Getting used to Time Trial Bikes
 

I gave into temptation last weekend and bought a run-out model Boardman
Team TT bike for my triathlons.

I've ridden it once, but didn't feel comfortable on it - since them I've
made some adjustments (moved the saddle back, flipped the stem and
adjusted the width of the aero extensions) and had a little ride up and
down the road - feels a lot more comfortable.

But... how long should it take to truly feel in control of one?

I have a sprint duathlon at Castle Combe racetrack next weekend - an
ideal place for my first race on it - but I'm really concerned I'll not
be confident enough to ride around other riders.

I could revert to my road bike - but this thing feels like it's worth a
good couple of minutes over the 10 mile bike segment.

--
Steve H

Getting used to Time Trial Bikes
 

On Saturday, November 16, 2019 at 9:07:58 PM UTC, Steve H wrote:
I gave into temptation last weekend and bought a run-out model Boardman
Team TT bike for my triathlons.

I've ridden it once, but didn't feel comfortable on it - since them I've
made some adjustments (moved the saddle back, flipped the stem and
adjusted the width of the aero extensions) and had a little ride up and
down the road - feels a lot more comfortable.

But... how long should it take to truly feel in control of one?

I have a sprint duathlon at Castle Combe racetrack next weekend - an
ideal place for my first race on it - but I'm really concerned I'll not
be confident enough to ride around other riders.

I could revert to my road bike - but this thing feels like it's worth a
good couple of minutes over the 10 mile bike segment.

--
Steve H

I had a Trek team trial bike with full Dura Ace and a Zipp 999 wheelset. I thought that it would be worth minutes over a 10 mile course, but found it was only worth a handful of seconds at best. I found that hard winter training was worth more than a really expensive bike and wheels. Still, I did come 5th in my age category in 2008 and won £50.

Getting used to Time Trial Bikes
 

Simon Mason wrote:

I had a Trek team trial bike with full Dura Ace and a Zipp 999 wheelset. I
thought that it would be worth minutes over a 10 mile course, but found
it was only worth a handful of seconds at best. I found that hard winter
training was worth more than a really expensive bike and wheels. Still,
I did come 5th in my age category in 2008 and won £50.

To put this into perspective - my road bike is a £350 B'Twin Triban
500SE and this TT bike cost me about 700 quid.

It feels significantly faster for the same effort, but I'm struggling to
feel confident to spend long periods on the aero bars, especially as
speeds increase.
--
Steve H

Getting used to Time Trial Bikes
 

On Saturday, November 16, 2019 at 10:41:35 PM UTC, Steve H wrote:
Simon Mason wrote:

I had a Trek team trial bike with full Dura Ace and a Zipp 999 wheelset.. I
thought that it would be worth minutes over a 10 mile course, but found
it was only worth a handful of seconds at best. I found that hard winter
training was worth more than a really expensive bike and wheels. Still,
I did come 5th in my age category in 2008 and won £50.

To put this into perspective - my road bike is a £350 B'Twin Triban
500SE and this TT bike cost me about 700 quid.

It feels significantly faster for the same effort, but I'm struggling to
feel confident to spend long periods on the aero bars, especially as
speeds increase.
--
Steve H

On club TT's we had lots of marshals about that meant that we could focus on riding and not the traffic, although I did have a couple of crashes on wet tarmac that spooked me a little for a few minutes. My road bike is a Scott CR1 and I sold my TT bike in 2011.

Getting used to Time Trial Bikes
 

On 16/11/2019 21:07, Steve H wrote:

I gave into temptation last weekend and bought a run-out model Boardman
Team TT bike for my triathlons.

I've ridden it once, but didn't feel comfortable on it - since them I've
made some adjustments (moved the saddle back, flipped the stem and
adjusted the width of the aero extensions) and had a little ride up and
down the road - feels a lot more comfortable.

But... how long should it take to truly feel in control of one?

I have a sprint duathlon at Castle Combe racetrack next weekend - an
ideal place for my first race on it - but I'm really concerned I'll not
be confident enough to ride around other riders.

I could revert to my road bike - but this thing feels like it's worth a
good couple of minutes over the 10 mile bike segment.

At last... someone posts something on topic for uk.r.c.

Well done.

Getting used to Time Trial Bikes
 

On Sun, 17 Nov 2019 09:18:47 GMT, JNugent
wrote:

On 16/11/2019 21:07, Steve H wrote:

I gave into temptation last weekend and bought a run-out model
Boardman
Team TT bike for my triathlons.

I've ridden it once, but didn't feel comfortable on it - since them
I've
made some adjustments (moved the saddle back, flipped the stem and
adjusted the width of the aero extensions) and had a little ride up
and
down the road - feels a lot more comfortable.

But... how long should it take to truly feel in control of one?

