The TT Thread

[токамак]

Essex boy, Alex Dowsett (Sky Pro Cycling), smashed 46.35 today on the E2/25. Look out for him in the London Olympic TT next year! Another Essex boy (me) did a PB with 56.38. Next week, Antelope 3up TTT...

[Steve Kish]

Next week, Antelope 3up TTT...

I was nearly conned persuaded to come out of retirement and ride that one.  Organised by Ralph Dadswell, one of my sparring partners from the 1990s ... say 'hello' to him from me.

[токамак]

If I see him, I will do. It's a good course - this will be my third time.

[Rhys W]

10-mile = 20.37
25-mile = 52.26
30-mile = 1:5:13 (only one I ever rode)

Respect. 

[токамак]

^+1

[токамак]

09/04/11  10mls/24:38 Q10/19 cool no wind  Raleigh Banana 85" fixed a new personal best 

It's been a good day for PB's, let's hope the form continues!

[Steve Kish]

Thanks guys but it's such a l-o-o-o-ng time ago!

If I see him, I will do. It's a good course - this will be my third time

FWIW, the 25 time was done on the same day that Ralph Dadswell did a very fast time on his trike.  Remind him that this was on the A34 between West Ilsley and South Hinksey and that I caught and passed him after about 5 miles.

[teethgrinder]

09/04/11  10mls/24:38 Q10/19 cool no wind  Raleigh Banana 85" fixed a new personal best 

10-mile = 20.37
25-mile = 52.26
30-mile = 1:5:13 (only one I ever rode)

Looks like I've got a long way to go then.
I managed 30:55 on the club 10 11 and a bit, which put me 7th out of 10. Fastest ride was about 27 something.

[Ian H]

...Looks like I've got a long way to go then...

I reckon you'd go a lot faster if you'd just warm up beforehand properly. 100 miles should do it.

[Steve Kish]

Looks like I've got a long way to go then

These are my best-ever rides, not the ones I used to do every week. 

As an example, I only ever managed to do about 6-ever sub 21-minute rides between 1985 and 1991 ... that's less than one a year!

We all start with slow times and depending on how much we put into it, we improve in big or small strokes.  If you want to improve, just keep riding and this will come.

Also, don't judge yourself too much on your times but also factor in how you did against opposition of equal or slightly greater ability than you. 

[Rig of Jarkness]

10-mile = 20.37
25-mile = 52.26
30-mile = 1:5:13 (only one I ever rode)

Respect. 

Pah !  I once won the Ambergate sign on the Derby chaingang.  Now that's proper racing 

[teethgrinder]

...Looks like I've got a long way to go then...

I reckon you'd go a lot faster if you'd just warm up beforehand properly. 100 miles should do it.

OK. Thanks Ian, I'll do that.

[teethgrinder]

Looks like I've got a long way to go then

These are my best-ever rides, not the ones I used to do every week. 

As an example, I only ever managed to do about 6-ever sub 21-minute rides between 1985 and 1991 ... that's less than one a year!

We all start with slow times and depending on how much we put into it, we improve in big or small strokes.  If you want to improve, just keep riding and this will come.

Also, don't judge yourself too much on your times but also factor in how you did against opposition of equal or slightly greater ability than you. 

I know I'm not doing too bad. I think I was the only one without tri bars this weekend and I was less than a minute slower than about 3 others. If I used tri bars I'd probably take another minute or two off my time. But I'm only riding short TTs as training for 24 hour TTs. The course we used wasn't fast either. More of a sporting course
My best 10 was 20:54 in 1993. I never used tri bars then, which is why I'm not using them now, to see how I compare to almost 20 years ago. I'll have a better idea when I ride a faster course. I also want to break the hour for a 25 without tri bars, because I've never broke the hour before. But that's all a side show to riding the 24s.

[токамак]

I overheard a couple of old boys the other week lamenting the lack of interest in long distance TT's now. I'll be attempting a 100 in June. I think I'd need about a year to mentally prepare to take on a 12 or 24 hour TT!

