"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - climbing on a TT bike

Hey, my first official thread in road bike racing!

I've got my first road bike events next weekend: a 15K TT on the 1st with a 60min crit on the 2nd. A buddy who is out of the scene right now loaned me his TT bike, an oldish GT edge. It's a bit porky for the climbs, but descends faster than anything I've ridden - due to great aerodynamics, the solid rear wheel and a big ol' 55 tooth front crank.

I've been doing some work on the bike and am trying to emulate the TT - easy rollers with a small climb to the turnaround, then all downhill from there. I'm a light rider (145lbs) so am used to climbing out of the saddle whenever I can. My instinct is to the same on the TT bike. Problem is, when I get out of the saddle holding onto the aero bars, the bike feels REAL squirrely and I start wandering all over the road. The best I can do while keeping the bike stable is to just be sitting on the tip of the saddle.

Does anyone climb out of the saddle while on the aero bars, or is it best to just be on the tip?

short power climbs I will be out of the saddle while in the bars. Longer climbs I go to the cowhorns (if the speed drops to under 14mph).

I make better power seated, TT bike or road bike.

The question is, if you don't have a power meter, is where are you faster? Whatever position you're faster in, I'd use that.

I make better power seated, TT bike or road bike.

The question is, if you don't have a power meter, is where are you faster? Whatever position you're faster in, I'd use that.

I wish I had a power meter. I seem to be faster out of the saddle on moderate/steep climbs. But the problem is that I'm afraid I'm going to flip the bicycle when I'm cranking out of the saddle. It's just that squirrely. Thanks to DrW for mentioning going to the bull horns on hard climb efforts. I just need to improve my handling skills to be able to quickly move from inner to outter bars without feeling like I'm going to slide out.

short power climbs I will be out of the saddle while in the bars.

YIKES, the first time I tried that I pulled on one of the bars and almost flipped myself. Hit a small hill warming up for a TT for a stage race and acted as if I was on my road bike. I honestly just zoned that I was on my aero bars. Adrenalin RUSH!

If you're going uphill, you don't need the benefits of the aero bars. That's what the cowhorns are there for.

That's why Levi never leaves the aero bars even in a short hill climbb TT.

That's why Levi never leaves the aero bars even in a short hill climbb TT.

If you have to stand up for the hill, you're not going fast enough to need TT bars.

If you're going fast enough not to have to stand up, you may be going fast enough for the aero benefits of TT bars.

You'll get better leverage from the bullhorns too.

(I have to admit that standing up while holding the TT bars has never previously occurred to me as something one would ever intentionally do)

(I have to admit that standing up while holding the TT bars has never previously occurred to me as something one would ever intentionally do)

Sometimes you have to relieve the pressure on the soft tissue!!

I use the bull horns more for steering in a tight corner which always seems to be immediately preceeded by braking which is miraculously convenient. I also will use the bullhorns while standing on a climb but as a desperate last resort. For me a hill TT is better done on my RR bike. I'm thinking of something like San Dimas which is 6miles of 6%.

For me a hill TT is better done on my RR bike. I'm thinking of something like San Dimas which is 6miles of 6%.

I agree with that. The TT I'm dealing with is 15K, with short spurts of climbing totaling a bit more than 1000 feet. There are a couple half mile spots of 3-4% grade, but nothing bad. However, it's just enough that I am fairly certain I could be going faster on my 15.5lb carbon fiber bike. Once I hit the turnaround and it's all downhill though - there absolutely NO WAY my road bike could keep up. Overall, the TT bike is without a doubt faster. I'm just trying to get faster on the uphill route. I'll work on standing while on the bullhorns.

Thanks for all the tips.