What kind of bike set-up is good for a 3 mile, 7% grade, time trial? Tri set-up(cervelo p3, zipp 909) or Regular road bike (orbea starshipp, zipp 303) or some combination. Thanks!
TP
Seeing that I have dropped Slowman on a few climbs peddaling with one leg, I figure I am qualified to answer this one:
Road bike, light al/scandium frame. Reynolds Stratus UL wheels. 160lbs in conti comp tires, no water…empty colon.
I, however, put the screws to Slowman and Monty with Colnago c40, 2 full water bottles, 25mm tires, constipation…pedaling with 1 leg. The only advantage I had was a light pair of Rocket7 shoes.
The best set up is to lose 10 lbs :-). If that is impossible, I’d lean towards the road setup using the lightest wheels possible. I know on the Mount Washington Hillclimb, lots of guys lighten up their bikes by losing the big chainring, STI front shifter and front Derrailleur. A pursuit base bar with nothing (i.e. aerobars) would also be lighter than drop bars too.
I would go for light. Both the bike and the rider. Aero won’t cut it on that race.
Out of curiosity, what kind of times do people post on this kind of TT?
I asked our intrepid uphill time trail specialist, Mike Aderhold- who once won a professional uphill time trail at the Blue Ash Dash in Ohio, what his preference was.
he used a lightened road bike with gearing specific to the course.
That I recall I have only done a couple and I used a lightened road bike.
bump
How fast is typical for something like this?
Typical for whom? I estimate that I could do it in about 15 minutes, but I doubt most triathletes could.
Are you saying triathlets can’t ride bikes very well? lol
Triathletes are less accustomed to this kind of effort than pure bike riders. So, RVW is right.
When’s the last time you saw a triathon bike leg that had that kind of grade/total distance? Good roadies will outride good triathletes in a short hillclimb TT. On a century ride with NO drafting: good triathletes will outride good roadies.
In Vuelta De Bisbee last year we began with a 2.7 mile climbing prologue that worked its way into a 5% climb and then went up to a 7% climb. I would definately suggest the road bike with the 303’s. I actually used a clip on Deda Black a the first 1/2 mile was somewhat flat.
Something must have worked because I came in 5th overall (we wont mention the shellacking I received in the 12 mile ITT which dropped me down to 25th overall!)
Rule of thumb for rate of altitude gain on a 30 minute climbing test:
2000 ft/hr - recreational fitness, 3000 ft/hr - moderate fitness, 4000 ft/hr - high level of fitness, 5000 ft/hr - extremely high (professional) level of fitness
With a bike computer and your favorite 10% climb this is kind of a nice way to test your fitness.
Are you saying triathlets can’t ride bikes very well? lol
No, I’m just saying that I think I’d be faster up a 3 mile, 7% hill than most triathletes, even though I’m sure that I’d be slower than many.
I’m just giving you a hard time. 7% is a mountain to most of the triathletes I know.
tpetriep,
On June 5, 2002, Kraig Willett published a fantastic analysis of the significance of time-trial equipment choice depending on grade in an article titled: Is Time-Trial Equipment Choice “Significant”, an in depth analysis of Chris Horner’s Redlands Prologue victory. This article should provide excellent hard data for making equipment choices based on course grades. You may be able to turn this up on a Google search, otherwise, perhaps Kraig can supply a link.
The climb up Old La Honda Road near Palo Alto is a near constant 7% for 3.35 miles. The (known) record is by Eric Heiden, at I believe just under 15 minutes.
"Kraig Willett published a fantastic analysis "