Faster 40k TT

[retemple]

I want to get faster..

This is my first year/season racing or really training for that matter. I've done two 40k TTs this year (59:21 and 58:38). I'm having a tough time "digging deep." During my last TT, I was able to stay 2-3 beats below my LT for about 20 minutes and then I didn't ride as hard (7-9 beats below my LT) for the remainder of the race (excluding the short push at the end). I didn't focus all that well.

What I want to know:

What tips do you have for the mental part of TT'ing?
What about breathing?
What kind of gains can I expect w/ experience and better training?

I look at some of the results of the fastest guys in our series and over the course of 5-6 years, some of them started as 59-62 min TT'ers and now ride 52-54 mins. Is that reasonable?

I'd love to hear from the TT'ers out there.

[retemple]

The Emoticon was not intended, it was supposed to say 58:38

[efahl]

What tips do you have for the mental part of TT'ing?

That's easy, just ride more races. When you started, a 25k probably seemed long and painful, it just gets easier the longer you do it.

What about breathing?

I find that I get into a pattern, one breath every second or third stroke, don't know that it matters much, it just feels right and I never focus on it, it just sort of happens.

What kind of gains can I expect w/ experience and better training?

I look at some of the results of the fastest guys in our series and over the course of 5-6 years, some of them started as 59-62 min TT'ers and now ride 52-54 mins. Is that reasonable?

Yes, absolutely. It all depends on (in order of priority) your willingness to work hard, your genetic potential and your age. I would think sub-55s would not be unrealistic for someone who is male, less than 50 years of age and has no adverse genetic predispositions. All it generally takes is some good coaching and a lot of hard work. 52s probably need some genetics, but 54-55 is probably realizable by just about anyone.

For older guys, I don't think it's realistic to get that low unless we have a fairly strong endurance background to start (i.e., you can't just take a 55-y-o guy that has never done any serious running, swimming, cycling, whatever and train them down to a 55; sub-60 is a good goal for them).

[retemple]

What kinda workouts work for you? Do you do much speedwork (LT/AT type training)? Do you do much in the gym?

[Matchstick Man]

We have a guy in our club here in England who came over to cycling from running for most of his 20's. He started off doing 26mins for 10 miles / 16km TT's. After some research and thought he knuckled down to some proper training closely following Joe Friel's Training Bible and last season knocked out a 51-18 40k and a 20-33 16k time on a dedicated TT bike.
This is basically after 3 continuous seasons of training of 12-14hrs a week throughout the year factoring in rest weeks every 4th week and altered the levels of work rate throughout the year. He has been on training camps to Spain/Majorca in March time as well.
His diet is spot on, he regularly stretches and works full time as a builder. He is 36 and v committed so as far as I'm concerned if you have the application and the motivation you can go VERY far indeed. Unfortunately real life has a nasty habit of getting in the way....
I don't class the guy as mega talented or genetically superior but his motivation is way high. He is proof positive that the average club cyclist can punch way above their weight if they really want to.

[bike bling]

My coach is in his mid-40s and just a month ago did a 50:31 40k.
I think the best way to do this is slowly build up equipment. Train using an SRM powermeter and slowly refine your aero position (lots of stretching). Train in your aero position at least once a week all year round. Just for reference, he said his average power foth 40k was about 350w.

His equipment:
Cervelo P3 aluminum
Zipp 999 wheelset with veloflex record tires
Hed aerobars with s-bends
Look ergostem (bars way down)
SRM powermeter

[RollinOn27s]

I would have to disagree with that statement. The best way to get faster is to train your @ss off. You don't need an SRM, massage therapy, coaches driving behind you shouting in race radio, etc. to get faster.

I agree with the point that training with power and refining your aero position are key, but they won't come close to just getting out there and just killing it a couple times a week.

[bike bling]

I agree with the point that training with power and refining your aero position are key, but they won't come close to just getting out there and just killing it a couple times a week.

I though that training hard, doing intervals, hard group riding, lots of miles, etc was already implied. Most people do that when they train for road races and crits. If this guy can do 40k in 58:38, then he obviously knows how to train hard. Its those extra refinements that he may not have that can help push him over the to the low 50 minute times.

