TT improvement

My experiment with a new TT position has to be considered a success. I feel just as powerful as before and I'm much more aero. I will do a final tweak this week by lowering my bars another cm and bringing my seat about 1-2 cm further forward, then I think I'll leave it alone. It's difficult to see my improvements without a power meter on the Cervelo, but I know they are there based on my recent rides.

Three times in the past 5 weeks I've done the Thursday Worlds course in Macon with the group ride:


Chasing or being chased helps tremendously with the motivation factor, which is critical for an hour and a half TT ride at full power. The first two times I averaged 21.9 and 22.1 mph. I skipped a week and last night averaged 23.2 mph. That's a huge improvement. Some of it is due to a shortened course the third time that did not include Moran Road, which has a long false flat. But I know it was not all due to the course change, because I was averaging about a mile per hour faster at the Montpellier Rd turn this week compared to the other two weeks.

Also very importantly, my back was not sore this time. The rearward saddle and low bars position I tried before put too much strain on it. The new position is much more comfortable. I could have ridden for another hour at the same pace, I think, if I'd had food. Long TT skills don't really help me in Cat4, though, because our TTs are usually only 10 to 25 miles long.

I've ordered a replacement for my slow Tufos (Vittoria Chrono EVO CS tubulars - hopefully with at Crr 0.0004), but they won't arrive in time to be mounted and dry properly for the State TT in Rome in about 10 days, so Tufos and a Crr of about 0.006 it is. I didn't need that 30 seconds anyway.