That’s not you on the tops is it?
Of course 🤣🤣 I hate the drops so rarely use them anyhow...
All those free watts going to waste!
To be fair I was coasting in to the train at about 150w at that point after doing 30mph for half a lap to catch so needed to fill the lungs.
Aero position in the hoods (ie not like that ^^ 🤣) is as efficient as the drops anyway.....
But it’s definitely a limiter and something I’ve improved a lot this season. My ftp is little changed but my speed is still going up all the time.
Early in the season it takes time for me to get the habit of staying in the drops, but after a few crits it starts feeling weird being sat up when the pace eases for a bit.
But yeah I also find I can go quite well crouched over the hoods, back in the drops though when I'm a few wheels back and covering the brakes.
That’s one thing I’m pretty good at now. I probably dragged the brakes 3 times all race to scrub off speed on the downslope as my mass was careering me towards the skinny’s 🤣 At 88-90kg still, my momentum is precious!!
Get the drops in the right place, and I can spend almost an entire race on them. CH, you want them a little higher. It's an averages game. At the moment they are too low and far away to be any use. Get them nearer and higher and you'll be a cm or two lower on average. That will be about 1-2 seconds a lap at Hillingdon or 4-8 Watts for you.
Testing is not just the preserve of testers 😉
I'm errrrr recovering today and tomorrow. Vets race on Wednesday. I'll be hanging I suspect!
I don’t think it’s a huge issue in the draft... and when I’m in the wind, I do occasionally bend my elbows now 🤣
Only time I use the drops are for fast descents on the road and when sprinting.
Lot's of success in the thread so far 🙂 here's a counterpoint from the back of the pack...
Well that didn't go to plan... First road race in 6 years, so I entered a local Cat 4 - ART & Take 3 at Dalton Barracks. Would have preferred a longer course, but not a lot of choice locally for Cat 4 only races.
Plan before the race was to stick in the bunch, hide behind the bigger guys, and then finish in the pack, just to build some experience up. Looking around on the start line, turns out i am one of the bigger guys, so chuck out that part of the plan and just try to hold on.
Course is essentially flat, minor drag on one part and corresponding slight down on another. Approx 1.5km length.
When you don't race often, the intensity of the pace is surprising. Straight from the go i find myself drifting towards the back of the pack as a couple of riders tear off at the front for a long range attack. I spend as much time as possible sitting in behind people, but it's hard work at the back in a crit - despite finding good lines through the corners, you still loose momentum vs the front guys, and then have to sprint or surge to get back on.
Try a few different approachs - move up in the group, but then look around to find I'm back at the back again. Different lines through corners to maintain speed - still not enough. The constant sprints to get back on are starting to wear me down physically and mentally.
After about 20 minutes, the elastic snaps and I loose touch with the group again - this time on the slight downhill section. I surge to catch, but it doesn't make a difference and i can't close the gap. Head goes down and I start to cruise. Should i sit up, let them catch me and then sit on the back again (and then drop out before the finish)? No, mentally I can't face that. Cruise to the start/finish and sign out with the commisaire.
20 mins riding, 260W ish NP (even with sitting behind others as much as possible), close to max HR, av speed 40kph. Realistically, those are my limits, so I couldn't have given more. I may have done better to mix it in the pack more and get more drafting benefit, so that's the plan next time.
Best 20 minute normalised power in a race yesterday. 4.6 W/kg and attacked as if my life depended on it. Could not get away - they are cunning those over 50's! Still great fun, in heavy rain. Bunch sprint at the end and NP of 310 Watts - for an FTP test of just over 300 Two weeks ago I dragged myself around three days after a 12 hour TT. It was all rather different then and I struggled to stay on the back at 180 Watts!
richardk - well done, sound tough and you will not be the first person to drop off the back going DOWN not up - done it a few times myself. Every race is about learning something.
