Banbury star 10 mile TT

 Tonight I felt good it took me a long time in the day to get going so I didn't go out cycling in the morning but I felt good as I hopped on the bike and road out to the start.  After signing on I warmed up a bit put on aero helmet on just in time for it to start to rain.  And did it rain hard, like there was extra force behind it.  As I started the TT it was still raining but I think it may have eased slightly - I think this was just wishful thinking.  It was just like any other time trial I have done before start off, don't go too hard just yet then once the legs are going push harder and harder on the pedal.  I was at full speed and as I went over the first hill, well a bridge, I was starting to catch my minute man.  As I got closer he was catching his minute man.  After passing both of them I kept powering away and over the last hill on the way out I just had to go round a roundabout and then turn around at the next.  I was taking it easy on the bends as I didn't want to fall off.  As I got up to the third roundabout I check there was no cars behind me only one down the road, so I moved out to the middle of my side off the road.  But as I got closer to the roundabout a car tried to overtake and just got level with me.  So indicated I was going right and felt it was my right of way because I was not the idiot trying to overtake upto a roundabout.

As I went into the bend the conti competition tub on the front wheel gripped well but the vittoria on the back slid away and the bike just went and nothing I could do.  I slid along the road as did my bike just a bit quicker than me.  and then I ran out of momentum and rolled over once or twice.  I felt my pointy helmet hit the ground and give my neck a good whack as I rolled.  I ended up laying face down if the road I think and looked up to thankfully see the car stopped and not killed me to death.  Although I thought that was her original plan!  I laid in the road not rushing to get up because if something was broken or close to broken it would have made it worst.  As I dragged myself up as she asked if I was alright, with her door open and standing behind it in fear I may have beat her to death with my own bidon.  I was however not sure how to answer that.

"NO, you fucking idiot!  You tried to overtake in a dangerous area!!" Is what I think would have been a simple response that got to the point.  However when a thing like this happens all your wit can get pushed out your head as your in a bit of shock .

My real response was "Yes... I think" as I got out of the road she soon fucked off and John Shaw kindly gave me a tissue to mop up some small amount of blood.  I got my chain back on and got going again.  my head was not quite in the right place and did not push it.

All the work to catch the two people in front of me and the average speed the right side of a PB, I was disappointed.  Once I could get my are on the arm pad without any paid I started pushing again and overtook the first guy I caught and then pushing hard I caught the 2nd at the top of the last hill as it went down hill towards the finish.  I gave up a bit before the line and free wheeled over.  I took my helmet off and rolled back to the layby to tell everyone the tale of my "adventure".  Ignoring everyone and getting to my parents car I though my favorite aero helmet in the back of the car and proceeded to use profanity to explain what had happened.

The list of injures seems to be growing apart from the road rash I have a bruise on my left leg that I found driving this morning as I rested my hand on my leg.  Pulled muscles in my right shoulder and left side of my neck.  I am hoping to race at the bowl tonight as my leg is not stiff, not I hope it will be warm enough for no arm warmers as getting one of them of my left arm will hurt...

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Results are here

Corley Cycles MK Bowl Race 6 E/1/2/3

Feeling a bit tired I did MK bowl again and this week, but before starting I did a lap to warm up and the front mech was rubbing on the chain in every gear combo in the big ring so a quick panic to sort that out and I was off warming up again (not to self, fix that tomorrow).  Racing was great it was out though both car parks and the pace from the first lap was so high.  And with the amount of bends most of the race was spent in one long line and the pace at 30 minutes in was about 26.5 mph as we passed the 3/4 race and kept going.  As the pace was being pushed hard I went to pedal a bit soon and hit the ground with my pedal and the back wheel jumped in the air and I had some profanity go though my mind but I kept it upright and soon the pace eased a little and I got a chance to sip some water from my bidon.  As we got though the last 5 laps I was feeling not as good as I have been on the bike and as we came for the sprint I passed someone but not sure of placing.  All I know is it was fast and I took a bit of a kicking!

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Results are here

Banbury star 25

After a good warm up in the sun it was soon time to start, and I didn't want to sprint off too hard but found I was going very fast and by the time I had got to the 2nd roundabout to turn the avg speed was over 29 mph.  But it dropped as I made my way around and I got to the main down hill and did 49.6 mph down there, I wish I had gone a bit quicker now!  I made my way out to the over turn catching and passing people then turn round to suffer back to the finish I got to last hill and after passing Keri Williams I thought I would show off and big ring it up there in the saddle, I got to the top then had to get out of the saddle just to push over the top.  And the it was just a matter of getting to the finish and I did and passed the line in 58:37, A new PB and I am pleased with that!

