I had a good day at Velopark Saturday, ending up with my saddle 5mm higher than my road bike, forward 2cm and the TT extensions angled very slightly upward – about 3-4 degress from horizontal.

I also played with pacing strategy, with my lap times better pushing harder on hills and holding back on the flat/down vs constants watts. I clocked about 32 miles around the circuit on the extensions, a 62.5mile ride overall. Happy with a 38.5kmph lap (its very twisty) with Helmet & winter gloves but no skinsuit or shoe covers 🙂

Neck and shoulders were aching afterward though, but seeing as I’m going only as long as 25’s this year I can cope.

Might not be. Painful cos it’s the longest distance that you go ‘hard’ for.

a. Ride more in the position and it will hurt less.
b. I found supporting myself closer to elbows on pads rather than forearms enabled me to ‘brace’ myself more using skeletal strength, rather than muscular, and made it less painful 🙂

Can I ask, does anyone use anything other than safety pins to attached their numbers??

I’ve seen nopinz are able to retrofit a speedpocket into the back of a skinsuit, but I’ve seen suggestions of spray adhesive or magnets to avoid using pins and having flappy numbers/pinholed suits??

After doing a concerted effort last year on my roadbike with clip ons and really enjoying it I thought I’d better get round to buying a dedicated bike for the job. Couldn’t afford a new one so kept a lookout in the second hand market and a Cannondale slice came up. It’d only done 150miles so was virtually brand new for a bargaintastic £650. Ok it’s not UCI legal but I doubt I’ll be entering any British champs soon so it’s not really an issue. After my first ride I knew it was in desperate need of some upgrades but because I got it for a song I could afford some, namely a set of PDQ bars and some half decent wheels. After saving up the wings I’ve ended up with this :

All in its cost me £1400 so quite happy with that. After doing the last two weeks on the turbo getting used to the position I had my first two outings on it this weekend, yesterday was the NLTTA 10miler in gusty conditions and did the Tour of Pendle today, a 27 mile hilly spocco in typical early season TT conditions. As in bloody cold, wet and wind ! Anyway on Saturday I came first in V40, 8th overall (out of 116) and today’s spoco I finished 3rd overall out of 50 odd starters. Very happy with that considering after looking at yesterday’s pic of me I REALLY need to work on my position. Looking at my head if I was in the trenches during WW 1 I’d of had my head blown off with it sticking up like this :

In my enthusiam I asked for and recieved an Elite aero bottle for my birthday. Its proporietary mounts mean no bottle stash for a tube/levers – where are you chaps putting them?

First time on the new budget boardman tomorrow on F7/10E – lumpy!

First solo TT of the season has been delayed for me. Entered an event via the ctt website for the 18th and got the email confirmation through that my payment had been successful but then the system seems to have lost the record, it never made it to the organiser and now the start sheet has been published it’s too late. Not the organiser’s fault, but trying to get to the bottom of what happened is a bit frustrating!

TT bike fit tomorrow.

Anyone coming to the RDFCC’s open 25 next weekend?

An odd day for me. We were started earlier rushing my partner onto the bike. I took the lead out and settled, then a few minutes later hit a pothole as he can round me and my helmet fell over my eyes – I need to sort that out.

I got back on the wheel and then al went well until the 3rd turn left on a mini roundabout where we found and old lady with a Shetland pony and cart with an M3 support car blocking the the exit – we came to a standstill!

The last 3 mile was all uphill – not my strength – so I focused on cadence and HR only to drop my partner. Slower to let him catch and then as I turned myself inside out for the line dropped him again.

Anyway, a mess which cost us. We did catch and pass our 2 & 6 minute men.

