Time Trial / Time Trialling / TT

I tt and race on 52 11-21T however the courses are fairly flat. Garbaruk make excellent narrow wide rings and asymmetric ones too.

Brilliant.

Got a half price Wolftooth 52t N/W in the post - has some little scratch or a laser engraving mistake or something.

attn. Zipp Vuka Clip users

I've just bought these as I stripped 2 of the 4 threads of the existing mounts when tightening up my arm rests.

Question is, what can I do to prevent the bolts from stripping the threads in the mount again? I used a torque wrench last time and was well-below the recommended limit. All I can think of is packing the gap with some kind of washer(s) to allow the mounts to clamp the extensions and hold the arm rests.

Any interest in a pair of nopinz speedbands?

Says size =M/L on the bag . Black. Never used as too small for my guns....
Nopinz sizing says : M = 28.5-30cm L = 30.5-32cm (Un tensed Bicep Measurement.)

£15 + UK posting or pick up in SW London.

I rode like 50 miles to the north road hard riders, races it, then home again. Mostly in the rain and 1deg.

I also rode out to the e2/10 50milea. Raced a 10 and won, then rode home.

Genetics are cool.

Genetics are cool.

[Shakes fist!]

I need some help choosing gearing for Saturday.

I just did a ride on 98" to try out my hydration system. The ride looked like this:

On the uphill section highlighted, I averaged about 38kmh (about 80rpm), on the way back down again about 44kmh (about 95rpm), overall for the whole ride just under 40kmh.

I'm not sure if I would have been faster on a lighter gear, but I certainly would have appreciated it on the long drag, and would gear down if I were doing it again.

On Saturday, I'm doing nearly 4 laps of this:

Don't be fooled by the annoying difference in the axes, there's actually quite a bit less elevation.

Would it be advisable to gear down to 91" for that, seeing as it's a longer ride as well, or will the benefit of the bigger gear on the flatter bits outweigh the downfall on the drags?

Would it be advisable to gear down to 91" for that, seeing as it's a longer ride as well

You'll probably want to target a slightly lower average cadence for the longer ride. I think a lot of people use the same gear regardless of distance, as the drop in speed is fairly well matched to the drop in optimum cadence with longer duration of effort. Personally I find that as I get tired towards the end of a 50, the grinding up hill is less bother than the spinning down the other side.

Yep ^ - doesn't sound right but i'd definitely prefer to be overgeared in a longer race than under (to a degree).

I rode to and from my first 50 this year. Regretted it when I tried to get back on the bike to go home, but I survived.

@umop3pisdn @mdcc_tester thanks both, that's really useful.

Next question: what time should I be happy with?

PBs are 22:54 for a 10 and 57:55 for a 25, both on decent H courses.

I'd love to get under 2 hours, but what would a good first effort be?

I'd love to get under 2 hours

Based on the usual formula, your 25 time suggests you'll do a 2:01, but realistically your 59 on the H25/1 is probably a better guide, in which case 2:03 or 2:04 seems more realistic. If you get under 2:05 you can consider it a success as a début.

Double your 25 time plus something like 2 or 5 minutes isn't it?

That 59 was a horror show though, I did half of it on the base bars thinking about quitting, because it was too hot and I needed a drink.

I'll go with 2:05 as a guide to try and beat. My disc punctured this morning so me finishing is dependent on the Zefal puncture spray stuff holding up.

The table on page 5 is quite accurate for me, apart from my 10 time that is disproportionately fast.
https://www.cyclingtimetrials.org.uk/documents/download/12

That 59 was a horror show

And the 57 had a ski slope start, which you're not going to get even once in the 50, much less twice :)

Horses for courses innit. According to the stats, if I could get a ride on the E2/50 I'd easily get under 2 hours, seeing as my 25 PB is a mid 56 set on the E2. But we all know I haven't a hope in hell of ever getting a ride on there!

I managed to get on to the API Metrow 25 as a reserve, with a 56:07. Wack conditions though. Massive headwind on the way out then under-geared for the tailwind back, ended up with a 57:xx

I only bothered entering two events on the E2/25 this year. The VTTA Nat Champs that I failed to get in as I'm too slow at 43, and the separate VTTA event a fortnight ago, that I only got in as it wasn't a full field.

With so many fast days the past couple of years, the MM time could really do with being lowered. Saying that, after the accident of Simon Henderson in the VTTA Champs, my first thought on crossing the line wasn't "yes, I've managed to get under the hour with no training", it was "thank fuck I've managed to get to the finish".

Shitter. Floatiest of float days last year.

This is (almost) all irrelevant now, just read about the new rule for 2018 for events on the E2. No afternoon events between 1st June and first weekend in September, plus the May and August bank holidays.

Link plz.

FFS.

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Yeah, ffs who trimmed that cable?