World Time Trial Championship

Wiggins 2nd. These days that's a disappointment. How times have changed.

Under The Hour - 25 miles

I have cherished the idea of getting "Under the Hour" for a 25 mile Time Trial since doing 1 hour 1 minute and 1 second at age 16. Surely, I argued to myself 52 years later, with modern bikes and equipment, this is do-able. However, achievement has not come easily, partly because I seem to have a strong tendency to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory by going "off-course" (this has happened to me on two previous attempts this year alone).

However, on Sunday morning 22nd September, on the Maresfield course G 25 / 89 it finally happened and I did 59 minutes and 28 seconds. I had taken the precaution of writing the mileages for the turns on yellow stickers sellotaped to my aero bars, and tracked these mileages as I rode. I had considered driving the course in advance, but this would have meant an even earlier start on Sunday morning, while warming up on the course after the first man is off, is not allowed. Anyway, all went according to plan, except that the gel I had tucked into my shorts at the thigh for use at the turn was lost - I heard it fall to the ground making a pathetic plop sound at around 10 miles.

The icing on the cake was that as the results came up on a large screen at Event Headquarters (Fairwarp  Village Hall), I saw my name on the list of prize-winners, being 6th overall "On Plus" or handicap basis. This measure is all part of the black art of Time\Trialling, whereby you deduct your actual time (in my case 59.28) from your age handicap time (in my case 1.13.10) to calculate how much better you were than your predicted handicap time for your age (in my case 13.42). I also had the benefit of experiencing being ovetaken at awesome speed by Peter Tadros, age 43, who won the event (under 52 minutes, I think) so all in all, a good day. P.S. there is hope for us all, as the winner on a handicap basis was Ray Dare AGE 87 who did 1.08.21       

Tour of Britain, stage 7

Mark Packman, Mark Williams and myself headed out to watch a bit of the TOB stage today around the local roads of Surrey. First we were at Crocknorth lane and the first KOM climb. Mark Cavendish and Sir Bradley Wiggins leads the bunch.

Then on Newlands climb, Wiggo and the peloton slightly behind but rejoin soon afterwards.

Cav wins the stage sprint up Guildfords cobbled high street.

uppers & downers group cheer on cav & wiggo at k.o.m crocknorth road ranmore

Stone Wheelers '25' - Life's a Drag

Another week another trip to the A50, this time starting at the Blythe Bridge end and literally dropping down past Uttoxeter and then back. This is always a race of two half's, one super fast and one super tough, tough physically as you have to fight the course and usually the conditions and mentally as you see your dream ride ebb away. Its always the way so a lack of wind was a welcome sign that I might be spared the superlative and only be reduced merely tough.

It's a drag - 52:02  (Photo - Chris Lees)

I've been paying a bit more attention to my position after looking at my 'double' photo posted a few weeks back, allot has been made about wind tunnel testing and how much (or not!) the top riders pay attention to what benefit it has on performance. Matt Bottrill claims not to have achieved any more power output for his recent improved times but being sponsored by a wind tunnel lab (drag2zero) seems to be having its benefits.
I decided to make a start by dropping my bars an inch as I'd put it up for my last 12Hr and got used to a less aggressive position and then did 20 minutes on the rollers as even with a fast start its a cold day and a bit of warmth in the muscles always nice
My first split 9:48 as I try and resist the temptation to start too fast but 8:51 (33.8 Av.) is more realistic and I know how Hutch feels as he scorches along on the flat all the time 10:06 including a tricky double roundabout at the turn that I had driven on my way through just to check my line and the road surface, I was glad to see Sir Brad concur for his TOB time trial at Knowlsley

Spot the difference 2009

32 Av. mph to the turn is not quite competition record speed but you would think its a good position to be and 10:39 for the next five miles still put me fifteen seconds inside a 50 minute ride. But that last five miles are the hardest I will ever race, I have taken 14 minutes to polish them off, on this occasion its 12:19 still well over 24mph but it does not matter how you cut your cloth all I can salvage is 52:02 minutes my third fastest of all time and a course PB and I should be pleased but this course always leaves you unsatisfied with all that promise its never going to feel comfortable. Good enough for 10th overall, a couple from Manchester Wheeler's Simon Bridge and Scott Burns take first and second and that man Charles Taylor the only other rider inside fifty minutes.

