2014 459 Express Sub5 Plan

2014 Sub5 Course and Pacing Plan

459 Express

In 2011/2012 we learned that the key to keeping a group intact on the sub5 course will be proper pacing and avoiding any unneeded accelerations. This was particularly important on the back half of the course where there are hills. None of the hills were difficult, but when riding at our limit, it wouldn't take much to push one over the limit and off the back of the pack. In 2013 we learned that even into a strong Easterly wind, working together and using an even effort (even the though speed varied greatly depending on the wind) got us to the finish well under our 4:59 target.

For 2014, there are more turns and there some additional rough and patched roads. Thank goodness the annoying 'Higgins Hump' and Harmony road (THAT Harmony road) hills have be removed this year. The key to keeping the group together this year will be maintaining speed through the turn and gently re-establishing our pace. Extra communication on the rough roads calling out hazards will also be needed to prevent flats, chain drops and other incidents.

Overall Pace Plan
The following table highlights the pacing lap by lap.

459 Pace Plan	Lap Time/Speed	Total Time	Total Ave		1st Hour	Back Half
Lap 1 – 33.3 mile	1:35@21.0mph	1:36	21.0		21.5	20.0
Pit Stop	0:04	1:39	20.2
Lap 2 – 33.3 mile	1:37@20.6mph	3:16	20.4		21.0	19.8
Pit Stop	0:03	3:19	20.0
Lap 3 – 33.3 mile	1:40@20.2 mph	4:59	20.07		20.7	19.0

Also note that there are 20 turns and several intersections that we will slow down and/or stop for. Figure losing 15 seconds per turn, that’s 5 minutes lost each lap. So to average 21mph the first hour, our moving pace needs to be 22mph.

The Course

The course is on lightly traveled rural roads. In the past, course workers were at all the turns and intersections. While they may give us the ‘all clear to proceed’, the course workers will not be stopping traffic. We must be vigilant at all intersections. In previous years, my group had to stop at least once for traffic in the 100 miles. It's likely we will stop at the Route 23 crossings, and/or turning onto Harmony road at miles 3 and 30 of each lap.

The course isn’t particularly hilly, however it drops 200 feet in the first 21 miles, and gains it back in the last 13 miles. The basic strategy is to make time on the downhill section and carefully pace up the back half the course. Most of the elevation drop is in the first 3 miles, and then then next 18 miles are flat to gently downhill. Expect a cruising speed of 22mph. Roughly, each lap we hope to average 21mph in the first (downhill) hour, and then average 20mph on the uphill section. The back half of the course gradually gains the elevation back, with one 'sleeper' hill on Anthony road when coming out of Riley going up until Route 23. The only major climb, Big Timber, should be taken at 15-17 mph. We will probably go up Big Timber faster than that on laps 1 and 2... and wish we hadn't on lap 3!

Big Timber starts with a downhill section to gain speed, but then it's a long uphill to Gast road, and the twisting parking lot downhill to finish each lap. We have 1.5 miles of up... with the steepest section at the top. Basically, this is a longer version of the DG Warrenville hill road. On Big Timber we need to pace mostly 16-17mph and scrub speed to 12-13mph on the last, steeper section. If you are on the front do not accelerate unless the pitch lessens and your speed naturally increases. We need to communicate if riders are in difficulty... both asking, and telling the team if anyone is at or exceeding their limit.

Ride Plan

The course will be ridden using both single and a rotating pace lines. Depending on our final rider count, we may use a rotating pace line early in the ride to prevent a large group from stringing out. However,I predict we mostly will ride single file to maximize group efficiency and to allow riders to self-regulate their pull times. In addition, the initial downhill area between Widmayer and Harmony road (the OTHER Harmony road) and the Getty Road I90 downhill will be 459 Express designated feed zones.

Efficiency

Effective drafting is paramount to saving energy and making our goal. Roughly, with no wind/hills, a 200lb rider needs 240watts to ride 22 mph. The same rider drafting needs only 170watts. The more riders drafting and less riders ‘in the air’, the less energy the group as a whole needs.

We will use a combination of the following techniques. We’ll use single pace line for long straights allowing riders to select how long he/she pulls. We may use rotating lines when there are turns or significant cross winds to keep the group tight.

Single line

A single line has only one rider ‘in the wind’, except when the lead rider pulls off and drifts back then there are 2 in the wind.

Pros – most efficient with 1-2 minute pulls (keeping only one rider in the wind), stronger riders can take longer pulls and riders in difficulty can take short pulls.

Cons – cross winds will cause echelon to exceed lane width and results in multiple riders ‘in the wind’, long line makes it hard to communicate front to back to front, long line makes turns slower waiting for tail to complete turn before re-establishing normal pacing.

Rotating paceline

We’ve  practiced this a bit this summer. partly because it’s fun, but mainly because we needed to improve our technique. Note that if there is significant cross wind, the most efficient rotation will have the fast line in the leeward (protected) side, and the slower line in the windward side. If you feel a cross wind on your right shoulder, then it's a clockwise rotation. A cross wind from the left, then use a counter-clockwise rotation.

Pros – great team effort/camaraderie, shorter tail helps in turns, communication possible in short bursts

Cons – requires high level of concentration, regular accelerations needed, limited time to drink/refuel, requires entire group to be matched in strength.


If you need to feed or take a break in a rotating line, you can always sit off the back. You will still get a good draft. You do need to communicate you are 'out' and when you are back 'in'.

