upgrading to go faster

Last year I rode my first time trial ever – a 40km very flat out and
back course, which I did in 1:05:56. I did it on my Specialized Allez
Elite. This year I hope to improve with an ultimate goal of placing in
my age group when I turn 60 next year. To this end I’m planning to
make a few improvements to my bike. The only thing I’m sure I will do
is get aero bars. Given that I’m basically a cheapskate what other
upgrades would give me the most bang for the $. I am thinking about a
new wheelset but this may be more expensive and I’m not sure how much
difference it would make.

I know I know there is no substitute for training smarter and harder.


Thanks
For any thoughts
Steve

On 25 Jan, 00:40, steve wrote:
Last year I rode my first time trial ever – a 40km very flat out and
back course, which I did in 1:05:56. I did it on my Specialized Allez
Elite. This year I hope to improve with an ultimate goal of placing in
my age group when I turn 60 next year. To this end I’m planning to
make a few improvements to my bike. The only thing I’m sure I will do
is get aero bars. Given that I’m basically a cheapskate what other
upgrades would give me the most bang for the $. I am thinking about a
new wheelset but this may be more expensive and I’m not sure how much
difference it would make.

I know I know there is no substitute for training smarter and harder.

A stopwatch and a mileometer. Other than that you can ride easier.
Keep your gears low until your muscles are performing smoothly and co-
ordinated. Gear up, slowly. You cannot make smooth, forceful
contractions, but you can make forceful, smooth contractions. Not
being smooth in cycling wastes energy and causes early fatigue. A
stopwatch. mileometr and a notebook to record your feelings and
performance response to rides (or training, if you wish to call it)
and recovery from.

On Jan 24, 4:40 pm, steve wrote:
Last year I rode my first time trial ever – a 40km very flat out and
back course, which I did in 1:05:56. I did it on my Specialized Allez
Elite. This year I hope to improve with an ultimate goal of placing in
my age group when I turn 60 next year. To this end I’m planning to
make a few improvements to my bike. The only thing I’m sure I will do
is get aero bars. Given that I’m basically a cheapskate what other
upgrades would give me the most bang for the $. I am thinking about a
new wheelset but this may be more expensive and I’m not sure how much
difference it would make.

I know I know there is no substitute for training smarter and harder.


Get a bigger chainring. Push hard. :-)

steve wrote:
Last year I rode my first time trial ever – a 40km very flat out and
back course, which I did in 1:05:56. I did it on my Specialized Allez
Elite. This year I hope to improve with an ultimate goal of placing in
my age group when I turn 60 next year. To this end I’m planning to
make a few improvements to my bike. The only thing I’m sure I will do
is get aero bars. Given that I’m basically a cheapskate what other
upgrades would give me the most bang for the $. I am thinking about a
new wheelset but this may be more expensive and I’m not sure how much
difference it would make.

I know I know there is no substitute for training smarter and harder.


Thanks
For any thoughts
Steve


http://www.cvccbike.com/misc/wheel_cover.html

On Jan 24, 7:35*pm, Dan O wrote:
On Jan 24, 4:40 pm, steve wrote:

Last year I rode my first time trial ever – a 40km very flat out and
back course, which I did in 1:05:56. I did it on my Specialized Allez
Elite. This year I hope to improve with an ultimate goal of placing in
my age group when I turn 60 next year. To this end I’m planning to
make a few improvements to my bike. The only thing I’m sure I will do
is get aero bars. Given that I’m basically a cheapskate what other
upgrades would give me the most bang for the $. I am thinking about a
new wheelset but this may be more expensive and I’m not sure how much
difference it would make.

I know I know there is no substitute for training smarter and harder.

Get a bigger chainring. *Push hard. :-)

I have read answers to that question in several different
publications. Most have all said that an aero helmet is the best
advantage for the buck along with aero bars.
Work on position.
Next to that, train, train and train some more. Apply the response of
thirty-six to your training.
Cheers,
Rick in Tennessee

z who? wrote:
steve wrote:
Last year I rode my first time trial ever – a 40km very flat out and
back course, which I did in 1:05:56. I did it on my Specialized Allez
Elite. This year I hope to improve with an ultimate goal of placing in
my age group when I turn 60 next year. To this end I’m planning to
make a few improvements to my bike. The only thing I’m sure I will do
is get aero bars. Given that I’m basically a cheapskate what other
upgrades would give me the most bang for the $. I am thinking about a
new wheelset but this may be more expensive and I’m not sure how much
difference it would make.

I know I know there is no substitute for training smarter and harder.


Thanks
For any thoughts
Steve


http://www.cvccbike.com/misc/wheel_cover.html

Even cheaper: http://cdn.overstock.com/images/products/0/52/52537.jpg.
Yes, this has been done in real life.

