Another Time Trial

// April 11th, 2009 // Cycling, Personal Crap

Tri-Cyclists Time Trial 2009So I completed my second time trial today. It was my team’s second annual time trial in Mebane, NC at the Iron Gate Winery – the same event I cut my teeth on last year.

This year, I had the advantage of a lighter bike, a nicer set of clip-on aerobars and a bit more confidence and experience pushing my bike and myself.

The thing that made this year much tougher though was the damn wind, and the fact I was competing in the cat4 rosters. All in all, that was the story ‐ pushing through swirling gusting winds. I felt pretty good through the 10.5 mile rolling course. I really pushed, and stayed aero for the vast majority of the time trial, though I did rise out of the saddle twice to assist in climbing.

After the final turn, the hammer dropped on a pretty flat course, trying desperately to make up some time. In the last mile, I did get passed by another rider, though that did help me get motivated for a final push.

In the end, I finshed the course in 29:02, a decent time, though I wish I could have pulled off a 1-2 minute faster course time. I ended up placing 18th in the cat4, even beating out a fellow teammate.

While, I would have been great to have a faster time, but I felt pretty good with my time, racing on my road bike with clip-on aerobars and regular helmet versus a ton of competition with time trial bikes, aero wheels and aero helmets.

2 Responses to “Another Time Trial”

  1. Andrew says:
    April 14, 2009 at 6:41 pm

    how much difference do the aero bars make? This was my first time trial. I am usually pretty competitive but I got spanked pretty good at this event! I have been pretty humbled. Then, I stumbled upon your blog and your comment suggests that perhaps my problem was that I was sitting up on the hoods, regular road bike, no aerobars. I am actually uncomfortable in the drops (folds me up in the middle too much) so I just ride with my hands on the hoods. finished in 30:24.

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  2. Keefer says:
    April 15, 2009 at 8:08 am

    No, it actually makes a fair amount of difference, though I mean the real difference is our personal fitness, you know? A teammate did his first time trial with our event and he did it totally in his drops (no aerobars). He posted a 28:40 time on the course, which granted was the slowest time in the 1/2/3 category, but he still bested me by 22 seconds (which was 18th in Cat4).

    What I’ve been told though, is that every little aero adjustment helps – switching from the brake hoods to the drops would help. Switching from drops to aerobars helps even more. After that, the next step would be to switch to a time trial helmet. Then a TT specific bike, etc. It all helps. It’s just a matter of 1) how much focus on TT’s you have and 2) how deep your pockets are.

    For my once to twice a year time trialing, my clip on aerobars are sufficient for me. That being said, I would like to eventually get a TT helmet.

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