Main Course - National '10'

Training bike 'Lloydy'

Traditionally the National 10 Mile Time trial is the first big event of the 'Testing' season but this year its at the tail end and on the fastest course in the country or a version of it, the powers that be decided for reasons of their own to turn it off the fast dual carriageway and do the last mile along a bumpy B road so that it can finish near the headquarters, this will entail riders to negotiate a slip road a turn and a roundabout (together) when coming to the end of their ride so should be interesting. My last four rides on the traditional version of this course 20:08, 20:07 last season 20:13 and 20:08 this season so while I am informed that I have not experienced it under 'Superfast' conditions (apparently) they have been consistently fast. Now when I saw the National was going to be the tail end of the season a month or so before the World Championships my major objective of the year I planned to target the event as the start of the build up to the main course.

Oldskool style (and time) 23:38 (Pic Taceys Photos)

By way of preparation I had a full Bank Holiday of riding, first the local Leicester Forest CC '10' on A46 Six Hills. and then the VTTA National '25' at Newmarket on the Sunday early! They had tried to run this earlier in the season and it was cancelled half way completed by one of those torrential rainstorms in June. I had not entered the original event, this was to be a complete re-run.

Winner - Matt Sinclair 19:46

I rode a single fixed in both events my steel 'David Lloyd' (Lloyd'y), a modest 92" on my training bike with 'non aero' as there was a Road bike prize and I did not want to stuff my legs, it was important to get two hard rides without overdoing it as this would be my first back to back racing of the season. The only race wheels I have for the Saturday are over 30 years old 28 spoke Campag SF, my best track wheels in the day, elliptical spokes and super-light Argent 10 rims (can you feel the nostalga?), the front tyre (a Clement No6) still shellacked on (Google it!) for that real Oldskool experience. Advanced in their day but would I be able to compete with geared riders on their carbon aero road biked and wheels (No Disc or Tri bars allowed)

'Bands' get an outing

I wanted to change the bars and stem to get a better racing position (on the drops!) but the stem stuck fast, I did a nice warm-up on the rollers and it felt great that gear spinning around at 110 RPM. The race however was another thing, strong cross-winds made it tough both ways on the DC section, some were having problems with their deep rims, not me on my 'skinny' Mavics. I was off number 50 so I knew I would be caught by David Mead (Hinckley CRC) who usually beats me by half a minute or so in the Tuesday evening 10's but without the aero aids he was on me at half distance. To be fair I struggled in the conditions and did not get into my riding even though I was not over-geared and even the fast last 3 miles was a struggle, my time 23:38 only good enough for half way down the 100 rider field but I did manage to get third on the Road bike event and got my entry back, so a result of sorts I don't think I could have bothered the winner Matt Sinclair (Lutterworth) 19:46 by a second from Brett Harwood (Terry Wright RC)


On the Sunday I rode my Pursuit/Fixed Time Trial bike an alloy Cervelo SL which is 'Super Lite'  it comes in only 80 grams over the UCI minimum weight for bikes and makes a lovely 'stiff' TT bike and this was the first time this year I've stepped the gear up to 106" (56 x 14). The conditions for the 6.30 start were not ideal (cold, windy and early!) at least I was off in the last half hour (125) and had time for a 10 mile warm up on the roads this time as the organisers did not want riders disturbing the locals with Turbo's or Roller's at this un-earthly hour.

VTTA 'NuSkool' (Pic Kimroy)

It was a bit of a struggle going out, I could see I was not handling the uphill sections on the bigger gear and then not able to take advantage of the downhill until the way back when I got into my stride and managed a 30mph last five mile split (9:47) But I'd lost too much over the rest of the ride my dad's maxim "You only ever loose time!" ringing in my ears, still 53:30 good enough for 10th overall but only 16th on VTTA Standard (+14:56) Defending Champion Rob Pears (Pro Cycling) went fastest 49:46 at only a year younger than my 25 years but could not match the 'Old Guys' and 6th on Std +18:18. Local 84 year old Eric Marsh (Cycles Uno) +22:11 was the winning plus (1:03:21) over a minute ahead of Scot Derek Stewart (Deeside Thistle) a mere youngster at 78 with 58:22 but Brian Sunter (Condor RC) 54:33 at 71 only good enough for third +20:03

These are the times you need to win at this level, Rob Pears would have to break Competition Record to win today, on a slower/harder course where he is on the roads longer and the 'Old Geezers' suffer more power loss than the younger man they are clear winners even though the Standards have been adjusted (from their 1943 original) in the past few years to allow the younger man to be more competitive as riders are better even though they are getting older.

