SBR Utopia - OPEN (Page 189)

So, I think I know the answer, but just want the group's confirmation....  Have a mini sprint this weekend, .5/6/2.  It's a good course for swimmers. 

The bike course is two 3 mile loops, semi technical with a few hundred yards of straightaways, 4 doglegs,  two 180 degree turns, and two sweeping downhills followed by a sharp bitey 50 yd uphill.

So.....  aero helmet and disc?  Will I be that guy?  You know, the guy I used to laugh at?

Looking to podium in a non-clyde AG but also training through it, so taking it semi seriously.

if you got it flaunt it Chris

Me, too, now that I have a tri-bike and a disc!!  Who cares if it's used (I certainly can't), and it bothers me not a whit if a stronger rider passes me riding a big-wheel or such (well, it bothers me to get passed at all, but never because of the bike, and I never feel like I have to justify what I'm riding, either).

All good fun and healthy competition, right?  Run the disc!!!

Matt

And speaking of healthy competition (the 45-49 AG 'round here turns out to be NUTS), here is my RR from last weekend:

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/RaceLog/races-view-container.asp?raceid=248548 

This was my first of the year and third in the last year (two sprints last Fall) since a couple decade hiatus from the sport.

Loved this race, even though (or because?) I did it on a whim and the day after a short race.  Was concerned about 2 races in 1 weekend, but the BT community said to HTFU... and I had a BLAST!

Matt

I know (as a 20'/5' test protocol guy) that for me it's been mentall easier to build up to the ending average than start too har and hold on as I watch it fall.  my ending average for the most recent 20' test was up 10-20 watts (i really don't recall...  i was a littel preoccupied with pain) from what I saw in the first five minutes.

I know there is disagreement re: best way to test it, but I think as long as it's a consistent repeatable method it's fine.   But as far as effectiveness, if the FTP is overstated, that will come out in training, no?  i.e., if you set 100% intervals based on that FTP and you can barely hold on for 5' something is wrong

If it's a race, I'm bringing my stuff.

Keep working on building into the hard efforts and you should hit targets better. So many don't realize how much it takes out of them even though it "feels" like they have loads of energy. The fatigue just doesn't show up right away. Even when shooting for like 380 on some intervals in the past, I'd rarely get up to 385, let alone 400. And this high up were ones I'd go out more aggressively too.

Agreed.

What's all this talk about cleaning your bike???  

That's a tough one for sure.

I think I'm a bit weird in that I find it tougher to maintain a particular power when going into the wind and slower than downwind and faster (as long as I'm not spinning out).  I'm sure it's in my head.

not racing but I am going to go sign my new lease for my move next week.  This means that in one week I'll be living in a place I can bike again. 

That definitely qualifies as exciting!

That's really cool, where is the race?

I think it's because the wind not only affects the resistance, but our balance as well. It's hard to focus on working very hard when we also have to worry about staying upright. So the more disruptive the wind is towards your balance, the harder it will be to push yourself. When going more with the wind, I feel a lot less of it, so it's less disruptive.

Sometimes I get the feeling that no matter how hard I work going into the wind that my speed is still awful, so I'm less inclined to work as hard because it doesn't seem to make a difference. And then vice versa when going with the wind. My mind sees the added speed and wants to get every bit it can out of it.

I actually wonder if your mind is on to something from a physics standpoint, as well.  I'll noodle this a bit and see if I can figure it out with maths, but here goes for a thought you've sparked in my (work-addled) mind.

Given: Speed is all we care about maximizing while racing - not Wattage (with apologies to other power nuts).  Quite the opposite wrt Wattage - we care about optimizing it (basically minimizing for a given speed or maximizing speed for a given W).

Given:  Each incremental increase in speed is disproportionately harder than the previous increment, largely due to frictional resistance from the air (minimally from the road).

So, on an out and back course with a head/tailwind, one should (if this is right) spend a bit less energy into the headwind, as you have to work disproportionately harder to overcome the frictional air resistance as you move through the air-mass faster than across the ground, and one should work a bit harder on the downwind leg as your power applied yields proportionately more ground speed with the surrounding air mass moving with you (so, less disproportionate friction from the air for a given ground speed, meaning your mph:W ratio is higher for the few W above your average for the out and back). 

Or something like that...

Would that not yeild a faster average speed than holding the same power out-and-back, or am I missing something REALLY basic here?  Could also be that this is such common knowledge that even posting it here is silly (wouldn't be the first - or last - time for me).

Any geeky roadies already have this all figured out?  I can't believe it's a new thought if it is right.  I can certainly believe, though, that it's not! 

Always dangerous to just think and post - aaahhhhhh, but I'm sure a utopian s/b/r place welcomes such ill advised practice, no?

Matt