Mathew Fy
GRU
Here's one leg of my revised TT course. I'm getting better with the U-turns. There's some sound issue due to copyright demands.
https://youtu.be/5OwspNWPzu4
https://youtu.be/5OwspNWPzu4
Cruzbike Time Trial Challenge 2020
- Thread starter LarryOz
- Start date
woodguy
Well-Known Member
Wow Larry - I don’t know how you can ride with that sun glare. I’d crash for sure.
LarryOz
Cruzeum Curator & Sigma Wrangler
Sometimes it is pretty bad - just like when I was learning to drive a car: my dad told me:
ick a spot on the road (usually the center or right line) and focus on it until the glare goes away. Worst case - just pull over and stop" - yeah right! 
NeaL
Guru
Well, that was a bad day on the bike! The only good thing about it was it was a day on the bike.
- Garmin peaked at 36C, strong easterly, like being in a fan oven
- different wind direction meant tailwinds became headwinds, headwinds became crosswinds, I had no idea where I was
- balked at a turn requiring me to be almost stationary to allow a car past
- making barely 18mph/28kmh into the headwind with an HR in the mid 160s
- my back was playing up so much that I couldn't get the power through it
two-thirds of the way in I was so far behind it was pointless carrying on, and while I didn't soft pedal I certaintly wasn't pushing to my max. I think that may have actually been slower than my wet run.
As the late, great Peter Green sang - "Can't help about the shape I'm in, can't sing, I ain't pretty and my legs are thin. Ohhh weeeelllll"
Next time!
- Garmin peaked at 36C, strong easterly, like being in a fan oven
- different wind direction meant tailwinds became headwinds, headwinds became crosswinds, I had no idea where I was
- balked at a turn requiring me to be almost stationary to allow a car past
- making barely 18mph/28kmh into the headwind with an HR in the mid 160s
- my back was playing up so much that I couldn't get the power through it
two-thirds of the way in I was so far behind it was pointless carrying on, and while I didn't soft pedal I certaintly wasn't pushing to my max. I think that may have actually been slower than my wet run.
As the late, great Peter Green sang - "Can't help about the shape I'm in, can't sing, I ain't pretty and my legs are thin. Ohhh weeeelllll"
Next time!
nobrakes
Well-Known Member
Weather was way too nice for TT today... we instead trundled 66 miles around the hills of Berwickshire on the tandem at a glorious average speed of 12 mph. It does weigh 30kg though and we had 5000 feet of ascent. One of those days that combines garden lawn chair sunbathing with mild aerobic activity. Fantastic.
Dumb question time:
Would it be considered cheating to change configuration? The swelling in my foot has gone down enough that I can squeeze into real cycling shoes. So would it be considered fair if I ditched the block pedals with toe clips, heal straps and high topped trail running shoes for light weight cycling shoes and Look pedals? How about wheel covers? Since I have three, all with round spokes, that could make a noticeable difference.
Would it be considered cheating to change configuration? The swelling in my foot has gone down enough that I can squeeze into real cycling shoes. So would it be considered fair if I ditched the block pedals with toe clips, heal straps and high topped trail running shoes for light weight cycling shoes and Look pedals? How about wheel covers? Since I have three, all with round spokes, that could make a noticeable difference.
Veinbuster
Member
I think an equipment change is fair game.
I hope so, because I might need my faster bike to get many more person bests.
LarryOz
Cruzeum Curator & Sigma Wrangler
Yup - this is fair (a total bike change from upright to bent would not be - and would require a similar process to when someone changes a course) - but - yeah - put some wheel covers on, change shoes, put a skin suit on - at this point some of us are looking for minute changes to help us out.
p.s. watch out for wheel covers in the wind - sometimes they can hurt more than help!
Veinbuster
Member
This morning I went out hoping to test my potential for improved times. In the past, I’ve raced in snow, where handling makes the biggest difference in finishing results. Or orienteering, where map reading and route planning are a huge deciding factor. I’m new to TT and the whole power is king thing.
This morning I went out and did the first half of my TT hard and made a good gain on my previous pace. I then looped around at an easier pace - my TT pace from week 9 - for 45 minutes or so. Then I did the second half of my TT hard, making another decent gain.
