Easterley Road Club 25.2

[Jon H]

Up to Essex this morning for another Spoco event. This was a course I hadn't ridden before, and it looked very strange from the little map on the start sheet; out on one road for 8 miles, then onto a 10 mile circuit - one whole lap then another 3/4 lap to the finish which was miles away from the start and HQ.

Strange course and strange seeding too - I was number 24, and caught 23 after about 2 miles. At about 8 miles I was caught by Hugh Vivian who was 25, but I saw him again a few miles later when he'd punctured and was walking. Great, I thought, if a few more fast guys puncture I'll get a good placing. Well, the omnipresent God of timetrialling obviously heard my thoughts and paid me back later for my bad thoughts. With about a mile and a half to go there was a Psssst from my front wheel as my brand new tub punctured. But it didn't go flat straight away so I rode slowly to the finish by which time it was completely flat and I was bumping along on the rim hoping the tub didn't roll off. So, I lost some time and finished in 1:10 something, but will have still got some Spoco points.

[Andrew G]

Yikes, that must have been hard getting up early for this one with the clocks going forward.

The puncture fairy can be a cruel mistress, well done on finishing with the flat and fingers crossed for some helpful points. Hope you managed to get a lift back to HQ rather than have to hike it.

[George]

It's a pain in the butt getting a flat at the end of a TT, well at least you managed to finish, the front wheel must have been far worse than the rear, if you had to slow right down. I kept hammering it on mine at Bletchingly with all sorts of noises coming from the wheel

[Snoop Doug]

Well done for finishing Jon. I reckon you must be ACCs most puncturing tester.....?

Snoop

[Jon H]

Andrew; I got a lift back with the folks manning the finish line, along with two other victims of the puncture fairy.

George; The steering was certainly getting a bit interesting, and I did the last 1/2 mile expecting to hit the deck at any second.

Snoop; I think Dominic has passed on his run of bad luck from last season to me.

[tel]

Jon, as a matter of interest, what tubs are you running this year?
Need some new ones myself, been using Victorias but they seem to cut up a bit-proba bly back to my favs Contis.

Bad luck but at least you got a ride and finished.

See you Sat.

Terry

[Jon H]

Tel, I normally use Vittoria Crono Evo CS tubs; that's what I had on the front. On the back I had a Conti Podium, which I think is a bit tougher (and heavier) than the Vittoria, but is completely slick and was sliding a bit on the wet roads yesterday when I was climbing out of the saddle.