The weather forecast for this event was pretty dire and led to quite a few riders not starting. As it turned out, the early starters got a dry ride, whereas us later starters had a pretty soggy time of it. The pretty cool and damp conditions kept my HR down (one might say dampened it).The event was on the F1B/25, which runs from Tempsford to the Baldock interchange and back, and which is rather more severely undulating than the F1/25 (see the reports on the Verulam CC and Finsbury Park CC time trials). There was an irritating 9mph wind from the SE (according the the weather reports - but it felt stiffer), which made the outbound leg quite tough. More annoyingly, the rain had started by the time I reached the Sandy roundabout, and just got heavier as the race progressed. The motor traffic was on the whole not excessive, and kept a good distance, for which I was glad, given the conditions I was racing in.The Biggleswade South roundabout has had a major makeover - extra lanes and a spanking new tarmac has been laid. Scorching across obviously greasy new tarmac in the rain seemed a bit risky, so I took this carefully. By the time I rounded the turn, the rain was absolutely throwing itself down. I felt quite sorry for the marshals having to stand out in the elements![caption id="attachment_3260" align="alignnone" width="474"] Exiting the F1B/25 turn in heavy rain - Photo: Davey Jones[/caption]The photo above is another fine one from Davey Jones, who commented

I think I would close my eyes if I took a wet RAB at that angle!!

Actually, I was having  a bit of trouble with the rain getting in my eyes! Despite the rain (which had my shoes squelching water out with every pedal revolution), the return leg was pretty quick. The F1B/25 turn is higher than the finish, so on the whole the return can be quite quick, assuming one can deal with the climbs. I finished with 58:06, which was quite a respectable time. My mate Tony finished with 58:01, though he’d been fannying around with his Garmin computer on the outward leg.Here are the top 20 finishers - 42 riders finished out of around 78 on the start sheet.

Position	Name	Club	Time
1	Simon Norman	Bedfordshire Road CC	00:53:39
2	Dave Lazenby	Silverstone Cycle-Baines Racing	00:54:29
3	Jason Stuart	CC Ashwell	00:56:00
4	Carl Whitwell	St Ives CC	00:56:02
5	Neil Wood	Lichfield City CC	00:56:29
6	Mathilde Matthijsse	Bonito Squadra Corse	00:57:01
7	Richard Hutt	Harp RC	00:57:16
8	Nick Hitchens	Peterborough CC	00:57:58
9	Tony Parks	North Bucks RC	00:58:01
10	Robert Saunders	North Bucks RC	00:58:05
11	Tom Sykes	Ely & District CC	00:58:15
12	Ben Wilson	Hitchin Nomads CC	00:58:22
13	Geoff Bunyan	Bossard Whs	00:58:50
14	Peter Gell	Bedfordshire Road CC	00:59:07
15	Alan Crane	Chronos RT	00:59:16
16	Andrew Digby	Verulam CC	00:59:16
17	Ian Bashford	Old Portlians CC	00:59:19
18	Tom Sharpe	VC Norwich	00:59:30
19	Ian Markham	Chronos RT	00:59:46
20	Richard Moule	Bossard Whs	01:00:02

Another occasion on which the alternative Stony course was required - due to the same roadworks issues as before. Mind you, no one had repaired the dodgy road surfaces on this course! On a muggy and hot evening, a stellar field of 10 veterans turned out to contest the event.

No much to report really - it was tough all the way round, though I’m getting closer to being able to correctly down-gear for that nasty nip after the lengthy descent from Whaddon on the return leg. I finished in 26:48 to take the win - also good enough to win on veteran standard. It was a close thing - the top four places were withing 25 seconds.I rode the event on the P3 - mostly because it’s set up with H3 trispokes with alloy braking surfaces - the weather forecast suggested it might be wet (though it wasn’t at all wet for the race as it turned out).

