The Beacon Little Mountain TT 2011 is HERE!

bexslack

Ouch... that looks sore.... hope you recover quickly.

I don't know whether it was a function of me wearing a white skinsuit but I found myself being a total magnet to Worcestershire's flying wildlife today and took on a fair bit of unwanted protein mid ride. A few crafty ones even grabbed a lift on me up Stamford Bank!

Big thanks to Ruth and her Beacon Roads connections for a great event.

blooocow

I felt great. Far more on it than last year. Then we got to that road from Ham back to Stanford bridge. Cannot believe how much that took out of the legs. And it only got worse when we got back to Ham bridge. Was not expecting that climb at 5 to go. Had already given up on sub 1h50m Target and had to prepare for missing 2 hours . My legs were empty and I do not know how I got home.


Brutal is the only word that fits. Can we have this course again next year?

blooocow

Forgot to say.

Thanks to Ruth and the Beacon for another great day

hopper1

Well, finally home, after a little visiting en route...

Jeez, that hurt!...
Threw my passport out of the window on my way home, so I can never leave Norfolks flat lands again.
That was an excellent event, very well done, to Ruth and all the Beacon memebers that helped.

Maybe, just maybe... If I get enough training strung together.... No! Shut up Lewis, I'm not doing it again...

Great meeting the BR guys, too.

Jeff Jones

NapoleonD wrote:

To all those saying this ride hurt, it bloody well did! :shock:

I was flying today and at the 2010 distance point I was 10 minutes up on last year's time.

Turned left for the last nasty drag to the finish and KABLOOIE! Slid on gravel/debris. Slid across the road but luckily the cars had been held back by the marshalls....

Sprung back up but I was a bit of a mess, my left side was really hurting. I had to redo the rear mech cable which had come out and the mech was stuck. Got going again after a few minutes but the rear brake was rubbing badly and I was stuck in the big ring. Those who rode the route will know how much of a bugger the last drag is. It was HARD!

I finally limped home in 2.16.23, 60th out of 77. (I was in the roadman category with box section rims)

I was shaking like a sh1tting dog at the end, gutted as otherwise the improvement prize (one of my main aims for this year) would have been mine

There were 2 others that I spoke to at the end that had moments at that Martley turn, one of whom ended up on the grass on the other side of the road!

Taking positives though, as I said, I was flying and my form was good (for me) and some of the descents are brilliant!

Many thanks to Beacon for organizing this event again, the atmosphere is great.

Well done Ruth for showing great composure despite the setbacks of changed routes, police incidents and delayed starts!

Well done Jeff, Steve and Bex on your results.

Nice to meet Hopper...

Jeff, I saw you but every time I went to introduce myself you buggered off!

I'm a bit sore now though...

Owwww! That's serious road rash. Hopefully nothing more than that.

I was staying and Martley and had a good look at that corner on Saturday evening. There was just no way you could carry any speed going into it for the subsequent climb, especially as you had to take it tight because of the gravel. I went from 40mph to 15mph in <10sec to get round it and that next hill wasn't fun.

Hopper1, I think I passed you just before Clfiton the second time (you were number 44?). Sorry for not giving you a shout! Was in flat out mode then.

Comedy moment: I had half of a zipvit gel after the first climb of Stanford Bank, then made the mistake of putting it back in the leg of my shorts. Got to the bottom of the hill and my left leg was sticky mess! Then my hands after trying to clean it off. Yuk. I should have eaten the whole thing in one go.

BeaconRuth

Many congratulations to everyone who rode and completed the course, with and without spontaneous uncontrolled dismounts. (OUCH NapD - that looks very very sore. I hope you managed to clean it up reasonably well with the contents of my first-aid box. Bizarrely TTs have no official requirement for first aid provision). You all deserve medals as that was one very tough ride and some of you travelled a very long way to take part.

Congratulations to the BRs who won prizes - Jeff Jones, SBezza and BexSlack - but, as I say, everyone is a winner in this event from the 15-year-olds to the over-70s, the newcomers to the old-hands.

As usual about 60 of my clubmates in the Beacon Roads CC turned out with smiles, laughs and tons of good cheer to enable the event to run and I think that is partly what helps everyone enter into the superb spirit of the event.

See you all again next year!

There's a brief write-up and photo (incl happy mugs of Jeff and BexSlack) here: http://cyclingtimetrials.org.uk/Default ... &tabid=109

hopper1

Yep, you did pass me there, Jeff, as did Steve, too...

Can't believe you put half a gel back in your shorts...

I woke this morning, thinking that it would be a good event for a couple of my clubmates, who prefer challenges to 'normal' rides, so maybe a team for next year! Where did that come from... :?

BeaconRuth

Should also have said that the results including the hill-climbs are now here: http://www.beaconrcc.org.uk/open_races/ ... sults.html

And there are some photos here:
https://picasaweb.google.com/beaconrcc/ ... irectlink#

Ruth

Anonymous

Spot the difference:

1st time up Stanford Bank -




2nd time up Stanford Bank -



(I was actually faster 2nd time...)

