MBUK magazine

Spotted in the October issue of the MBUK magazine was SWRC rider Alan Parkinson. The photo was one of the many time I rode the Beatway series of evening races that I took part in over the last couple of years, until the Eastway circuit was closed last autum to build the Olympic park.

Surrey League Road Race - Alfold

Members from far and wide came together to help run the Clubs Surrey League Road Races today at the circuit based at Alfold on the Surrey / Sussex boarder. Three riders, John Harris, Mark Packman and Alan Parkinson rode the mornings 50 mile 3&4 category event, while Andy Mckie rode the afternoon's 60 mile 1/2/3 cat.

The 4th cats were given a 5 minute head start on the 3rds, but this was not enough as the 3rds sped round and caught them around half distance. Johns race never got going when his cycle computer came loose, causing him to stop early and remove it. Mark spent his race worrying more about the cost of entry (£28) than doing any heroics off the front of the bunch while I saw the front a few times but thought my best hope would be in a bunch sprint. And that proved to be the case when it did all come to a sprint and I found a way through to take the win.

In the afternoon Andy rode a very positive race. He got in the first break with 4 other riders early on, who later got joined by 7 others which was the winning move. Unfortunatly the early effort took it's toll and Andy got dropped on the last lap but managed to time trial to the finish and hold on to 11th place.

Some other photos here http://pics-by-swrc.fotopic.net/c1380293.html

Mountain biking Wales style

The Merida series of 5 mountain bike events set in Wales, Lakes & Scotland are very well run and I would recommend them to anyone. I do the 100km distance and Judith has finished the last two 25km distance. Some photos from the recent event based in Ruthin are here http://pics-by-swrc.fotopic.net/c1376843.html

British Fashion Week

Just thought I'd put up a picture of BBAR pin-up Kevin Dawson from this weekend's Yorkshire RC '50' winner in a time of 1.44.00 Picture courtesy of www.cyclingimages.co.uk Can you believe he has a 'Camelback' and a bottle!(I think he may be some type of fish) I have never got on with the bodyhugging style of the personal hydration system, the 'Hunchback' look spoils the lines of a Time Trial position (although I'm not against it for the Mountain biking look) and warm Gin and Tonic half way round a Fifty can be so off-putting.

Yorkshire RC '50'

Colin writes about his last BBAR ride of the season
A second trip up to N Yorkshire in two weeks for the YRC '50' on the A19 between Disforth and Northallerton, I had a bit of a head cold in the week and it had stopped me from doing my usual hard preparatory ride mid-week so although my legs felt good i would not know how they would go under racing conditions. The weather was warm but the wind was getting up from the SW and I knew the two return legs from the far turn would be the key to a fast ride, I started well enough the first 10 miles in 20.20 and the half way in 53.40. My minute man (No 60) I felt I should keep in contact with to do a good ride but Fiona informed me he was 2 minutes up at this point and I feared I may have started too easily. From the far turn there was a long 15 mile finish into the wind, very tough while trying to protect a good bit up on schedule at 27.5 mph (I had to beat 26.8 mph from my previous best) But as I worked frantically away at the miles the average speed ebbed away, With 6 miles to go I was caught by 'Roadman' John Tanner (along with teammates Wayne Randle & Ashley Brown riding their first '50' of the year - "It's my 7th or 8th" I said not remembering as they borrowed my pump to inflate their under used TT wheels) Shortly after I caught Barry Charlton for 3 min doing a magnificent 1.54.42 on a Trike! the two Red Indian tattooed heads on his calf's twitching at me as i passed (now that's an original and arresting image if you ever get to see it)
The finish came slowly and painfully in 1.51.31 with the realisation that I had managed to beat the Club 50 record for the third time this year by a margin of 19 sec's (but they all count), enough to gain the 6/1000th of a mph to move me up a place in the BBAR (although I was leapfrogged by another rider so stay in 18th spot) The event was won by Kevin Dawson in 1.44.00 from Randle and Brown a second apart in 1.45.26 and 27 (they all train together apparently) I had pulled back a minute and a half on No 60 by the end and it goes some way to prove that it does not matter if you start fast, go fast in the middle or finish fast you just about end up with the same time.

