For the people who turned up on Thursday (no dig there, honest) it was obvious I wasn’t riding my Burls. I had turned up on my new time trial bike - a Trek Equinox TTX 9.0.
Initially, I was building up a 2005 Trek Equinox aluminum frame in time for the start of next season, but it worked out only slightly more expensive to lump for a 2009 Equinox TTX 9.0 - upgrading from alloy to carbon - and get it this season so I could get used to it ready for next year when I am hoping to be lighter, fitter and more competitive.
If you hadn’t already noticed, I’m a bit of a Trek man. It’s not just because I’m an admirer of Lance Armstrong, or that the shop I am involved with (KB Cycles) is a Trek dealer (they have Scott and Orbea bikes too) - I genuinely like Trek bikes. My dream road bike would be a Madone 6.9 Pro Red. I bought my fiancee a Trek mountain bike. So it was only natural that I’d want to race on a Trek Equinox. I’m aware that there is a brand new Equinox imminent, but better to race a proven bike than wait for something that might not be any better.
Visually, the bike is stunning. Some time trial bikes look a little odd to me, specifically the Cervelo P4 (the downtube, bottom bracket junction and seat tube all look so clumsy), but apart from the Specialized Transition, I think the Trek Equinox TTX is the most visually appealing of all time trial bikes. The frame and forks is finished in a metallic silver, which has a stunning deep metallic fleck that catches the sunlight, with black and white decals and blue detailing throughout. It’s a coincidence, but the colour scheme matches my Burls!
I can only assume that most of the budget goes into the frame and forks as component wise, it’s a mid range road bike. The bike runs on a Shimano 105 drivetrain and Bontrager finishing kit - with the no-name alloy brake calipers being the low point of the specification. For this kind of money we should be looking at a full Ultegra SL groupset, but this is only a minor complaint as I’ll probably ditch the Shimano components for SRAM or Campagnolo anyway.
Riding the bike for the first time was a little daunting. I had, with the help of Keith from KB KB Cycles, set the bike up on the turbo trainer first. This is fine - but you only get to know the bike by riding it out on the road. Just out of pure curiosity, I took the bike out into the quiet back roads near where I live.
As you sit on the bike for the first time, the first thing you notice is the sheer bulk of the frame. After riding the Burls, which in itself has fairly oversized tubing, the Equinox feels massive - there is loads of carbon everywhere. My knees nearly touch the top-tube. The second thing you notice is the riding position. It’s extremely difficult to explain, but where as the Burls has a very upright, almost sportive riding position, on the Equinox you are crouched over and very flat, obviously to get you are aerodynamically positioned as possible.
Pedaling around the estate, my first impressions were a little disappointing. The bike didn’t feel very fast - and certainly no stiffer than my Burls. I had expected, given the sheer amount of carbon and the comparative stiffness of a carbon frame over a titanium frame, to find a bone shattering, super stiff bike in the TTX. More than anything it showed me just how good the Burls frame really is. However, it would be unfair to judge a £2000 racing bike by riding it around the estate.
On Tuesday, I took the Equinox to Ponteland to ride the Club 10 course. The Club 10 isn’t the fastest course around - large sections of long, slight uphill drags make sure of that. My previous best was 31 minutes 05, so anything around 31 minutes for a training ride would be a good result first time out on the Equinox.
As I pedaled away from the start finish line, I became instantly aware of how the bike puts the power down out of the saddle. The bottom bracket area is super stiff, with every stomp on the pedals (even from someone of my weight) being translated into forward motion. Once into the aero position, it became obvious that I would have to learn how to ride a bike all over again. The position is completely foreign. You shift your body forward on the saddle, put your weight on your elbows, and pedal using a slightly different muscle set.
Admittedly, I didn’t stay in the aero position all the way round the course - I simply couldn’t. But a simple test proved the theory - sitting upright (as upright as you can on a time trial bike) holding on to the bull bars pedaling I was riding at 18-19mph. Seconds later, I tucked into the aero position and pedaled at the same rate. The result - I was riding at 20-21mph.
10 miles later I crossed the finish line. I had gone round at around 80-85% of my race pace - not full out but giving it a good go. The time was 29 minutes 50 seconds - some 1 minute and 15 seconds quicker than my official PB. Whether some of it was fitness I don’t know, but the bottom line was I had unofficially broken 30 minutes - a target for this season.
Any preconceptions I had built up from riding the bike around the estate were gone - the bike flies. It’s super stiff, reasonably light bearing in mind it has 105 and alloy aero bars (17 lbs), and very, very quick. It doesn’t have the bone jawing ride many warned me of, but it felt less comfortable than the Burls. If I’m going to ride the Vag’s Mountain Time Trial (a 47 mile hilly race) I will need to get used to riding long distance on it.
After Thursday’s disappointment in the 25 mile TT, I put my hands up and admit that I’ve got the Equinox TTX too early - my times and performances do not warrant such a high piece of kit. This is born of my attitude towards any sport, not matter what level, that you should NEVER be in a position where you can blame the equipment. If the equipment is holding you back, then you aren’t getting a fair representation of how well you are doing.
This season isn’t meant to be about racing for me. Each time trial is a learning experience, a lesson in cycling, and a chance to pick up hints and tips and get used to racing. Hopefully by next year I will be confident on the bike, and will be able to put in performances worthy of such a bike.
Just a word to say thanks to Keith at KB Cycles for sorting out the Equinox for me.