Result Here

Photo Here (Chris Lees)

MERCIA '30' - CLUB RECORD - Rich Pickings

A week after the '100' and I'm up to my elbows in Jam and Chutney, fresh produce all comes along at once and I do like a bit of a faire bouillir so with my windfall apples and beans from the allotment and brambles from the hedgerows we see what we can cook up. The Mercian CC '30' is over the same roads on the A50, it's the curates egg of events the 'Thirty', neither fish nor fowl.

On a standard road bike (Pic Harry Wilson)

The record stands at 1:04:42 I think it would be arrogant to say I could beat a club record at the asking but with my current form this one is ripe for the taking. I set the record over thirty years ago with a time that was the fastest in the country that year, brother Phil (yes your club secretary used to race) and I were first and second on that day (Hertfordshire Whs) and first and second on H'cap (reversed) just to prove what a ride it was for us, even in those days time triallists had their own 'special bikes' with drilled bits & bobs (lightness) and the best of them used terrific big gears, we on the other hand had standard road bikes with 32 spoke wheels and used our track speed to win the day over some impressive local talent.

E72 - I even had time to go and give Phil a cheer

I was off at unfavoured number 5 so I'd caught everybody in front of me in the first ten miles, I remember it had been raining and all the marshal's were sitting in their cars and stared out the window at me as I came past mouths agape. it was a good job I knew the course! At least Harry Wilson (above) the photographer was ready to mark my passing for posterity. Phil was late on and we had time to go back up the course and give him a shout

Post race - Winner and Runner Up

So no push over to do it on the day I have beaten all my other times from when I was arguably fitter but without the modern advantages in Aero equipment, now was the time.

1982 Parkinson dominate the result

As I finished my 20 minute warm up on the rollers the heavens opened and we had a hail storm, I felt sorry for those already out on the course but as soon as it arrived it was gone and apart from a couple of wet roundabouts I had a dry ride and the other end of the course saw none of it. I tried not to start too fast but 10:29 a good 5m split, this course has a tough start with two ramps to get up onto the main road. With again strong winds but unlike last week cutting across the road and not as troublesome as I punched my way through them 11:16 included a little dog leg over some lumpy bumpy roads to make up the extra distance but we got a feel for the return which came on super quick and i needed to get to the McDonald's roundabout at then turn (sad but true we register our way points with fast food than any more significant monument to the byways) 10:59 or 32:41 at half way I was down on the record, I set the record previously on the old E72 course on the A12 in Essex, the fastest courses in the country at the time (too busy now) with the A1 (The 'Great North Road' all up the country from Baldock to N Yorkshire), yes Brampton Hut was on the way North but It wasn't named after a Pizza or roadside cafe (but there probably is one now!) These roads had taken over from the Bath Road in the South during the early days of time trialling, when landmarks like Sunrise Pub and Speen Hill marked a riders progress and were spoken by riders up and down the country as hallowed places Can there ever have been as aptly named a place as Pains Hill on the A3 mores the pity that its not used for racing any more though you can still ride up it. 10:49 was a bit of a haltering return but then 9:29 and I go through 25 miles in 53:02 as I get into my stride and the big gears moving and coming to the finish 10:21 the wind has condensed my effort and I have run out of steam. Its a well beaten record by over a minute 1:03:23 and 9th overall. Barry Charlton (Lyme RC) a non finisher last week on his trike with a bad back runs out winner this week 1:01:35


Result here

Burton & District Cycling Ass '100' - Heat is on

I've had an exciting few weeks as most riders are bringing their season to a close with late season races that feel a bit 'After the Lord Mayor's show' but I still have the World Masters in early October so I need to be ramping up my intensity to get the best out of my fitness. While my overall training is well down on previous years I still seem to have the condition to do some amazing rides, better than when I was doing the BAR when I might have been overtired, I leaned from last year If I do less training then It has to be top quality and then more rest. I rest every other day so my training/racing is only three or four days a week and my monthly total has not topped 900 miles all season (compared to 1500m in other years)

BDCA - Not the easiest (Pic by Flybike)

So how would I fair over one hundred miles? I'd done a couple of long rides in the two weeks previous but my ride would depend on careful pacing, I need a '100' time to improve on my VTTA BAR (7th 2012) last year I blew it on a windy Northern day I made a good start and went to pieces. This time on local roads the BDCA '100' on the A50, it was cancelled last year due to a RTA (motorbike not a bike!) and there were many disappointed riders who lost out and I did not get a chance to correct my Yorkshire error. This year only one chance, all or nothing, I suppose last year I thought I had a second bite at the cherry but this year I don't have that luxury.

