'Bunk-up' in Bedford

Andy Jackson 12th 54.29

A busy twelve hours over the weekend, I rode the Headnor Clarion '10' at 6.45 on the A50 near Uttoxeter on Saturday evening and then the Finsbury '50' at 6.40 the next morning. I did the same last year and managed two P.B's but times have moved on and I was 30 seconds slower in both events, 21.42 was good enough for 6th not such a good evening, I made a big effort but I came up a little short on speed, I think that 105 miles ride out to watch the LVRC Road racing at Shipton on Stour last Sunday on a 72" fixed after the API '50' did not help.

 Richard Bradley 10th 54.21

The '50' went better after a few hours sleep at a friends in Bedford near the start at Tempsford on the A1, getting down from the top bunk of the spare room at 5 O'clock in the morning while half asleep was good stretching for my stiff legs. It took 25 minutes for me to get going in the race on a cool but not too windy day, there were several riders who had ridden the API '50' last week so I was interested to see what our comparative times were like.




After a fast start to Sandy we had a long pull to the turn at Buckden into a North wind, this was tough going and by the time I finished the first circuit of 25 miles in 56.44. More of the same followed and I ended up with eventual 5th place in 1.53.51, I dropped a place on Dave Green (RAF CC) who I beat last week by 20 seconds but this week he turned the tables, I had been 30 sec up on at half way. Like me the leading two Cammish and Platts were both 5 minutes slower than last week so no change there.

Eventual 11th Richard Prebble 54.25

Most of the leading time trialists were riding the National '25' just up the A1 at Sawtry, so after a large breakfast a brief sleep on the sofa plus earning my keep by trimming my friends out of control front hedge I took a nip up to watch the final thirty riders complete their Championship rides. The wind had got up a bit but on form and eventual champion Michael Hutchinson (In Gear RT) still managed a respectable 50.49 from Charles McCulloch (Shorter RT) 51.50 and Ben Instone (scientific coaching) 52.05 It's always good to go and watch the fast men and appreciate their effort and style, some of the fastest can hardly negotiate a roundabout while having terrific straight out power and speed.

3rd Place Ben Instone

Jonathon Thomas said he had been inspired before his recent fast '50' after watching the recent Championship '10' on the A3 lets hope some of the magic rubs off on me, I have a 'head to head' with Paul Alderson in the BDCA '100' next Saturday. This along with the following weeks National '50' up in Yorkshire marks the end of the beginning of this season for me , Fiona and I then have a week off in Portugal by the pool (Oh! I might take my bicycle)

Champion 'Hutch' Hutchinson

'Super' form in fast '50'

Jonathon Thomas and I rode the API '50' on Saturday afternoon on the E2/50 course up on the A11/A14 near Newmarket, the same course I did a P.B. 10 mile not three weeks before. Again it was a super fast event in near perfect windless conditions and we came away satisfied with two P.B's and a new club record for me. Jon was a rider transformed from the one who could not break 23 minutes in the Inter club a couple of weeks ago and 'back to back' 56 minute '25' rides (the first more like 55 minutes) shows that he is returning to the form of before his knee operation.
Any sporting performance requires a great deal of self belief and crucially confidence, cycling is an individual sport and time trialling doubly so, no team to carry you along or mask a bad performance, no bunch to hide in only you and the elements and the open road stretching out ahead. Illness and injury are the achilles heel of belief and since coming back from his convalescence even with all his experience I felt Jon has just lacked that little with his confidence
You do all the exercises after the injury in the belief that you can come back as strong, you commit time and effort to getting up to fitness but still it does not seem to be working. Your belief in yourself is severely tested and you can begin to wane and you tell yourself its the best you can do.