Another record!

Just saw the results of the the YCF 50, Colin has improved his 50 time (and the club record) again. A 1.51.31, this should see him move up another place on the BBAR, so definitely a top 20 placing. Has anyone in the club ever finished in the top 20 before? Well done again Colin.

I meanwhile struggled to a 58.50 on a 25 this morning, but at least I beat John Woodburn as Colin said I should - it would have been better if I hadn't gone off-course for the umpteenth time this season.

Test Run

Just seeing if I've mastered the art of entering an article - or not ! Sorry no pictures of me sitting at the computer.

Personel Best '25' - 52.51

Colin writes about one of the fastest 25 mile events of the year.
I broke my PB for 25 miles in the Stone Wheelers event on the A50 between Blyth Bridge and Utoxeter on Saturday afternoon. The course had to be modified in the days before the event due to roadworks giving a longer (downwind) outward section, the event was cancelled last year for the same reason. I was off early and by the time I had finished 3 miles of cones had been removed from the carriageway and it was open as usual so all the re-measuring and upheaval for a couple of hours work!
I felt with my current form I had a chance of getting within touching distance of Roger Hammonds Club record as it's less severe than his 10 record which I feel needs some serious speed work. I started well enough with the first 10 miles under the wheels in 19.20 the fastest I've ever gone in a TT. With the turn moved out to 15m I reached that at a shade under 31mph av. so no time wasted! I was still on course at the 20 mile point in 40.43 but from here things fell apart somewhat and I lost the best part of two minutes in the last five miles (uphill and against the wind) to come home with 52.51 a 3.39 beating of my PB done last year.
It was a super fast event with the winner Chas McCulloch of Artic Shorter RC in a seasons best 48.24 (He'd done a 18 min 10 on the Levens course last week), Ruth Eyles Beacon RC best lady in 54.03 (and a Vet) and the Vet's prize going to 79 yr. old Dennis Milsom inside the hour 59.39 followed by 77 yr. old Ron Hallam 58.27
On the Sunday morning I rode the ANDCC(don't ask!) '25' on the super slow (their description) A25/2 based around Granby in the Vale of Belvoir. Al Salter of the Walsall RCC won in a time of 55.15 I was nearly a minute and a half off the pace in 56.41 for (equal) 4th place with legs tired from the day before and the blustery conditions not allowed to 'ride in' on the triangular course with more changes of direction than an America's Cup race
I raced both days as I have my last counting event for the BBAR next week, the Yorkshire RC '50' up on the A19 in North Yorkshire.

Three Peaks Cyclo X cancelled!

Here: http://www.3peakscyclocross.org.uk/forum.htm

Something to do with cows

Damn, I had just upped my running in the welsh mountains at the weekend :-(

Entries are carried over to next year tho' , which is good.

1st @ last, Hillingdon.

1st at last, at the last LVRC Wednesday evening race of the year. Just like Colin had managed at his last evening race at Mallory Park, I managed to repeat the feat.

40 vets lined up on a warm sunny evening for an hour of racing around the Minet Country Park Circuit. I rode near the front for most of the race getting in alot of the breaks, but they all came to nothing. It all came down to a bunch sprint where I came from 6 back at the last corner to take the win from usual winner Colin Roshier.

Team Swift 100

Just to show I used my inner chainring sometimes on Saturday's event Photo courtesy of www.cyclingimages.co.uk

3.51.11

A new club record for the 100 miles was set in the Team Swift - Allsports event in Yorkshire on Saturday afternoon, my helpers and I had a long drive up from Leicester to the Boroughbridge course based on the A168/19. The course covers a 16 mile section 3 times between Disforth and the Northallerton, in this wet and windy summer it was great to stand at the start in a skin suit wondering if it would be too hot in an under vest (I wore it anyway) a fresh NW wind did not detract from near perfect racing conditions.


