I did a 11.54 mile TT tonight run my a local club. I was almost 1 minute slower than my best time last year on the same course , same bike (even got a skin suit this time)despite putting out the same average power. I have trained hard all winter and am a bit peeved that after all my hard work I am actually slower?? Now, tonight it was freezing (only 4 degrees C) yet my PB was set last year in July, could the really cold temperature account for the slower time?
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My new favourite saying as I get older is: it doesn’t get any easier, you just get slower 
I’ll add that unless the conditions were identical, average power doesn’t tell the whole story. Eg wind and position.
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Cold can definitely make a difference.
Your body has to work harder to maintain your body temperature, that expends energy that could be used for other purposes.
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Thanks, been looking it up and apparently you can loose almost 10% due to a combination of increased air pressure, rolling resistance increase and harder to process oxygen etc. Despite going as hard as I could my power was down 20 watts over the ride as well. At least that makes me feel a bit better. It’s hard when you train really dilligently and then seem slower. Cheers
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As others have said temperature and atmospheric pressure make a big difference to air resistance, that’s why Hour record attempts are planned for low pressure days and they crank the heating in the velodrome up
Were you properly warmed up and did you stay warmed up? At 4 degrees I’d be in full length winter weight kit, I’d get horribly chilled in a skinsuit.
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Hi, Was in a skin suit with a thin base layer( long arms, short legs and no leg warmers) and despite a nearly 30 minute warm up with some hard sprints I was still freezing cold and shivering before the start. My hands were frozen even after borrowing some gloves. It was also windy and I think the wind chill made it feel even colder TBH. At the end I had a 2 mile ride back to the event headquarters and I could barely stand up once off the bike, my legs were so weak. took ages to warm up even sitting next to an open fire in the pub that was the headquarters. Serious lesson learnt. Only 7 riders turned up so maybe that says something.
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I’m always slower in cold/cool wx. I never thought too much about it, just accepted it and figure if I want to do a good comparison over a course, it should be done in roughly the same wx. Perhaps similar to the difference between indoor and outdoor ftp?
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Think of shivering as your body’s attempt to deal with cold much as perspiring is its reaction to heat.
When I used to ride in cold weather ( as low as 1-2 degrees C) I used to dress in layers with clothing designed to wick out the moisture and retain the heat. Since I got an indoor trainer, I have stopped riding outside in the cold.
The other thing to realize is that once you stop moving (even for a minute or two) and generating heat, that cycling kit does not keep you warm.
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Yes, the cold temperature could have contributed to your slower time. Cold weather can affect your muscles’ ability to generate power efficiently, which could impact your performance, even if your training has improved.
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Not a head wind alowing you down? That would hapoen with the same av power…
And just read about the cold. Sounds horrendous. Bet you were sitting all ridig and hunched trying to keep warm on the bike too. Quite a few combos of things really.
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I believe I’ve read and heard that the optimum racing temperature is somewhere around 60-65F (15-18C). It’s not exact and it depends a bit on other factors such as the wind and the relative humidity and cloud cover, acclimation, body type, etc. But it still doesn’t usually vary much out of that range. The higher it gets above the range the harder your body has to work to cool itself. The lower it gets from that range the harder your body has to work to keep itself and your muscles warm enough.
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Is that why I’m always faster in the spring and take a massive drop as the summer goes on? New excuse unlocked!!
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Thanks all for your answers and suggestions. Yes it was horrendous @DameLisa and just wanted it over a.s.a.p to get back in the warm. As I have got older I hate the cold and stay indoors when cold or wet outside. I am even avoiding group riding at the moment as I have had two accidents recently due to the terrible roads here which are full of ruts and potholes which cannot totally be avoided when riding in a pace line. Any outside riding for me at the moment is on my own and for TT bike practise, getting used to riding on the skis. So 95% of my riding/training is indoors on the turbo these days and I hate to say it and much to my surprise, Zwift has made this easier to tolerate as I gradually transpose all the no vids onto that platform. Roll on the summer!
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