The weather forecast didn't bode well for this event - not only strong and gusty winds of around 25mph, but heavy showers were predicted. Actually, I was indoors when the big shower blew over, and all I really had to deal with was the stupidly strong wind. Accordingly, I'd replaced my usual H3 with a standard road wheel before I rode over to the race HQ at the Marston Moretaine social club.It was quite clear by the time I arrived that my choice of front wheel was a wise one - even the standard road wheel was slightly twitchy. I hung around at the HQ for as long as possible before riding over to the start at the top of Brogborough hill, about 3.4 miles or so. Happily, it stayed dry, and I didn't have to wait for long before my start.Descending Brogborough hill was rather quick. I recorded a maximum of 73.2 kph, and I'm sure it would have been faster had I the courage to stay on the tribars all the way down! From there to the turn, it was seriously fast, mostly at 46-54 kph (well in excess of 30 mph), only easing back for a car at the first roundabout.  Having said that, I don't think I was taking full advantage of the tail wind, as I can't really pedal at high cadence when in the aero tuck position. The marshal at the turn was warning riders of gusts across the roundabout. This advice was very good!Once round the turn, things took a turn for the worse. I found myself grovelling back to the finish, struggling to keep my speed over 20mph. I was consoled by seeing decent power figures, so at least I knew I was making an effort. On the return leg I was having trouble steering round the myriad potholes while steering the bike in the strong headwind. Eventually, the finish time keeper came into view, and I finished in a disappointing 24:19. Mind you, this was the windiest time trial I can recall ever riding. 

By the time I rode up to Astwood for this evening's club event the conditions, while dry, had got decidedly windy. As a result, the leg out to Chicheley was really rather twitchy. But somewhat oddly there were places in that section where I found it quite sheltered. Still, the upshot was that once past Chicheley, my pace picked up with more than a smidge of wind assistance.The roadworks before North Crawley seem pretty much complete, with some nice smooth tarmac - though as a fellow competitor observed before the race, had it rained the greasy surface wouldn't have been much fun. The speed kept reasonably well through North Crawley and on past the University road. I pressed on, oblivious (nearly!) to the tugging wind. Just past the Cranfield turn, I started hearing a tick-tick-tick from my bike...clearly something on a wheel striking the frame (or the reverse)...Somewhat alarmed, I looked down at my wheels, and couldn't see anything amiss. Sadly, I was wrong. A few hundred metres further on, I was cornering when the rear tyre blew quite noisily. Somewhat gingerly I came to a halt. Ho hum! I set off on the trudge back towards the finish.  Oddly, I could still hear the ticking noise...after a bit, I saw the actual cause of the noise and puncture - a half-inch nail protruding from the tyre sidewall. I doubt any tyre could have resisted that treatment.[caption id="attachment_2888" align="alignright" width="150"] The offending nail![/caption]Geoff, one of my fellow competitors, came to fetch me - and took me home so I could repair the puncture in a bit more comfort - for which I am hugely grateful! I do hope this doesn't mark the return of "Puncture" Bob!I presume the ticking noise was the nail protruding from my rear tyre and striking the frame. I've yet to have a look and see what damage (presumably cosmetic) my frame has suffered.

I maintain several other related websites:Wonderful Life is a blog covering my interests in atheism, particularly as they relate to biology and creationism.North Bucks Road Club is the website of my cycling club.Northwood Wheelers is a website dedicated to the eponymous (but now defunct) cycling club, of which my father was a member.Team Grumpy features stories concerning cycle timetrialling, particularly as they relate to 2-up team time trials.The Team Grumpy blog is Team Grumpy’s blog, and most definitely tongue in cheek.

The rather sunny conditions belied the actual temperature as Tony and I got our bikes ready to ride in this event. It was actually pretty nippy in the car park, but once we got racing, I found it quite comfortable. For this event, I'd got out my trusty old Corima disc wheel and paired it with a newly refurbished Hed Stinger 90 (I removed the yellow tub and the yellow and red stickers). I was rather pleased that the chain wasn't jumping on the new cassette I'd fitted to the Corima. I was rather less pleased with the astonishingly loud howl that emanated from my bike every time I applied the rear brakes! That will need a bit of attention, I think.The F2D/10 uses the A428 dual carriageway, starting on the old road and joining the DC at the Cambourne interchange. It turns at the Madingley road junction. Conditions were pretty good, and I found the outward leg pretty quick. I like the turn as it feels a fair bit safer than Caxton Gibbett. The return was a bit tougher, particularly at the interchange that we ride past - there seems to be a striking descent at that point!Annoyingly, the finish of this course is just off the dual carriageway: you exit up the slip road at the Cambourne interchange, and take the first left to the finish. I was just about to catch my minute man when a small car entered the roundabout and displayed all the driving courage of a minnow. This held me up a very little but enough to annoy!I finished with 22:14 (my best '10' time since the 2010 season). Tony finished with 21:41 - so I'm gaining on him! All in all, quite a satisfying ride.Davey Jones was out on the course photographing - here's a picture of me near the turn (with my skinsuit leg riding up!)