Jonathon shows how pleased he is with a new best time at 50 miles of 1.53.45

We are all looking for that elusive quality of form that will transform our riding from the mere ordinary to 'super' form, experience plays it's part in keeping our expectations grounded and we are constantly looking for that one thing which will move us up that extra level. A new pair of shoes, a slight change of position or diet, there does not seem to be one factor that works for everybody, it is a constant search but it's a relief when it 'clicks' and great when all the elements that you have worked on for so long come together
Jonathon has shown great determination and fortitude to come back from his injury and this is his reward, a personal best and a vindication of all those hours and months of training, Jon has won his battle and I think we can look forward to some exceptional rides from him in the rest of the season. Well done Jonathon
For myself this was the first opportunity to pit myself against some of the best in the country at one of the BBAR distances, after the gruelling Anfield '100' only 5 days before I had a complete rest (although I may not have fully recovered)I went out on the morning of the race and could barely raise a gallop, until I realised my front brake was rubbing on my front wheel.
The race itself was fairly controlled, I went through the first 10 miles (out and home) at over 29mph or 20.40 which showed the speed of the day only a couple of seconds off my ride 3 weeks ago. I held a little back as I could not believe the return was going to be so easy but after a 'bumpy' dog leg at the turn I was trying to peg back the little I had given up, my dad always said "you never gain time in a time trial only loose it" and so it proved no matter how hard I tried (and my speed was above 30mph alot of the way) my average speed did not improve and then in the last 10 miles I began to suffer. I had held off my flying 4 minute man the 56 year old 'supervet' Ken Platts (Cambridge CC) until 40 miles when he passed me but I could not 'lift it', the finish is the usually the strongest part of my ride but not this time, he took 2 minutes out of me to the finish. I finished with 1.48.39 or 27.6mph
Who cannot be pleased with a 3 minute improvement and a Club Record 'to boot' the biggest improvement I have managed thus far in the '50' but there were some rides done that day, The winner Nik Bowler (Farnborough & Camb) recorded 1.39.03 the 4th fastest of all time a mere second off Graeme Obree's (Competition Record at the time), Ian Cammish (Planet X) who I felt had not done himself justice in terms of times over the last couple of seasons, sure we expect these guys to win events but he almost managed a personnel best(admittedly his P.B. was done without disc or tri bars!) just 26 seconds off 30mph, not bad for a 50 year old so there's something to aim at

The Anfield Classic (You'll never walk alone!)

A tough few days of racing with a mixed bag of results which do not give me a clear picture of my fitness and where I am in my season so far, If this sounds like an excuse then I am guilty as results have to be judged against expectations and there is no doubt that this year I have raised the bar as to what I expect from myself.
A midweek 2-Up (One rider a Vet - Me) with a Triathlete friend Mark White went well and we finished 2nd, beaten to the top spot by 3 seconds from the promoting clubs Zenith CC Stefan Rick and Richard Hunt of the Derby Mercury.
Next day I took a right battering at Mallory Park in the Roger Martin Memorial Event, a quality field ripped it up and I missed the break and when I got in a small group to try and get up after half distance I could not hold the pace with only two others, I was not recovering and I'm not the sort of person to sit on, I sat up after ten laps as I was getting cramp every time I went up the hill into the wind, I dropped back to the bunch and finished with them.
On Saturday I was 9th in the Mapperley 10 with a relatively slovenly 23.20 in very windy conditions, Geoff Platts (De Rosa RT) won only just over a minute faster than my time so slow times all round.
Sunday was a rest day before the Anfield 100 on the Bank Holiday Monday and I drove over to stay with friends on the Welsh border, to be near the start near Shrewsbury, I would have gone out for a spin but it poured with rain all day and Mick and I sat in his conservatory and chatted about the book he is writing about his life in cycle racing. Mick was the first rider to win the National 25 and 50 in the same year 50 years ago and it has the provisional title of 'Twiddling Fifties' a reference to the fact that in those days they all rode single 'Fixed' wheel. Mick was one of the first to try out bigger gears and was considered outrageous when he used a 90 inch gear but it obviously worked (although he won both the titles on a 88"). Alan text ed from the I.O.W to say it had been lovely all day long.



