Mallorca, Day 4

Day 4 , and another sunny day here in Mallorca. Todays ride for the A group had once been the longest of the week in previous years, but now the ride to Deia is just another day on the bike. It started as a lot of others with the route through Campanet, Selva, Lloseta & Alaro. The fun starts once we reach Esporles, and the road rises as we turn towards the Serra deTramuntana mountains that streach the length of the north coast. Gary Dodd had towed us the last 15 km along the main road then it was each man for them selves.

After the first climb it was a fast and twisty decent to the bottom of Valldemossa, then up an down to our lunch stop at Deia. Here we visit Pere Reynes Deli, who happen to be the brother or of Vincent Reynes, the Columbia / Highroad Pro cyclist. The sandwiches here are made fresh and taste delicious.

We sat out in the mid day sun, polishing of the grub, then a few minutes of rest out of the sun, where I should have put some more cream on, as the sun was feeling very strong. Then it was along to Soller and the climb to Puig Mayor.

Times to the top were, Doddy: 44 min; Simon Howard 48:35; Trevor Lenthall, Andy Hicks & me 56min; Nick Allen 57min; Mark Williams 61min; Sabin 64min; Mark Packman 68min.

Mallorca, Day 3

Today the SWRC A group lived up their names and headed to the South Western Roads of the Island and Randa Monestary. Sitting in the middle of the flat pastural landscape the 5km climb usually turn into a race after spending the morning flying between the villages Campanet, Buger, Secelles (quick coffee stop), then Algaida before racing to the top of the climb.

Simon was again away by himself, while I managed to win the bunch sprint from Andy Hicks.


On the return out of Randa the group got split up and we spent the afternoon taking two routes back. Most of us planned to go to a lovely stop in Petra, which I had not been to for years and when we got there it had not changed with the square packed with 4 coffee shops, one on each side.

Mallorca day 2

Some of the SWRC are in Mallorca at the moment for a week's training. Some take it more seriously than others but the A group were out Monday on a 90 mile hilly(2500m) ride. Here's most of the group at the top of the Soller climb. Gary Dodd from the Sigma Sport R.T. joined us and stormed up. Simon Howard was not far behind, with the rest of us following soon after.
After decending down to Bunyola, we climbed up past Orient and headed home to to our Hotel in Port of Pollenca on the north shore of the island.

Force majeure

So I woke up with a sore throat (and some regret) as I had a couple of fast events lined up to pick the pace of my time trialling after several weeks of 'Sporting' challenges.
I had been to a social function for my good friend Andrew who's building was re-opening on Friday evening. Their office in the Old Co-Op Bank in Enderby was struck by lightning last year and almost destroyed (along with 15 years of his business and personnel life).

I spend the early months avoiding social contact and running to the bathroom to 'cleanse' myself like a third rate Howard Hughes but with the body feeling like it has withstood the worst that the winter can throw at it you let your guard down and suffer the consequences
I decided to preserve my energy and only did some stretching on the living room floor by way of a warm up as It was looking like a warm day with light wind from the West which meant the course which traverses the Midlands on the A50 would mean a fast return.

