Last weekend, I spent three days with no bicycle in Germany and my leg problems got worse. When I got back I actually had to take another day off the bike, at that rate I was despairing of ever seeing an end in sight.
But, at the same time, I was hopeful that I could just ride through and keep going. This weekend I’ve been up in Yorkshire, and it’s been great for a few reasons. The weather is excellent. Yorkshire in spring with the sun out takes some beating. But, at least this weekend, the more I cycle the less I’m getting bothered by old injuries and niggles. Saturday I made a visit to Pateley Bridge for one of my favourite climbs – Greenhow Hill. All told it was 50 miles and just short of 2,000m of climbing. After an easy day going to Grassington, (an easy day in the Yorkshire Dales can still mean 1,000m of climbing) I went south-west towards Silsden and some steep hills around there. This year I’ve done relatively little in terms of volume of training (compared to previous years), But, in the past week, I’ve started to feel in good shape. The top end fitness has come back quite quickly. It is also a psychological boost to get the summer bike out of the loft.
Ellers Road looking back towards Sutton-in-Craven near Keighley.
From Sutton-in-Craven, I went up Ellers Road – a tough climb of 1.4 miles at 10%, with a particularly difficult beginning. It’s a very good test. I also found a new climb just to the south of Ellers Road. It is a climb called ‘Dick Lane’ or the ‘Cote de Dick’ if it gets in the Tour de Yorkshire. It is a very nice climb, 1.4 miles at 7% (and unlike its near neighbour Ellers Road – never too steep.) It is a smooth gradient, decent road surface and outstanding views across the valley to the left. I’ve been cycling in Yorkshire for 25 years but it’s still surprising how you can come across a new climb less than 15 miles from your house.
Wonder Wheels is the autobiography of British cyclist Eileen Sheridan. Originally published in 1956, it was republished in 2009 by Mercian Manuals.
Eileen Sheridan was a female cyclist who turned professional in the 1950s and successfully broke all 21 long distance time trial records – including a new record for Land’s End to John o’ Groats.
This is an excellent cycling book and gives an insight into the spirit of amateur time trials and the ‘golden age’ of British cycling in the 1940s and 1950s. Sheridan’s autobiography is fairly short, but it conveys her love of cycling, intrepid determination and cheerful disposition.
Like many people in that era, Sheridan got into cycling after becoming a leisure cyclist – joining a local club, taking part in touring rides and then graduating to racing. It was on these long club rides that she started to surprise both herself and other male cyclists with her unexpected capacity for maintaining high speed on these long rides through the Warwickshire countryside and beyond.
At the moment, there is a good degree of nostalgia about the 1950s, a nostalgia which can be misplaced. But, reading Sheridan’s book you do get a glimpse of a simpler time, where the joy of cycling and the Corinthian ethos of club life were well embedded. It’s hard not to read without an appreciation for the old style Sunday Club Run and touring – even if it is hard to relate to the austerity of the age.
After outperforming many male club members on long rides, Sheridan was encouraged to enter her first time trial – a club 10 mile TT. She almost wasn’t allowed to start (failing to meet strict the RTTC rules about all black clothes) Fortunately, a club mate lent her a regulation black jacket. And despite the oversize jacket billowing in the wind, Sheridan won her first time trial. From there, she made rapid progress becoming 25 mile and 50 mile champion in 1950. She won the newly created Best All Rounder 1950/1951; set a new record at 12 hours and was given the prestigious Birdlike Memorial Prize in 1950.
This weekend I’m up north. This was during a cycle from Pateley Bridge towards Grassington. A good 50 mile ride with quite a few hills. Furthest I’ve cycled for quite a time. The ride was good.
The top of Guise Edge gives a good view; you don’t always spend too much time appreciating this in the hill climb season.
The back road between Bolton Abbey and Ilkley.
Cyclist.
A good cycling road.
The Yorkshire Dales at Easter is great, especially when the weather was good like on Sunday. March/early April is lambing time. This lamb seemed quite interested in my bicycle, though his parents more suspicious.
The other day I was riding up Brill hill, with a nice tailwind at my back. At the steepest point of the hill, I stamped on the pedals and promptly broke the chain. Fortunately, because I was going quite slowly I stayed upright and didn’t fall on the ground.
I would like to think it was due to an extraordinary transfer of power, but it was nothing that should have broken a chain. It is the third Dura Ace chain I have broken in as many years. It is possible, I am not fixing them correctly. But I don’t think so. There was a bad change of gears just before, and then the increase in power snapped through.