Colin carbs up for the Anfield


The Anfield 100 is a 'Classic' event with a history going back to 1889, only 60 riders but a true spirit of time trialling prevailed with helpers and spectators cheering on the riders on an undulating circuit course. Seven time consecutive winner (1990-96) Andy Wilkinson was out, a bit of a hero in these parts and this event particularly, It is said he won the event once on a Mountain bike because he had a bad back! I quite like these events on B roads and varied landscape they require a different approach to chasing times on 'fast' courses.
My hope that the strong Northerly winds would have blown themselves out on the Sunday were not to be, the flags we saw on the way to the start were all devilishly active. I have done no time trial longer than 25 miles so far this year so I had planned to take it easy but as soon as I started I realised that 'Easy' was only going to be a relative as most of the effort was going to fight the conditions rather than into a good time. Every rider was buffeted by the murderously strong winds and I passed some going very slowly into it as my own speed dropped below 20mph and two were still out on the course when the photo of all the competitors was being taken after the presentation.



As it turned out my 4.11.51 for 5th place was respectable, I had started moderately needing a consistent ride, the tough conditions helped as we had to do 15 miles into the wind at the start. I kept it on the 50 ring most of the ride, its more psycological than anything else but it does seem to go better when it's tough. But I pushed on to 50 miles in 2.4.50 and then tried to keep my form for the rest of the ride, I had a bit of a shock when eventual winner & local rider Andy Bason (Wrekinsport) caught me for 15 min at 55 miles but he was onto a storming record breaking ride beating Dave Lloyd's 26 year old record of 3.47 (set on a standard bike!). His eventual time of 3.44.13 beating two time winner Nik Gardner by over 8 minutes was an astounding ride under the conditions for this Ex Triathlete who has only been riding time trials for two years, I would make him one of the outstanding new names to watch and to win the National 50 or 100 and be up there in the BBAR.



I had to stop at Telford services for an hours nap after waking up at 4am an hour before my alarm. On the way home the car was buffeted on the raised M6 through Birmingham and I could hardly believe I had been out riding in it earlier in the day (let alone a hundred miles) my eyes were burning from the wind and I think the sign on the gantry over the motorway said it all but my legs did not hurt too much, save that for another day.

New boots and panties

After a mixed bag of old and new in the Interclub on Saturday the new club colours got a proper outing in the De Laune LVRC Road Races on Sunday, the SWRC had riders in the 40 & 60 age races around the (9 mile) Bletchingly circuit near Godstone. I rode out to ease the legs (& shame) of going wrong in the previous days event (after telling all and sundry to make sure they went around the right roundabout!). These races are part of the season long South East Green Jersey series so there was full fields and competitive racing in all the events and the LVRC tend to be quite combative as they are populated with (Ex) pros and top roadmen who like to race hard and know how to exploit weak legs



Brother Alan had a tough ride in the 5 lap 40-49 race with Colin Roshier (Team Quest) running out the winner over Matt Seaton (Rapher/Condor) in a break from half distance and Andrew Meilak (ODLS Racing) just pipping Alan for the uphill bunch sprint after Alan led out, his usual speed must have been blunted in the hills of the Lake District last weekend!

In the 60-69 we had two representatives Andy Hicks & Roger Jackaman and who were in the action all race long but missed the two man break that snuck away on the second lap of the 36 mile race

The Bletchingly circuit is a tough course with a steep climb up to the finish and then a mile long drag up through Godstone and as this was Andy & Rogers first race of the season they did well to be competitive and come away with 5th and 6th place respectively, the last time I saw them they were off the front with half a lap to go but they did not have enough conditioning to stay away and the bunch brought them back so they both did well to get up in the sprint. Their race was won by Dave Bonner an ex Old Ports '25' mile TT Champ from 1963.