Pokerface

^^ Saddle looks too high

Sheptastic

I was joint 12th on the timed climb! 8)

Sheptastic

me thinking ' i cant possibly be in the little chainring already, oh.. I am'

a little more composed the 2nd time around, I think I'd accepted that it was going to hurt whatever gear i rode up it in!

Jeff Jones

Sheptastic wrote:

I was joint 12th on the timed climb! 8)

Good stuff!

I think I was ~10th, and I thought I was going well this year (was 15sec quicker up Stanford compared to 2009). But by the looks of it, it was too a big chunk of tme to give away to Matt.

1st time (I got off the extensions pdq after this shot!)



2nd time

Anonymous

Bugger, didn't think you could have deep rims on the road category, right next year they'll make ALL the difference

hopper1

First pass...


2nd...



I don't think the photos reflect the true amount of pain I was feeling...
Plus side... there was only 5 secs difference between my bouts of grovelling, so I paced it not too bad! :roll:

Just went out for an hour recovery ride and felt surprisingly good!

NapD, I thought you'd flogged the Colnago... didn't realise you'd chucked that down the road!... Gutted for you, mate.

Anonymous

Flogged the carbon c50, now just have this alloy one. Love it though!!

SBezza

I know I took it slightly easier up the hill, (well the first time anyhow, 2nd time was a grovel) I just didn't realise how slow I am at climbing the hill. I really do hate hill's

I must descent like a demon, and do the rolling bits fast, as the total time is shocking for me. From the pictures I don't look comfortable either time.


1st time



2nd time with ripped skinsuit after sorting my chain out, and then ripping it on my seat as I tried to get back on quickly :roll:

Anonymous

To be fair, climbing on a TT bike isn't brill...

That's two of us with wrecked skinsuits

SBezza

NapoleonD wrote:

To be fair, climbing on a TT bike isn't brill...

That's two of us with wrecked skinsuits

Tell that to Jeff, as well as Matt Clinton My climbing isn't that great on a road bike going by my times when I have done a hill climb

Must admit my skinsuit is repairable, though was thinking of a better one anyhow, as mine is just too baggy really, just wouldn't be in club colours.

bexslack

I'm not very technically minded and have never understood gear ratios. I tend to just get on my bike and ride.

That proved a bit of a mistake this weekend when I found my self doing 2 mountain time trials with nothing easier than 39/23 to get me up the hills. I take it an 11/23 cassette was not the cassette of choice for most other riders?.....

I'll know better for next year!

SBezza

I had an 11-23 on Bex, wish I had put my 11-25 on to be honest. It is the same as I used last year, though just felt worse going up Stanford for the 2nd time, than I did going up Ankerdine.

That was probably the road back from Ham Bridge killing your legs, just before starting the climb again.

Jeff Jones

I had a 39 x 25 as my lowest gear for both Buxton and the Beacon TTs and I felt overgeared! Got down to nearly 60rpm on Stanford Bank, which is out of my comfort zone (prefer 80-100rpm). That ain't spinning by any stretch of the imagination.

That said, Matt Clinton was limited to 42x23 :shock: which he felt was a bit steep

Sheptastic

i had 39x25 which i though was about right. I could have climbed faster on both times but knowing what was still to come i think my gearing was right.

Glad i didnt use my TT bike as its limted to 39x19 :shock:

Pokerface

What's the disadvantage of having, say.... 11-28 instead of 11-25? Is it just the jump from gear to gear?

bexslack

I've never paid attention to the sprockets on my race wheels before - but annoyingly did note post Sunday that my disc that was sitting in the car had an 11 - 25 cassette on. I think I'd have ridden off the top a bit quicker with 39 x 25 than the 39 x 23 I used.

As I'm naturally a very low cadence rider (just like Beryl!), I don't suppose it mattered much on the climbs though. 60rpm or less on the hills is par for the course for me!

Interesting gear selection by Matt C.... but he does have slightly more muscle on his legs than me!

Probably worth highlighting that Isla beat me up Stanford Bank second time round on her cross bike!

Anonymous

I overtook Isla on that horrendous lumpy road from ham bridge, she overtook me again 2nd time up Stanford then overtook her over the top. She then flew past me when I crashed heh heh.

I'm a shocking climber (not best ever on the flat) and used a 37/26, I think I got it spit on...

3Pears

Dear all,

Please stop dissing the Ham Bridge to Stanford road, its on my regular routes either warmimg up on the way out or finishing off a ride when home-bound and I quite like it

Wish I could have got over to watch / take some photo's, of the event but domestic points needed to be earned in lieu of Monday :P Sounds like you had a great event, unlucky NapD having your spill

Anonymous

It's horrendous because it's so bloody lumpy, it'd be lovely if I wasn't suffering so much knowing how much it was sapping me before the 2nd blast up stanford...

Pross

Well done all and hope NapD is recovering! If the race avoids Easter next year I'm hoping to give it a go.

hopper1

I put a 12/27 block on my disc, so ran a 42/27 up Stanford Bank... and a few others! :oops: I think my cadence got so low it was below the radar of my Garmin :roll:

Went over my bike with a set of Allen Keys yesterday, and had to tighten just about every bolt!
Loctite for next year...