Wanting to get into TT

[VamP]

+1 for turning up on a normal road bike and giving it a bash. You may hate it, so not worth splashing the cash until you have at least tried it out. If you have the engine, you can still put in a respectable effort with a normal road bike and no extras. I have only done 2 TT's and the first one was on a Verenti Millook, which has 'sportive' geometry, e.g. a 195mm head tube!

I will never be a TT lover but will use them for something to aim towards and as a way to measure improvements or losses of sustainable performance.

Absolutely.

I am the same. Today I'm riding to my club's TT directly from work, what with the morning commute, the TT, and the journey home, I will get in around 70 miles of riding. 25 minutes of that will be at FTP+ , I will slot in another 20 minute FTP slot on the way home. That makes a great threshold workout day for me.

All on a road bike. I don't enjoy TT's as much as I do cyclocross, XC, and road racing, so for me it's a way to motivate my training, and there's the social aspect too.

Although I must confess to a hankering after one of these

 

[lejogger]

It will definitely help It won't ride itself though, which I think is the point you are making?

Of course.

While we're on the topic, if you want some TT inspiration I'll just plug my club mate who still beats the hell out of us all (and the rest of the country) at nearly 50 and with panniers still attached.

http://www.merseysidermagazine.com/site/sport/andy-wilkinson-cycling-phenomenon/

 

[400bhp]

Agree with everything that has been said. I did my first TT for 22 years (almost to the day) last week on a standard road bike with TT bars. For me the biggest barrier was the mental one, that being "how the hell can I go for 20 odd minutes at full pelt and what exactly is full pelt and what if I make a fool of myself and hit a wall half way round etc etc".

Get the first one out of the way, then think about what to do about bikes/gear etc. I'd probably suggest an incremental approach, i.e.buy bits at a time. For me, I'd not want to look a t1t with a full on TT bike and gear, then post crap times.

 

[Andy_G]

On the club website it has times up from 10 and 25 miles rides and I can practise on the 10 mile one until I'm a bit more confident.
The quickest times are between 22-23 mins and on a normal road ride I do that in about 29-30 mins.

 

[Rob3rt]

Just go and race. Don't bother waiting to get "a bit more confident". The season will run until ~September, if you delay, then find you enjoy it, you will be kicking yourself for wasting half the season.

Look at the slowest times, there are people who do TT's and crawl round a 10 mile TT in well over 30 mins, some in the 40 minute region. Club TT's tend to run slower on the whole, compared to open events, yet in opens there are still some long times posted.

 

[Andy_G]

Even though I've never rode a bike with aeros. Lol

 

[Rob3rt]

Ride on the drops, or the hoods, whatever, just race. Think about it this way, you will improve week on week as you get to know the course and your limits, then how to pace better. When you start to plateau, sling some aero bars on, automatic PB! Then a few more PB's to follow as you dial the position, gain better handling skills and can hold the position longer (i.e. not have to sit up for a bit now and then). Then you buy a pointy hat, another auto PB when you lop 20 seconds or something off your time, then comes a skinsuit, some more time, some shoe covers, a bling front wheel, etc etc. All the while also getting fitter too of course.

A series of incremental PB's is much better than going out and setting a good time straight away, motivationally speaking. Else what do you do if on your 1st ride you set a great time on a float day and then can not even touch it, never mind beat it for the rest of the season.

 

[Rob3rt]

I barely slipped under 28 minutes on my 1st 10 mile TT btw. Riding a road bike with no aero aids, I even left my mudguards on. It was not that long ago either. Now, on the right course, on the right day (good conditions), I could probably do a short 22, maybe even a long 21 minute ride, currently doing mid 23's on windy days on the faster local courses (which are slow courses in comparison to say Levens or the V in Hull). That took about 6 months worth of work.

 

[Andy_G]

Cheers rob, ill give it a shot with what I've got at the moment.
I suppose it does make sense buying stuff as I progress.

