While we are waiting to hear all about CM's epic 24 hr TT over the weekend I thought I would report on todays Bike Tires Direct TT out at Portland International Raceway (PIR). Having race road, CCX and short-track MTB at PIR at various times in the past, I decided late yesterday to make it a quadrella of bike disciplines and add the TT.
Six laps and 12 miles was on the menu. Having got there early to register I had the luxury of 90 mins before kick-off to fiddle with the bike and warm-up. The wind was a bit squally but happily there was NO sign of rain, let alone hail or snow unlike the EPIC 'Bend Don't Freeze' race of '11.
For a change I was able to tinker with the TT set-up on my bike. Nothing special, just my Cannondale with aero bars bolted on. Skinsuit and booties completed my aero-transformation. Raised the saddle a bit, leveled the bars a bit followed by a solid warm-up had me ready to mix it up with the masters (A 'master-mix', perhaps - sorry, an appauling science joke).
The race itself was uneventful. Got passed a couple of times, and in turn passed a few blokes. Finished in 28m15s to take 8th place out of 14 Masters riders - solidly mid-pack. A couple of things to be pleased about. My average speed of 24.5 mph (40 kph) was faster I had ever done a TT in, but of course, there were no hills and no significant wind to slow this clydesdale down. After lap one, I did not even change from the 50/15 I had settled into, so I was able to hold a very steady pace throughout.
Onwards.......
No comments:
Post a Comment