Northern California - Beat the Clock TT This Saturday-Canada Road

We are signed up for this one. Anyone else doing the 9.7 miles of fun ::eek:: We will be mixed tandem class. Online registration closes Thursday 17th.

http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=5942

Hope to see you there

I am signed up to do it on the recumbent trike. Should stand out :)

I am signed up to do it on the recumbent trike. Should stand out :)

Does it have a fairing? Weight around 65 pounds?? You will be in a class of your own for sure :D

So far:

Velodiva
Hermes
Rumbutter
Marco
Smooooth n Sassy tandem

We'll be out of town...will try to make the next one. Sounds like it's shaping up to be a good time.

Does it have a fairing? Weight around 65 pounds?? You will be in a class of your own for sure :D

I am looking for a class win :)

It will be my first ever short distance race on the 3 wheel beast. 33 pounds, no fairings and piloted by an insanely competetive Englishman (the home of time trialling). Be afraid....be very afraid :D
Whats everyones best time on this course ? I have never ridden it but it looks pretty flat in pictures.

I am looking for a class win :)

It will be my first ever short distance race on the 3 wheel beast. 33 pounds, no fairings and piloted by an insanely competetive Englishman (the home of time trialling). Be afraid....be very afraid :D
Whats everyones best time on this course ? I have never ridden it but it looks pretty flat in pictures.

Here is a link to the venues.

http://www.scaledup.com/beattheclock/venues.html

I'm in. First one for me!
Merckx division.

I'm very interested in this as I do the Roberts Market to 92 Loop around 5-15x/week. It's close by to my house, and it's the right amount of hills/flats for my fixie.

Am eagerly waiting on one of my friends to partner up with me - hopefully with a fixie too =).

If not, anyone want a fixed partner =p. I switched from 48x16 to 48x18 recently to bump up my cadence, but I can do that stretch a lot faster in 48x16/49x16/48x15 (I'll change it before the run).


cheers

I may or not be there depending on my wife's schedule. If I am there I'll be riding with a 5-person team. We went out for a practice run on Sunday with encouraging results.

Whats everyones best time on this course ? I have never ridden it but it looks pretty flat in pictures.

You can see results from the past few years at http://www.scaledup.com/beattheclock/results.html (Venue: Cañada Rd Time Trial). There are some 'bent ("HPV") results to compare to in there that should give you something to aim for.

It is definitely flat relative to other common rides in the area, but it is far from dead flat. Outbound is mostly gentle downhill with a small climb toward the end. Flat at the turnaround. The return can be a real killer. There's almost always some kind of wind (though it seems it's rarely a tailwind!), and what was "easy" downhill on the way out can really start to hurt on the way back. The final stretch as you pass under 280 and come to the finish can seem interminable. The old TT adage, "don't start too hard" definitely applies...

Sassy and I did a 25:00 on the tandem. We will try and beat it. I think Sassy is in a little better condition but I am probably not. We will just leave it all out there and see what happens :eek:

For first timers, here is some totally free advice and worth every penny.:thumb::p

Park south of the starting line on Canada. Get a good warmup and go to the starting line ready for a maximum effort. My goal is 30 to 45 minutes depending on when I get there. Mary Ellen and I warm up on trainers. We use a trainer because it is hard for us to get a good warmup on the road and one can always flat. Do not warmup on the race course. Use Canada heading south from the starting line toward Robert's Market.

Tactics:

Start: There is a holder so you can start clipped in. Get in the right gear so that when the starter says go and the holder releases you, you can accelerate smoothly. Teams are not held at the start.

Turnaround - on this course there is a red cone in the middle of Canada road with course marshalls directing you. When you see the cone there is generally a marshall waring you to get ready. Take the turnaround at a safe speed. There is plenty of room but if you overcook the speed it may be a problem.

Edgewood Road - Since you will be going fast, keep your eye on the cross traffic as you approach Edgewood from the South. In addition, there is a course marshall holding up traffic to allow riders to cross but....even though you have the right of way, watch for yourself and be prepared.:thumb:

Energy Management - This TT is deceptively difficult in that it is downhill most of the way to the turnaround with a couple of climbs. It is very easy to go out too fast and enjoy the sense of speed. The return has two downhills and the rest is uphill with false flats. You have to save enough energy to keep your speed up and regain the lost elevation after the turnaround.

