Doubling Up

I've ridden a couple of '10's on my new 'Fixed' TT bike in the last few weeks to get the position right and experiment with gearing, way back in the distant past we used to ride 'Fixed' but were more than likely to restrict ourselves to a gear in the 80" or low 90"s (inches) which is what we used on the track.
Since then (post Obree) gearing with a 'Fixed' has never been so modest and gears above 100" is the norm and I've seen riders with gears 10 or 20 inches bigger (Chris Boardman did Competition Record 45.57 on 110" 'Fixed')
I only found out mid-week that my entry for the Saturdays Shaftsbury '50' had not been received so my attempt to do 'back to back' 50s at the weekend was thwarted. I was going to ride my TT bike on the Saturday event and a 'Fixed' in the Icknield '50' on the A1 at Bedford on Sunday
As it turned out on Saturday Michael Hutchinson (In-Gear) beat competition record by nearly 2 minutes with a winning time of 1.35.27 (Av 31.43mph or 5 x 19.05 '10's) from Ian Cammish (Planet X) 1.41.41
Cammish turned up at the Icknield event and would have been expected to win but his time of 1.47.10 was only good enough for 2nd place (again) beaten by Jason Gurney (Team MK) 1.46.43 obviously suffering the effects of the day before. The day started beautifully as the large orange sun rose in the distance as I drove to the start. The sort of day that time triallists dream of, warm for my 6.30am start without a breath of wind. I started fast on gears and tried to up the pace after the short first leg down the A1 to Sandy, but my average speed never topped 28mph and my legs felt a bit dead so I knew I would have to 'push it on' and that is always less comfortable. I was 5th at half distance in 55.08 but dropped a position with my final time of 1.51.25 (27.1mph Av.)
Paul Holdsworth also doubling up won the Middlesex '50' in 1.51.33 (See Simon's exploits - below) after 1.45.49 the day before for 6th

Shaftsbury '50'
Icknield '50'
Middlesex '50'

National '100' (West Wales Cyclist League)

Staying in the heart of the 'Valleys' at Merthyr Tydfil on the southern edge of the Brecon Beacons, Fiona & I ventured into town to find something to eat and found our self in a cartoon world of Saturday night which is repeated all over the country from Newcastle to Plymouth, after a Chinese (which cost less than £22) we decided to leave 'Gavin & Stacy' to their evening entertainment and retired to our just finished Travelodge it smelt of carpets and paint like a new car.
We drove over the stunning Brecon Beacons in the weak early morning light and along the first leg of the course on the A40, the only in cling I had of the course was the word 'Lumpy' as described on TT Forum in the week, I was horrified how hilly the road was, up and down It looked like the field was in for a tough day.

I was hoping for a top 15 placing and perhaps to win my age category so what was needed was a solid performance rather than a stunning ride, I started with this in mind and what I knew was to come and hoped the second half was not so tough. I caught my minute man at 20 miles but could not drop him on the undulating roads we passed and re-passed each other and I only dropped him in the last 20 miles for another minute, Paul Holdsworth (3.57.30) caught me for 5 minutes at 50 miles and I was a couple of minutes outside 2 hours and just prepared to survive the rest of the ride.

We were fighting a rising wind to the western end at Abergwili and my speed had stayed fairly constant at 24.4mph I had a brief second wind when my Av. speed rose a few points but with 5 to go I was praying for it to be over. Kevin Dawson (3.42.22) the eventual champion caught me for 25 minutes with a couple of miles to go he hardly seem to have been affected by the 3000ft of climbing as he headed to a near 27mph Av. Second was defending champion Richard Prebble (3.46.43) and on form Andrew Baston (3.48.01) perhaps a little disapinting in 3rd after getting 2nd in the '50' title where he beat Dawson. The women's champion was Ruth Eyles (4.19.03) with a clean sweep for Midlands clubs
I finished 3rd in my age category in 4.08.25 some way behind the winner Dave Birch (3.56.19) of the Stourbridge Velo (Full Result here)

National '100' Champions 2008 Kevin Dawson & Ruth Eyles
BikeRadar have started to compete with Cycling Weekly with their non existent coverage of domestic time trialling scene (some good pics as well)

SWRC win in N Middx & Herts CA '100'