Taking more than 6 minutes off the old record set by Paul Alderson last year and improving my PB by nearly 9 minutes I recorded a time of 3.51.11 putting more than one mile per hour average on what I had done before. This was my last chance of the year to improve my 100 time for the British Best All Rounder (BBAR) season long competition.
After starting too fast in the WLCA 100 a month before I was determined to have a more even paced race and went through 25m in 57 minutes, and I do not think my average pulse rate went over 90% during the whole race. I took two bottles at the start, one of carbohydrate mix and one water, by half way I needed another of mix but my mouth was getting 'claggy' and my water going on my legs and head and i took another. I had nothing solid during the race (I had stocked up on porridge and bagels for breakfast and a honey sandwich before the off) but a caffeine gel with a bottle of coffee saw me to the finish as my stimulant meter went off the scale. My time at half way was 1.56 having done two sections into the wind and one down, for the second half of the race this was reversed and the two long downwind sections helped the second half of the race as I pulled ahead of my schedule to be at 75 miles in 2.52.


I knew I only needed to keep my into the wind speed to break 4 hrs. The last 10 miles to the far turn was all into the wind and tough, there were quite a few people packing (18 DNF's!) which i was surprised about as racing days do not come better and It's the effort that makes it hard! I was beginning to cramp up with the heat and using a big gear (my minute man i usually beat by 5-6 min but his 116 fixed handy capping himself i feel 4.12.43) but I turned at the far end with 12 miles of downwind to go and an av. speed of 25.5 mph so barring accident or mechanical failier I had the record. As I crossed the line my computer just nudged 26 mph av. and I'd covered the last ten miles in 20.30


I was overjoyed at beating 4 hours and by such a margin, my time was more than I could have expected having gone close to beating the elusive 4 hour barrier three times this year. The event was won by Carl Ruebotham of the promoting club with 3.43.27 from another top three BBAR contender Oliver Jones who recorded 3.45.17 My result included in the standard BBAR distances of 50, 100 and 12 hour gives me a more than 25 mph average for the three distances, these results should be good enough to put me in the top 20 in the country at the end of the season, I have entered the Yorkshire RC '50' on the same roads as Saturday's event in two weeks time, if I feel I can improve my 50 time.

3rd in Tour of Britain

I took part in the 3rd Category support race that preceeded the Tour of Britain prologue, that took place today in the ground of Crystal Palace National sports centre. The short race used the larger motor bike circuit that is 1.5 miles around and passes behind the running track.

I thought it might come down to a sprint but one rider got away with 3 laps remaining and held on to take the win. I fought it out in the bunch sprint were I came in 3rd.

Malcolm Elliott won the E/1/2 event while Mark Cavendish took the ToB Prologue.

More photos here http://pics-by-swrc.fotopic.net/c1366713.html

Last Track League meeting

On Monday I rode the last Reading track league meeting of the 2007 season. There was the usual bunch of riders fighting it out for the wins in the fast and furious events. I was up there in elimination (Devil to you older riders) getting into the final 6 and coming home best B category rider.

 

Paris-Brest-Paris...................adventure

Here is Paul's account of his recent PBP ride carried out in somewhat arduous conditions

PBP consisted of 2 days of howling rain and a headwind to Brest which then turned into a crosswind on the way back, awful. My hopes were high but I was still nursing a tender achilles from the 24 - so my plan was to go steady and still hopefully get in between 60 and 65 hours(in 2003 I did 69.48).

So much for the plan, my steady start meant I lost the fast bunch from the off - they just nail the first 140 Km's. So I found myself in a group that wasn't going at a pace I wanted to go at - it was a bit slow, the result was I ended up riding alone for long sections of the ride - not ideal with a headwind.

My other problem, and this was worse than 4 years ago, was my inability to stay awake at dawn, so on two of the three mornings I found myself cuddling up to a hard wall on the outskirts of some remote village in France - just for 30-45minute catnaps.After around 750 Km's my left knee hurt like hell, tender just to touch, and this really slowed my progress again (I could feel the achilles but at least it wasn't going to be my nemesis this time round). Due to my slow start, I was playing catch up by reducing the time I was allowing myself to sleep. First sleep at brest - 3 hours (I'd hoped for 4-5), next sleep was at a place 220Km's from the end -
a dreadful place, but the rain was cold and it was 2 in the morning, again 3 hours sleep(I'd planned to have 5 hours at my second sleep).

