FL Polytechnic TT Series #9
1) Average watts: 305W
2) Average speed in MPH: 26.5mph
3) Distance: 8 mi / 50ft gain | 18:09 - tied prior Merckx course record but finished 2nd by 7s on the day
4) Rider weight: 68kg
5) Describe bike and wheels: 2014 Giant Propel Advanced SL1 w/Zipp 404 FC front, 303 FC rear; 23mm Vittoria Corsa Speed TLR 2.0 w/latex tubes, TriRig Styx, ENVE SES 40cm bars with griptape on the tops. 52/36 x 11/28 gearing. Velotec LS skinsuit + Kask aero road helmet. Kept the aero bottle on because it's still annoyingly hot in FL and the start queue was slow.
6) Misc notes, to whine and make excuses for your lack of power and/or lack of aero: Merckx rules, so 404 was the max depth permitted (I only own the front). No overshoes or TT-specific helmets permitted either. The course is quite flat with a few very mild rises and is essentially a hotdog loop with two wide U-turns at either end. The pavement is good for nearly all of it, and there's minimal traffic. It was breezy, but not overly windy.
It's my third shot at the course and first on the road bike after cracking the basebar on my P5 earlier this month (still need to fix). I spent the last week or so testing TT efforts on the road bike and was pleasantly surprised at how aero things were turning out on benchmark/known courses. I really struggle with pacing this specific event evenly. I generally go by feel, which consistently translates to a nice flat line at 180bpm HR, with an uptick towards the last couple of minutes as I empty the tank. As rough splits, 6mins at 330W to the first turn (at which point I've ramped to steady state HR), 9mins at 280W to the other end (the meat of the course -- still holding that HR/exertion) then 2.5mins at 340W as I get to the line. This is a pattern that has appeared every time so far.
I know I'm capable of averaging at least 10W higher over the whole effort. Thinking I may need to go out a bit easier, and then gun it for the end a bit sooner using the last turn as a brief respite instead of a starting point for the last push.
Aero socks may have closed most/all of the gap to the win, but mine haven't arrived yet, so stuck with bare legs as that's supposed to be fastest otherwise.
I did 17:58 with a fully TriRig'd P5 (w/ 808/Super9 + Aerohead) on the same watts back in July (and 17:48 w/overshoes in August) so clearly I have a lot of work to do refining the other TT position... thinking I got lucky with how well this last minute change to the road bike turned out. Goal was the CR and I (sort of) did that, so I'm happy and learned plenty for next time.
7) Optional: a picture (or link to a picture) of you in your aero position: Photo from warmup, so sunglasses are dangling and I have yet to remove the saddlebag.
1) Average watts: 305W
2) Average speed in MPH: 26.5mph
3) Distance: 8 mi / 50ft gain | 18:09 - tied prior Merckx course record but finished 2nd by 7s on the day
4) Rider weight: 68kg
5) Describe bike and wheels: 2014 Giant Propel Advanced SL1 w/Zipp 404 FC front, 303 FC rear; 23mm Vittoria Corsa Speed TLR 2.0 w/latex tubes, TriRig Styx, ENVE SES 40cm bars with griptape on the tops. 52/36 x 11/28 gearing. Velotec LS skinsuit + Kask aero road helmet. Kept the aero bottle on because it's still annoyingly hot in FL and the start queue was slow.
6) Misc notes, to whine and make excuses for your lack of power and/or lack of aero: Merckx rules, so 404 was the max depth permitted (I only own the front). No overshoes or TT-specific helmets permitted either. The course is quite flat with a few very mild rises and is essentially a hotdog loop with two wide U-turns at either end. The pavement is good for nearly all of it, and there's minimal traffic. It was breezy, but not overly windy.
It's my third shot at the course and first on the road bike after cracking the basebar on my P5 earlier this month (still need to fix). I spent the last week or so testing TT efforts on the road bike and was pleasantly surprised at how aero things were turning out on benchmark/known courses. I really struggle with pacing this specific event evenly. I generally go by feel, which consistently translates to a nice flat line at 180bpm HR, with an uptick towards the last couple of minutes as I empty the tank. As rough splits, 6mins at 330W to the first turn (at which point I've ramped to steady state HR), 9mins at 280W to the other end (the meat of the course -- still holding that HR/exertion) then 2.5mins at 340W as I get to the line. This is a pattern that has appeared every time so far.
I know I'm capable of averaging at least 10W higher over the whole effort. Thinking I may need to go out a bit easier, and then gun it for the end a bit sooner using the last turn as a brief respite instead of a starting point for the last push.
Aero socks may have closed most/all of the gap to the win, but mine haven't arrived yet, so stuck with bare legs as that's supposed to be fastest otherwise.
I did 17:58 with a fully TriRig'd P5 (w/ 808/Super9 + Aerohead) on the same watts back in July (and 17:48 w/overshoes in August) so clearly I have a lot of work to do refining the other TT position... thinking I got lucky with how well this last minute change to the road bike turned out. Goal was the CR and I (sort of) did that, so I'm happy and learned plenty for next time.
7) Optional: a picture (or link to a picture) of you in your aero position: Photo from warmup, so sunglasses are dangling and I have yet to remove the saddlebag.
Last edited by:
carbenfire: Oct 25, 20 22:05