Harp Hilly Hundred

We rode the 2011 HHH this Sunday, we being Julian and myself.
The HHH is the first of the reliability trials in the Chiltern Classics series, and one that 'has to be done'. As usual the weather was grim with the dark skies always threatening a downpour, luckilly that didn't happen.
We set off in the 15.5MPH group thinking the 18MPH would be to big a shout for this ride and being so early in the year.
Strangely for such a well attended event we were on our own pretty soon after starting, though we could see a group in the distance and we used them as a route guide in the early miles. However it soon became clear that the route was well marked and that encouraged us to up the pace.
Julian was riding strong, a result of commuting fixed. I however was holding back ever cautious of knowing what was to come. Though I was finding it easier than previous years and we were passing riders in large numbers. So I followed Julians pace and went for it.
With all the big hills done we hunkered down for the return home, then we hunkered down some more, and some more, but the last twenty miles went on forever. Riding side by side we assured ourselves that we had done okay, we had certainly passed plenty of riders on our way round, but it felt like it was taking too long to get home, but then we were on the final section and a downhill one at that. Had we gone under the fours hours? the club hut was just yards away, but we were stuck on a red light across the road....green and off again, park bikes and run upstairs to get the card stamped. Did we get in under four hours? did we ****. Four hours eleven minutes.
Oh well.
Very roughly we covered 66 miles with just over 4,300' of climbing, so not too shabby.

Early setback for 2011

Just managed three good rides between Christmas and falling ill with man-flu on New years day.
I had hoped to get a steady 500km in the period after Christmas and starting work again on 4th January, but illness arrived suddenly after getting home from my New Years Day ride, so the clock stopped at a little over 300Km
So right now I can't even hold the handlebars, lets hope all is well by the weekend.

LVRC National Cyclocross Championships

Ashorne in Warwickshire hosted the 2010 Championships, and greeted the forty plus souls that made it there with a temperature of -12 and deep laying snow. The original line up had seventy two riders on the start sheet, but the weather put paid to many a riders plans .

The course was 'old skool' and designed by Mick Ives. The usual hurdles were replaced with old fashioned fences and the course ran through fields, woodland and a working farm. A few practice laps were priceless, for under the picture postcard snowy landscape lay a myriad of frozen solid tractor ruts, that would later send many riders airborne. I let as much air out of my tyres as possible and lined up with the forty plus assembled riders. I looked side to side and wondered how many of these guys held the one hundred and seven international and national titles that had been listed in the race info.

I got my answer pretty quickly, all of them I reckon as I hung on third from last breathing like a rusty train! I kept a few in sight and made ground through the woodland singletrack, but swiftly lost it in the open fast ground. This sadly was the pattern for my whole race until for a bit of variety I took a big off leaving a streak of the red stuff in the snow and my bars and levers having an argument with each other. I was forced to walk back to the marshals intending to quit. However they encouraged me to go on for what was probably my last lap. It turned out I had two left, the first one was dreadful as my mojo had totally gone and I was all over the place. I calmed down for the final one, got around cleanly and gained a place in the final metres.

I came 19th, or so the results say, but they only list twenty two finishers. Was/could the attrition rate be that high.

The race was a nice end to a dreadful year, marred by the accident that cost me a lot of racing. 2011 has to be accident free...touches wood,fingers crossed etc and hopefully I'll be lining up for the Belgians for the first road race of the year.

Merry Christmas.

Central CXL Round 9

Hillingdon Cycle Circuit paid host to the final round of the league last weekend. The course was a new layout and was drying by the minute and the event was a cat B so good racing was ensured

I was racing under my new team HCT Belgians thoughnot in the new kit as it had not arrived. Excited by this and the fact it was the last league race of the year I got off to a good start and passed riders on the second lap, whilst making sure I kept in contact with the riders ahead of me. However on the half hour my backache returned and my times slowed. Racing became just riding as all those I had passed got their revenge. I know my problems stem from the accident that cost me my 3 Peaks and first five rounds of the league earlier this year, and I've vowed to rectify the problem for next season. The result wasn't good, though my last lap was a little quicker.

Next is the LVRC National Championships where I'll be racing Cat C 50-55 age group. Not sure what to expect there?

Central CXL Round 7

Better 38th, the pain from the accident is still there and hampering things, but hey ho.

VC10's event was at Green Park, Aston Clinton and was an excellent venue. Another circuit of two halves. Windswept flat fields of plasticine and technical sections taking you off in the direction of Aston Hill.

Anyway it's still progress, and I was finding a minute a lap on a fortnight ago. So this weekends event will be interesting, and made even more so by a dose of the deadly man-flu.

   

Raleigh Lenton Marque 111

One of my recent finds. It's a 1958 Raleigh Lenton Marque 111. Aimed at the clubman, it's built with early 531 tubes. The chainset is an old Stronglight 49D cotterless. The bars and stem are later GB offerings. The headset, bottom bracket and seat bolt are all Raleigh originals. I'm hoping to have this built by Spring 2011. I don't plan to have it repainted, as the old paint has a wonderful patina and the transfers are irreplaceable.  

Round 6 Central CX

Managed to get my first cross race of the year under my belt, when I entered the Team MK Cyclo cross at the National Bowl.

The Saturday kick-off meant that the usually small Central CX field swelled to over eighty riders at least, with seventy six finishers. It was odd to be lined up with Notts & Derby league riders. I came in a lowly 59th place. Even though I did go off piste and had to retrace my route, it only cost me five places tops.

No racing this weekend, but next week it's Green Park in Aston Clinton. The venue is below Aston Hill which is a popular mountainbike circuit and was a top flight XC course many years ago. If the weather holds I'll ride to the race. Looking forward.