Time Trial / Time Trialling / TT

Well then, do ignore me :)

I'm sitting in my car sheltering from a horrible thunderstorm.

I'm supposed to be starting a 10 in 40 minutes, and I have driven for about 2 hours to get here.

On the other hand, I hate riding on wet roads, and though I've never been struck by lightning, it's not something I've ever been that keen to try.

All the riders who had headed to the start are now coming back past me.

Wet roads (lower crr) just after a thunderstorm (low humidity) should mean awesome conditions. Was it windy?

No it was actually great and I got a PB when I'd finished being a mardarse!

Beautiful (if gusty) weather in oop north today for a J course 25, but it was cancelled due to traffic congestion related to a couple of M6 crashes and some VW meet in Tatton Park.
Yet again shafted by Audi wankers! :-P

Was that the Weaver Valley CC 25? My hometown club!

Did you enter the Congleton CC 50 next weekend?

Oh cool, yes it was!
And yes, I shall hopefully see you there! I hoped to use today's 25 as 'training' for the 50, but now not sure where the extra miles are going to come from, haha.

53.08 at the national 25 today. Wet and windy, really tough.

@Sainsburys_Ed how did you get on?

Yes it was certainly hard work on the way out! Did 51:42, so a pb to make up for the early morning and loooong drive!

Nice one!

First 50 on Sunday and I need food/drink advice because the longest TT I've done is a 25 and I've never taken a drink with me.

I've bought a rear-mount bottle system for 2 drinks. I'm thinking of a bottle of water, a bottle of electrolyte/energy stuff, and a few Shot Bloks up my skinsuit leg, because I really don't like gels and can't be arsed with the faff of them.

Does that sound like enough?

Take it back, buy a camelback bladder and shove it down your skinsuit, it's probably faster and easier to drink m from, especially on a fixie

Bottles >>>>

When are you off? 1.5l when you wake up, 750ml on the start line and two Iso gels in the race.

Bottles >>>>

Does that sound like enough?

More than enough, unless it's boiling hot.

I did my first 50 with a 1ltr bladder that I prob drank less than half of.
I had 3 gels that I took at the turns, but could prob have had less.

it's probably faster and easier to drink m from, especially on a fixie

Absolutely this. I used a bottle mounted to my saddle in a 50 earlier this year, I almost had to stop to stick the bottle back in. I probably won't buy a camelback, but I definitely won't use the bottle cage saddle mount again.

Drinking in a 50 >>>>

More than enough. Most I've ever had in a fifty is about 250ml of fluids and one gel.

1.5l when you wake up, 750ml on the start line

Don't forget the day before, hydration is a 24 hour job.

You'd have to take a drink for a 50 if it took you as long as it takes me :0)

I did a 25 in the heat recently, with no drink, and I really suffered for it. I think I'd need something, as a placebo if nothing else, but I'm starting to rethink what that should be now.

Would you put the bladder down your back or your front?

Front, I also wear a baselayer between the two as I don't fancy the rubber directly next to my skin, if you have problems with is slipping down you can fold the bottom of the the base layer up to crest a kind of pouch, I just use a regualar 1.5 l bladder with full length straw so it's usefull for other stuff too, and then you can pull the straw further out or tuck it in as required, it makes drinking really easy as you can do it still in position, just taking your hand of momentarily to shove the end in your gob.

Worth practicing a bit to give you confidence if you have time.

Thanks for the advice, I think I might try and track one down and give that a go.

good luck, 50s aren't really any worse than a 25 in my experience, if you get the pacing right the first 40 minutes of a 50 should be fairly comfortable, the next 40 begin to feel like a struggle and whatever's left feels like a 25.

You're not trying hard enough!