Got my first ever time trail on Wednesday. It’s just a 10 miler. I know I just have to ride as fast as I can for half an hour but any other snippets of useful information would be greatly appreciated.

I’ll take a water bottle with me, or is that bad form? And tools in a saddle bag and a frame pump or will this make me stand out like a complete newbie?

I know drafting is not allowed (not that I’ll be catching anyone) but that’s about it.

Don’t set off like shoite off a shovel, wouldn’t bother with a water bottle for 10 miles.

Going to be doing my second ever next Wednesday, I hope. So I’d be interested in advice too. Any tips on how do you get a good aero shape without aero bars?

ride really really fast.

I started this lark in April too. I sat out this weeks to take photographs instead for the local press. If you want to see peoples positions (hugely varied) and what they are wearing take a look at my photos from this weeks sporting 10 miler.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/surfr/sets/72157617396416137/

Warm up! If you can ride to the start do that, or if not do at least 15mins of work to get the legs warm (this will help them clear the acid build-up so you dont die halfway round)

Since this is your first set off at your expected pace, so if your aiming for half an hour get upto 20mph and dont push harder. Itll feel silly to hold back but if your feeling good after 10 minutes (you prob wont ;0) push a little harder. In following attempts you can increase your speed.

Water bottle left at the start so you can neck it once your back.

Cool down! go for a spin as soon as youve picked up your bottle to cool down the legs, or theyll feel like jelly the next day (if you tried hard)

Enjoy it! its hard but can be fun.

Breathe! focus on your breathing and itll help it pass quicker.

Aim to ride at 25mph, I’ve done a few sub 20min 10’s. Keep your cadence around the 95-105rpm and when your legs start hurting just keep pressing on the pedals.

Make sure legs are shaved.

Wear oldest smelliest grunters so that pusher-offer gets a real nose full

Remove mudguards, bell, wheel reflectors and playing card with clothes peg

Use clingfilm to streamline beer gut and hanging outy bits

Put a bit of sellotape across nose

Select hardest gear possible at start and gurn off like Rasmusan having a pineapple suppository

Pedal like mental for 3 miles, blow for the final seven

Shout your number as you go past the time keeper, then go back and really annoy them by asking your time while they are trying to log others

Definitely moan about your time not matching your cycle computer, the timekeepers have never done this before have they

Don’t ask for Poweraid or SIS in clubhut afterwards, it’s tea and cake only

Seeing as you are a mountainbiker you will probably pass the entire field before the finish, remember to have a nice chat as you go by and leave a good impression. Take a few photos on the way and post them up here later.

On a serious note, don’t forget to thank the pusher-offer and starters.

Those pictures are useful, thanks. It seems some people do take a water bottle but rarely take a saddle bag which makes sense. Just push back if you get a puncture. Interesting the range of people who go too. I expected everyone to be on 3 grand TT bikes but clearly there’s fat blokes and people on their old knock around bike as well.

I like the chap on a full TT bike with an aero helmet, his saddle way too low and his number flapping around like a big parachute on his back. 😉

Looking at the past times for the club I’m going to, pretty much everyone is faster than 27 minutes which is a bit scary.

you need to warm up really well including race pace efforts

don’t start too quick,

if using a HRM remember that there is a lag and that you should build up relatively slowly otherwise you will go nto the red

after the first minutes you should be smooth and at full stretch

concentrate on maintianing good pedal revs, round pedalling, and effort

don’t worry about taking a drink you don’t need it for the 25 mins you are on course

Aim to ride at 25mph
Now you see, that’s the sort of things that scares newbies off. 😉

Lol at DavidB

I would take a tube, tyre levers and minipump, potential 4 mile walk in cycle shoes otherwise. just tape to the bike

btw its supposed to hurt!

**** me Joxter you are fast, sub 20 is top 30 in the UK national championships!!

18:26 is my PB, I did that back in the day before aero bars but I had a disc. I rode at a decent level back then, now I’m just fat and unfit 🙁

18:26 sounds like dual carriageway to me

eh would you not have to ride at 30mph to do a sub 20 min tt?

18:26 is my PB, I did that back in the day before aero bars but I had a disc. I rode at a decent level back then, now I’m just fat and unfit [:(]

Respect. That time would win you national competitions.

I’ve got a few 😉 just not in TT’s

He’s doing 10 mile not 10k Jokster , 😉

if it’s the garstang one you’re doing there’s usually a right mixed bunch down at the start – from properly kitted up types taking it deadly seriously to blokes sat eating sausage rolls while waiting for their turn!

Never done a proper TT but have tested myself on the local course in the past, so have no experience of race conditions but…..

I just have to ride as fast as I can for half an hour

Try riding as fast as you can for 28 minutes, that will get you a bit further up the field :-p

I also remember reading about Greg Lemond (I think) and his advice on time trialling. he was asked what to do to ensure a good placing in the TdF TT’s. His answer:

GL: “Start off in as hard a gear as you can push. As you leave the start ramp accelarate smoothly until your legs are starting to spin. Then change gear and accelerate again until your legs are spinning again. Continue this process until you run out of gears”

Q: “And that will ensure a good placing?”