The following video shows me sitting in the back eating. Here it is in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HB6rX0unjEA  I was feeding... and did a marginal job of getting out and back in the line. When a first got out of the line, you can see Mark paused before it registered that I said I was sitting out. (He burned about 1/2 a match getting back on) I should have called out my intentions further in advance. I hung off the far side of the slow line so that no one saw me or thought I was in. When I came back in, I accelerated too soon and confused Baris whether I was 'in' ahead of him or behind him. By the time we got it sorted out, he burned a whole match getting back in line. That was not good for the team. It takes practice.

Turns

Each turn we slow down and speed up. Based on the garmin stats, on a normal turn we’ll go from 22 mph down to 16-18 mph, and then accelerate back to 22mph. This wastes 15-20 seconds per turn compared to straight 22mph. Also, each acceleration is roughly equivalent to a 0.2mile hill at 0.5%. That doesn’t seem like much, but with 20 turns per lap, that’s a ‘hidden’ 4 mile hill at 0.5% EACH lap. It’s important to safely execute each turn without slowing down too much.

If you are on the front approaching a turn call out ‘hold your line’ and stop the pace line rotation. Before the turn, gently move to the left side of the lane for a right turn, and move to right side of the lane for a left turn. Maintain speed and sweep through the turn. Note that in most cases, simply turning and leaning your bike will slow your speed sufficient for the turn. As you straighten up note your speed and (if you can safely) glance back to see any obvious gaps in the line behind.

To keep the group together it is CRITICALLY important that the lead riders do not accelerate until the ENTIRE group is through the turn. If you are on the lead during a turn, maintain whatever your minimum turn speed was until the last rider exits the turn. E.g. if you come out of the turn at 17mph (everybody else will go at least that slow), then maintain 17mph until you hear the ‘all aboard’ signal. Then gradually begin accelerating to normal pace and restart the needed rotation for the new situation. If you are on the tail of the group, call up ‘all aboard’ as soon as the tail has completed the turn. If you are on the front and don't hear the 'all aboard', you can ask the question 'all on?'. No or all aboard will be the response.

Feed Zones

We will be burning major calories for just under 5 hours, roughly 700-1000 calories/hour depending on the individual. We need to eat, and more than just at the pit stop. Better yet, we can eat while moving, so we’ll restock food pockets while stopped, and eat while moving. Here are the designated 459 Express feed zones. These are when we are going downhill and can coast or soft pedal maintaining 20+ mph and concentrate on eating some calories. Whoever is on the front in our feed zones needs to establish 20mph and then soft pedal or coast. We need to relax our spacing and give each other some wiggle room while we dig in our pockets for food. Some of the energy bars are hard to unwrap and you may consider pre-opening them before the ride. Here are the 459 Express “Feed Zones”:

1. Kelly road between Ketchum and Widmayer road. This is the first downhill of each lap, right after the pit stop.

2. A short feed zone on Getty road after the I90 overpass. We'll use the overpass downhill to establish speed and then soft pedal. This is a short feed zone.


In previous sub5 events I haven’t consumed enough calories. 2013 I think I finally figured it out. This year I plan on 2-3 Gus (100cal each) each lap and perhaps a PBJ on the 3rd lap. That’s 300-500 calories per lap which is a negative calorie deficit, however if I eat more my stomach doesn’t digest it fast enough. At the start, I will stock my three jersey pockets each with a lap supply of food. I will make sure to empty another pocket by the end of each lap. With this technique all I need at the pit stop is water and could comfortably do the pit stops under 2 minutes each.

2013 we had a tent with our coolers laid out. All each of us did was grab full bottles from our coolers, grab whatever food we had stocked and then line up in front of tent, ready to go.. Grab and go is the strategy.

Pit Stops

This is not a rest stop, but a pit stop. We’ll replenish food pockets, water bottles, chug some fluids, possibly visit the porta-john, and get moving again. We’ll eat and drink the new supplies on the Kelly road downhill… while we are moving 20-25mph. The first year I did the sub5, our group stopped for 3:36 and 2:25 for the two pit stops. 2012 we did 3:45 and 2:15. 2013 ditto. Keep in mind, the less we are stopped, the slower the ride pace will be. I want us to be under 4 and 3 minutes respectively for the two stops. Just those 7 stopped minutes increases our needed moving ride pace from 20 to 20.5 mph.

Hills

The following chart shows the major hills, and the pace equivalents of a 200lb rider producing 240watts not drafting. This gives an idea of an effort equivalent to a 22mph flat cruising speed. I created a Computrainer course for the sub5 lap and found that holding a 240watt average (no drafting) produces the 1:37ish (20.8 mph) goal lap time. The chart gives us a goal pace for the hills shown below. We will need to adjust based on tail/head winds.

200 lbs at 240 watts	Overall Climb	Overall Pace	Kicker	Cresting Pace
Flat windless road	0%	22.4 mph
Beck Road removed 2013	1.2 at 1.3%	17.7 mph	1.6%	15.5mph
Harmony Hill removed 2013	0.8 at 1.6%	16.7 mph	3%	12.7 mph
Harmony Road removed 2014	0.8 at 1.0%	18.7 mph	NA
Higgins Hump removed 2014	0.3 at 2.3%	-	2.3%	14.5 mph
Big Timber Road	1.2 @ 1.7%	16.3 mph	3%	12.7 mph

Communication

All on? - anyone calls this question out to determine if everyone is in the group

All aboard – tail calls this when group is back together after a turn, hill or other disruption

Easy or Soft pedal – anyone calls this when one or more riders is either separated or in difficulty

down/up 1 or ½ cog – decrease/increase pace the equivalent of shifting one or a half cog.

One line (one finger)– single pace line

rotating pace line (one finger rotated in direction of rotation) – rotating line