Eastbourne Rovers 10 - 13/8

[Andrew G]

Down on the A22 today for the Eastbourne 10. Up at 5 and looked out the window to find light drizzle, out and on the road and it started tipping it down as I was going over Ashdown Forest. Put the bike together and got ready at the HQ and then stayed put as it was horrible and wet.

Practically no warm up, just rode to the start in the drizzle. The timekeeper had the most suitable clothing of the day, a pair of wellies .

Off I go in the drizzle and within half a mile the sky fell in . It absolutely hammered it down, never ridden in rain like it. I was soaked to the skin in seconds and could feel my feet squelching in puddles in my shoes by mile 2, and a constant drumming on my back from the stair-rods of rain bashing on it.

Visibility was terrible and thankfully there wasn't much traffic or it would have been dangerous, being a straight out and back helped so you didn't have to see any turns. I felt I was going well enough but knew it wasn't as quick as I wanted due to the weather. Some of your techie testers love banging on about yaw angles and your drag co-efficiency (just pedal and train harder ). Well the drag today was nowt to do with frontal profile but the water as you were riding through a lake for 10 miles. The course itself is a bit like the Holmwood in that it rolls along and dips and drags in a few places.

Made it to the finish about half a stone heavier than when I left the start thanks to all the water I was now carrying Back to HQ and tried to dry the chain and bike off a bit before putting it in the car and squelching in to the HQ, which fortunately was a sports centre with a changing room. Peeled off the clobber and dropped it to the floor with a thump before getting changed and then ringing the race kit out and packing up.

I did a 24.23 which is not very quick but not that bad considering the monsoon, everyone's times were well down and I was on a par with those on the same seeding as me. Conall Yates won with a short 21 and only 3 or 4 people went under 22 minutes.

This was part one of Eastbourne Rovers weekend with a 25 tomorrow which I'd also entered, decided against it though as my shoes are ringing wet and with rain forecast overnight I really don't fancy another drenching if it hasn't cleared in time. Had to decide at the event this morning as they do a random team prize (in addition to all the other usual prizes) for combined times of both races of names pulled out a hat in to composite teams and I didn't want to let people down by having my name pulled out the hat and maybe DNS.

Nice and sunny now .

[Ian A4size]

pssshhh,

so it rained a little then?

It has been a cacky season so far this year- I think it has been windy or wet for most of my TTs, I had a lovely sunny pootle this morning after I had walked the dog.
I guess the rain meant that the traffic was light.

I'm sure wringing has a W.

Off to watch the pros tomo?

[quote="Ian MunneryA1size"]
I'm sure wringing has a W.