New 10 PB

Today I rode the H10/181 course and wet roads with very strong wind.  As I rode to the start I had my Hed tri spoke in and the cross wind made it a bit unsteady but then after a mile it was fine.  After a long wait for the start I was held upright and had a plan, I would not sprint too hard on the down hill start but just roll up to speed.  This plan did seem to work as when I got onto a flatter part I was more ready to start pushing hard.  I got out to the roundabout thinking with the wind helping on the way out it would slow me down on the way back, but no.  The wind was more of a cross wind, a strong cross wind, but it did not feel like it slowed me down too much.  I had too keep looking ahead because the tri spoke was playing up as the wind hit it, But I managed to get to the finish in a 22:10 2 second off my PB on the same course but on a much nicer day.

My dad also rode to do a 23:17 (a new PB for him) Suzy Patience, Dave Mobbs and Moria Goodway All rode from Banbury star to do some quick times.  And lastly Jon Simpkins did a 20:10 to get joint 1st but he did get a puncture right before the end that slowed him down!

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Abbeygate Developments/Corley Cycles MK Bowl Races 2

I found out after last week I got a point as the points now go down to 15th place at the bowl.  After a easy recovery ride in the morning and then it raining all day I was expecting it to be wet and grim again but once I got to Milton Keynes it was nice a bit cold and windy but nice.  After a good warm up we were on the start line ready to go and and soon as it started there was an attack and I got on the back of it but it did not last long as the bunch brought it back very soon.  With the first two laps being attack after attack the average speed was up to 28 mph.  As we caught the 3/4 race we went past ok but then soon after 2 3/4s on a breakaway came past and then did the rest of there bunch and got in the way.  One rider came up on the left hand side and said excuse me and as I moved over he said thanks.  This was letting the breakaway get further up the road and this went on for two laps and then people started to push though and I manged to get past with a few other but I think some people were still behind the chippers at this point.  The gates opened up and we started going round the extra bit of the course and loads of riders where getting kicked out the back door.  My plan was to stick with the main bunch as the flew round the bends and after a few laps like this the group got smaller and I was enjoying going round those bend as fast as I could.  As we went past the line the bell was ringing for one lap to go and five riders from our group started to pull away and as the person on the front pulled off the rider on his week who was in front of me kicked hard and got a gap and I could not go.  Then I dropped the only guy left with me as I sprinted for the line.  I think I may have been top 15 but don't know so I will be waiting for the results to be posted on the interwebs.

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Abbeygate Developments/Corley Cycles MK Bowl Races 1

Last night was the first Milton Keynes bowl summer series race and it was damp when I got there and started raining about 5 mins before the start, so we just raced on the inside. As soon as we started there was an attack From Nick Baker (from zappis) and I found myself chasing and once I got up to him and another rider we worked together for a few laps but then Nick disappeared so we worked together a bit but we got caught by the bunch. The race involved a lot of attacking and after a short while we had lapped the 3/4 race the bunch split and I was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and as we fought to get back to the front more and more people dropped until it was three of us (me, Justin and some guy in red) left for the last few laps and on the last lap the front bunch lapped us as we where going up the hill for the line. Nick Baker got 2nd, I got 15th and Justin got 17th and was happy not to be last!



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Results here

Banbury star 13

Today was another Banbury star club 13 mile time trial, and it had been raining thoughtout the day and I thought about using my Ribble with its mudguards but the fact I've worn out the rear mech and its sitting on the kitchen table meant I could not use that bike! So I signed on and used my TT bike and after a good warm up I was soon off and quickly got into TT pace and not long after that the rain started. I could see my minute man Dave Anson who I caught and then soon caught another but my visor kept misting up in the rain, but it stopped after a while. After a lot of suffering on the slower part of the course I got to the last road and that is the fast part and I had to push hard to get the pace up but after a few miles of this down hill part I was happy that the average speed was on the increase and just had to get down the last hill safely and sprint up the last climb and get to the finish. After sprinting up the hill I kept the pace going as I drove for the line to do a time of 29:26. 8 seconds slower than last week but in bad weather.

