Thursday, August 13, 2009

Bike Logic

Jim had a really good turnout for the Leroy TT again this week. I drew the 14th starting slot, and two riders started after me.

I was in a pretty good mood and happy to be out on my bike after a day of lots of errands, and driving into the office for a meeting, but was feeling a little flat physically. My plan for this week was to hold back a little on the way out, and really hammer on the way back.

I had a good start. As I crossed the field, though, the power meter was showing 270-300W instead of the typical 350-400, and it didn't feel like I was holding back. I felt about the same all the way to the turn, and up the hill.

I did manage to lift the pace after the turn around but it seems like the TT is a zero sum game. The average speed on the way out was only 20.2 mph, on the return it was 25. My time bounced up to 20:43. It's pretty amazing how consistent it is from week to week, about 5% difference, with the varying weather conditions. The tweaks in position I've made the past few weeks don't have any noteworthy positive effect. I haven't discovered a solution that keeps my back flat and lets me breathe properly.

Following the race, Chris and I had what's probably a typical cyclist conversation about buying new bike stuff. I was mulling over the relative merits of a time trial bike versus a pair of $2200 Zipp wheels versus the overall craziness of paying $2200 to decrease my time at Leroy by a minute or so. When you think about other hobbies, like cars, riding a motorcycle, or boating, cycling is cheap! Plus it's healthy. Heck, if you consider the health benefits, it's practically free! I was almost ready to go home and empty out the savings account, but I didn't.

1 comment:

Jim said...

You are welcome to try either of mine any time you want. Spending money on toys is always fun!

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