Pos	No	Name	Club	Time	Cat	Vets Std	.+ / -	Vets Std
1	5	Robert Saunders	NBRC	26.48	V54	28.43	.+ 1.55	1
2	6	Ant Newland	Bossard Wheelers CC	26.53	V48	28.13	.+ 1.20	2
3	8	Mark Ellis	TeamMK	27.05	V50	28.23	.+ 1.18	3
4	9	Jason Lee	TeamMK	27.13	V45	27.59	.+ 0.46	5
5	10	Andy Wickham	NBRC	27.47	V44	27.54	.+ 0.07	7
6	2	Andy Smith	TeamMK	27.50	V57	29.00	.+1.10	4
7	1	Graham Line	NBRC	28.04	V49	28.18	.+ 0.14	6
8	3	Geoff Perry	TeamMK	28.53	V54	28.43	.- 0.10	8
9	7	Trevor Watson	Bossard Wheelers CC	31.10	V55	28.48	.- 2.22	9
10	4	Luke Daniells	NBRC	32.16	V41	27.39	.- 4.37	10

 

A sunny but breezy morning saw a field of around 80 riders signed up for this event, possibly the last that will be held on the F1/25, owing to the impending installation of traffic lights at the famous Black Cat roundabout.It was pretty clear while warming up that the southbound legs of the event were going to be the most challenging, and so it proved.Just after starting, as I was riding up the drag to the Tempsford flyover, someone (evidently warming up and with a later number then me) pulled out of a side road, causing me to have to deviate from my path. This was a bit annoying, and also a bit uncalled for! But no serious damage caused. Once over the flyover, I raced down the slip road to the A1, and found the going quite tough, due to the headwind. There was some unfortunate on the roadside who’d evidently had a mechanical - he was wiping his hands on grass as I passed. I circled the Sandy roundabout, and as soon as I set out northbound, things felt pretty good. The bloke on the roadside was still fiddling with his bike, so presumably it was race over for him. For the northbound leg, I was cruising along faster than 30 mph a lot of the time, with serious doubts about how easy the return leg would be.Once round the Buckden turn, things got a bit more interesting, with the nagging headwind threatening to derail my efforts. Bizarrely, my speed seemed to fluctuate quite a bit, with some sections being quite quick (probably a combination of descent and shelter from the headwind), while others were a bit slower. Unfortunately, the latter predominated.[caption id="attachment_3253" align="alignnone" width="640"] Just after the Buckden turn. Photo: Davey Jones[/caption]At the Black Cat, the road surface leaves a lot to be desired - I dodged the curved tarmac trench that threatened to dictate my passage through the roundabout, and emerged in good style on the other side, with rather less than two miles to go. I grit my teeth and tried my damnedest to keep some speed up until I reached the line.I finished in 56:34, good enough for 12th place. With the 2014 Duo Normand in less than two months from now, it seems my form is finally beginning to surface.Here are the top 12 finishers (full results can be found at the CTT website):

Pos	Rider	Club	Time	N1
1	Mark Arnold	CC Desiragear	00:52:43	V
2	Luke Clarke	TMG Horizon Cycling Team	00:53:48
3	Nigel Hale	Hertfordshire Whs	00:54:32	V (LN)
4	Carl Whitwell	St Ives CC	00:54:48	V
5	Martin Reynolds	Cambridge CC	00:55:16	V
6	Ian Pike	Fenland RC	00:55:29	V
7	Tim Davies	Icknield RC	00:55:55	V
8	Jason Green	Bedfordshire Road CC	00:56:06
9	Julian King	Welwyn Whs	00:56:21	V (LN)
10	Neil Dowie	Shorter Rochford	00:56:25	V
11	Paul Smith	Catford CC	00:56:28	V
12	Robert Saunders	North Bucks RC	00:56:34	V (LN)

Another glorious evening brought out 15 riders, including six North Bucks members, to this event on the Stagsden course. There was only a gentle breeze which, while it did make the outward leg a bit harder than the return, was rather nice as it was bearing the summery scent of wheat harvesting from the the nearby fields. OK, poetic bit over, how did the race go?