[токамак]

Provisional confirmation of Alex Dowsett's amazing ride on th E2/25 last Saturday: 09/04/11 - Lea Valley CC 25

I'm in there at 39.

[Steve Kish]

I tried all the TT gimicks like aero tubing, drilled components, rear disc wheel, concealed cables, hidden brakes but IMHO, it's the tri-bars that are worth all of these put together.

However, some of the old skool time trial greats like Adkins, Engers, Cottington, Pyne, Queen, Ballard etc. etc. just didn't get on with them, as it was their style and concentration on position that set them apart from other riders.

Nowadays, the use of tri-bars is the 'great leveller' that allows anyone to have a decent position.

[Ian H]

...the use of tri-bars is the 'great leveller'...

Literally.

[drossall]

I'll be attempting a 100 in June. I think I'd need about a year to mentally prepare to take on a 12 or 24 hour TT!

Depends how you approach them. I rode 12s as fast touring events - only did 217 miles so didn't exactly set the world on fire, but enjoyed them off the back of relatively little experience (couple of years' racing as a teenager).

I've never really fancied riding all day and night though. I realise that makes me odd in the eyes of many Audaxers

[teethgrinder]

I overheard a couple of old boys the other week lamenting the lack of interest in long distance TT's now. I'll be attempting a 100 in June. I think I'd need about a year to mentally prepare to take on a 12 or 24 hour TT!

I (and many others I've talked to) reckon that a 100 mile TT is the toughest. I've never ridden a 50 or 100 before, but have ridden quite a few 12s and 24s. You sort of relax a bit on the long rides. 100s, I'd guess are very intense for a long time.

[Steve Kish]

Being a short distance man, I'd only ever ride a 24 if it was found that a 25 course had been measured too short!

[tatanab]

Being a short distance man, I'd only ever ride a 24 if it was found that a 25 course had been measured too short!

Roy Cromack, long time record holder, is reputed to have treated his record 507 mile ride as a series of 25s.

I rode 10s (not many in my day), lots of 25s,  a few 30s and 50s, never 100, and  a couple of 12s but never a 24.  Like drossall I treated a 12 like a long touring ride/club run.  I was never any good anyway at any distance.

[Dinamo]

First Severn Club '10' of the season this evening.
A wet & windy evening only brought out 16 riders, the winning time was 23:11 !
I was way down on my PB of 24:26, but for the first ride on a wet course it wasn't too bad.
My 26:02 put me in 10th place.
The course takes you from Old Down to the Aust m/way roundabout along the A403 to Northwick then back to Tockington.

EDIT : Was given a WTTA medal for being part of Severn RC team who finished 5th in last years WTTA Hardriders events  

[teethgrinder]

Roy Cromack, long time record holder, is reputed to have treated his record 507 mile ride as a series of 25s.

He trained by riding 25 miles very fast, twice a day. Regular 24 riders were concerned about his lack of long rides. He only rode one ride over 200 miles in his training. Apparently, he was a well established short distance TTer of note.
That's still 350 miles a week though, all at high intensity.

[mattc]

The great thing about the 12/24s is the fixed time format - you know the winner will have to suffer just as long as everyone else!

If I ever ride a 100 I can imagine finishing an hour after many people - just too demoralising...

[токамак]

Top tip - don't mess with your race bike on race day! I put in a new steerer bung before setting off for the Antelope RT 3up, noticed there was a bit of play in the fork when we arrived, went to tighten the top nut holding the front end together and sheared the bolt in half! Bloody cheap aluminium thing... I may have over-torqued it a little Anyway, no race for me. Was a great day for a great event though - only slightly marred by a couple of nasty sounding accidents, I believe broken bones were sustained, ouch.

Fortunately I'd had the foresight to enter two events this weekend and after sorting the bike on Saturday evening did 59.50 on the E91/25 Sunday morning. Missed out on 3rd place by 8 seconds!