wphamilton

So if this is true to form for big semi-public competitions you'll have hundreds of entries who want to "give it my best shot", maybe one or two dozen who believe they might be competitive, and probably a handful who know that they're the only ones with a chance to win. It sounds exciting. Have you identified the competition yet?

canam73

For anyone participating that would certainly seem to be the prudent approach.

I prefer bike racing on a well marshaled course, but in the half dozen triathlons I have done and other non-draft events I have seen (with on course rider densities greater than this TT will have) there simply hasn't been the issues being discussed.

Of course there is always the possibility of poor marshaling, poor police work, idiot drivers and idiot cyclists. But much of that also happens in everything from the TdF to solo training rides.

roadwarrior

Companies are grouped by size defined as number of employees...yeah, I know several of the better riders. They would be competition if I was in my 20's again and riding those speeds. But I know some of these guys from the bike shop biz...

I'm just riding for company points. Winning a time trial is long since in my past against twenty somethings.

roadwarrior

Wow, I was impressed with the organization. Two and a half hours of starts at 15 second intervals, and we were well spaced so there were no issues. Pull up to the start area, had your number with a timing chip, and once they entered your number, countdown last three seconds and off you go.
Plenty of police to close off the intersections as needed, and volunteers to help those that had not ridden the course get around the turns.
We started at 8am and the last rider went off about 10.30. 515 riders. And if you wanted, you could go ride the velodrome after signing a waiver.
Very well done.

Campag4life

Out of 515 riders, how did you do RW? Did you race with a power meter or HR so you wouldn't blow up?

roadwarrior

Finished in the 70's (for everyone not company divisions)...I went out way too fast (first race in 35 years) and my first spilt (had I kept t it up) was top 10. But I only found out I was doing this two weeks ago, so I used the next spilt to recover, then picked it up for the last split. It was a touch over six miles, so each split was 2 miles (duh). Computer on bike can be programed to give that info.
Heart rate...I knew I was in trouble when I looked down and saw where I was, but figured I'd just slow down some to get back. When you are riding for yourself, it's different than when you are riding for your company. Totally messed up my first 2 miles.
I kind of got the bug back, though...not much more fun that sitting in the start house getting the 3-2-1 countdown. People watching and clapping. Brought back a lot of memories.
If I raced again, it would be strictly time trials.

Campag4life

Pretty darn impressive. When heart rate starts to exceed LTHR, pretty hard to reel it back in without dropping a lot of speed. If there a key to maxing performance, it maybe that...try and find the sweetspot and keep it there.
Well done!

roadwarrior

Being off for 35 years...I forgot some stuff. When I dialed it back I went small ring to keep revs up, then when I wanted to step it up I had to do a few "shut up legs" comments.

Maybe I'll look for a few of these races next year...the last one I did was 40 miles.

I had fun and that was the most important part, and scored points for the team. And didn't fall or get hit by a car. So it was all good.

Campag4life

Absolutely. When you first described it I thought about an uneven playing field but the safety issue to me was most concerning.
Sounds like you did well on both fronts.
Good clean fun as you say.

roadwarrior

One of our guys almost got hit by a car going through an intersection...the driver apparently did not see the officer was doing something else because the light went green and he nearly drove into one of our guys. He (cyclist) swerved and said he was a quarter mile down the road and could still hear the officer yelling at the driver. Despite that he finished in the 20's.

Then, our one female rider missed the turnoff for the finish because the volunteer who was supposed to be pointing out this 90 degree right hand turn at the end of a downhill was on his cellphone. Told her that's why you need to know the course.

You have to have five riders, one of which must be female. If you run four, there is a huge penalty in time tacked on to your results.

Campag4life

Do you know how the fastest female rider finished? Was she on a TT bike and any particular pedigree i.e. well known local racer?

Rowan

Well, well, well. What about that then.

All that handwringing for nothing, eh?

on the path

I don't think you could ask for better results. Way to go!

roadwarrior

19th, at 25.2mph. Don't know her so anything else I'd be guessing. Start times were flighted into company size so she would have gone later.

I think I saw there were eight women in the top 100 riders.

roadwarrior

LOL...when you have low and simple expectations, anything is good.

furiousferret

So no one 'hired' Jens Voigt or some other pro. At the least Floyd Landis can be had for a janitor's salary.

roadwarrior

Ever heard the story about Floyd showing up to a race in a flannel shirt and argyle knee socks, sneakers (this was way before Postal) and everyone laughing at him? So he bet the field he'd buy everyone dinner if he didn't win the race. And they laughed louder. So he rode around in the back for a while and then decided to go...and lapped the Cat 1 pro field?

It's a classic.

BTW...in this event the bike race is only one of about 20 different things that take place, so it's not worth it to "hire" someone for one event.

Bradleykd

It's pretty clear there aren't many triathletes in the 41! I've never raced a closed course, and never felt unsafe. Even Ironman branded races have open portions of the course. Police at intersections give racers the right of way and its fine. There are enough bikes on the road that drivers can't help but pay attention. 15 second intervals is better than most mass start tris where swimmers come out in packs and leave transition about the same time.

Glad you had fun!