So the National '10' is this Sunday and I'm off just before 2.00pm No 55 of the 150 man field (Juniors and Ladies at Alcester) so that means there are 95 riders faster than me at the present time (or the time of entering, rider No 2 did a 19:11 in the Swift Charity '10' on the Championship course last week!) so a place in the top 50 could be considered a good one. I would still like to break Roger Hammonds club record 19:49 but that would require half a mile per hour improvement in speed to shave off the twenty odd seconds (two a mile!) needed to go from my personnel best. I would like to be within two minutes of the winner, the last time I managed that of last man Michael Hutchinson was 2010 on the windiest day I have ever raced and that too was on the V718, he just scraped a 30mph ride with 19:57 and I did 21:34 so maybe I should wish for tough conditions but that would mean my ambition for the club record would go out the window and it seems like I have been trying to attain that for most of the ten years since I came back to racing

The march of time

If you look at my times over that time, there have been a few 'wobbles' but I have steadily got faster over the years, despite the encroaching age I still feel I can do it. Roger was a 21 year old recently crowned World Champion and had all the same aero advantages that we have today (aero bars, helmet and disc wheel) but had to negotiate the six roundabouts on the Rusper course (twice) to achieve the feat. I think he was studying at Brunel University when he was racing in the club, going over to Belgium to race in the summer months and I do remember him and Steve Gowar riding (& winning) the Divisional Road Race Championships around Lingfield in SWRC colours circa 1993. I however am also a newly crowned World Champion and when I saw him at the BC dinner where he was being invested into the 'Hall of Fame' I had a quite word with him and shook his hand hoping a bit of Hammond magic would rub off.  o7ò

Follow events unfold on the TT Forum

A tale of two rides (2 x 25)

1970 World Champioship

Two contrasting events over the same distance approached in different ways with the same objective and different outcomes. The Leicester Forest '25' on my local 'Six Hills' A46 course that was used for the 1970 World Team Time Trial course.

The Rolling A46

It was won by the mighty USSR from Czechoslovakia and the Netherlands. Britain was represented by the cream of the Time Trial scene at the time '100' Competition record holder (03:46:37) Ant Taylor Oldbury & District, with Houndslow & District duo Martyn Roach and Jeff Marshall all three were BBAR top five the year before, the odd man out was 'Huge Gear Man'  John Tooby (Coventry CC) but their time only good enough for 16th place (from 21 starters!) This was when the TTT was an amateur affair.  By the time Britain hosted the World Championships again in 1982 and the TTT was held on a hilly course over the South Downs at Goodwood (in the pouring rain) we had gone over to almost exclusively roadmen (Joe Waugh, Bob Downs, Steve Lawrence & Phil Bateman) placed also 16th (from 21 starters again), winners were the Nederlands from the Swiss and the less mighty Russians in third (Czechs 6th) so no change there then!

Team GB in the rain at Goodwood

I'm using a fixed again, put up to 54 x 15 that's 96" or slightly above what I have been using in the evening 10's and on here two weeks ago. It was raining 'Cats & Dogs' in the morning as we are having allot of showers so I have no chance for a ride just a bot of stretching and twenty minutes on the rollers in the now sweltering heat but by the time I get to the start the roads are pretty much dry apart from the off DC bits where I will just take it easy. Only fifty percent of the riders start a legacy of the rain but I hope for a good workout and a moderate good time in the blustery conditions with the 'Rolling' nature of the course

A46 pedalling action

I had a tail wind start to the turn at Widmerpool and then a little climb up to the roundabout the only place I need to get out the saddle as its steep and I'm barely moving at the top. We go half way back to Wymeswold (It's Stilton city round here with Cropwell Bishop & Colston Bassett up the A46) under the dual carriageway and back to Widmerpool again. Coming away from the far turn I was caught by Dave Ellis (Mapperley RC) twenty minutes behind me but on the first lap of the circuit and we passed and re-passed each other before he turned off.

