Willesden Cycling Club

These are the results I have so far for this week’s time trialling. If you have any more, please let me know either by email (lance (at) lancewoodman.co.uk) or by using the comment facility here.

Saturday: Ian Piper writes: “After seven years of no racing I got talked into riding the Minehead CC Hardriders 26 Mile TT as I have been putting in a few miles in preparation for a weeks cycling in Mallorca in April. The end result was better than anticipated. The winner was Andy Winterbottom (Somerset RC/Bike Chain) with 1:13:56. My time was 1:20:31 which gave me 5th overall, 3rd vet on actual and it would have been 3rd vet on standard if there had been a standard category.”

“The time looks very very slow to say the least but when they say Hardriders around here they mean it. The course was 2 laps of a 13 mile circuit with a 1 in 8 climb followed by a 2 mile drag, a long twisty descent and then a 4 mile climb which finished as 1 in 10 at the top and a few ups and downs to join the major hills together. To put the course into perspective the first two riders who did a 1:13:56 and a 1:15:04 did a 52 and 53 minute 25 miles TT times last year respectively.”

Meanwhile Simon Wicks and I drove down to beautiful Bentley to try out the H10/8 course in a Farnham RC 10 mile club event. On a dry and fairly still day 27 solo riders and a tandem finished with Xavier Disley (…a3crg) fastest on a 22:06. Simon continued his barnstorming season with a personal best of 24:27 to take 7th place. I settled for a more modest 26:31 and 14th.

Sunday: It was a cool morning at gorgeous Great Missenden for the VTTA (London and Home Counties) ’10’. Malcolm Woolsey (Westerley CC) was fastest on the day with a 23:10. Peter Cookson opened his season’s account with a 27:36 (+1:58 on vets standard). Chris James backed Peter up with a 28:53 (+1:37) to help win the two person team prize on standard. Congratulation, guys. I came home with a 27:14 (+0:32). 22 riders finished.

Lance Woodman

The third West London Combine event of the year is the High Wycombe run 25 mile time trial on Sunday 11th April. The first rider off will be at 7.30am.

The headquarters for the event is The Memorial Hall at Great Missenden (see here). Toilets, car parking and refreshments are available. The start is fairly close by. The course (HCC114) description is here.

The closing date for entries is 30th March. If you’d like to ride, please let me have your entries before then.

** UPDATE ** I have entries from Richard Jerome, Rich Cooper, John Williams, Chris James, Simon Wicks, Peter Dixon and Brian Moon.

The entry fee is £2. This is collected at the end of the season – do not send any money yet!

To enter you for the event (and the associated Willesden CC competitions) we need your name and your best time for a 25m TT for the current and past three seasons (i.e. your best since 1st January 2007). If you don’t have a time for 25, let me have your 10m TT best since 1/1/07. If you don’t have any times at all, don’t worry, it just helps us to place the field and set times for handicap awards.

If you’re a veteran (40 or over) or a juvenile or junior (12-17 inclusive) then it would be useful to have your date of birth.

If you want to enter, or have any questions, please do get in touch.

Cheers,

Lance Woodman (TT secretary)

Time trials to consider entering in April. If you’re riding somewhere else, add a comment and let people know.

There are plenty of club events about as well. See here for details.

Course codes can be decodes on the CTT Web site. If you need any more information, please get in touch: lance (at) lancewoodman.co.uk.

Lance Woodman

The 2nd West London Combine event was a 25m TT on the Amersham Road course (HCC113). Saturday had been a meeuch day but Sunday was warm, relatively windless and sunny. Almost a float day for this course.

Ron Purdy’s team photo (right): L-R, Brian ‘Sick Note’ Moon, Peter ‘The Hat’ Dixon, Lance ‘Book and Biro’ Woodman and Simon ‘Knees’ Wicks.

Willesden had a six riders on the start line (Brian Moon was excused boots). The fastest rider on the day was Steve Golla (High Wycombe CC) with a 58:33, but fastest WCC man, Peter Dixon, was up there in the top echelon again with his 1:1:14. Simon Wicks knocked nearly three minutes off his PB to run away with the handicap award. It was good to see TT debutant John Williams out there dispelling the rumour that the road team are too scared to test. Stuart was disappointed to go back nearly a minute on last year’s time, but this was as nothing to the despair that I felt with my three minute reversal on my 2008 time. Russell turned in a very neat 1:6 for second on handicap (** UPDATE ** The official result has Russell with a 1:4:16) – I’m sorry I missed you after the event, Russell.

The full result will appear here soon, but in the mean time, here are the green headlines…

Stuart’s report is here, Simon will wax lyrical here, and look out for my excuses when I can think of them here.

