The TT Thread

[mattc]

Well, today was supposed to see me flaunting a new PB time using the "new" green bike. But last night wasn't as planned.

01/07/10  10mls / 27:22  CC118   Flat-ish course, headwind out  Steel TT bike

I've been  quicker with drops-rack-n-mudguards
So what are my excuses ...
It was a slow night, not our fastest course. I came 2nd in the "improvement" race, with lots of people 1minute+ off this year's PB. Cross-wind all the way, worst on the way out.(3mph faster after the turn).
First and last 2 miles are very bumpy on this course. The middle is lovely new smooth tarmac. But the TT bike is rather lively, and I'm still not comfortable on it, so lots of bouncing around and freewheeling over rough stuff.
I've had a hard-ish week, and did a run in the morning. Probably no big deal.
-ve Excuses:
Pacing seemed OK: low 160s from the off, then let it creep up from the turn, 169-171 for the last 2 miles. Computer over-read, so I didn't have much left for a sprint!
Good warmup 10-mile ride to the start.

Conclusions:
I hoped to be a load faster on this bike. Arguably I can knock off 50 seconds on a "good night", and I'll go faster as I get more comfortable, but this is all a bit desperate...
Depressing. I haven't got time before the MC1K to have another really good go at this. So: do a few more gentle miles to build up the arms, so get smoother,  and hope to get a good ride in late August.

And there's a fair chance that my Mersey 24h club record will get pinched back in July. Woe is me!

[Ian H]

59.17. 1st 25 for a year. Chuffed. As was young Tom who won with his first time under 50 mins.

[mattc]

Slightly slower than Ian, but still a fairly succesful ride in the DPCC 25champs:


04/07/10 25mls / 1:10:48 H25/17 A420, strong headwind out     Ti Audax bike
1st in guards-n-rack class, 18th overall (out of 18)
I've only done two 25s before, both in 2008; matching my time on the Bianchi is very encouraging.

01/07/10 10mls / 27:22  CC118   Flat-ish course, headwind out  Steel TT bike

03/07/08 25mls/1:10:46  H25/1 not-smooth A4   Bianchi road bike
20/07/08 25mls/1:11:59  F13 rolling/windy   Dynatech sans rack/mudguards

[Fixedwheelnut]

Another personal best tonight 24:53 on the Q10/26 West Kingsdown course

07/07/10 10mls/24:53  Q10/26  rolling/warm/breeze Graham Weigh 90" fixed

previous results  http://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=229.msg635834#msg635834

[Ian H]

Got ready to ride out to the start last night, changed the wheels, pumped up the tyres, changed, put rucksac on...PPSSSSsssst. Took the back wheel out, removed tyre, patched tube, refitted and rode off. Got the last number and set off before a late-starter. Thought the tyre was going soft then decided it wasn't. Passed Richard for two minutes. Rim bottomed on a drain. Rode increasingly gently to the finish, Richard came past. 28.somethingorother. Timekeeper Pete gave me a lift to the HQ. Changed the tube, pumped up the tyre, broke the valve-lock off. Bvgger! Anyway the tyre was up, so rode to the pub, then home. I need to buy tubes.

[Fixedwheelnut]

14/07/10 10mls/25:44  Q10/26  rolling/cool/windy Graham Weigh 90" fixed
15/07/10  9.5mls/27:33 QS/30   Hilly breezy           Lambert Proffessional 76" gear

 Last nights ride was windy and I was blown everywhere on the disc wheel I really struggled, tonights course is horrible especially on fixed and I always die up the final part of the climb Cudham Lane.

previous results  http://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=229.msg635834#msg635834
 

[Ian H]

24.50 on a windy evening. Me telling the turn marshal there are two more to come.

[Steve Kish]

All done in the early 1990's when I had just turned a vet:-

10 = 20.36
25 = 52.37
30 = 1-5-09 (only ever road one)
50 = 1-55-summat (only ever road two)
100 and 12-hr = er, no thank you!

[Fixedwheelnut]

 
18/07/10  23.4mls/1:05:41 Q25/20 modified hilly  Graham Weigh 90" fixed

Gravesend 25TT was shortened due to road works to 23.4 miles and added in the climb from Harrietsham to Lenham, only six people went under the hour
 Dave Wheeler won it with 53:36


previous results  http://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=229.msg635834#msg635834
 
 

[Ian H]

Just been polishing the bike.

[Karla]

I did my first official club 10 on Thursday.  Results are here, my time was 26:11.  Sadly it's the last run of the year on that course, so I'll have to wait until 2011 to get my time under 26 mins.

[mattc]

Breckland 12H on Sunday - it's weeks since I've TTed, so hopefully this will just seem much shorter than an Audax! Wave if you're on the A11 ...

[токамак]

I did my first official club 10 on Thursday.  Results are here, my time was 26:11.  Sadly it's the last run of the year on that course, so I'll have to wait until 2011 to get my time under 26 mins.

Pretty good time for a first attempt, I'd say.

[Karla]

Why thankyou, though I did recce the course on Tuesday evening.

[Ian H]

Breckland 12H on Sunday - it's weeks since I've TTed, so hopefully this will just seem much shorter than an Audax! Wave if you're on the A11 ...

Good luck. How close can you get to 300?

