Getting Aero

 Cheap gag, sorry… 😁

I got a set of Tri-bars, or Aero-bars for Christmas, but haven’t been brave enough to try them out yet.  So with the warmest day of the year so far coinciding with a day off work, I had no more excuses.

I’d been warned they would feel a bit strange at first, and being ‘clip-on’ bars, there’s no access to brakes or gears whilst in the aero position. So, I was a little nervous to say the least!

My Brownlee plan session wanted me to do a 1-hour hilly aerobic ride today, so I chose a local loop with a good climb and descent in the first half, with the second half almost flat, giving me the chance to focus on using the bars.

I was a little wobbly at first, but after a few minutes of use, and a few goes at getting on & off them, I started to feel more comfortable. Turning for home, I really began to notice the difference when the headwind kicked in: there’s the free speed I’d heard they would provide! By the time I arrived home I was feeling really delighted with them: they need a tiny tweak in the position of the pads, but otherwise I can see myself making a lot of use of them. Success!

I mentioned it was the warmest day of the year so far… a balmy 13 degrees at our house. So it was also time to get the legs out, and try my new (in the sale!) Stolen Goat Orkaan kit: thermal 3/4 length bibs, and a thermal but short-sleeved jersey with arm warmers designed to be used in the ‘shoulder’ seasons, when it’s too warm for long thermal kit, but not warm enoug( for shorts & lightweight jersey. To be fair, that’s about 5 months of the year up here! 

Happily, the bibs are super comfy, and the jersey may be the first one I’ve ever bought that doesn’t ride up and make me feel like a sausage that’s burst out of its skin 🥴. It’s so satisfying when kit just works. 

I’m now a few days into the Brownlee training plan- and so far, it’s working well: adaptable enough that I can shuffle it around my shifts, and just the right level of challenge. Being able to just log in to Zwift, or onto my Garmin and find the sessions waiting for me is a massive bonus: they do the planning, I do the work. 

12 weeks to go, and feeling optimistic…