LRRA 50

This is basically the county champs over 50 miles and there were 50 or so local riders entered. This would be the first time I would take the trike as I'd ridden 3 years consecutively on two wheels.

I would be going for two gongs - the all time Championship trike record of 2:19:45 and a secondary carrot of the club's 50 handicap trophy. The weather appeared to be pleasant, albeit we had a heavy downpour as we were warming up, but the course would again be altered due to a fete at Osbournby (looked busy lol) as I drove through, and would again take us twice up the slog to Spittlegate roundabout. This is how I got on...I needed to average 21.5mph.......

Osbournby to Spittlegate
Started well with what was reported to be a gentle backwind behind me. Rode consistently, but lost time on some of the drags as I hauled the barrow up. Got to the first turn ahead of the wheelers around me, but the average speed so far was just 21.1mph...

Spittlegate to Osbournby
Wow, mega fast as obviously its mostly gentle sweeping downhill with just a couple of short sharp uns to negotiate..... average up to 22.5mph... back on track !

Osbournby to Donnington
Felt good considering it was supposed to be a headwind, no probs and kept the average speed exactly where it was !

Donnington to Osbournby
Quick again until about 32miles and then ooomph, I think the wind turned as it was now cross head, and I was really struggling - average speed dropped to 22.1 mph.

Osbournby to Spittlegate
Second time up really hurt and I battled hard to keep the average from slipping below water level. It took all my effort just to get to the top, it was hurting and very slow in places. 21.6mph though and I knew I'd done it when I got round the roundabout.

Spittlegate to Finish
Pressure off, and I was able to enjoy and ride the last leg quickly. Got to 50 miles but was still riding - gor to 50.2 and finished. 3 minutes inside the old record, and winning the club trophy - double job done !

AP 266w (Strava)

Temp : 19c
Wind : 5mph S (fluctuating)
Course C50/2
Pos 28th

Bruce Kingsford 50

A long trip over to Astley in Shropshire on Saturday evening meant that I could set up the airbed in the back of the car ready for a very early start for the days time trialling. I would be set off last in the morning at 7.26 and would have 50 miles to negotiate so went to bed nice and early.

After a really uncomfortable nights sleep, I was somewhat refreshed and ready for the days action. The weather was stunningly good with a very light Northerly wind and from the off I felt relaxed about the whole event. I felt myself into the first few miles remembering that last year I went off far too fast, and the first few miles felt very easy.  By the first time I get to Prees Island at the top of the course, I had a good idea of where I was in relation to the rest of the field and seemed to be doing well and making good progress. 

As it was my first 50 of the year so I didn't go to giddy when I got the backwind and concentrated on going steady. I was held up at a couple of roundabouts, but that was the sum of any complication thankfully. I held up a couple of lorries, but otherwise the road wasn't that busy or too camberous. 

Finishing in 2.18.14 which was four seconds slower than last year, I managed to win both the event which is the TA's National 50 and the Vet On Standard award by just one second !

AP 251w (Strava)

Temp : 12c
Wind : 7mph N
Course D50/3
Pos 1st

Great Limber Road Race

Wednesday evening brought around a trip up to Great Limber to take part in round 4 of the Lincs race League at Great Limber with an event put on by Lindsey Roads CC.

It was a cool night but lovely weather and they were plenty of riders already signed on by the time I managed to find the HQ. I signed on with group 2 again which was mahoosive and is certainly very popular and was in with quite a few fellow Wheelers.

The course was hillier than Brattleby in total climb, but far easier on poorer climbers like me as it was rolling with just one long sweeping mile and a half climb, and, as it was going to be a 3 and a half lap affair only, this meant the drag would have to be negotiated only 4 times., I didn't think it was going to be as much of a struggle to keep in the mix.

Onto the actual race, and I positioned myself towards the rear to avoid the early giddiness and did OK going up the drag first time around. When we got to the top however there is a hairpin turn and as I was last out of this I nearly got dropped and had two miles of furious downhill to negotiate to get back on - you would not believe how hard it is to make up just twenty metres on a bunch !

Next time up the hill I made sure to make a few places so that when we got to the turn I was in the middle somewhere, this plan worked and I was able to get in the middle of the bunch. Job done. 2nd to last time up the drag, did the same, no problem, but we had the bell, so the pace picked up a little.