How do you experienced TT folks think that will translate to doing the full TT? Should I be able to retain most of the gains on the split run?
I did ride a lighter, more aero bike than I have being using to date.
This morning I went out and did the first half of my TT hard and made a good gain on my previous pace. I then looped around at an easier pace - my TT pace from week 9 - for 45 minutes or so. Then I did the second half of my TT hard, making another decent gain.
How do you experienced TT folks think that will translate to doing the full TT? Should I be able to retain most of the gains on the split run?
I did ride a lighter, more aero bike than I have being using to date.
Veinbuster
Member
How about a change between similar bents?
In particular, a stick with 20/26 to 26/26. Both steel frames. My 26/26 has faster rubber, loses the fenders, lighter toolbag, tighter top end gearing. I could swap parts, but I have two bikes so I don’t have to.
In the same vein as repeat intervals for running/rowing etc at faster than target race pace, yes it can help. The trick is not doing the intervals faster, but putting those intervals together with reducing rest intervals, finally down to zero. SO while it will help overall, I don't think you'll keep all of the gains on the individual segments.
Put it this way, my winter turbo trainer programme has a progressive interval session in it, top 7 gears, starts off at 1min on / 1min off, until you get up to 4 mins on/4 mins off. From then on, you start reducing the rest by 30s each time until you get down to a continuous 28 minutes progressing upwards through your top 7 gears.
It starts really easily, you have a huge average power (relatively, of course), adn then at soem point as it gets harder you almost handle down at least once, maybe even do so. The last 28 mins continuous is hard, really hard if you are doing it right, and good prep for a TT effort. Is it at the same average power as the 1min efforts? Of course not, but is it higher than if you'd done the 28 mins straight with no progression?
Probably, I hope.
Mathew Fy
GRU
I'm guilty of changing things a bit during this TT series. The first two runs were with 650b wheel and 42mm tire on the rear. Now I'm using Enve 4.5AR on both. I also changed my rack and bag on the back to a Radical Design Solo Aero Narrow. I think those changes are worth about 1 mph gain as suggested by my power curve.
But don't worry, I'm no where near the top to take away the trophy from any purists.
If you look at the power curve, you may notice a couple other below-the-curve outliers. Those were on days with a fairly high side wind. That seems to slow me down just as much.
But don't worry, I'm no where near the top to take away the trophy from any purists.
If you look at the power curve, you may notice a couple other below-the-curve outliers. Those were on days with a fairly high side wind. That seems to slow me down just as much.
Attachments
Bill Wightman
Well-Known Member
I'll settle for a nice cool night with low humidity, my models say I could put out some real power and speed. The strange thing about my course is that stronger winds make the bike speeds faster because the prevailing winds are blocked where it hurts speed and I get some tailwind on other legs. Also it is clear that a cool night does not always offset high humidity. I will have high predicted power but low predicted speed in those cases and you can feel it. Though the night is cool, if the humidity is high it is like riding through pea soup.
LarryOz
Cruzeum Curator & Sigma Wrangler
The rules say as long as you stay in the same class you can change. i.e - If you ride an upright stay on an upright, etc. If you are on an upright you cannot change to a bent, or a velomobile, etc.
Ideally you stay on the exact same bike, or something really close, and learn how to make that one go faster with some aero aids. It would be a little unfair (but within the rules) for example if you started on a T50, then went to an S40, then to an S30, then to a V20. If you staggered the changes through the challenge you could make ridiculous gains and probably win the points race or some other category. (You could do the same thing on an upright - Mountain bike with huge wheels, to regular road bike to TT roadbike). Doing it this way, you also may trick yourself that you are getting fitter and faster, when all you are really doing is going faster on a faster bike.
The real goal is to get progressively stronger, learn how to ride a TT (where to apply more power when needed), learn how to push yourself beyond what you thought was possible, AND HAVE FUN: all while motivating and challenging yourself with some friendly competition. If someone "cheats" within the rules they really are only hurting themselves. A hollow victory is always hollow and the echo of that hollowness never goes away. (yeah you can quote me on that!)
Nuff said.
