arsen Gere]

You need to do at least one TT, club event or otherwise and get a baseline. Then if you want to improve keep going. The blokes knocking out 50's did not turn up one day and hammer out a sub hour 25. They all started somewhere, just like you. With doubts, nerves and reservations. JFDI.

 

[totallyfixed]

Forgive me for stating the obvious but a 5 isn't a 10 and a 10 isn't a 25, after saying that you obviously have good basic speed. Don't worry about having expensive wheels or a TT bike, nor about comparing yourself to club mates who will have been doing this longer than you and with that comes experience on pacing which you don't really need over 5 miles. While I agree it is a race against yourself, as you get better you tend to look at your peers and start comparing yourself against them, but not now, a bit early yet. If you enter an open TT it's a bit different and you have a bit more pressure in wanting to go well against the others. Right now we are preparing for the National 100 mile TT on Sunday and that is a whole different ball game, as much mental as anything, and that's the thing about TT'ing, you have to be mentally tough to do a good ride, oh and PLF . Good luck.

 

[lejogger]

Thanks guys. A lot of really good advice here. I think the main point is not to get carried away thinking that new wheels or a Tt bike will make massive differences. I should be able to post good times on what I've got if my legs are strong enough.
There are a few 5s and 10s coming up so I'll jump in and see how I fare under race conditions and with some proper preparation.
Thanks for taking the time to reply.

 

[palinurus]

Surely the bike can only do so much and it's the legs that are the most important part? Is it worth the effort to end up being nowhere near these guys without spending every night training and spending £000s on kit?

The bike can make quite a bit difference (for a given rider), but it needn't cost an enormous amount. For the bike having tribars and a reasonable position when riding on them counts for quite a lot and is relatively cheap (I picked up a S/H TT bike for £500, before that I used a road bike with clip-on bars that cost £35- the clip on bars did anyway, I already had the bike).

But yes, legs are the most important bit. One guy in our club would beat my times- which weren't completely shoot- by two minutes, and he rode with mudguards.

You don't need to spend every night training, one TT and a session of intervals each week should be enough to start making a difference.

 

[festival]

Channel your competitiveness into going faster against the clock regardless of where you finish. If you do a few events you will see improvements and you will have a steep learning curve, ensure the basics are right (you and the bike) before shelling out on equipment.
In time your performance will plateau and then you can re think training, kit etc. Enjoy the challenge and see how far it takes you, nobody will embarrass you.

 

[Boris Bajic]

Keep going.

I once read a book by an American gentleman who claimed it was not about the bike. Don't worry about upgrades, just do a TT, look at your performance and work out where you need to do some work. Then do that work.

My teenage middle child has just started TT-ing as a way of staying fit. His times are not spectacular, but he is interested in improvement rather than anything else.

No-one remarks on the ancient kit he rides (an old bike of mine) nor the fact that he lacks TT bars and does it is SPD shoes. The club members are friendly, helpful and supportive.

He's given himself a year to see how far he improves and whether he wants to keep going. My advice:

1. Start racing and keep it up at least until the end of the season before deciding whether to sack it.
2. Spend nothing on fancy gear until you're happy with the engine.
3. Accept that even a 10-mile TT is a learned skill and that it might take several months before you nail one in a way that represents your real ability.

Have fun, enjoy it and keep going.

Those folk on disc-wheeled carbon rockets with teardrop helmets and aero seatposts all started on steel 10-speed Raleighs.

 

[HLaB]

I've only done a 5mile TT, a flatter 10 and a hilly 10 and a couple of hill climbs last year all but one of them I've done on a regular road bike; my summer bike has aero profile (wingshape) bars so the one I did with tri bars I did on the winter bike; I also did the hilly one on the winter bike (it was crap weather ). IIRC I was 26:15 for the flatter 10mile TT, the winner was miles (or minutes ahead) but I enjoyed it and it was good compare myself against similar riders and myself. In the Hilly TT I was passed by my minute man, after about 3-4 miles; I missed last weeks 25 due to an injury but he tells me he was passed by his 2 minute man; I could never be in that class even with a full TT bike, aero wheels/ helmet, proper training/ diet/ experience/ skills etc but I don't really want to. I have gave into the temptation and ordered tri bars which can clip onto the wingshape bars, maybe next year when the wheels wear out I'll replace the entry level Khamsins I don't think I want to buy an aero helmet, just now

