The TT Thread

[bikenrrd]

Legs: are there any closed circuit TTs near you?  I plan on doing the Bicester Millenium TTs next year, which take place on an airfield.
You probably won't get as fast a time as on a dual carriageway, due to the lack of draft from the traffic, but you will be able to measure your improvement week on week.  Which, for me, is what TTing is about, rather than trying to beat other people.  Other people have more time to train than I do!

[rob]

As I have chased faster times in the last couple of years I have made trips to the F1 and the E2 and a couple of B courses on the A11.   I didn't find any of them that bad for traffic, but I do commute through central London every day.

The most near misses I've had were in the Newbury 12hr this year where there was some pretty bad driving late Sunday afternoon.

Interesting comments about the Etwall course as I thought I might have a go at the 100 next year (no way I'd have the qualifying time for the 50).   My local Kent courses are all on Romney Marsh which is flat, but exposed.   There's also a lot of tight cornering which means you have expend energy accelerating back out of the bends.

[simonp]

Bristol Uni Cycling Club hill climb this weekend. I think I'll be riding my Audax bike with a 65" gear. Mudguards and all. I'll take the saddlebag off.

[Legs]

If a higher-than-permitted traffic count is observed, is the event called off?  Or does it just affect 'future events?' 

I've never known an event to be called off when in progress because of excessive traffic levels, though. 

[Karla]

Are the permitted traffic counts really adhered to on these DC courses?  If a higher-than-permitted traffic count is observed, is the event called off?  Or does it just affect 'future events?' 

Abandoning an event due to a traffic count during the event would be nearly impossible: you'd have to take the count while the event was actually going on, because as has been noted, traffic levels vary with time of day.  Once the counter had ascertained that the traffic levels really were too high and weren't just a blip for a minute or so, most riders would be on the road and abandoning would be almost pointless.  Events have been abandoned due to collisions during the event (e.g. a 100 a few years ago where both Oranj and I were riding) but I've never heard of one being abandoned due to a traffic count on the day.

However, yes, traffic counts are adhered to.  Courses have been lost, and others have been restricted to certain times of day: the London East courses on the E2 start at ridiculous times of day (e.g. 5am for the ECCA 100) and restrict the number of riders so that they can be off the main road section before the permitted time.  The North Mids district recently voted to drop their courses on the A1 due to the result of a single traffic count, but then decided to stay that decision and carry out more traffic counts at the next couple of events, before making a decision based on   better information. 

The traffic limits themselves are the same as when they were instigated, which was a very long time ago.  I think it was some time around the 1970s.

[joy of essex]

It has been said that the E2 may only be there for another  season. The reason , I understand, is the completion of the dual carriage way up to Norwich. So Norfolk  now sort of has a motorway.

[rob]

It has been said that the E2 may only be there for another  season. The reason , I understand, is the completion of the dual carriage way up to Norwich. So Norfolk  now sort of has a motorway.

Hopefully doing the ECCA 50 and the Shaftesbury middlemarkers 25 (only one I can get into) next year.    The 100 is the weekend after my planned 12hr so doesn't fit that well.

[L CC]

It has been said that the E2 may only be there for another  season. The reason , I understand, is the completion of the dual carriage way up to Norwich. So Norfolk  now sort of has a motorway.

The A11 dualling has reduced journey times by increasing the average speed over the journey not by reducing the stops and slow downs but by increasing the moving speed. The 5 ways roundabout at Barton Mills is a major accident blackspot. Locals reckon part of the issue is that a relatively high proportion of the traffic is US servicemen unused to UK road conditions, crossing on the A1101 from BSE to the bases.
I wouldn't want to ride on it except maybe stupidly early in the morning.

[Lady Cavendish]

This is my favourite TT course. I would be gutted to lose it. I've never felt unsafe on it, I feel more unsafe on our local single lane A4 one.

[rob]

It has been said that the E2 may only be there for another  season. The reason , I understand, is the completion of the dual carriage way up to Norwich. So Norfolk  now sort of has a motorway.

The A11 dualling has reduced journey times by increasing the average speed over the journey not by reducing the stops and slow downs but by increasing the moving speed. The 5 ways roundabout at Barton Mills is a major accident blackspot. Locals reckon part of the issue is that a relatively high proportion of the traffic is US servicemen unused to UK road conditions, crossing on the A1101 from BSE to the bases.
I wouldn't want to ride on it except maybe stupidly early in the morning.

As far as I know there aren't any TT courses that use Barton Mills.   The furthest North the E2 courses turn is at Red Lodge.   The B courses on the A11 go as far south as Snetterton.   There has been talk of using the new bit of A11 which would likely be pretty fast, but the turn would be a death trap unless you used it very early morning.

[Karla]

It has been said that the E2 may only be there for another  season. The reason , I understand, is the completion of the dual carriage way up to Norwich. So Norfolk  now sort of has a motorway.

Hopefully doing the ECCA 50 and the Shaftesbury middlemarkers 25 (only one I can get into) next year.    The 100 is the weekend after my planned 12hr so doesn't fit that well.

