BBAR 2009 - 11th - 25.771 mph

British Best All Rounder, but whats in a title? (always a contentious title - why no road racing or cyclo cross?) That's the way its been since 1930 when the competition was run for the first time in conjunction with Cycling Weekly now that esteemed magazine, Cycling 'Weakly' as its come to be known among the disenfranchised racing sector of our community. They do not cover time trialling hardly at all (the National Championships perhaps) but did you know Chris Boardman's 17 year old '25' record had been broken? Maybe if you read this blog but not in what was the UK's cycle racing publication. Boardmen, Engers they made the front cover when they achieved this feat, the blue ribband distance for time trialling now reduced to a footnote in a couple of weeks or a review of the year.
Your even less likely to read about the BBAR, the cumulative speed for 50 and 100 miles and 12 hours racing (divided by three so the shorter distances have more weight but moot point) I will blow my own trumpet here and tell you that I've broken two of my own PB's at '50' and 12 Hours this year to achieve my highest ever miles per hour average and position of eleventh, that 10th spot just eluded me by just over 1:10th of a mph
Winner as last year to prove it wasn't a fluke Nik Bowdler (Farnborough & Camberley CC) with a slightly reduced speed of 27.206 mph Second was 47 yer old (same as me) Andy Wilkinson (Port Sunlight Whs.) who last competed in the BBAR in 1996 who broke (his own) comp record for 12 hr. 302.46 miles (25.2mph) but missed out by 25 seconds in the late season YRC '50' (a course we now find out to be 0.4 m long! - so you do the maths) Third Barry (Baz) Charlton (Lyme RC) having a 2nd go after placing 5th in 2002



I have to say I fell down on the '50' again, despite doing a PB in this distance and having already told you the shorter distances make more difference to the 'average' Neil Skellern (Congleton CC) pulled out a terrific 1:44:07 to push me down the extra spot as his '50' was more than 1mph faster than mine even though I was faster in the two other events there was a string of faster riders I held at bay among them Paul Holdsworth (Houndslow & Dist Whs), Lee Bark (Stowmarket & Dist), Gary Drew (RN & RM CC) and Aran Stanton (VC St Raphael) with what I consider my best ride of the year, the 12 Hour where I beat my PB by over nine miles to do 276.5 miles (23.04 mph) in terrible conditions although to be fair I do not think this was a great summer for 12's (Wilco's ride excepted). My '100' only twenty seconds slower than last year but I was more pleased with my consistency after last years experiment with pacing over numerous rides at this distance this year I managed 3:46, 3:47 and 3:52 in the National on a bit of a slower course so I should be able to do my BBAR in less rides if I can translate this targeted success to the 50 mile
This is my 4th attempt at the BBAR and I jumped 4 places with this years speed that would have places me 12th last year when I only went from 18th in 2007 (25.044 mph) to 15th in 2008 (25.374 mph) and there has been some close racing with 22 riders over 25 mph (a speed that would have got you a top ten place as little ago as 2005)
There's always a few in & out for various reasons 2nd last year Supervet Cammish (Illness) and Bradley Johnson (Road Racing in Belgium) as with the 'East' connection Platts, Lubin and Smith but in comes 'Wilco' Charlton and Ex Tri Pro Julian Jenkinson (Utag Yamaha) in 4th, also 5th Navy man Sean Childs (RN & RM CC) with 2 x 12 Hrs and a 2nd place in the Nat. 24 Hr. to his name he was the stamina man of the year. After our season long battle for places and times Andy Jackson (Pedalsport) finally ended up in 9th after missing last year.
With no Platts or Cammish who are both 50+ Wilco and myself the joint oldest in the top 12, Brian Phillips (East Grinstead CC) at 50 I think the oldest in the top 20
My final time of 25.771 mph would have been enough to win the BBAR up until 1977, with the exception of 1970 - John Watson (Clifton CC) and 1976 Phil Griffith (G S Strada) but since the early 90's with the advent of aero bars and disc wheels the times have gone stratospheric, the winners speed not dipping below 27mph since Gethin Butler in 1994. Kevin Dawson holds the record for the most wins (ten) and the fastest in 2003 with 28.260mph but Andy Wilkinson only just behind with his only win in 1996 28.236mph, Michael Hutchinson's fastest of his two wins in 2000 27.558mph although he did record 27.786 when being second to Dawson in 2003

