Duel Carriageway

Bi monthly report on the state of the British roads via the medium of expensive tyres pumped up to 140psi and then ridden as fast as possible along the lanes and carriageways of the country

Another world - Two events over the Bank Holiday o7ò

Apart from my weekly evening '10' with the Hinckley its been a bit quite, I put my gear up to 96" and noticed almost no increase in speed just a slowing of cadence and banged out 22:49 and 22:53 to match the 22:47 I could do on 94". I'd lined up a series of short distance tests to try and break the elusive Hammond Club Record of 19:49 set in 1995 and my recent best for three years over '25' was a good omen. First up the North Nottingham Olympic '10' event on a new (to me) course based at Long Bennington on the A1, traffic restrictions mean an evening start so I have all day to fester for my start just before 6 pm. Day has blown up very windy so the omens not good, last time I rode here riders were walking back up the slip road when they realised it was too windy to race on aero bars, I just got on with it but conditions like these are not for record breaking. I can use it as preparation and compare myself with the other 'On form' riders. Its tough on the way out so when I get to the turn in 11:25 I know that this will not be the day, back in 10:09 is more like it but Matt Bottrill has smashed out a 19:14 to win it, there is a smattering of middle 20's and my 21:34 good enough for 14th
The next weekend, the event where Michael Hutchinson broke (Wiggins) competition record with 17:45 that's an eye watering 33.8mph and the Swift Charity '10' again draws a top line field with 40+ sub twenty minute men. Before I get to tread the hallowed tarmac I have a warm-up on the Saturday, the Kettering CC - Frank & Joy Sheppard Memorial '10' is on unknown roads to me and I foolishly get it into my head to ride fixed as a way to spin out my legs and get them buzzing for the next day. How wrong was I? The course was a hilly circuit with blustery wind and to top it all Rain! my final prep race was a damp squib all I can say was I achieved +40mph down one of the descents although it was blessedly short to keep the 150 rpm necessary! My 23:44 was possibly my slowest 10 miles since my comeback in 2006, Even Bottrill could only manage 20:21 to win it
Sunday woke cold and blustery again and my heart sunk for something better, I'd already been in a bad mood now I had to sit in the car for two hours and glare at the trees and flags taunting me from their hilltops and poles. As I travelled North the weather improved and I have to report Humberside was sunny and warm, the flag on the nearby church was still horizontal so I parked my car in the opposite direction and tried to ignore it. I was right at the end of the field, still time for things to change, vain hope, Hutch was warming up close by, he actually warms up with his aero helmet on! With him it is not an act, Alec Guinness had his shoes to get in character Hutch has his hat, it's his Pavlovian touchstone. I just put mine on to race. Its a sad fact of modern time trialling that the need for bio mechanical perfection and power optimisation means that riders feel it is necessary to ride a warm up in their crash hat I do a 30 minutes warm up which will be longer than the race (I hope!) I prowl the start lanes getting in the zone, but the zone is windy and its very bloody off putting.
The start arrives with a fuss over shoes and getting it all together, I get up to speed, I do not look at my clock from start to finish, I have no concept of being in a race, its just time. The nature of time trialling is to prepare ones self for a duration of effort that borders on the painful, and 10's are the worst as the effort drains your senses that make all sounds go hollow and the colours go to black and white. air draws into my lungs and is expelled almost immediately, I can hear the wind and my breathing but they are a detached reality, a funnel of a road in front drawing me into its narrowness, I push the air in front of me and then I can breath better as I come out onto the turn, two roundabouts and a bridge, I descend into the narrow void again but now I have a moment to be aware of the race. The five mile post (a garage) and soon after Hutch scorching along in the other direction, boy does he go! He is in control. There is a little slight ascent of the road, no more than a few degrees but it slows your flight, you can feel it, the race is getting away from me. A rider who has gone before says "Save nothing for the finish, its fast" and I crest the final drag and plunge to the finish at 40mph, I miss the time keeper and it is half a minute before I realise I am done, I catch and overtake my minute man as the sound and colour flood back into my world. 20:08 a personnel best by 8 seconds (29.8mph) almost a perfect pace 10:10 for the first half and 9:58 for the second  and I'm 21st Hutch is of course the winner 18:14 down on his best - well it is comp record. o7ò

