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05-02-05, 10:07 AM
Thanks to everyone who replied and shared their thoughts, tips, etc. about aerobars with me. I ended up putting them on this past Thursday night and then riding on them in the race yesterday AM. Although this went against the better judgment of a number of you, it turned out just fine. I actually am a mechanic in a bike shop, so it wasn't a big deal to install them, and fitting them was fine. I had the bike in the trainer for about an hour that night, setting the position and trying to get a feel for the way that my balance on the bike changed. Nothing simulates riding or racing accurately though, so the road test was the race itself.
The race was a short one -- 2/14/3 (all in miles) -- but the bike ride was a relatively hilly circuit, three times around a short course with three significant hills and some serious downhill. Checking the computer after the race, I noted a new PR: I topped out (on a downhill, I assume) at 46.6 MPH. I was so excited on the bike, it barely registered that I was moving that fast.
The two runs were much slower than the bike for me. I finished the 14 mile course in just under 40 minutes, but the first run was slow, and the second run was just painful. I stuck it out though, and in the end, it turned out to be a good race. I finished in 1:29:29, a respectable 24 minutes behind the winner (whom I outweigh by more than 50 pounds by my best guess). I'm looking forward to getting into another race later this summer, perhaps after I've had some more time to train for one.
Thanks again!
The race was a short one -- 2/14/3 (all in miles) -- but the bike ride was a relatively hilly circuit, three times around a short course with three significant hills and some serious downhill. Checking the computer after the race, I noted a new PR: I topped out (on a downhill, I assume) at 46.6 MPH. I was so excited on the bike, it barely registered that I was moving that fast.
The two runs were much slower than the bike for me. I finished the 14 mile course in just under 40 minutes, but the first run was slow, and the second run was just painful. I stuck it out though, and in the end, it turned out to be a good race. I finished in 1:29:29, a respectable 24 minutes behind the winner (whom I outweigh by more than 50 pounds by my best guess). I'm looking forward to getting into another race later this summer, perhaps after I've had some more time to train for one.
Thanks again!