It's been a while, and there is a good reason for my absence - on 30th December, I was 62 miles into a routine 64 mile training ride when my left powertap pedal decided to unscrew itself and I lost balance, ended up going under the bicycle , and hitting a kerb at speed just under the helmet line.
One orbital fracture later and the nastiest concussion and following symptoms have meant that I have had a delayed start to the year. I'm slowly getting back now, but I'm fatter, slower, and nowhere near starting the season at my customary last weekend in March. I'd estimate 6 more weeks and even then I have to accept that I'll be a long way off the good form of last year - I'm very lucky though and I am genuinley happy just to be in the position of being able to compete.
This week, I wrote an article for the Lincoln Wheelers Chaingang Newsletter and I thought it would be nice to share this online - enjoy !!!
The Story Of The 2018 Comp Record chasing Trikies !
You may have seen those funny three wheeled things on a club run, you may have passed or indeed been passed by one in a time trial, or, if lucky enough, had a try which ended in either a new love or an experience of peril that wish never to be repeated.
I talk, of course, about tricycles. I've only been riding one since 2014 where a mixture of Peter Holland talking me into it, and the promise of a club trophy led me to entering the club's Tricycle & Tandem event. The rest is history - I'm on my third trike, and in truth, I prefer racing on it to two wheels.
Fast forward a few years and myself and Peter started looking at Competition Trike Records and in particular the team efforts which looked achievable if we could get three riders together on a quick course to have a go at one of them. By 2017, plans were progressed and we recruited Lez Harre-Young, Gary Wright & Sid Charlton. We already had Paul Potter, myself, Pete, + Dom Cunningham (a former world silver medallist no less) in the club, so that gave us a good pool of riders to choose from. By the end of 2017 we had achieved three competition records, setting the 15 team record twice, whilst by virtue of starting position, I set a solo 15 record which I held for a lofty three minutes until the uber quick and no.1 trike rider in the country Gavin Hinxman obliterated it by two minutes. Still a win is a win and we'll take it !
So we were buoyed by that years performance, but wanted more now that we had those first wins under our belt. We were serious and at that years Tricycle Association annual dinner at Loughborough, we set about trying to persuade Ian Pike to join the team. Ian was a rider we knew well, very fast, and known locally through his racing of the Lincolnshire events for Fenland RC, a club he helped set up. At first Ian was reluctant, but we kept at it and by February the next year, Ian had agreed to come to the Wheelers for a year to see how it went. Further strengthened we could now talk about going after some of the other records, in particular, after much discussion, the 25, 30 & 50. 2018 had a few twists and turns and this is how it went .....
Attempt 1 April - Ian, Gary and myself headed down to Cambridge to ride the Shaftesbury 25, a middlemarkers event for riders that had not beaten 57 mins for a 25 mile TT. With the course being a super quick dual carriageway course we were excited for weeks beforehand about our chances. The ride though turned out to be slower going than anticipated, and collectively the three of us ended the afternoon some seven minutes down on the standard we needed to achieve.
Attempt 2 - May - The Mercia 30 looked like a good bet for the 30 record, held again on a fast course which used the A50 between Etwall and Uttoxeter, this had to be the one. We were getting into the season now and were beginning to feel like racers with some form. I took the directionally challenged Gary (GazNav as we call him), on a drive around the course for familiarity as GAry hadn't ridden that particular one before whereas myself and Ian knew it reasonably well. We were set off at no's 1, 2 & 3 with Gary going first, then me a minute later and Ian third. There is a roundabout within 100 meters and it is important that you take a hard left to keep on the course. Well, after I had started and took the hard left I expected to see Gaz further up the road - except Gaz was nowhere to be seen. He must be on a flyer I thought to myself and set about trying to keep a good pace myself. At the turn I didn't see him so thought maybe I'd not been looking properly. After a gut churning effort for the full 30 miles I crossed the line with a new club record, and Ian very quickly followed. The both of us collapsed at the side of the road. Me to Ian ''did you see Gaz ?''', Ian to me ''FFS no, he must have gone wrong!!'' and so he had, at that very first roundabout. The record had gone within a minute of Gaz starting and we didn't know. Gaz apologised 150 times that day - we still love him for it though. Gary's mate Dan Linstead came to watch as Gary had persuaded Dan to try a trike, more to follow on this later...