A full field in the BDCA '25' event and although I could feel the niggle in my throat I never consider the DNS option and just decide to take it easy and see how I feel, there are two ramps to get up from the start in Etwall onto the dual carriageway and I try settle into a high revving tempo which will help my effort as I have another event on the Sunday morning and punishing my legs with big gears would just be counter productive at this time of year.
I was somewhat alarmed to be caught at 8 miles by my minute man but I just let him go and continued my ride as I felt OK but It's always difficult to keep your concentration when this happened especially as I felt strong into the wind I had started well, I was doing a good ride.
I was 45 seconds down on Ian Cammish 10 minutes in front and when I got around the the turn at the McDonald's roundabout (it's OK it's a drive thru!) I began to pick up speed and moral as my minute man was almost out of sight now. My speed hardly dropped below 30mph on the return and I crossed the finish in 52:18 my 2nd fastest time ever! Not bad for a 'crocked' rider, when I learned that James Wall (Team Echelon) had done a 49:08 to win the event I felt better, scratch man Barry (Baz) Charlton (Lyme RC) did his customary short 50 minute ride and Cammish a long one to match what they had both done in this event last year, I however had gone over a minute faster and was feeling pretty pleased if a bit 'wheezy'
I decided that if I has a good night and the weather was not as dreadful as it can be (I don't think I rode an event before May last year when I didn't get wet!) I would ride the Team Swift '25' on the newly re-opened O/25 course on the A1 near Sheffield. It's a long way to go early morning and I was up at 5.30 and eating my porridge at the many lights on Melton Road through town. I had been out for an hour to ease my legs off last night and no time for a warm up but thankfully a 4 mile ride to the start and a mild morning was the best I could muster as I only had 50 minutes once I'd got to the HQ at Ranby.
The A1 has been used for 'Testing' over the years and has a history of epic struggles for fast times and now the (dangerous) Worksop roundabout has been bypassed and the community has run a successful campaign to get this bit of the Great North Road back on the time trialling map. I said to the timekeeper that the first time I rode on it was the GHS '10' in 1976 a long way to come from 'Sarf' London in those days but we had won the ESCA (Now called BSCA) Team award in the 10 mile TT and had a good chance to repeat our sucess in the RTTC (as it was called then - now CTT) equivalent, in the event my brother Phil punctured and the Barnet team beat us, but I got my own back beating Steve Bent who was a member of the team in the LVRC pursuit a couple of years back at Newport (HA ha! Revenge is sweet even if it does take a over quarter of a century)
Those first few miles are on B roads and my legs felt 'tight' but once on familiar roads I got into my stride and the new Markham Moor turn not a big junction with associated climb although two tight roundabouts were traffic less. Back North to possibly the toughest section and I was enjoying the early morning sun, a car even stopped for me to negotiate the Blyth turn and the final few miles a 30mph section as I caught several and only the last part on the lane seemed to go on a bit. I finished like most who rode yesterday between 1 1/2 ans 2 minutes slower but 54.05 a good effort Nino Piccoli (ttt-weekly) won it in 50:57 from Barry Charlton 51:41 and Julian Ramsbottom (i-ride) 52:09 3rd
As I drove home I took in the big blue sky which no plane has defaced with its narrow cloud trails and it took me back to those times when it was possible to look up into the sky and not see not less than two but sometimes a dozen tracks defacing the yonder and you think progress just crept up and filled the void but it took an invisible menace to give us a clear view. I enjoyed the feeling, but I was back with the hoards in B&Q before midday buying decking preserver unfortunately could not raise the strength to put it on the timber until late afternoon.

Coast

It was a slight shock opening the curtains on Saturday to see a swirling mist outside, having gone to bed with a warm sunny forecast in my mind. And it was chilly when I left the house just after 8.30, even chillier at Cobham. But spirits were high for the first ride to the coast this year, a good leg stretcher a week before the Mallorca trip. New dad Richard, newly wed Matt, plus usual crew of Trevor, two Simons and Niall were fired up for the 125 mile jaunt to Peacehaven and back. Absentees included Andy, saving himself for Sunday's race where he won his age group, and Parky who by this time had already been on the bike for 6 hours doing a 200 mile audax!


The route took us to Box Hill, where we picked up John and Dave and by which point the mist had burned off, then out to the edge of Ashdown Forest and a succession of pretty villages - Nutley, Fletching, Barcombe. Here we stopped for a quick power bar, Niall managing to knock over his bike and break a saddle rail. Fortunately it wasn't ride over for him as he simply clamped over the break and sat a centimetre further forward than usual.

Then new roads for us through Lewes, Kingston and the dead end road through secluded Telscombe, nestling in a cleft in the hills, to the top of the Downs, the sea now visible for the first time. After a couple of hundred metres of rough stuff we descended down to the coast road at Peacehaven, and then turned west for picture stop at Saltdean. My memory failed me here - I was last here in the early 80s at the Lido, which I thought was on the seafront; instead it is set back a hundred yards or so and only last month (so Google tells me) closed for the last time; not finding it we stood atop the now closed foot tunnel that runs from the Lido to the beach and took the traditional coast photos.

