"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - Short TT tips

In less than 3 hours..... Going to start in a short (10 mile) time trial through the rolling hills of rural North Carolina. Just looking for general/basic tips and advice. This is my first TT. :thumb:

With less than 3 hours until the event, the only worthwhile advice left is "don't crash".

With less than 3 hours until the event, the only worthwhile advice left is "don't crash".
:lol:

go like crazy
then go harder
then accelerate & hold it
you are allowed to blow up, but not until after the finish line.

pedal all the time.

go like crazy
then go harder
then accelerate & hold it
you are allowed to blow up, but not until after the finish line.

pedal all the time.

I like the last one.

go like crazy
then go harder
then accelerate & hold it
you are allowed to blow up, but not until after the finish line.

pedal all the time.

+1. I like negative splits and the final 2-3 miles, go like there is no tomorrow. GL

dont ease up as you start to crest a hill. push hard until youre up to speed on the backside, then ease off a little if you need to.

dont ease up as you start to crest a hill. push hard until youre up to speed on the backside, then ease off a little if you need to.

Thanks, that seems pretty key -- let's see if I keep it in mind! :innocent:

Don't go out too hard.
10 miles is not that short, so pacing will be important. If you listen to the meathead "go as hard as you can, then go harder" mentality, you will not be alive for the second half of the race.

Go out easier than you think you should, but still strong. Ramp up the effort for he second half of the race, especially the last 2 miles or so...

although I see i've missed the 3 hour cutoff.... so I'm ready for the report beginning with "I started strong but..."

Kick them in the nuts.

So, how did it go?

Don't go out too hard.
If you listen to the meathead "go as hard as you can, then go harder" mentality, you will not be alive for the second half of the race.


In my experience, and from my teammates, people just starting to TT don't really know how hard they can go (how to really suffer), so the encouragement was very much along the lines of "dig deeper than you ever have" - while knowing that you've got to keep the pace hot, and hotter all through the distance.
I'm hardly a meathead (sub #150), and those are the things I was telling myself going through the last TT I did, last weekend at a SR.
I'd always kept bits of myself in reserve, ended with stuff still left in the tank, and hated myself for it.
Last weekend I started hot, and kept going harder with every distance-remaining-sign I passed.
I ended up top 10, while last year I was 3.5' down, so I can vouch that it worked for me.

that said, perhaps my issue was that I like myself too much, and hadn't ever really suffered fully before - medicine for one may be poison for another - I'll admit to that.



although I see i've missed the 3 hour cutoff.... so I'm ready for the report beginning with "I started strong but..."

certainly could be, eh?

i had a 4 corner 16 miler this weekend with the big headwind on the last leg and the crosswind and rollers on the first leg.

i made a big mental deal of not going too hard on the first leg and in retrospect i think i erred too much in the other direction. looking at HR and thinking back, i was just a lttie too conservative.

otherwise it was a pretty decent effort, but ive been kicking myself since then. i was 25 seconds off the next guy so it probably didnt matter.

In my experience, and from my teammates, people just starting to TT don't really know how hard they can go (how to really suffer)

This is true; what's also true is a lot of people don't really understand pacing and evaluating a TT course. Some course call for negative splits, some for positive. But the first 2-3 minutes do need to be throttled back from the hardest you think you can do...I could easily go 450w for those 3 minutes...it's the next 8.5 miles that aren't going to go so well.

My new coach was looking at one TT file I sent him.

"Your pacing sucked".

"I set the course record".

"Nevermind"

The TT was into a headwind the first leg.

This is true; what's also true is a lot of people don't really understand pacing and evaluating a TT course. Some course call for negative splits, some for positive.

good point - the ToWW TT, ended up with me being 20 places higher than I thought I would be - and it was a TT into a headwind.
Talking about it with my coach afterwards, I asked if I should have gone out harder on the early head-windy hill.
Yes, I certainly should have, and then done the run-in on fumes for the last couple miles.

I'm still learning how to go hard and long, and that's a fact.

Hahaha Racer, that's hilarious!

I suck at TT's and your point about knowing when to do negative or positive splits is a good one...I have no clue or more on point guess I never gave it much thought. I'm assuming by a positive split you mean going above target power in the first half or third and so on? I guess I just always tried (without much success) not to fill my legs with lactic acid early on so as not to have to finish with blown out legs.

Hahaha Racer, that's hilarious!

