Another comp record and at last... a club trophy - a bling bling week then...

Newbury 15 - Trike - 35.51

Back on the old trike for team two's crack at the tricycle team 15 mile mens comp record. I had been part of team one on 5th July who set the record initially, however, this second attempt was organised as a back up event and included a rider who couldn't make the first date. 

The course was the H15/1 which meant a long drive down to Newbury for this event made worse by the piss poor weather on the day - it seemed to rain all the way down there and all the way back - the course was soaking but at least the rain stopped for a bit so we didn't start soaked too. A single carriage way course with two straight through roundabouts and two turn roundabouts it looked like a good trike track - the reality though was it wasn't that great and I nearly lost the trike in the first mile when I hit a manhole cover cum cambered pothole mess and nearly top sided. I had to be very careful and from that point I was. I cocked up the power meter calibration telling the head unit the trike had 100mm cranks so had to race on heart rate only. I huffed and puffed the whole way round and swear I was still feeling the previous weeks 50 shenanigans. I was amazed to finish with 35.51 which was only 12 seconds slower than the Breckland ride. The other two fellas did superb rides and as a unit of 3 our aggregate of 1.58.59 was good enough to take over two minutes off our previous time. 

Bourne Wheelers 50 - 1.58.09

Also the LRRA county championship as well and the fifth year I would be riding it. Last year I rode trike but this year I was back on two wheels. I'd be one of only four Wheelers entered on the day which meant that I'd be guaranteed 4th place and some good club competition points if I finished. The course I knew well, with riding lots of different parts of it over the years - I knew the climb to spittlegate would be tough with a headwind, and I knew the hardest part of the race would come later on when returning from Donington roundabout into the headwind as it is exposed badly and has a poor road surface in places.

It would be the first time that I'd start a local event with a zero on my back and I hoped to live up to the seeding going off at no.30. I started well enough and looked to hold the same sort of power figures that I'd averaged at the BDCA a couple of weeks back. I needed to average 267W or more and I tried to do that without getting to far ahead of myself like I had on the E2. With it being windy it was tough and also as the course is an honest Lincolnshire one, it is easier to maintain a good constant power. The climb to Spittlegate came and went, and what followed was a gloriously fast Spittlegate to Donington section with a backwind and a downhill profile.
Then the dreaded return ! It went on forever ! Grovel central - felt like my whole race was going down the pan ! I was truly ecstatic when I finally finished that section and headed back up the A15.

Job done with a new Lincolnshire best of 1.58.09 and that included at least four hold ups. Two club trophies as well, can't be all bad this time trialling lark !

The H15/1
Temp 61f
Wind 11mph SSE
NP n/a 
HR 173
Pos 14th

The C50/2
Temp 63f
Wind 15mph SW
NP 271W
HR 169
Pos 9th