Month: June 2007

Brimstage Time Trial (my first)

I only rolled up about 20 minutes early this week and didn’t know what to expect for my first timed trial. Last weeks ride didn’t count as it was me doing the timing.
Five including moi had turned up so numbers were not neccessary.
Now these Tuesday evening Time Trials  are supposed to be interclub events between New Brighton CC and the Sunlight but none of the Sunlight have turned up. The thing is we see some of the Sunlight pass before the start out on an early evening ride.

http://www.nbcycling.co.uk/index.php

Anyway it looks like we have have enough for a trial. Frank the first one off gets sent on his way. As this is my first event I have no idea about pace, it all looks fast right from the off. I’m third off and it’s clear I have to stay in the big ring all the way.
The drag up to the first turn at the Clegg Arms is just that, a drag. The numbers look good, I know if i see 17 mph I’m starting to fall behind last weeks pace.

Once past the Clegg your on the flatest part of the course with the best tarmac, I know I should be putting a decent effort into this part of the course. To see 23-25 mph on the flat is a mind blowing experience. It is here I realise my gearing is not perfect. 12-27 is just too wide, the spacing betweeen the gears is too wide too. 12 -27 on a triple is Wild Wales gearing.Sticking in the comfort zone means there is a gear left that I haven’t used. Now the filter lane at the traffic lights means a change in surface. A slower surface.

Now around The Grange (Westwood Grange if your after a blast from the past) I see what I think is two riders up front in the distance. This really does spur me on, to be in sight of two riders in front of me means thing are going well.

My Activities - brimstage 05-06-2007.jpg

 My Activities - Brimstage 05-06-2007, Power - Distance.jpg

The above data is my ride, now looking at it in hindsight I can now see on the map where I need to push in the future.

The times. 

1. Dave Zeloaskwi 21.47
2. George Aldridge 21.51
3. Frank Kinlan 22.39
4. Dave Cotgrave 23.45
5. Fat Frankie Allen 25.25

The finish.jpg

Thanks to all that took part and the timekeeper whose name I don’t know yet.

It’s out the saddle on the rise up to the Seven Stars then it is downhill to the roundabout on the Clatterbridge Willaston road. Hoping you don’t get baulked on the roundabout you then heat off to the next roundabout at Drayton Motors. I can just see the two guys in front of me rounding the garage they don’t come back down the other side of the road as I enter the roundabout.
I’ve right of way and take it tight with cars not choosing to cut me up, they must see that I’m on a mission.

There is then a big push down the slope and up to the roundabout. I can see Frank in front of me and this is driving me on. I catch and pass Frank who is two minutes ahead of me on the road and he cheers me on!. Thanks Frank it made my ride. This where I am maxing out but I’ve got my minute man in my sights now and I’m gaining on him but it is not to be. I’m six seconds behind him but realise that this was some ride for me.

22 minutes 39 seconds means I averaged 23 mph for the 8.75 miles. I can’t get over this, it means I’ve made it, next stop the TLI events. I ride home with Frank as far as the Thatch explain about the site and we part company. I’ve had a great time and found what I’ve got in me. A set of carbon fibre aero wheels all make sense now.

I’ve got a feeling this won’t be my last Time Trial, again many thanks to those that took part and New Brighton C.C.

Google route to follow.
 

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Weekending 10 Jun 07

Monday: Louises spinning class at the Oval (but not for much longer). 600 calories burnt. Some weights but not too many. Had a fruitless trip to Halfords trying to get a Hollowtech bottom bracket removal tool as the Toy has an irritating creak on the chainside downstroke.
Tuesday: Fettled the bike at 5:50 am for the Time Trial. Rode out to the start and did the thing for real this time. Now I’ve been told I would better my time by a minute once you get under starters orders and so it proved. 8.75 miles in 22 minutes 45 seconds.
This was an amazing event for me, a 23 mph average was hard work but at least I now have a PB to aim at on this course.
Wednesday:Maybe a spinning class class, but certainly a trip to the gym. Managed to get in Sheila,s class at Europa Pools. Another hot class, 530 calories burnt, not a lot by recent standards but I was going through water like crazy. Weights in the gym and ran 1 kilometre @ 11.1 km/hr. 
Thursday: Booked in for Louise,s spinning class at Europa Pools. Or at least I thought I did last week but they had no record of it. There were at least two of us in the same boat which is more than a coincidence. I tried some SIS Go Electrolyte in the bottle tonight as like last night I was sweating profusely. It was a harder class than lastnight as I decided I was going to have a go on at least one or two sections. Anyway it was 640 Calories burnt and a max heartrate of 182 BPM. There was a long sprint section where it was above 160 BPM for most if not all of it. This was deliberate as I want to start trying to operate at the intensity that I put into the time trial on Tuesday.
A woman on the next bike but one asked about the site but I’d given the last card out and hadn’t replaced it. Hope you can find it on Google. It comes up on the first page of enough searches these days. Went for some mangoes (44p) from Lidl on the way home and wished I hadn’t, there was one poor girl on the till and about 30 of us queueing. They wouldn’t open another till and the locals were getting restless.
Friday: With the weather looking it good it could be another Steve Cummings training ride. First stop is the Station Cafe at Delamere. Delamere station Cafe it was, this wasn’t about breaking records today more about a tour of the cake stops. The factor 50 suntan lotion seemed to be attracting the insect life. Lemon sponge at the Station Cafe. The road to Cotebrook is still blocked so I did a recce of Oulton Park for Tuesday.
Tuesday is the next challenge, TLI Road Races at Oulton Park. Took a video of the trackday. Back on course I took a detour to the Ice Cream Farm for a scone (jam no butter or cream).
This was a lesson in modern parenting skills, you can’t hit the little buggers anymore so the only option seems to be withdrawl of treats. Lots of mummies with kids in tow today. One had lost it and dragged the kids back to the car. Others seem to have it in check with refusal to get them an Ice cream. I sensed it was a fine balancing act. What if the child spat the dummy out, as some were close too and an Ice Cream treat wasn’t enough. Had a running commentary about being a cyclist and wearing a helmet etc.
I was the only one there, so a bit of a talking point.

Bit of a detour to the Eureka for a Tango and a Munchman Oat bar. I went through Capenhurst to avoid the A5117 roadworks. Next stop was Ness Gardens for a piece of toffee cake with lemmon. Got baulked at Parkgate by a guy with a vintage car. Having said that the school was chucking out and everybody was parking on double yellows with abandon. Press the lap button at the bus stop and had a bit of a blow, then it was back to Resthill and the end of the ride.

Sheila,s spinning class at Europa Pools with special guest star Louise. Another hot class with the rota for the two fans being a talking point. If you didn’t have it you moaned. Bearing in mind the heat it was still a 530 calorie class. As I’d just riden 75 miles and burnt 4500 calories I wasn’t looking to break any records.
The woman next to me knows the Mars Bar scale by heart. When asked I said we had done 500 calories (which we had at that time). It was a Mars Bar and a half and an apple. I’m impressed or is it just sad that we measure effort  in a scale of Mars bars.

I was going to treat myself to fish and chips  from the Marrigold at West Kirby but the queue was out the door so didn’t bother.
Saturday: Was going to do an Audax around Anglsey but left my entry too late.
Sorted out the creaky bottom bracket finally. 8 mile loop in the evening to sort it out. A good week coming to an end and Sunday to look forward to.
Sunday: Sunny and I’n out the door before 9