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Surely this is a contradiction in terms at the moment.

My most recent ride: With the club, New Year's Day, Staines - Seale - Staines. 45 miles approx.
More of a work out than you might think, since I was on 64" fixed, a lowish gear I'd put on when the weather was really cold, and hadn't changed back. It's fine for riding on your own, but in a group where most of the others were on modern road bikes it put me on the rivet.

**Saturday 15th January.

**Just a date for your dairies at the moment.

This is the day I propose to hold next year's run. You will note that I have moved to a weekend to see if this widens the appeal of the ride, otherwise I expect the everything to be similar to previous years - so look at the posts above in this thread to get an idea of what the ride is like. It is intended as a fixed wheel outing.

It would be useful to have an idea of numbers, so please let me know if you're interested.

More details later.

Would like to join. Have you got a route? Is there a station where we can meet. When? I'd rather take the train out of town.

Rendezvous for Saturday.

I suggest The Radlett Cafe. I'm not absolutely certain about the name, but it's very easy to find. It's in the middle of Radlett on Watling Street (A5183) on the left hand side of the road as you are going towards St Albans, about 100 yards past the turning towards Shenley. It is a very ordinary working man's cafe, a couple of doors north of Cafe Nero. I'm afraid you'll have work out how to get there by non cycling means.

I hope to arrive there by 10.15 and leave by 10.30. My mobile no. is on my forum personal details, note it and bring it with you in case of difficulties (e.g. you're going to arrive at 10.35). Any doubts, pm me beforehand.

This seems to be a fixed gear ride. If you want to come and ride gears you can do so, but remember to allow the fixed gear riders to set the pace, especially down hill.

I'm expecting to do about 70-80 miles door to door (mine, that is) and I expect the pace to be steady rather than fast. I'm intending to be home well before dark, but it wouldn't be silly to bring lights.

See you on Saturday.

For Saturday 13th November, if anyone wishes to come, I will lead a ride to the Dunstable Downs. I haven't measured the route yet, but I guess it would be 80-90 ( fairly hilly) miles from my place (Willesden).

Let me know how you feel.

I'm ready to do this ride on Saturday if anyone wishes to come.

I think I would prefer to ride fixed, but I'm flexible on this. However we should agree what we want as a group and then all use the same type of machine. The distance can be adjusted according to the weather/how we feel.

I suggest leaving about 9am. I need to be back by 4pm at the latest.

Let me know if you're planning to come.

I'm guessing tandem cranks for the captain's position on a crossover drive. He's a known tandemist and bodger, so it wouldn't be surprising if he found an old pair of tandem cranks in the parts bin and thought they would be going to waste if he didn't think of something to do with them.

Yes, you are completely correct. However, I think the other two explanations are more elegant.

Perhaps the last word here: all the single gear riders I spoke to thought they were overgeared, except Illy. He just said 'I *might *have been overgeared.'

Paul Holdsworth, trying hard on old school bike.

Mark Silver, Left hand drive - does anyone know how he does this without the left hand pedal falling off?

Stelle ditto.

Illy at speed.

Only 27 miles (plus warm up), but I felt I'd done enough for Saturday afternoon.

Posting about this beforehand I confidently stated that a gear in the mid eighties would be suitable. I believed this at the time, but I'd only tried riding two laps of the course at that stage.

On the day it rained buckets. Not all afternoon, just quite a lot of the time between when the time keeper said go! and when I finally got to the finish. I had foolishly worn a cotton jumper under my racing jersey and this was completely waterlogged well before my last lap. At home I weighed it before washing and after drying: this one garment had absorbed 1lb 5 ozs. of water.

I have to admit that by the third 9 mile lap I did feel (and look) seriously overgeared.

In spite of the weather it was generally agreed to be an entertaining afternoon. If you're interested you might look at the report in the TT thread.

Sporting Fixed Gear 27.6 mile Time Trial (30th October 2010)

Unaffected by torrential rain Illy (C.S. Grupetto) won this new event last Saturday with the fast time of 1hour 6minutes 3 seconds for three laps of the tough Gracious Pond circuit.