The Stagsden course is never as fast as one might expect, mostly because it’s quite undulating. Indeed, the opening part involves a nasty drag up to Astwood. I was off as number 13 (it’s a good job I’m not superstitious), so I had to opportunity to catch a few riders, and to see how others looked on the return leg as I approached the turn. Unfortunately, I felt like I was riding through treacle, and the sight of other riders flying back from the turn didn’t serve to increase my optimism! Still, sense prevailed and I kept up the effort. The explanation, of course, was that the return leg has several significant descents which (though shallow) serve to give the rider a spell of 35+ mph riding. Oh, and I guess a slight tailwind can only have helped!

This was another warm and humid evening, with a rather noticable blustery wind. It wasn’t obvious where the wind might benefit the riders, and this wasn’t helped by conflicting comments from riders who’d been warming up on the course.As it turned out, I found some assistance on the ride out to the dual carriageway section, but actually there was enough side wind to make my front wheel a bit twitchy at times. Once out on the dual carriageway, we were on the newly chipped road surface. Thankfully there were no loose chippings left, but the new surface was a little rough. On the other hand the potholes have gone!The dual carriageway was a bit heavy going at times, due both to the new surface and the nagging wind, which was most definitely catching my front wheel. Round the turn, and I was going a fair bit faster.After leaving the dual carriageway, I felt like I was losing it a bit: the breeze here was definitely a hindrance, especially on the false flat in the run-up to the finish. As I crossed the line, I stopped the timer on my Garmin and looked at the time. I couldn’t actually read it (blame age-related visual issues!). It also turned out I’d not stopped the clock anyway. My best guess was that I’d done a short 23.Back at the meeting point, the riders congregated for the usual deconstruction of their efforts. No-one seemed particularly delighted with their expected times, and there were several of us around the 23 minute mark. Eventually the timekeepers returned clutching the clipboard. It turned out I’d won with 22:56 by a narrow margin!

My first open event for some weeks, mostly due to personal commitments and a seeming paucity of events in London North. The organisers were using the Sandy Sports Centre as the race HQ, which is a bit slicker than the traditional HQ over at Tempsford, but a bit further from the race start. It was a pretty good morning - quite warm, but not as humid as of late, and with a gentle 7mph wind from the northwest that promised to be a headwind on the longer northbound leg. This was to be the debut of my new TT bike, a rather extravagent purchase of a Cervelo P5!

We had around 64 riders on the start sheet - I was #46 with the scratch rider at #70. The numbers didn’t correspond to start times in the usual way, which may have contributed to three late starts! I wandered over to sign on and collect my number before returning to the car to set up my bike. I was using my old Hed Stinger 90 front and Corima disc rear, both with Conti tubs (though the Stinger had a more budget tub than the disc wheel!), so no power data were to be collected.

Once again, we were forced onto the replacement course that runs from Stony out via Calverton and Whaddon to turn at the A421. This time, of course, we were rather better prepared for the legions of parked cars and sharp turns that characterised the course.  The evening itself wasn’t too breezy, but was overcast and hot and muggy.

I got off to a pretty good start, and settled into the predominantly uphill outward leg. Really the only issue started at Whaddon. On the run up towards Whaddon, I could see Graham desperately trying to get round a slow moving tractor. As I approached him, we were passed by a couple of cars, who then had to trundle along behind said tractor. Neither Graham nor I could make it past the tractor once it started going uphill, and by the time the entire procession of tractor, cars and cyclists reached Whaddon, we found ourselves static as the tractor gave way to oncoming traffic, and the two cars did odd manoeuvres. Eventually we were moving again, though somewhat slowed by the tractor, which went all the way to the turn. 

Each year, the North Bucks club event calendar includes one event run over two laps of the Atwood circuit. This is one of the longer events in our calendar, at a shade over 20 miles. It’s a fun event, given the nature of the course, and one that I always look forward to.

