First Time Trial ... kinda (long) - Page 3 - Cycling Mob: Road Cycling, Mountain Biking and More

06-21-2004, 03:18 AM

psycholist wrote:
:: I just had to write about this. An acquaintance asked me to do the
:: bike leg for a relay team he was putting together for a local
:: Olympic-distance triathlon. He wanted to win, so I don't know why
:: he asked me. I'm 48 and a dedicated roadie, but I've only done one
:: TT previously in my life and that was years ago on a standard road
:: bike. The result wasn't impressive.
::
:: But I said yes. I borrowed a friend's Cervelo PK3 early in the week
:: and put about 120 miles on it over the course of several days ... to
:: get used to the feel and the gears. Those little DA shifters at the
:: end of the aerobars are just awesome. I always thought they were
:: friction shifters, but they click into each gear very precisely, or
:: you can just hammer on it and shift all the way across the cassette.
:: Very cool.
::
:: I got used to the bike far easier than I thought I would. Yesterday
:: I drove to the course and did a preview ride on the bike with the
:: race wheels (Zipps ... disc in back). It was sweltering and humid.
:: The course turned out to be rather technical. Lots of turns. A
:: couple of jaunts down roads where you just turn around at a driveway
:: and go back the way you came. Two passes through this small town.
:: Lots of rolling hills. But the worst feature was the start. It was
:: 7 miles of gradual uphill and it was all dead into a headwind. By
:: the time I finished that 7 mile stretch of the preview ride, I
:: thought I was really in for a sufferfest. I just rolled on through
:: the course making note of everything and got around in about 1:11.
::
:: So today was race day. The swimmer on my team started in the second
:: wave and, by the time he reached the transition zone, about 25
:: people were out on the road ahead of me. Of course, almost all of
:: those folks had already swum and would do a 6 mile run after they
:: rode, so they were holding something in reserve. Not me. I went
:: out blazing. The wind was 180 degrees opposite of yesterday. It
:: was a tailwind up that 7 mile rise. I managed to pass all but about
:: 7 riders (guys who got out several minutes ahead of me). It was
:: just the coolest feeling to bomb down the road on one of these
:: tricked-out time trial machines (and believe me ... it doesn't get
:: much better than a Cervelo PK3 with Zipps). I never really thought
:: I'd have that opportunity and I was almost tempted to revert to my
:: road bike. But once I got out there ... well, I hate to say it ...
:: I was Lance. "He's coming down the finishing straight like a grand
:: prix motorcar!"
::
:: As I passed the 15 mile mark I glance at my computer and saw 2 hours
:: and 3 minutes. Hmmmm. Forgot to reset my computer. So I don't
:: know my split yet. I think it was about 1:05 for 40K. Given my age
:: and the technical nature of the course, I was quite happy. I woulda
:: made the the podium for my age group at the state TT championships
:: last week. I think any attempt on my part to go harder would have
:: been offset at some later point by dead legs. I wasn't dead at the
:: end, but I don't know how I could have gone much harder. But the
:: hour seemed like it lasted 10 minutes. I couldn't believe how much
:: fun it was.
::
:: I know this isn't everyone's cup off tea, but if you ever get the
:: chance to try something like this ... go for it. I'm really glad I
:: did. Oh ... and we won the relay division. Our runner did a 34
:: minute 10K which was quite impressive. Still, one individual beat
:: our relay time by one minute. WOW!

Sounds cool, Lance!

06-21-2004, 11:12 AM

I used to live in a town with quite a few tri-atheltes. On Tuesday and
Thursday I would go with the hardcore roadies and get 30-40 miles of
hard riding in. But on Wednesday there were time trials. Usually 10
miles but I was one of the few pure roadies that would show up. And I
would show up on my standard road bike. No disc wheels, no aero bars,
just me in the drops for 10 miles. This was on the coast so it was dead
flat except for the start/finish which was about a 15ft descent over 1/8
mile at the start and opposite for the finish. And it WAS FUN! Going
like crazy giving it all I had for 10 miles. Passing the slower riders
and trying to keep up with the faster ones. It felt much more like a
race than any other day of the week. I was at those time trials every
week. You brought back some good memories!

06-21-2004, 11:12 AM

I used to live in a town with quite a few tri-atheltes. On Tuesday and
Thursday I would go with the hardcore roadies and get 30-40 miles of
hard riding in. But on Wednesday there were time trials. Usually 10
miles but I was one of the few pure roadies that would show up. And I
would show up on my standard road bike. No disc wheels, no aero bars,
just me in the drops for 10 miles. This was on the coast so it was dead
flat except for the start/finish which was about a 15ft descent over 1/8
mile at the start and opposite for the finish. And it WAS FUN! Going
like crazy giving it all I had for 10 miles. Passing the slower riders
and trying to keep up with the faster ones. It felt much more like a
race than any other day of the week. I was at those time trials every
week. You brought back some good memories!

