The TT Thread

[Palinurus]

Last 10 of the season for me (usual course, F11Z). 24 mins dead. Best this year 23:54 on the same course but I'm happy with the 24 because it was breezy, and in the wrong direction too. It's faster when the wind is following on the way out. 22:08 was the winning time.

[Fixedwheelnut]

Date              Dist         Course          Weather             Time

07/8/08        10          Clarion       nice/windish         26.12

Reasonably pleased. Am still not *dying* though and still riding a 79''. I could accommodate a mid 80'' gear now I think, and would hope to follow FWN. The work done in recent weeks¹ has led to a 23 sec. improvement on that sporting course though.

¹ I am aiming for a couple of 25s in late August and September and riding longer distances at present. Hence sticking to 79'' as well.

 Frenchie, try a bigger gear it is surprising that it is not much harder to ride, once you have that race mode on to push yourself harder up the slopes the rest is easier 

 My average cadence on a TT has always been around 95 to 110 [overall], it was 91 rpm on the 88" gear but a faster ride. I just find it easier on the faster bits to hold a fast cadence around  120-130.
 Riding a lower gear I find it harder to maintain the higher cadence on the flatter or downhill bits over the 130, "especially on the tri bars", so lose time when I slow to recover.
 The biggest downhill bit is usually  a thigh burning 158-180 

[Frenchie]

I have just ordered a new chainset from P-X with a BCD which should make getting the right chainrings and gears easier! I do appear to be running a bit out of gear on some of the longer running sections, as you do, so I'll try and swap chainsets and get a bigger gear on for the last 10s.

23 Mi/h average, spinning at about 95 RPM average on that course (on 72'' I reach in excess of 110 I think) but we have a few twitchy turns, bad road surface in the finale, a bump (canal bridge and small climb) and a stop (well I do slow down a bit, ready to stop)! On longer rides, in preparation for the 25s, I am not that much slower, 21 and bit to 22 Mi/h average, but I do not try to ride as hard on the flat bits.

[David Martin]

Club 25 today. Rode out to the start, it began raining. Rode 5 miles to my marshalling point. Managed through careful application of voice to prevent two clueless lasses who were drifting over the road without looking becoming speared on a pair of tri-bars. Astonished that someone from one of the not quite so local clubs would follow their clubs apparent interpretation of the highway code and cut the white lines on some blind bends (duly reported to the commissaire).

Rode back to the finish in the p***ing rain. Stood under my gazebo drinking coffee, eating biscuites and blethering before blagging a lift home (save an hours ride) and de-signing the route (only four signs left by the other marshalls, generally a good result) and discovered why I have been feeling crap all week.

Spent all afternoonin bed feeling v.v. rough.

So that is the last event of the season. Time to tidy up, dust off, and look forward to the midweek winter training rides (steady paced chain gang). and plan my training and nutritional taper in time for the 13 mile club Boxing Day 10 (bring tri-bars and you should get a time penalty).

..d

[RogerT]

I am a very happy bunny !  Unlike all the TT racing snakes on here I am best described as built for comfort, not speed.

However, last night I achieved my personal ambition for the year by reaching evens in the Ely 10mile TT. 

29.04 on a somewhat breezy course.

It has only taken 5 weeks and a new frame..not much really 

I can retire now. 

[David Martin]

I am a very happy bunny !  Unlike all the TT racing snakes on here I am best described as built for comfort, not speed.

However, last night I achieved my personal ambition for the year by reaching evens in the Ely 10mile TT. 

29.04 on a somewhat breezy course.

It has only taken 5 weeks and a new frame..not much really 

I can retire now. 

Well done! I too am far from being a racing snake and also had the ambition of beating evens all season.. Tribars and a bit of practice should see some consistent times..

..d

[Frenchie]

I am no racing snake either; rather a big steady Diesel riding an old fixed. Maybe I should try my geared bike on our course?!

[gonzo]

It's now the end of my season, but here are the best rides in every category I rode this season;
10 miles 22.36 mins
12 hour  217.526 miles

[mike]

doing my first one tomorrow night..  am quite nervous, I've even fitted tri bars!

how do I find out what the route is from the strange looking course number?

[drossall]

You can look them up in the handbook, but some club courses may not be listed. I tried the Web site but the page doesn't seem to be available. Descriptions are sketchy, eg Stansted - Newport.

What is the course number? Someone may know it.

Can be quicker to ask someone in the organising club. You've checked their Web site I presume?

[RogerT]

doing my first one tomorrow night..  am quite nervous, I've even fitted tri bars!

how do I find out what the route is from the strange looking course number?

Good Luck.. which Bike are you using ?

[mike]

Good Luck.. which Bike are you using ?

carbon sportive bike with tri bars.

What is the course number? Someone may know it.

 good idea - I'll ping maladict(a) and see if he knows it.. it's F16/10 from Barton (nr cambridge).

[Greenbank]

good idea - I'll ping maladict(a) and see if he knows it.. it's F16/10 from Barton (nr cambridge).

Can't find it on Google, or CCC's website.

Probably out and back along the A603 towards Orwell which is a nice smooth surfaced road with good sightlines for overtaking cars.

Either that or along the B1046 through Comberton, Toft, Kingston and turn somewhere by Bourn.

Nice roads. I know them well, and depending on the route you go you'll go past one or two of my old schools (Barton Primary and Comberton Village College).