I tried my best to get out of the house a little earlier than the last time we rode at Astwood, but failed to avoind the level crossing en route to the race. Once again I found myself held up while two trains passed and ended up dashing to the start. I arrived after the first few rides had departed!

Another long day at work left me tired and uncertain how well I’d ride at this club event. We did have a good turnout, possibly because it wasn’t a bad evening, with a light and variable wind. 

Lining up at the start, as number 17, I was rather aware of traffic coming past, fresh out of the newly ‘upgraded’ roundabout behind me. As usual, my passage through the first roundabout was somewhat cautious as a result, with the next being quite straightforward. On up the drag to the roundabout where we turn left onto the dual carriageway, and I was pleased o feel rather good, keeping a decent speed up until the roundabout itself.

Another lovely evening saw a good turnout of 16 riders for this event on the Stony Stratford course. Sadly, we were unable to use the regular course due to roadworks, so we switched to an alternative. Instead of heading to a turn on the A421 via Beachampton and Nash, we headed out via Calverton and Whaddon, to turn at a different roundabout on the A421.This road isn't one I ride frequently, and it was the first time I'd raced this course. I found it a particularly technical course, with many sharp turns, and frequently dubious road surface, so I was off the tri-bars quite frequently (deciding discretion was the better part of valour!). There did seem to be cars parked along the course, which one needed to be aware of, but the most alarming event was when one of my racing colleagues took a turn rather fast and appeared to be heading for a head-on collision with me! I say "appeared" because  his bike handling skills were pretty much up to coping with the turn.At one point I found myself on an unexpectedly sharp (though fortunately short) climb after a lengthy and fast descent, which reduced me to grovelling up in an entirely inappropriate gear. I'd actually be quite keen to have another go on this course, now I've got a feel for it.The event, 10.6 miles, was won by Anthony Batt with an excellent 25:43 - despite one of his tribar extensions coming loose. I was fourth with 27:40.Results at the NBRC website.

A lovely evening brought out a good field of 25 riders for this NBRC club event. I had a bit of a mad dash to the event after getting held up at a level crossing waiting for two trains to pass, eventually signing on after the first riders had started. Still, I got there and managed my first ride for a few weeks (cycling holiday, illness, then work commitments being collectively responsible).After I started, I found myself going pretty well on the main road through Chicheley. My modifications to the saddle seem to have helped solve the problems I'd had sliding forwards on the saddle. Sadly, modifications like this are UCI-illegal - fortunately, CTT sanctioned events don't insist on UCI-legality!Rounding the first turn after Chicheley, I was still pedalling smoothly, and it wasn't until the approaches to North Crawley that I began dropping speed. This little climb always saps my speed, and I didn't regain my momentum until I'd exited North Crawley. From there, it's the usual ups and downs of a sporting course, but I was hopeful of recording a '23' in this event. (I couldn't read the smaller numbers on my computer by this time due to sweat in my sunglasses!).I approached the descent before the finish squinting at my computer - was a sub 24 ride still possible? On the first bit of climb to the finish, all seemed possible, but I flagged a bit on the main bit of climb to record 24:11. Oh well, not too bad given my lay-off from time trialling over the last few weeks!Results at the NBRC website (I came 7th, in the midst of a stack of riders who'd done 24s). 