Be safe, have fun and good luck.:)

Park south of the starting line on Canada. Get a good warmup and go to the starting line ready for a maximum effort. My goal is 30 to 45 minutes depending on when I get there. Mary Ellen and I warm up on trainers. We use a trainer because it is hard for us to get a good warmup on the road and one can always flat. Do not warmup on the race course. Use Canada heading south from the starting line toward Robert's Market.

If you are feeling lucky (re: flats), an alternative to Woodside/Cañada parking and traffic, as well as a way to get a good warmup is to park at the Park-and-Ride lot at Page Mill Road & 280 and ride over via Arastradero, Alpine, Portola, etc.. Also serves as a good cool-down afterwards. It is right around 45 minutes, depending on your effort of course.

Intriguing ... I am tempted to do this, but not sure how willing I am to embarrass myself by being so much slower than everyone else. I guess I need a little nudge or kick.

::KICK::

Seriously...this is not a sanctioned race; there's really nothing to lose (or win) here. It's you against the clock. Come out and do it and get a baseline, then repeat some time later and see how (if?) you've improved.

Proceeds benefit LAF, what's not to like?

Intriguing ... I am tempted to do this, but not sure how willing I am to embarrass myself by being so much slower than everyone else. I guess I need a little nudge or kick.

Give it a try. The thing with TT's is that you race against yourself. Ride this event then in the future you have a personal best to aim for regardless of what others do. I havent ridden a time trial in about 12 years so it will be a learning curve for me too (with the exception of a 100 mile tt)

Intriguing ... I am tempted to do this, but not sure how willing I am to embarrass myself by being so much slower than everyone else. I guess I need a little nudge or kick.

Nudge

You have to put this in perspective. Participate in the event because you are doing it for yourself and a good cause. It will add a new dimension to your riding. This will be the only time you are assured a personal best.:thumb:

Very interesting. I know nothing about bike racing. What are the rules? No drafting? Will there be lots of pile ups/crashes? I don't really want to mess up my bike or my body. How do people do it so fast? I would think that 30 minutes is trucking (almost 20 mph), but yet that would be among the slowest times! Is this basically just for pros and people who regularly race? Or is this the cycling equivalent of your local 10k fun run???

Very interesting. I know nothing about bike racing. What are the rules? No drafting? Will there be lots of pile ups/crashes? I don't really want to mess up my bike or my body. How do people do it so fast? I would think that 30 minutes is trucking (almost 20 mph), but yet that would be among the slowest times! Is this basically just for pros and people who regularly race? Or is this the cycling equivalent of your local 10k fun run???

It is for anyone who has any kind of bike or similar (recumbent, trike, etc.). It is a time trial, a very specific type of bike racing. There are other types of races that are very different. In a TT riders are started individually at 30-second intervals, and the race is against yourself/the clock. In sanctioned races, no drafting, and it's pretty strictly enforced. But I would say this particular event is more like a fun run; it's not a sanctioned race; there are no prizes for being first and there's no penalty for being last. Well, just the suffering :love:

Very interesting. I know nothing about bike racing. What are the rules? No drafting? Will there be lots of pile ups/crashes? I don't really want to mess up my bike or my body. How do people do it so fast? I would think that 30 minutes is trucking (almost 20 mph), but yet that would be among the slowest times! Is this basically just for pros and people who regularly race? Or is this the cycling equivalent of your local 10k fun run???

This is an individual time trial. You are on the course by yourself - no drafting allowed. The road is not closed but we have course marshalls at Edgewood and the turnaround.

It is not a race and is promoted as a training ride. As such, no USCF license is required. We have all levels participate from professionals through Cat 5 and non licensed participants - hence fast times. If you do not have a TT bike you would participate in the Merckx Division i.e. no aero. People sign up and ride their road bikes against the clock. It is very simple to sign up and participate.

Ok, I went ahead and signed up, Merckx category. Just don't everyone laugh at my sloooooooooow time.

Cool. Don't worry, no one is going to tease you. We're all going to be worried more about recovering the lung parts we coughed up.

Ok, I went ahead and signed up, Merckx category. Just don't everyone laugh at my sloooooooooow time.

We are more worried about our times and result versus others. The best preparation you can do for the TT is to ride the course today at a fast pace to get a feel for the course and gearing. We all ride that section of Canada road a lot but it is a totally different feeling against the clock at full power. The course starts just north of Jefferson on the flat section of the road and there is a faint white TT marker painted in the bike lane.

