Time trialling might seem like the simplest form of bike racing. It’s only you out there. However there is a lot more thought that goes into it. That's part of the attraction, but also part of the pain of TT racing. Every minute detail is up for debate, discussion, and focus. Like any sport, it can get swept away on narratives and trends that fundamentally don't help or work - so what's critical is truly knowing yourself.

In the meantime though, there are some broad strokes things you can do that will make your time on the bike smoother and more efficient.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of producing the highest power over a given course. However it’s not about generating power, it’s about generating speed. The best way to generate speed is finding ways to save power when possible. Figure out the course, and figure out where putting out power is the most beneficial. If there is a slight downhill, try to recover. Rather than trying to maintain high power through a section where your going 65kph, take a few deep breaths and get oxygen into your legs, and rail the sections where your power is most beneficial.

This sounds funny, but it’s true. Every muscle in your body is usually tensed up in a TT. I found for myself, if I could wiggle my toes, I would have 20 extra watts. Don’t ask me to explain it, but believe me it’s true. This is easier said than done. I would often have my race director remind me to do this because it’s something that’s so easy to forget. You don’t even realize you are doing it at the time. Write it on a piece of tape and stick it to your stem. If you can keep your toes relaxed, you’ll go faster. I promise!!!

If you can remove thinking from the equation, that’s perfect. On TT day you should be on auto pilot. My warm up was 5min easy spin, 5min progression to threshold, 2 min easy, another 5 minutes progression to threshold. 2 minutes easy, 1 minute v02. 2 minutes easy, 3x 5sec sprints (55 second recover between sprints). It was the same every time. I got off the rollers 10 minutes before my star. Time enough to use the bathroom and get whatever gear I needed for the race. Find the routine that works for you. Take the stressing and fussing out out it. The more you can switch your brain off the better.

So - those are the dos - here are my don'ts. Over my time as a pro, I think there are many different trends that come into play. Fundamentally, a TT is simple - speed between two points. While I appreciate there's a world in which new tech needs testing, but there's also a compromise in what works for you.

Unless you can prove that it absolutely will gain you time, the latest skin suit, helmet, wheel or crankset isn't critical to your performance. It's an expensive sport, and technology can gain you an advantage, but fundamentally, changing the rear view mirror on your car doesn't necessarily make it quicker going from 0-60mph - but tuning your engine and preparing yourself for the race is most certainly going to prevent a backfire.

Just like that espresso - once there's no more quality to give, you throw away the rest. It's a balance about getting the most out of something, without pushing it too far. Being on your limit is what this sport is about - so don't go into the red, because your time, like those grinds, will be junk.

It sounds dumb in a race that's about time against the clock, but giving yourself time before your time trial, to get to the start line, and to prepare. The less stress you can put on each element of your performance on time trial days make for a better a all round experience.