think I’m going to dabble post injury, and lay of the lumpy bumpy mtb for a bit, at least at full gas,

this looks nice, which aliexpress frame is it though?

http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/FRPXEX2TEAM/planet-x-exocet-2-team-edition-carbon-tt-frameset

The Exocet 2 is a great frame- it is pretty long and low, haver a good look at the geometry to make sure it suits you.

Anyone near Bristol/South Wales? Lots of nice courses including the fast 25 course (R25/3L) although I much prefer the slightly slower R25/7. It is pretty low traffic and feels nice and safe to ride.

I love testing. I have mediocre physiology but train a lot as I find it a bit addictive. With all the kit I managed a 49.20 on the R25/7 and a 19.54 on our local rolling course (U7b) A 3.57 on a sporting 100 and 280.4 for the 12 hour. Physiology is part of it but I am certain that training, pacing, position and good kit could get these sort of times for most people without resorting to super fast courses, the guys who also have good genetics put minutes into me in a 25 and over 37 miles in a 12 hour- that is well over 26 mph for 12 hours!! But the cool thing about testing is that if you dont want to spend a load of cash, or train 15+ hours a week then it is just as much fun trying to improve with the kit you have, or the training hours available. At the end of the day its just fun to PLF then chat to a load of other old duffers at the HQ after the race while eating cake.

edit- I just saw that is a fully integrated frame. Looks pretty good tbh, but watch out for adjustability- often the pads dont come super close and the poles are a fixed distance apart. At least that is the case with my Canyon, Im still racing a planet x as my position is more aero!

I fancy a crack if there is a good flat 25 near me, but I’m in South Wales so not a lot of flat ground…. Otherwise it’s Maindy Velodrome, or is that cheating?

EDIT not that Maindy is particularly flat, mind…

At the end of the day its just fun to PLF then chat to a load of other old duffers at the HQ after the race while eating cake.

Amen to that.

I fancy a crack if there is a good flat 25 near me, but I’m in South Wales so not a lot of flat ground…. Otherwise it’s Maindy Velodrome, or is that cheating?

R25/3L is the fastest course in the UK and is in South Wales, Rhigos to be precise.

Ooooh! I know where that is…. where are my clip-ons?

Not surprised it’s fast, 200m of descent in it.

Nice one! Only ever done one TT and can def see how it could get addictive, I’m kinda anal about stuff and think I’d enjoy obsessing over the tiny details, reckon I’ll have a go at another hilly one if I’m free. Pointless doing a flat power one…

Too many bikes in the house at the minute to consider a TT bike although I have noted Planet X are now doing the open mould FM086 frameset and calling it their new “team photo” so I’ve maybe already been drawn in…

iamconfusedagain and molgrips, you are both close to me (Pontypool); we use the R25/7a for our club 25 and I managed to get under the hour there on my 2nd 25, with a 57’56” which I was quite pleased with.
If you want to ride 10s on a quick course then there’s the R10/17 which is up and back along the A40 from just outside Abergavenny. Local club Mon Wheelers run their 10s there on a Thursday and are quite happy to have other riders attend.
I’ve not ridden the R25/3 but think I’ll have a crack at it if I can get an entry.
I use an old PX Stealth Pro and can’t drop the front down too much due to bulging L5/S1, this ride with the front dropped 10mm over normal left me not being able to move properly for a week:

Who mentioned castration? I had that feeling on my first 25 and then I discovered noseless saddles. I’m not saying it’ pain free now as all TTs hurt, but at least I don’t feel like I’ve been chopped.

Problem is I can’t afford all the gear, and I’ll always be a bit behind without it..

You like to tinker with stuff though eh? Cheapo* P/X frame and tubs and make your own disc. An aero helmet and skinsuit will net you the most gains in terms of buying speed anyway. It’s all about the engine.

If you go 2nd hand you can get all the stuff super cheap, it is just fun buying the latest and greatest. All my pbs were done on a bike where most of the bits were cobbled together from a spares box. My wheels are decent but I did not pay a lot for them. – I’d say it’s apart about the engine, but part about holding good position.

R10/17 really good course. I aim to get a PB on there this season.
R25/7 is flat apart from the first minute or so.
r50/1b is a great 50 course on a similar theme.