Thanks for reading
Results are here

Wyre Forest CRC 28 mile SPOCO

Yesterday was the Wyre Forest 28 mile time trial and after a bit of a panic to adjust my cleats on my shoes I was ready and before I knew it I was lining up to start. The start had moved back a bit to the top of the hill and the finish had move back to half way up the hill just to make it a bit harder! As I started I had to turn left onto a long road that should have been quick but the wind made it very slow and I thought maybe I had a puncture slowing me down but once I could see my minute man and caught him soon after. At the end of the road I had to slow right down for a car coming but once I got round the bend the road felt a lot faster and I felt like I was fly getting into the 53 11 on a few down hill and passing two more riders and got to the next junction to turn left and go along the road that should have been slow but after catching another person I felt good and I got to the climb and could see someone up the road and after dropping it into the small chainring I kept it going well and could see it was my dad who I was catching (who was also 3 mins ahead) so I kept going hard and as I got closer to him he was about to catch someone a just as I came past him going over the line. I had one more lap to do and was in front as I had caught every off in front of me so I had to just keep going with the same pacing plan as before and as I got to the last few hills I had to dig deep and keep it going then going towards the finish I kept pushing as hard as I could and hit the hill and just sprinted as hard as I could for the line and crossed it in 01:10:12 and I think that was for 7th place but not sure. A good day on the bike but hard!


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Banbury star 13

Tonight was the Banbury star CC first solo club time trial, and not much more than an hour before sign on it was raining but it soon dried up and was not too bad, a bit damp in places but ok. After a good warm up I was a bit unsure how the legs felt after the 110 miles ride in the rain on Monday but as I got my aero lid on and lined up to start I knew I wanted to do a good time and after the count down I was off. I soon got into rhythm and before I know it I could see my minute man Paul Welsby who took a long time to catch. And after thinking a lot about Paramore and the lead singer I soon got round the course in a time of 29:18 a new PB by 4 seconds and it didn't even feel like it was a quick night so I'm happy with my time and second place to Luke Souter once again.



Thanks for reading
Results here

Warwickshire RC 28 mile TT

Sunday was another hilly time trial and I had been enjoying them and feeling like I was doing quite well at them. Having done this one 2 time already I was looking forward to it because I like the course and is always very well organized. I started the time trial feeling ok and hoping to do a good time and I felt most the way round like I was not pushing 100%, I was going quick but not fast enough and I caught a few people and felt like I was climbing well because I big ringed it all the way round but on the flat I could not get going like I felt I could in the last 2 club time trials I did. In the end I road to a time of 01:09:02 30 seconds off last years time but I felt I could have gone quicker. I think very early mornings like this don't suit me but I tried my hardest and in the end just had a bad day on the bike.



Also I have now been put in the right category for the Midlands SPOCO and Looking to get in another 4 event to go for the series.

Thanks for reading
Results here

Banbury star 2up time trial

Tonight on a nice cold, windy and damp evening it was the 2up time trial, and I took pitty on my dad and did it with him. As for starting off I think we cocked that up a bit with him sprinting off as I was trying to get clipped in, but after getting my foot in I sprinted upto his back wheel, had a short rest and told him to move over! Going up the first road, the road went to the left and with a driving cross wind from the right I got pushed over quite quick and nearly hit the curb but I soon moved out and started to push the pace. After droping the old man a few times and leting him get on my wheel we started to get better and he did not get drop too much. As we got to the last road heading towards the finish I kept going as hard as I could but wondered if I was not going fast enough because I was not droping my partner. was we got closer and closer to the finish we went round a bend in the road and the cross wind turned into a head wind and it was abit like riding up a hill alot of speed was lost but I kept pushing as I could see people ahead. On the last descent I started catching up a car that was following two people in the time trial and I decided to overtake it as I was still carrying alot of speed from the descent I got round that fine and kept pushing as the finish was not too far away and the old man kept up and as we drove for the line we did a time or 30:32 to win!

Results here