Stelle (Rollapaluza CC) took the handicap prize with an actual time of 1.18.16, a creditable ride which gave her fifth place on scratch.

This race came about through the cancellation of the Hounslow 100 last July and was created to find a home for the ‘Best on Fixed Wheel’ prize from that event. Although there was no question of getting near the distance of the original race, it was felt that by using a twisting, hilly circuit at least some of the difficulty of an endurance event on a single gear would be retained. On the day heavy showers added to the riders’ problems.

Unlike some time trials the outcome of Saturday’s race was not predictable. Illy has almost no experience of riding against the watch although he is clearly a promising roadman, having gained his second category licence this year. Apart from unfamiliarity with the discipline, the bike he used was new to him and his 95” gear was presumably chosen by guesswork. However at 90 rpm this gear gives about 25mph, and while most of us would doubt our ability to maintain such a speed on a hard circuit, Illy was proved correct in believing that it was within his power.

The outright fastest time of the day came from Nic (of the Grupetto), who recorded the super time of 1.4.26, roughly equivalent to 58 minutes for 25 miles. However, this was done on variable gears, so it could not count as the winning ride. Nic was an established time trial rider a few years ago with some very fast times to his credit, but 2010 has been a comeback season for him, and he has been concentrating on road racing where he has gone from a fourth to a first category licence holder. So it was no great shock that his was the fastest time; the surprise was that Illy was only one and a half minutes slower on a course where most followers of the sport would have expected variable gears to be a great advantage.

Result:

Fixed

1. Illy (CS Grupetto) 1.06.03
   
2. Paul Holdsworth (Hounslow & District) l.11.12
   
3. Mark Silver (Hounslow) 1.15.53
   
4. David French (Weybridge Wheelers) 1.18.11
   
5. Stelle (Rollapaluza CC) 1.18.16
   
6. Richard Callum (Weybridge) 1.18.36
   
7. Chris Lovibond (Hounslow) 1.26.17
   
8. David Eccles (RedmonCC) 1.32.43
   
   
   
   

Variable Gears

Nic (CS Grupetto) 1.04.26
Brent Skinner (Hounslow) 1.17.45
Neil Ferrelly (Hounslow) 1.25.17.

There were four riders who failed to finish, two of whom punctured.

Pictures should follow.

^that's the link with the mistake, hippy, all occurring at the NW part of the course. Basically, don't bear left just before crossing the motorway, but carry on and take the 1st exit at the next 2 rdbts.

Absolutely correct.

There is an unfortunate error in the description of the HCC137 course (for this Saturday’s event) on the Hounslow website.

The website says “go west on B386 to junction with Staple Hill where bear left.” This is not correct.

It should read: “ Go west on B386 continue over motorway bridge to roundabout (3miles) where take first exit and continue on B386 to roundabout junction with B383 (3.9 miles) where take first exit onto B383.

  Continue on B383 to junction with Red Lion Road (5.2 miles) where turn **sharp** left into Red Lion Road.”

The rest of the description is ok, but I’ll add my own notes.

About 100 yards before this left turn there is a restaurant on your right called ‘The Cloche Hat’ – a white painted, timber framed building.

Continue along Red Lion Road (a country lane, by the way) which becomes Gracious Pond Road. There is a sharp right hand bend at 6.6 miles which requires caution. This can be recognised by a ‘Slow’ sign on the road, a chevron bend sign, and the White Cottage just by the bend which is visible from some distance away.

Gracious Pond Rd ends in a T junction at Stone Hill Rd. (7.2. miles, sign posted ‘Ottershaw’) Turn left, but take care as there is some traffic on this road. This will take you back to the start area to turn very sharp left to start the next lap.

I can only apologise for the mess up with our web site, but although the course may sound complicated in this description, it is easy to follow when you are on the road. I hope and expect to have some marshals, and there will be direction arrows. There will be a sketch map at the start.