Shedbrewed- I reckon if you can do it comfortably you need to get your head down a bit. Maybe a slightly more stretched position. You look like you could do with relaxing into the armrests a bit maybe? Sometimes lower is not better, possibly there could be less stress on your back if you raise and go longer, while resting more on the pads?. Maybe… Or it might hurt your back

Problem is I can’t afford all the gear, and I’ll always be a bit behind without it..

A bit behind what though? There’s always gear you buy that will make you (marginally) faster. You really are mostly racing yourself. And you’ll get extra kudos from getting decent times on normal road kit 🙂

I’d say it’s apart about the engine, but part about holding good position.

Yes, engine a big part, but I know people who go quite a bit faster than me for the same sorts of power. Knowing how to use that power, position, experience, endless tweaking, good kit choice. There’s always a bit more speed to be found.

As a teenager I could never get the hang of a 25. Stuck to 10’s . Last week I did my first for 34 years. Was 90 seconds slower but I am 2 stone heavier and not just out of school. Trying not to buy a TT bike . Anyone want to sell me one.

theres a good progression thread at the moment over on TTF

http://www.timetriallingforum.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=101863

Really good thread that one. Does seem to be about race experience and chipping away at getting those marginal gains.

s a teenager I could never get the hang of a 25

It’s well known that when you’re young you’re faster but have less endurance, so that makes perfect sense. I could ride the 10.5 miles home from my mate’s house on my Dad’s hybrid (with my elbows on the SUAB bars) in 25 minutes aged 16, but I was finished afterwards. That would’ve been lap 1 of an XC race these days 🙂

Well that was an unpleasant way to spend the warmest evening of the year so far! Roadworks meant a course change from one with a club best of a long 52 to an awkward one with a best of a long 55, not really what I wanted for my first 25. Tricky pacing with a couple of short sharp climbs and some long drags. Anyway a better than expected 56:45 and second place, I’ll take that 🙂

Question for the testers here. Anyone tried the AeroCoach service? A couple of hours round Newport velodrome getting some aero advice and trying various changes. Sounds like a good thing to do and chatter over at timetriallingforum is positive. Price is reasonable compared to tunnel time. May give it a go.

I was just over 110kg and I got down to 82kg at the end of last season. I’m 83.5g now and 21% body fat, which the lab said was excellent for a ‘normal person’ but only ‘good’ for an athelete. It was one of the big results from the lab tests; I can comfortably loose another 4kg and get down to 17%. That’s the first part of the next plan.

How tall are you?

Just wondering as I think we met a few years back on a STW Surrye hills ride before you lost the weight (and before I broke my arm repeatedly and put quite a bit on) and I’d have said we had quite similar builds. I’m now 96kg, but only 19-20% fat (measured with callipers and a few different algorithms), but not anywhere near 280W FTP (unless trainer road is lying to me by quite a margin). Perhaps my cardio is lacking, but odd that I’m carrying a lot more muscle (being 14 years younger probably explains a lot of that).

TINAS, having ridden with you once I suspect trainer road is lying 🙂

TINAS, having ridden with you once I suspect trainer road is lying

Was that at Swinley? I’ve been on STW rides on a good day when I was fit and with hangovers so bad I’ve thrown up. I’m guessing you caught me on a good day :-p

These days I’m much much slower!

Yes at Swinley, I think you were on a single speed Swift. I was most likely riding a bright green Ragley. A good few years ago now.

Yup, I remember the bike at least!

It’s probably more memorable than I am 😆

Just wondering as I think we met

We did indeed meet; it was the Surrey Hills ride that split into two groups (Njee led the fast group; I was in the ‘other’ group along with Bullheart and Whoppit. I can’t remember which group you were in but I distinctly remember you arriving in an open top sports car – I think an MGB – with your bike wedged in the back. I thought that very cool :D)

I’m 1.8m tall; I used to be an inch or two taller but numerous instances of using my head as a brake seem to have compressed me a little.

As for your FTP, the only way you ever get anything like an accurate measure is through an actual power meter. All the other systems that user inference are, in my experience, wildly inaccurate, with the worst offender being Strava. That tends to be out by as much as 20% (overstating). Having been focused on increasing power, I can tell you that after a quick win, extracting the last 10% is extremely hard in all respects.

Question for the testers here. Anyone tried the AeroCoach service?

