2013 Time Trial Season

[Matt_wood55]

Just done a local TT at Prestwold Hall on a closed circuit course riding my 1990 Raleigh Castorama (course normally used for track days by Everyman and is near Loughborough). No tri bars, managed 24:29 for 9.7 miles or so. Nice night and pleasantly surprised by the time!! Stats available for all to see on Strava, link below.

http://app.strava.com/activities/61936681

If anyone local to Loughborough area I can recommend this event, which is every two weeks for another couple of months. Check Charnwood Tri Club website.

Cheers
Matt

 

[David B]

Have had a mixed bag of recent outings - on the one hand a course best (28m11s) on the P751 north of Winchester last Wednesday evening on a roasting hot day which saw me come in a very pleasing 15th of 43 finishers. Although a couple of weeks before that I clocked my worst ever time (well over 1hr5min for 20 or so miles) on the hilly P845 course around the Downs near Chichester; whilst I couldn't fault my climbing (even managing, on a stiff uphill bit, to catch back up with and drop someone who had caught me for 2 minutes half-way in) I lost loads of time due to some lousy descending in drizzly weather.

This evening is my club's 10-mile championship and purely due to it not being on a popular course combined with other local events happening at the same time but using quicker roads, I'm hopeful of a high finish as some of the club's higher performers might be lured elsewhere....

David

 

[g eisler]

Ive done two TTs this year , 10 miles round loch Creran organised by the North Argyll cycle Club, first Thursday of the month.
The machine is a 1980 Worksop Carlton criterium with a mix of Suntour Cyclone GT rear DR, and VX ( i think ) front dr, 14-28 fw and 39- 53 Dura ace Chainrings, Weinman 610 centre pulls, and campy hubs with 27 " Saturn rims.
The engine is 53 YO, 13 st 11 lb ex smoker trying to burn off Winter lard.
Its not really flat, but the best you ll get in Argyll. I am a born again retro biker, and had never competed in TTs before, my first outing was 32 min 45 secs ( 2nd last out of 30 odd folk), and my 2nd outing was 31min 5 secs, I will be chuffed if I can break 30 mins.
Pondering hand crafting my own Hazel wood TT bars to shave off that minute, no way Im paying 50 quid for two bits of lightly bent tube.

 

[bm0p700f]

Well last week on My 1992 Trek I managed 37:46 on a 13.1 miles Hitcham Hilly course. Well it hilly for Suffolk. That time was 1:25 quicker than my previous best time. This year it seems the times are tumbling every week. How quick can go on these old bikes. I will find out tonight if I can beat 27:22 on the Lavenham 10 course.

 

[bm0p700f]

27:15 on the Lavenham 10 course tonight. That 7 sec off - I was riding the trek no extenion bars either that would ruin the look of the bike. there was a bit of a headwind. What is it with the wind this year, there has not been a calm TT day yet. Still I got a bit of speed up as a fire truck had to slow down for a slower rider I got behind and when the truck overtook I got sucked along I found myself steaming along at 30 mph for a about 500mm then the firetruck was too far away go give me any benefit. That could account for the 7 seconds gained tonight.

 

[David B]

Rounded off my 2013 exploits over the border in Sussex with an "interesting" episode. On Tuesday I stupidly left my mini pump at home when packing my kit bag (I didn't realise this until I was on the train) - Sod's Law dictates of course that it would be one of the rare occasions I get a puncture, which happened en route to race HQ. Managed to flag down someone with a pump and fitted the spare tube. A short distance down the road, the back tyre flattens again, as I managed to pick up a tube lying around at home that already had a puncture. Fortunately two more helpful cyclists passing by helped to sort matters out, although in my haste to get the wheel back in and make it to HQ I didn't make a proper job of it and jammed the rear mech resulting in it being a bit bent.

Arrived at HQ 5 mins after the first rider had already set off. Fortunately due to a no-show from a pre-entered rider there was a slot to spare so was able to race after all. Zoomed along to the start area (a couple of miles from HQ), and only had time to hear "....3-2-1-go!" before clipping back into the pedals and heading off. I eventually clocked 26m17s for 10 miles, not bad on my usual choice of "road bike without aero widgets". Final event in the series for this year so most of us decamped to the local boozer for a couple of well-earned pints. Caught the last available train of the day and made it to my front door at about 12:45 in the morning!!

Unfortunately despite some attempts to fix it, the rear mech has now well and truly had it - it was a Sachs New Success one so am rather gutted about that. Robbed a presentable looking Sachs Centera (short cage, of course!) one off another of my bikes in order to keep on the move (and fitted some Tacx jockey wheels to spruce it up), now awaiting a cheap, cheerful and scuffed Sachs 6000 mech to arrive from eBay to make the "donor" bike fit for use again....

And after all of that excitement and parts-swapping, it's only about 2 weeks until my cyclo-cross season begins!!

David

 

[g eisler]

26 m 17 secs, great time that I can only dream of, for my 3 rd loch creran 10 mile time trial I put in a few more training miles up the glen on the Carlton criterium, got a good nights sleep, left out the wine and mixed a strong flask of coffee, on the night there was a gusty SE wind and the road surface was wet from rain in the afternoon.
Around 15 riders turned up and my dream was to crack 30 mins, because the road was still wet I took my wet bike a 1980 Tsunoda aero ax and fitted it with 25 mm tubulars that day, set off and was only over taken by two folk ( fast guys that do it in around 25 mins), not going too badly I thought.
Got to the roundabout at the north end of the bridge about 1/2 way and went down like a sack of tatties on diesel at the apex,watched a following rider do the same, remounted after kicking the bike straight and finished covered in blood in 33 minutes something, having improved my standing to fully last. Ho Hum , the road rash on my hip has now gone , but there is still a big scab on my elbow.A total of 5 riders fell at the same spot, only one DNF due to a bent skewer.
Next year I hope I will crack the 30 mins and get to 3rd last, we can all dream.

 

[David B]

Got to the roundabout at the north end of the bridge about 1/2 way and went down like a sack of tatties on diesel at the apex,watched a following rider do the same, remounted after kicking the bike straight and finished covered in blood in 33 minutes something, having improved my standing to fully last. Ho Hum , the road rash on my hip has now gone , but there is still a big scab on my elbow.

Ouch!! Hats off to you for pressing on and finishing the event, though. I've never yet crashed in a TT (cyclo-cross is another matter) but there's a first time for everything....

David