The National 100 is this Sunday. After a few good weeks training a while back, these last two weeks have been lighter in terms of training volume. Last week, I felt a bit tired on the bike, so I took it relatively easy. I rode up a few hills quite quick but didn’t feel much […]

Today, was a 50 mile Time trial organised by Reading CC, on the Aldermarston Course (A4). It is three and a bit laps of a 15 mile circuit. I finished 2nd in a time of 1.52.17. This was a personal best by two minutes, so I was pleased. We kept passing  quite a few sportive […]

A wrong turning. The Oxonian 25 mile time trial at the weekend, turned into a 26.5 mile time trial. It was a course I hadn’t ridden before and got mixed up with another version of the course which uses the same roads but turns at a different roundabout.  As I flew through the roundabout (instead […]

Sunday was a 36 mile Time trial organised by Speedwell CC. It wasn’t exactly mountains, but it felt like it, especially last climb up Clee Hill to about 375 meters. It was hard to know how to pace yourself for a race like this – very different to a flat 25 mile time trial. If […]

After Sunday’s ride, I was down for a 23 mile hilly time trial in the Cotswolds. It was cold early on (for a change). It was two laps around Temple Guiting near Stow on the Wold. It probably makes a nice place for tourist rides. It was quite picturesque. It would have been idyllic if […]

A tandem from race on Saturday. You never feel a puncture is a lucky one – especially when it’s a £50 Vittoria Eso CX tub. It’s done 2 races or about 30 miles. – So a fairly expensive 30 miles – even accounting for prize money of about £20 for the two races. (BTW: I […]

Not Shap hill Climb – a more traditional Lake District 15% climb. This weekend was a long drive up north, to take part in the Shap Hill Climb from Kendal towards Shap (Penrith) on the A6. It is 9.1 miles long and climbs from 55 metres to 425 metres at the top. There are also […]

This bank holiday weekend I had three races in four days. The first was on Friday morning. A 10 mile time trial organised by High Wycombe CC. I finished 10th out of a strong field of 90. My time was 22.11. The event was won by Richard Prebble in 21.23. Saturday was a 30 mile […]

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 […]

Returning from Race This was a good weekend for cycling. Firstly, the temperature crept into double figures (10 degrees) in the first time for what seems like ages. Double digit temperatures mean racing in shorts, and the annual ritual of shaving the legs the night before. The course was shortened from 10 miles to about […]