I’ve not done it myself but I was listening to a conversation between a chap called Rob Sharland (who’s winning quite a lot of the open events round here and is good for 380 watts in a 25!)and another top three rider at a recent event, where Rob was saying he’d been on that exact programme and that it was worth maybe another 6 watts or so. Time in the wind tunnel with Drag2Zero is about £1000, which seems very good value to me considering how much a disc wheel costs for example.

Anyway a better than expected 56:45 and second place, I’ll take that

Maybe better than expected from your perspective but not from mine based on the previous conversations. Very well done indeed; that’s clearly an excellent time based on the conditions and what must be a tough course. Inferring from the club record and that the course is quite slow, I would think my original suggestion of a 54 is more than realistic.

Rob was saying he’d been on that exact programme and that it was worth maybe another 6 watts or so.

That’s interesting. I guess gains all depends on where you start from, and it sounds like he’s already at a very high level. TBH I think it’d be worth it just to know if it was good or bad as currently I’m unsure. Know of someone who did the same event as me on the same day, same height and weight, and got the same time off of 60 less watts, so likely some improvements to be made!

Edit… having said that, doesn’t look too poor from last night…

I would think my original suggestion of a 54 is more than realistic.

Thanks, it’d be a nice goal for the season 🙂

We did indeed meet; it was the Surrey Hills ride that split into two groups (Njee led the fast group; I was in the ‘other’ group along with Bullheart and Whoppit. I can’t remember which group you were in but I distinctly remember you arriving in an open top sports car – I think an MGB – with your bike wedged in the back. I thought that very cool :D)

Think I went off in the fast group then when we crossed paths after a while I swapped groups.

It was the MG Midget, still got it but currently in bits being made faster/lower/cooler. I remember arriving for that ride in convoy with a Misubishi Evo and a Panda 4×4 up that track to the YHA thinking this looks like some “TopGear does rallying on a budget” and expecting something o go horribly wrong as a result!

Also remember the guy who worked in sales for a Van fitting company who had his bike on a slide out deck in the back!

I keep looking at power meters but have the nagging feeling that unless I’m already in the fast group on the club run it’ll be like paying an expensive accountant tell me how poor I am! Might get a cheap TT bike and see how good/bad/indifferent my times are, I know there’s one very flat out-and-back course on the Bath road near me which could be a good test.

Tinas, have a go at H10/1, I think that’s just down the road for you and is a pretty flat out and back. In fact it’s our club event next Wednesday evening. Come and have a go 🙂

Stalker, that was the exact one I was thinking of. Which club’s running it and what time?

Dinghy pursuit race starts at 6:50 at Burghfield though so unless it’s a completely still day I’ll be racing there. An entirely futile effort as it’s personal handicaps so there’s 2 options, mess up and ruin yours, or hope all 50 other boats mess up and you win, inevitably the former happens far more often.

Newbury RC. 7:30pm. Here. So sign in from about 6:45 probably. Be nice if it was a completely still day. Last time I did it there was a big headwind on the way out, though was spinning 55/11 for some of the way back!

Use to sail an RS400 round Burghfield many years ago. Just didn’t have the time to do it justice though and it had to go 🙁

Genuine Q: How does weight loss help, all other things bring equal, on a flat TT?

This may have been mentioned already, but Stan Boardman was on the radio the other day talking about wind tunnels – one of many interesting things he said was that having plentiful access to one taught him and the Squirrel club a lot of things they would otherwise have thought of. With particular regard to this question, that if a typical rider loses 5kg, they will take about 2mm off their profile and thus receive an aerodynamic benefit too.

Use to sail an RS400 round Burghfield many years ago. Just didn’t have the time to do it justice though and it had to go

I sail a Blaze, put a great big hole in the side of a coremat bathtub (a 200 though) with the wing a few weeks ago :-p

If it’s going to be a drift I’ll give the TT a go.

but Stan Boardman was on the radio the other day talking about wind tunnels

What does he know about aerodynamics?

For the TT’ers here, just got my suit back from NoPinz with a speed pocket fitted. Mailed to them on Saturday, back this morning (Wednesday)! Nice work too, they even patched up the mess a load of old pin holes had left. Won’t be trashing my suit with pin holes anymore and meant to be a bit more aero too, what’s not to like 🙂

The OP’s performance (and weight loss) clearly prove that he is doping. 🙂