SCCU 25

[Jon H]

A bit chilly this morning for the early starters, but dry and not much wind around so pretty good conditions on the G25/53 Horsham course.

Richard Viney 56.12
Jon Hemming 57.53 (1st time I've gone under the hour on this course)
Robert Royle-Evatt 59.16
Steve Hehir (2nd claim) 59.23 (1st time under the hour for a few years)
Dominic Lane 1.01.23
Tamar Collis 1.01.52 (1st lady, PB & club record)
Mike Ingram 1.04.02 (PB)
Terry Hill 1.06.23
Doug Shaw 1.14.41

[Andrew G]

Well done everyone. 4 under the hour, another club record for Tamar, and all 9 beating evens

[Dominic]

I really must learn to make my handwriting for the entry form legible as my surname is Lowe.

My first 25 for a long time and I really enjoyed it. I must admit I was hobbling about like an 80 year old for about two hours after and driving home was interesting!!!!

[tel]

Well done everybody who rode, personally a bit disappointed with my time as initially I misread my computer and thought I was a couple of minutes quicker and as the conditions were pretty good I was the only one to do a mediocre (sp) ride.
Well done again-must get my act together for the presidents`.

Terry

[Snoop Doug]

A weird day for me at least. It was cold at the start (went off at 7.09) but unusually for me I'd gotten out of bed early enough to do a bit of prep on the turbo before the start so didn't feel too bad. This is the third time round the course for me and so I felt like I knew the lie of the land and therfore where to push and where not to. I also tried to make an effort to keep tucked in, more so than I've done previously.

Felt good for most of the way round but really had to talk myself into pushing on for the last 5 or 6 miles. Anyway - as I crossed the line I ached like mad and I felt I'd done well and was confident of a pb. So - I was very disappointed when the results came in to find that I'd not achieved this. I still feel like a complete novice at this TT lark as I just turn up on my road bike and off I go. So - all you experienced types, TTers and road racers alike - what simple measures/changes would you recommend I consider to make some improvements next year? By the way I can't afford a new bike!!

Be interested to hear from a few of you.

Cheers - Snoop

[Toks]

Well done guys, impressive stuff! Congratulations TAMAR [quote]So - all you experienced types, TTers and road racers alike - what simple measures/changes would you recommend I consider to make some improvements next year?

[Jon H]

I wasn't at all sure how I would go in this event for a number of reasons. The previous Sunday I'd had a terrible ride in the national TT championship, felt so bad I thought I must have been ill and packed after the first lap. But then during last week I'd managed a reasonably hard training week with three interval sessions on the turbo, and ridden out and back to our open 10 on Saturday, so was wondering whether I would have tired legs.

Anyway, I decided to experiment a bit in the TT, staying in the saddle the whole time including up all the drags. I think this helped me control the effort up the drags so I had more left in the tank to ride strongly over the top and quickly get back up to cruising speed on the flats.

After coming down Tollgate hill I checked my average speed for the first time, 24.6 mph. As I was aiming to go under the hour that wasn't good enough and I knew I had to make up some time. At that point I seemed to get into the zone and rode from there all the way to Broadbridge Heath at around 29 mph which got the average up to around 25.9. Hopefully that would be enough to give a bit in hand to counteract the effect of the last lumpy 5 miles out to Southwater and back.

Damn pleased with my time, as it's a course PB and only 54 seconds slower than from my all time PB, which was set on a notoriously fast course.

[Dan B]

Good rides all! Stunning results. I've marshalled the course, 'tain't easy as the wind can really howl.

Toks - thanks for the workout tip. Sounds like the workout I've been planning to repeat all winter, on the quiet roads and on the turbo. Only when I'm out in the weather I might make it 3x20 ...

DB

[mark mclaughlin]

Sounds like it was a great TT morning, well done all. Another record breaking ride from Tamar, and Dominic could be a man to watch out for!
Pity I missed this one, been laid low with chest and throat infection...

[Dominic]

This was the first time I had ridden this course and as mentioned previously my first 25 for a while, though I did do the last club 10. I had taken the opportunity to ride the course the previous Wednesday which was just as well.

I was off as 7.03, my plan to be take it 'easy' for the first mile or so. For some reason despite new batteries my HRM decided to pack up when I left the starter. I had passed the first two starters within the first ten minutes and found them riding round and round the Breezehurst Roundabout on my way back through as the marshal hadn't turned up in time. My next plan was not to be caught by Robert who was off two minutes behind. It was then just a case of getting round in as fast as possible in the biggest gears. The gears thing was hard, as it's not really my thing, but it seemed to go well. I pushed too hard going back up the A24 and really suffered back to the last roundabout to the top of the 'hill'. I had seen Robert coming up the other side and knew he was close behind. I thought I had it cracked when he passed me at the third of a mile to slip road sign and the finish.

Doug, I know how you feel about being sore I seriously thought I couldn't get off my bike. Sitting down for a cuppa after was agony as was using the clutch in the car. Don't ask about going upstairs to the toilet at home

I like you Doug was on a bog standard road bike and compared to some of the hardware in the car park, an embarrasingly cheap one. For me the main thing is the attitude. It is going to hurt but I can go fast and if I don't this time I will using the ideas from below.

As Toks has suggested intervals are good. I found that lack of strength was my problem keeping the gears going up the drags just watching the speed come down. I read an interesting article of an interview Sean Yates gave to the ACBB a few years ago. Google on Sean Yates and it should come up. It makes interesting reading. I chose to ingore the bit in it when he says you don't have to be fit to do a 52 minute 25.

[richv]

It was a top ride on your road bike Dominic.

I wouldn't worry about pushing big gears too much. Whilst it's true that the pros will turn some pretty big gears, given the speed they're going they will still all tend to fall within a cadence range of 80-100. If you watched Lance Armstrong TT he was still turning the pedals quickly and he was no slouch.

It's interesting with a power meter to see that in most normal circumstances if I change down a gear it generally feels easier to produce the same power as long as I stay at a cadence under 100rpm and I am someone who naturally tends to grind out a big gear.

You also have to be prepared to slow down when going uphill. Most people will really go into the red as they climb a drag and then not really produce the power on the way down as their legs recover. You will generally be quicker if you don't kill yourself on the way up but make sure it hurts just as much on the way down! That's when a big gear is useful

If you want to try out a TT bike I have one hanging up in my garage which isn't being used at the moment which you're welcome to borrow. I would guess it should just about fit you.

[Dominic]

To put this into context when I am talking about big gears I am only talking about 52 x 14. Which is big for me at the moment. I did try and take it easier on the drags but you have just explained why I couldn't go as fast as I wanted on the downhills.

I have PM you about your kind offer.

[Toks]

[quote]Sounds like the workout I've been planning to repeat all winter, on the quiet roads and on the turbo. Only when I'm out in the weather I might make it 3x20 ...

[quote="Toks"][quote]Sounds like the workout I've been planning to repeat all winter, on the quiet roads and on the turbo. Only when I'm out in the weather I might make it 3x20 ...

[Snoop Doug]

There's some interesting stuff here - and by crikey - I think I understand some of it!! Ta very much. Looking at this interval malarkey - I guess a reasonable measure in terms of how hard to push would be HR...? So - I'm 40 yrs old - someone once told me yr max HR is 220 minus age. Therefore my max is around 180. Think that may be a bit low as my resting HR is around 60. So - guessing that these intervals should be at what - 80% of max? 85%? Any road up - unless anyone can think of a better thang to use as a yardstick, I'll try this interval stuff using me ticker as a measure and see how I get on. Also - I found that Sean Yates article thanks Dominic - interesting read.

Cheers - Snoop