The return leg took us through Rottingdean, past Brighton race course, very steeply down to the Lewes road and then a long climb out of town to Ditchling Beacon. From here straight down to the village and, after 80 miles, a well deserved bit of refuelling at the golf course club house. It was eggs, chips, beans and sausages all round, such were our appetites. Setting off again after that lot wasn't easy but it had to be done. The pace was kept up by Simon, Trevor, Niall and Dave as we went through Hassocks, Wineham, Warninglid and Colgate. Legs were tiring now and John went off the back first; I hung on till Dorking and had to let the rest go, happy to do the last miles alone at my own pace, arriving back at six in still warm sunshine, feeling a little more prepared for the rigours of Mallorca.

FREEWHEELING

FREEWHEELING

After descending a steep strade bianca at a foolhardy speed and crashing on a tight bend, in last October’s L’Eroica in Tuscany, I have been going Downhill ever since:
Mileage down; Morale down; Motivation down. Bucking the trend: BMI up!
However, this Sunday was the West Sussex CTC annual Freewheeling Competition; 22 participants gathered at the top of Woodshill Farm hill; on the Broadford Bridge Road, near West Chiltington Golf Club; to be released down the hill at one minute intervals.
My turn came and after release, on the first very steep section – about 1:4 - I reached 27mph in about 3 seconds, which is comparable to a Porsche 911. There was quite a bit of water about; an earlier reconnaissance in the opposite direction, revealing the camouflage of some serious potholes. A straight line was therefore impossible to maintain, but no harm done, as passing Gobles Cottages at the bottom of the steep bit, a quick glance at the handlebar clock, revealed a speed of 35mph, slower than usual, being baulked by a strong north wind.
Gradually slowing, nearing the gate of Terra Ajema, (the owners letting us know that they had travelled?), I was down to about 2mph. There is a slight rise here, no more than a foot or two, but here was the key: Imperative to stay upright, however slow the roll, and once over, a very gradual descent of no more than 1:70 (about 1.4%) but sloping enough to travel a further 400 metres to the B2133 Adversane road and a few more metres along it. Today however, the strong and contrary wind ended the ride here; but enough to stretch the marking marshal, running along side to peg the finishing point.
I emerged triumphant, crushing the nearest rival by over 100 metres. Top of the (imaginary) podium! A great start to the new season!
For those with analytical, scientific and technical minds here is the essential data: Light DuraAce wheels, nothing attached, nothing flapping; Tyres at 140psi; Clean lightly oiled DuraAce hubs. Most important of all: a body Mass of 17 stones 8lbs, including Shoes, Helmet and Glasses.
Having mastered Freewheeling for the season, it’s time to learn to pedal!

Gran Canaria

We booked a last minute family holiday for the week leading up to Easter on Gran Canaria .My wife booked it and only afterwards did I have a look on the internet and very soon saw that the cycling looked extremely promising .How fortuitous.Thomas Cook wanted £40 to take my bike and there was no room for all the children and the bike box in the car ( that could have been a tricky decision) so after a few minutes I had booked a bike with http://www.free-motion.net/

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I had four rides during the week on my rather fine 2010 Cannondale synapse with carbon seat pin and cranks and 2010 Ultegra for the week for 110 euros. I can heartily recommend the island. All the tourists are packed into the SE corner which has essentially a desert climate.However,once you get a few miles inland the countryside was green lush -and hilly.Very hilly.

Most of the time I rode on my own but one day I rode with some guys on a club trip -ASKER CK from Norway.We think we had it bad this winter -they dont ride for 4 months each year due to the snow.They deal with this by coming to GC each year for 2 weeks . We had an uplanned stop here when a spoke broke throwing wheel out so that it would not turn in the frame . Fortunately one of their mates turned up who was stuffed and did not fancy the 12 kms climb we had ahead of us so he simply gave up a wheel and called a taxi. ( the Norwegian equivalent of the Parkinson camera trick I think)

This is the top of the first climb from Playa des Ingles ( best avoided at all costs) on the way up to La Fataga and San Bartolome after climbing about 1000m in about 10 miles.