I have a sprint duathlon at Castle Combe racetrack next weekend - an
ideal place for my first race on it - but I'm really concerned I'll
not
be confident enough to ride around other riders.

I could revert to my road bike - but this thing feels like it's worth
a
good couple of minutes over the 10 mile bike segment.

At last... someone posts something on topic for uk.r.c.

Well done.

Tell us of your cycling experience, then.

There's a "Well Done" waiting for you!


--
Bah, and indeed, Humbug.

Getting used to Time Trial Bikes
 

On 18/11/2019 11:09, Kerr-Mudd,John wrote:
On Sun, 17 Nov 2019 09:18:47 GMT, JNugent
wrote:

On 16/11/2019 21:07, Steve H wrote:

I gave into temptation last weekend and bought a run-out model
Boardman
Team TT bike for my triathlons.

I've ridden it once, but didn't feel comfortable on it - since them
I've
made some adjustments (moved the saddle back, flipped the stem and
adjusted the width of the aero extensions) and had a little ride up
and
down the road - feels a lot more comfortable.

But... how long should it take to truly feel in control of one?

I have a sprint duathlon at Castle Combe racetrack next weekend - an
ideal place for my first race on it - but I'm really concerned I'll
not
be confident enough to ride around other riders.

I could revert to my road bike - but this thing feels like it's worth
a
good couple of minutes over the 10 mile bike segment.

At last... someone posts something on topic for uk.r.c.

Well done.

Tell us of your cycling experience, then.

There's a "Well Done" waiting for you!

I have a fairly good recall of events from decades ago, but it tends to
be selective. What I can remember of my own cycling escapades would not
be interesting enough to post about. As a schholboy, I used to take
rides out into the Lancashire and Cheshire countryside and later used to
cycle to work as an apprentice. Later still, I bought a bike purely for
exercise. But none of it is likely to to be exactly riveting.

Of course, posts can be on-topic in a variety of ways. The ones that
aren't include the variations on "This car crashed into a house wall"
variety, so beloved of the Simons.

Getting used to Time Trial Bikes
 

On 18/11/2019 11:09, Kerr-Mudd,John wrote:
On Sun, 17 Nov 2019 09:18:47 GMT, JNugent

At last... someone posts something on topic for uk.r.c.

Well done.

Tell us of your cycling experience, then.

Well, on a couple of occasions he has related the story about a man from
an insurance company that regularly visited his mother all those years
ago being a good cyclist because he had clips on his trousers.

There's a "Well Done" waiting for you!

Getting used to Time Trial Bikes
 

On Mon, 18 Nov 2019 11:49:13 GMT, JNugent
wrote:

On 18/11/2019 11:09, Kerr-Mudd,John wrote:
On Sun, 17 Nov 2019 09:18:47 GMT, JNugent
wrote:

On 16/11/2019 21:07, Steve H wrote:

I gave into temptation last weekend and bought a run-out model
Boardman
Team TT bike for my triathlons.

I've ridden it once, but didn't feel comfortable on it - since them
I've
made some adjustments (moved the saddle back, flipped the stem and
adjusted the width of the aero extensions) and had a little ride up
and
down the road - feels a lot more comfortable.

But... how long should it take to truly feel in control of one?

I have a sprint duathlon at Castle Combe racetrack next weekend - an
ideal place for my first race on it - but I'm really concerned I'll
not
be confident enough to ride around other riders.

I could revert to my road bike - but this thing feels like it's
worth
a
good couple of minutes over the 10 mile bike segment.

At last... someone posts something on topic for uk.r.c.

Well done.

Tell us of your cycling experience, then.

There's a "Well Done" waiting for you!

I have a fairly good recall of events from decades ago, but it tends to
be selective. What I can remember of my own cycling escapades would not
be interesting enough to post about. As a schholboy, I used to take
rides out into the Lancashire and Cheshire countryside and later used
to
cycle to work as an apprentice. Later still, I bought a bike purely for
exercise. But none of it is likely to to be exactly riveting.

Of course, posts can be on-topic in a variety of ways. The ones that
aren't include the variations on "This car crashed into a house wall"
variety, so beloved of the Simons.

Well Done!

But you do seem (in general) to keep harping on about the odd bad
behaviour of cyclist; whilst car-drivers are less culpable in your sight
- despite the consequences being far worse if a driver gets it wrong.


--
Bah, and indeed, Humbug.

Getting used to Time Trial Bikes
 

On 18/11/2019 21:15, Kerr-Mudd,John wrote:

But you do seem (in general) to keep harping on about the odd bad
behaviour of cyclist; whilst car-drivers are less culpable in your sight
- despite the consequences being far worse if a driver gets it wrong.

That was my last argument with him. The attitude he puts across
(completely closing off any discussion) is that it is a much bigger sin
to break a law without breaking something than to break something
without breaking a law.