I really should have just pushed on to the next stop - where there was good food, but hindsight is no good now. The 3 hours sleep only did one thing and that was to make my knee stiffen up even more. The push from Villaine to Mortagne de Perche (88Km's) was very hard - I rode all the way alone, and it took me over 4.5 hours! And this on roads that are really not too lumpy compared to the rest of the route.

From Mortagne I had 140Km's to go. At my current pace I was looking at a ride of 72 hours or more. Maybe it's my tt brain taking over but I swallowed the pain and pushed on, by the next stop after 71 k's I realised that I could just beat my previous time and had a very short stop before nailing it to the finish - any uphills were very painful, but I pushed as hard as I could on the flats. Coming into the finish there are at least 20 traffic lights - it was also rush hour and I
didn't want any time penalties for jumping lights or to end up squashed by a French truck. I finally got to the finish according to my watch I had finished just 3 minutes quicker that 4 years ago. The current official time has me at exactly the same time as 4 years ago! Almost unbelievable to go that far and end up with the same time.

Result of all this: I have to now go back in 4 years time and beat that time just to prove that I can. The extra experience should help to put together a good time next time. A friend of mine from Twickenham, he was second in the 24hr AND HASN'T DONE ANY OTHER RACING BEFORE THIS YEAR!! (I did my 300 and 400 qualifiers with him and I always felt I was slowing him down), finished in just over 50hours!!(I think that only Gethin has gone quicker). Amazing. I think he should do the 12 next year - definitely huge potential.

I have only done 8 or 9 tt's the whole year and in 4 years time I'll only do 100's as preparation for PBP - it really does take up the whole season.

By the way the pic attached was ridden over the whole route by a mad Englishman dressed in a beret, stripey top and three quarter length trousers mad!

Paul I think we all need to go and have a lie down!

Sub 21 in the Lakes!

I did get to ride my first sub 21 minute 10 mile but it was the first ten miles of the North VTTA '50' between Cockermouth and Keswick on Sunday not the Barrow Central Wheelers '10' on Saturday. I could only manage 21.25 on a windswept A590, for 19th place(the course Jason MacIntyre managed 18.15 on a couple of weeks ago) Nik Bowdler won the event with a staggering 20.09 but when my Pulse Monitor went over 98% on the way back I eased off rather than burst every blood vestal in my forehead. I say ease off because that was the down wind section of the course and as me ol'dad used to say "You never gain time you only loose it" and on that day I'd lost plenty on the way out and doing myself some physical mischief on the way back getting my speed up was not going to save 30 seconds.
At least the weather was warm and (almost) sunny which was more than could be said for Sunday which dawned wet and miserable, but like i always say "If it didn't rain there wouldn't be any lakes there!" And when in the Lake District one expects to get a little wet, the deluge which accompanied the race was of Biblical proportion and with the accompanying wind I expected to see Charlton Heston on top of one of the many hill tops with a staff and a couple of tablets of stone. The mountains of the North Lakes that surround Bassenthwaite make this (usually) the most picturesque course in the country, but my vision was a blur of spray from the many veteran HGVs on a rally to Penrith and wind blowing in from the Irish Sea down the Solway Firth. There was an ultra fast start which saw me catch my minute man the 79 year old Dennis Milsom in under 4 miles and complete the first 10 in 20.35, I did 32mph+ one way and barely 22mph the other and ended up with a 1.57.07 for 4th place (1st Vet 40-45), Dennis who has seen some conditions in his time and knew better packed at half way!

Le Tour de France en ferry, Stage 2 winner

Trans Schwarzwald

Me and Jane took 4th place in the mixed category of the Trans Schwarzwald(Black Forest) in Germany last week.

The race is a seven day mountain bike stage race through the beautiful forests of western Germany. The fairly short stages of four to six hours meant that the racing was close and fast. Although we couldn't catch the third placed team, we had a very tough and fun battle for fourth place.

fotos here: Trans Schwarzwald

Raymond