I always carry a chain splitter with me. Usually as part of a multitool. I got a new multitool for Christmas and this was the first time I’d taken it out on a ride. The problem was the multitool didn’t work at all. It couldn’t move the pin in the chain even an iota. Despite standing on the multi-tool to try and get more leverage, nothing worked. I gave it up as a bad job and called a taxi. £45 for a taxi from Oakley to Oxford was an expensive bike ride. I think it’s the first time I’ve called a taxi whilst cycling, I can’t remember a previous occasion. At £45 a pop, I hope it’s another 20 years to the next one. The one crumb of comfort is that I had a tailwind on the way out from Oxford – I didn’t have to ride back into headwind but that is really clutching at straws to try and look on the bright side.
Usually, by this stage in the season, I have a few hilly time trials under my belt. This year the only thing under my belt is a very slightly expanding waistline. 2017 has been all about pies, peas and stretching exercises, so far.
I have been able to get out every now and then. Spring threatened to break-out last week, with some very enjoyable riding conditions. I’ve been cycling up a few hills, just to remind myself how hard it is. I realise that to reach your top potential, you need to be in good shape physically and mentally. With a few aches and pains, it holds you back in more ways than one. I haven’t entered any races yet, though I have started to compare times on hills to previous years. This process of comparison has brought some dispiriting realisations that you have to work really hard to get up climbs in short time.
Last week I turned on Eurosport for the first time since last October. It was the Tour of Dubai, a flat stage over the deserts of Dubai – reminiscent of the rather forgettable World Championship in Qatar.
Echelon
As I turned on, literally the first piece of commentary of the year was Carlton Kirby talking about how to tickle a camel on the top of the head. This mind-blowing piece of advice lasted a few minutes as the riders trundled through the dust and bare environment. I like Kirby’s esoteric commentary as much as the next person, but it didn’t seem an auspicious start to the cycling season. A flat stage to Dubai, where the greatest excitement is ruminating over the ticklish parts of camels. Why do I watch cycling anyway?
Yesterday, there was a strong southerly wind, so I headed towards Lambourne.
There is a long 3% drag from Lambourne towards Wantage; it is the kind of climb which is good when there is a strong tailwind. Looking for a new way to get to Lambourne, I tried the technique for taking unknown roads and hoping it would take me into the next valley. From Bishopstone, there was a nice deserted climb. At the top, I found the road was deserted for good reason. It petered out by a pig farm on the top of the Ridgeway. There was nothing to do but go back down and take the main road from Ashbury.
Ashbury
Unfortunately, by the time I got to the top of this climb from Ashbury, it was raining quite hard, and for some reason, my rain jacket wasn’t in my saddle bag. I hid under an old tree for a few minutes and ate an energy bar.
I’m a bit of a part-time cyclist at the moment. Still some lingering hip troubles so I just do the odd ride here and there. It’s not as much fun with nagging problems, but it’s still a relief to be able to get out and do something.
I visited Clee Hill at the weekend.
I keep trying different things. I visited a third osteopath last week. The second osteopath did very deep tissue massage – quite painful. The 3rd osteopath just held his hands at various pressure points on the back. It was quite meditative lying back looking at the sky. It barely felt like anything happened. Very different approaches, I wonder which one works best? If you go to a physiotherapist, they say it is one thing; if you go to an osteopath, they say something else. Everyone offers a diagnosis from their perspective.
I believe this was my original attempt at a cycling blog in 2005. I called it “It’s all Downhill from here”
Just out of interest, I’m going to archive here. I’m not correcting the old spelling errors and grammar – just to prove I have perhaps made a little progress…
It shows some things change, back in 2005 I wrote:
“…In Belgium cycling is the number one sport after football. In the UK cycling is probably just a little above crown green bowls…”
It was also interesting to find a photo from 2005, and the days of a full head of hair!
At the Start – The only place you can smile on a hill climb
Last year I finished 2nd in 7.12. Danny Axford won with a new course record of 7.02
This year I had a new bike about 1.2KG lighter.
See: Hill Climb Bike
The weather was very good for October with just a slight headwind at the top of the climb. Last year there was quite a strong tailwind so most people’s times were slower this year.
For the first 4 minutes I rode at a relatively comfortable pace (for a hill climb). Just over half way there is a cattle grid and then small descent. At this point I made a bigger effort trying to accelerate towards the top. I nearly caught my minute man and was pleased with my time of 7.05 it would have been nice to go under 7 minutes though.
I prefer these long climbs to short steep sprints like the National at Rake, Ramsbottom. I suggested to the organiser Dave Keene he try and get the National held here one year. He said he would try.
It was also good to have another Sri Chinmoy Cycling team member for a change Ed Silverton finished 40th in a respectable time of 10.19. If he can stay injury free next year he should be able to make big improvements.
