Cycling report by Simon Foster - Andover Wheelers
For us the season opened on the tandem in the Sotonia 10m tt on the P613 on 23/03/01. We managed a second place behind the tandem that we would continually do battle with over the rest of the season. Not really knowing how well we were going at this point we were quite pleased with a 22.32 clocking on a cold and windy day. Despite this we were still beaten by 59 seconds by Steve Brown and Jon Charman of the BJW.
The following week we were down to ride the BJW Hilly 42k on April fools day. We must have been the only fools though, as no one else entered the tandem event. With no opposition we went out to see how many solos we could beat. We managed to beat all bar 3 and got within 20 seconds of the course record for a tandem when we recorded 1.02.08.
The following week we were back on the P613 and despite improving by over a minute we were soundly beaten by Chris Birch and Rowan Horner when they set the fastest ever tandem 10 on a p course with 18.29 to our 21.13. Still we were going in the right direction. Unfortunately 3 days before we were due to ride the fast P415 10 at Poole I was knocked off my bike on the way to work on a roundabout.
Still battered on the Friday, Lee showed confidence in my bike handling and got on the back without batting an eyelid. This in turn helped me to cope with the fact that we would be approaching the first roundabout at approx. 40mph and in the wet. With Lee looking for traffic and me looking where we were pointing, I got the all clear from Lee and we went through at 35mph. Despite a good start we just didn't seen to be firing and we were beaten again by Steve and Jon of BJW with 21.05 to our 21.31. But at least we were getting closer.
Two weeks later we were riding on the revised P201 and facing Steve and Jon as well as our John and Paul. Sadly J & P got lost on the way to the start and ended up with a late start. We started well and were level with Steve and Jon after 13 miles. But by the time we had reached Ringwood we had lost 15 seconds. As we started to return to Bournemouth on the "spur road" we ran into the head wind, and sadly we fell apart. We lost all our rhythm and about 36 seconds to leave us with 56.47 to their 55.56. So searching for a fast 25 we travelled to the E4 in Essex and caught the windiest tandem 25 we'd ridden. We were soundly beaten by the winners who done 51.24 to our 57.41. We were also beaten by Jennings and Swallow by 10 seconds, but we would get our revenge later in the season.
With our main aim of the season just 2 months away (the BJW 100) we decided to get some long miles in on the tandem. We entered the Farnham RC 10 on the Bentley course. We rode over to the event with a head wind all the way, changed to our race wheels, punctured after 2 miles in the 10, limped back to the HQ put in our spare wheels drowned our sorrows with copious amounts of cake and coffee and then stormed home 20 minutes quicker than going. An all round trip of just over 80 miles.
The 27th of May was to be our first real test prior to the 100, but unfortunately the 50 we had entered was cancelled due to a fatal accident on the A34 before the start. We were able to get back to Thruxton and thanks to the Salisbury RC, able to ride their club 25 over 2 laps of the 10 course. We started 1 minute behind Jake and had a long tussle with him over the race. We were gaining on him slowly and with ‡ a mile to go we passed him only to have him pass us again on the final climb to the finish. Still it was a seasons best of 55.33.
We knew things were coming along when we set a pb for ten with 20.29 in a club 10 but oh did the Salisbury RC 50 ever hurt!!! We were storming for the first 30miles, (but then so was every one!!) we went through 25m in 53.20 and 30 in 1.05.30 but then went to bits over the 2nd leg. We finished with 1.53.14, which at the time was a South DC record only to have it taken away by Steve Brown and Max Rumball with 1.49.49. Still something else to aim at this year.
Giving Lee the chance to ride solo John Martin agreed to get on the back with me for one of the club 25's. Not having ridden together before John was a bit nervous. After riding from Simons house to the start they went on to record 56.45. This was Johns first time under the hour on a tandem.
The following weekend we won the Border CA 10 at Petersfield in 21.17 and then rode home after in final preparation for the 100 the following week.
THE BIG ONE, this is what we had been aiming at all year. The BJW 100. Needless to say we were both nervous at the start. Steve Brown was there giving us encouragement, Norman Harvey and Mary Churcher asked us not to catch then too quick. As we started I began to wonder how we would hold up. On the first leg I knew we had a tail wind and started to calculate, as we turned at 10 miles we had been going for 23.20 mins. With a tail wind start I knew we were not going to beat 4hrs. I let Lee know what the pace was and we agreed to concentrate on winning the event first. After 13 miles we had caught Norman and Mary and were going well. At 30 miles I got another time check and we had only put a further 1.30m into them. We then pressed on well for the next 35 miles until we started the last leg to Dorchester. I knew this would be hard; headwind, sore bum, sore legs and knowing you were still going away from the HQ. Still calculating I knew that after covering the first 50 miles in 2.08.11 we would have to go some to beat 4.20. As we reached the Dorchester by-pass we both wanted off. Then Glenn Longland handed us a sponge and told us we were going well. I never thought I'd see the day when the former BBAR would hand me a sponge. After turning at Dorchester we had 17 miles to go. That was it psychologically, all out forget the pain and see what we could finish with. The last mile went on for ever as we could see Nev Stroud up the road out for a training ride but we didn't seen to be catching him. We crossed the line in 4.16.31, only 10 seconds slower over the second 50. As we approached the junction after the finish we had passed Nev, then we had to stop. We got our left feet out and put them down, only after cycling 100 miles on a tandem they do not understand this manoeuvre. Our legs cramped just supporting us and we were stuck. Luckily Nev held us up until Will (who was doing our support car) could get across the road and help us off. We then just lead on the pavement for a few minutes before riding back to the HQ.
After a weeks recovery I persuaded Jane to get on the back for a club 10. Despite having her eyes closed at the turn we done 23.09. A great ride from Jane at her first attempt.
The rest of the season was geared around beating the club tandem 10 record set by Bob Smith and myself in 1989 on the U4 in Swindon. The record stood at 20.04 and I'd been trying to beat it for some time. Then in the last club 10 of the year it happened, we were going well to the turn but not as quick as we had been, but it was the best return leg I had ridden. Coming by the pub at Thruxton I could tell it was going to be real close. Luckily on the last 2 climbs we could see people in front of us which help draw us over the hills to set 19.56. At least we could go into the Weyhill Weekend without the burden of trying to beat the record.
We went on to win both the 10 and 25 in the Weekend with 20.11 and 56.06 (despite breaking a spoke and having a wheel change). We also set a now club record for 30miles with 1.06.43 in the Border CA event.
The season finished on a high by winning the Sotonia CC 25, which was also the South DC championship in 54.53 on a hard day and beating Steve Brown and Jon Charman into 3rd place.
Next year we plan to have a go at the 24hr, so we have got a new tandem to train on and we are breaking in new saddles and shorts. The 24 is on 27th and 28th of July and will be based in the Mersey district. Any help and support over the 24 hrs will be greatly appreciated.