Winner Dan Barnett

It was tough work into the wind but once back at Six Hills there was a long section dropping gently down to the finish at Thrussington where I was able to average 30mph which is 110 RPM on my moderate gear but nothing compared to the 155RPM and 45 mph finish (on aero bars somewhat hairy!). 56:15 was good enough for 7th place 98RPM Av. helped by that last section and two minutes faster than two weeks before. Winner was Dan Barnett (drag2zero) 52:42 from Nick cave (Lutterworth) 53:26 and Ellis 54:38 able to pull out more time on the fast sections

As a point of interest Dan's speed (all be it over 25 and not 60 miles) 28.46mph would have been faster then the four man Russian squad put up to win the World title in 1970 28.18mph. My speed 26.7mph would have been faster than the British quartet 26.36mph

1970 Team Time Trial Result

A week later I'm playing away on the A11/14 otherwise known as the E2/25 or the Newmarket bypass, the API/Metrow Zak Carr Memorial '25' is developing a reputation as a fast event on these roads that can be exposed and windy, it had been calm all week and then Saturday morning it blew up a bit 15mph from the North which is good for this course which travels NE to SW. We are staying with friends in Bedford so no chance of a ride in the morning but I do get 25 minutes in the rollers at full pelt.
I'd asked for an early start so off number 10 but with David McGaw a minute behind me who was second to Alex Dowsett in his recent record breaking '10' ride with 19:24 How long before he catches me? Well as I stick to my high revving attack (on gears this time) and its very fast with the wind half behind it takes him about nine miles! I'm still inside 20 minutes at ten miles and 96RPM but with the wind taken out of my sails I have to tackle the harder return. I get caught up behind a tractor (on the A11!) and have to pass it TWICE! as its going uphill faster than me but not when I get on the flat, it also passes my two minute man which just puts me in the outside lane, I eventually get rid of it on the long flat middle section.
Ooh! its hard coming back and my hard week has caught up with me and my revs drop markedly, the finish is more covered and I finish with a bit of a flourish. 53:47 is a decent ride in the conditions but there are some fast times McGaw has gone close to 30mph with 50:06 but only good enough for 8th the winner Matt Smith (Velocity) 48:34 and a string of 49's, my time good enough for a lowly 43rd but I'm happy with my form on limited racing o7ò

Leicester Forest result

API 'Zak Carr Mem' result

This is a great Result finding site

Roll with it

As before its a late start for me but last year I was into June and did not give myself enough time to get race ready for the British Track Masters at the end of the month so this year I got out and rode some evening 10's on 92" fixed just to ease myself into it. Times were pretty slow but trying to spin that gear at 100RPM is like being punched in the stomach so I just had to lean on the ropes and take the blows. My first open was the Nottingham East Midlands VTTA '25' on my local Six Hills course (A46) just North of Leicester, It was sunny a brief interlude between the rain making it the wettest month since the early 30's. I put my gear up to 95" as its nearly all DC but 'roll'in' and a stiff breeze was going to make it tough in places so I thought best to not make it too hard for myself. In the end it was the faster sections that were more painful (note to buy some more chamois cream!) as I nearly topped 150RPM on the down wind downhill sections Ouch! 58:10 good enough for 10th overall and second Vet on Standard, won by Phil Hunt of the Nottingham Clarion 55:31
Second event came after a two week break and a week in Devon schlepping up the hills when I should have been honing my speed but no worries its all training at this stage still. Sunday 1 June arrived like the Summer was here, Movistar professional Alex Dowsett had broken the 10 Competition Record the day before 17:20 on the E2 at Newmarket but the Sunday was also hot and windless. The Nottingham Clarion '50' I have ridden numerous times and its 2 1/2 lap course on the Vale of Belvoir is flat and well broken up a good thing in the windy Midlands, I was on gears here but with no 'form' I set out to keep my gears low and attack the second half. A brief ride to the start and a few efforts tells me that it may be too warm for just the one bottle but its all I have as I sit on the line with sweat dripping down my nose (riders were actually warming up on their turbos!) I find it difficult to hold back once out on the road and maybe I started too fast but by 15 miles I was blowing a bit into the wind on bumpy B roads, I eased off a bit but still trying to keep up my 90-95RPM and attack every incline and hard section. I allowed myself to put the gears up a bit on the fast A52 section between Grantham and Nottingham. A car came the wrong side of an junction island so I was faced with an on coming car on the second lap, that and another trying to run me down on the longest straightest Long lane because I was passing another rider made me feel a little concerned
The first half 57:20 and I could feel the un-natural pressure in my arms and neck from the position and the effort, I'd got to the HQ early and remembering I'd put my most aero position on for the last race of last season I'd raised the front end a couple of inches but my saddle was a bit too sloping and I kept having to push myself back as you tend to draw yourself forward with higher revs. It was now mid day and very hot, my bottle was nearly gone and a second gel just to smooth out the last half lap effort but the finish came along too soon before I got all my effort out and coping with a newly 'dressed' road surface (Why do they do that?) and a bit of headwind I was over the line and done. My time 1:55:59 is two minutes faster than I've been on here before but 93 RPM Av. is tidy and good enough for 6th place, the best over 50 rider and contented with my effort. Winner was local Scott Walker (MG Decor) 1:47:33 o7ò