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Results are here

Corley Cycles MK Bowl Race 5 E/1/2/3

Last night was another race at the bowl and now I only have to get 5 more points to keep my 2nd cat licence I was hoping to chip away at it last night but it wasn't to be.  As we started we had done half a lap and a bit of attacking was going on and I looked around and we had a small gap over the bunch and as someone went I was straight on to the wheel and we had made a good move a few of us working together and we caught up to Will Fox who is one of the Zappi pros and we lapped the 3rd/4th cats very quick with a gap of around 30 seconds.  But more riders kept coming across and the group was up to 12 (with 2 or 3 pros) and the pace went from steady working together to attacking, with someone getting dropped and on the 46th minute someone put in a big effort on the climb and there was a small gap between me and the break so I spent two laps trying to time trial on to the back of the group telling myself I could get a rest if I did but with my legs screaming at me and my torso hurting in every possible way I caught up with someone on a bend who didn't know I was there and I shouted I was on the right and he did move over but I could not get round the bends as quick and I saw the break had pull out a bigger gap on me and I knew it would be over so I sat up, maybe if I had kept time trialing I could have held off the next group but it was a big task and I just could not do it.  As I got into the next group Flavio was asking if I was in the break and who was in there as I was trying to rest but the pace was too fast and I gave up and did the last 5 laps at my own pace as a bit warm down on my own, I didn't just want to quit and not finish.  Now I'm looking at ways to get stronger on the bike maybe train harder or maybe get another tattoo as after I got my first I started to get some good form ...I'll have to try both.

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The big showdown!

Tonight it was the big showdown!  Between my new deep 88mm wheel and my old tri spoke.  I've ridden the 13 course many times and tonight I wanted to try out my new wheel to see how it compared.  I had a good warm up and was soon sprinting off the start line and had my minute man in my sight and worked my way up to him and passed him and was catching another as the road kicked up hill.  It felt like I was going quicker on the slower part of the course but once I got to the last road even with a tale wind I didn't feel super quick and the average speed did not go up as fast as I would like it to but once I got to the last descent it did get up to 26 mph but climbing as hard as I could up the last hill and keeping it going over the top it still dropped to just below so I had a time of 29:26.  Again, but not too bad and I'm hoping once the weather starts getting warmer a quicker time will be done ...I hope.  As for the front wheel I liked it and in a cross wind it was very stable but it was not as fast as my tri spoke, I need to do a bit more testing but the tri spoke is faster and looks better.  And at the end of the day looking good is what its all about!

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Results here

Cheltenham & County CC 23 mile time trial

Today started with the wrong side of 7am and with about 5 and a bit hours sleep.  It was another SPOCO hilly time trial around a 23 mile hilly course that looking at past results were with slower average speeds.  As me and the old man rode to the start we had to climb a 4th cat hill so I pushed it a bit up there then looked back to see him on the side of the road playing with his front mech.  I rode back down and his front mech had jammed or moved and he could not get it to work, there was nothing I could do and what was worst there was no phone signal so he rode back to the car carefully and I went to the start.  I arrived with only a few minutes to spare and was soon off and found it was fast going and the average speed was up to over 30 mph, there was some small lumps but I got to the end for the road average speed was still high and there was a very fast descent and I went down it to find there was a very hard hill, I big ringed it up the steep bit at the bottom but then had to go to the small ring because it dragged on for a long way but once over the top it was another very fast down hill.  The next road was a narrow one with lots of gravel and a right hand bend (I think Testers have trouble with right hand turns) But I got though ok and then turned left to go along the road to the finish to do my next lap.  Going up the last road was hard it felt like a bit of a head wind but it was a drag with a few kick up making it hard, and the hill at the end was very painful.  As I took a left hand turn I had passed the finish and about to go past the start and I was on the quick roads again and I had a plan to attack the the first hill of the lap.  Hitting the hill again I dropped it into the small ring just before the bottom and spun the pedals up the hill and I passed a rider was out of the saddle and I could see someone up the hill who was my next target.  As I got up to him I realized he was on his first lap and I passed him and got to the top and down the descent and along the little road and was ready to give every thing to get along the slow road to the finish line.  And as I got closer and closer to the finish I kept repeating Paramore Brick by boring brick in my head to help push out everything and on the last hill I caught the another rider (the sixth rider I passed) and I sat in the saddle, upright sprinting with lungs hurting and I crossed the line in 01:02:46 feeling happy that was a good time we waited for the old man to finish, who had to big ring it all the way round!  Good job he likes pushing a big gear.

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Results are here

Corley Cycles MK Bowl Race 3 E/1/2/3

So, I got all the Belgium toothpaste out of my eyes and ears from Mondays race and I even washed my bike after my morning ride because it was a bit dirty Just so I could get to the bowl and see it was wet.  I had a short warm up and soon found myself on the start line ready for another race and as we set off there was attacks flying off the front and a few people got away for a while I even went but only stayed out for a lap then sat in to recover with what was left of the main bunch that was a little on the small side.  As the race went on I got grit in my eye and spent about two laps rubbing my eye trying to get it out and then all of a sudden it was fine and I could see again!  As the race went on, we did not have much left and the count down for the last 5 laps was a welcome sight.  And the laps counted down the bell for the last lap rang and I kept on the wheel knowing the sprint was going to be fast and as we came round we hit the hill and the pace went up and I sprinted as hard as always, and kept driving but had to sit down before the line and as I did I looked down at my garmin to see 32 mph over the line!  I crossed the line 5th out of our bunch and with 8 riders up the road in a break I got 13th place and 3 more point.  Every little helps.