End of season blues

Returned my fastest '25' of the year in the Team Swift event on my 'local' A50 event this Saturday afternoon, event closed on a middle 54 minute ride so allot was expected especially after the super fast Port Talbot event the week before when Chris Boardman's Competition record was broken by Ireland's Worlds TT entry David McCann (Pheonix CC) 45:54 (Finished a creditable 11th)
Again it was a story of two half's, with the harder outgoing leg dominating my performance, I was OK to begin with but my effort slipped away in the several harder sections and I was only 28:40 (26.12mph) at half distance some two minuted down on my 5 minute man Baz Charlton (Lyme RC), he only took 30 seconds out on the return 24:30 (30.61mph) as I got into my stride to finish in 53.11 Event was won by Matt Bottrill (I-Ride) 48:59 the only rider to break 50 minutes, Richard Handley coming close with 50:03 and Stuart Dodd 50:11 a minute back on last week, Charlton an un accustomed 4th in 50:28. and most agreed it was 1-2 minutes slower than the Welsh event.
On the Sunday I had a promisingly fast '10' in the Team Midland Racing event on the A46 near Alcester but again there was a big difference in the out & home legs with me taking only 10 minutes to the turn but an agonising 12 minutes to come back to record 4th fastest of the day 22:05 youngster Dean Robson (Somerset RC) running out winner in 20:30 from promoting club Rob Weare 21.28
Getting to the end of the season now, only got a couple more weeks of racing to go before I can have a jolly good rest. Talk after the race is of last weeks super fast race (15 riders inside 50 minutes) and Fabien Cancellara performance in the Worlds TT which he won by by two and a half minutes. The most impressive piece of time trialling I think I have ever seen. The sheer speed of his cadence almost defied what we have all come to perceive as 'fast' it must have been above 110 RPM for the race on a far from flat course, his time would equate to a 43 minute '25' (35mph) as he made the other pro riders look ordinary and had caught the silver medallist (for a minute) and then Bradley Wiggins for two minutes who looked likely to take the bronze until his untimely mechanical mishap on the final hill with 10Km to go.
The result board is generally more chatty and people hang around a bit longer to talk to rivals and friends, I always try to keep up with what other riders have been doing during the season but its time to ask other (and yourself) how you found it? beat your targets? enjoyed the best/worst? Starting to analyse what went right and wrong and thoughts are already turning to what to change for next year, I have to pull up a bit until I have a proper chance to take it all in. Phew!

European Masters Track - Photo's

Solo breakaway to take first points


Leading Greenstreet, Jackson, Abadie and Christensen in the break


Holding off the (world pursuit champion) Claus Christiansen (DEN)


Halfway the Frenchman leads! And I follow


Going into the lead with third sprint win


Final sprint with Peter Ettles (pursuit champion)


And the winner is?


Top spot on the podium :- Steve Clayton (GBR) 2nd Sylvain Abadie (FR) 3rd.


Victory lap :- 'We are the champions'


Starting effort in the 3K pursuit :- Holding on to qualify 4th



Missed the bronze by 1:40th of a second

2 x 50 + 500 = <10 BBAR?

A final attempt to improve my BBAR times as this is the final counting events, I've entered two '50's this weekend at opposite ends of the country! The thinking at the time of entry proved logical and despite valiant efforts on my behalf I strike out on both occasions.
I entered the Yorkshire Road Club 'Victory 50' on the A19 up to Northallerton from Thirsk, the day was promising (as most of the week had been - Indian summer Ahoy!) so with Fiona doing the driving we trecked up the M1/M18/A1 mid day, I'd asked for an early start my next ride on the Sunday morning being the Severn RC '50' 250 miles away! (setting a new record for exclamation mark use!)

