Go Back  Bike Forums > The Racer's Forum > "The 33"-Road Bike Racing
Reload this Page >

Tips for a 4 mile TT with 13 corners?

Notices
"The 33"-Road Bike Racing We set this forum up for our members to discuss their experiences in either pro or amateur racing, whether they are the big races, or even the small backyard races. Don't forget to update all the members with your own race results.

Tips for a 4 mile TT with 13 corners?

Old 06-07-12, 01:10 PM
  #1  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Soft-pedaling in your draft
Posts: 280

Bikes: Wilier Izoard

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Tips for a 4 mile TT with 13 corners?

Omnium prologue TT tomorrow evening. It's a 4.1 mile course with 13 turns (not counting those greater than a right angle).

Map

As you can see the longest uninterrupted stretch is maybe several hundred meters at best.

Any tips on how to approach this thing? I imagine it's going to basically on/off the whole way - brake, sprint, brake, sprint, repeat ad nauseum...

edit: In case you are wondering, the winning Cat 4 time last year was 10:06 which comes out to be around 24.6mph, so this is definitely not your usual TT.

Last edited by heppm01; 06-07-12 at 01:14 PM.
heppm01 is offline  
Old 06-07-12, 01:18 PM
  #2  
My idea of fun
 
kensuf's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Gainesville, FL
Posts: 9,920

Bikes: '06 Litespeed Tuscany, '02 Kona Lavadome, '07 Giant TCR Advanced, '07 Karate Monkey

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 41 Post(s)
Liked 59 Times in 36 Posts
1. Pre-ride the course.
2. Scout the course (walk it) thoroughly.
3. Pre-ride the course.

Several of those corners look like you could coast through them pretty quickly, and the line you take can easily set you up for the next corner.
kensuf is offline  
Old 06-07-12, 01:21 PM
  #3  
ride lots be safe
 
Creakyknees's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Texas
Posts: 5,224
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 13 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
1. ride fast
Creakyknees is offline  
Old 06-07-12, 01:27 PM
  #4  
Making a kilometer blurry
 
waterrockets's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Austin (near TX)
Posts: 26,170

Bikes: rkwaki's porn collection

Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 37 Post(s)
Liked 91 Times in 38 Posts
I like that course!

I would really "spend as little time going slow as possible." Carry speed into the corners, brake hard if you have to brake at all (so you can brake late -- but mind your cornering traction). Most importantly: sprint hard out of each corner to get back up to speed. You should be able to handle 13 really short sprints (probably 8-10 pedal strokes). Then, once you're up to speed, just hold it as long as possible.

I would look on Strava for the best time on the course, then look at that rider's speed in each stretch to give you some targets (scale by your ability/suspected speed).
waterrockets is offline  
Old 06-07-12, 01:40 PM
  #5  
Making a kilometer blurry
 
waterrockets's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Austin (near TX)
Posts: 26,170

Bikes: rkwaki's porn collection

Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 37 Post(s)
Liked 91 Times in 38 Posts
https://app.strava.com/segments/1514587

Well, no good there. Nobody fast on it.
waterrockets is offline  
Old 06-07-12, 01:56 PM
  #6  
Batüwü Creakcreak
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: The illadelph
Posts: 20,787
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 228 Post(s)
Liked 287 Times in 160 Posts
You're using a road bike right?
ridethecliche is offline  
Old 06-07-12, 02:00 PM
  #7  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Soft-pedaling in your draft
Posts: 280

Bikes: Wilier Izoard

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by waterrockets
https://app.strava.com/segments/1514587

Well, no good there. Nobody fast on it.
Yeah, but that was a great tip though.

rtc: Yes. Chief ref mandating bikes must be legal for mass-start events.
heppm01 is offline  
Old 06-07-12, 02:10 PM
  #8  
soon to be gsteinc...
 
rkwaki's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Nayr497's BFF
Posts: 8,564
Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Attached Images
rkwaki is offline  
Old 06-07-12, 03:31 PM
  #9  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 249
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by rkwaki
This.

