6 TIPS TO IMPROVE YOU TIME TRIAL PERFORMANCE
1# AERO IS TRICKY
Aerodynamics is big part of time trials but… Understanding aerodynamics is a tricky subject as if you start copying other peoples positions can be slower for you. The only way to find out your CDA is aero testing.
​
Without testing the rule of thumb is Flat back and get your head low without impairing your vision.
​
If you have a big hump in your back, might mean you are too low and raising your stack height will make it easier to keep a flat back and could open up your hip angle so you can produce more power and be more aero.
​
Getting your head low and getting it in line with your back is key, stack height comes back into play as too low you cant see more then 1m in front of you and too high your head is a air brake.
​
If you can try out couple different helmets to see which helmet connects with your back and closes of the gap between your back and helmet is the best one for you. If the gap is large then the airflow detaches and creates small vortexes and slows you down.
​
Don’t make dramatic changes to you position, slowly make changes as anything drastic will always feel uncomfortable and will limit your power output.
​
2# BE A SLAVE TO SPEED (PACING)
Speed and time trialling go hand in hand and Pacing your time trial is crucial. Doing your course research will lower your race time. Knowing whether the course is hilly or on the day where the head winds on course are.
You want plan out your race strategy and how you are going to ride the course, find out where the slow sections are, so you can maximise your power through those slow sections.
​
Out and back - head wind tail wind, performing negative split will be best, controlling first half and maximising power through the slow head wind and opposite for when is headwind out, positive spliting first half and into the head wind and holding on to dear life on the way back in the tail wind can be the fastest option.
​
Hilly rolling course – ride hard on the uphill and power over the top to get back up to speed and recover on the downhill otherwise you will bleed time if you ride a steady tempo.
​
In training practice your pacing strategy know what a negative split and positive split feels like.
Don’t go out to hard, if you are wanting to average 350w for the race, don’t go out at 420w for the first 2km even though you are feeling good and feeling fresh. You have never done 440w for a time trial so why today. STICK TO THE PLAN!!. Knowing what you are capable of is key.
3# RACE TIME TRIALS
Practice makes perfect and going through the motions of warming up and pacing takes a lot of practice and every time you race you learn what you can do better for the next race, so when it comes your main goal in the season that you are prepared and know what to do.
4# TRAIN ON YOUR RACE WHEELS
When doing performance runs, do it on your race wheel so you get the feeling on how the deeper wheel/disc handles. You don’t want to get to race day and be fighting the bike the whole race as you are unfamiliar on how your race wheels feel.
5# WHY CANT I PUSH THE SAME NUMBERS AS MY ROAD BIKE
Most riders will have some sort of power loss compared to the road bike position so you have to approach this differently. You have to test your physiology in your TT position and find out what your TT Zones. So you have TT position and road bike positions training zones, and accept you can’t push the same numbers as you could on a long climb sitting in the arm chair position.
​
6# BEING PREPARED
Time trials take a lot of planning from when you arrive to the venue until you roll off the start ramp. Making sure there is no surprises and plan out your time before the race start. From time management and not forgetting your allen keys and then realising your front derailleur stopped working and you now you are running round asking random people if they have a 4mm allen key. wait that happened to me.
Good luck and ride hard
​