06-21-2004, 11:12 AM

I used to live in a town with quite a few tri-atheltes. On Tuesday and
Thursday I would go with the hardcore roadies and get 30-40 miles of
hard riding in. But on Wednesday there were time trials. Usually 10
miles but I was one of the few pure roadies that would show up. And I
would show up on my standard road bike. No disc wheels, no aero bars,
just me in the drops for 10 miles. This was on the coast so it was dead
flat except for the start/finish which was about a 15ft descent over 1/8
mile at the start and opposite for the finish. And it WAS FUN! Going
like crazy giving it all I had for 10 miles. Passing the slower riders
and trying to keep up with the faster ones. It felt much more like a
race than any other day of the week. I was at those time trials every
week. You brought back some good memories!

06-21-2004, 11:12 AM

I used to live in a town with quite a few tri-atheltes. On Tuesday and
Thursday I would go with the hardcore roadies and get 30-40 miles of
hard riding in. But on Wednesday there were time trials. Usually 10
miles but I was one of the few pure roadies that would show up. And I
would show up on my standard road bike. No disc wheels, no aero bars,
just me in the drops for 10 miles. This was on the coast so it was dead
flat except for the start/finish which was about a 15ft descent over 1/8
mile at the start and opposite for the finish. And it WAS FUN! Going
like crazy giving it all I had for 10 miles. Passing the slower riders
and trying to keep up with the faster ones. It felt much more like a
race than any other day of the week. I was at those time trials every
week. You brought back some good memories!

06-21-2004, 11:12 AM

I used to live in a town with quite a few tri-atheltes. On Tuesday and
Thursday I would go with the hardcore roadies and get 30-40 miles of
hard riding in. But on Wednesday there were time trials. Usually 10
miles but I was one of the few pure roadies that would show up. And I
would show up on my standard road bike. No disc wheels, no aero bars,
just me in the drops for 10 miles. This was on the coast so it was dead
flat except for the start/finish which was about a 15ft descent over 1/8
mile at the start and opposite for the finish. And it WAS FUN! Going
like crazy giving it all I had for 10 miles. Passing the slower riders
and trying to keep up with the faster ones. It felt much more like a
race than any other day of the week. I was at those time trials every
week. You brought back some good memories!

06-21-2004, 04:22 PM

"psycholist" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:cb5bke$8anp$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]...

< Forgot to reset my computer. So I don't know my split
yet. I think it was about 1:05 for 40K. >

I just got the actual time from the race website. It was 1:03:27. That's a
23.6 mph average. Considering you have to walk through this timing device
to start your time and then clip in and ride off ... then dismount and walk
through the timing device again at the end, I'm sure that could have been
even better in a pure time trial where I could have sprinted for the finish.

Anyway, thanks to those of you who indulged me by reading my epistle and who
wrote the nice replies

Bob C.

06-21-2004, 04:22 PM

"psycholist" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:cb5bke$8anp$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]...

< Forgot to reset my computer. So I don't know my split
yet. I think it was about 1:05 for 40K. >

I just got the actual time from the race website. It was 1:03:27. That's a
23.6 mph average. Considering you have to walk through this timing device
to start your time and then clip in and ride off ... then dismount and walk
through the timing device again at the end, I'm sure that could have been
even better in a pure time trial where I could have sprinted for the finish.

Anyway, thanks to those of you who indulged me by reading my epistle and who
wrote the nice replies

Bob C.

06-21-2004, 04:22 PM

"psycholist" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:cb5bke$8anp$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]...

< Forgot to reset my computer. So I don't know my split
yet. I think it was about 1:05 for 40K. >

I just got the actual time from the race website. It was 1:03:27. That's a
23.6 mph average. Considering you have to walk through this timing device
to start your time and then clip in and ride off ... then dismount and walk
through the timing device again at the end, I'm sure that could have been
even better in a pure time trial where I could have sprinted for the finish.

Anyway, thanks to those of you who indulged me by reading my epistle and who
wrote the nice replies

Bob C.

06-21-2004, 04:22 PM

"psycholist" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:cb5bke$8anp$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]...

< Forgot to reset my computer. So I don't know my split
yet. I think it was about 1:05 for 40K. >

I just got the actual time from the race website. It was 1:03:27. That's a
23.6 mph average. Considering you have to walk through this timing device
to start your time and then clip in and ride off ... then dismount and walk
through the timing device again at the end, I'm sure that could have been
even better in a pure time trial where I could have sprinted for the finish.

Anyway, thanks to those of you who indulged me by reading my epistle and who
wrote the nice replies

Bob C.