Aah so you're planning to do the Newbury 12?  See you there.  We just need to get Oranj riding and we can incorporate a yacf 12 hour championship into the event   

[rob]

It has been said that the E2 may only be there for another  season. The reason , I understand, is the completion of the dual carriage way up to Norwich. So Norfolk  now sort of has a motorway.

Hopefully doing the ECCA 50 and the Shaftesbury middlemarkers 25 (only one I can get into) next year.    The 100 is the weekend after my planned 12hr so doesn't fit that well.

Aah so you're planning to do the Newbury 12?  See you there.  We just need to get Oranj riding and we can incorporate a yacf 12 hour championship into the event   

Oh heck.   Pressure.   Frank rode this year as well.   Fast course and very straightforward for riders and helpers.

I PB'd and broke the club record this year so I'm not sure where the improvement will come from.

[L CC]

It has been said that the E2 may only be there for another  season. The reason , I understand, is the completion of the dual carriage way up to Norwich. So Norfolk  now sort of has a motorway.

Hopefully doing the ECCA 50 and the Shaftesbury middlemarkers 25 (only one I can get into) next year.    The 100 is the weekend after my planned 12hr so doesn't fit that well.

Aah so you're planning to do the Newbury 12?  See you there.  We just need to get Oranj riding and we can incorporate a yacf 12 hour championship into the event   

If we don't tell LadyC I'll be a shoo-in for the Ladies

[Lady Cavendish]

F**k that I ain't doing 12 hours. I like things to be over in 56 minutes

[rob]

Was a great day last year.   There was an audaxers corner at the start.   Best spot for supporters is outside the Hen & Chicken at Upper Froyle - the landlord opens early specially.   

Wondering how many fast riders will be there as the nationals are 2 weeks later in Wales.

[Frank9755]

Fast morning on the B100/4 and brought my PB down to 4:10:13.   Properly stuffed now as I can never sleep the night before a race.

Well done Rob - that's exactly the same as my PB! (last year on the Etwall course)

[Frank9755]

So I'm doing a 12 hour on Sunday.

weather forecast

This could be horrible.

Just fit some mudguards. Frank9755 reckons they're faster anyway https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=92491.msg1904198#msg1904198 

Read on and you'll see I ended up recommending a skirt guard!

[Frank9755]

I'm 40th
Frank9755 is 68th. 
Hippy, if he's still round here, is 20th.

The club hillclimb is this weekend.  I've been in full beer and pie mode ever since the BBAR finished but I'll do it, just for the lolz.  Oh yes, and because we have the mother of all cafe stops afterwards 

Well done, Greg - looks like you've had a great season.

My BBAR is a good few notches down from last year.  My excuse is that my rides were on three consecutive weekends in descending distance order - which I have to say I won't be doing again!

Our hill climb is next weekend.  We have a two-up 10 first, then a good cafe stop (Deep Mill Diner for W Londoners), then the hill climb followed by a pub lunch.  Finally, a tipsy 40-mile ride home as it gets dark!

[Karla]

The Teesside 100 course has just been re-measured as 99.834 miles. 

My ride is now void.
My BBAR is now void too, as that was my only 100 of the season.
More importantly, Richard Bideau's comp record 3:18:54 is now void.
He also loses the BBAR.

Fuckmuppets.

[simonp]

Wow. That sucks.

[marcusjb]

Bloody hell Pharti, that is awful. What a mess!

[Ian H]

Yes, that is a bit of a bugger. 

I rode a 25 earlier this year where the course had to change at the very last minute because of roadworks.  The timekeeper was getting short-tempered at having to direct riders to the new start.  They started the first few from one point, then decided that was wrong, so moved about 200m further back.  Once they'd started the event there was no-one at the HQ and no instructions, so several later arrivals turned round and went home.  Then the results took well over a month to arrive.

But it was only a 25.

(...ish)

[Peter]

Just as important is the fact that I've had to live most of my life with people spelling my natal area as Teeside (or County Durban, which at least goes with Natal area).

Bad luck, though, G.

[rob]

Been away from the TT forum for a while so only just picked up on this.   Terrible news, PPB.   Feel for you after the ride you pulled out.

Mate of mine from the Lindsey Roads PB'd that day as well.   

Shame for all involved as it sounds like it was a perfect day as well.

[Legs]

...On the day that Howard is referring to, Ralph Dadswell and Marina Bloom also obliterated the mixed tandem trike record (I think that they nearly beat 4 hours).

Shouldn't the National Committee consider granting the power to scale times for events which on subsequent remeasuring are, say, less than 0.3% shy of intended length?  Dividing RB's time by .99834 gives him 3:19:14.  Painless, and fair considering that the mistake was made by officials, not by the riders.  It is difficult to argue that the remaining 267m would have taken him significantly longer than 20s (and fatuous to argue about hypothetical punctures and mechanicals).

I'm not familiar with the measuring protocol, but if the course was initially given the okay, surely it got measured as >=100 miles at least once?  How many times does a course get measured?  What is the typical variance?  Over the course of 100 miles, I can foresee quite a difference between the various lines that riders could adopt around roundabouts and corners...