The highest point on the island is Picos de los nieves at about 1900m high.I rode up here the "wrong side"from Aguimes - a town with some great colonial buildings and a cafe that served the most superb chocolate cheesecake I have ever had.Eaten the day before my ride when we had been touring round in a car.The climb up to the high point had been an interesting drive ,requiring us to change into first gear 3 times. I resolved then that I would have to cycle it the next day. It was the most sustained climb I have ever done- 2100 m of ascent in 18 kms .Completely shattering and on an island which if not as popular as Mallorca still has a lot of cyclists ,I did not see another rider and only a couple of cars. The climb just goes on an on and I must have tried to change to a smaller gear about 10 times when I was already in the smallest in my by then rather deranged state. I would add that the weather was superb for cycling every day about 18c at 8am going up to about 25c by noon. I took a gilet the first couple of rides but never needed it even on the descents

Generally the roads are excellent -there does not seem to be a word for pothole in Spanish and the drivers were perhaps the most cycle friendly I have ever come across -not over taking until they could pull over to the other side of the road-joy.They may not have Surrey's potholes but this did not need shout of "gravel".

All in all a great island to visit -not just for the cycling.

Nick A

HONC 2010

Myself and Ken Dolman headed to Winchcombe last Sunday to ride the 26th edition of the "Hell of the North - Cotswolds" event. Of all the events I have taken part in, over the years, I keep returning to this one having ridden it at least ten times in the last 20 years. It's a great day out being only a 2hrs drive from home.
With great intensions to ride around together, I get lost in the melle of 1000+ riders who set out from the school grounds. In the last couple of years they have added a 50km route to the established 100km event and from the amount of riders at the feed station, I would say there was a 50/50 split between what people rode.


With dry tracks the course was super fast and together with the fact there seemed to be more on road section than usual, meant I rode round in just under 5hrs.
Ken followed in some time later having ridden with a couple of his mates, although he took a tumble on Cleeve Hill, and had to limp back the last few miles to the finish.

A team hit Midhurst

On what was the first really warm day this year the SWRC riders got their shorts on and dug out their summer bikes to ride down to a very nice tearoom in Midhurst.

Not only that but Trevor shows off his new bling-bling cycle shoes while Andy shows off his newly acquired hat.

Road Racing and Time Trials - A Newbies Experience

After years of wanting a road bike i finally bought myself one before Christmas. Well to guarantee a good present you have to buy it yourself! As a competitive person i wanted to get into racing as soon as possible. I have previously been a good club standard athlete (running) and done quite a bit of mountain bike racing. Also, having ridden with others on the road i felt my fitness was good and i should be able to progress out of category 4 quite quickly. Two races in and i feel i was a little naive thinking this and perhaps i need to up the training! Here is my experience so far:

Race 1, Goodwood 28th March
I arrived early so i could figure out where to go, what to do and hopefully meet up with some other SWRC guys. I nearly failed at the first hurdle, my race licence was bought and paid for but had not arrived and i had no evidence i had one. After a little undignified pleading i was given a number and allowed to race. I got ready and completed my warm up lap with about a minute to spare! The race soon started and the pace was a lot quicker than i expected but i felt comfortable in the pack even when 2 guys tried to ride off the front and the speed got above 31mph. I had been advised to stay near the front out of trouble. This i did fine until 6 laps to go there was the usual sprint through the chicane, across the line and up to the first corner and i found myself at the back of the pack. I didn't think too much about it until i was 10 meters back, then 15 and i put in some effort to get back into the group but they got no closer. I kept working hard but the pack slowly drifted away from me. I was finally lapped with just under a mile to go. A disappointing first race but some lessons learnt.

