I FINALLY had one of those days...
 

...where the legs felt good. Nothing that would make the evening sports report or anything like that, but some welcome improvement for a self-proclaimed middle of the pack cyclist. I often do short training rides around a small local lake. Pretty flat stuff. Today I decided to see how well I could crank it on the back straight and maintain a nice aero tuck. For me I topped out at about 31.something mph, which may not be a ton to most of you, but definitely a personal best for me.

Now the real quandry. I currently run a compact (50/34), and that had me in a 50-13 combination (front der. issue, couldn't shift down to the 12) with a cadence somewhere between 110 and 120 I think. I usually try to keep in the 90 range. Does this mean I need to pull the 53/39 out of the garage and switch cranks before my first event next month? It's a pancake flat sprint course. I didn't hold that 31 mph for long, but given enough real estate I think (wishfully) I might manage some mid 20s for awhile.

just remember that a cycling TT is much different than the cycling leg of a triathlon. in a TT, you want to pace yourself so that you basically fall off the bike at the end. in a tri, you need to hold some in the tank for the run. you'd probably be fine with the 53/39 up front, especially if its flat or rolling. if nothing else, keeping the 53/39 on your bike will make you a stronger rider.

If you change anything on the bike, do it well enough in advance of the event to test it a few times.

Race day is not a good time to discover drivetrain problems.

Go for it. I'm not sure I agree with keeping stuff in the tank during a sprint. Feel free to hammer!

A month is enough time to feel it out. Do it...