David Millar shares his proven four-part time trial system that can dramatically improve your TT performance with less than 8 hours of training per week. Drawing on 20 years of racing experience and hard-won lessons, he breaks down the five key areas where amateur riders lose time—and reveals exactly how to fix them. Whether it's your position, equipment choices, or race strategy, this is the practical blueprint that'll transform you into a faster time trialist.
Key Takeaways
- Find the fastest position for your body, not the fastest position full stop—it's about being as aerodynamic as possible while remaining effective in your pedal stroke
- Wider tyres (23mm or even 25mm on the back) are faster than super-thin, high-pressure alternatives; work with what optimizes your actual speed, not what sounds fastest
- Pace control is one of the biggest skills to master—it's not about sitting on one power number; you need to learn how to read and manage your speed throughout the race
- A speed suit or skin suit is the single most important equipment upgrade after tri-bars, since your body creates the majority of aerodynamic drag
- Choose a test course (official local TT or self-mapped) to measure real improvement; progress only counts when you can actually prove you're faster on the same route
- The foundation of TT training comes down to three elements: position training (riding effectively in your aero position), pace control practice, and speed endurance to handle race-day workload
Expert Quotes
"It's how fast you pedal that gear that matters—it's not the bigger the gear, the faster you're going to go."
"This is the race of truth and it's you on your own against the clock—the most important thing is to make yourself fast."
"So many people are getting it wrong—you have to choose your race, choose the one that you're going to aim to beat. It's not just about going out there and increasing your power; you want to get faster and the only way you can really prove your faster is by having a course."