Swift Charity '10' Result

Seconds Count

I raced a couple of events at Etwall Derbyshire over the last couple of weeks and pleasantly surprised myself with my second fastest times ever at 50 and 25 miles. The BDCA '50' is one of the hotly contested events of the year with only 90 places (72 Men & 18 Women) and closed on a 1:53 time, most of the BBAR contenders are here. I was feeling 'out of sorts' in the morning so only a short ride and stretch in preparation but with the memory of the Shaftsbury event still in my legs I knew I had a good chance to do a better time than my 1:48:51. I set out up the A50 to Blyth Bridge into a stiff breeze but it was South Westerly and I'm always comfortable with that. Travelling out was going to be crucial as it includes the feared concrete mountain past the JCB - World Parts Centre (When Fiona and I first came this way, to the Lakes, we thought it was great to have a World 'arts' Centre here in the Midlands but the sign was just obscured by some trees!) 11:04 my first split then 11:11 going around the Uttoxeter bypass and several tricky roundabouts to negotiate as I had been deluged with rain for a short while and the roads were wet and greasy. 11:04 and the wind was less of a problem than I thought, I caught Baz Charlton on his trike (Ex runner - glutton for punishment as if riding a bike is not tough enough) and another who proved a good target as I crested the 'mountain' of the rise to the top of the course, it flattens out a bit 12:05 before the far turn (21.7m) and it can be exposed but not too bad today as I go through 56:05 at 25 miles Matt Bottrill (drag2zero) my minute man over 5 minutes up in on me at this point (51:06)! As you get the benefit of the wind the road also drops and your speed quickens 10:39 is followed by a 8:58 (that's 33.5mph Av!) to cancel out that climb, I'd saved a bit for the dog leg to Doveridge 11:19 and then getting back on the A50 for the big finish 10:54 into Derbyshire the road is still a bit up & down but the final ten miles you get the full benefit of the wind on flat roads and drop to the finish 9:37 and a final 10:03 for a time of 1:47:09, only a second a mile off my best ever and after a 56 minute first 25 I'd come back in 51 minutes. My time only good enough for 23rd but 2nd Vets 50-55 Bottrill had won it and done the 3rd fastest of all time 1:36:46.

A week later and I'm on the same roads for the Derby Mercury '25' same start same finish turn at half distance and no dog leg, it's the National 12 Hour the next day so a more open race apart from that man Bottrill again. There is less wind but it's directly from the West so that will make the conditions harder as the A50 cuts across the country and we shall be heading directly into it, I'm feeling better in myself and manage the full hour in the morning, raring to go. Always difficult to hold back when you feel good, the couple of ramps at the start can take the wind out of your sails if you go too hard and with less fitness less scope for mistakes. I need to feed out my effort and my pacing will be important, 10:51 is a good start although I have my computer sound turned off for the race so It's all done on feel and I rarely pay attention to it these days, 11:00 for the second split and 27:16 (Bottrill 25:23) at the turn is not setting the pulse racing only 153bpm compared to the 160+ I could manage a couple of years ago. When people tell you your faculty to push your limits once you go over 50 I think that is what they mean. But like my dad used to say "It's no good getting old if you don't get.........crafty" so you have to make up deficiency with guile. My split including the turn improves to 10:49 as I get the benefit of the tailwind then as my legs get used to pedalling I bang out 9:07 almost as good as last week but not quite. The finish comes too soon 9:48 for a sub 19 minute last ten miles and 51:35 only 50 seconds off my best, a better paced ride than last week and good enough for 12th and 1st vet in my age this week. The top four riders all +30mph but that man Bottrill blisters around in 46:10 (Av. 32.5mph all the way!) making him also the fouth fastest of all time to go with his effort last weeks, surely on a better day competition record will be his

Matt Bottrill - drag2zero