To this point it is referred to so often when talking about pacing a TT but I don't really get it.


In your tank is only a limited amount of fuel. If you spend fuel faster, your tank will be empty earlier. You cannot go longer over threshold into a headwind than you can go over threshold in a tail wind.

The power one needs to overcome air drag depends on air speed and not ground speed. On a flat road, higher ground speed causes only slightly higher rolling resistance, but that’s all. Overall, I invest only little bit more into a head wind than in a tail wind section, maybe 10W but not more.

Going up or down a hill is different. Here investing more Watts going up is a good investment, but never overcook!

While true, this principal really only applies to shortish hills or short stretches of headwind on a course with lots of direction changes. If you're dealing with something like a continuous headwind for half the course (a pretty common occurrence for a lot of out and back TT courses), you can't go much over FTP on the headwind and still expect to finish the TT without fading badly.

Take a 40K TT that starts with headwind on the way out and tailwind on the way back. Even at 105% FTP, you're likely to be pretty fried after 20-30 minutes, and won't have anything left for the second half.

Even on a shorter course, there are limits to how much over your target power you can go for more than a minute or two without blowing up.

Yep, when you really do the math, most riders are better off even pacing even on windy courses.

Forgot to update this with my first attempt in March.........


First timed TT: https://www.strava.com/activities/1455111104

Not quite 24mph for 7.5mi and 560 ft. Not hilly, but a few rollers to deal with. And wind. Holy crap wind. It was a cross wind where going out was against from the right and on way back with from the left. It was strong enough I had to soft pedal and sit up quite a few times to not go in a ditch or into traffic.

This makes me think 25mph for a pan flat 10 miler is a good goal. I couldn't stay tucked the whole time and had a hard time clipping in and contending with the wind.

Again.......this is with clip on's, an Adv 2 helmet, and British sourced affordable Galibier skinsuit. No shoe covers, no disc, no TT bike, cranks that are probably a bit long for TT. Etc......

Honestly, the power meter didn't help it was sooooo windy and the hills. I went on PE mostly. I bet the pacing in Charlotte with be a lot easier. Negative split it just a tad the first lap then let the pain soak in.

Nice job in the second half, I always struggle to keep motivation on windy TT courses like that.

Our club puts on a weekly 10 mile TT on an old Air Force base-now county airport and the whole first half of the season the wind swirls around sometimes making it hard to stay in the extensions but you learn to deal with it. With practice I am sure you will be able to ride on the extensions in almost all conditions.

rich