Race 2, 11th April
So second race, sporting my new club kit and armed with my race licence i sped through registration, warmed up and had time to spare. I was ready! The race went pretty much the same way as the last but conditions were quite windy, especially across the far side of the course. The pace felt slightly higher this time but i stayed in the bunch and when i did find myself near the back i made an effort to get back into the middle of the bunch. All was going well until about 5.5 laps from the finish when the field started to get strung out due to a cross wind. I could see a definite group at the front forming and put in a big effort to join them. Unfortunately when i got there someone hit the tarmac hard taking several others with him. This was about 20 meters in front of me. I was able to safely negotiate around them but the lead group was away. A second group formed to chase them down but as i had just put in a big effort i couldn't keep up. There were now 2 big groups and lots of stragglers in singles and small groups. I continued to push hard but could not catch up so eventually sat up and waited for a group of 6 to catch me and we cycled the remaining laps together. With about 400m to go i took off from my mini group and won a moral victory to finish 53. To add insult to injury my nice new bib shorts have rubbed me raw! If anyone wants a pair size medium please let me know. Warn and washed once only!

Farnham 10 mile TT 13th April
So the road racing wasn't going as well as i hope so i thought i would try time trialling. If nothing else it would be good training. I turned up feeling a little inadequate with my sportif style bike. There were thousands of pounds worth of TT bikes everywhere you looked. Carbon on carbon with a little more carbon. Oh and skin suits and pointy helmets which despite their function really do look stupid! At the start line i found i wasn't the only one without all the fancy kit so was able to relax. We went off in 30 second intervals and my aim was to break 30 minutes. With this in mind i put the bike computer to average speed and headed off trying to keep above 20mph. The Farnham course is an out and back and i got to half way in what felt like no time at all and my average speed was just over 22mph. I was feeling good. I caught my 30 second man on an incline and gritted my teeth pushing on. Soon after the guy who started a minute and a half behind drifted by with ease. This made me work even harder and i crossed the line in 37th out of 54 in a far better than expected time of 26 minutes 52 seconds. I am very happy with this result and am now off to buy a skin suit and pointy helmet and will be targeting a sub 25 minute 10 mile by the end of the season :D

Universally challanged

Another couple of outings at the weekend making the first back to back racing which always leaves you with a "And why did I do that" moment but it has to be done sometime as I feel my training moves onto another level once you can do two hard rides in a row but just now I only have the feeling of Ouch! that hurt.
On the Saturday afternoon I rode the Ashfield RC 2Up '25' with Mark White of the Leicester Triathlon Club we have ridden this one before so were pleased to get alternative weather conditions of sun & light wind at the two lap Gryffydam course NW of Leicester is noted for its unique weather patterns making it (usually) one tough sod of a course. We did a lap to warm up and I had a bit of a sweat on as the last 4 miles of the circuit is mostly uphill and I'm still nearly half a stone over my race weight, Mark's first race proper, apart from two cross country marathons both of which he was leading until he went in the wrong direction, he said he should know better (Ex Marine - pride of the forces and all that) I tried to be sympathetic until he told me he had done the same the last two years so I told him not to make any executive decisions in the 2 Up and follow my back wheel. He has a lovely new deep section front wheel so I thought I'd better put in a disc (I had been going to ride training wheels) and give ourselves a chance of doing it justice.
Downhill for the first 4 miles we just kept it 'clean' as I said I wanted two even laps (within 20 seconds) and not to go too hard and leave something for the hill (so he can drag me up it!) first lap went by in 29 minutes and shortly after we caught Ex international track man and all rounder on comeback trail (like myself) only with less fitness Rob Muzio and Daryl Webster, half the National team pursuit squad from 25 years ago, anyway we gave them a couple of miles to settle in before passing them and then a couple of other teams at the same time making it look like a road race all spread over the road while trying to keep with my partner, blow me if the 80's throwbacks didn't come back past us on a long decent Muzio Sans aerobars going like a train. We has a bit of a 'battle' up to the start of the hill where I made a big effort to drop them and only succeeded in dropping Mark who had been using a big gear and not able to change his tempo. After a brief wait to compose ourselves we dropped the interlopers (Daryl needing to find his climbing legs also) and finished with 58:11 to give us 3rd place and a very even paced race. Charles Taylor and Chris Storer (S Pennind RC) winning it with 56:11 from Chris Ball (Sigma Sport) and Duncan Shea-Simons (Sigma/Leic Tri) 57:23
On the Sunday I rode out to the Melton Olympic CC Hilly '20.5' on the very undulating B6047 between Gt Dalby and the A47 (Tilton), not a flat bit of road along here the motorbikes love it as they tour the Midlands looking for thrills and give the 'bikies' some heart stopping moments on the one day we want to use this pretty road up to the highest point of the E Midlands (& this side of the Urals apparently)
I had ridden some stiffness out of my legs but I could still feel the effort from yesterday deep down and once I started racing my heart rate would not go near where it needed for this type of effort, dropping down to Twyford at 45mph and then the long drag up the other side I'd done last week in the Leicester RC Hilly but then the killer blow up to Tilton and I was under 10mph even though I'd caught my minute man and it was hard to get going down the other side to the A47 where the climb up to the Billesdon crossroad seemed to go on forever and I had to make a superhuman effort to get up to 18mph into the wind.
The return is a real rollercoaster of lumps and bumps which see you up and down the gears, I passed a horsebox at one point and a coach trying to negotiate a humpback bridge as I sped along through the narrow gap. I had been caught by my MM but he was descending using his brakes on the corners while I (Cancellara style) kept it 'aero' and dropped him over the final climb to Thorpe Sachville and finished 20 seconds in front
I'd gone back over a minute on last year but 53:36 no disgrace for 15th, the winner once again James Perkins (Zenith CC) 48:05 from Scott Walker (i-ride) 48:55 and 55 year old 'supervet' Geoff Platts (i-ride) 49:04
All that remained was for me to ride home with a large group of spectators and other riders returning to Leicester with a favourable wind and the sun on our back, last year the weather for this event was good and again excellent but only a field of 45 when the HQ was full with spectators, I just wish the organiser had a bigger field for all his & his club's effort. Rob Muzio pushed off, no mean feat on a course where you need to have your brakes on to stop rolling off (the wrong way!)

