A new record tonight?
I stepped out the door earlier today to get the mail. Wow, has summer ever kicked in. We're getting one of those midwest weather turnarounds here where it's cool and pleasant one day and miserable hot and humid the next. Today's that next day. It's a beast out there.
It's also really calm. That makes it a great day to do a timetrial. And tonight's the third run of the Wednesday TT series.
I did some quick calculations to see what may be the impact of these weather conditions over and above last week's (which were quite outstanding, as it was warm with falling pressure before an evening storm). Conservative estimates of temperature, humidity, and barometric pressure yield an even lower air density than last week.
If last week's overall winner can manage an exact repeat of his record setting performance last week he will go under the 19 minute mark, breaking his own record by an additional 6 seconds.
Justin, you reading this? Let's hope the wind stays calm!
a great missed opportunity
I wished I would have felt like getting on the bike last night. Just didn't have the body for it. Too tired and too fearful of wearing down my immune system. I'm curious to see if your predictions bore fruit.
Sadly, no
Sadly, my prediction did not pan out. Word I got was the air felt "thick" and it was too hot to go fast. TT times were a bit slower last night.
I hadn't thought the heat would have such a big effect for a short effort, but you can never discount these kinds of effects - whether physiological or psychological - with a few calculations on paper. That's why they actually hold the race, rather than declare a winner based on the math.
I'm glad of it, too.
it isn't the heat...
...it's the humidity. ;-)
But seriously: as temperature and humidity go up, air density falls, but so, too, does power output (at least over durations longer than a few minutes). What this implies is that there is an optimal temperature for maximum speed, but since that varies with the individual and their degree of acclimatization, it is difficult to say precisely what it is. I am, however, willing to go out on a limb and say "today ain't the best day for going fast". ;-)