Note that much of the course is overhung with trees. Therefore I recommend the use of LED lights. I rode over the course this afternoon (Thursday) and can report that there was no great problem with fallen leaves – but this might change by Saturday, so please be aware of this potential hazard.

Just a word on gearing. I used 86.5” (49x15) this afternoon, and even though I am stricken with age I did not have any great difficulty with the climbs. I’ll need to go faster on Saturday though, if I’m going to avoid being embarrassingly slow.

The website shows the start area correctly, but just in case of problems, make sure you have my mobile phone no. to hand. (see my personal details on this forum).

Yes, you are very welcome to enter on the line, it's just that you won't be included in the *handicap *unless you enter in advance.

I have a feeling I will be far too hung over (or drunk) to participate but what sort of handicap for a fat boozer on a cracked Condor with drops running a medium gear? :)

Sounds like you've already decided not to ride, but if I'm wrong let me know your best 25 this year (including the winner's time, assuming it wasn't you, and the course) and I'll try to include you. Better be quick though, you've left it a bit late.

Incidentally, there's no specific allowance for being a fat boozer, even though it is a handicap.

i am up for the tt on saturday and the dunstable downs

what would be a suitable gearing for the tt? my preferred cadence is 90-100

You are on the start sheet, with handicap (reasonably generous too).

My arithmetic isn't quite up to calculating a gear so accurately, especially since I don't really know how fast you will go. However something in the mid eighties shouldn't be too far wrong - the human body being wonderfully adaptable. There are no steep climbs.

So are there marshalls on the route, am a complete novice so no idea of what i am letting myself in for if i turn up on saturday.

There should be some marshals, but I don't guarantee every possible corner will be marshalled. However, I have been promised that there will be direction arrows in place.
Anyone who does not feel confident about the course can phone me. Mobile no. is given in my forum profile.

i'll be out this coming weekend.
would like to try for the london worthing london ride we missed last weekend.
you want to give this a try?

How about riding out to my special 27 mile 'sporting' TT this Saturday (30th). 2pm start just west of Chertsey. Although it's mainly intended as a fixed wheel event anyone may turn up, enter on the line and ride any bike they want. See Time Trial thread for more information.

For Saturday 13th November, if anyone wishes to come, I will lead a ride to the Dunstable Downs. I haven't measured the route yet, but I guess it would be 80-90 ( fairly hilly) miles from my place (Willesden).

Let me know how you feel.

2)although i "climb well for my weight". i wont be winning any races anytime soon.

That will depend upon which races you enter. Doing 130 mile training runs in October certainly looks enthusiastic enough to inscribe your name somewhere next year.

Good luck today!

Sorry, can't do L-W-L this Saturday. I'm riding Brighton Mitre 25 Sunday morning.

I don't know how often a forum user wins an open time trial, but since Jeff has posted here as 'Old Git' in the past, I though I would post my local paper report here.

**Redmon Grand Prix des Gentlemen. **(17th October 2010)

After a good result in the Johnny Helms Memorial 2up last week Jeff Marshall (Hounslow & District Wheelers) went one better this Sunday by winning the Redmon

Grand Prix des Gentlemen.

Jeff had carefully selected a super fast pacer in Wouter Sybrandy, but he still had to hang onto his team mate’s back wheel. He did this with only very occasional requests to ease off, and the result was a time of 37minutes 40 seconds for the 15.4 miles giving a ‘veterans plus’ of 10 minutes 39 seconds.

The formula for this type of time trial is that each team of two consists of a veteran (or ‘gentleman’), and a pacer who provides a slipstream to shelter his ‘gent’. The winning team is that which achieves the greatest veterans plus on age standard (see previous recent articles).

