SBR Utopia - OPEN (Page 94)

Latex tubes are like installing condoms on your wheels, except hopefully your condoms don't tear as often when... ahhhh... sheathing.

Tried once, and gave up (latex tubes, that is)

Well, several things actually.

I use a disc covered PT training wheel for tris/TTs where I have to use a standard length valve, and I road race on a 404 set that does require an extender.  Taking a removable core extender on and off isn't rocket science, but it is a little more of a chore...especially since the seal is critical to holding air...where the seal on a standard valve extender is not.

Compatibility.  If for some reason my removeable core extender fails, or the seal is no good, I'm likely SOL.  With normal valve extenders...if the seal is no good, I can just use the valve extender on my spare, or borrow one from someone else and give it back when I'm done.

That...and the more embarassing thing is that I got sick of throwing away removeable core extenders.  Because you actually need some tools to remove it, when I flatted, I would often forget to take the valve extender off before throwing the punctured tube away.  Those removeable core extenders aren't cheap either.  I've done it twice already.  LOL.

I just don't see any advantage to removeable core extenders.  Especially since they cost more.

The trick is to use them often

Ok, for your use, that makes sense. I just started using removable ones later last season on the deeper S80s. I liked them better than the shaft on the standard core as every so often the valve would get stuck down inside. I'd pump the tire and air would just blow back out. I would have to take everything apart and *hope* I could get it together again for a good seal. No shortcut has ever worked. Not my favorite thing to do right before the race. I only use it on one setup for one pair of wheels though.

Are you doing a 40k TT??? I might need to hit you up for some training advice...I want to race some TTs this year

Great idea...just buy an extra link to keep in your bag. 

Yeah...that is the one pro about removeable cores.  Once you have it on nice and tight, it acts just like a normal valve.

It's a 20k.  First TT of the season...I'm not ready for the world of hurt the 40k will bring which is later in June for me.

Ben and probably Marc can probably chime in better, but I simply focus on riding more, riding hard, and mixing up between VO2 max and threshold type workouts.

One thing that is very different for me in a TT is that I pay much closer attention to body position aerodynamics.  Making sure I stay down on my bars at all times, making sure I keep my head down as much as possible, etc.  While you should try to relax your upper body as much as possible, I never really feel comfortable.  In a HIM, I wouldn't hesitate to sit up to take a drink, or even just stretch my back and legs because I know it's still a long day ahead of me.  But for a TT, you just gotta suck it up and stay as low as possible.  Besides, your legs and lungs will be where most of your worries are.  LOL.

This is what I like. I like the fact nothing gets stuck in a place I have no access to.

I use bontrager latex tubes with removable cores and bontrager extenders.

This year I will be using Conti 4000s tires. Last year I used Vittorias

This is what I like. I like the fact nothing gets stuck in a place I have no access to.

I bought a latex repair kit last summer and tried it.  I had a tube with two holes in it and put patches on both of them.  I was able to do a race with the tube but when I removed it, one of the patches was barely holding.  The tube was visibly stretched around the patch and I'm sure wouldn't have lasted too much longer.  The other one seemed perfectly fine so I don't know if I did something wrong.  It made me nervous enough that I wouldn't do it again.

Pinched one tube during installation.  Still, 2/3 is pretty much par for the course. 

I'll add: practice the course in advance.  You want to put the hammer down (more) on any uphill parts, even if they don't seem like much of a hill.  Practice doing a smooth U-turn too

It might help if I had some open TT experience, maybe some day if I can find one here that isn't part of a larger series to be in. 

Generally your training will still be centered around threshold advancement, as it is (or should be) for many of us here. I wouldn't change much, if anything, in mine farther out. A couple workouts a week working around threshold, some VO2 here and there so it doesn't limit threshold development. And then building up lots of aerobic training stress with the other rides. Someone short on time may be all the way up near threshold again, but others with more time can back down and ride lots more.

Have an idea of the race too. Mark (spudone) brought up a good point on knowing the course. That will help both in being able to maintain speed best and some in determining if there is any race specific training that might be needed. Though generally it's likely to be repeats of longer threshold sets and some individual ones that cover most of to all of the anticipated race duration depending on how long you anticipate it taking. Like if it was a 40k, I might get in repeats of 15, 20 or 30minutes, building to an hour of work. And also have longer straight through ones getting out to 40-45 min. Maybe more if I recovered well, but would have to see. Do know that I'd likely expect to hit an hour or better depending on the course difficulty.

Jason also brought up a good point about just dealing with some position discomfort. In a tri, we have to take care of things because of the run, but in a TT you can just collapse at the end. Do what you can to alleviate known discomfort, but be ready to take some more than you would in a tri. Slightly adjusting position is a maybe, and depends on how far you want to take it with this. I wouldn't adjust a thing on mine, but I'm already very low and can hold it for longer stretches fairly well while still producing power.

I finally fell victim to the cold that has been going around our family...I was feeling smug thinking I had managed ti beat it but I woke up Friday with a sore throat. I went out and did the ride today, got in over 80 miles. I did the first half with the A group and then thought I would chillax with the B group for the 2nd half; turns out that the A and C groups were big today and there were only a few in the B group so I ended up doing a lot more work. Great day out there though and I felt pretty good while riding.

Hoping to get in a short ride tomorrow before we go watch a local crit.

Great stuff guys. I did a 30k TT last year, it was uphill on the way out and I finished with way too much left in the tank. Everyone was collapsing off their bike and I could have gone for a run, LOL. Most of the TTs here are 30-40k. I need to decide whether to race Cat 4 or Masters. I will pick your brains closer to my event :-)

Neopren swim socks/booties? What do you guys think of that? Ever used them? I heard the water in the lake is about 60 degrees on race day. It's a 1.2 mile swim. Not sure how far it is from the lake to t1.

I swear, now that I hear about different Tri-whatever gadgets/clothing, I get anxious. What is wrong with me?

I've my event next month, and am finding ways to have a bit of panic attack about different aspects of it about every other day. 

Oh.. and Go Rusty!!! 

Rode the course this morning then helped sweep it up some.  Our team is hosting the race.  Going to help out with packet pickup later today.

It was really interesting though because the road was extremely busy to vehicle traffic for some reason.  Normally it's a pretty empty road out to nowhere, but we realized that they were having a Warrior Dash out there today.  So tomorrow should be much more melow.  Another crazy thing is that as we were coming back from sweeping the turnaround, someone had hit a telephone pole and knocked it over.  Nobody looked hurt, but since it is the only road that goes back there with no cross streets, traffic started backin up for miles.  Luckily we were going the opposite direction from all the Warrior Dash traffic. 

Good luck Jason!!

Don't fret about the race, you've put in the work and it will all come together on race day!

I have no experience with neoprene socks or booties.  To be honest, my feet are probably the last thing I would cover up in cold water.  I've walked in ankle deep ocean water when there was still ice floes on the beach and it doesn't bother me.

3,000 yds in the pool this morning. Ended up pushing more than I had planned. Ended up next to some guy who'd always been faster than me before. Pulled on him some this time even though I was doing 200's and he was doing 50's.

3 hrs on the trainer later in the day. Took a bit to get going, swimming just does that to me, but stuck it out and able to put in a decent aerobic ride. Much of it was likely at 75-80% after the first 30-40 minutes. Trying to hold aero sure was fun after a strong swim in the morning.

Now how much should I go run for, 30 minutes to keep with the theme??