I am doing my first time trial on Sunday. It’s only 20k so it shouldn’t be a problem. I have my areo wheels mounted and the wife just bought me a tt helmet for my birthday. I know I am not going to win anything but I think it will be fun.
I am alittle nervous about starting in a start house with somebody holding me up. I also stopped running for the week due to my legs always feeling like bricks so I thought I would try and taper a bit. I am still riding but nothing crazy.
Anybody have any tips. I think it’s pretty straight forward but I think it will be a blast.
If you can, get a practice start or have someone hold you and start on a hill. My husband has some funny pictures of my first TT start.
Check the cycling rules as they are different for USAT. Warm up well and ride hard as it is only 20k. You should be at vomit stage at the end as you don’t have to run at the end.
I still haven’t figured out what to do and what works the best for my warm-ups.
Seriously…don’t go out too hard. If you have a powermeter, use it to pace the beginning (well the whole race really, but the beginning is where most people screw themselves). For a 20K you will be looking at around 102-105% of FTP. Don’t over-complicate the warm-up. 20-30 mins easy spin and a few 2-3 minute TT pace efforts. Finish about 10-15 minutes before your start time and just roll around before lining up (about 5 mins before your start time). Don’t worry about having someone hold you, it’s really not a big deal. Also be sure to start in the big ring, and to make sure before you arrive at the start line that you’re not going to drop your chain when you back pedal (you’ll back pedal at some point when you’re clipping in while someone is holding you). Guaranteed someone will drop their chain in the start house, just don’t let it be you. Otherwise, have fun!
I always try to know the course by driving it first…or riding it a few days before.
Go hard right from the start… and don’t let up until you’ve crossed the line. (Remember you don’t have to run after
Drink before…you won’t need any bottles on the bike for 20k.
And if you feel like you don’t need to puke…your not going hard enough
First 20k coming up soon as well… do you hold both brakes in the start house, or is the person holding you itself sufficient? I’m nervous I’ll try to go off and forget to release… seems like something i would do.
Yes, hold your brakes and release them right as the starter tells you to go. This allows you to have some pressure on the pedals already. I’ve never had an issue with being off balance at the start, but I’ve seen people fall and I think it’s mostly because they have no pressure on the pedals when the holder lets go.
First 20k coming up soon as well… do you hold both brakes in the start house, or is the person holding you itself sufficient? I’m nervous I’ll try to go off and forget to release… seems like something i would do.
They’re just keeping you from falling over, not from moving front-to-back. You’ll need to use the brakes when you clip in anyway. If you’re on a TT bike, you’ll be off your brakes as soon as you get on the aerobars anyway
Holding your bike up in the start house should be the least of your worries–it’s really not a big deal. Worrying about which bush to vomit in once you cross the line is more important.
As mentioned, going out too hard is critical. Keep in mind that over that relatively short distance, however, there isn’t much of a contrast from start to finish. It goes from “Man this hurts… I’d rather be at home watching TV than doing this stupid event”, to seeing stars toward the end.
For some reason I’ve always found the 2nd half to be easier, mainly because I’ve adjusted to the high HR and it’s not too far from being over with.
Just try it… you might get it right the first time, might not. There will always be another.
For some reason I’ve always found the 2nd half to be easier, mainly because I’ve adjusted to the high HR and it’s not too far from being over with.
For me warming up hard and fast, but short helps, get the HR up there. That way you will avoid the shock of your HR climbing. Don’t go out too hard. The adrenaline will be flowing and too hard actually feels easy … at first.
Seriously…don’t go out too hard. If you have a powermeter, use it to pace the beginning (well the whole race really, but the beginning is where most people screw themselves). For a 20K you will be looking at around 102-105% of FTP. Don’t over-complicate the warm-up. 20-30 mins easy spin and a few 2-3 minute TT pace efforts. Finish about 10-15 minutes before your start time and just roll around before lining up (about 5 mins before your start time). Don’t worry about having someone hold you, it’s really not a big deal. Also be sure to start in the big ring, and to make sure before you arrive at the start line that you’re not going to drop your chain when you back pedal (you’ll back pedal at some point when you’re clipping in while someone is holding you). Guaranteed someone will drop their chain in the start house, just don’t let it be you. Otherwise, have fun!