Marshall, at 69 years, is a distinctly senior veteran since the category starts at 40 years of age, and so one might have expected him to be much slower than the younger riders, but the Sybrandy/Marshall pairing was in fact the third fastest on actual time (45 teams finished). The fastest team outright were Brian Phillips, 50 (East Grinstead CC) who was paced by Conal Yates (In Gear-Quickvit), who did 34.40, and second fastest were Mick Deen, 55, paced by E. Clark (both Redmon) with 37.14.

However, the significant prizes were in the veterans classification where the second place went to that very frequent winner of veterans prizes, 73 year old John Woodburn (VC Meudon), paced by Stan Maciak (Didcot Phoenix). Their actual time was 40.34, representing a plus of 9.19 which gave the Hounslow man a winning margin of 1 minute 20 seconds. In third place were Terry Batsford, 64 and Henry Furniss (Wyndy Milla) actual time 38.50, plus 7.36.

Wouter Sybrandy competes as a professional for the Sigma Sport team and recently gained his sponsors useful TV coverage in the Tour of Britain. Professional riders normally have to concentrate their efforts on road racing (that is bunched, or mass start racing), but Wouter is also a natural time triallist and likes to compete in this discipline when his other commitments allow. He told me this ride went off in a straightforward manner: he just had to ease a little on some of the climbs, but most of the way, and particularly on the head wind sections, he was going as hard as he could.
Wouter Sybrandy is a second claim Hounslow member.

The race took place on a circuit based on North Holmwood (Surrey). It included a section on the A24 main road and some lanes through Rusper and Newdigate

Result:

1. J. Marshall/W.Sybrandy Hounslow/Sigma vet.69 plus 10min. 39 secs.

2. J.Woodburn/S.Maciak VC Meudon/ Didcot v.73 + 09.19

3. T. Batsford/Henry Furniss Wyndy Milla v. 64 + 07.36

4. B.Phillips/C.Yates E.Grinstead/ In gear Quickvit v.50 + 06.48

5. A. Rowe/J. Archdeacon De Laune CC. v.72 + 06.41.

It's always nice to be praised, so thanks for the comments above.

There's something on my mind taking precedence over PBP at this particular moment, and that is my 27 mile 'fixed and single speed' time trial on October 30th. Entries so far are reasonably healthy, but it would be nice to have a few more. Have a look at my posts in the Time Trial thread, and let me know if you're interested. If you can't decide till the last moment you can still enter on the line, but you won't be included in the handicap.

[QUOTE=clubman;1597731] The time and date to pencil into your diary is 2pm, Saturday 30th October 2010.

The event will be over three laps of the 'Gracious Pond' circuit (HCC137) a distance of 27.06 miles. This is a sporting course using 'B' roads in the area between Chertsey and Chobham (Surrey). It is undulating, but there's nothing that can't be climbed on a single gear without excessive stress, and can easily be reached from Staines or Weybridge main line stations.

This event is particularly aimed at fixed or single speed riders who entered the Hounslow 100, but all are welcome. The single gear prize from the 100 will be transferred to this race.

We have decided to split the prize between scratch and handicap so that everyone has something to go for.

So if you want to be included in the handicap, p.m. your recent performances (or lack of them) to me and I'll pass them to our expert handicapper. This should be done at the latest by Thursday 28th. If you haven't done this you can still turn up and enter on the line, but you will only get a time on scratch.

I hope to see you on the day.

^ The 1951 PBP was a race though (the last one I think) and not an audax. Is that year still the course record time?

Yes 1951 was the last race, and yes Diot's time of 38 hours 37 minutes is still the record. It's unlikely to be broken since the route is now longer and less on main roads: the distance in 2007 was 1227k., compared with 1182k. in 1951.

The fastest time for 'randonneurs' seems to be Scott Dickenson in '95, who did 43hours 20 mins. for 1245k. To put this in a British TT perspective, I notice that in 2007 John Warnock (Twickenham CC) finished PBP in 50.25 against the 'winner's' 44.33. This year Warnock took the 24 Hour Championship for the second time - his distance was 520 miles!

I think Diot and Muller's ride in the 1951 race is one of the best stories in cycling history, but I'll leave you to look it up.