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