Author Topic: The TT Thread  (Read 407031 times)

citoyen

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Re: The TT Thread
« Reply #1925 on: 14 August, 2017, 07:40:05 pm »
My comment elsewhere was that it was sad & wonderful at the same time.

That's fair.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Karla

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Re: The TT Thread
« Reply #1926 on: 14 August, 2017, 11:05:45 pm »
There were plenty of other people on all platforms whose first response was something along the lines of "Yebbut Beryl would've smashed it today, she did it without disc wheels or skinsuits or yadda yadda yadda ... ".  Guys, get a life.

rob

Re: The TT Thread
« Reply #1927 on: 15 August, 2017, 09:46:57 am »
There were plenty of other people on all platforms whose first response was something along the lines of "Yebbut Beryl would've smashed it today, she did it without disc wheels or skinsuits or yadda yadda yadda ... ".  Guys, get a life.

I've seen some similar attitudes at a local level when I started to beat or get close to long-standing club records.   All a bit sad.

Wowbagger

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Re: The TT Thread
« Reply #1928 on: 16 August, 2017, 01:51:48 pm »
I haven't seen any mention of this amazing new record in any of the sports pages. Has anyone?
The loss of humanity I could live with.

Karla

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Re: The TT Thread
« Reply #1929 on: 16 August, 2017, 02:14:33 pm »
Nope.

Hopefully someone will put out a press release when the official result is published.  It's not out yet, and holding my breath is starting to get a bit of a strain.

rob

Re: The TT Thread
« Reply #1930 on: 16 August, 2017, 02:35:33 pm »
Pretty clear who won the women's although the record is subject to validation as the marshalls are missing a lap.   Alice has had to provide her GPS files to confirm.

We still don't know if Bideau or Harrison won the men's.   It was down to about a quarter if a mile difference towards the end.

In other news this event may not take place next year as the organiser is standing down.   That'll leave the sport with 5 * 12hr events.    There is a mod out to remove the 12hr from the BBAR which I think would be a massive shame.   When I first started to read about the sport the BBAR was of huge interest, but it took me another 25yrs to actually ride one.

Karla

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Re: The TT Thread
« Reply #1931 on: 16 August, 2017, 02:54:37 pm »
Kent have stopped running their 12 hour too, so that leaves us with the Breckland, Yorkshire, West Cheshire and Newbury events. 

Moving the men's BBAR to be based on 25, 50 and 100 mile events like the women's championship could actually be quite good: it would be a proper competition contested by lots of the best testers in the country, and would have more of a claim to the 'all rounder' title.  It would alkso leave more space to run a separate long distance BAR, i.e. a formal CTT version of the 24 hour fellowship's competition.  I think Nick Clarke may be proposing that this year?

Part of the problem with the 12 hour and the BBAR is that most people only ride one a year, which excludes all the slower courses for anyone who has BBAR ambitions - and then the slower events become backwaters where you can never race against the best riders.  If you kept the 12 but ranked the BBAR based on points and positions, that could widen the field for both competitions and may well be healthy for both of them.

rob

Re: The TT Thread
« Reply #1932 on: 16 August, 2017, 03:32:35 pm »
The Kent still exists but has been cancelled for the last 2 years due to a lack of marshalls.   Pretty sure they'll try to run it again next year.   I've not seen any of the current 12hrs fill - the Breckland had just over 30 entrants this year.   I suppose with less of them there will be more chance of them filling.    The majority of the sport, though, couldn't care less about the longer distances.

If it weren't for the 12hr I'd be way further down the tables than I am.    I've been rather pleased to work my way towards finishing in what could be the top 50 this year in a competition that I read about in the comic as a child.    Changing the rules, for me at least, would be unfortunate.   

TBH I'd still race the 12hr as it's my only chance, really, to get a top 10 finish in any event over the year.   I have no hope at the shorter distances.   I think is just taking the 24hr fellowship long distance BAR and asking that the CTT formally recognise it.

At least in TTs you can still chase PBs and local area records.   There's something for everyone.

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: The TT Thread
« Reply #1933 on: 16 August, 2017, 03:39:48 pm »
I was going to marshal the Kent 12 this year but I wasn't available that weekend. Shame. Don't know how far short of the required number of marshals they were.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Re: The TT Thread
« Reply #1934 on: 16 August, 2017, 04:42:07 pm »
Pretty clear who won the women's although the record is subject to validation as the marshalls are missing a lap.   Alice has had to provide her GPS files to confirm.

