Congratulations Mr Editor!

BeaconRuth

Many congratulations to BikeRadar editor Jeff Jones on being the fastest Masters rider in the British TT Championships today and becoming the B-category National Champion 2009. Storming stuff! Really well done Jeff - and sorry I didn't get chance to say hello........ again. :oops:

I'm told Bradley Wiggins floated up the Col de Botolph on his tri-bars as if it wasn't there. (I needed the small ring. :oops: ) Brilliant wins by world-class pros Wiggins and Emma Pooley. Looking forward to seeing them in British Champions' jerseys on the continent and being able to say "I was there............"

Ruth

ps. nice to say hello to EddyS again too.

Anonymous

Well done to you Ruth!!

BeaconRuth

Ta very much NapD. I claim to be "best female ageing amateur who isn't called Julia Shaw".

Ruth

Anonymous

I would claim something similar but it would take 6 years of research to gather the names of those amateurs better than me then 3 years of typing 8 hours a day, 5 days a week (excluding bank holidays obviously) to create the list on here. By that time the list will be obsolete anyway so it would be a pointless task. So I won't bother.

Seriously, well impressed...

BeaconRuth

Well thank you. I'm just pleased to bits to have a chance to race against two Olympic silver medallists, a multiple-national-comp record holder and a Paralympics-gold-medallist.............. all in the same race. It kinda puts things into perspective. Same for the men's events with the Espoirs won by Dowsett from Tennant and then Wiggins after his fantastic TdF.......... Definitely THE time trialling Event of the Year.

And not a dragstrip dual-carriageway in sight. Thank goodness.

Ruth

Eddy S

Congratulations on your result Ruth!

It really does put perspective on what you and the other really quick ‘amateur’ riders achieve against the full-time pro riders.

It was great to say “Hi” and catch up with you too. 8)

proto

BeaconRuth wrote:

Well thank you. I'm just pleased to bits to have a chance to race against two Olympic silver medallists, a multiple-national-comp record holder and a Paralympics-gold-medallist.............. all in the same race. It kinda puts things into perspective. Same for the men's events with the Espoirs won by Dowsett from Tennant and then Wiggins after his fantastic TdF.......... Definitely THE time trialling Event of the Year.

And not a dragstrip dual-carriageway in sight. Thank goodness.

Ruth

Indeed. It was a most excellent day out, great atmosphere, all good stuff. As Beacon Ruth says, drag strips, who need 'em?

My only observation to organisers would be that the village itself didn't seem to have any involvement. The local school PTA, or the church, whatever, could have made more of it - pig roast, a bar, music, etc - make a real festival of it, and made a fair amount of dosh too. The WI cakes and tea, welcome as they were, just didn't quite do it.

Hi Eddy! Hi Ruth!

nick hanson

proto wrote:

BeaconRuth wrote:

Well thank you. I'm just pleased to bits to have a chance to race against two Olympic silver medallists, a multiple-national-comp record holder and a Paralympics-gold-medallist.............. all in the same race. It kinda puts things into perspective. Same for the men's events with the Espoirs won by Dowsett from Tennant and then Wiggins after his fantastic TdF.......... Definitely THE time trialling Event of the Year.

And not a dragstrip dual-carriageway in sight. Thank goodness.

Ruth

Indeed. It was a most excellent day out, great atmosphere, all good stuff. As Beacon Rutch says, drag strips, who need 'em?

My only observation to organisers would be that the village itself didn't seem to have any involvement. The local school PTA, or the church, whatever, could have made more of it - pig roast, a bar, music, etc - make a real festival of it, and made a fair amount of dosh too. The WI cakes and tea, welcome as they were, just didn't quite do it.

Hi Eddy! Hi Ruth!

The sad fact is that the average cyclist will spend Thousands on kit,but moan if they don't get a free cuppa & bun after an event,never mind the dietry excesses of a Hog roast!!
A real shame i couldn't get to the event& get some pics of Wiggo et al.
Still cussin that,on the Ventoux,my camera was still storing pics of the yellow jersey group as Wiggo came past :roll:

Burton

Some pictures on my Facebook page, hopefully this link will work!

As part of the organising club, even I baulked at the idea of £1 a cup for a small coffee!

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3 ... =550005086

Jeff Jones

BeaconRuth wrote:

Definitely THE time trialling Event of the Year.

You're right, it was! It was brilliant to see the best UK riders in action: Wiggins, Pooley and Houvenaghel up against the domestic riders. It showed us how good these cyclists really are.

I was really pleased with my ride, which was not only good enough to win the 35-39 category, it would have won any of the masters categories. Last year, I won silver in my category but was still over a minute off the pace over a shorter distance. But I've made some positional and equipment changes this year which have helped.

Well done to you Ruth as well! You were up against some very classy competition, best it's been in recent years. That's what it's about.

I might do the men's event next year just to see how I'd go (if I can be bothered making my bike UCI legal). Going off my splits and adding a bit, I think I could have done around 1:08:30 for three laps yesterday - over six minutes behind Wiggo! Pretty humbling but also good to keep my feet on the ground. That's what an extra 90 watts is worth.

nick hanson

Burton wrote:

Some pictures on my Facebook page, hopefully this link will work!

As part of the organising club, even I baulked at the idea of £1 a cup for a small coffee!

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3 ... =550005086

The bed wetter doesn't look too happy with third :oops:
Anyone none the wiser,check out Graeme Obree's Autobiography

SBezza

Congratulations to both Jeff and Ruth for your great rides. Hope you both had a great day.

It does show how good the pro's really are, Hutchinson and Shaw are so dominant in domestic TT-ing, when the pro's come along and put the sort of times in over these 2 it is amazing.

simon_e

Well done all, particularly Jeff for a great Masters ride. Very impressed.

Jeff Jones wrote:

I've made some positional and equipment changes this year which have helped.

:idea: Ah, so spending money on kit does make a difference after all. Or are you just being modest?

Jeff Jones wrote:

over six minutes behind Wiggo! Pretty humbling but also good to keep my feet on the ground.

Sheesh. Most of us would be pleased to finish in the same lunar cycle!

To anyone that moans about £1 for a cuppa have they not bought a hot drink when they're out in recent years?

Jeff Jones

Simon E wrote:

Jeff Jones wrote:

I've made some positional and equipment changes this year which have helped.

:idea: Ah, so spending money on kit does make a difference after all. Or are you just being modest?

It does up until a point. But like anything, it's a matter of spending the money and time on the right things. In my case it was getting lower and narrower that did most of it.

I'm no fitter than I was last year, in fact I'm putting out 10-20W less power on average. But I'm a lot quicker.

You've just got to look at how fast fully faired recumbents go to realise how important aero effects are.

Simon E wrote:

Jeff Jones wrote:

over six minutes behind Wiggo! Pretty humbling but also good to keep my feet on the ground.

Sheesh. Most of us would be pleased to finish in the same lunar cycle!

I know It's funny how your perspective changes when you improve. I'm always looking at the people ahead of me rather than those behind (except when they beat me again).