The last month of the time trialling season

We are at the end of another season, albeit short, but packed with rides, and time trialling events that were covid secure and ran like clockwork once every one sussed out how to do it. My hope is that next year can continue in the same way.  This report starts with the National 25 on two wheels, and end with the Vets National 25 on tricycle - a nicely book ended update which will be appreciated by those with a touch of OCD.

27.09.20 National 25 -  56.51  91st

Happy to get in with a seasons best of 54.00, I was there purely to make up the numbers as the rockstars like Dowsett and Archibald fought it out for the title. There were two of us from Lincoln Wheelers and we were supported at the turn by the guys that had ridden over to make some noise. Even with a knackered chainring, and a strong horrible headwind out, I ground out my best ride of the year on metrics, to finish ahead of expectations. I was really happy with this ride ! 

10.10.20  Holme Wheelers Hillclimb (trike) 13.28.3

This was novel. Holme Moss hillclimb on a barrow. We had decided to have our own tit (tricycle incline trophy) competition and chose this event.  8 of us enetered, 7 rode the event, of which I managed second place in the TiT. To be honest, the nervy part was riding the trike down the hill from the car park. Riding back up was just hard work and I didn't have enough gears, really churning up in parts. It was fun though, and I might do some more HCs next year at the end of the season and see if I can't ride the National.

18.10.20  VTTA National 25 (trike)  59.46

The very last TT of the year and one that should have taken place two weeks before. It was now cold, and there were lots of DNSs. In a quiet race with no one to chase or chasing, I rode the barrow to power aiming for the 267 watts I got in August, and achieving 265 watts. Given the freewheeling on a trike in parts, I'd say this was well ridden and a nice end to the season. All good, and didn't ever think I'd get one in, so to get almost three months of racing was an excellent bonus !

Double Trouble !

Whooooo's these dubious looking blokes on a tandem trike ? It's Pike & Newham having a run out at the VTTA National Champs. That was the highlight of a very busy time trialling September, as the nights closed in and the number of time trialling weekends left in the season began to dwindle...

01.09.20  Wheelers 5m TT   11.02 A first run out at the Autumn club five mile series, and a second place finish. It had been a good few years since I'd had a go at it, having previously organised the series between 2013-2016. I set myself a target of achieving a 10 minute something time, and came very close, in fact, if not for an errant runner, I would have been a couple seconds within target. 

05.09.20  Icknield RC 10 (trike)   23.17  - The first of two ten mile trike record attempts and the second year in a row that I had failed to get the target time of 22.58. This was a better ride than the previous year's effort though and it was as good as I could manage on the day.

06.09.20 Stowmarket 10  (trike)  23.21 - The following morning and an even better ride than the day before. Not much more in the tank and a course I quite liked. 

08.09.20 Wheelers 5m TT  11.09  The second of the three weekly series of races. This time a win, but conditions not condusive to a fast time, not too shabby though, if anything maybe could have gone less hard first half, and then a bit harder into the wind - no chance of sub 11 in any case.

13.09.20 Cambridge CC 25   54.00  I got away with one here. Fastest 25 since 2017, and good placing overall. Nice fast course and one I intend to ride again. Two laps with the first being a reasonable power return and the second seeing the power grind to a standstill. Maybe doing running intervals two days before is not so clever !

15.09.20 Wheelers 5m TT   10.51  Ah-hah, finally, and despite getting held up by cars behind a slower rider, meaning that this could have been even better than it was. I felt magic, and my power seemed very easy to hold. A good hand full of seconds lost, I rode annoyed from half way in, and was so mad I continued to complete the 7.7 mile course taking the KOM.

20.09.20  VTTA National 15 (tandem trike)  35.04  A first experience of being a stoker and as you can see from the photo above , it was a tight fit. Stoking is very hard work and it is an unfamiliar position. We worked so hard to finish second tandem on the day.