61 year old  Ken Platts (Cambridge CC) on his Lotus (7th)

It was a windy day again and I had to make a slow start not to repeat my error when my eagerness let me down. I make the first quarter (most of it into the wind) 59 minutes, there is a good crowd out and Fiona is out to assist and enjoys a bit of roadside banter with the other helpers on the dog leg to Doveridge which thankfully is fairly neutral in the cross wind. There's plenty of interest as its the final British Best All Rounder counting '100' and a ride off between defending Champion Adam Topham (High Wycombe) and 2011 Nik Bowdler (PedalRevoloution) I take another bottle and its pretty much all I need to the finish. I have to temper my cool start with a bit of speed on the return and get to half distance in 1:53:56 so I have a second lap and a second time up to Blythe Bridge where the wind is stealing my time as it blows directly down the highway leaving no place to hide.

Joel Wainman (SWIFT) 3rd

It takes me 1:05 to do the next 25 miles as I grind out my ride but as I get to the final turn inside 3 hours I know I will pick up on the way back and beat 4 hours which at the start of the day was my target. I can feel my legs go a bit wobbly with the lack of endurance training and Andy Jackson (Swift) who has only caught me three of the five minutes he started behind me to this point reels in the reminder in the last 15 miles to catch me on the line. 3:54:11 a few years ago that would have been a disappointment but with lack of training miles and tough conditions its a great result. Local rider Charles Taylor (South

Andy Jackson (SWIFT)

Pennine) shows the National stars what can be done with local knowledge and on a set of favoured Shamals wins the even with an amazing 3:35:39 Bowdler 2nd 3:36:06 and Topham 3:40:20 for 4th but he still leads the BBAR and it will all come down to the final event of the season the Manchester Whs. '50' on these very roads (starting Blythe Br. end) on the 28th Sept I will be riding that one as well, final preparation for the Masters



Result here

Pics here (By Flybike)

Sardinia Sunshine

The family holiday so no room in the car to take my own bike, I hired a bike from Sardinia Cylcling.http://www.sardiniacycling.com/en/

The business is run out of the capital Cagliari by Giancarlo and his wife Simona. They were very helpful and friendly. Giancarlo and I  tried to arrange a ride together but Sardinia is a big island, about 250 miles from top to bottom and with him staying at his father's house , with the attraction of it being  near the biggest mountains  on the island , as it was about 2.5 hours drive from our hotel I sadly did not manage to do that. They rent out bikes but specialise in arranging cycling trips and holidays on the island. I am sure that they would be very good to ride with.

I had 4 rides over the 10 days we were there and all the roads were quiet and invariably in superb condition - the classic ribbons of grey silk stretched out across the countryside.There are plenty of hills. The highest road on the island goes to about 1600m above sea level and the highest I got to was just under 600m.The weather was good, between 25-30c and sunny every day. There are cyclists around but they were sufficiently few of them for a meeting to warrant a committed shout of "Ciao" and a 

wave whenever this occurred.

Here looking East towards mountains which reach 1200m  at about 8am.

We were staying in the South West corner and much of my cycling was in what was a mining area until about 20 years ago. The main mining town was Montevecchio which is now akin to a living museum.There are some fine buildings which are at least 100 years old when the town was at its peak ,like the one behind me but there are also some blocks of apartments which look as though they date from between the wars  .Although the town is at about 500m above sea level and a little remote these blocks are still inhabited. This photo was taken by some Brits who were on a week's mountain biking holiday with Skedaddle.

This was at the top of the Genna Bogai pass looking down to the pretty town of Fluminimaggiore.You can see the descent and the sea in the background.

Derelict blocks of apartments at Montevecchio viewed from the super road from Arbus which contours round the mountain.

When I looked on Strava I saw the king of the mountains on a fair number of the climbs I rode was Mike Simpson who is a friend from Cent Cols and who Alan  and I rode with in Belgium this year who had visited Sardinia  a couple of years ago.

My route from the first day is shown on the Strava link below. The road back up the coast went up and down non-stop and this view is near the town of Buggeru ( -pronounced Boo-gair-oo) . 

Instead of Arthur and the sword in the stone , in years gone by to decide who won the hand in marriage of the King of Sardinia ,there was a competition to see if  anyone could pull the drill from the rock. 

Sardinia is unusual to have road signs which describe how well you are going.

A visit to Sardinia is highly recommended.