When you are the fastest rider in the field the 'last man' the 'scratch man' if you will, as I was on Sunday in the North Middlesex & Hertfordshire CA '100' you would expect to win wouldn't you? The extra pressure of expectation on 'the win' is different from that when you are going for a personal best, there is a steady build up of pressure from the time you get a start sheet and your name leaps out 'favourite'. Other riders will say in their mind "If I beat him I will have done a good ride" You put pressure on yourself to do a good ride when you think you can do a PB, but the pressure is yours to control and is used to psyche yourself up for the event, of course the feeling of doing a good ride or even a PB is only experienced in the event as you push yourself to the finish and get the time you want but If your ride does not materialise there is always another event. It's not so simple when you are the favourite, there is a weight of expectation, dealing with this pressure is usually what marks out a good rider from a great rider. Thankfully I am only in this position occasionally, I am usually aiming to beat this or that rider and when I do I know I have done a good ride. Riders who win all the time will say that they expect to win but underneath being a winner is more of a mental battle than a physical one and in sport we prepare our self for the latter and its the rider who has the greatest need or the more experience that is better prepared in the former department and gets the elusive win
Sure I've won a few Road Races and I've been close (like 1 second as in the recent Zenith 2Up) but my last and only win in an CTT (RTTC then) 'open' event was over a quarter of a century ago in June 1982. A ride I still consider to be my finest, to win the Hertfordshire Whs '30' on the E72 in 1.4.32 in my diary it said "I used nothing less than 53 x 13 and the ride was effortless" I was supremely fit (read over trained) as is the want of young athletes with dreams of being 'the best' with more energy than they know what to do with. I was mainly riding on the track and put a good one together for the day over the 'testers' ably supported on the day by my brother Phil who would have been the winner himself if I had not been there but a shade under 4 minutes back in second spot. (For the H/c prize the positions were reversed) On that day I was truly storming, I was off number 5 and I had caught everybody in front of me by five miles, and it was a bit of a shock for some of the marshall's who were still sitting in their cars as I sped along the A27 to my destiny. I must have had some form as I broke the Club '50' record a week later. In that event I had a double wheel change at 25 miles for broken spokes (and a slow puncture for the last 5 miles). I remember standing by the side of the road while my dad changed both wheels and cheering Ian Cammish who won that day had not caught me for 3 min at this point, he went on to do a 1.45, I had to be satisfied with a PB of 1.57
On Sunday the course of the winner did not run perfectly, I had to dismount at 12 miles to 'jiggy' my rear mech which the cable had become seized, and as I set off again my chain wedged between the chain rings but I do not think it delayed me much more than a minute and a half. Alan who had come out to help did a magnificent job keeping tabs on the opposition and I was up all the way until the end of the race when he spotted the eventual second Andy Stuart (VC St Raphael) with no previous time to his name somewhat of a 'ringer' and level with 10 miles to go. Fortunately I had kept a bit in the tank knowing that the finish had a sting in the tail and I pulled out my winning margin of 30 seconds here.
When people look back all they remember is the winner, as Paul Alderson reminded me your name goes in next years handbook for a year of posterity but as another 'Champion' always says to me " a win is for all eternity" nobody can take it away like a record or even a PB. And that is the same for a club event or a National Championship, winning is an elusive and fickle sensation and while I have only experienced it occasionally and fleetingly in a time trial I find it very agreeable just now. Next week the National Championship '100' in Wales I shall be back in my customary and more comfortable position

A couple of weeks to catch up on since my attempt to put a decent '100' time on the board failed for the second week running, this time I completed the event but was thwarted by the weather. After foregoing the National '50' the day before in Yorkshire I chose the EDCA '100' covering a 12 mile section of the A11 between Thetford (Forest) and Wymondham in Suffolk. The early start and a two hour drive meant a 3.30am start with breakfast on the way, I would be up at this time tomorrow on my way to Luton airport for a 10 day stay in Portugal as the day revealed itself I am looking out for signs of what the days weather would be like, a stirring tree a limp flag to denote a good or a bad day.
There was a bit of wind but I'm already committed by the time I'm off at 7.15, I park my car on the course with a couple of bottles on the roof to grab in transit, I start fast(ish) on a 3.55 schedule, not a PB but I need something decent to give me confidence after last weeks bad luck, the first 25 miles in 57 minutes is tougher than I expected the Westward journey is into a strong headwind and relentless but I press on to 50 miles in 1.57 this is not looking good for time but I am in the lead and closing in on my 5 minute man(No 80) I follow him all the way to 70 miles closing to 50 feet of his back wheel but then I blow and he gets away from me. I loose 3 minutes on him to the finish and with it the race, I end up in 4th spot with 4.9.57 behind Lee Bark (Stowmarket & Dist) 4.4.39 just pipping Brian Phillips (East Grinstead) 4.5.05 and Dave Green (RAF) 4.7.16 The last circuit was the talk of the result board as riders came in their faces streaked with tears if sweat from the effort, with winds gusting up to 60mph I was down to 17mph in places (on a flat dual carriageway) and the windsock at Snetterton Motor Circuit was as stiff as a frozen orange ice lolly. I paid the price of going for a time, of starting too fast and not leaving anything in reserve trying to beat the force of nature, sometimes its better to save a bit.
Portugal was hot hot hot too hot to do any training (we're talking 40 degrees) so I just rode my bike for an hour or two in the early morning or late evening, the one time I did go for a longer ride on the penultimate day I bumped into a group of Spanish riders who had come across the border to ride in the hills, among them the Andalusian Road Race Champion and Alberto Contadors brother (a bit of a sprinter apparently but he seemed to go up the hills OK), I went with them for 30km but left them when they began to tear it up a bit and I was getting a bit hot under the collar.