Why’s it not UCI legal? Surely thats more due to adjustement of saddle, bars etc than the inherent frame design?
When i did a bit of research before buying the slice I noticed Cannondale said it wasn’t uci legal due to the seat stays being to thin ? Apparently it’s to give more comfort for the long distance triathlon guys.
All in its cost me £1400 to set it up like it is now (pdq bars along with the deep dish wheels) so although it’s not “bargain basement” it’s still relatively cheap compared to a lot of the bikes rolling up to the start line.
Made a couple of changes since the last pic. I’ve lowered the front slightly and bought some 30 degree ski bars but reversed them. Although I’m now lower I feel more comfortable which stood me in good stead for the Tour of Inglebourgh hilly TT last week. Came in 9th overall and 3rd V40 in a very strong field. Got another spoco on Sunday but the weather forecast isn’t good, 40mph gusts should make it interesting 😯 might have to forgo the deep dog on the front for my 38mm

Great result mate! Well done!

Did the spoco I mentioned in my previous post on Sunday in horrendous conditions, 22mph winds with gusts of up to 40 along with lots and lots of rain. In fact I was drenched doing the warm up. Had a big tailwind for the first half but then it was horrible head/cross wind for the last 10miles. After being blown across the road for the umpteenth time I was beginning to think having a deep section wheel on the front was a bad idea. Anyway I somehow managed to make it back in one piece and came in with 54:35 over the 21.6 miles, coming 6th overall and first V40. Thought I did quite well then James Gullen rolled up and smashed the course record with 48:11. The guy is an absolute animal !

V810 last week – i went for the non-aero category so nothing special just remembering how to ride hard for 10 miles.

Took the TT bike out for the first time since September today (have used it a bit on the turbo). Just a gentle spin round v212 (no event on, just a training ride) to get a feel for the new position.

Bunch races tomorrow and next week but I’ll be back on this thread after that…

Did The circuit of the Dales last Sunday, a hilly 50miler around the roads of Inglebourgh, Kirkby Lonsdale, Sedbergh and Hawes. Unfortunately there was 3 sets of traffic lights due to resurfacing the roads but they were well marshalled so anyone who had to stop had their time amended at the end. Hardly ideal but due to it being cancelled last year for the same reason I think the organisers really wanted it to go ahead. Didn’t have the best of rides tbh, the inability to use my inner ring (why the hell I decided to change my chain the night before I’ll never know ) on what’s probably one of the hilliest TT’s I’ve done (4000ft) made some of the climbs rather hard ! Coming out Hawes on 52/23 was horrible, I think my knees are still not taking to me 😆 A stoppage to put a dropped chain back on then a slow puncture on my front tub near the end completed my day of misery. Did the course in 2hr 15min, coming in 14th. My only crumb of comfort was I managed to hold off Alister Brownlee (of the Brownlee brothers triathlon fame) who started 2mins after me for 20 miles.

I’m a big fan of layback on a TT bike.

Interesting, thanks both.

TiRed, not sure if saddle can go further forward but it is on my list to check and move forward – I think I had been sitting on the tt saddle like a road bike saddle ie too far back. I suspect saddle is too wide as well but until I move it forward I can’t check it properly. I think it feels like I have a bit much weight on my arms – any thoughts about what to change based on that?

Some of my TTs are BC not CTT (stage race and TTTs) and ridden under UCI regulations. And I think it is helpful to compete on a like-for-like basis. I also found it a lot more comfortable 🙂

Saddle up and forwards, bars (or elbow pads at least) raised to match.

It’s not a road bike position, but it is a rotated road bike position (hip angle similar).

TT is all mental. Rode the Great missenden 25 last Sunday. Hardly got into zone 4 but managed a PB of 58 minutes on a rolling course. Pulled a muscle in the derriere too, but it’s held up for two circuit races this week.

Was caught by my clubmate and minuteman, but he was on a disc wheel and had me to pace him for the whole ride. I had nobody having passed a few riders and ended in a big gap. Still we had fun racing the last couple of miles.

Looking for a disc wheel now, and some fast open events.

Westerly ten and a bit this Wednesday and my target is sub 23 min.

Royal Dean Forest CC season starts week after next with a come and try it 6 miler. All welcome.