We still don't know if Bideau or Harrison won the men's.   It was down to about a quarter if a mile difference towards the end.

In other news this event may not take place next year as the organiser is standing down.   That'll leave the sport with 5 * 12hr events.    There is a mod out to remove the 12hr from the BBAR which I think would be a massive shame.   When I first started to read about the sport the BBAR was of huge interest, but it took me another 25yrs to actually ride one.

I fully appreciate that organising a 12 hour must be very difficult, but I thought it was utterly disgraceful to publish incorrect preliminary results (since retracted) when it was commonly known that Pete Harrison's distance was incorrect (short) by ~1 lap.  ::-)

Karla

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Re: The TT Thread
« Reply #1935 on: 17 August, 2017, 09:34:52 am »
Like you say in another place Legs, it's easy to work out from Strava that Rider A has gone X times round the morning circuit, Y times round the afternoon circuit and Z times round the finishing circuit - and if you've pre-measured the course, you can then say exactly how far that is.  You then only really need to check the final finishing circuit timekeepers' logs to generate a provisional result that should be accurate, and can then check the rest of the logs if you like to generate a final result.  Like you also say, the process can be sped up with a bit of automation; the Mersey Roads team were doing this and managed to produce several intermediate distance sheets throughout the day, before getting the results up quickly afterwards.

rob

Re: The TT Thread
« Reply #1936 on: 17 August, 2017, 10:05:47 am »
The final Newbury 12hr (held 2nd weekend June) result was only posted to the CTT website last week.   There were on-going queries with rider distances up until then.

To be fair the first run had me a couple of miles short as it was thought that I had finished one timekeeper earlier than I did.   This was corrected pretty quickly.

At the moment I lie in 21st place in the BBAR.   I would be higher if my fastest 50 counted, but such is life.

Re: The TT Thread
« Reply #1937 on: 17 August, 2017, 11:04:07 am »
Like you say in another place Legs, it's easy to work out from Strava that Rider A has gone X times round the morning circuit, Y times round the afternoon circuit and Z times round the finishing circuit - and if you've pre-measured the course, you can then say exactly how far that is.  You then only really need to check the final finishing circuit timekeepers' logs to generate a provisional result that should be accurate, and can then check the rest of the logs if you like to generate a final result.  Like you also say, the process can be sped up with a bit of automation; the Mersey Roads team were doing this and managed to produce several intermediate distance sheets throughout the day, before getting the results up quickly afterwards.

In fact, the inputting of X * morning circuit + Y * afternoon circuit can begin as soon as the riders are diverted onto the finishing circuit, so (in theory) that information can be ready to have the final 4 pieces of information added on each rider's finish; Z * finishing circuit, time at penultimate TK, time at finish TK, location of finish.  Input just these into a suitably set up spreadsheet and you can instantly generate finishing distances.  Verify against riders' own GPS claims and job's a good'un. 



Karla

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Re: The TT Thread
« Reply #1938 on: 17 August, 2017, 01:11:55 pm »
I haven't seen any mention of this amazing new record in any of the sports pages. Has anyone?

It's in the Comic.  They've got a quote from BB's daughter Denise, who said that her mum's response would include "It's about blooming time!"


mattc

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Re: The TT Thread
« Reply #1939 on: 17 August, 2017, 04:53:20 pm »
Last club evening 10 of the season tonight (followed by pizza/beer/etc :) )

It's on a new course, which starts/finished conveniently near the restaurant. So a good evening on the cards ...

except I've just noticed there is a TL-controlled junction on the course. Of course we're all pretty sensible, and there's no prizes at stake, but I do have slight concerns ...   It's not even mentioned on the risk-assessment map (unlike the tiny mini-roundabout half-a-mile later) :o
Has never ridden RAAM
---------
No.11  Because of the great host of those who dislike the least appearance of "swank " when they travel the roads and lanes. - From Kuklos' 39 Articles

Re: The TT Thread
« Reply #1940 on: 17 August, 2017, 05:09:10 pm »
good luck!

