Just a quick note to say two old friends of the club accosted me at the Ashfield 2 Up and the Melton Hilly. The lovely Cheryl Owens rode with her GS Metro(partner) and we caught up over tea in the Coalville Whs Clubroom (the HQ) She now lives in Burbage (better than saying you live in Hinckley) which is tantamount to saying that you live in Darwin's waiting room (topical there), beware of places where they still point at aeroplanes! Name escapes me but another soul accosted me at the Great Dalby Village Hall and then seconded to pusher off, now in the Melton Olympic CC and missing everybody at the SWRC
So to Easter proper and the City RC (Hull) '10' on the 'uber' fast V718 (on the A63) now this had been designated the first of the Planet X - 'Old Skool' series for Retro bikes (No carbon, No Aero,) just back to basics TT'ing 80's style. The event was a run out for me as I fancied having a crack at doing a ride in the Catford '10' on the Q10/19 in Kent in a couple of weeks, I did club record on this course way back in 1982 (21.10) the same day Dave Lloyd broke Comp. record (19.11) but never attained the magic 20 minute ride that I thought capable so with my comeback in full swing I felt an early season challenge to go for it 80's style and see how I compare. Only half a dozen riders wheeled out their iron framed bikes on this occasion but that was not to play down the seriousness of the competition, If multi champion Ian Cammish was going to put his neck on the block you can be certain he would not want to be beaten in the 'Old Skool' style to which he is the undoubted and un-challenged King.
A good day and fast times were coming back from the senior event Derek Parkinson (Clevely RC - no relation) winning in 19.12 from A Duggleby (Shorter RT) 19.19 with a tie for third Phil Graves (Clifton CC) and R Handley (Maxgear RT) 19.28 I had only put my 'Retro' Dave LLoyd (do you like the symmetry?) together the night before and run out of time on my 28 spoke wheels (Campag on Argent 10's for authentisity) so I had to make do with a 'bastard' pair of 32's. Most of the rest of the equipment was Campag Super Record circa early 80's, I found some Mafac brake blocks to replace the well worn ones in discarded shoes at the bottom of a drawer and not prepared to buy new from Campyoldy at £4.50 each!
Campag fricton handlebar control as no DT bosses (to be fair the 'Lloydy' is from the early 90's but all steel) and drilled levers with the cables tucked under. Back in the day when 'Old Skool' was all we knew I never had a custom TT bike we just used to put some light (32 spoke for us heavy track buggers!) in our road bikes and away we go, but then in those days there was not so much difference as there is today. Single 53 ring (with front changer - screwed down) on 180 track cranks and a genuine Cinelli A1 stem & Merckx bars, the major difference a non Campag seatpin (they just didn't make them that long in those days - for compact frame) and cleated pedals, Cammish was using clips and straps (so Dave Worsfold is now not the only person racing on them in the country) and exposed cables. However I had my original 80's racing top (silk effect viscose) so I guess we were just about even on the un-aero stakes. It was quite liberating all that wind in your (lack of) hair it took me back to the days before we had to worry about power meters and Heart Rate Monitors, if you look at the picture yes that is what I look like under all that garb, and those that remember from before still biteing my bottom lip I think I lost out to Cammish in the 'cool' stakes.
'Old Skool' style
I went for a long warm up and to try out the bike, then tightened everything up (I'd taken my road bike as a fallback in case anything broke or fell off!) and set off for the start. A few riders were amazed that I was riding 'Old Skool' I was number 60a fast man and there was alot of fast new carbon bikes on show, people spend alot of money to go fast, training and preparing for a day like today and travel a long distance to a course rated to be a competition record course in the future, but I reasoned would I do a PB this early in the season? How much harm could it do to have a bit of fun on a bike I'd put together that had cost less than these guys had spent on their spare front wheel.
King Cammish
The race as with all 10's was over in a flash, just push all the way slightly harder on the way out but with no aero facade to hide behind you catch the full force of the elements. I only had a clock, no speedo so I had no idea of how I was going but my MM (a 52 minute 25 miler) was on the up ramp as I was going down so he had not gained that much on me(10 sec?) On the way back I did not settle into any rhythm but then this was my first DC race of the year and I've been used to going at 23 mph Av. here at faster speed it's difficult to handle the gears and the position so I just had to keep picking up the speed and the finish was soon in sight, my MM did not catch me but informed me he had done a short 21 so I reasoned inside a 22 (which was my target for the day) and I was well chuffed with that. Mr Cammish gave me a nod as he rode up to the start on his immaculate cream Guerlocci I coughed all the way to the car. At the result board it was evident how fast a day it was 30 inside 21 minutes and 10 inside 20 one of those inside 19 and the winner of the event (and a veteran to boot - Vets Comp Record?) Wayne Randall (PlanetX) 18.58 with Barry Charlton (Lyme RC) 19.26 and John Surtees (RAF CC) 19.58 King Cammish came in 21.38 so he only beat me by 8 seconds and S.Ward (Team Swift) a further 2 seconds down on my 21.46 It was not easy but I thik I can go faster, now that I look in my diary for 1982 the Catford CC '10' on the Q10/19 I did 21.44 only 20 seconds down on Derek Cottington, If anybody fancies getting across to Tonbridge to watch you will have to get up early, traffic dictates that the event has to kick off at 6.30am I'll keep you posted
On the BH Monday I rode the Leicester RC Hilly '29' around the lanes of NE Leicestershire, the HQ in Syston North of the city so I had a leisurely ride out at 8 in the morning through the empty but sun filled streets of Leicester on my TT bike a bit conspicuous in my aero helmet but it was a lovely morning to be out on a bike after two days of drizzle. A few people asked me about the 'Old Skool' as they had seen the result and rated my position just behind Cammish, I'm seen as a bit of an enigma here, just a rider who rides all the local events but in SWRC colours, when I tell then I've lived in Leicester for 25 years they look at me a bit puzzled. I'm not out to do anything here in what is a pretty tough course, just don't be embarrassed and come more than respectable but what that means anybody knows? I start well but my legs are tired and it is a hard start into the wind, I catch my 1,2 and 3 mm before half way but that is about all I can do and settle in for the rest of the ride using my 42 inner and revving up the hills as hard as I can, the road along to Russian Farm is muddy and pock marked, I'm re-living Paris Roubaix I sat and watched on the sofa yesterday, lovely stuff. I suffer on Borough hill the toughest part of the circuit and then the long drag up from Thorpe Satchville I'd ridden in the Melton event last week, not so bad today and over the top I put it in the big ring and begin the decent to the finish at Queniborough 35 mph along here and feeling good although I cannot get top, no matter I need a bit of spinning after all that. Geoff Platts (De Rosa 4th - 1.10.06) coasts past me nearly caught me for 4 min but my time 1.14.11 four minutes faster than last year (and 10 faster than 2006) so going in the right direction but I'll never be good at these things (last year I'd been out for 50m in the snow the day before!) Winner James Perkins (Zenith CC) 1.8.29 from James Cambridge (Melton Oly.)1.9.15 and third Scott Walker (De Rosa RT) 1.9.32
No comments:
Post a Comment