Mind over matter




A warm Yorkshire day with light wind from the South greeted us as we got out the car at the HQ in Dalton on the edge of the North Yorkshire Moors, It was a decent ride to the start and I'd done some stretching in the morning so I went to the start feeling confident about my chances. Start was wind assisted so I tried to keep my gears down and something for the second half but I was impressed with HR at 162 on the climbs as that usually means I'm in the red but here I feel comfortable and balance out my effort on the faster sections to reach half distance in 54:00 on target for 27.5 mph ride.
I saw Andy Wilkinson (Port Sunlight Whs.) out on the course needing a 1:42:04 to clinch the BBAR from Nik Bowdler last years winner and current leader, I needed faster than 1:49:16 to improve my position. Fi said "That 'Wilco' went by with such a Whoooosh!" after talking to his helper while roadside, I was trying to do my best to emulate Andy's onomatopoeia! My ride began to unravel here, I could point to so many things, too much the day before (38m at 15mph - slowest ride of the year), no ride in the morning (first time this year!) wrong food (bit of too 'spicy' risotto on the way up!), not enough warm up (warm day - its not a '25'), not enough to drink (only drank half a 750cl bottle - but not a hot day either) I just could not press home my advantage.

Thums Up!


When your average speed is over 27 mph for fifty miles the pressure is on to be close to the limit all the time, I should be able to push through this speed ceiling but it is dependent on so many factors and yet they all serve to show you that you will fail if you let your speed drop and this at the end of the day is too crushing a reality for the under pressure rider to resist, it is no coincidence that many of my best rides have been done when my computer failed, and riders tape over their 'values' on power meters. In the end the will to ride fast is only balanced by the knowledge that 'it was done' in the mind as well as the physical limits of the rider.
Make of that what you will but I came up short (again) with 1:49:59 for 9th place - I found out later as no sooner had I got back and delivered my number at the HQ than we were on the road back to Leicester, before we left news came through Wilco had also narrowly missed his target by 25 seconds (or 0.12 mph if you prefer) bummer! I left the remains of the field to benefit from the exodus of traffic from the Middlesborough V WBA football.
A brief stop to swap cars and refill bottles I ate my tea (frittata) travelling along the M40 to a rendezvous with old mate living in Clanfield (Darkest Oxfordshire) from which it was but a short hop to the next mornings event on the A419 between Cricklade and Cirencester at 7.00 the next morning. Apart from riding back to the HQ (5m) I'd done a bit (20 min) of stretching to ease off the muscles but that was it, It was a lovely morning, sunny with the lightest of breezes (but some people will complain about anything!) I was the only rider to attempt the 'double' although several had entered both, I still wanted to see what I could do, a new course for me, I'd only ridden part of it 4 years ago as part of the WTTA '100' (my first of my comeback 4:38:27!)
The back end of the field had been 'stacked' with all the fast men in an effort to ease pacing issues on the three lap course but as we were to find later these measures were to prove not useful because if riders are not prepared to 'self regulate' as we saw in the recent BTTC Champs then Time Trialling can be reduced to a farce. the start was wind assisted and I kept my gears down as yesterday but here to give my body a chance to ride myself into a second severe effort in less than 15 hours, after the turn we had a long 10 mile pull into the wind (which for this course not so favourable) which was slightly rising so I was mildly surprised to be going so well around the outskirts of Cirencester and the first lap completed without too much trouble and above 27 mph. 25 miles came along in 55.30 not going to set the BBAR alight but I was moving well and felt I could push on a bit into the wind, My minute man Dave Kiddell (CaleverCC) caught me soon after and I let him go although he was travelling only marginally faster as I felt I would pull him back if I began to 'motor' AS it was I started getting twinges of cramp second time up the steep slip road and I was a bit ragged, when the downwind section came I could not take advantage of it like I hoped and when I came to turn into the wind I closed in on my 2 minute man Nick Green (Stratford CC) but could not drop him, Dave Summers (Bath CC) my 6 minute man was now also in the mix as I was cramping up badly and only able to turn over a smallish gear but still ahead of these two.
It was then that scratch man Barry (Baz) Charlton (Lyme RC) came past with Paul Holdsworth (Houndslow & Dist) glued to his wheel, this was not edifying as the paced passed the pacer on the slip road shouting "Your going too slow" this to the man 3rd in the BBAR! and winner of many events this year Bizarre!
Summers and Green passed me in agony but I was able to continue and re-passed them on the way to the finish and there was a bit of 'ding dong' racing to the line (which I lost) this was fair and I don't think any of us felt taken advantage of, we did not speak about it but if we had then I'm sure we would have seen it for what it was, committed riding at the end of a race. Baz had caught Paul around 25 miles and was not happy to have him there for the rest of the race, we talked about it as we rode back to the HQ, he was very reluctant to make a complaint, he had after all won the race but Holdsworth by his action had come second and the third rider Nick Sparks (Sheffield Tri) was also not happy. We had all seen the 'action' all the marshalls had seen it too! and on a 3 lap course it's hard to mistake pacing for what it is. Holdsworth is way more experienced in the ways bike racing lore and law to know that this sort of stuff, riders do not like it Paul and I have raced together over 30 years, I spoke to him after the event and made it clear that Baz was not happy and likely to make a complaint, we have been close (in times) all season but pacing has given him an unreal advantage in this event and that can have real consequences for this and a season long competition like the BBAR and so the complaint was lodged with the organiser.
I think you can definitely make a clear distinction between no nonsense 'battling' riding of the style that engulfed the three of us at the end of this ride and the type of riding that Paul was engaged in. As a separate incident earlier in the year I was accused of pacing at the Team Swift '50' when Antony Nash (Scunthorpe Poly) (A good TT'er Tony but I'd been out of racing for 20 years Tony Who?) caught me for 2 min with 8 mile to go and we had a 'battling' ride to the finish. The third party who we caught during this incident was disgusted at what had taken place or what he had seen (me being a fast rider on a zero etc etc). But Tony who at the time I did not know (but subsequently got to know better as he rides the track) was OK with what had taken place as we discussed the incident immediately after but It must have looked like pacing to the third party, he was very angry & indignant and was going to report me! In the end he was convinced but the onus should always be for the caught rider to drop back a distance (although this is never specified) but once it gets to 10 seconds in my experience then riders get on with 'their' ride.
Back to the Severn RC event, waiting confirmation but Baz won it with excellent 1:44:17 I came in with a credible 1:52:30 and with hindsight I could have done better BBAR ride here if I'd not ridden the day before but we shall just have to live with the consequences - It's only a bike race!