So far racing at the bowl I've got 15th the first week, 14th the second and last night 13th.  I'm not saying anything but maybe watch out in about fourteen weeks...

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Results are here

BSCC Athletes 13

I forgot to do this blog post last night so I'm doing it now while I watch an episode of my new favorite documentary, Ancient Aliens.  I turned up with my new and ONLY wheelset (it's a long story why I only have one wheelset for my road bike now, good one too).  So after getting the P taken out of me for using very aero wheels I warmed up and then was ready to start.  As I sprinted off I soon found it was a tale wind up the first road so I knew it was going to be a little on the slow side because the next two roads would be slow going (head wind) with the last road to the finish having a cross wind!  So I got going and caught Shaun Mullins and as I turn into the second road it was slower but not quite a head wind and the two climbs felt quicker being on a road bike but the flat was slower.  The next road was like someone had put my brakes on for me but trying to keep aero and keep pushing and I caught someone who was not in the race and could see some one ahead.  The last road to the finish was where its normally fun but with that cross wind it was slow going and I had to keep an eye on my front wheel because of its depth, it was mostly fine as long as I kept an eye on where the wind might gust from and I sprinted up the last hill and crossed the line in 32 minutes dead.  22 seconds slower than last year but last year it was warmer, dryer and the wind was a lot kinder, so it was not too bad and as far as I know that was the fastest time (out of everyone) that night!

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Millbrook Classic for Men

One of Bob Walkers many great photos, the rest can be seen here

Yesterday I rode the Millbrook classic for men, and just as I started to warm up I thought it maybe best to change my front wheel.  So as I rode back to the car I dropped my chain and it got stuck behind my chain catcher (that was not doing its job was it!) after doing that I went to continue warming up and I got half a mile up the road and punctured on my back wheel, so I had to run back to the car to change it (and change brake pads and move said brake pads).  After this I went to find out where the start was and we found out it was not the finish.  Once we lined up I was with my mate Dan Bill and then we were off I was not too high up but I managed to move up a bit as we went round the bowl and then we turn off and went round the alpine handling course with one main climb and two small hills after it.  I think the first time or second time up that climb someone near the front dropped his chain and I went around him then all I could hear was what sounded like a big pile up!  I was glad to be near the front and out of the way!  The race went on and I got soaked and must have been pulling some ugly faces because I could not see with my sunglasses on so I took them off and it was not quite as bad.  After quite a few laps I was just hanging in near the front of the main bunch and the last two times up the climb I tried to big ring it because the wheels I was using had my dads 27 tooth cassette on it so I found it was a bit better over the took just dropping it down a few gear on the back instead of changing on to the big ring.  As we went past the line the bell rang and I felt like I was in a good place I just had to get over the climb one last time which I did then over the two hills that were not as hard.  My plan was on the last bit round the bowl was to keep in the right place and the bunch moved around a lot but I stayed where I wanted ready and the bunch kicked quite hard two or three time with riders trying to stay in the right place and as we got near the line it all kicked off I stayed on the wheel and then manged to come round him and sprint as hard as I could!  I think I was 6th out of the bunch with three rider up the road so I think 9th place but not sure yet, but I felt good and used instinct and had good sensations throughout the race.

My garmin does not like riding it the rain so the elevation is a bit off it should have been 1,618ft.

Then later in the day I went out on the local chain gang to get 20 miles in the wet in my legs!  Only 3 turned up and I won the sprint again, so far I've won every chain gang sprint this year when I've turned up!  So yeah, I'm king of the chippers for now.

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Andy Morrison Memorial Road Race

Today I rode the Andy Morrison Memorial Road Race, near Cranfield on a 2 mile circuit that we had to do 18 time!  As we started I tried to get out in a breakaway and was riding near the front with Henry Latimer because I know hes a good rider to get in a break with.  After loads of attacking we had done one lap including the neutral section and had 18 laps to go.  Once I saw that I was not going to get in a break I tried to sit in the bunch and recover, there was the normal hard efforts you get in road races and at no point did it slow down and bunch up as riders were hammering it and the wind was strong, going up the climb there was a head wind then on the descent it was fast 35 to 45 mph most times then round the left hand bend and up the hill.  not much happened until the last lap were I started getting into a good place, when we went down the hill the pace was up and fast but I kept near the front out the way of crashing.  Then as we hit the hill for the last time I followed the right wheels and got to the top in maybe the top 10.  As we went round the last bend people kicked hard out of it but I was keeping in a good place but as we got closer to the line and people pulled off I was going to sprint, feeling I tried to move left but so did the person in front of me and and ended up smashing over a top hole on the side and I tried to sprint after that but hitting that pot hole it broke my rhythm and slowed me down and ended up rolling in maybe outside the top 20.  Not what I had hoped but I was in the right place when I needed and maybe able to go for it one day.

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