Hardriders 31 Mile Race

Saturday afternoon was the Oxonian CC 31 Mile ‘Hardriders’ event. It is quite hilly, especially in the first half. There are also quite a few sharp corners. The road surface had taken a real battering from the harsh winter. I opted to not use a discwheel, and made sure I had a spare tub and pump for any puncture. A few riders opted for an ordinary road bike.

Bike for race: Note how I squeezed a spare tub and pump into an old water bottle cut in half

I finished second in a time of 1.13.38 (av. 25.3mph). I was pleased because that was nearly 3 minutes quicker than last year’s time. The race was won by Team Raleigh rider James Stewart in a time of 1.12.25.

There were also a few trikes and 3up team time trials on the course. I have to say it’s quite a challenging course for a 3 up time trial!

When I was warming up, I got quite sweaty so I removed a few layers and got rid of the leg warmers. Into the race, it started raining – ‘The fine rain that soaks you through‘ – as Peter Kay would say.

Even though the temperature was in double figures, and the rain quite light – I got cold on the return to the HQ. You can easily be caught out how quickly you can get cold when cycling.

Riders leaving for race

Race roundup at CTT

Oxonian CC 31 Mile 2009