Nick

Pedal for Scotland 2013

It is always good to be invited to join an event on unfamiliar turf, so when my younger son announced that he was going to be riding the 'Pedal for Scotland' Glasgow to Edinburgh 110 miler with a bunch of his military pals, and would I like to come along, I jumped at the chance. Any excuse to visit Glasgow, and when Helen and I arrived, the city was bustling, with all the pubs rammed at 02:30 in the pm. My choice of hotel, 'Premier Inn, the Gorbals' raised a wifely eyebrow, but I explained that it was by far the nearest to the start, and that the Four Seasons was fully booked. The event kicked off early, with an 06:30 muster on Glasgow green, where I got to meet my co-riders, resplendent in their newly printed 'Royal Marines' cycling tops. These are undoubtedly fit lads, who can shin up a rope and kill with just their thumbs, but they looked on the bulky side for cyclists. Shortly after the start a one man break shot away, and after a brief discussion about the etiquette of overtaking the Colonel, Toby and I went after him. We formed a three man group, and after a couple of miles were into open country. The route loops south out into Lanarkshire on mostly pristine tarmac with some really spectacular country on all sides. Same distance as the Etape de Dales, but without such vicious climbs. It reminded me of riding in the Ardennes with some of the Alphas in 2011. The ride was really well signed and marshalled, with feed stations every thirty miles or so. The promised rain did not materialise, and after seven odd hours of very enjoyable cycling we rolled into Murrayfield to a heroes welcome from our respective WAGS. A highly recommended event, well worth adding to the calendar for 2014.

SWRC A's to Bodiam Castle

I had,'t been on a club run for ages. Work last week, heavy rain on the bank holiday. Weeks go by and I haven't been out. The weather had said showers but I decide to head out, this time, as it's first of the month, is Betchworth. I drive out as I have to pick something up on the way there and then it starts raining. At Betchworth I ponder on whether to take my heavy jacket but the sun has come out and I just slip a light watherproof in my back pocket. The A's is the smallest group there and there is only Trevor, Barry and Andy.

Barry, Trevor & Andy

We headed off along some main roads as it's quite a distance through Surrey Sussex and Kent to our destination of Bodiam castle. Trevor thought it was about 100 miles round trip, but I couldn't tell as for once I had forgotten my Garmin. That's the trouble with coming out in the car. With only 4 in the group we all had to do our bit pulling the group along. It was just like riding a 4-up team time trial as we were all in club kit and riding on the drops, well some of the time, anyway. Andy was first up the climb at Turners Hill, by a long way. It's no surprise he's a National champion, but Andy had to turn for home shortly afterwards and the group was now down to 3. Up through Buxted high street, up and over Hadlow Down, then after Broad Oak it was into the lanes and some really steep lanes to climb and descend. Past Robertsbridge and I was glad to see the first signpost pointing to Bodiam and after a final descend we were there. I had not been here before so it did seem like a long way but Trevor and Barry had been there before back in June with the A's just before our trip to the Pyrenees and I was down riding an audax event in Cornwall.

Lunch at Bodiam castle

After a great sit down, where it was warm enough to be outside, eat and a chat, it was soon time to head back. Back up that hill we had earlier descended and back along a slightly different route to that we had taken on the way out. Up past Ticehurst and Wadhurst and I was struggling to keep with the other 2 and it wasn't long before I asked them to let me go to ride back at my own pace.

In Frant I missed a turning, which is where my Garmin would have helped me, and ended up in Tunbridge Wells. Still I had worked here many years ago and so I did know the correct road to take for Lingfield. By the time I reached the home of the race course I was ready for another stop, which when you're out by yourself, is very easy to do.

Red Rum cafe

I picked up Trevor's planned route again at Smallfield and soon back on familiar roads and back at Betchworth and the end of a great day out on the bike.

My Favorite shoes.

I've had these Specialized shoes for a couple of years now. They've been great and used them all the time, summer, winter, club runs, commuting, all the time.
Inevitably they get worn out. Heals wear down and cleats get replaced, but the end came when these cable tension dial buttons stopped tightening up. I loved these shoes and they were really comfortable. What to do? Looking on the web, these 2012 model was out of stock, in my size anyway, anywhere in the UK.
The 2013 model was slightly different but not in stock anywhere either, and a mere £260!

My Favorite shoes

After a couple of weeks using some other shoes, the solution is found. Searching the web I found some replacement dials at £6 and so I order one. What joy to find the thing can be replaced and my old faithful shoes can get a new lease of life, for time being anyway.

My £6 Boa Dial