Your The Texas Time Trial Primer

[RojoRacing]

So your race options range from the Tejas 500(actually 503), 24hrs, 12hrs, 6hrs and even single lap event of 26.5 miles.

I'll be doing the Tejas 500 and doing my absolute best to bring it home as close to 24hrs as possible. Current course record is 26:16 which would seem slow when compared to many 24hr events having records well above 500 miles but apparently this course has lots of rolling hills and rough roads.

@LarryOz is entered inthe 12hr

@Maria Parker said she'd like to do the 6hr but I don't see her registered yet.

@Jim Parker was thinking 12, 6 or even single lap sprint so he could crew for the rest of us.

Word was Kevin Gimbal as well as a few others were supposed to be coming out to race as well but I don't see them registered yet.

We could always use an extra set of hands for bottle hand offs if any of you Texas based peeps want to come out. It's not a difficult job, you basically lounge in a chair the whole time but a few people to split shifts staying awake over night on Thursday is the critical part.

The odd part is the separate start times for each event especially the 500 which starts a whole day early. If I were to manage to complete it in 24hrs I will be finishing only 1 hour after the start of the 24 and 12hour before the 12hr racers take to the course. I'll basically be done showered and probably sleeping hours before the next cruzbike racers starts.

Start times
500 Thursday 6pm
24hr Friday 5pm
12hr Saturday 6am
1 lap Saturday 3pm

 

[RojoRacing]

For the most part I'll be running my Vendetta as I have in the past but with a couple minor tweaks. For one I'm ditching my gloworm x2 headlight and using a Gemini Duo this year. The lights are nearly identical except the Duo has a wireless button I can easily reach and use on my handlebars. The other much larger change is the wheels I'll be using. I'll be stealing the Enve wheels from my new Trek road bike and using them on the Vendetta. The difference is the Enve rims are 3mm wider so I can run 28mm tires and still remain maximum aero efficiency. The larger tires should soak up the rough roads with minimal loss of speed and even be a bit more comfortable to roll on after many hours. Front rim depth will be 56mm and the rear will be getting the Rojoracing carbon disc covers made for it later today.

 

[PeteClark]

So you could ride the 500, shower, nap, and ride the 12-hour??? Or if feeling a bit tired from the 500, take a longer nap, and still do the 6-hour.

 

[RojoRacing]

So you could ride the 500, shower, nap, and ride the 12-hour??? Or if feeling a bit tired from the 500, take a longer nap, and still do the 6-hour.

Yes and as further proof of just how much of a problem I have I already considered that but it seems there would be no day of entry possible. Maybe if I win the 500 I can make a special request to race direction to let me enter the 6hr after the fact.

 

[RojoRacing]

Finally got out on the V for the first time in 3 months and I'm in the zone on the speed machine crushing the local mountain and carving the corners like a pro. Starting my taper and final preparations before packaging everything up in boxes and bike bags. I've got the speed and power to do this, my only concern like in any race of this distance is if I will get lucky and avoid the epic sleepiness that has a tendency to plague me in races of this length. I will be running my phone on the bars setup for music and communications. I won't be running discord or any other live track apps since it'll kill my battery but you are welcome to send encouraging text messages directly to me, they are always welcome and I only read them when I feel it's safe. If anyone would like to do a quick QA session and update the other members here I'm willing to take a phone call or tow during the race, it can only help keep me awake for a bit longer. 510-two zero seven ends with ROJO.

Also depending on the how things turn out and whether I can launder my favorite pair of race shorts, there's still a small chance I may enter the 6hr or one lap events the following day just to be stupid.

 

[bladderhead]

Do not kill your own batteries, inside your mitochondria.

Maybe your headrest will remain attached this time.

 

[LarryOz]

Starting my taper for Texas 12-hour earlier than I had planned like a week too early - haha. A huge gust of wind took me down and I slid bad at a the Charlotte Motor Speedway track 2 evenings ago. I was not riding the Vendetta, so she is alright.I got really bad road rash on my left thigh about 6x10", on my left forearm, and really bad on my left palm. Last time I "don't" wear gloves when riding anywhere accept on the trainer. With me, maybe even on the trainer.
I was riding my Arrowhead and doing a 40K TT as a warmup to the 10 Mile TT later on. It was really windy and I should have not ridden full disc wheels I guess. One second I was doing 35 down the straight and into turn #3, then next second I was sliding on the asphalt! Zero warning to recover. I still had about 7K to go, so I got back on, bleeding and all, and toughed it out to finish the 40K, but 2:10 of it was not riding! I got bandaged up and went ahead and rode the 10 Mile TT about an hour later, but it was not really a good time. Something like 20:20. (A month earlier I did 18:52, and I was hoping to better than mark. Not this time!) I was just in too much pain. Then I had a 4-hour drive to meet Gayle who was at the beach for our vacation. Now I'm at the beach, can't go in the water, can't ride. Guess I'll play around with the bike parts I brought. haha - then I have to take the bike to Maria on Sunday so she can haul it to Texas for me.

