Going to try and do my first one this weekend provided blobby jr lets me get some sleep the night before. Some good advice to be had in previous posts… will try not to vomit on my shoes!

Just wondering what happens about registration and start times for a TT? Say if the stated event start time is midday, does that mean that first rider is off at midday? When would you turn up to register? Want to make sure I get in a proper warm up so don’t really want to turn up and find I’m off in a few minutes time (I am now old so it takes me ages to warm up!)

Also I can probably borrow a set of TT clip ons? Is it worth it considering it’s my first go and I’ll just be on my summer road bike, no skin suit, no pointy helmet. Will they make much difference?

Thanks.

I started doing a few TT’s last year & had similar questions to yours.

Firstly get yourself to the HQ nice & early a good hour before your star time. If start time for the event is stated as 12 noon then rider number 1 will be off at 12.01 and subsequent riders will start at 1 minute intervals. Make sure you know how far it is from where you are going to warm up & the start line & aim to get there no longer than 3 minutes before your start time. Driving or ideally riding the course beforehand is useful.

Make sure you are well warmed up (a good 20 minutes), I prefer my turbo for this. Clip ons will definitely help, but don’t worry about pointy helmets etc.

Good luck, by the way it can get addictive even for MTBers.

Thanks. That is good to know! It’s local so I was just going to ride there and there are plenty of roads to warm up on, though I guess I could do a much more controlled warm up on the turbo. Hmm one to think about.

I wouldn’t bother with warming up on your turbo for the first one, you will be expected to do 30 mph+, and even if you can it still looks too try-hard. Just make sure you are nicely warmed up.

Clip-ons make a big difference, it is less about aerodynamics compared to a good position on the drops, and more to do with taking your weight and it being easier to breathe and sustain a high speed. IMO

Don’t set off too hard, go totally balls out for the last 1-2 miles, make sure you have a rear light etc etc

Thanks. Yes, I’d rather appear clueless and be slow rather than look serious and be slow 🙂

Rear light? Why do I need one of those?

Rear light? Why do I need one of those?

Some CTT regions / promoters require one, most don’t. Where are you racing?

I would say just for safety – but some do insist.

A flare or red eye with the under seat mounting is the best.

I was pulling your leg a bit re turbo, if you are doing one in the summer on the way back from work, and pushed for time, then it makes sense.

Thank. I’ve got a the fizik light that clips under the saddle so will pop that on just in case.

I might just save the turbo for when I’ve done a few of them. This one is very local. I could probably ride home, warm up on the turbo, then ride back to the start!

You should be thinking ‘I should be going faster than this’ for the first mile. Ramp it up so that you’re thinking ‘how the **** can I keep going like this’ for the second half. If you don’t vomit afterwards you haven’t tried hard enough.

If you don’t vomit afterwards you haven’t tried hard enough.

Sounds like great fun…;-)

Did my first one a few weeks ago. I was one of a maybe 2 or 3 on standard road bikes. In pics I saw afterwards I looked very amateur. Baggy(ish) MTB softshell and peakless MTB helmet were the biggest giveaways.
All street cred out the window after 5 miles, riding past my girlfriend and stepson up a long climb, I was overtaken by a girl.(No disrespect intended)
I went slightly the wrong way and came 2nd last out of the men 😆 but enjoyed it nonetheless.
I think if I did it again I would get some clip ons, or try and borrow a TT bike.
Definately pace yourself, and as said above, go balls out for the last few miles. Enjoy.

Totally misread the thread title, was expecting a befuddled novice juror grappling with speeding tickets, former wives of former ministers and marital coercion.

Did my first one on Boxing Day, so in addition to the warm-up and get there on time advice, here’s my top tips for what NOT to do!

– don’t eat just before the start (plan your preferred food / drink intake in advance)
– don’t get so nervous that you can’t control your breathing and hyperventilate for the first couple of miles (deep steady breaths before the start)
– don’t think that you’re going to fall off your bike because someone’s holding you upright on the start line (might be worth practicing this kind of standing start beforehand)

Having made all those mistakes, I was gobsmacked to actually come first out of the women, so I guess despite being not at all prepared you can always give it your best shot! Enjoy 🙂

Totally misread the thread title, was expecting a befuddled novice juror grappling with speeding tickets, former wives of former ministers and marital coercion.

🙂

Congratulations Sue, a top result there! I’ve raced quite a bit but not TT’s so reckon prep will be ok as long as I have time for a decent warm up. Good tip on the start though, never done that.

