Arkansas State Time Trial

Tested myself against the clock for the second time this month, I couldn't just let all that prime conditioning (ha!) from the Birdeye Time Trial go to waste. And this TT was held at Galloway, just east of LR, along Hwy 70. Pan flat out and back for 24.9 miles and the scenery was good beside the cypress swamps but the pavement was terrible, the classic old concrete slab expansion joints every 40 feet. Ka-bonk, Ka-bonk. 75 people showed up which leads me to believe that cycle races will never draw the size of crowd a triathlon gets, what gives? But those 75 folks were plenty fast and taught me plenty! Such as learning to accept defeat. I did the race in 1 hr, 7 min which I thought was a good time but the winner was 57min and most guys were in the 102 to 105 range and a few passed me so fast I had to check to see if my brakes were rubbing or something. I will say that everyone had a tre' cool TT bike and I of course was on the homemade geek special. Just a good excuse but to think my $200 bike was within 5 minutes of $8,000 bikes is gratifying. In any case I'm sure I gave them something to get a giggle from!

I have since talked to Jason at the Gearhead and he says it's not the bike so much as my set up, as in you've got to have your elbows below your knees. Ouch! don't think my back can take it. I will have to cobble up a seatpost that will rotate my body forward and lower my arms without having to see a PT. I know a PT but she says I'm on my own! And I really should of geeked out and put duct tape over the vent holes of my helment to cut down on the aero drag but they would have disqualified me for bad style. Looking for a Nashbar closeout aero teardrop TT helment already.

At least I ate right and warmed up properly, rode the stationary trainer for 25 minutes and worked up a good sweat. And as far as the professionalism  of the event organization the BBC has nothing to worry about because they time by hand very similar to what we did and that is the norm for cycle only races. If we do BTT next year we could get more people to come if it is a USA cycling sanctioned event which will have the benefit of insurance coverage but will require at least a 1-day license of participants.

So, if everyone is game let's do the Birdeye TT big time next year!

 

Note to the Jacksons: I rocked the Jackson Dentist-Opt jersey, had to rep for Wynne.