Attempt 3 - The LRRA 15 - myself , Ian & Gaz , we wanted to beat our own record on a Lincolnshire course and the LRRA 15 was our only hope of achieving it. Despite the course being lumpier than the surface of the moon, and the return leg being its usually draggy self, and despite Gary's braking system falling apart and having to tie his brake calipers around his tri bars, we managed to beat our own record, and get the first Competition record for the team in the bag for 2018. It felt like a curse had been lifted and we had removed the glass ceiling.
Attempt 4 - The Yorkshire RC 50. This was the three of us again, on a decent course but on a day of cross wind was no use nor ornament. One by one we crumbled, but after the dust had cleared, still enjoyed the coffee and cake afterward and put it down to experience. The best part of the day ? My minute man complaining that he had a trike in front of him at the start line because they are hard to overtake. Lesson to TT racers - if you are going to make a statement like that, erm. make sure you actually beat the trike otherwise you might find yourself embarrassed at the excuses session afterward !
Attempt 5 - A 25 up on the Boroughbridge - that forgetful, that I can't even remember the name of the event. Windy as heck, coupled with a rolling course meant that we got nowhere in the region of bothering the record keepers at CTT. It was however, Dan Linstead's trike debut and he was blisteringly quick - very impressive for what was a second or third ever excursion on a trike.
Attempt 6 - CC Breckland 30 - This one was attempted by Ian , Dan and myself on the A11 just outside of Norwich, back wind one way, strong wind the other, nice course, some pot holes and broken road to deal with, but do you know what ? no problems on this occasion, Ian led the way taking the club record in the process, I followed and Dan smashed another quick ride to finally secure the 30 competition record for Lincoln Wheelers.
Attempt 7 - Leo 30 - Just one week later, we headed back down South for our final attempt of the year. This was our back up 30 if the one the previous weekend had been a wash out and as it had not, the pressure was off, and it showed in our riding. The club record flip flopped back to me, Ian broke the old standard, and Dan was not far away as we took another 9 minutes off the previous weeks effort. Brilliant way to sign off the season. All of the earlier disappointments, misses and own goals counted for nothing. This was us at our best and it felt like it had all been worth it. Three records for Lincoln Wheelers in 'the book'.
So what's new for 2019, well, all of the above riders are signed on again for another year and we have recruited Dave Mason to the three wheeled fold. We have a tandem, so there's plenty that we can go at. Lincoln Wheelers remains the no.1 club in the country for barrow racing and it's not a closed shop - so, if you have ever wondered what it would be like, get in touch and we will arrange a try out..... you never know what it could lead to.........
Mixed in with time trialling this year has been a return to Triathlon on a semi serious basis. Whilst I'm continuing to train like a dog on the bike, looked after as always by Ruth Eyles cycle coaching, I've mixed in some running at a low heart rate only to ensure it doesn't affect my biking, and my swimming has been basic level effort endurance, without technical drills and tri club sessions etc. Whilst I'm aware that there are gains to be made, well, I can't really take tri too seriously as I could fall out of love with it quite easily if I did.
I seeded myslef with an 8.40 swim time, so enjoyed a mid morning start. Whilst my team mates had biffy swims, I enjoyed a no show in my lane and had a trouble free swim. Exiting and getting round to T1 in 8.56, I was well pleased with the effort. T1 was quick as I don't bother with a lot of kit, and then it was out onto the road for possibly my first TT of the year. I didn't know where to pitch the watts, so took 260 as a target, and largely achieved it. 5th fastest bike of the event with a 35.12 and knowing there's more to come. Out onto the towpath run for a bit of an unknown. A bit giddy with a 6.40 something first mile, but held it together for a competent return to Tri. 19th overall of around 360 solos - I'll take that !
A first open water event since Ironman Wales in 2014 and a first Olympic Distance event since the same event back in 2011 where I managed a 2.53 finish. This time I was nervous as I entered the water for my wave to start. It would be two laps of 750m with an australian exit. there seemed to be a lot of swimmers and I seeded myself toward the rear. We were soon underway and it was a congested affair to the first turn buoy. I settled soon after and found feet, meaning that I could relax about sighting. First lap in sixteen minutes, which was about right , and a decent second lap for a solid 33.35 swim. T1 was 2.05, and then it was out on the bike for a lumpy bike ride of 42km. I managed my watts well, and apart from some busy roads and a little bit of sitting up, no further problems meant a competent 1.06 bike leg. Just the run to go, and I ran it sockless and in my new Brooks asteria. I could feel a stiffening of the calf with the flat shoes and I just about got away with a 10km of 42.42 to move up to 49th solo on the day. A top 50 finish is a far cry from 2010's last sheet of the results finish !