Preaching to the Choir, Brother Larry!
My times this year so far
29/05/2020 34:19.0
07/06/2020 36:19.0 - Wet
13/06/2020 34:24.0
20/06/2020 34:13.0
28/06/2020 34:40.0 - Crosswinds
30/06/2020 34:00.0
11/07/2020 35:19.0 - Strong winds
18/07/2020 35:09.0 - roadworks
24/07/2020 34:24.0 -
31/07/2020 38:50.0 - High Temperature and strong easterly
My times are all within 30s of the first run other than where the weather was having an impact. It should be all about improving the pilot and the technical ability. Personally I think it would also be cheating to do run 1 on an upright in flappy clothes and the switch to a TT bike with a skinsuit and magic pointy hat. The spirit of this should be to pick a bike and stick with it. For me it's all about how much better I can do week to week.
My times this year so far
29/05/2020 34:19.0
07/06/2020 36:19.0 - Wet
13/06/2020 34:24.0
20/06/2020 34:13.0
28/06/2020 34:40.0 - Crosswinds
30/06/2020 34:00.0
11/07/2020 35:19.0 - Strong winds
18/07/2020 35:09.0 - roadworks
24/07/2020 34:24.0 -
31/07/2020 38:50.0 - High Temperature and strong easterly
My times are all within 30s of the first run other than where the weather was having an impact. It should be all about improving the pilot and the technical ability. Personally I think it would also be cheating to do run 1 on an upright in flappy clothes and the switch to a TT bike with a skinsuit and magic pointy hat. The spirit of this should be to pick a bike and stick with it. For me it's all about how much better I can do week to week.
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Veinbuster
Member
The same bike all makes sense to me and I appreciate the spirit of the exercise. I’ve had pretty good improvements with the only bike change being to carry one bottle during the TT instead of my normal 2.
I accidentally benefited in my original effort by being stuck on the middle chainring. I also benefited by picking low wind days to ride have some brutal winds in early weeks. More gains by learning the lines through the corners so I can carry more corner speed where I don’t have stop signs. Learning to manage my power delivery helped quite a bit too.
I’m not certain how much I’ve gotten stronger, and how much I’ve started using the strength I already had. That was really the point of doing the TT for me - a reason to repeatedly push a bit more until I see where the limit is. The fact that I’ve been consistently faster in recent weeks with a lower average heart rate than early weeks, suggests improved strength. I don’t feel I’ve peaked yet.
I would kind of like to KOM my own TT route though. I need some help from the bike to do that.
I accidentally benefited in my original effort by being stuck on the middle chainring. I also benefited by picking low wind days to ride have some brutal winds in early weeks. More gains by learning the lines through the corners so I can carry more corner speed where I don’t have stop signs. Learning to manage my power delivery helped quite a bit too.
I’m not certain how much I’ve gotten stronger, and how much I’ve started using the strength I already had. That was really the point of doing the TT for me - a reason to repeatedly push a bit more until I see where the limit is. The fact that I’ve been consistently faster in recent weeks with a lower average heart rate than early weeks, suggests improved strength. I don’t feel I’ve peaked yet.
I would kind of like to KOM my own TT route though. I need some help from the bike to do that.
Rob Lloyd
Well-Known Member
I haven't done anything to my bike (other than clean the chain, once). All of my gains are on me. On the other hand, my gains are racecraft as much as they are fitness. It really helps to find the places in your course that slow you down, and improve those spots. Which you can do without any change in your overall fitness.
I think that's one area where the IRL riders do have an advantage over Zwift. There's no picking the line in Zwift, or finding the right time of day when traffic is low so you can get a good run in.
I think that's one area where the IRL riders do have an advantage over Zwift. There's no picking the line in Zwift, or finding the right time of day when traffic is low so you can get a good run in.
Veinbuster
Member
I'm pretty sure I've gained a minute just by better corner lines. Much of my route has pretty rough asphalt and the shortest line isn't always the fastest. Smaller gains by learning where the wind channels, so I can take a little boost. My ace in the hole might be finishing with an early Saturday ride because traffic has proven to be super light. So far I've been going early in the week, just in case I need a redo.
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