Monday 20th October - Sub Hour for 25 miles - Bring on the Stig! (by Ian
Knight)
The
Holy Grail for any time trial rider has to be the sub hour ride for 25 miles,
to those who regularly have done it this seems to be so easy but I can verify
it is not quite so simple.
One way to go under the mystical hour is to ride a tandem but that is
technically cheating, the other way is to ride a 2 up, but you really want to
be behind the other rider the whole time, as this is a team ride you should
really do a fair share of the work so it means you have to ride for 12.5 miles
the equivalent of a 24min dead 10 mile TT again this is still a tall order if
you have not done that.
So the basics are you need to ride flat out for 12.5 miles at 25mph with the
other 12.5 miles sheltered enough that you do not blow up before the end,
realistically this is still hard work for the average club rider.
So it would appear the thing to do is to ride behind someone else for 25 miles,
luckily the Veterans Time Trial Association have an event that promises just
that one rider must be a Vet and they have to be towed around a race called the
Gentleman’s 2 up, every year late September early October on the Upton Bypass
course.
I know it is hard to believe that I am old enough to be a VET (damn it that
hurts when you have to write it) the first envelope I opened on my birthday was
membership to the VTTA I was in complete shock, I am now officially an old git
who remembers 27inch wheel bikes with cottered cranks saddlebags and when we
punctured we mended them under our rain capes, bloody hell I am soooo old!!!!
But then I realised I must find a quick rider to take me around.
Unfortunately for me I have always been the “young” rider with the task of
towing around the VET for the glory of the sub hour ride, I first rode this
event in 1995 with my first ride as the VET in 2008. I have never managed a sub
hour ride, I have listed below the times and partners that I have ridden with
1995 Dave Rayner 1.11.04
1996 Dave Rayner 1.06.06
1997 Dave Rayner 1.06.51
1998 Les Harris 1.00.05
1999 Les Harris 1.02.52
2000 Les Harris 1.03.15
2001 DNS
2002 Paul Welch 1.04.22
2003 DNS
2004 John Martin 1.02.11
2005 DNS
2006 Mike Webber 1.02.26
2007 Harry Lodge 1.00.03
2008 was the year for going under that pesky hour, I was fortunate to go under
the hour myself this year after only managing it once before, a reliable solid
partner was needed and the one I found was just that roll out the “Stig” some
say he is not normal, some say he eats south American frogs to make him breathe
more easily all I know he is an awesome bike rider roll out the Stig.
When I told people I was riding with the Stig most thought it funny not in a
hilarious way but funny mad, but then I always do things with out thinking
through the consequences.
The Stig was duly collected from his oxygen tent at 6.00am the morning of the
ride, we carefully placed him in the car with his plate of toast, this was
covered in what I thought was frog juice but he said it was butter, being an
athlete I don’t touch that stuff, on the journey he asked what speed I wanted
to ride, my reply was 26mph this is a 57.41 some 17 seconds quicker than I had
ridden this year.
We arrived out came his bike with normal spoked wheels and normal crash helmet,
he went off to find some tea, while Stig was foraging for his drink, my bike
came out with no computer but with a disc wheel, aero front wheel and my
favourite piece of kit my pointy hat, I tell you I looked awesomely fast and
dangerous.
Stig was ready we set off for the start he asked me again how did I want him to
ride, 26mph I said, Stig replied no problem, it was at this point half a mile
from the HQ my chain snapped, damit, Stig took over pushed me back to the HQ
found a chain tool, I fixed it in a few minutes so we set off again, this time
with a bit of urgency arriving at the start with 3 minutes to spare.
Sat on the line Stig asked me again how are we going to ride this I said I am
here to enjoy it but I must break that pesky hour, what I didn’t tell Stig was
my lack of miles since early August with this ride would mean my total for the
last 8 weeks was going to treble figures.
We started off and Sitg got excited and after 100 metres I was already dropped,
I shouted the practiced call SLOW DOWN, this seemed to work, got tucked in
behind the Stig as most people know the Upton course does 3 laps, at the end of
the 1st lap Stig shouts we are doing 28mph ave what do you want to do, keep
going was my reply. On our second lap we were overtaken by another team on
their first lap, I shout to Stig don’t get excited but he doesn’t hear me and
duly chasing them down and we overtake them.
We settle back into our rhythm and they come by again so this time I tell Stig
to let them go which he does, end of the next lap still doing 28mph ave, not
sure if I really needed to know or not but I felt ok, the third lap the road
starts to get a bit heavy but we maintain the speed, with only the leg to Holten
Heath to go Stig opens up the gas a bit and I am just being put under too much
pressure but I concentrated and dug in, with only 2 miles to go I am expecting
a sub hour ride, we crossed the line with a 55.06.
This was a great way to end my season and 13 years of trying to get someone
under the hour, it was great to be dragged around with such an awesome bike
rider, perfect speed it could not be any better, so thanks to the Stig my
target has been achieved when I became the old git, the identity of the Stig is
no secret he can be seen winning time trials and road race across the south he
is Rowan Horner.