Yorkshire Road Club 'Victory 50' Result

Severn RC '50' Result

STOP PRESS! - Paul Holdsworth Disq! Self 7th

2 x 25 + 10

We had the first decent week of weather in ages and I was able to train without fear of being blown or washed away so come the weekend I felt like I'd prepared well. Stone Whs. '25' on the Saturday afternoon was a repeat of the Manchester Whs. two weeks before but the conditions as I made my way up the M1 and A50 nearly to Stoke were more promising, I did 25 minutes on the rollers in the warm sun I built up a head of steam with a towel over my neck as the sweat poured onto the ground.
The wind had got up a bit but was much the same as before, I slightly misjudged my time so went to the start in a bit of a panic but had five minutes to compose myself before pushing into the race, I decided to take the first part of the ride a touch easier and leave myself something for the return so my 19:30 at 10 miles and 24:20 at half distance some way down on before (18:25 & 23:04 respectively) I went better on the way back but was some 11 seconds short of my previous time with 53:40 so not able to make a difference with a different strategy, my RPM in both 85 and my pulse 152 Av. / 160 Max almost the same (152 / 158)
My dad used to say "Does not matter if you start fast, go fast in the middle, or at the end, you always end up with the same time" It seems on this occasion he is probably true, I feel that this course with such a discrepancy in speed one way is just not for me and I require a more even paced course. Although it did not deter Charles McCulloch (Shorter) who recorded 49:02 the only man over 30mph road man Richard Handley 2nd (KUK) 50:38 and Manchester Whs. winner Baz Charlton (Lyme RC)a second faster 50:59 3rd.
Sunday I had another '25' the ANDCC 'Lighthouse Trophy' over a sporting circuit at Granby in the Vale Of Belvoir, a 9.00am start was generous but we all wished we had started an hour earlier as the wind got up to spoil the morning. I was 6th overall in 57.46 but back on form after his aberrant behaviour in the BTTC event last week Matt Bottrill (I-Ride) banged out an astonishing 52.23 to beat the next man by nearly 4 minutes. I went home to make 10Kg of damson jam!

