Bike set up for Saturday and thoughts on riding carbon vs steel (plus a tiny race plan)

Let's get to the good stuff first... this is 99% what my bike will look like on race day. Pretty standard - nothing too sexy, but this will be my first race on a carbon bike, and I wanted to show her off.

First you'll notice that I'm using a speedfil hydration system, which I've never used before. I've been on a couple training rides with it, but I've never raced with it. I chose it because it can hold 40oz of liquid, rather than the standard 32oz that one water bottle holds (I've never had more than one bottle cage on my frame - the Royal H has one on the down tube and the Slice has one on the seat tube). So far my thoughts are that it is a very effective and aerodynamic way to carry liquids. I do prefer being able to pull out an actual water bottle and squirt it directly in my mouth (as opposed to the straw, which can be slightly difficult to drink from at times), but I'll give this thing a whirl on Saturday. Theoretically the straw will keep me in the aero position longer, so it should be a better set up. The only 2 things that really stick out about it are that drinking through the straw can be tough and sometimes puts excess air in my stomach, and having all that weight sitting right in the middle of the bike is a feeling I'm not used to... And it sloshes around a little on climbs, which actually pushes the bike a little when it's full.

Next you'll see a carbon addition to the Slice - the Shimano Ultegra carbon pedals. I treated myself to these to save a few grams and say I have some extra carbon on my ride... I mentioned before that the Speedplay pedals weren't working for me (they caused me some foot pain that didn't go away) so I switched back to a larger platform pedal. So far, so good. I rode the metal Ultegra pedals before, so it was an easy choice to go back. So far they feel good, and I'm happy I treated myself.

Lastly, I upgraded the brakes from Tektro (which ironically come on the Slice 105 rather than Shimano 105 brakes that I wouldn't have changed) to Ultegra. The fact is that I don't need top of the line Dura Ace components, but I wanted something a little nicer than 105... Ultegra works perfectly for me. They are probably about the same weight, and the forums tell me that the Ultegra braking power isn't much better, but I feel better having these on my bike. Honestly, I want to upgrade the front and rear derailleur to Ultegra too before IMLP next year.

Now let me talk about the feel of my new bike compared to the old. My steel Royal H hybrid road bike with triathlon geometry is fast! Steel is super stiff and responsive - it's like a sports car! On the downside, it rides hard due to the stiffness, and it's heavier than it needs to be. The Slice, which is about 90% carbon (only the gruppo and cockpit aren't), rides like butter! It is still responsive, but it's SO smooth and rides soft compared to the steel bike. It's lighter and more aerodynamic too. Typically on training rides I'll go ~1mph faster at the same effort on the Slice, so it will be interesting to see how she does tomorrow. It won't be a totally fair comparison because I don't feel like I have the fitness to go out there and let it rip, but I'll have plenty of time for that in the spring leading up to IMLP next year. Last bit about the bike is that I'll just be riding the stock shimano RS-10 wheels and Shwabble tires. Fingers crossed that I'll get some nice race wheels and high end tires over the winter. This thing will FLY next year.

Absolute last bit for today since I've already been rambling... Race plan for tomorrow.

Swim - stay smooth and under control. It's two loops, which will break things up nicely. Get out and on my way. Goal time 35 minutes.

Bike - spin the legs to start. Cap my heart rate at 155. Stay aero. Remember to fuel and hydrate - 250 calories/hour plus water. Ride hard, but don't bury myself. Goal time 2:45.

Run - don't go out too hard! Capped HR at 160ish for the first 10k, then bump it to 170ish for miles 6-10 and then whatever is left for the last 5k. Stay smooth. Remember to fuel and hydrate. Don't blow up!!!

Overall - come out fitter on the other side. I'd love to be under 5 hours.

Is any of this possible right now? We'll find out in about 28 hours.