Seriously. Only 4 miles. Pedal until you can't take it anymore and then pedal harder.

Like Waterrockets said, carrying speed will be important. Also keep the RPMs up so you can accelerate quickly of corners.
fastbub is offline  
Old 06-07-12, 03:46 PM
  #10  
Senior Member
 
caloso's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Sacramento, California, USA
Posts: 40,865

Bikes: Specialized Tarmac, Canyon Exceed, Specialized Transition, Ellsworth Roots, Ridley Excalibur

Mentioned: 68 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2952 Post(s)
Liked 3,106 Times in 1,417 Posts
Psychologically, I'd be riding this like I'm trying to bridge to a breakaway in a crit. Hard, hard, hard. Good lines through corners, and then harder, harder, harder.
caloso is offline  
Old 06-07-12, 03:50 PM
  #11  
impressive member
 
badhat's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: fort collins
Posts: 2,706

Bikes: c'dale supersix, jamis trilogy, spec. tricross

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts
minimize the time you spend below tempo speed/power

meaning- break late and come out of the corners and spin up as quickly as possible, but dont sprint- if your cruise speed for the course is 27, just spin up to 27 as quickly as you can.

and yeah know the corners and which ones you can pedal through and tuck through and which ones you cant.
badhat is offline  
Old 06-07-12, 03:51 PM
  #12  
Elite Fred
 
mollusk's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Edge City
Posts: 10,945

Bikes: 2009 Spooky (cracked frame), 2006 Curtlo, 2002 Lemond (current race bike) Zurich, 1987 Serotta Colorado, 1986 Cannondale for commuting, a 1984 Cannondale on loan to my son

Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 60 Post(s)
Liked 42 Times in 19 Posts
Originally Posted by caloso
Psychologically, I'd be riding this like I'm trying to bridge to a breakaway in a crit. Hard, hard, hard. Good lines through corners, and then harder, harder, harder.
This.
mollusk is offline  
Old 06-07-12, 04:49 PM
  #13  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Soft-pedaling in your draft
Posts: 280

Bikes: Wilier Izoard

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Good tips - I appreciate the input.

Any thoughts on tire pressure? Assuming the pavement is in decent shape I was thinking of going -5 to pick up a little traction in the corners.
heppm01 is offline  
Old 06-07-12, 04:52 PM
  #14  
Elite Fred
 
mollusk's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Edge City
Posts: 10,945

Bikes: 2009 Spooky (cracked frame), 2006 Curtlo, 2002 Lemond (current race bike) Zurich, 1987 Serotta Colorado, 1986 Cannondale for commuting, a 1984 Cannondale on loan to my son

Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 60 Post(s)
Liked 42 Times in 19 Posts
That sounds like over-thinking. Just run what you usually run.
mollusk is offline  
Old 06-08-12, 08:49 AM
  #15  
These Guys Eat Oreos
 
Creatre's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Superior, CO
Posts: 3,432

Bikes: Yes

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 13 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
4 miles is longer than it sounds. I just did a 3.2 mile prologue last weekend (8-9 minute course for most) and it was a much harder/longer effort than I was expecting. Don't blow up on the first few corners.

I also did a similar course to the one you are doing but it was about half the distance. Like Kensuf said, pre-scouting/riding the course is the best way to go. With all those corners, if you can save a 1-3 seconds on each corner over the rest of the people, it adds up. The only way to know how hard or fast you can do those corners is by doing them ahead of time.

Good luck! Remember to suffer and you'll be fine!
Creatre is offline  
Old 06-08-12, 09:52 AM
  #16  
Resident Alien
 
Racer Ex's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Location, location.
Posts: 13,089
Mentioned: 158 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 349 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 9 Times in 5 Posts
Originally Posted by Creatre
4 miles is longer than it sounds
4k is much longer than it sounds.

