WHO THIS IS FOR
IS THIS YOU?
The club racer doing their first time trial
You want a clear pacing strategy rather than riding by feel and guessing.
The rider who always goes out too hard and fades
You know you blow up in the second half but haven't fixed the opening pacing.
THE ROADMAN VIEW
The Roadman view
A time trial is the most honest test in cycling — no tactics, no wheel to sit on, just you against the clock. The pacing error almost every amateur makes is the same one: too hard in the opening kilometre because the legs feel fresh and the adrenaline is up. Alex Dowsett talked about this directly — the discipline of holding back for the first few minutes, when the effort feels almost too easy, is what separates a good TT from a blown one.
Dan Bigham brings the engineering angle: in a TT, aerodynamic drag accounts for roughly 80–90% of the resistance you're fighting. That means your position — how low and tight you are on the bike — is worth as many watts as the engine underneath you. A poor position can cost an amateur 2–4 minutes over 25 miles regardless of how well they pace.
The practical upshot: spend as much time dialling in your position as you spend doing threshold intervals, and treat your pacing like a protocol, not a feeling. Target a specific power range, start conservatively, and build. The riders who finish feeling like they had more left went out too easy. The riders who are passing people in the final 5km went out right.
EXPERT EVIDENCE
WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY
- Alex DowsettProfessional cyclist; former UCI Hour Record holder
Pacing discipline in a time trial is about suppressing the urge to respond to how good the legs feel at the start. The correct opening 3 minutes should feel noticeably easier than your target effort. Most riders mistake 'I held back' for 'I went too easy' when actually they've just paced it correctly.
Hear it: 13 Years of Pro Riding: What Amateurs Don't Know | Dowsett - Dan BighamHead of Engineering, Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe; former UCI Hour Record holder
For a rider producing 250–300 watts, aerodynamic drag is the dominant resistive force in a TT. A 10-watt improvement in aerodynamic efficiency is worth the same as a 10-watt FTP increase — but position improvements are often faster to achieve than fitness improvements.
Hear it: He Accidentally Mastered Aerodynamics | Dan Bigham
PRACTICAL APPLICATION
DO THIS WEEK
Set your target power band before the start
For a 25-mile TT, target 100–106% of FTP. For a 10-mile TT, you can push to 108–112% FTP. Write the numbers on your stem. The first 3–5 minutes: 95–100%. Then build to full effort and hold.
Ride your TT position in training for 4 weeks before the event
Do at least one session per week in your TT position — on your TT bike or with aero bars — at your target TT power. Position-specific fitness is real, and riding threshold intervals in a road position doesn't prepare you for the demands of holding aero for 40–60 minutes.
Recce the course at least once
Ride or drive the course before race day. Know where the turns are, where the hills come, where the headwind section sits. Adapt your pacing plan to the course: push harder on the tailwind return, conserve slightly on technical sections.
COMMON MISTAKES
WHAT CYCLISTS GET WRONG
MISTAKEGoing out at 110–115% FTP because the legs feel fresh.
FIXCap the first 3–5 minutes at 95–100% FTP. No exceptions. The legs always feel good at the start.
MISTAKEIgnoring position in favour of training more.
FIXSpend time in the TT position each week. A poor aero position wastes watts you've worked months to build.
MISTAKENot practising at TT power in training.
FIXInclude at least one session per week at 100–106% FTP for 4 weeks before the event. Race effort should not be a debut.
FAQ
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What power should I target in a 10-mile TT?
Should I use heart rate or power to pace a TT?
How important is aerodynamics for an amateur TT?
How do I know what my TT FTP actually is?
Should I eat before a short TT?
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