--
Tom Sherman - 42.435731,-83.985007

On Jan 24, 6:20 pm, cycledogg wrote:
On Jan 24, 7:35 pm, Dan O wrote:

On Jan 24, 4:40 pm, steve wrote:

Last year I rode my first time trial ever – a 40km very flat out and
back course, which I did in 1:05:56. I did it on my Specialized Allez
Elite. This year I hope to improve with an ultimate goal of placing in
my age group when I turn 60 next year. To this end I’m planning to
make a few improvements to my bike. The only thing I’m sure I will do
is get aero bars. Given that I’m basically a cheapskate what other
upgrades would give me the most bang for the $. I am thinking about a
new wheelset but this may be more expensive and I’m not sure how much
difference it would make.

I know I know there is no substitute for training smarter and harder.

Get a bigger chainring. Push hard. :-)

I have read answers to that question in several different
publications. Most have all said that an aero helmet is the best
advantage for the buck along with aero bars.
Work on position.
Next to that, train, train and train some more. Apply the response of
thirty-six to your training.
Cheers,
Rick in Tennessee

Yeah - absolutely - esp. that part about "You cannot make smooth,
forceful
contractions, but you can make forceful, smooth contractions" -
brilliant!

On Jan 24, 5:40*pm, steve wrote:
Last year I rode my first time trial ever – a 40km very flat out and
back course, which I did in 1:05:56. I did it on my Specialized Allez
Elite. This year I hope to improve with an ultimate goal of placing in
my age group when I turn 60 next year. To this end I’m planning to
make a few improvements to my bike. The only thing I’m sure I will do
is get aero bars. Given that I’m basically a cheapskate what other
upgrades would give me the most bang for the $. I am thinking about a
new wheelset but this may be more expensive and I’m not sure how much
difference it would make.

I know I know there is no substitute for training smarter and harder.

Thanks
For any thoughts
Steve

A front wheel with a forty or fifty mm rim and few spokes should give
you a few seconds. Work on your position as much as you can. For a lot
less than the cost of a wheel, a good coach can measure your watt
output in different positions.

On 25 Jan, 03:11, Dan O wrote:
On Jan 24, 6:20 pm, cycledogg wrote:



On Jan 24, 7:35 pm, Dan O wrote:

On Jan 24, 4:40 pm, steve wrote:

Last year I rode my first time trial ever – a 40km very flat out and
back course, which I did in 1:05:56. I did it on my Specialized Allez
Elite. This year I hope to improve with an ultimate goal of placing in
my age group when I turn 60 next year. To this end I’m planning to
make a few improvements to my bike. The only thing I’m sure I will do
is get aero bars. Given that I’m basically a cheapskate what other
upgrades would give me the most bang for the $. I am thinking about a
new wheelset but this may be more expensive and I’m not sure how much
difference it would make.

I know I know there is no substitute for training smarter and harder.

Hi,

steve wrote:
....
my age group when I turn 60 next year. To this end I’m planning to
make a few improvements to my bike. The only thing I’m sure I will do
is get aero bars. Given that I’m basically a cheapskate what other
upgrades would give me the most bang for the $. I am thinking about a
new wheelset but this may be more expensive and I’m not sure how much
difference it would make.

It has been said, get a notebook, a speedometer and a stopwatch. Even
better: most speedometers (except the very cheap ones) come with a
built-in stopwatch.

Before you upgrade anything go and train some. Establish a routine and
when you have that, try some stuff. For example try riding a lower gear
for a few rides - check the response and find out whether it might be
good to change your bike's gearing. Try changing the tire pressu max.
as indicated versus a bit lower. Personally I'd avoid the "fast" gears,
though I sometimes use a very fast gear when the wind is good. Find out
what's best for you.

As for a wheel set - I've found that I like medium tires (like 32-622)
better than wide tires and I personally like them pumped to the max.
pressure or just beyond. Also I found that the hub bearing can make a
difference: a badly adjusted, worn one with a wobble rides far worse
than a good one ;-) Same thing with the chain... So personally I invest
mostly in maintenance and small improvements, rather than major work
(like wheelsets).

A good saddle and comfy handlebar grips are (sometimes) much smarter an
investment than spending $ on minor weight-savings. Just note down
everything that disturbs you in your training records and then check
what's on top of the list ;-)

Actually a few years back I did a century - it started to rain during
the first hour. Soon I found myself at the leading position of a group -
I was the only one to have long mud guards - everyone was fighting for
the place just behind me: no water thrown up ;-) Even though my bike was
probably the heaviest in the field and probably the only one with "real"
luggage racks, fenders and toe-clips/straps (all the others had clipless
pedals), I was roughly in the front third of the field. So generally I
do think that saving weight on your training bike is an overrated trend.
It may help you to save a second or two in a competition, but it's
still the rider who does the riding ;-)

Have fun ;-)