It's not listed here: http://www.srcf.ucam.org/cycling/images/maps/overview.jpg

[Dinamo]

Hopefully this address takes you to Cambridge CC web page , then click on Time Trial and F16/10 is shown there 

Cambridge Cycling Club

[Greenbank]

Ta Dinamo. As I thought, it's an out and back on the A603. Starts from right near the Mullard Radio Observatory.

Mainly flat, good road surface, up over Orwell Hill, down and along past Wimpole and a turn at the A1198 roundabout, back over Orwell Hill and power on to the finish.

[mike]

Hopefully this address takes you to Cambridge CC web page , then click on Time Trial and F16/10 is shown there 

Cambridge Cycling Club

fantastic, thanks Dinamo.  I'd been looking at the similar but different & less useful http://www.cambridge-cycling-club.org.uk/ 

[Lucky]

it's F16/10 from Barton (nr cambridge).

Quite a nice course, though the traffic tends to pass quite close on that road, and the pacing can be tricky as, although it's reasonably flat, the lump about halfway to the turn is quite steep on both sides. Careful on the turn, it's easy to take the wrong exit and find yourself heading off towards Huntingdon.

[drossall]

Good luck - can't get there tomorrow to watch. Our club uses the B road west of the roundabout as part of a circular 12-mile course from Guilden Morden, and that section always seems a bit of a drag

[Palinurus]

Course routes.

It's worth searching Bikely using the course code- sometimes you'll get lucky.

I've put up most of the local courses I've ridden.

[Maladict]

The website is a bit in limbo, was supposed to have moved but only part of it has made it, and the guy doing the website is too busy atm.

[Fixedwheelnut]

Date             Distance/Time         Course type       Weather conditions            Bike ridden               

05/07/06           10mls/26.39        Rolling  Q10/26     cleardry           Raleigh 76" gear
12/07/06            10 mls/25.38      rolling Q10/26      clear dry          Raleigh 86" gear
21-22/07/07   24hr TT/334           rolling                   cold drizzle     Lambert 72" gear
15/08/07           10mls/26.45        rolling Q10/26      clear dry         Lambert 72" gear
30/03/08             9mls/29.37       Hillyish Qs/30        wet                Lambert 79" gear 
20/04/08           10mls/28.42    Hillyish Q10/3      dry and cold       Lambert 79" gear
26/04/08           10mls/27.09      rolling Q10 /22   warm & sunny   Lambert 76" gear
25/06/08        10mls/27.24        rolling  Q10/26     hot/windy         Lambert 76" gear
28/06/08           10mls/27.16    Hillyish Q10/3      dry and hot        Lambert 79" gear
9/7/08         9mls/30,23    Hilly QS 30   pouring down/windy RonCooper71.22"gear
23/07/08  10mls/25.33 rolling Q10/26  hot & windy           Graham Weigh  83" gear
26/07/08   10mls/25.30  flat       Q10/24   hot /windy                   Graham Weigh 83" gear 
29/07/08   10mls /25.40  rolling Q10/26  hot slight wind              Graham weigh 83" gear
6/8/08       10mls / 25.10  rolling Q10/26  hot                     Graham Weigh  88" gear

 A very windy night with everyone slower than normal, I was very pleased to catch my minute man, two minute man and four minute man, allthough Reg Smith came from behind to take about three minutes from me
13/08/08    10mls/26.04         rolling Q10/26  very windy             Graham Weigh 88" gear

Bexley evening ten results

[mike]

My first go tonight...  finally I can add something to this thread!! 

It was out to a roundabout and back, with a [surprisingly large!] hill in the middle with a brisk headwind for the first half. 

It was all a bit of a blur but I realised my goose was well and truely cooked about 10 minutes in when I was struggling to maintain double figures towards the top of the hill, I think I worked much too hard into the headwind going uphill.  From then onwards it was a balancing act, watching my heart rate and trying to keep it in a sensible range (I hit 196, average was 188.  My maximum is 197).


time? - total 29.50 by my watch, after I got to the turn in 16.20 so the second half was 13.30.  Pleased with the second half, but I think if I'd taken 5% off the work in the first part, then I'd have a lot more left towards the end. 


I was waiting at the start and chatting to a couple of others and this guy I vaguely recognise rolls up.  "Evening Hutch", someone says, then I twigged where I'd seen his photo.  He came past at about 10 minutes, having started 3 minutes behind, which was nice.
 

[Maladict]

Nice one Mike.  That hill is non-trivial.

Try the E3/10a course next time it's up, that's the fastest course CCC use for club TTs.

E3/10 is nice, and flatter than the one you just did, similarly being out to a roundabout and back.  Wrong side of Cambridge for you, though.

[Frenchie]

Date             Distance/Time         Course          Weather conditions            Bike ridden               

14/08/08           10mls/26.15        Notts Clarion       clear/bit windy           Track/79" gear

Missed my start!! So I got going, courtesy of the time keeper, a bit in limbo... I was back into business soon after and worked well, even running out of gear on the "way down". I made the first climb okay and negotiated the stop at the first junction rather well. Unfortunately a car turned right in front of me further down the course and I had to lift and get on the hood ready to brake. It was a bit cool and windy, but it was a good night. I definitely need a bigger gear --looking forward to getting that new chainset-- but I am very comfortable on that distance now.

[drossall]

Do you really mean that you did that two years ago?