Jakedatc

Lighter bike isn't going to make a huge difference on a flat short course.. need more Aero.. get yourself either in invisible aerobars or close to it with your wrists on your hoods (that's all i'm brave enough to do). elbows 90 degrees.. and a disc wheel...

are you doing this race TT style or can you suck wheel as much as he'll allow and get after him in a sprint. Or push the pace early on so he doesn't have a kick at the end

FBinNY 

Skip spending on the bike. Do what the pros do. PED's

Morghulis

Yeah, my strategy is/was to draft him for as long as possible. However, as you surmised, he figured that out quickly. Now he tries to break away as soon as possible - I sprint as hard as I can to get on his wheel and then try disguise my exhaustion as best I can. This process repeats a few times and then he's gone.

I've tried to work on my aero positioning, although I'm not overly flexible. I actually bought some clip on aero bars that I need to break out. As far as cadence, heart rate etc is concerned, I've never been serious enough to bother monitoring these.

The one thing that I have considered, is switching to a compact crankset. When I tried a compact, the big chain ring (50) was much more comfortable than my standard 52. I pretty much never use the small chainring.

wphamilton

Train with high intensity intervals, and focus as much as you can on improving your recovery between intervals. Then yo-yo your nephew until he's exhausted. He cannot resist matching your every move at that age.

On the sabotage front, put some pebbles into his handlebars to mess with his mind. I've never actually tried it but it seems like it would be effective. Drop the seat a half inch, some air out of the tires, I know both of those are effective.

Morghulis

Gotta admit, I've never worn bike shorts - maybe its time.

wheelreason

If he's riding you off his wheel at 17, it's only going to get worse, and no equipment upgrade is going to help. Try to get him to take up golf, but that's probably a loosing cause as well. Sucks getting old...

Morghulis

The pebble idea is gold. Although, maybe I'll first spend a month or two actually training before finally admitting that Charles Barkley is right - father time is undefeated.

Athens80

You can swap your big chain ring to a 50. If you're sticking to "flat paved greenways - mostly Silver Comet" you don't need the 34 small ring that comes with a compact. You might do fine with 50/39 or 50/36. Others here know the possible combinations.

WhyFi

Okay, now I'm thinking that you need to up your budget and go for a Gruber Assist.

Morghulis

Hmm, didn't think about simply switching out the large ring.... another thing to consider.

Morghulis

Have you no shame... researching it right now. Not sure if anyone here from Georgia is familiar with the Highland Pointe (I think this is the name) neighborhood in Cobb County? Incredibly steep ride - the look on my nephew's face watching me fly past him up those hills would be priceless.

CliffordK

It might be fun... but expensive. Although, not "real". So... yes, you might win, but not true wins.

If the two of you train together, it could certainly be a valuable assist for your training. Just don't take it to any race venues, even if he never rides the bike, it would not be good to have it near the race bikes.

With a million screaming fans, it likely can't be heard. But, I would wonder if it is silent with two people riding on back country roads. It might be pretty obvious to hear the whine of the motor overtaking one.

Reynolds 

Sorry, but I think a realistic goal by now is just trying to not get dropped...

f4rrest

How many hours per week do you ride currently?

Have you been riding regularly for a number of years?

If the answer is "less than 8 hrs per week" or "less than 5 years" then you still have plenty of upside at your age.

mercator

You need to play to your strengths, maybe change the course.
I cannot match my 28 year old nephew for speed on any terrain, but if the 'race' is more than 100km, I never lose.

exmechanic89

As others have alluded to, you need more training, not a new bike, OP. As the old saying goes, if you were to trade your bike with Eddy Merckx, who do you think would win a race between the two of you? Practice makes perfect.

deex

What is the average speed over the 20 miles? Do you clip in?

jdjones

Lower his seat about 1/2 of an inch. Pump water into his tires.

Morghulis

Not even close to that - the only time I ride my road bike is racing my nephew for about an hour each week. I probably average an additional 2 hours a week on my mountain bike.

Suppose I add a road biking training session each week... any suggestions on how to make the most of the training? Should I just hit the same course as we plan to race that week and go full bore?

CliffordK

Good Question.

He was born in 1945, and is 71 1/2 years old.
And hasn't raced as a Pro since 1978.

Eddy Merckx | Cyclist



Although he certainly has continued to be active with the bike world over the decades. But, it also looks like he has gained about 50 pounds from his former racing weight.

Morghulis

Not sure about my average speed - my guess is about 20mph. I do clip in, but use mountain bike SPD cleats if that makes a significant difference.

CliffordK

Mix it up a bit. Any hills or mountains or overpasses or steep bridges that you can go over? Big parking structures?

What about bike commuting? That would get you on the bike 5 days a week or so. And then you could try pounding on a few of those rides.

exmechanic89

I'm still going with Merckx.

I just read a book about him, btw. Pretty interesting life he had. Back on topic though - PRACTICE!

Morghulis

Commuting is not an option. But, I'm convinced by all the advice that I need to get in more road miles... I just need to find the time.

zymphad

I'm more curious about how fat you are than your equipment.