Bossard Wheelers '10' 9th May 2009

This time trial is an annual event for me - and in fact Richard (the organiser) this year emailed to remind me of it!  As has so often been the case this year, it was a pretty windy day, with all the signs indicating the race would be a flyer on the outward leg, but a real grovel back to the finish.

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And so it proved.  However, to backtrack slightly.  It became immediately obvious that there were real problems with my HRM bike computer.  For a start it was registering about twice my actual speed.  This was (and remains) something of a mystery.  I've checked in case it was some kind of prank played by a clubmate - but no.  I can only assume it's the transmitter on the fork blade playing up.  And to cap the dismay, the heart rate display kept leaping up to unfeasible levels, such as 228bpm.  I was using a chest transmitter unit that was really rather old, and I suspect that the battery life was pretty much expired.

For the race, I decided to remove the chest strap, and assume the registered speed was about twice the real speed.  After a brief chat with other riders (and noting that tomorrow's Norlond '30' was to be held on the A1 south of Tempsford, following last weekend's fatal accident), I set off to warm up a bit before the race.

I lined up and started my HRM's timer as my minute man departed.  After a brief bit of banter with the timekeeper in connection with my beard (which does seem to cause quite a considerable amount of interest), I was off.  Sure enough, the outward leg was a flier, interrupted only by traffic obstruction at the Billington roundabout.  But once past the obstruction, I was back up to a decent speed pretty much all the way to the turn.

The short descent from the turn got my speed up again, but all too briefly, as the stiff headwind began to take its toll.  My speed was definitely reduced, particularly on the drags.  Still, I caught at least one rider on the return leg.  I got past the Billington roundabout cleanly, and finished in 23:05 - at least according to my HRM timer.  I was hugely pleased with that time on such a hard day.

Unfortunately I ended up with 23:25 - either my HRM had a further aberration, or there was time-keeping glitch (and I wasn't about to kick up a fuss - remember, the timekeeper is always right!).  That was enough for 13th place, I think, and a result I was pretty happy with.  I've also decided to change my training strategy to allow me by altering my daily routine to allow more time for proper training.  See the Team Grumpy blog for more!

Results:

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Pos No Name Club Cat Vets Std Time +/- std Std Pos
1 70 Tony Gibb Plowman Craven-Madison Sen   20:41      
2 10 Brett Harwood Westbrook Cycles/Scott Sen   21:15      
3 65 Tim Carter North Bucks Road Club Vet 25:54 21:21 + 4:33 6
4 60 Jon Simpkins Banbury Star CC Sen   21:23      
5 50 Jason Gurney Team Milton Keynes Sen   21:44      
6 41 Leigh Smith Alpha RC Sen   22:12      
7 51 Sam Hayes Beds Road CC Sen   22:38      
8 55 Nick Druce Didcot Phoenix Sen   22:45      
9 20 Simon Cannings Team Milton Keynes Sen   22:47      
10 16 Simon Howes Westbrook Cycles/Scott Sen   22:50      
11 25 Carl Bond Kenton RC Sen   23:17      
12 21 Richard Webster Team Welwyn Vet 25:30 23:19 + 2:11 24
13 56 Rob Saunders North Bucks Road Club Vet 27:20 23:25 + 3:55 9
14 31 Dr Simon Baker Bicester Millennium CC Vet 26:06 23:27 + 2:39 21
15 11 Jeremy Mulkern Aylesbury CC Vet 27:07 23:32 + 3:35 14
16 46 Geoff Perry Team Milton Keynes Vet 27:20 23:33 + 3:47 12
17 35 Richard Noon Icknield RC Vet 26:42 23:37 + 3:05 19
18 62 Russell Rowles Spirit Racing Team Vet 27:07 23:44 + 3:23 17
19 57 Stephen Thomas Stevenage CC Vet 27:33 23:55 + 3:38 13
20 15 John Bourton Fairly United CT Vet 28:52 23:57 + 4:55 4
21 8 Gareth Richards Roy Pink Cycles RT Sen   23:58      
21 22 Geoff Bunyan Spirit Racing Team Vet 27:07 23:58 + 3:09 18
23 66 Chris Greig High Wycombe CC Sen   24:00      
24 45 Ian Brazier Verulam CC Vet 26:54 24:01 + 2:53 20
25 63 Tim Davies Icknield RC Vet 25:42 24:13 + 1:29 31
26 61 Roger Porter Verulam CC Vet 30:16 24:26 + 5:50 2
27 12 Dave Wentworth Team Saleengine.co.uk Vet 28:38 24:27 + 4:11 7
28 33 David Mobbs Banbury Star CC Sen   24:28      
29 36 Andrew Murray Hemel Hempstead CC Vet 25:30 24:30 + 1:00 34
30 52 Simon Layfield Team Welwyn Vet 26:18 24:36 + 1:42 30
31 67 Adrian Feek Team Quest/The Bike Shop Vet 25:42 24:49 + 0:53 35
32 9 David Ledgerton Hitchin Nomads CC Vet 26:18 24:54 + 1:24 32
33 13 Les Church Camel Valley C & TC - Dales Sen   25:07      
34 68 Lyndon Lewis Beds Road CC Vet 27:33 25:08 + 2:25 22
35 23 Brian Foran Lampard RC Vet 27:20 25:18 + 2:02 25
36 37 Alan Harvey Shorter Rochford RT Vet 30:30 25:24 + 5:06 3
37 58 Matt Chudley Beds Road CC Sen   25:27      
38 28 Clive Corns Icknield RC Vet 29:20 25:29 + 3:51 11
39 43 Stuart Simmonds Lewes Wanderers Vet 26:54 25:33 + 1:21 33
40 42 Frank Pressling Maidenhead & District CC Vet 30:30 25:49 + 4:41 5
41 17 Graham Pepperdine Verulam CC Vet 26:30 25:51 + 0:39 36
42 38 Merv Player Herts Wheelers Vet 33:34 25:55 + 7:39 1
43 69 Paul Hall Beds Road CC Vet 25:54 25:57 0:03 38
44 64 Clive Faine Team Milton Keynes Vet 30:16 26:18 + 3:58 8
45 54 Andy Barrett Spirit Racing Team Vet 26:42 26:39 + 0:03 37
46 27 Peter Lock Victoria/Ciclos Uno/PCA/Pro-lite CC Vet 25:54 26:41 0:47 39
47 49* Mrs Yvone Gurney Team Milton Keynes Lady   27:07      
48 24* Bob Brabbins Victoria/Ciclos Uno/PCA/Pro-lite CC Vet 31:00 27:27 + 3:33 16
49 48 Les Morris VTTA L & Home Cos Vet 31:15 27:41 + 3:34 15
50 19* Katherine Dilks North Bucks Road Club Lady   27:52      
51 14* John Pfeifer Icknield RC Vet 32:00 28: 09 + 3:51 10
52 59* Chris James Willesden CC Vet 30:16 28:20 + 1:56 28
53 18 Brian Moon Willesden CC Vet 30:30 28:33 + 1:57 27
54 34* Tony Baines Icknield RC Vet 30:45 28:53 + 1:52 29
55 29* William Gladwin Hillingdon CC Vet 33:18 31:19 + 1:59 26
56 39* Ronald Purdy Willesden CC Vet 34:22 32:07 + 2:15 23
57 7* Marty Rabbitte Bossard Wheelers Vet 26:54 32:23 5:29 40
  26 Malcolm Ash Aylesbury CC Vet 30:16 DNS Apol      
  30 David Johnson High Wycombe CC Vet 27:46 DNS      
  32 Keith Richardson Mildenhall CC Sen   DNS Apol      
  40 Gareth Rose Icknield RC Vet 25:54 DNS      
  47 Aaron McCaffrey AW Cycles.co.uk Sen   DNS      
  53 Stewart King High Wycombe CC Vet 27:07 DNS Apol      
  44* Paul Harknett Camel Valley C & TC - Dales Vet 31:00 DNS Apol