Zipp action o7ò

Nottingham Clarion '50' Result

Eternal Second

Forgive me Blogspot for I have sinned, it is over six months since my last post. The Winter and Spring time these past couple of seasons have not had a great deal to recommend them so what with taking on an allotment and a greater commitment to work there has not been allot of time for racing. I've kept riding the bike at a lower level but come April I thought I'd better push it up a level with some six hour rides so that I was not left without any miles in the legs when the mood to race came around
For those of you who have an allotment the amount of work getting it into shape is large and it has taken me four digs to remove the Couch weed that they call 'Twitch' in these parts but on a plot that has not been cultivated fully for a few seasons its plenty of work to keep me in shape. I've filled a compost bin a meter square with the stuff, I am advised to "Burn it" but presently I'm trying to compost it with weed killer and treats of violence as it seems to be almost indestructible.

I rode down to Devon in two days staying over at Salisbury YHA and the unusual North wind (NW) was a great help on the first day so the W wind on the second day slowed my progress and Fiona picked me up at Honiton before I had to negotiate the A30

On the way to Devon - Shaftsbury

My first event of the season the local Leicester Forest '25' on the A46 (Six Hills) course just North of Leicester, I'd done a couple of speedy sessions in the week to liven my legs up but with a windy morning I was wondering if I'd done too much. I only put a 92" (52 x 15) gear on as I reasoned that it was not about going for the win but just to test the legs and get a few hard rides in the bag before the British Masters Track at the end of the month
That North wind (NE today) would make for a nice return but first the tricky outward journey to Wymeswold and the Widmerpool Island (the top 6 mile section covered twice). I was caught by my minute man eventual winner Nick Cave (Lutterworth RT) also on a fixed at 8 miles, I was concentrating on the harder sections but not trying to go overboard as I only has PR and RPM to go on which was probably a good thing as I made me focus on my ride rather than my time.
The final five miles were glorious and I'd left myself enough in the legs to enjoy them as my legs span at 120RPM+ and I was pleasantly pleased with my time and position 57:40 for 8th place.


Photo Here

Result Here



 On the Sunday I left the house at just after 8 O'clock to ride out to watch the National Championship '25' at Tattershall in Lincolnshire, I thought it would be three hours into a stiff headwind as it was it took nearly four as I battled passed the triathletes at Belvoir Castle barely above 17mph. Once I got onto the flat Fens passed Sleaford I felt the real force of a block headwind and arrived to see the final 10 riders to the finish exhausted 72m @ 18mph.

There was a changing of the guard as Matt Bottrill (Drag2zero) 49:31 finally got the better of Michael Hutchinson (In Gear) 49:58 something he has been trying to do for numerous seasons but unfortunately they both came off slower than 22 year old (former European Junior TT Champion) Matthew Perrett (IG Sigma) who ran out the winner 49:21 Bottrill had the honour of leading the team and will now have to wait for the '50' in a couple of weeks after getting so close (7 seconds) in the '10' but it was the Blue Ribband '25' that he would so dearly love to have taken but that will have to wait for another season sport can be cruel!

New Champion Matt Perrett (IG Sigma)

I almost had no time to hang around as I put my kit back on and did the return journey from the event at 20.5mph


Men's Result

Women's Result

Junior Result