Northern California - Berkeley Time Trial Report

I started out early today. I was hoping to catch some of the early starters and get photos, but I made the mistake of going all the way down to the boat docks and missed Chris (PizzaMan) and his teamate, but was able to catch them at the finish. They were so fast that from the time it took to get from the Boat dock to the finish I almost missed them. I was shooting into the sun which really sucked, so half the time I had no idea who or what I was shooting. It took a lot of manipulating to get the picture right "post shot"
The event was pretty exciting to watch, I was really impressed with how everyone rode like champs!
I got a kick out of Mary Ellen sounding like a demon possessed soul running from the devil himself up Papa Bear.

Deb looked so Pro, I didn't recognize her at first till she said "Hey Pete"

Marco & Ruth did awesome for the first real big TT. (I see a future!)

I hung out with a couple of Silicon Valley athletes who kept me company and rooted for everyone with me " Kerry and Beth".

Afterwards I hung out at the start with Rich & Mary Ellen and M&R for post chat. M&R and myself rode afterwards with Beaker and BenRidin (Richard & Jim). Great time!
I started out early today. I was hoping to catch some of the early starters and get photos, but I made the mistake of going all the way down to the boat docks and missed Chris (PizzaMan) and his teamate, but was able to catch them at the finish. They were so fast that from the time it took to get from the Boat dock to the finish I almost missed them. I was shooting into the sun which really sucked, so half the time I had no idea who or what I was shooting. It took a lot of manipulating to get the picture right "post shot"
The event was pretty exciting to watch, I was really impressed with how everyone rode like champs!
I got a kick out of Mary Ellen sounding like a demon possessed soul running from the devil himself up Papa Bear.

Deb looked so Pro, I didn't recognize her at first till she said "Hey Pete"

Marco & Ruth did awesome for the first real big TT. (I see a future!)

I hung out with a couple of Silicon Valley athletes who kept me company and rooted for everyone with me " Kerry and Beth".

Afterwards I hung out at the start with Rich & Mary Ellen and M&R for post chat. M&R and myself rode afterwards with Beaker and BenRidin (Richard & Jim). Great time!
Chris
http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa292/taxi777/Chris-11.jpg
Deb
http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa292/taxi777/Deb.jpg
Marco/Ruth
http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa292/taxi777/MarcoRuth-4.jpg
Rich and Mary Ellen
http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa292/taxi777/MaryEllenRich.jpg
Beth and Kerry
http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa292/taxi777/KerryBeth.jpg
http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa292/taxi777/MaryEllenRich2.jpg
http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa292/taxi777/Kerrybeth2.jpg
http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa292/taxi777/Foursome.jpg

I have to say, I'm highly amused by the trend of TT helmets having built-in muttonchops. :)

Cool photos!

Thanks, Pete! Your strategic placement was just the boost I needed to move ahead of Jen and pull to the end, accelerating all the way. Nice pics, too.

We couldn't stay to chat; Jen had a commitment and had to get back to Sac. so we didn't tarry. We'd hoped to ride with you and the gang; next time.

I had a really good time and although I don't know my time, I feel good about the effort. First TTT and not the last. Jen and I are looking to see what others the season has to offer.

http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa292/taxi777/DSCN1906.jpg
http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa292/taxi777/DSCN1916.jpg
http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa292/taxi777/DSCN1928.jpg
http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa292/taxi777/DSCN1944.jpg
http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa292/taxi777/DSCN1965.jpg
http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa292/taxi777/DSCN1984.jpg

Very nice pictures Pete - as always.

I got a kick out of Mary Ellen sounding like a demon possessed soul running from the devil himself up Papa Bear.

It was a combination of...

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u250/rallen94402/2009%20Berkeley%20TTT/sharapova1007.jpg

and...

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u250/rallen94402/2009%20Berkeley%20TTT/jenna_jameson_13.jpg

but seemed to get the job done.:D

Thanks for the pics Pete. It was great to see you at the race and I agree that Marco and Ruth had a great race. And they look fantastic climbing Papa Bear.

Here's our pics:

http://www.velosportphoto.com/gallery/7525702_Z3BYr/1/486827211_PnkHW/Large

http://www.velosportphoto.com/gallery/7525702_Z3BYr/1/486850108_6NKvf/Large

http://www.jpimages.biz/gallery/7539152_JLZoZ#487783959_kqhW7-XL-LB

59 seconds separating 3rd through 6th.. crazy!

http://www.velosportphoto.com/gallery/7525702_Z3BYr/1/486827211_PnkHW/LargeRuth, wake up! :eek:

:P

Ruth, wake up! :eek:

:P

Since I don`t have to steer or brake, those long descents can make a girl sleepy ;). I didn`t have my sunglasses that day to hide behind.

Great course and a perfect day after the rainy spell.

Also, Hermes and Velodiva failed to mention their awesome run that got them in 3rd place...! Good job!

Thanks for posting the pix. Found my friends who did the ride and now I can make fun of their lovely photos.