Saturday mtb ride

I was feeling desperate for a long ride and having not done anything above four hours I'm now super-panicky about the Italian race being so close. rally di romagna


We decided to ride to Pulborough Bird sanctuary a good four hours off road and a two hour return on the road. Roger decided to join us... hurrah! It was deliciously sunny and probably the best day of the year so far.....Jane wore shorts and got sunburnt!! That's on top of her Ibiza tan lol.

At the halfway point in Southwater we bumped into one of the club rides, sorry we didn't have time to chat - I was stressing :)

C Group – Horsham 10th April

Sunshine, warmth, and calm air made ideal conditions for the latest SWRC club ride on Saturday – possibly the best Saturday weather for this year to date. Around 17 riders gathered at Cobham for the C group ride and the destination was Horsham. The cyclists included : Paul & Linda, Bob & Maggie, Tony, Toby, Kirsty, David, Mariana, John McGhee. John Major, Laurie, Peter, Aubrey and guests Stephen and Doug.

Heading south via Effigham and over the Downs, the C group reassembled at the foot of Whitedown. It was here that a separate group formed that fancied some more hills and so a C+ groupette headed for Horsham via Leith Hill led by Peter Dewis on his sparkling new titanium Van Nicholas. The remainder continued on a less challenging but scenic route via Walliswood.

We all met up again at the cafe in Horsham Park and returned as one big group via the Dorking Gap – some taking in Box Hill others returning via Leatherhead. Back to Kingston, 67 miles on the clock and I still had some energy left to do a bit of gardening.

Refreshments at Horsham Park

Collecting the bikes for the return ride.

Regrouping stop at Rusper Village

Tom kicks off at Goodwood & Flanders

Tom began his road racing season with a ride in the Surrey League 4th Cat event at Goodwood a couple of weeks ago. Having held his position at the head of the field right until the final chicane his sprint wasn't sufficient for him to hold off the older riders. All good experience for this Sunday when he returns to the circuit.

Since then he's been in Belgium taking on the 156km Tour of Flanders and all the cobbles he could possibly dream of in typical Flemish weather.

Hope to see some clubmates at the weekend.

