How much does your TT bike weigh…?

Yeah I do wonder too (though as has already been stated, things like sorting a suit, helmet and position will make you go faster than just the bike.) I do miss the simplicity of running races where there isn’t the faff and expense of go faster kit!

The speed and the need to beat you PB’s is very adictive and expensive. So far this season I have spent in the region of £4k. On the plus side I now have all the kit so it is now down to my fitness and training.

It’s one of those disciplines where if you can sustain the pain both physically and mentally then you’ll do well. I race Road and CX too and this is by far the hardest form.

i find TTs easier than road racing

i can stick my HR at 180/190 and hold it for an hour but constant pace on the road racing changing kills me.

i will weigh my TT bike tonight for ya….. i rebuilt it for a 10 last night. disapointing 23.59 (winner did 22:54 – its a slow course) my legs felt so heavy after the 100mile sportive over the lecht on saturday – snow roads audax this saturday over similar route – not doing next weeks 18CTT

your right its addictive- im already looking at wheels (as i need wheels anyway) and a skin suit – as i need to get some of my new clubs kit

I’m not sure if MTB racing and TTing are particularly compatible styles of racing. Gorricks for example are all about power bursts for a few minutes at most, rather than sustained efforts. Unlike trail_rat I find the former much easier 🙂

Probably more suited to TTs here, find short course XC racing much harder. But then my background is running 10k’s and half marathons and my training has been aimed at that long sustained effort for years so no surprise there. Not tried a road race, though the Castle Combe series is on my to do list.

Edit: and yes it is addictive and expensive. Started out with my road bike with clip ons. Position not good (and clip ons look rubbish with drop bars) so putting together a frankenbuild TT bike from an old road frame and already it’s getting costly. Skin suit and helmet were among the first expensive purchases too. Looking at those Hong Fu frames now as well as a disc wheel. And I’ve only done two of the bloody things so far! (Though that is mostly down to a 14 month old and a constant stream of illnesses.)

im just having a bit of a revival after 3 years away from racing thanks to life.

back ground was 24 hour racing – with a base fitness of that size it doesnt go quickly … the sharp pointy speed goes quick though.

one day itll be back im sure 😉

Interesting how people find different forms easier/ harder. I don’t really mind the short hard efforts with quick recovery in MTB/ CX/ Road. Although Monday’s E123 race was quite hard. Attack, jump back on, attack, jump back on, repeat til end. Good for fitness though. 🙂

Saying that though, the Newbury CX summer series starts next Thursday so I might suffer a little at first as I’ve neglected speed work for TT’s.

I’ve never done any road races or cross. Much prefer TTing as I can go at my own pace rather than have my legs ripped off and shoved down my throat!

On the MTB side of things, I much prefer enduro type events so that I can bimble around at my pace.

On the flip side, I do a handful of TT’s each year on the full susser, just to be stupid.

25 mile TT write up from 2010

I would like someone to organise 5 mile off-road time trials. Pearce Cycles used to do one in Ludlow a long time ago.

It’d have to be somewhere out of the way, to avoid crowds.

Molgrips, why not organise one?

M1kea, not a bad time that!

mrblobby

Ta. Best I’ve ever managed is a long 26 on a HT on a drag strip course.

One of my local clubs did have an off road hill climb a few years back. Hopefuly cyclistm spots this and chips in with more detail.

Different types of racing = different types of pain.
When I was TTing I was fairly good at them despite no specific training as I seem to be able to tolerate that ‘right on the edge’ kind of pain really well, particularly over the mid-long distance sort of range.

Despite being much ‘better’ offroad the short, sharp efforts really kill me. And I’m constantly training for them 😕

Molgrips, why not organise one?

It’s not a bad idea.. minimal organisation would be required. Could even be done at a trail centre, and it might even be preferable since you’d have no problems with walkers etc.

I doubt there’d be many takers around here though.

Re being on the rivet – I can settle into my threshold pace on long steady climbs off-road and on, but I find it really hard to kep it up on the flat for some reason, especially if it’s actually slightly undulating. I keep backing off and then having to force myself up to pace again.

Re being on the rivet – I can settle into my threshold pace on long steady climbs off-road and on, but I find it really hard to kep it up on the flat for some reason, especially if it’s actually slightly undulating. I keep backing off and then having to force myself up to pace again.

Yes, know what you mean. Having a power metre really helps there, it’s amazing how much it varies if I just ride on feel or pace.

Yeah I have one too, that’s how I know I’m daydreaming and drifting off the pace.

i watch HR and cadence as i dont have a power meter…. those are the two numbers i can change and are directly related to the speed i do.

90-110 for the cadence and about 185bpm for the HR – for anything up to a 25 anyway…. if im doing that i know i cant really give much more so the speed is a fixed output of those factors.

HR drift?

over 25miles.

ive seen it on 10 and 12 hours but in sub 1 hour rides.

I used to see significant drift in HR (say from 160 moving up to 175 for the same effort) when doing 40-60 minute sessions on a rowing machine – I’m pretty sure that studies back that up.

so what your saying is that i should see my speed drop for the same cadence and HR .

my garmin data and times based compared against other folks splits doesnt back that up even on a circular. Everyones different.

My MAX is much higher than the 185 but its my legs that are the limiting factor on the bike my lungs and heart dont seem to phased. legs cant take any more than the effort required to give me 185. Take me out for a hill run and ill give scary heart rate readings.

i watch HR and cadence as i dont have a power meter…. those are the two numbers i can change and are directly related to the speed i do.

Power and cadence for me, only things I can control. Though I have since added HR, distance (find it helps mentally to know how far I have left to go) and speed (mostly due to a previous mechanical – may remove this though as it is a bit of a distraction.)

trail rat…have you tried riding a bigger gear and dropping your cadence, not trying to tell you how to ride your bike…. 🙂

Back on topic, I just weighed this at 8.46kg (18.6 lbs) – my road bike is <15lbs.

I used to often do quite hilly events on that as part of multisport events (including climbs such as Whinlatter Pass, Newlands Hause, Buttertubs and Glencoe), so weight did matter to some extent and that was actually very light for a TT bike when it was built 16 years ago, though aero was still more important.

I once did a 10 on my full-susser (proper off-road tyres as well) – did a 27 IIRC.

no but i once tried to ride it backwards.

that was surprisingly slower.

I have twig legs i have to rely on aerobic fitness rather than muscle power.

Finally got my franken-TT-bike on the scales. A hefty 24lbs. Having ridden it i actually thought it’d be more. I think the position is ok, and it’s pretty quick on the flats once up to speed, but on rolling terrain the weight becomes a real drag (especially coming off a 16 lbs road bike.) New build time!

Way over 22lbs I’m guessing. Mudguards optional!

Well you are saving a bit of weight there by dispensing with the helmet 😉

My winter bike is around 22 with guards, a good weight for a winter bike I reckon. Makes you really appreciate the summer bike!