7 HACKS PRO RIDERS USE THAT YOU PROBABLY DON'T | MATT BOTTRILL

Matt Bottrill is one of the fastest time trialists the UK has ever seen, and today he's breaking down exactly what separates the pros from everyone else. We're deconstructing the whole art of time trialing—from bike and wheel setup, to kit, pacing strategy, and body position—with someone who's spent years obsessively perfecting every marginal gain.

Key Takeaways

• 85% of time trial performance comes from the athlete's body position, not the bike or kit—master your position first, then optimize everything else around it
• Pacing strategy changes with wind direction: push 10-15 watts harder into headwinds using a medium position, then utilize your aerodynamic position in tailwinds while staying on top of your gearing
• Wheel and tire interaction matters more than individual components—modern rims are 25-27mm internally and pair best with 26mm tires; matching the right tire to your rim shape is where real gains happen
• Don't obsess over drivetrain marginal gains (chains, pulleys, pedal stack height)—wheels make the biggest difference to rolling resistance, but the real art is learning to feel how your bike handles and adjusting your pacing accordingly
• Use real-world data to find your actual CDA (drag coefficient) during races, not just in the wind tunnel—test different pacing strategies in your local time trials where wind patterns are predictable

Expert Quotes

"The art of time trialing is mastering your pacing and optimizing speed, power, and aerodynamics together—I was quite late in my career when I discovered that."

"85% of the drag is coming right from the athlete. If we can cheat like know realistically that you brought like you need buy the art of it, that's where the biggest transformation happens."

"Into the headwind you've got to hold a reasonable position but power's the most important part. Into the tailwind you can utilize position a lot more and get on top of the gearing."