They did it in 48 min plus some seconds. Not bad, I don't think?

It was a combination of...



and...



but seemed to get the job done.:D

I was thinkin the same thing:innocent:

just a copy from the RR forum:
A day I'd like to forget. We had a VERY EARLY start time of 8:02:30 which ment the sun still hadn't burnt off the fog and I couldn't see for the first 20 minutes since my glasses had dew on them. I wanted to go out hart but not pop cause I knew our 30 second guys were going to be the team to beat in the P/1/2. About 11 minutes in I hit a pot hole at thought I blew the rear tire. I yelled at my partner that I flated and were done. I rolled along and the tire seemed to still be holding air so I bounced it off the ground a couple times and it was. I then figured the disc was destroyed cause it was bouncing something fierce but still rolling. I fiddled with the brake release and opened it up(still rolling along) and yelled at him to go for it. We went on and finished with a time of 40:57 but I know we dropped at least a minute futzing with my wheel and having to be very gently with it when going up the hills.
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j180/jrennie/486932587_JHngh-X3-1.jpg

After the race I got on my road bike and rode the course backwards and was amazed at how much elevation there is in that course. It really didn't seem like that much while drilling it.

Berkeley Hills Team Time Trial - March 7, 2009
16.7 miles
Category: Tandem (open)
Hermes – captain & Velodiva - stoker
Place: 3rd out of a field of 8
Time: 49:49.5

Official Results - http://www.berkeleybike.org/events/bbcttt_2009_results.html

After all the recent rain, it was refreshing to have sunny skies and 50 degree temps on race day. The light fog lifted well before our 10:09:30 (second to last team!) start time. This is the 16.7 mile “Three Bears Course” with two major climbs and our 3rd annual TTT on the tandem at this event.

We did the pre-race analysis and determined that 3rd place was a possibility for us. We concluded first and second place would be secured by a significant margin. We projected that four tandem teams would be within one minute of each other competing for 3rd place. So going into the event, we knew that every second would count. Also, we knew that time would be gained or lost on the climbs after the first downhill.

We had a good start and settled in below threshold pace. When we got to the start of the first downhill section, a time check showed that we were approximately at the same time as the previous year. We took the downhill with moderate power and got a little recovery setting up for the right turn and commencing the climbs.

We continued along but did not see any other tandems for a while. Right before Mama Bear (the first major climb, we passed the tandem team that started 1 ½ minutes ahead of us. As we started our climb up Papa Bear (final climb before the finish), we passed our “two-minute rabbit” with our one-minute rabbit (male-male tandem team) in sight. We finished with a personal best. We were thrilled to capture 3rd place, and as predicted, only 59 seconds separated 3rd and 6th place. And it doesn’t get much better than winning a pound of Peet’s coffee.

Thanks for reading.

Here are some pics:

The course – blue is elevation,green is speed and red is stoker's HR.
http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u250/rallen94402/2009%20Berkeley%20TTT/2009BerkeleyTTTOverall.jpg

Us on one of the climbs, non-aero.
http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u250/rallen94402/2009%20Berkeley%20TTT/2009BerkeleyTTTRFAMEAonTandem.jpg

Velodiva warming up. We did not see any other tandems on trainers but we did see some riding around. This venue is tough venue upon which to warm-up. It was 40 degrees and foggy when we started and there is nothing but hills. Climbing is okay but descending is cold.
http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u250/rallen94402/2009%20Berkeley%20TTT/PICT0007.jpg

Registration and parking is at the bottom of a hill by a small reservoir. The setting is very nice. The start is at the top of a small hill.
http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u250/rallen94402/2009%20Berkeley%20TTT/PICT0003.jpg

Here are some pics of the parking area and warmup – lots of interesting equipment and people warming up on trainers.
http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u250/rallen94402/2009%20Berkeley%20TTT/PICT0002.jpg

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u250/rallen94402/2009%20Berkeley%20TTT/PICT0004.jpg

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u250/rallen94402/2009%20Berkeley%20TTT/PICT0006.jpg

Pete,

As usual, thanks for the pics!
Great riding out there yesterday everyone that was a lot of fun.

Sorry I missed the post race ride. My teammate locked his keys in his car and since I have AAA and he doesn't, I had to wait around for 90 minutes for the AAA guy to find us.

It was a great day of racing. Unfortunately we had what (for me) was a big equipment failure. My HRM was dead (battery)!!

I use my HRM to keep my pace... Keep me from overexertion as well as not going hard enough.

Well, we felt really good in the beginning of the course. I got a little bit too excited I guess. We passed Rich and Mary Ellen (our 30 second rabbit) at around mile 4.5 :eek:

At that point I thought .... hmmmm this is a we bit early to be catching anyone and knew I that we were going too hard, so I started to back off a tiny bit.

Then we hit the first roller/false flat sections and I felt my right calf twinging a bit with that "almost cramp" feeling, so I took it down one more notch. At that point Rich and Mary Ellen re-passed us... After a couple minutes, I elevated the pace a bit. But that couple minutes of recovery (on the wrong part of the course to be recovering) cost us big time.