Stone Wheelers Result

ANDCC Result

BTTC - Men - Women - Espoirs - Masters - Juniors

I'm not chasing times this week but a title, around the lanes of Buckinghamshire, the British Time Trial Championship on a circuit based at Botolph Clayton, 3 times for the men (30.1) and 2 times the rest (20.8m) I'd done a bit of preparation for this, a recce of the course and a couple of 'speedy' sessions in the week to perk up those quick twitch fibres that haven't had much of a workout of late, it's all relative in the wet and windy conditions as the day was likely to be but under the circumstances we were spared the rain and a full days racing with 300+ riders ensued.
I even did a proper warm up (on the rollers) for 25 min as it was a straight out effort from the off, no hanging around to see how you feel? Just get on with it as hard as your legs will take you. These events are a great leveller, as a National Championship should be but the Masters (30+) split into 5 year age groups so see how we fare against competition from road and time trialling alike.

'Wiggo' and shadow!


The course was a fair test of all the skills necessary to be a bike rider, speed, stamina, bike handling and climbing, well not too much climbing just enough to put off the pure speed merchants. The wind posed the biggest obstacle as I sit on the line 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, GO.... just had to keep my revs as high as possible, keep on top of the gear, drive up every incline and into the wind which seemed just about everywhere, I had the good fortune to catch Dave Johnson (High Wycombe CC) on my first lap (on his second lap) as I'm one of the last to go at 2 min intervals and on a circuit you never see another rider anyway so it's a bit of a lonely ride but with these circiuts its a concentrated effort and over so quickly you just have to deal with the pain of the effort which is pretty much max (for me 155 HR) all the way
On the back of the circiut Tom & Jerry Nason and Martin Koester on a railway bridge that takes on the proportion of an Alp and then a fast bit before the climb up to the finish of the first lap in 22.58 a good effort but can I better it on the second? I spray my legs with water and have a gulp to drink on the decent to Edgcott before the sharp left hander but my mouth is dry before the top of the next rise, no time for any more luxury before the finish just drive all the way, up the climb for the last time trying to keep 'evens' but dropping to 18mph by the top it is just a dash for the line less than a mile and it is all over. I turn in the road Geoff Platts (I Ride) my 2 MM is 30 seconds further adrift so I know I have done OK.

'Hutch' gets the crowd excited




In the end only 6th 47:25 with 23:00 second lap so pretty even pacing as you would expect the only way to go faster is to go faster all the way and I just cannot see I could have done more. Defending champion Kevin Tye (ODL) is the champion again 45:34 from Mick St Leger (VC St Raphael) 46:20 up from 3rd last year and Stephen Whitewick (Utag) 46:35 in the bronze, I'm only 50 seconds off the podium but about where I should be on form. Ride of the day Jeff Jones (Chippenham & Dist) 45:09 winnerof 'B's and fastest overall, I was 30th but with masters starting at 30 years no disgrace.
Womens and Mens went to form with Emma Pooley (Cervelo) beating all commers (and a fair few men) with 46.11 from Wendy Houvenagel (SIS) 46:41 and Julia Shaw (Utag) 47.15
Bradley Wiggins (Garmin) 1:2:15 put on a good show for the excellent crowd with a 30mph display of exhibition bike riding putting over two minutes into Michael Hutchinson (In Gear) 1:4:34 and Chris Newton (Rapher) nearly another two again 1:6:14 after Matt Bottrill (I Ride) was DQ'ed for pacing 'Wiggo' for nearly 2 laps after being caught for two minutes.