This was my first time trial in some weeks, due to being on cycling holiday, returning with a cold, and then work commitments. Not only had this restricted my racing, but my training has been affected by that dratted cold. This event had been entered some time back and I was keen to have a first ride on the F11/10, a local fast course based on the A41 Tring bypass. The course itself is  characterised by having a fairly steep descent about halfway through (see the Garmin trace below) which you don't have to come back up.In advance of the event, there had been some internet chatter about the road surface on sections of the course. Apparently the formerly smooth surface had been 'improved' by top dressing with gravel. In places, this was supposed to be dangerously deep in loose chippings. But according to others, there was no problems, just a rough road surface. In any event, Tony and I drove round the course beforehand, partly to have a look at the chippings and partly to recce the course's turns (the first turn is a poorly sighted double roundabout that passes under the A41).The event was actually two events - one with male, female, juvenile and tandem categories, and the other with another 150 riders! The HQ was in a pretty good cafe/sports place in Aston Clinton (The Hub), and after driving round the course, we parked near the HQ, collected our numbers and set the bikes up.  A brief warmup later, and I was about to start on a slip road leading down to the A41. By this time a rather blustery wind had built up, though it wasn't clear what effect that might have.Setting off, I rolled down the slip road, building up a decent speed. Sadly this seemed to evaporate as I joined the A41 and encountered the dreaded road surface with chippings. This really had a bit of a negative effect on my speed - all of a sudden, I seemed to be struggling to keep things above 25mph! Well, it did get a bit better, but then I got stopped at the first turn. The marshal was doing an excellent job of indicating that there was traffic oncoming from the right. The line of sight isn't great, and I slowed to see what he was warning about. Sadly it was a line of about eight cars, and I ended up having to stop. Annoying, but the safer approach!Moving again, I got round the turn with no further traffic problems, and set off again onto the A41. Again, the lengthy patches of newly chipped road surface were horrid to ride, rather like riding a pneumatic drill, but I did see some decent speeds on the descent and beyond. The second turn isn't too bad, a roundabout that you approach directly on the road rather than by slip roads. I had a clean passage round and headed back up to the finish. This final section was really quite tough at times, with the blustery wind causing my speed to fluctuate quite markedly. I crossed the finish line with around 22:20 on my computer (actually 23:20, since I started my computer's timer when the guy in front started), leaving me wondering just how much time the hold-up at the first turn had cost me. Back at the HQ, however, I'd been given the time of 22:31, which annoyed me a bit but, hey, I hadn't done a stellar ride and I never go questioning the timekeeper. Tony P. did 21:53 and Geoff B. 21:57.There was much chat about the conditions of the road and weather, with most riders complaining about both. Apparently the wind direction wasn't the ideal direction for this course. And everyone hated the chippings. So, the usual time trial grumblings! Anyway, despite the road surface and the wind, the event was won on an 18.I regretted my choice of wheels. I'd chosen to ride a Hed Stinger 90 front and Corima disc rear, both with 20mm tubulars at 140psi. I think I'd have been a bit better with the H3 front and Hed-Powertap disc rear with the 22mm clinchers at about 110psi. I think those would have dealt with the rough road surface a bit better.

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.

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!)

I had high hopes for this evening's event - recent performances had suggested that my form was picking up under the onslaught of increased training load. Plus the evening's conditions seemed rather promising. However, there seemed to be  quite a bit of traffic, which was making many of us at the start quite nervous.Indeed, I did get slightly held up at the first roundabout, as a chunk of traffic got in the way. From there, things got a bit easier - I tried using somewhat lower gears than usual on the climb up to the dual carriageway section, but found this just slowed me down. Once on the dual carriageway, it seemed rather heavy going (aggravated by a bus passing me rather too close for comfort), but once round the turn, I seemed to be absolutely flying.I dared hope for a sub-23 minute ride, but was sadly thwarted, finishing in a not so great 23:20.Results at the NBRC website. Here's the trace:

I attempted some modifications of my saddle - I attached a piece of cork bar tape to the nose of the saddle with a few bits of tub tape. Actually this was a bit rubbish, twice while riding to work in the morning, the tape came off and had to be rescued from my thighs! At work I fixed it better with some gaffer tape. This was probably just as well, since by the time Katja and I set off for Stony, the rain had begun to fall.After last week’s sunny conditions, it was perhaps unsurprising that tonight’s event was a bit like time trialling through a river. The rain wasn’t perhaps as who should say torrential, but it was very definitely heavier that one would like.I felt pretty good as I left the start line, and rapidly warmed up on the way to Beachampton. once through Beachampton, I climbed up to Nash. I usually attract all sorts of criticism for keeping my bike in a high gear and low cadence for the climb, so this time I thought I’d have a go a lower gear/higher cadence for the steepest bit of the climb. I didn’t really notice any greta benefit, indeed if anything I went slower!I negotiated the sharp left and right through Nash with caution, then sped up towards the turn. On the return leg, speeds were that much higher, as it’s more downhill. As it was still raining pretty heavily, I thought it prudent to take the corners with a modicum of caution. Despite this, I did clock some pretty good speeds on the main descents.I came in with 28:29, which I thought quite respectable given the conditions - good enought for second place, since one of the fast boys punctured with a few km to go.Oh, and the saddle modification not only lasted the course despite the rain but worked…Results at NBRC

This was a lovely sunny evening, though getting rapidly cooler as the evening went on. It was good to be back on the Astwood course - last time we were forced onto the alternative Stagsden course by road works.I felt reasonably OK - considerably more energetic than at Sunday’s ’25’ when I felt distinctly sub-par. Having said that, the problem with my over-slippy saddle was still noticeable. Every few pedal strokes saw me needing to push myself back onto the saddle again. Clearly some modification is needed! On the bright side, this was my first ride in the new club skinsuit. The current kit is sourced from Bio-Racer, and I was very pleased with its fit and construction (changing kit suppliers is always a bit anxious!).I finished with 24:42, I think - a bit slower than I’d have liked.Results at NBRC

I approached this event with some optimism after recent 10 mile results. However the event switched from the F1B/25 to the F1/25 due to roadworks. Everyone else seems to think the F1B/25 is the slower of the two courses, but I prefer it for a number of reasons. As an aside, this might be the last time I ride on the F1/25 - with the scheduled addition of traffic lights at the Black Cat, the course will be unusable.Over at Tempsford, we parked and were assailed with usual agri-stench from the nearby farm. The weather was exactly as forecast - only a gently 7mph westerly, and clear skies. Sadly it was rather cold I collected my number, donned my fleecy gloves, and rode off for a brief warmup. That left me feeling rather cold!From the off, I felt like I was ploughing through treacle. I hoped that I’d pick up a bit of speed on the slip road down to the A1, but that evaporated pretty quickly. I was riding along at 25-26mph a lot of the time, and I had a clear run through all the roundabouts. I did however find it pretty tough at several points after the Buckden turn, presumably a combination of gradient, the wind (albeit quite gentle!) and my general lassitude. By the time I crossed the Black Cat on the return, it was looking pretty touch and go whether I’d scrape under the hour (but frankly I though by then it would be unlikely). Indeed, I crossed the line in 1:00:40.I’m not sure what the problem was. I’ve suffered recently from pulling my rear wheel, but this was sorted the day before by a spot of judicious tinkering. I will admit to wondering if my wheel was rubbing on the frame after feeling so sluggish (but that definitely wasn’t the case).On the day, I just couldn’t lift my pace, and couldn’t get comfortable. Maybe this is just getting used to riding in the aero tuck position - which is made a bit more difficult as my new saddle seems rather slippy in combination with my club skinsuit. I’ve taken a bit of sandpaper to it (the saddle, not the skinsuit!) in an effort to make it a bit grippier.Davey Jones was out there on the course taking photographs. After the event, he lambasted me for using too big a gear!

This was an overcast evening, but rather nice conditions for a time trial. We were all a bit concerned by road changes associated with the roadworks at the Kelley’s Kitchen roundabout (and the impact of the traffic lights on traffic flow. On the evening, we moved the start and finish slightly.I felt pretty good all round, but nothing spectacular. I had a pretty clear run through all the roundabouts, but flagged a bit on the rising road up to the dual carriageway section.Despite my hopes for a sub-23, I recorded 23:02 for second place equal in a field mostly consisting of  veterans. Quite an acceptable outcome! Full results at the NBRC website.