Cool. Don't worry, no one is going to tease you. We're all going to be worried more about recovering the lung parts we coughed up.

Is that what the big "klunk" was that I ran over? Sorry 'bout that. :roflmao2:

It's more of a "squish" sound :)

We will not be able to make it :( Have a great time everyone!!

We will not be able to make it :( Have a great time everyone!!

We will miss you!!!!

We will not be able to make it :( Have a great time everyone!!

Sorry you wont be able to make it. I was hoping to try to give you a run for your money on the trike ;)

I may not be able to make it, but I will certainly be checking the results. Do really well everyone :thumb:

Too bad Smoooooth ... was hoping to actually meet you, finally.

My start time ... 7:52

I had a blast ... this definitely is a different experience.

I parked behind the Pioneer Hotel (near Whiskey Hill and Woodside), figuring the ride from there to the start would be a nice warm up. I figure it would be more realistic than spending time on the trainer.

Since this is my first ever time trial, of course, my adrenaline was at a high. Met up with Blastradius, who started 2 minutes ahead of me. And no, I did not catch him.

The start was fast, and I knew it as I was spinning at a pretty good cadence, and overall, felt good. I kinda expected this, and didn't want to blow myself out too much at the very beginning, but it never fails ... you feel so good, you just want to push it some more. After a slight hill before the turnaround, I can feel myself breathing harder.

At the turnaround point, that sight was so welcome, it almost gave me an extra burst. On the return, I slip back into a rhythm. As I approach Edgewood, I know there is that annoying climb, so shift into my middle chainring. Then, the last mile, time to push. Damn, this hill is a lot harder when you are timed than normal pack ride, or even a solo ride. My zone 5 is exceeding ... I know, I know ... but just a few hundred yards more. I felt like my legs were going to burst!

Wow, that was fun! I achieved my goal. I wanted to finish it in < 30 minutes, and it's exactly what I did. Now I've got a baseline. Can't wait for the next Beat the Clock TT.

Later, met up with 'nother and Blastradius. It was great talking about it afterwards too.

Sorry, no pics.

It was great to see Rumbutter, Spingineer and Blastradius. Hermes will post pics later. The weather was chilly (low 50's at the start) and foggy. Going out north on Canada is was misty - had to get out of the full TT position momentarily to wipe off the glasses to see. Then brief moment of sunshine at the turnaround at 92/Canada. I think there was a mild cross wind from the west. Hermes went off at 7:04 and my start time was 7:38, so I had plenty of time to warm up on the trainer. I think the times were slower overall today compared to June 21 Beat the Clock TT due to the damp air. For the June 21 TT, the weather was warm, dry and no wind and a day for personal bests. I felt great - finished somewhere sub-27. I passed no one and no one passed me. My one-minute "rabbit" was a woman who is about one minute faster than me, so there was really no contest. Official results to follow.

Hey, nice to see everyone, nice to meet you Ron & Henry. Velodiva & Hermes sorry I didn't stop to chat but it seemed like you guys were pretty engaged on your warmups plus I was trying to find my team :)

We had a blast; hoping to do better on our time (doesn't everyone?!) but we'll have to come back in September and try again!

Ron, glad to hear you enjoyed your first TT...see, it wasn't so bad!

It was great to see everyone at the TT. I woke up at 4:30AM to a foggy crisp morning. After we arrived, I was on the trainer by 6:25.

Warming up.
http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u250/rallen94402/Canada%20TT%20July%202008/PICT0019.jpg

Starting Line
http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u250/rallen94402/Canada%20TT%20July%202008/PICT0022.jpg

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u250/rallen94402/Canada%20TT%20July%202008/PICT0023.jpg

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u250/rallen94402/Canada%20TT%20July%202008/PICT0026.jpg

I am off
http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u250/rallen94402/Canada%20TT%20July%202008/PICT0027.jpg

rumbutter
http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u250/rallen94402/Canada%20TT%20July%202008/PICT0020.jpg

Blastradius
http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u250/rallen94402/Canada%20TT%20July%202008/PICT0021.jpg

Hermes, Spingineer and Blastradius
http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u250/rallen94402/Canada%20TT%20July%202008/PICT0030.jpg

Velodiva post ride
http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u250/rallen94402/Canada%20TT%20July%202008/PICT0028.jpg

Great pics Hermes. Great to finally meet you and Velodiva, along with 'nother. I had fun! And still have the rest of the day to do other stuff.