Pedal Castro

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Re: The TT Thread
« Reply #1941 on: 18 August, 2017, 07:59:31 am »
Last club evening 10 of the season tonight (followed by pizza/beer/etc :) )

It's on a new course, which starts/finished conveniently near the restaurant. So a good evening on the cards ...

except I've just noticed there is a TL-controlled junction on the course. Of course we're all pretty sensible, and there's no prizes at stake, but I do have slight concerns ...   It's not even mentioned on the risk-assessment map (unlike the tiny mini-roundabout half-a-mile later) :o

What is your concern? That the TL renders some element of luck in the race, or that you may have a difficult decision to make if it's red when you get there?

I have ridden a few TTs this year with TLs, usually for pedestrian crossings which have always been green but I was stopped by a red light in the CC Breckland 12h this year.

mattc

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Re: The TT Thread
« Reply #1942 on: 18 August, 2017, 08:10:35 am »
As it turned out:
- I'd misremembered the junction, no lights. &
- I went to the start, not knowing that sign-on was at the finish
- event was rained off due to likely spray on the short (but busy) A-road section

 ;D

...
or that you may have a difficult decision to make if it's red when you get there?
Wouldn't be a difficult decision - laws are laws, doubly so if you have a conspicuous race-number (and club affiliation) on your back.
Has never ridden RAAM
---------
No.11  Because of the great host of those who dislike the least appearance of "swank " when they travel the roads and lanes. - From Kuklos' 39 Articles

Re: The TT Thread
« Reply #1943 on: 18 August, 2017, 08:40:16 pm »
Just put new bars and tribars on the TT iron, replaced the brake cables and added nicely clashing purple bar tape.  Now to see if those things make it faster over 25 miles.

Karla

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Re: The TT Thread
« Reply #1944 on: 01 September, 2017, 04:11:43 pm »
I'm currently 13th reserve for a normal open on the V718.  I've also entered a 'slowest 120' event and have just got bumped into the reserves for that.  Too fast for the slow race, to slow for the fast race!

Karla

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Re: The TT Thread
« Reply #1945 on: 02 September, 2017, 11:32:42 pm »
Next tale of woe: I decided to close my season with an association 25 at the start of October, but then looked at the clubs list and couldn't find mine on there.  If we've left - again - it's probably because the committee have decided - again - that TT is ridiculously dangerous because of [lack of evidence or informed reasoning] and club members should be herded away from it.  Either that or we've been kicked out due to not fulfilling our marshalling requirements due to the same committee not passing on the requests. 

[EDIT: Yup, turns out we're out of the association again.  Methinks it's time to change allegiance.]

rob

Re: The TT Thread
« Reply #1946 on: 29 September, 2017, 02:44:39 pm »
So after being in a massive sulk at the end of July I should probably summarise that overall my season was really good with PBs at all distances apart from the 24hr.

Best rides this year in my view were the 50 (1:52:22) and the 12hr (276 miles), both huge improvements.   I was disappointed with my 100 just missing getting under 4hrs but a 6min PB nonetheless.   I'm currently joint 48th in the BBAR so top 50 is a possibility unless there's any results not been posted yet.

In summary some of the training is brutal and the overall workload gets you down.   I couldn't do it without a supportive family.   The moment when you cross the line and see how much you have improved and how fast you can propel a bike still makes it worthwhile.

We'll see about next year.

mattc

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Re: The TT Thread
« Reply #1947 on: 29 September, 2017, 06:02:42 pm »
After doing almost no racing this year, I have gone and entered my first "proper" hill climb; Walbury Hill on Sunday morning (run by Newbury RC, one of our neighbour clubs). There will be a pub finish, an alcoholic prize for best "kg-per-minute" figure, and other general razzmatazz.

I did a test ride last night (under the cloak of darkness) on a similar profile road. Got very out of puff, and my wrist-watch confirmed that I shall not be troubling the podium on Sunday.

It's about 1.8km. How hard can that be??
Has never ridden RAAM
---------
No.11  Because of the great host of those who dislike the least appearance of "swank " when they travel the roads and lanes. - From Kuklos' 39 Articles

Karla

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Re: The TT Thread
« Reply #1948 on: 18 November, 2017, 02:43:31 pm »
Roy Cromack, my erstwhile clubmate who was first to push the 24 hour record over 500 miles, has died.  RIP Roy.

Re: The TT Thread
« Reply #1949 on: 18 November, 2017, 03:05:43 pm »
A big name from the past, Greg.