How to best timetrial your own route?

Training
1

I have a 12 mile loop with 600ft climbing that i’ve been getting out and doing during lunch breaks. Roughly 36 minute move time with 2 streetlights that often put a few minutes of rest at mile 4 and mile 9.

Its been fun to time trial my own ghost and review efforts against the past. I’m trending quicker as I pace the punchy climbs better and power over top of them. IF for the rides is always 1.01 to 1.06 so i’m definitely trying.

Curious how others have looked at their own routes and attempted to maximize for speed? Save energy on climbs and hold higher power and aero tuck the straights? Recover prior to climbs to attack and come out stronger?

2

Learn the light/traffic pattern to minimize stopping time.

3

Hence why I reference moving time - i’m not counting the stops in my effort since they arent something in my control.

4

Put the route into Best Bike Split and see what they tell you to do.

1 Like
5

If you have a Garmin gps, then use the virtual partner to race your previous self.

1 Like
6

For long sustained climbs I try to stick to keep a good tempo and not over-do it so I can push over the crest of the hill. A lot of times people see the top of the hill and let off the gas and recover before they are heading downhill.

On the downhill I try to recover as much as possible while maintaining speed. If it is a short punchy bit I get up speed going into it to try and carry it up the hill as much as possible. The key is to not go anaerobic where you lose speed on the flats and downhill because you are cooked.

Got a course profile?

2 Likes
7

@BenB Forgot about this app, great shout.

@GoLongThenGoHome Seems like Wahoo doesnt have this feature, best I could probably do is create a few massive strava segments along the route and then favorite them with the live segment HUD turned on.

@Jolyzara 10/27/25 · Ride with GPS - See if this links well. There are only really a few ‘climbs’ but plenty of sustained uphill. I’ve been attacking those punchy climbs and typically pretty cooked at the top and need 20 secs of z2 power before i’m back to putting down SS or FTP level power.

8

The general rules of thumb are debatable and the specific power depends on the gradient and length of the climb but are:

  • Higher power on climbs
    • Because you’re going slower there’s less wind resistance so the power to speed curve is more favorable
  • Steady on straights
  • Lower power on descents
  • Aero on anything over like 16ish mph
  • Really aero on anything like 28-30mph or higher
  • Maintain speed through and out of corners
    • less slowing down and less re-accelerating
  • Keeping momentum into climbs
    • Idk if it’s mental or actually overall speed but putting in a bit more power at the bottom of a punchy climb maintains your speed further up so you both go faster and spend less time going slow.
  • Keep pushing over the top of the climb to regain speed
    • The climb doesn’t end when it flattens out, it ends when you’re back up to speed.
3 Likes
9

Love that last point! Thank you!