MIVA 20KM INDIVIDUAL TIME TRIAL, 120531

MIVA 20KM I.T.T. Nanaimo River Road

May 31st.

The turnout for tonight's 20km time trial was the best yet with 19 starters.

The evening proved to be a fast one as many people did their personal bests

for the distance. As usual, there was no traffic, apart from the few unlicensed

tor cyclists doing wheelies on trail bikes.

On a point of interest: Dave Steen, aged 70,  did a 32'50" ride tonight. Winner,

PDA, without a time bonus,  did a 28'14". For 20km itt handicapping purposes, riders are

given 8 seconds a year from 40-50, 9 seconds per year from 51 - 60, and 10

seconds per year from 60 - 70. Thus Dave's handicap would be 4'30". If we

take the 4'30" off Dave's time, he ends up with a handicap time of 18' 20", only

6 seconds behind Paul! Handicapping in time trials started nearly a hundred

years ago and was used to make up for the ravages of age.

Next week there is a forty kilometer 3 person team time trial. To ensure

that your team will ride in close formation with frequent changes of the lead,

pick your teams straight away and practise riding in a pace line. A good stretch

of quiet road for this is Maxey Road, just off East Wellington at the bottom of

the first hill. It's a straight, flat 2.5km long piece of road that finishes in a dead end.

Go here for an interesting article by one of  Health Net team's best time triallists.