Easter - curate's egg

I'd taken a week out to do a few more hard rides after my first excursion into racing this year, also to do a bit more rest as the clocks had gone forward and it always takes a week to recover from the 'time shift' as we embrace our inner Time Lord and get ready for spring/summer.
Two contrasting events, firstly on the Good Friday the City RC (Hull) '10' on the uber fast V718 (A63) between Goole and Kingston upon Hull along the Humber estuary, this was the beginning of my OldSkool adventure last year and again it had a section devoted to the non-aero time trialing but this year I decided that this event would benefit from the modern approach so armed with my best bike and new Rudy Project 'Wingspan' helmet I set off on the 1 1/2 Hr. journey up country. To be fair the weather was not cruel but it was biting cold with an Easterly wind getting in on the Easter theme, I went for a 20 minute warm up on the damp roads and then stopped to fiddle with my bike only looking at the clock when my 10 minute man rode past on his way to the start. I thought I'd better get my skates on and belted up the road and to my gradual anxiety I'd forgotten how far it was to the start and I was doing 25mph into the wind trying to get there as the minutes ticked by.
There was an ambulance and several police cars on the course, I thought the event might have to be cancelled, it transpired that a rider had snapped his stem going down one of the large potholes on the course and fallen heavily leaving a patch of blood on the road (so I was told) and as I rode the event there were indeed quite a few large and deep pot 'craters' on the racing line some as big as a small car making the choice of out into the traffic or inside through the dirt, I went down one and my bars moved but it paid to keep your head up on the fast return
I made it to the start with several minutes to spare (Phew!) and after removing several layers of clothes and sweat I was away, now the outbound road slightly more uphill but I did not panic at the start but keeping my revs up as high as I could in a medium gear catching only the one rider (a late starting lady) I was at the 5 mile point in 11 minutes although I didn't know that at the time I just took it easy on the greasy roads around two roundabouts and then back with a tail wind my speed shot up to 30mph+ and did not drop much below until the final half mile when I mistook a parked car for the finish and only started riding again when I saw the chequered flag ahead
I stopped the watch at 20:40 a mere 5 seconds off a PB, I thought my watch must have started late in the rush to the line or at least be wrong, a handful of seconds away from my best ever effort on the 2nd day of April on a cold windy day with potholes and a badly timed finish but when I got the the result there it was 5th fastest Vet (12th in the day) only a minute behind winner Barry Charlton (Lyme RC) 19:41 not a bad result and a very good Friday
Mens Event
Womens Event
Contrast this with Mondays effort in the Leicester RC Hilly '29' around the lanes (tracks) of NE Leicester, I rode out once the early morning rain had abated to the start in Queniborough, a chill wind deterred me from removing my most fleecy legwarmers (with rub already applied!) I suffered a race of misery and pain as I toiled to heave my frame over every hillock and slope (not solicitors) I had put a 23 bottom sprocket and used it on several occasions as my speed on some sections dropped below 10mph into the wind to Beeby & passed Russian farm (Siberian winter) and on Borough hill. I was caught for 5 minutes by the winner James Perkins (Zenith CC) at half way as he powered over the top of a rise in the big ring as mine slipped onto the inner, he only just beat former Hill climb champion Matt Clinton (Mike Vaughan)who had gone off course at one point. Eventual 3rd Scott Walker (i-ride) had caught me for a minute at 6 miles and best Veteran Rob Weare (Leamington C&AC) who had beaten me by a mere 30 seconds on the Friday put nearly 8 minutes into me to be 4th. I staggered home into the wind after letting some air out of my tyres and ruminated that it would take more than a new helmet make me a climber.


From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The expression "a curate's egg" originally meant something that is partly good and partly bad, but as a result is entirely spoiled. Modern usage has tended to change this to mean something having a mix of good and bad qualities.

Barnsgate / Tour of Flanders

Only four A group riders turn up for today's ride to Barnsgate Manor in the middle of the Ashdown Forest. Trevor had planned the route, which took us down some very quiet roads I had never been along before.

Trevor climbing up to Ashurst Wood with the Ashdown forest in the back ground.

Trevor took us along a lane that turned into a track somewhere near Outwood (or were we in Belgium?)