Time Trial / Time Trialling / TT

So what's the advice on cornering and roundabouts. Come up off the drops for more pull on the steering or stay on the drops for better aerodynamics?

Off the drops?? WTF are you chattin? More pull on the what bejaysus?!

The drop handlebars, you know those curvy things that attach to the stem. I realise it's a rather dated notion to not waste money on aero bars but I don't see the point in buying time until I'm good enough a rider to justify it.

Therefore I ride tucked down in the lowest position I can still move my legs in. For roundabouts I was wondering if it would be faster to remain in the tucked position or sit up to a more stable riding position and try for tighter cornering by applying more force in steering.

Fit aero bars. You'll knock 30-60 seconds off your time almost immediately.

You seem to be forgetting that I ride all my TTs in the drops.. I don't have a TT bike yet.

What I don't get is how you think sitting up = more stable riding position. I was shocked and stunned that someone would even suggest sitting up in a TT. Are you not comfortable riding the drops or something?

My answer anyway is YES, stay in the drops. Lower centre of gravity, better grip, more aero. Anyone riding a TT on the tops has given up.

Trouble with my TT style is that i get distracted by the course and go into tourist mode and start to admire the view.

What I don't get is how you think sitting up = more stable riding position. I was shocked and stunned that someone would even suggest sitting up in a TT. Are you not comfortable riding the drops or something?

My answer anyway is YES, stay in the drops. Lower centre of gravity, better grip, more aero. Anyone riding a TT on the tops has given up.

Perfectly fine riding in the drops and getting around the roundabout, I just didn't know if I was pissing away time or not.

Actually I have to sit up at one point, just before I stand up to get up a sharp incline to another roundabout. You could say I've given up at that point but sitting down on 82 gear inch just hemmorages time that I'm not prepared to lose.

Fit aero bars. You'll knock 30-60 seconds off your time almost immediately.

That's as may be but I have two aims in this season, and possibly the next.

The first is to see just how fast I can go without playing the kit game and the other is to beat my gf's dad's time of 24.20, which he accomplished on a steel racing bike in the days before aero bars were invented. It'll be tough because he has always been very skinny whereas I'm a fat bastard.

I had forgotten bumps in my drops-only outlook.. but I will still generally stay in them the whole course. There's not any big enough hills to warrant out of saddle action from me here.

Fat bastard = potential for big muscles = faster than skinny bitches (unless it's a hillclimb and/or you can't get aero because of an inability to stretch or a pot belly :)).

That's a stiff time to beat without aero bars, but possible. I've done a 23:55 on drops.

Every time I have upped the gear I have gone faster :) currently using 88" gear with a pb of 25.10, rode a 25.34 Wednesday steel bike tri bars on a pair of sawn off flipped drops.

I come off the tri bars on the steep bits, the roundabout because I am usually braking as well and the spinny bit down Death/Gorse Hill because 175rpm and over gets a bit wobbly on tri bars.

Fat bastard = potential for big muscles = faster than skinny bitches (unless it's a hillclimb and/or you can't get aero because of an inability to stretch or a pot belly :)).

Ha ha, theres a guy who does the course on aero whose belly fills up most of the space to the frame. I'd laugh more but he's not that slow.

That's a stiff time to beat without aero bars, but possible. I've done a 23:55 on drops.

Can't be that difficult, given that my PB was 22:32 before tri bars. The 'Old Skool' record is 18:48 isn't it?

Mitre Tester, and other fixed gear TTers, what size gear are you using?

I want to start training for the National Masters Pursuit by riding 10s on fixed, and an experienced track rider has told me to train on a gear 10" larger than I will pursuit on... this means 104-106", anyone know how this will roll out on the road?

Mitre Tester, and other fixed gear TTers, what size gear are you using?

53/15 = 93", suits me given an average of 24.5 to 25mph. Obviously you'll need to scale up to the speed you do, and adjust for your preferred cadence, then tweak it according to whether you're training for souplesse or stength, and apply modifying factors to suit the course and weather conditions. In other words, asking other people what gear they use is fun, but not necessarily useful. I can get beaten just as comprehensively by people spinning 72" as by others churning 120"

There are a few pointers to what some fast people have used at
http://www.fixedwheel.co.uk/fixedwheel%20records.htm

Thanks!! That fixedwheel site is a good resource.

3 Days Ago #349 [SIZE=5]The Seldom Killer[/SIZE]

58 seconds off in the end giving me a new PB of 26.11. I am now this season's fastest person on fixed* and have started picking up the people who ride on aero kit. They spend 700+ on a bike and add things to it, I spend less than 300 and take things off. Ha ha ha. I now reckon that I am on track for a very low 25 by the end of the season.

*closely followed by a man twice my age.

Where you riding? I've been doing the Naverstock Wheelers Friday 10's but keen to try out another course?
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U47 which is the Swindon RC and Corinium CC 10 course. It's just off the A419 at Latton. HQ over at Ashton Keynes.

thanks for that, is quite far out(or it seems so on the map) proably looking at something closer

I certainly wouldn't travel there if I lived in London. However, the ride out from Swindon is a nice warm up for me.

thanks for that, is quite far out(or it seems so on the map) proably looking at something closer

If you are in East London then the Lea Valley Tuesday Tens are on @ Hogg Hill from 7 pm.

By all accounts its not a fixed course

I may be going out to it next week from E10, so PM if you want a ride or a lift

[quote=mitre_tester;738733]I saw P.Holdsworth (great cycling name) this afternoon, as he caught me for a minute just inside 9 miles in the Maidenhead Sunday afternoon 25, looking stylish on 86" fixed. Possibly slightly undergeared, as he romped past on an upslope but had been chasing me all the way up the fast part of the Drift Road while I made hay on my 93" gearing. We ended up first and second with 1:2:03 and 1:4:24 on the slightly sporting HCC001 course. West of Windsor 25 course.

So now we have a current fixed wheel benchmark for this sporting West London course.

It’s worth mentioning that Paul Holdsworth’s fixed wheel TT bike is an ‘old school’ machine based on a conventional steel frame. It has no go faster gizmos and no clip on bars.

Paul tells me he has an ambition to get under the hour on this bike and course, and wind permitting, he’ll have another go next Sunday (21st June) in the Hounslow’s Midsummer Cup club 25, perhaps with slightly higher gearing – 93” (49x14) instead of 86.8” (49x15) used last time.

I think he might do it, but it’s a tough challenge.

lfgss members are invited to ride this event and entry on the line should be possible unless a really exceptional number turn up. For more information look at the Hounslow’s website, or try my mobile (see Clubman’s details). http://www.hounslowanddistrictwheelers.co.uk/

It’s worth mentioning that Paul Holdsworth’s fixed wheel TT bike is an ‘old school’ machine based on a conventional steel frame. It has no go faster gizmos and no clip on bars.

What are "go faster gizmos"? If they work, I want some on my bike. Technically, I don't have clip on bars either, although my one-piece carbon Easton Attack TT is definitely new-school. I've ridden that course on various bikes, and the steel frame makes no noticable difference, but tri-bars definitely do, to the tune of about 2m30s for a 25 at the sort of speeds under discussion.

[quote=mitre_tester;758308]What are "go faster gizmos"? If they work, I want some on my bike.

I have no secrets to tell you about gizmos, I was just trying to get over the idea that this bike was basic. I agree with you about the advantage from clip on bars, and I think you're probably right to say that a steel frame is no great disadvantage.