The first West London Combine event of the year was the Middlesex RC run 10 mile time trial. The course (H10/2) description is here. It was my first event of the year and the first ride of the new Planet-X TT bike. Also the first time riding with aerobars. Who needs practice?!
The headquarters for the event is the hall at Knowl Hill Village Hall (RG10 9XB). This is about 2 miles from the start in Westacott Way. I’d thankfully planned out how to get there last night (straight down the A4, basically). This didn’t help when I woke up thinking “ooh it’s bright for 6.30am”, realised it was 7:40am and the frickin’ alarm hadn’t gone off!! Argh!! Raced to get changed, Mal made me some toast while I pumped up the tyres and struggled to wake up whilst packing bits and pieces. I then “shot” (everything was still asleep) out the door and down the road, heading for the start. I did make it but wasted some juice riding out too fast. My saddle had already started slipping. :S
My ride was somewhat painful but I just didn’t seem to be able to get going. It was like my brain had already given up on the ride. Into the turn around RAB and then out and I must’ve been doing 20kph.. it was sad. The wind and hill and everything just made me wanna stop. Peter passed me here and I upped it a little bit for a few hundred metres. I also picked it up towards then end when I saw a couple of riders (Lance being one of them) but other than that a pretty lack-lustre ride. Next time gadget, next time.
26:08
Lance Woodman snapped a derailler cable before the start and rode in the little ring for the whole event.
Simon Wicks in his first 10mi with aerobars he couldn’t use beat me by 1 second.
Peter Dixon was Willesden’s star today though placing second overall I think and taking the WCC handicap with a 23:53! I know he flew past me like I was stopped. Great ride.
Thanks very much to Lance for the lift. Other than the stupidly low saddle height I didn’t have any troubles getting back. Thanks mate!
Well done Stu – it was a slow, slow day. I’m glad someone else hadn’t tried out their aerobars before their first event – I felt a bit daft when I was wobbling all over the road during my warm-up. Pete was pretty quick, eh?
Hmm… aerobars… I wonder if I’ve still got mine? I used to practice cornering hard and fast as part of my training and if the corner didn’t require braking, then I was definatly still on the aerobars… it’ll be a different story these days guarateed! lol I’ll let you know if I find them.
Oh, well done btw 🙂
Cheers Ant. Practice? What’s that?
Pete was flying. I guess things like that happen when you train..