[mattc]

Breckland 12H on Sunday - it's weeks since I've TTed, so hopefully this will just seem much shorter than an Audax! Wave if you're on the A11 ...

Good luck. How close can you get to 300?

Comp record is something over 300 miles, so I shall assume you mean 300k!

The going rate seems to be about 60% of a 24H, so I should be targetting 193. But if I avoid the problems I had on the Mersey I should eke out another 15 miles; we'll see ...

[rehearsal for the 2011 24h. So unsupported on the Audax bike, - luggage, + aerobars. And I can't be bothered to take the mudguards off! ]

[teethgrinder]

I reckon you'll do more than 200 miles (as long as you keep riding and don't stop to faff about )
Good luck 

[Bairn Again]

Went to do my club midweek 10TT last night.

Punctured about 50 yards and 60 seconds before my 19.04 start time.  I had to be back at work by around 8pm so didnt have time to have it fixed and tag on as last rider around 19.45.  Id got there especially early too in order to bag an early start time.  Bugger.

Insult to injury - twas the same wheels & tyres that did 379 on Mersey Roads TT. 

[Frenchie]

First TT in, I think 15 months, this week. Strong man style & after 3.5 weeks away w/out bike, 26.37. Enjoyed it too but mut do better.

[Fixedwheelnut]

previous results  http://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=229.msg635834#msg635834
 
 

 The Wednesday 10 this week was a fairly good night, I had geared down to 48 x 15 =85" gear for the upcoming 50 and managed a 24.56 my second fastest to date.

 Yesterday Sunday I rode the KCA 50 on the Q50/1 course at Harrietsham.
 My first 50 at race pace and I managed 02:22:25 on top of that we won the Team prize see quote from  http://spinwheels.co.uk/

Kent CA Open 50, Sunday 15th August 2010

The weather was very unkind to the riders that entered the KCA 50 held on the Q50/1 (A20 Leeds - Ashford twice) course with the strong cross wind taking its toll on the riders. This was evident in the times being returned with only the event winner J White (Cycle Premier) beating the 2 hours with a time of 1.55.54. The silver medal for second place went to Bec CC’s K Coffey who returned a 2.01.58 with B Phillips (East Grinstead CC) taking the Bronze with a time of 2.02.27.
The team award went to the Catford CC trio of Steve Airey (2.22.25), P Smith (2.14.31) and P Hayes (2.30.14) giving them a total time of 7.07.10, a fitting result as the Catford CC used this event as their club championship.
Phil Bull (VC Elan) took the Gilt Medal for the first vet on age standard with  a plus of 28.41 beating Rye & District Wheelers rider Bob Giles (+28.34)  into silver place by just 7 seconds. Alan Brown (West Kent RC) took the Bronze Medal with a plus of 28.34.
The Gilt Medal for the fastest lady went to A Shuttleworth (Chelmer CC) with a time of 2.23.29 with S Cater (Farnborough & District) taking the silver with a 2.25.13. Sally Smith (Medway Velo) took the Bronze with time of 2.41.39.
As another example of the difficulty the course was causing on the day only one rider qualified for the best improvement award. This was won by A Halliday (Westerly CC) who had an improvement of 1 min 44 sec.

[mattc]

Race abandoned - there's another thread somewhere. And I "blogged" about it.

[mattc]

Yes, it's much nicer. There's hardly any DC, lots more ups and downs, much greener, bendier, quieter, no fast slip roads (especially at exits from racing tracks!), a longer lap, and a fair bit of time on a more rural "holding" circuit. None of it felt dangerous when I rode.

This should be in the Mersey thread, but Howard did a really useful
map of the route
[hope that links ok]

EDIT: & FYI the thread in the other forum: 12/24hr TT's

[David Martin]

Club hill climb tonight. 2.5km, 120m ascent so not too steep but tough enough. The morning rain had eased to a partially cloudy sky with nice warm sun and a stiff breeze. The ride out was gentle till we went the long way round and over a hill that was a bit bigger and steeper than I remembered. And so we all gathered at the start. In the absence of our usual official we had to improvise. Having discovered that the app on my blackberry can do split times, I was the official timekeeper. Watches synchronised and I was off at minute 1 which meant I couldn't slack off as I had to get to the top before anyone else.

My time was therefore a bit approximate (though not enough to change any positions. I timed everyoen as they came through the finish, and then we had a discussion to work out who started when and what the times were. Eventually we came to a believable consensus and people were satisfied that they had an accurate time. With a howling tailwind, the downhill run back into town was fast. Very fast. Probably well over 30mph before winding up for the sprint for the 30mph signs (at which point I lost the wheel in front of me, sat up and coasted in hoping my lungs would follow)

Upshot of the hill climb was that I came 8th of 9. The 9th being the only lady to take part. My time was slower than last year, despite the added incentive of having to get to the top in time. I blame the windpies.

Overall jolly good fun. Sufficiently serious, and sufficient levity to make it a good evening event.

[Ian H]

Excellent!

[Jasmine]

Oh no David.  You've just reminded me that the end of regular TTs means the start of hill climbs. 

If only the hill climbs here were 120 m over 2.5 km.  At least they are on Sundays so we can have second breakfast at Pete's Eats in Llanberis on the way home