Here's a video of my "slide" :

Here is what I looked like after the lady in the first aid center got done with me. What a waste!

 

[super slim]

Larry, Larry, we were all so proud of you for being so good, for SOOOOOO Long!

That's what you get for NOT riding a MBB Cruzbike, on a gusty day with a solid front wheel!
Having your legs as part of the steering, MUST dampen out wind gust steering effects!

What happened to wearing the Baseball sliding shorts?

Its good to see you smiling in the photo!
AND you recover quickly!

 

[RojoRacing]

Have you considered a trike? I'm just saying they seem to tip over less often

 

[LarryOz]

Have you considered a trike? I'm just saying they seem to tip over less often

I working on that But those who risk little, gain little. It is all in expanding the envelope!

 

[Gary123]

What a place to crash fourth turn at cms. Took a lot of guts to get back on that bike and poke along to a 20 min. 10 miler after being bandaged up. Congrats and good luck in Texas

 

[bladderhead]

It took some guts. But I guess you start to get used to it.

May you have strength, stamina, stability and tyre adhesion in Tejas.

 

[RojoRacing]

Just got back from a taper ride/race pace simulation. I figured since the course is very hilly I'd pick my local flatish hilly route and practice my race pace to see what avg speed to expect. The result is apparently endurance racers are a bunch of pansies and blow things out of proportion because my medium hilly route has 62% more climbing per mile. My HR was surprisingly low at 115bpm at about that watts I think I'll try and aim for so that's ether good or my aim is off. 5 days until race start for the 500 and 6-7 days everyone else. https://www.strava.com/activities/1186782823/

 

[DavidCH]

Just watched Larry's video. Heck it looked like you were riding on ice. The bike just flipped. @LarryOz : Have you thought about mounting some air bags on that bike?

 

[RojoRacing]

Just watched Larry's video. Heck it looked like you were riding on ice. The bike just flipped. @LarryOz : Have you thought about mounting some air bags on that bike?

Looks like the wind caught his wheel just right, maybe under light load from a bump in the road and just pushed it sideways with no chance to recover. Not to one up Larry in his crashing feats but imagine that same thing happening to a motorcycle going at 140mph. At willow spring raceway turn 8 is a 140mph sweeping corner where you lean the bike all the way over and have the throttle completely pinned, well at least a few of the best riders in the country do anyways. The area is know for high winds and you can get hit from the inside of the corner with 50-60 mph gusts at any given moment on some bad weekends. I've been 2 feet behind a rider both of us drifting the bikes through the corner and suddenly he hit the floor in an instant and just as fast he vanishes from sight faster then you can look left. The only thing that saves the rider behind from the same fate is their were in his draft and thus the gust of wind was broken by the lead rider. It's an insane scenario of racing but one that I used to deal with every month and yes I've also been that rider in the lead and luckily walked away uninjured but with a totaled bike.

 

[RojoRacing]

Live results can be found here http://www.edsresults.com/ttt2017/ don't forget I start at 6pm Thursday a whole day ahead of everyone else. I'm not sure what options for sorting the results there will be but I trust you guys and gals to figure it out.

 

[LarryOz]

I start at 6pm Thursday a whole day ahead of everyone else.

I get on my plane at 5am Friday, so you should be almost have done when I leave. Alvin & I should be on-site by 12 noon or so, so we will be there with Jim & Maria cheering you on and offering any support needed. Crush it!

Me..? I am slowly recovering from my crash last Wed night. Last night was 5 days from the "slide at 35) and everything is healing pretty quickly except my hand. I think this one might take the rest of the year since it is so deep. I might have to right "one-handed" in the TTT! What out for Larry ...

My hand after 5 days - yes it does look "better" than it was on day 1: Yes - I rode without gloves. I will never do it again - Even if I am "just warning up!"


My left leg - about an 8"x10" section- cropped so it was not x-rated for the forum:


left arm -

and right arm (I still can't figure out what I hit to get this huge bruise, when I fell and slid on my left side

I am pretty hopeful that everything but my hand will be 99% healed up for Saturday's ride - That is, if I can stay off the bike! haha Well, that one is easy - I dropped it off at Jim & Maria's last night, so there is no temptation to ride it all!

 

[RojoRacing]

Here's to hoping I have better luck protecting my carbon wheel covers than Kevin did last year flying out to berrego springs.

 

[LarryOz]

Here's to hoping I have better luck protecting my carbon wheel covers than Kevin did last year flying out to berrego springs.

Hope so! Why don't you cover your carbon fiber wheel with "carbon fiber cover" - it has to be stronger and more puncture resistant than cardboard!

 

[DavidCH]

You could perhaps put a couple of inner tubes each side of the cardboard. Pretty sure you must have quite a few lying around after going tubeless.