[retemple]

An update: At the end of the season I posted a 57:37 (my third 40k TT). My training for the month prior was pretty weak and I was shocked to break my PR (by 61 seconds). What I did different: I spun faster (I don't have cadence on my TT bike) than usual. Probably 100-105 average versus 85-95.

My goal this season is to break into the 54s. So I post new questions:

What ergogenic aids have you found to make a difference (e.g. ribose, caffeine, etc)?

What is your fueling strategy for a 40k TT (do you pop gels or drink)?

What workouts have you found most successful (cruise intervals, TTs, weight training, etc)?

Any other tips? I need all the help I can get.

[iliveonnitro]

easy on the caffeine. I took 400mg (I weighed 70kg) before a fast group ride one time and my HR was at 180/199 before my ride even started.

A friend called me "twitch" for the first hour I could hang on before being dropped.

Keep the dose at about 5mg/kg and you should be OK.

[toyota]

My coach is in his mid-40s and just a month ago did a 50:31 40k.

Damn thats better than most pros can do. I have been to couple of 40k time trials and have only seen a few pros go under 51min.

Here are the results from a time trial I attended in 2000. http://www.cyclingnews.com/results/2000 ... .shtml#res As you can see most pros are not even close to 50mins. Only ONE pro went under 49min and he was disqualified because of his bike. So that means the fastest pro mens time was 49:56. In the pro womens race the fastest time was by Mari Holden and she only only did a 54:24.

I know these arent euro pros but they were some of the fastest TT riders in North America. I have hard time believing all you normal guys can ride a TT as fast as these people.

[brian]

My coach is in his mid-40s and just a month ago did a 50:31 40k.

Damn thats better than most pros can do. I have been to couple of 40k time trials and have only seen a few pros go under 51min.

Here are the results from a time trial I attended in 2000. http://www.cyclingnews.com/results/2000 ... .shtml#res As you can see most pros are not even close to 50mins. Only ONE pro went under 49min and he was disqualified because of his bike. So that means the fastest pro mens time was 49:56. In the pro womens race the fastest time was by Mari Holden and she only only did a 54:24.

I know these arent euro pros but they were some of the fastest TT riders in North America. I have hard time believing all you normal guys can ride a TT as fast as these people.

The euro pros ride 38,9 km in 00:41:31, that`s 56.22 km/h, got ya!!

How do you define "you normal guys"?

[toyota]

My coach is in his mid-40s and just a month ago did a 50:31 40k.

Damn thats better than most pros can do. I have been to couple of 40k time trials and have only seen a few pros go under 51min.

Here are the results from a time trial I attended in 2000. http://www.cyclingnews.com/results/2000 ... .shtml#res As you can see most pros are not even close to 50mins. Only ONE pro went under 49min and he was disqualified because of his bike. So that means the fastest pro mens time was 49:56. In the pro womens race the fastest time was by Mari Holden and she only only did a 54:24.

I know these arent euro pros but they were some of the fastest TT riders in North America. I have hard time believing all you normal guys can ride a TT as fast as these people.

The euro pros ride 38,9 km in 00:41:31, that`s 56.22 km/h, got ya!!

How do you define "you normal guys"?

Damn thats fast. Maybe thats why most American pros stay in America.

[wally318]

The euro pros don't ride 39 km's in 41:00! If you read it says the times were fast because of the windy conditions, read tailwind and they picked up. Tour TT's aren't usually out and back courses, so no tailwind eaqualization. Boardman, one of the fastest PRO tt'ists ever did a 45 something as his fastest 25 mile time but even that was wind aided from highway car draft I beleive. The american pro's referred to that dont usually break 51:00 is because most of them TT on pure ability that comes from long hours in the saddle trainig for road races and crit speedwork. Not many of them spend a lot of time doing specific TT training. Not like they do in the UK.

[qwertyui]

In the Tour magazin they had the TT test were the guy rode with different equipment and different positions. Witha normal bike, hands on the top, the 45 km/h required something like ~450 Watts, and on the other end, TT bike, aero rims, streamlined material, aerobars and so on, the same 45 km/h required just below 300 Watts. So the equipment means a lot, and the route as well (I suppose those were measured on a velodrom).

But in training, longer intervals, like 2-3 * 15-30 min close to the 1 hour TT power should be the bread and butter, with rides of 2-3 hours with the power of 0.8-0.9 * 1 h power the other cornestone.