 

[Andy_G]

Ride on the drops, or the hoods, whatever, just race. Think about it this way, you will improve week on week as you get to know the course and your limits, then how to pace better. When you start to plateau, sling some aero bars on, automatic PB! Then a few more PB's to follow as you dial the position, gain better handling skills and can hold the position longer (i.e. not have to sit up for a bit now and then). Then you buy a pointy hat, another auto PB when you lop 20 seconds or something off your time, then comes a skinsuit, some more time, some shoe covers, a bling front wheel, etc etc. All the while also getting fitter too of course.

A series of incremental PB's is much better than going out and setting a good time straight away, motivationally speaking. Else what do you do if on your 1st ride you set a great time on a float day and then can not even touch it, never mind beat it for the rest of the season.

I love the way you explain things lol

 

[G3CWI]

I barely slipped under 28 minutes on my 1st 10 mile TT btw.

So can I literally just turn up unannounced and enter a club TT? Will I need my British Cycling card or something? Will I be welcome? I do now fancy having a bash (having found that I'm not too ridiculously slow). J2/1 is so easy to get to it almost seems criminal not to have a go. Will people laugh at an old bloke on a Triban 3?

 

[Rob3rt]

So can I literally just turn up unannounced and enter a club TT? Will I need my British Cycling card or something? Will I be welcome? I do now fancy having a bash (having found that I'm not too ridiculously slow). J2/1 is so easy to get to it almost seems criminal not to have a go. Will people laugh at an old bloke on a Triban 3?

You will not need anything other than a couple of quid (I think £3 for the Monday nights on J2/1) and your bike. It usually is advised to wear a helmet and to have a rear light, but this will be down to the club running the event. No race license is needed and you won't need the BC card. You turn up, pay a couple of quid, sign the sign on sheet, they will give you a number to pin on (always one for your lower back/arse and sometimes one for your arm, which arm will depend on the course) and tell you what time you are due to start. You then do as you wish until then, try to get to the actual start with a couple of minutes to spare, when it is your turn, your number will be called. you pull up to the line, usually someone will hold you up so you can be fully clipped in ready to go (and they often give you a little bit of a push), but if you don't want that, just say you don't want a hold. You get warnings at 30 secs, 10 secs, then count down from 5-1 and go!

Of course you will be welcome! For sure! You will be welcomed and encouraged and if you want it, also advised!

No you won't be laughed at on your Triban 3, why would anyone laugh at that?

Club TT's are more a case of within club competitions and leagues, plus the chance for others to give TT'ing a go or to just go and race without entering weeks in advance. They are not particularly serious (tbh, even open events don't have a serious atmosphere IMO).

To enter open events, you just need to be a member of a club that is CTT affiliated. Most of the local clubs are affiliated.

 

[G3CWI]

They are not particularly serious (tbh, even open events don't have a serious atmosphere IMO).

Sounds like my kind of event. Thanks for the tip on the rear light. I might nip down tomorrow if the weather is alright.

 

[Rob3rt]

Just checked for you and Monday night 10's on J2/1:

The entry fee for club events is £3.00 per event payable on the night. Entries will be run on a first come, first served basis. If you wish for an early ride, please turn up early. If you would like an early/late start please inform the organiser 7 days in advance and we will try to arrange a start time suitable.

First rider off at 7.15 in May and August, 7.30 in June and July (TBC). The HQ is the car park at Astra Zeneca on the A34 at the traffic lights opposite Bollington Lane. Please make sure you obtain a parking permit when you sign on.

Note the following:

The cut off for entry is 6:45pm

There are other events run by different clubs on different courses throughout the week as well:

Congleton CC - Tues Nights
http://www.congletoncyclingclub.org.uk/?page_id=98

Macc Wheelers - Weds Nights
http://www.macclesfieldwheelers.org.uk/timetrials.php

Seamons CC - Weds Nights
http://www.seamonscc.co.uk/Calendar5.html

Westmead - Weds Nights
http://www.westmeadteam88.co.uk/event.php?type=club

 

[Rob3rt]

BTW, how did your practice on J2/1 go?