Professional Cycling For the Fans - Time Trial Speed
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Old Town
10-28-09, 10:38 AM
How fast do today's time trial riders move on the shorter flat courses. Years ago when I did some TT racing there were no carbon frames and disc wheels. I was just wondering what speed riders can do on their own. (MPH please)
Laggard
10-28-09, 10:54 AM
Lemonds famous TDF TT average speed was just over 33 mph. That's probably the upper limit for TTs. On a flat course you're probably looking at something in the range of 27-31 mph.
i think DZ did a TT with an average of 54km/h ( 33.75MPH )
tadawdy
10-29-09, 02:09 AM
^^^^^^Cancellara was around that in the prologue at the vuelta.
Old Town
10-29-09, 11:49 AM
Thanks for the input. I was mainly interested because I recently watched some serious-looking riders having a 5 mile time trial and the winning time was 9:49. That's a click over 30 mph. These were not pros but all looked very fit. I was impressed with the time because the guy who won had a very "normal" bike - no discs, no special helmet.
crocodilefundy
10-29-09, 01:41 PM
clearly it varies with wind and elevation changes but most of the TTs winners this year were like 31mph. I was actually pretty surprised how consistent the average speeds were between races.
Laggard
10-29-09, 01:44 PM
When I used to race, I could almost hit 30 while sprinting alone.
m4ximusprim3
10-29-09, 02:03 PM
I can touch 30 in a sprint- for about 10 seconds. Holding 30+ mph, even with a nicer bike and aerobars and and everything, for 5 miles is about as acheivable for me as trying to grow wings.
I realize it was on a track, but still, imagine doing it for an hour.
http://veece.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/eddy-mercx.jpg
BTW: Cancellara's average speed in winning the ToC Prologue this year in Sacramento was 31.9 mph or 51.4 kph.
idlingmike
10-29-09, 04:14 PM
FYI, that route was slightly downhill grade.
Lemonds famous TDF TT average speed was just over 33 mph.
That's what I don't get about comparing speeds. No two courses are the same. Even if the profile and distance were, there is the little matter of weather.
Old Town
10-29-09, 06:27 PM
I realize it was on a track, but still, imagine doing it for an hour.
http://veece.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/eddy-mercx.jpg
How fast did he go for an hour?
And isn't that a classic photo. Great rider on the only bike a guy needs: a single speed with no brakes.
49.431 kph. Or 30.715 mph. The Hour Record (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hour_record)is just that. You ride for an hour and they measure how far you went.
It's insane.
Laggard
10-29-09, 07:11 PM
One of the most painful events in cycling. Merckx, after being lifted off his bike, said that it was something he never wanted to do again.
49.431 kph. Or 30.715 mph. The Hour Record (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hour_record)is just that. You ride for an hour and they measure how far you went.
It's insane.
As well as setting an hour record he also broke several other records at the same time, including a 10,000m one. I've read some speculation that if he hadn't gone hell for leather from the gun to break the distance records he may have cracked 50kmh for his hour.
One of the most painful events in cycling. Merckx, after being lifted off his bike, said that it was something he never wanted to do again.
And to this day he never has done another.
In the final time trial of the 2003 TdF Ullrich clocked 35.35 mph (56.9kph) over the first 20 miles of the course. That's about as fast as I've ever heard of for that distance. It'd be in the record books, but it was in the rain and he crashed shortly after that time check. Armstrong was only 6 seconds down on him at the time, but he slowed then and took the rest of the course pretty easy too.