^This. Seriously, Landyachtz has hit all the important points, and has covered everything that has gone wrong for me. I have almost been dropped in the start house, and have dropped my chain in the start house. It is good to practice a held start. Let the holder balance you, don’t try to shift your weight on the bike. They won’t drop you, but you can make yourself fall over if you try to correct things… just let them hold you and do their job, and everything will be just fine.
Oh, and don’t go out too hard. I really mean it. You will feel like an animal for the first 3 minutes. The key to a successful TT is still feeling like an animal when you are in the back half… crossing the line at full gas and falling over and dropping dead immediately therafter.
A few more things. Don’t get intimidated in the parking lot. TT’s are just like tris. There’s going to be a bunch of people who look like they should be really fast, but really they’re probably slow (obviously not all, but the moral being; don’t judge a book by it’s cover). Then there’s going to be the guys who look like total scrubs and will blow your doors off. Just focus on your own race. Same thing applies out on course. Don’t let someone passing you dictate your pacing. You’re only screwing yourself. This is easier, mentally, if you have a powermeter because you can be a bit more confident that you’re pacing correctly. I’ve had multiple times where someone passes me at the 10K mark in a 40K TT and I’ll pass them back at 30K, we’ll play yo-yo for a bit when they try to re-pass and eventually they fall off.
Kind of a thread jack, but I have an uphill TT (12mi, 3400ft elevation) coming up in October, what would be the most effective pacing strategy?
Recover on the more mellow sections and crank it through the steep stuff? I think the worst section is at about 10-12%.
I’ve never done a strict uphill TT (I’m big and they don’t suit me at all), but it really depends on the course profile. Either way you’re never really “recovering”, but if the 10-12% sections have 2-3% sections in between then you’ll want to (and probably have to) go harder on the steeper sections. If it’s a relatively steady grade then you’ll want to pace relatively steady.
Very stupid question… but how do you make sure you won’t drop your chain before going into the start house, do you mean double-check after you back pedal and clip in?
No, while you’re rolling around before the start put it in the big ring and back pedal a bunch to make sure it’s not going to try and drop to the small ring when you back pedal. For me, while I’m riding, I never have the front shifter all the way up when I’m in the big ring or it rubs the derailleur cage, but I have to put it all the way up to keep it from dropping in the start house. It rubs a little, but you’re only going to be out of the saddle for ~10 seconds, and you don’t want to go through the experience of dropping your chain while the starter is counting you down.
Seriously…don’t go out too hard. If you have a powermeter, use it to pace the beginning (well the whole race really, but the beginning is where most people screw themselves). For a 20K you will be looking at around 102-105% of FTP. Don’t over-complicate the warm-up. 20-30 mins easy spin and a few 2-3 minute TT pace efforts. Finish about 10-15 minutes before your start time and just roll around before lining up (about 5 mins before your start time). Don’t worry about having someone hold you, it’s really not a big deal. Also be sure to start in the big ring, and to make sure before you arrive at the start line that you’re not going to drop your chain when you back pedal (you’ll back pedal at some point when you’re clipping in while someone is holding you). Guaranteed someone will drop their chain in the start house, just don’t let it be you. Otherwise, have fun!
I’ve only done a few, but I would say, in the absence of a power meter,
Go out really easy
Go out really easy
Go out really easy
Gradually ramp up your effort over the first few miles. It is REALLY easy to blow it in the first 5 minutes.
Course and wind will play a huge role in how you pace. I’d recommend riding “easy” for the first 3-4 minutes then let er fly. Your 20k power (effort) isn’t really that much different than your 40k…remember that. If you can only push 22 for an hour…it’s not going to all of a sudden by 27 for 20k (which brings me back to the “easy” first few minutes…you may think “hey, I’m awesome”…and then the wheels fall off). I like picking a point on the course that is 2 miles and 1k from the finish. 2 miles to go I tell myself “puch harder pu$$”. 1k to go I ride into puke mode. Start in an easy gear (big ring - 2 from the top), get up to speed quick and get in the bars. Good luck.