1k is death.

Go out a bit under what you think is comfortable for the first 2-3 minutes. If you feel any lactic at all immediately ratchet it back and spin for a minute or two to get under control...because you've gone out too hard. I'd be looking to come out of the corners as fast and start pedalling as early as possible...think 50% of a full on sprint for 3-4 seconds. Hard, but under control.

Because you'll be going from 20-30mph any number of times try to stay as aero as possible once you've accelerated up to speed to minimize drag on the straight sections.

Controlled aggression and course knowledge wins. Stupid aggression (giving in to adrenaline) and Schleck-like prep loses.
Racer Ex is offline  
Old 06-08-12, 07:43 PM
  #17  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Soft-pedaling in your draft
Posts: 280

Bikes: Wilier Izoard

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Wow, how embarrassing.

(RacerEx can stop reading now)

Went anaerobic almost immediately but figured it was just adrenaline so I kept pounding and concentrating on the corners. About 3' in I realized I was in deep **** but the damage was done. Eased up but the next corner turned me into a 15mph headwind and slight rise and even crawling along at 16mph I wasn't getting any recovery. After another minute or so things were a little more under control and I was able to get back on it but it was too little, too late. Finished 21/25 in 10:50.52.

My main takeaway is that I was so focused on the corners that I totally lost any sense of pacing <insert I-told-you-so here>. If I had a zillion TTs under my belt I might have been able to get away with it but I clearly don't have the sixth sense to instinctively throttle back when digging myself a hole.

On the bright side, I wasn't DFL, I didn't do a Schleck buttslide around a corner and if I ever decide to go transsexual my time would be good enough for the podium.

Thanks to all that took the time to share their thoughts.
heppm01 is offline  
Old 06-11-12, 07:15 PM
  #18  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 5,820
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 383 Post(s)
Liked 133 Times in 91 Posts
Edit=oops too late.


I will repeat a previously asked question, you are riding a road bike, right? This whole course is about corner speed, There is no way you are going to get around the corners fast on a TT bike.

Don' give up corner speed for anything, don't brake, go in very wide arcing turns so that you can pedal through as many corners as possible. On corners where you can't pedal through, downshift before the corner, stay in the saddle and start pedalling as soon as possible after you hit the apex. What you want to avoid at all costs is not pedalling through a corner, waiting till the bike is almost straight up in the exit and then getting out of the saddle to accelerate. You will burn out in a few corners.
__________________
Il faut de l'audace, encore de l'audace, toujours de l'audace

1980 3Rensho-- 1975 Raleigh Sprite 3spd
1990s Raleigh M20 MTB--2007 Windsor Hour (track)
1988 Ducati 750 F1
San Rensho is offline  
Old 06-11-12, 10:13 PM
  #19  
Making a kilometer blurry
 
waterrockets's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Austin (near TX)
Posts: 26,170

Bikes: rkwaki's porn collection

Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 37 Post(s)
Liked 91 Times in 38 Posts
Hey, if it was easy, everyone would be a winner. Congrats on getting through it and learning something. Hang on to that.
waterrockets is offline  
Old 06-12-12, 01:23 AM
  #20  
Resident Alien
 
Racer Ex's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Location, location.
Posts: 13,089
Mentioned: 158 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 349 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 9 Times in 5 Posts
Originally Posted by heppm01
Wow, how embarrassing.

(RacerEx can stop reading now)
Racer Ex is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
sbs z31
"The 33"-Road Bike Racing
13
07-12-14 07:51 PM
spdracr39
Road Cycling
26
07-03-14 02:18 PM
ticotico
Singlespeed & Fixed Gear
5
08-02-10 12:05 AM
acortez
"The 33"-Road Bike Racing
4
04-10-10 07:34 AM
recon455
"The 33"-Road Bike Racing
34
02-19-10 12:24 AM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.