SWRC at the BTTC


Masters 'D' Result
Masters overall Result
Womens Result
Espoirs Result
Mens Result

The Elements - Empirical lessons Pt.1

Every ride at this time in the season is dominated by the weather, will I get a good day to improve my time this season? I'm at the peak of fitness and recovered from the workload that dominates the run up to the 12 Hour in which every ride plays a part in providing a foundation for the vital half day that is the extreme of all my racing, you know you are in good condition but will the conditions be good for you?
A cursory glance at the weather forecast becomes a full blown prayer to the gods that it will be good, half decent, not terrible just not like it is now with the trees outside bending to breaking point and the dark skies pregnant with foreboding for another downpour.
Wind and rain has made for a testing few weeks that have stretched to months in this island we call home and Time Trialling is not called 'Testing' for no reason, but just now it seems particularly apt as I try to spin a positive outlook on what has been a dreadful summer and the statistic that in the few weeks that remain I am going to be 'Tested' more for my patients than for my speed.
Having said that there is still allot of fun to be had at the expense of the weather and all it can throw at me, I had a potentially fast couple of events at the week end, on the Bank Holiday Monday the ...a3crg '50' down south on the A3 near Petersfield had taken on greater significant as my fastest ride at this distance was looking in jeopardy as the CTT (the governing body of TT'ing) was not likely to ratify the BDCA '50' times in which I'd done my PB a few weeks ago so the hunt was on for those riders who were relieing on it for their seasons best.
Before that the Manchester Whs. '25' on the local'ish A50 (Stoke end) and with another windy day blowing up a storm the prospect of fast times only at the expense of back breaking effort. Sure enough despite a mile into the wind at the start I went through ten miles in 18.22 or 33 mph, at least I now know that top gear at 100 RPM is 40 mph - So this is what it feels like to be Michael Hutchinson! The far end of the A50 is known to the TT'ing community as 'The concrete hill' and so as you approach the last part it takes on the spectre of the Alp d'Huez as I pound my way up at a speed obliterated by the sweat coursing off my chin as my nose touches close to the computer on my bars.
My final time of 53:28 good enough for 13th place on the day sandwiched between a couple of good juniors Alex Royal and Jack Green, but Barry Charlton of the local Lyme RC a clear winner with 51:00.
A rest day on Sunday but still a journey down to S. London as the ...a3crg is early next morning, so I recourse to do a few laps of Richmond Park in the late afternoon with a few hardy souls on bikes and the deer grazing close to the road in light traffic. The wind dominated and I barely manage 'Evens' as I try to manage recovery from the day before with preparation for the event ahead, in the end I just do a gradual increase every lap but nothing spectacular and retire to do a bit of stretching as I find this almost as good.
Travelling over the Hogs Back in early morning mist the event is not certain to take place, the organiser is out on the course (with his metaphorical finger in the air) and the full field (+ reserves) on tenterhooks as we hope the rising wind will shift the fog but not spoil the day which looks promising. We get the go ahead and each rider proceeds to the line, the decent of Hillbrow makes for an exhilarating start and we hope this gift will not take a penalty in kind.
I go well all through the first lap (25m) so my preparation has done the trick and I feel good, I pull well on the undulating roads using my big gears over the crest with ease. My time at half way is 54 minutes dead a little disappointing for how well I feel but if my second half is just as good then my seasonal dilemma will be much reduced, the wind is holding fast and I can get on with the race and not battle the elements.
I think I pay the price for early exuberance in the second half as my style becomes laboured and I cannot hold my speed, I do the best I can with dwindling resources and have to dig deep on the last climb to the Ham Barn interchange, the last 6 miles is less of a problem and I cross the finish 1:16 slower in the second half for a final time of 1:49:16. It is a good effort on a day that sees some spectacular rides, none more so than the winner Steve Dennis (East Grinstead CC) 1:40:50 to put minutes between himself and a classy field of riders. My ride is good enough for 14th on the day 3 seconds ahead of Andy Jackson (Pedalsport) and 15 seconds ahead of Paul Holdsworth (Houndslow & Dist CC), this leaves the three of us 9th 10th and 11th in the BBAR we have been having a private battle all season for that top 10 spot and It has been nip and tuck in the last few weeks as seconds make the difference between our final miles per hour tally.

Result ..a3crg '50'

Pics Here