Since the last time I rode the Leroy TT (two weeks ago), I've been trying to find a more aerodynamic position on my road bike that doesn't pinch my breathing, and that doesn't interfere with my pedaling mechanics.
That's easier said than done. I went through this exercise last year without any positive result. I tried different stem lengths and saddle positions. This year, I just tried some simple things. I basically just tried to get my elbows in while keeping my chest open. It seems to be more aerodynamic, but it's definitely not as powerful, since I can't pull on the bars as easily as I can with my hands on the hoods.
So my strategy for this final TT of the season was to get into that more aerodynamic position on downhills, but stay in my normal position the rest of the time.
However, tonight, I was really more worried that I'd just crack somewhere on the course. I've been a little on the tired side this week and my legs have been getting sore while I'm out riding instead of the day after a ride. Call it instant onset muscle soreness. I didn't feel great during my warm-up.
However, once I rolled off from the starting line, I felt good enough to make an all out effort to finally try to crack the 20 minute barrier for this year.
Two weeks ago, I did a flawless ride, but came up a little short at 20:04. This week, I faltered on the climb, but came up with a 20:04 again! The average power for this week was 352W and was 350W last week. Here's how the two rides compare per section:
This week:
Start to Turn: 5:29 / 356 Watts / 22.6 mph
Turn to Turn Around: 5:50 / 327 Watts / 18.4 mph
Turn around to Turn: 3:52 / 332 Watts / 27.1 mph
Turn to Finish: 4:57 / 383 Watts / 25.1 mph
Two Weeks Ago:
Start to Turn: 5:25 / 353 Watts / 22.1 mph
Turn to Turn Around: 5:30 / 338 Watts / 18.8 mph
Turn Around to Turn: 4:08 / 337 Watts / 25.6 mph
Turn to Finish: 5:06 / 359 Watts / 24.8 mph
That's actually pretty interesting. It's possible the wind is the main factor between these two rides. Although, if it wasn't, if I were fresh, I could have knocked 20+ seconds off my time.
Well, I've got a while to prepare for next season!
2 comments:
The third leg has me confused. More power and less speed. Would tell me wind was the issue but it doesn't appear that way in the final leg. The strange thing is that the final leg is slightly slower but used a lot less power. The things we find when we have too much info.
In the two weeks ago TT, I was basically locked into the position that I calibrated the iBike to. The last ride, I varied my position quite a bit, especially on the 3rd and 4th sections.
Also, I had my hands close to the stem where the iBike is mounted, which seems to cause some problems for the wind sensor.
I'd guess that my average power for the whole ride was actually lower than two weeks ago based on how I felt.
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