A big thank you to Ron and Gladys who turned up to marshall the Amersham roundabout and to Brian who showed up to be photographed.

Lance Woodman

Hi Folks,

I’ve messed up and I need your help. I am looking for three marshalls for Sunday’s West London Combine 25m TT on Sunday. The three positions in question are…

1. Roundabout at the Southern end of the Amersham by-pass. Outgoing riders sent left (first exit) direction A413, Great  Missenden. Returning riders sent right (third exit) direction A413, Chalfonts.
2. Two roundabouts further on. Outgoing riders sent right (2nd exit) direction A413, Great Missenden. Returning riders sent left (first exit) direction A413, Chalfonts.
3. Roundabout at Northern end of the Amersham by-pass. Outgoing riders sent straight on (2nd exit) direction A413, Great Missenden. Returning riders sent straight on (2nd exit) direction A413, Chalfonts.

View Amersham Rd Marshalling Points in a larger map

The map has all three points if you move around it.

The first rider is off at 8.01am. Numbers (and, I assume, marshalling vests etc.) will be handed out at the start area – the lay-by underneath the M25 bridge crossing the A413…

View Amersham Rd – Start area in a larger map

Please let me know as soon as possible if you can help. You can contact me by email on lance (at) lancewoodman.co.uk

Thanks,

Lance Woodman

25m TT on Sunday 21st March on the Amersham Road course.

** UPDATED** to include handicap details

Numbers will be issued at the lay-by under the motorway bridge on the A413

The Willesden riders are…

* no previous TT performance

Lance Woodman

I’ll add to this report later, but the brief result is that Peter Dixon rode to a personal best 23:53 to take second fastest overall, fastest WCC rider and first handicap. Not only that, but he looked very stylish on his way to victory as well. Well done, Peter.

The fastest rider on the day was the same as last year: Peter Weir of Maidenhead and Dist CC with a 23:06 (19 seconds slower than his winning time last year).

The Willesden result…

Peter, as far as I’m aware, had a pretty trouble free ride.

Simon failed to utilise his tri-bars (worth about 2:15 he reckoned) because of a lack of opportunity to train with them. His time is still a personal best though. We’re still waiting for his report on his blog.

Stuart rode to the event enduring a rush to get to the start in time. He started well but his downward sliding saddle pillar left him a little short by the end (worth at least 2 seconds he reckoned). There’s a report on his blog here.

My front changer cable broke on the way to the start which gave me a chance to work on cadence. That’s me in Ron’s photo (right) sporting this season’s must have ‘duck’s foot’ look. I have a whinge on my blog here.

Jayne, on a road bike, found the hills a trial (“it’s annoying when joggers pass you”).

Jumbo saw his role as lead out man – a role he fulfilled admirably.

Jim rode well to the turn but then hit the headwind and blew. He’ll know next time.

Well done, team. It was good to see Gladys, Ron, Peter C, Gill and Derek at the HQ. Did I miss anyone?

** UPDATED ** Entries so far for the ’25’ on the 21st: Peter Dixon, Stuart Birnie, Simon Wicks, Brian Moon, Russell O’Malley, John Williams and Lance Woodman. Official closing date is Tuesday.

This is a bit late in the day, but I thought I would point you to some time trials taking place this month. Please use the comments facility to add any other events you think should be included.

Tomorrow (Sunday 7th) sees eight WCC riders riding the first West London Combine event: a 10 on the H10/2. Peter Dixon, Simon Wicks, Jayne Paine and Stuart Birnie are amongst those vying for early season bragging rights.

Next weekend (13th/14th): Dash it all, it’s too late to enter an open event now, but there are plenty of club events around in the London West district. This document (a PDF) lists them all for the whole season.

Saturday 20th March has the Oxonian 3up or solo 31m event on the H29/19.

Sunday 21st March is the second West London Combine event – a 25m TT (details below). Entries, made via me, close on Tuesday 9th. Late entry might be possible. If you want to ride, get your details to me ASAP.

Sunday 28th March is the VTTA (London and Home Counties) 10m event starting at Great Missenden (HCC180). Although it is run by the VTTA the race is open to all.

The normal closing date for entries for open events is the Tuesday 10 to 13 days before the event for those held Friday to Monday, and the Saturday, 11 to 13 days before the event for those held Tuesday to Thursday. Club events can normally be entered on the line.

Open events have to be entered on the official CTT entry form (available online here).

Entries have to be sent to the organiser with the correct entry fee. Details are available in the CTT handbook. Please feel free to get in touch if you need any help.

Please do let me know where you are riding. I’d be pleased if you would copy me into any TT results that you email to Gladys for the press report.

Lance Woodman (TT secretary)