I suck at TT's and your point about knowing when to do negative or positive splits is a good one...I have no clue or more on point guess I never gave it much thought. I'm assuming by a positive split you mean going above target power in the first half or third and so on? I guess I just always tried (without much success) not to fill my legs with lactic acid early on so as not to have to finish with blown out legs.

Yep, that's pretty much it as far as splits go.

How you split the course depends on, in a nutshell, where you stand to lose/gain the most time. Uphill into a headwind, you'd aim for a positive split. If it was the opposite, you'd want a negative. Obviously it get's more nuanced.

As far as lactic goes I pretty much flirt with the stuff; I ride into the tinge but not the full blown load. Lactic is actually consumed as fuel and in and of itself not a bad thing. The bad part is it always shows up as a warning sign that the wheels are coming off if you keep down the path your going effort-wise. It's a moving target according to your fitness level, and requires that you train hard enough to hurt for extended periods to gauge how far you can push before the meltdown.

So, how did it go?

Well! I started by forgetting my speedometer, so that was a bummer, but I think I did well avering 23 mph on rolling terrain, beating some folks who had actual TT bars and wheels, etc (I don't).

I wanna thanks everyone for their advice, and especially the "crest the hill as fast as you can" bit, that helped. There is another next month, and I look forward to improving my time.

Since this is pretty close, how do you guys ride in a TT during a stage race? I have an 11 mile ITT before a crit at Bennington this weekend. Never raced in a crit, or a time trial, so this will be breaking new ground. Do you pace yourself any different than you would if you didn't have a race afterwards?

Chado, I'm doing that race too (just asked a question about it in the Twitter feed). I think it depends on what kind of rider you are, and what your goals are for the race, but in most cases I can't see there being much of an advantage to holding anything back in the TT. The fun thing about stage races is that everyone else is just as raced-out and tired as you are.

Chado, I'm doing that race too (just asked a question about it in the Twitter feed). I think it depends on what kind of rider you are, and what your goals are for the race, but in most cases I can't see there being much of an advantage to holding anything back in the TT. The fun thing about stage races is that everyone else is just as raced-out and tired as you are.

That makes perfect sense. thanks! the TT is definitely my weakness, so i'll really have to try hard.

That makes perfect sense. thanks! the TT is definitely my weakness, so i'll really have to try hard.

Just think of it as a good warm-up for the crit. In between races make sure you get plenty to eat and drink, and keep your legs loose with some easy spinning. Once your start time for the crit gets close do a few jumps.

Stage races are a whole lot of fun. Don't sweat the results of any one stage and go into each race like it's a whole new day. My name is Kate and I'm in a blue/white/gold kit and have lots of tattoos--if you see me say hi. And good luck!

Just think of it as a good warm-up for the crit. In between races make sure you get plenty to eat and drink, and keep your legs loose with some easy spinning. Once your start time for the crit gets close do a few jumps.

Stage races are a whole lot of fun. Don't sweat the results of any one stage and go into each race like it's a whole new day. My name is Kate and I'm in a blue/white/gold kit and have lots of tattoos--if you see me say hi. And good luck!

Thanks! I'm a junior in a CCB kit. I'll keep an eye out! What field are you racing in?

Thanks! I'm a junior in a CCB kit. I'll keep an eye out! What field are you racing in?

Women's 3/4.

Chado, based on your question I'm guessing you're Cat5. I'd say, go out and HAMMER the TT if you have any hopes of doing well in the GC. It's unlikely that there will be any time gap in the crit to make up time as it'll likely be a pack finish. Then do as GA says, recovery drink, fluids, and stay loose. GL to you and GA

Since this is pretty close, how do you guys ride in a TT during a stage race? I have an 11 mile ITT before a crit at Bennington this weekend. Never raced in a crit, or a time trial, so this will be breaking new ground. Do you pace yourself any different than you would if you didn't have a race afterwards?

I didn't hold back in the TT, mostly because the crit wasn't until 6+ hours later.

Now if a RR was on the same day the approach might be different.. but usually it's TT+crit in the same day so not a big deal (if you have the legs for both of course).

I didn't hold back in the TT, mostly because the crit wasn't until 6+ hours later.

Now if a RR was on the same day the approach might be different.. but usually it's TT+crit in the same day so not a big deal (if you have the legs for both of course).

Yup, that's the case. I have a few hours in between so plenty of time for recovery.

If it's a stage race that is mostly flat (or on a course where either you are unlikely to be in the break or a break is unlikely to perform) I would not hold anything back in the TT - it's always easier to be ahead in time than it is to make up time (especially once the TT is over).