 

[lejogger]

I've only done a 5mile TT, a flatter 10 and a hilly 10 and a couple of hill climbs last year all but one of them I've done on a regular road bike; my summer bike has aero profile (wingshape) bars so the one I did with tri bars I did on the winter bike; I also did the hilly one on the winter bike (it was crap weather ). IIRC I was 26:15 for the flatter 10mile TT, the winner was miles (or minutes ahead) but I enjoyed it and it was good compare myself against similar riders and myself. In the Hilly TT I was passed by my minute man, after about 3-4 miles; I missed last weeks 25 due to an injury but he tells me he was passed by his 2 minute man; I could never be in that class even with a full TT bike, aero wheels/ helmet, proper training/ diet/ experience/ skills etc but I don't really want to. I have gave into the temptation and ordered tri bars which can clip onto the wingshape bars, maybe next year when the wheels wear out I'll replace the entry level Khamsins I don't think I want to buy an aero helmet, just now

I was thinking about a new wheelset as well but I'm holding fire. Apparently out of any upgrade you can do, it's the one that will make the most difference, but I have a feeling that even over a 25 we're only talking seconds, not minutes aren't we? You have to be there or there abouts first, and then the kit helps you with the marginal differences at the top end. It's proabably a bit of a psychological boost too, but it's what will help turn you from a very good TT rider into a very very good TT rider, not a poor TT rider into a very good TT rider.
I'm definitely not buying any TT related kit until I've proven to myself that I can compete. I've got a light carbon framed road bike that rolls very well. When I use the clip on aero bars I'm comfortable ,while also feeling tucked and fairly efficient. I don't need deep section carbon rims and a skinsuit to gauge if I have potential to improve.
I've challenged 12 minutes for a 5 on my first go at that sort of riding two days after cycling 170 miles down to cardiff in 10.5 hours for a boozy stag weekend, so preparation wasn't ideal in terms of having stiff legs or a high blood/alcohol level! I know I can go faster.
It doesn't matter how many KOMs I get on Strava, the proof of the pudding is proper events under the race conditions so that's the next port of call...
In the words of the King, "a little less conversation, a little more action..."

 

[HLaB]

I was thinking about a new wheelset as well but I'm holding fire. Apparently out of any upgrade you can do, it's the one that will make the most difference, but I have a feeling that even over a 25 we're only talking seconds, not minutes aren't we? You have to be there or there abouts first, and then the kit helps you with the marginal differences at the top end. It's proabably a bit of a psychological boost too, but it's what will help turn you from a very good TT rider into a very very good TT rider, not a poor TT rider into a very good TT rider.
I'm definitely not buying any TT related kit until I've proven to myself that I can compete. I've got a light carbon framed road bike that rolls very well. When I use the clip on aero bars I'm comfortable ,while also feeling tucked and fairly efficient. I don't need deep section carbon rims and a skinsuit to gauge if I have potential to improve.
I've challenged 12 minutes for a 5 on my first go at that sort of riding two days after cycling 170 miles down to cardiff in 10.5 hours for a boozy stag weekend, so preparation wasn't ideal in terms of having stiff legs or a high blood/alcohol level! I know I can go faster.
It doesn't matter how many KOMs I get on Strava, the proof of the pudding is proper events under the race conditions so that's the next port of call...
In the words of the King, "a little less conversation, a little more action..."

I don't know how much wheels will save you but I think the Aero stuff (tri bars, helmet etc) saves you around 30sec going by that the profile of the rim will be more important. My first 5mile was 13.29 on a regular road bike the winner was 11.42 on TTbike, Zipps with aero helmet etc; judging by calcs I morally won my first TT 2nd place was 11.55 after a minutes penalty

 

[Sparra]

I think the time for your 5 is quite respectable. Of course all things are relative, to me time trialling is a way of competing against yourself & measuring your own improvement. I also think it human nature to look at those faster than ourselves & want to be that fast, one thing I've come to accept though is there is always someone faster!

If I were you I'd just keep going - don't fuss about a better bike or how much faster someone else is - enjoy being competitive but maybe keep your goals reasonably realistic.

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