Well I finally did my first time trial. It was a bit of a disaster but still a good experience so I thought I’d post some lessons learnt to go along with all the top advice already given.

Firstly, no one really gives you a second glance as everyone is into what they are doing. So if you want to turn up at your first race in a skin suit, TT bike, TT helmet, with a turbo to warm up on, underneath a gazebo, with a pit crew, or on a fixie in jeans and a t-shirt, just do it.

Have a plan to get to the start (warm up etc.) I may print a schedule next time and put my start time on it and the time for various prep activities. I thought I had loads of time and suddenly I didn’t and everything was a bit rushed. Wear a watch to keep a check on the time (the only one I had was on my garmin which meant I couldn’t check it quickly.)

Know where the start is (can be some way from the car park) and get there with enough time to do a quick bike check (specifically in my case for chronic brake rub!) and make sure you are in a sensible gear for starting off.

Have a plan for what to do if you have a mechanical issue. Stop and try and sort it out or carry on. In hindsight I should have stopped as it would have been an easy fix but I didn’t know quite how much it was slowing me down and it was a short TT (would probably have helped if I had avg speed showing on my garmin, I was only really looking at power and cadence, more data would probably have helped make a decision.)

Despite the stuff that went wrong I still enjoyed the experience and will definitely be doing it again soon (at least I won’t have any trouble beating my PB 😳 )

Firstly, no one really gives you a second glance as everyone is into what they are doing. So if you want to turn up at your first race in a skin suit, TT bike, TT helmet, with a turbo to warm up on

That’s me. 🙂

TT’s are very addictive and great fun if you like the pain.

I always try and get to HQ a good hour before to sign on and tinker, even longer if the start isn’t near. I also have a warm up workout on my garmin. 10 mins easy spin L2, 10 mins L3 and final 10 at race pace. Get off bike, detatch from turbo and go to start line with about 3 minutes to spare. Always make sure I’m sweating as I get to the line and keep a jacket on to keep warm until 30 seconds to go.

Tried it for the first time last year and loved it so am taking it more seriously this year and I have had some good results too. Last 3 club events I have had two firsts and a second and open events have been top 10.

Are you doing club events or opens?

This was a club event, though there is an Open 25 in a couple of weeks I may do. Opens tend to be on weekends which is difficult for me to make.

I got there an hour before and had a good warmup all planned, though I misjudged how long it would all take to sort out kit and it ended up all being a bit rushed. Lesson learnt!

Where do you leave your jacket on the start line? Do you just leave it with the timer/pusher?

Edit: Also wondering what people do about mechanicals? Do you take tube, tool etc? Didn’t look like anyone was taking anything with them.

“Have a plan for what to do if you have a mechanical issue.”

go back to the car – any mechanical in a TT and its curtains -I dont even carry a tube or a pump or a multi tool in a TT – just my phone in the back pocket.

Trail rat… I guess my question is how to get back to the car? Could have been a five mile walk in the cold in TT kit. Would not have been good!

Trail rat… I guess my question is how to get back to the car? Could have been a five mile walk in the cold in TT kit. Would not have been good!

I’ve never had a mechanical in a time-trial, I can’t think of having one on my road bike that’s not crash related – what could go so badly wrong that you can’t limp home?

What about a flat? I wouldn’t fancy riding 5 miles on my rims.

I would just phone the mrs….. assuming we both didnt get flats…

Ah, mrs blobby would be home putting blobby jr to bed and likely wouldn’t appreciate such a call 🙂

I tend to carry a spare tub and an inflator with me – though keep meaning to look into one of the cans for fixing punctures without having to change tubs. <cursing myself here> though I’ve never actually punctured on my TT bike in an event. As for any other mechanical issue, well that’s the reason for preventative rather than reactive maintenance.

All street cred out the window after 5 miles, riding past my girlfriend and stepson up a long climb, I was overtaken by a girl.(No disrespect intended)

If you didn’t intend any, why say it? I know several girls who would thrash most on here, and certainly wouldn’t presume I was going to beat one (back in the day when I was riding TTs seriously, Cerys Gilfillan was in our local club – she went to the Sydney Olympics).

Where do you leave your jacket on the start line? Do you just leave it with the timer/pusher?

Exactly that. They always take them back to HQ to collect at the end.

Edit: Also wondering what people do about mechanicals? Do you take tube, tool etc? Didn’t look like anyone was taking anything with them.

Never. Extra weight means more effort and less spead. Marginal gains and all that! 🙂