We caught our 2-minute rabbit and the 2:30 rabbit was in sight at the finish.

I think we did pretty good. I felt pretty good in the aerobars after some tweaks I made on Friday. Next year we will do better.

We are going to have to get in a Canada TT this year.

What a happy chappy I look :-)

http://www.velosportphoto.com/gallery/7525702_Z3BYr/1/486823947_zXFSa/Large

I was enjoying myself...really I was !!

What a happy chappy I look :-)

http://www.velosportphoto.com/gallery/7525702_Z3BYr/1/486823947_zXFSa/Large

I was enjoying myself...really I was !!

That is the way you are supposed to look.:thumb: In the parking lot during warmup, there was a mixed team parked next to us. The women told her partner that they should be doing the race on recumbents.:eek: It would be more comfortable. Was that you?:D

No that wasnt us discussing bents (wifey doesnt ride silly bikes like me) but we did regret not riding it on the Tandem.

Berkeley Hills Team Time Trial - March 7, 2009
16.7 miles
Category: Tandem (open)
Hermes – captain & Velodiva - stoker
Place: 3rd out of a field of 8
Time: 49:49.5


The course – blue is elevation,green is speed and red is stoker's HR.
[/IMG]

Just have to clarify - the drop in HR is faulty electronic!! I wasn't resting!

It was a combination of...

and...

but seemed to get the job done.:D

Another point of clarification - it "sounded like" a combination of . . . "
That I have to agree.

More pics:

Link only for this one -> http://photos.abbiorca.com/gallery/7552187_S7R9F#487960797_Zpkup-A-LB


http://mikenachtwey.com/cycling/09/bbcttt/mediafiles/l330.jpg

http://mikenachtwey.com/cycling/09/bbcttt/mediafiles/l329.jpg

http://mikenachtwey.com/cycling/09/bbcttt/mediafiles/l313.jpg

http://mikenachtwey.com/cycling/09/bbcttt/mediafiles/l313.jpg

Ruth just woke up.

She lost her sunglasses :(

thanks for posting the one with drool all over my face. ;)

i really need some sunglasses now....

I actually think you two look really good. The photos are great, they show how intense your effort is.

When I compare your setup with Hermes/Velodiva's I notice they have their cranks set with a 1/4 turn differential. Does it make a difference? I guess they want one rider to be in the most powerful phase of the stroke while the other is in the least efficient.

thanks for posting the one with drool all over my face. ;)


Bah, it's cool, shows your grit ;)

I actually think you two look really good. The photos are great, they show how intense your effort is.

When I compare your setup with Hermes/Velodiva's I noticed they have their cranks set with a 1/4 turn differential. Does it make a difference? I guess they want one rider to be in the most powerful phase of the stroke while the other is in the least efficient.

Yeah, it's called Out Of Phase (OOP) in the tandem world.

We have wanted to grow more experienced before trying it, so we could be have a more valid comparison of IP (In Phase) vs. OOP.

Actually we are trying OOP tonight on the night ride. I know what speeds we are normally at on those climbs, so we will analyze the results.

The potential downsides to OOP are:
- Less instantaneous torque. Think 2-cyl punchy (IP) vs. 4-cyl smooth (OOP), in regards to power delivery
- Standing together will take some getting used to, I think.
- Greater potential for pedal strike in sharp leaning corners

The potential upsides to OOP are:
- Smoother power delivery (fewer "dead spots")
- Able to tune in more or less work from the stoker
- Standing alone might be easier?
- Standing together will be very smooth and powerful, once the technique is mastered.

There is a ton of debate on IP v. OOP in the tandem community.

We'll find out for ourselves through experimentation, starting tonight!

Yeah, it's called Out Of Phase (OOP) in the tandem world.

We have wanted to grow more experienced before trying it, so we could be have a more valid comparison of IP (In Phase) vs. OOP.

Actually we are trying OOP tonight on the night ride. I know what speeds we are normally at on those climbs, so we will analyze the results.

Only thing to worry about is pedal strike on sharp leaning descents.

Not really...After you setup OOP, checkout what will happen for turns. For example, for a left turn the captain's right foot is down. The stoker's cranks and pedals are parallel to the bottom tube and out of the way. Tip the tandem and see for yourself how much clearance you have. The problem is speed bumps. Be careful at night. With OOP it is impossible to get both crank arms parallel to the bottom tube. If you instinctively put yours parallel to the top tube, one of hers is down and wacks the speed bump. When I come to a speed bump, I angle the pedals 45 degrees and go very slow.

Starting OOP is a little tricky but easy. She clips in fist and positions the pedal for the start - remember you are out of phase. You clip in your choice and off you go. She has to learn that if you miss the second foot, you are out of phase and she has to relax to allow you to position the pedal so you can clip in. A couple of starts and it is a no brainer.