I must have lost concentration as I was almost last into the right hand turn into Great Limber and just like that my race was done !  I was dispatched by about twenty metres and could not get back on. I decided to wait for group 3 who were behind me, and got in with them, but my legs had gone and I ended up limping back about a minute behind.

Another fun workout and enjoyable event - I'm loving these TLI races at the moment.

Flat n fast sportive

This'll be a quick one - a bit like the Sportive !!

I took part in Sportive HQs 100 miler from Thorne near Doncaster yesterday with the sole purpose of dry running a no stop strategy for my upcoming ECCA 100 event in a fortnight's time.

The weather was dry, cool as it was overcast all morning, with a northerlyish wind of c.9mph. I was set off on my way at 7.20 with all the other time trial bike riders - I wanted to ride solo and rode past a group of six or so - but they latched on and I spent the first 40 miles to the first feed station in with this group. At the first feed station, most petered off and I was left with a bit of a solo effort until at 48 miles I caught up with two fellas from the earlier group.

We worked a bit of a 3 up all the way through to 72 miles or so, I then I spent the remaining 28 battling long boring headwind roads and trying to beat 5 hours which I did comfortably in the end.

That was that - first 100 in the bag, I now know I can do a hundred on 1 flapjack and one packet of jelly babies !

VC Lincoln Road Race

Wednesday evening was a brutally wet one and many decided to stay at home. For me, it was the first day of our GCC step challenge, so I needed to get out and make a good start.

This race is nine times up Brattleby Hill and last year (in similar conditions) I had managed six or so before becoming detached from the group. This year I was to have a good go at staying with the group until the end of the race !

I lined up in group two with plenty of other Wheelers and was set off on our way four mins after the first group. Within the first few miles, we had our first run at Brattleby Hill, and I was very nearly spat out there and then as the group attacked it and I just don't have the climbing ability to get up it that quickly. I managed to get back on and spent most of the lap recovering - and then it happened again !  I spent most of my time at the back of the group either recovering or getting ready for the Brattleby effort.

Third time up, it was a bit easier, as the front were less giddy, and I was able to do a couple of turns on the front. My race pretty much panned out like that until with two laps to go the third group caught us and that was that when we hit the hill - I truly blew up and spent the last lap trundling along until group four came past and I managed to jump on the back of those boys who brought me back to a couple of Wheelers who I managed to go past on the very last climb. 5th Wheeler on the night but 33rd I think overall.

LRRA 10m Champs

Over to Skegness on a completely different day for weather having raced in horrible conditions the previous day. This would be my first LRRA event on the trike and I was hoping to beat or at leasy get near the championship trike record which stood at 24:28. 

Conditions were excellent and it would be a good ride I could feel it. My warm up consisted of riding up the hill to the start (what else can you do on a trike - you can hardly turbo ! ) and I was away reletavely early at no.15. 

The record was definately not on by the time I made the turn as progress was behind schedule and I had been riding against a slightly uphill profile and a cross headwind albeit not a heavy one. 

One turn later at Ulceby and boom ! a lovely bit of cross backwind and I nailed it as hard as I could. I made up some good time but was ultimately unable to claim the record as even with the gift hill finish I came up short by just under a minute at 25:22. 

Considering that was only 16s slower than my recent trike outing on the V718, I am happy with my result.



AP 282w (Strava)

Temp : 13c
Wind : 7mph SW
Course C10/9
Pos 

VTTA National 10 Champs

The weather was terrible for this one and it was a day where I drove down to the HQ at long Benno hoping that the organisers had cancelled the event. I was still heavy from a week in Kos, and I suppose along with the weather I was looking for excuses. 

Silly me, the event was still on, and I was able to do a good warm up before I made my way to the start towards the North of the Village. 

Nearly a mile of SC and a roundabout awaited ?? and I was battling the headwind all the way to the turn at Great Gonerby and all I could manage was 23.1mph for the first half of the TT. Once over the double island and with a decent backwind behind me I gave it a good go, and had a couple of really good sections but couldn't completely turn it around. 25.1mph overall, and a time of 23:49. Not too bad, but in an event which is based on standards, my plus of 2:24 was a bit dismal and placed me well into the lower depths of the placings.

NP 284w
AP 288w
Temp : 17c
Wind : 18mph WSW
Course A10/14a
Pos 95/104