Back in 'Blighty' it was a day in Leicester and then down to London to bolster the Epsom Inter-Club team as we were a few light away 'Marmotting' I was pleased with my win in 21.12 on a blustery day with greasy wet roads near Horsham. Paul Gadd was third with 23.11 and Simon Neave fifth in 23.50 It was a short hop across to Loxwood where the club was promoting their LVRC 'Follicly Challenged' Road Races, We had a good representation in the morning events but no riders in the afternoon which was a little disappointing, everything went off well and there was a round of applause and an award for Geoff Redhead stepping down as promoter after 10 years

Sunday I had entered the Axiom '25' on the A3 near Liss with Jon Thomas and Simon Neave in an effort to put up some fast times and have a crack at the team prize, My effort stalled just out of the gate with a puncture in the first 500m on gritty roads in weather a repeat of the day before, It took an age to change the tyre with me not able to let the rest of the air out of the soft tub and valve extenders all getting in the way, I eventually managed it but lost over three and a half minutes, my 4 minute man (No 45) must have wondered what was going on he was 15 seconds behind me the whole ride and then I dropped him at the finish he did a middle 56 which would have been approximately my time. Simon stormed around in blustery and difficult conditions to a new PB of 1.00.23 Jon was a steady 59.32 after doing a 56 on this course a week ago and with my 1.00.19 we managed 3rd team! (only 2 prizes)


I left My brother Phil's at midday on my way back home, I was caught in traffic at Wimbledon (The Mens Tennis Final) Hyde Park (Gay Pride) and The M1 (Silverston Motor Racing GP) I had to stop at one of the service stations (I did'nt catch which one I was so knackered after getting up at 5 o'clock both mornings) for a sleep and I got back to Leicester at 8pm, at least I set one record over the weekend.

BDCA '100' (Heaven knows I'm miserable now!)

Not such a great day for the SWRC in the BDCA '100' last Saturday, this has been the fastest Hundred mile Time Trial of the year for the past few seasons so always heavily subscribed and eagerly looked forward to. Paul Alderson and myself both had high hopes for the event based on a 25 mile section of the A50 near Uttoxeter cover twice, the course traverses the Midlands from East to West so the wind can be unusual and on the day seemed to vary quite a bit throughout the course of the event which starts mid afternoon and the last rider home after Eight O'clock in the evening which gives the event a unique feel when most time triallists are used to getting up at four in the morning to fit in a Hundred mile race before the roads get busy.


My preparation had been impeccable, not the usual dash to the line at Six in the morning, tapering my riding in the week, a ride and stretching session in the morning, I felt ready to do a good ride. I'd managed to be a record (for me) 16 minutes late for a mid week 10 mile TT at Darley Dale caught up in early evening traffic around Derby. It was a 'Medium Gear' event (72" Fixed) and ignoring my L.S. I managed 24.13 a shade under 25 mph after having to wait 40 minutes (on a chill summer evening) to find a gap in the field to start, there's never a DNS when you need one! Winner managed 23.58


There was quite a bit of wind for the '100' but this course has a reputation and you can never tell until you get going if it's going to be a good one, you have to start fast in these situations, no margin for an easy start it's a calculation that you can never judge until you get into the race. Before I had a chance to make any assessment of how it was shaping up my chain broke in half when I un-shipped my chain going over a rumble strip into one of the roundabouts, a brief scan of the road for the parts and my race slipped away there and then, a bike without a chain is no use to anybody (not even a fish). Fiona was a mere mile up the road oblivious to my plight, I started walking to where I knew she would be, I gave a shout to the eight remaining riders (No 120 Kevin Dawson a DNS) behind me plus Clair Lee of SIS who I'd caught for two minutes at eight miles. (She was 2 minutes in front of me in the API '50' a few weeks ago)
Once I'd located Fi after carefully removing my 'new' overshoes for the trudge along the carriageway, I managed to fix my chain and get going again, it was into the wind but I was determined to get something out of my day. On the return I got an in cling to how hard the day was becoming, my speed was up over 40 mph but I was 25 minutes behind last man and the marshall's a little perplexed and un-prepared, it's a good thing I knew the course.
After the exhilaration of the downwind section the realisation of another ascent of the concrete hill to Blyth Bridge and my enthusiasm for the ride rapidly evaporated, It's difficult to hurt yourself when you know there is nothing at stake and this is not an evening 10 and the second half of a hundred mile is in the mind more than the legs, I rolled up to finish at 60 miles with Fi a bottle in hand. Ten minutes later Paul came along to finish his ride, he was very disappointed with his 4.04.05 a handful of seconds faster than he had gone in the Houndslow event on a slower course a month ago, not the sort of result you want from a 300 mile car journey in these petrol inflated times. To be fair Paul's ride was OK and several other fancied riders had problems realising their potential on this difficult day, one rider who had no problem was the winner Nik Bowdler who used his 77 chain ring (118" bottom!) to 3.37.52 and must now be one of the favourites for the BBAR with a 1.39.05 '50' Second was evergreen Ian Cammish in 3.41.56 and third Carl Ruebotham 3.43.39 Fastest lady Lynn Hamel TheGreenRoomGroup.com did an excellent 4.00.14