{"id":50826,"date":"2023-06-20T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-06-20T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bikeradar.com\/?p=334199"},"modified":"2023-06-20T15:35:39","modified_gmt":"2023-06-20T13:35:39","slug":"how-to-ride-a-time-trial-10-steps-to-tt-success","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/rss_feed\/how-to-ride-a-time-trial-10-steps-to-tt-success\/","title":{"rendered":"How to ride a time trial: 10 steps to TT success"},"content":{"rendered":"

A complete guide to training, equipment and race day <\/p>

By BikeRadar\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Tuesday, 20 June 2023 at 12:00 am<\/p>

\n\n

A time trial is bike racing at its simplest \u2013 just you, the bike and the clock. But don\u2019t confuse simple with easy.<\/p>\n

There are no wheels to follow, no pack to hide in, and it hurts from the moment the starter shouts \u201cGo!\u201d to the moment you cross the line. So let\u2019s look at how to get better at time trialling.<\/p>\n

The TT offers a different kind of satisfaction from bunch racing. Nobody sits on your wheel then jumps out to beat you in the last 100m. Barring a mechanical or a sudden change in the wind, the best rider wins, but more than that it\u2019s a pure test of your ability to ride a bike fast.<\/p>\n

Finish your first time trial and, when you\u2019ve wiped the sweat from your eyes, most riders will have the same thought: \u201cI want to go faster!\u201d<\/p>\n

Learn to hide from the wind<\/h2>\n
\""Simon\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Put your bike on the turbo trainer and use a mirror (or record yourself) to tweak your position.<\/span><\/figcaption> Simon Bromley \/ Immediate Media<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

All the bling kit in the world won\u2019t make you go faster if your body acts like a giant air brake.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe rider makes up over 80 per cent of the frontal area,\u201d says Chris Boardman, arguably Britain\u2019s best ever TT rider, \u201cand at any reasonable speed 90 per cent of the energy you produce goes into overcoming wind resistance.\u201d Cut that resistance and you\u2019ll go faster.<\/p>\n

Keen riders can head for a wind tunnel for guidance, or you can put your TT or road bike on a turbo trainer<\/a> or set of rollers<\/a> in front of a full-length mirror to tweak your bike position<\/a> at home.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaking your silhouette smaller is a crude but fairly accurate way to reduce drag,\u201d says Boardman. \u201cTT bars bring your arms in and round off your shoulders. Dropping your body also has a significant impact for every centimetre lower you go.\u201d<\/p>\n

But, he says, don\u2019t have too great a drop to the bar. \u201cIf the front of the bike is too low you have to stick your head up to see where you\u2019re going, which makes the silhouette bigger.\u201d<\/p>\n

Loosen up<\/h2>\n
\""Yoga\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Stretch more if flexibility is not your strong suit.<\/span><\/figcaption> Joseph Branston \/ Immediate Media<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

A full-blown time-trial bike, or even a modified road bike with clip-on aero bars, will have a more extreme riding position than most roadies are used to.<\/p>\n

Riding with your head down, backside in the air and elbows close together doesn\u2019t look comfortable, and to some extent it isn\u2019t. However, a rider can use stretches or yoga to improve their flexibility<\/a>. This would help you stay comfortable and powerful in your TT pose.<\/p>\n

Physical activity expert, Professor Greg Whyte, says stretching the backside (glutes) and hips (adductors) is particularly effective.<\/p>\n

\""Yoga\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Hip flexibility is important for time trialling.<\/span><\/figcaption> Joseph Branston \/ Immediate Media<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

\u201cLie on your back on the floor with both legs bent,\u201d he says. \u201cPlace the ankle of one leg on the knee of the other. Place your hands behind the bent knee and pull it in towards your chest. Hold for 20 to 30 seconds. Repeat with the other leg.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Professor Simon Jobson, Dean of the Faculty of Health and Wellbeing at the University of Winchester, \u201cthe big thing is habituation to the position\u201d. He recommends training regularly on your TT bike so it doesn\u2019t come as a shock on race day.<\/p>\n

TT gear will help, but you don\u2019t need to spend loads<\/h2>\n
\""Geraint\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
You don\u2019t need a WorldTour setup like Geraint Thomas to ride a time trial.<\/span><\/figcaption> Luc Claessen \/ Getty Images<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

The first job of go-faster frames or tri-bars is to get you out of the wind before they cut through the air. If you plan to use the same bike for your road riding and time-trialling, pay attention to the head tube length<\/a>, says Boardman.<\/p>\n

\u201cA shorter head tube will make finding an aerodynamic position easier because it makes the front end of the bike lower and so helps you get out of the wind.\u201d<\/p>\n

You don\u2019t have to spend a lot. Lowering the front of the bike (which might be as simple as flipping the stem to drop the handlebar position<\/a>), fitting some tri-bars (from as little as \u00a330) and buying an aero helmet<\/a> (around \u00a3100) could make a big difference to your speed.<\/p>\n

These changes offer the most bang for your aero buck. Boardman estimates a TT helmet alone saves the rider 10 to 15 watts of power at race speeds.<\/p>\n

From here, you can start to add aero socks, skin suits, overshoes, aero drinks bottles, and even deep-section wheels and a full-fat time trial bike<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But before splashing loads of cash, remember that the best value aero upgrade<\/a> is body position.<\/p>\n