GL: “A good placing – no. But it should mean you won’t come last”

It’s Westmead near Macclesfield Dave, nice and flat apparently (this may be a lie) 😉

I also remember reading about Greg Lemond…..

yeah but that bugger sold me a bike that snapped in half.

I like the guy in the pictures on his mtb! Go on my son!

I manged a 22.28 last night. JOxster, respect mate, 18.22. first class. I really enjoy them. Enduros and sportifs are greta fun, but the intensity of a TT is excellent. Just riding the bike as fast as possible, no holding back, great feeling. I think my peak speed yesterday on the flat was 32.4mph.
I agree with others that have posted, warming up properly stops your HR flying through the roof too quickly.
More fun on Monday. This time an open event with 91 starters. So I’ll be finishing a bit further down than 3rd.

samuri – I will place a large bet that you go under 27 minutes

I got passed cycling to work today by a guy on a time trial bike all kitted up with the weird bar things and a elongated cone helmet.

Went past me like I was standing still on my Kafenback, no way in hell I could have kept up with him.

Looked as he was just ticking over as well, he made it look so effortless, amazing stuff…

Would have love to know what his average speed was 😉

I’ll place a large bet he snaps his cranks or destroys his back wheel at the furthest point out on the course ;0)

Oh and my advice is if your not going to make sub 30minutes don’t finish and just ride straight home ;0)

Good luck shall we compare you avg speed to Mr Barnes earlier this week.

what was simon’s average? I must have missed that.

A couple mates of mine have just done one and they finished 5th and 7th out of a field of 45, i feel up for a challenge as they got more weight and leg power than me, were as i’m svelte and stoopid.

Shall i?

Go for it Sharkster, it’s good training for the MTB. That’s one of the main reasons I’m going to be doing any.

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Me playing in a TT (of sorts)

Jojo – elbows on the bars for that aero position? Want some areo bars? I have a set you can have

started doing TTs last year to avoid doing intervals, the first ones I did were on a VERY old steel framed bike which was stuck on the big ring at the front (made hills on the way to the course challenging) but having a 53-11 combo was handy for any bit of down in it. When it became obvious the bike was beyond economical repair I moved to a new scott roadbike with cheapo aerobars, and a compact chainset which probably doesn’t help
My tips for 10s would be:
– warmup thoroughly, I usually ride 45 minutes-1hr before
– go off hard
– don’t look at your HRM, do it off feel. If you think you can go harder then go harder
– I find I go faster if I get within ‘racing’ distance of the guy in front
– don’t give up when someone comes past you, use them as a target to chase (obviously without drafting)
– work out the point about 5 minutes from the finish is, then give it everything from there to the finish.
– don’t get fixated on pushing a huge gear, keep spinning on ‘on top of the gear’ whatever that means
– try not to be sick at the end
A spotty youth told me you shouldn’t stand up on the hills last week, I bowed to his greater experience since he’d just taken a minute out of me.
Good tyres make a difference apparently and are the most cost effective go faster accessory. I’m trying to avoid getting into an arms race as really its just a bit of fun(?) and training for racing the ‘proper’ bike

Doing a 10 mile time trial is a lot like making love to a beautiful woman: get your head down, start pumping as hard as you can, try to keep it up for around 25 minutes and don’t forget the final surge at the finish line.

…and the faster you go the sooner it’s over 😉

Known the course
Warm up
Don’t bother taking a bottle or tools
If you can get some clip on tri-bars do so (although practice on them first…)
Start of at like 90% effort and ramp up
Remember that the slower the time you do the easier it is to beat next time :p

Doing a 10 mile time trial is a lot like making love to a beautiful woman

Damn! I’ll explode just as I’m getting going then.

TandemJeremy – Member
Jojo – elbows on the bars for that aero position? Want some areo bars? I have a set you can have

Thanks for the offer Teej, I’m getting a set of the monkey boy’s cast offs next weekend. 🙂

There’s a lot of bad advice for a mountain biker doing a TT.

First remember you are a mountain biker which means:
Wear baggies
Largest Camelbak you can find
Enough tools to rebuild bottom bracket and remove cassette
Nobby Nics won’t fit your bike, but a decent set of cyclocross tyres will
Your electrolytes come in a beer can

and for the final touch:

bar-ends

Good luck, they won’t see which way you went. 🙂

i just go out hard and finish hard

They usually look at my kit(as im not a regular at these TTs) and set me off in the slow guys i just play how many people can i pass …..

Great fun !

The burn is something to be cherished , never had it on the mtb yet

I only stand up if the finish is on a hill ….crank a big gear hard as **** but any other time in the event id stay seated and push harder or change gear…usually the former

I actually enjoy TTing and every year i say i must do more but they just dont fit into my season