The TT was a blast. I have a sore butt muscle from the effort that I've not felt before. That MUST be good. It was great to see everyone and meet a new face, 'nother. I saw Rumbutter briefly but didn't see him around when I finished. I can't wait to do it again.

I woke up at 5am to drive to Canada road and it was a very pleasant 60 degrees outside when I loaded up the trike into the truck so I thought the conditions would be ideal. The nearer I got to Canada road the colder it got and when I finally arrived the temp was around 50 degrees and thick fog. I got a 20 minute warm up (cool down???) which was a challenge with fogged up glasses, then set about finding somewhere to make a call of nature. Cold weather, nerves and recumbents seem to play havoc on the early morning bladder. I didnt find anywhere so had to race with some discomfort. Where does one go for a potty break on this course ? I saw velodiva and hermes warming up on their half bikes but unfortunately didn’t get to meet the rest of you. Thanks for the picture !
I rode as hard as I could on the course but for some reason I was about 20 beats down on my normal race pace. I found the undulations really hard work and that last mile was horrible. The fog made it difficult to see other riders but fortunately I only got caught by one person. My Garmin measured the course to be exactly 10.0 miles.

Sorry for not hanging around but I had to rush off to find a bathroom after the event :D

I woke up at 5am to drive to Canada road and it was a very pleasant 60 degrees outside when I loaded up the trike into the truck so I thought the conditions would be ideal. The nearer I got to Canada road the colder it got and when I finally arrived the temp was around 50 degrees and thick fog. I got a 20 minute warm up (cool down???) which was a challenge with fogged up glasses then set about finding somewhere to make a call of nature. Cold weather, nerves and recumbents seem to play havoc on the early morning bladder. I didnt find anywhere so had to race with some discomfort. Where does one go for a potty break on this course ? I saw velodiva and hermes warming up on their half bikes but unfortunately didn’t get to meet the rest of you. Thanks for the picture !
I rode as hard as I could on the course but for some reason I was about 20 beats down on my normal race pace. I found the undulations really hard work and that last mile was horrible. The fog made it difficult to see other riders but fortunately I only got caught by one person. My Garmin measured the course to be exactly 10.0 miles

Sorry for not hanging around but I had to rush off to find a bathroom after the event :D

They usually have a port-a-potty set up near the registration desk. Unfortunately, today was one of those rare occasions where there were no facilities. I understand this responsibility falls to Patt's (the organizer) husband who is recovering from an unfortuate cycling accident - ergo, no porta-potty. Hermes and I sort of improvised if you get my drift . . . . Yes, today made for tough conditions - but fun nonetheless. Hope to see you at the next event!

No porta-potties? I don't know what you're talking about?!? I saw plenty of trees around there... :)

I had a blast ... this definitely is a different experience.

I parked behind the Pioneer Hotel (near Whiskey Hill and Woodside), figuring the ride from there to the start would be a nice warm up. I figure it would be more realistic than spending time on the trainer.

Since this is my first ever time trial, of course, my adrenaline was at a high. Met up with Blastradius, who started 2 minutes ahead of me. And no, I did not catch him.

The start was fast, and I knew it as I was spinning at a pretty good cadence, and overall, felt good. I kinda expected this, and didn't want to blow myself out too much at the very beginning, but it never fails ... you feel so good, you just want to push it some more. After a slight hill before the turnaround, I can feel myself breathing harder.

At the turnaround point, that sight was so welcome, it almost gave me an extra burst. On the return, I slip back into a rhythm. As I approach Edgewood, I know there is that annoying climb, so shift into my middle chainring. Then, the last mile, time to push. Damn, this hill is a lot harder when you are timed than normal pack ride, or even a solo ride. My zone 5 is exceeding ... I know, I know ... but just a few hundred yards more. I felt like my legs were going to burst!

Wow, that was fun! I achieved my goal. I wanted to finish it in < 30 minutes, and it's exactly what I did. Now I've got a baseline. Can't wait for the next Beat the Clock TT.

Later, met up with 'nother and Blastradius. It was great talking about it afterwards too.

Sorry, no pics.

Cool Ron! good for you! Congratulations:beer::speedy:

Results are posted:

http://www.scaledup.com/beattheclock/results/071908bycat.pdf