Frostebite Time Trial 2015

Originally published March 9, 2015

The Frostbite Time Trial always commences the road cycling race season, and usually, your toes do feel a bit anesthetized by the windy and short 11.6 mile out and back finale. This year, however, a glimpse of spring graced the riders and many threw their leg warmers and winter gloves to the wind! Unlike any other bike race, the time trial event is a completely individual event against you, your legs, your lungs, the pavement, and the environmental elements. It is the only bike race where you will also see tandem racers, and if that doesn’t put a smile on your face, I don’t know what will! In a game of cat and mouse, racers are released from a dead stop at 30 second intervals in a stream of steady maximum power outputs. A time trial event is one of the most “safe” racing environments because you and only you are the pack, there is no drafting and no team tactics. The only decent strategy is to go as hard as you can on the way out and then harder on the way in. This year there was a mild SW crosswind at the 9:25am Cat 5 women’s start, which made for a slight cross-tailwind on the way back to the “barn.” Throughout the day, the winds picked up, which gave riders more of a challenge on the way out (south) and in return, they received a big push on the way back (north). The Fort Follies Cycling Team sported their new spotted kits with the new sponsors on them! Cheers and gears to the 2015 racing season, we hope it’s a good one!