Name:
Cat:
Club:
Time 2005
1st
Richard Pettinger
S2
Sri Chinmoy CT
0.07.06.83
2nd
Danny Axford
S3
Artic-Shorter Rochford RT
0.07.10.94
3rd
James Dobbin
S2
Artic-Shorter Rochford RT
0.07.21.84
4th
Neil Blessitt
V4
Severn R.C.
0.08.02.43
5th
Peter Wheddon
V4
Clevedon & District R.C.
0.08.02.48
6th
Rob Adams
S2
Bristol South C.C.
0.08.03.08
7th
Matt Lelliott
S2
Severn R.C.
0.08.06.31
8th
Martin Bawden
S3
RAF C.C.
0.08.13.87
9th
Derek Smetham
S3
Dursley R.C.
0.08.19.69
10th
Rob Pears
V4
Bath C.C.
0.08.22.14
Sri Chinmoy Cycling Team
2005-09-09
Sri Chinmoy Cycling Team have a new place on the web at:
There are a few articles and pictures. There is quite a bit of interest in the club, so hopefully there will be stuff coming from Australia, Europe and the US.
The evening before I flew to NY I rode the 10 Mile TT at Weston on the Green. I won in a time of 21.35. The event was organised by BMCC, they are a great club and I enjoy there events at the airfield where there are no cars to contend with.
I won a great trophy which was sponsored by a cycling shop Broadribbs in Bicester. They named the trophy after a brand of mountain bikes
I was also joined by another rider from Sri Chinmoy Cycling Team, Roger Chamberlain. Roger was in a running race at the weekend and so did well to finish in 26.41.
British Time Trial Championship 2005
The British Time Trial Championship was held in Penistone, South Yorkshire. I travelled home on Friday afternoon and rode round the course a few times. It was a very hilly course and I enjoyed riding it. I met a few people doing the same on Friday. I rode around with Daniel Lloyd, he is currently racing in Belgium for Team Flanders. He said the racing in Belgium is very different to the UK, which is not suprising. In Belgium cycling is the number one sport after football. In the UK cycling is probably just a little above crown green bowls.
Anyway there were 252 riders and I came 14th in the Senior Men.
14th R.Pettinger 26 miles in 1.06.21 – 24.1 mph
The event was won by Stuart Dangerfield 1.01.?? who finisished just in front of Michael Hutchinson.
Reading CC 25 Mile TT
2005-08-13
Set a new Personal Best for 25 miles – 53.41.
This was despite my tribar extensions falling off with 5 miles to go. I had to hold them in my right hand and cycle on my other handlebars.
– I blame the bumpy H25/1 A4 Aldermaston course
– but it’s probably my fault for not tightening them up. A new set of tribars are definitely on my wish list.
– The weather was pretty grim with constant rain, however there is a theory that with rain there is less friction so you go faster. There were 102 entrants but only about 40 made the finish line.
Reading CC
25 Mile TT
13th August 2005
Weather Conditions = Rain, light wind
1
P.Kench
Liphook Cycles RT
53.17
2
R.Pettinger
Sri Chinmoy CT
53.41
3
S.Batsford
Oxonian
55.12
4
R.Hughes
Clarence Wheelers
55.24
5
A.Baker
Charlotteville
55.24
6
T.Thorne
Bath CC
56.39
7
M.Clutton
Charlotteville
57.17
8
J.Woodburn
Maidenhead
57.18
9
M.Pardoe
Reading
58.01
10
A.Bojarski
Hemel Hempstead
58.05
Rudy Project Time Trial Series
2005-08-07
Sat 6th August 2005 Rudy Project Time Trial Series – National Round 4 out of 6
I came 3rd in 1.04.01 AV Speed 25.5mph for 27 miles.
M.Hutchinson won in 00.59.46
There were some good riders in the field so I was pleased to come 3rd. It was a good course based near Gloucester.
I won a pair of Rudy Project sunglasses and socks –
25 Mile TT – Aldermaston
2005-07-30
Sat 30th July 2005
25 Mile TT H25/1 Aldermaston Time = 53.58 came 1st
W.Girvan came 2nd 54.07.
A new PB by 2 seconds. Last PB was in National Championships in May
Added: Beryl Burton to Great Cyclists
Beryl Burton won the Best British All Rounder title for 25 consecutive years
Updated World Hour Record, new record set by a Czech rider from AG2R
Latest Races
2005-07-27
Sat 23rd July 20.5 Mile TT
Finished 2nd. Time of 46.28 AV.Speed 26.5 mph
Good quiet circuit near Quainton, organised by North Bucks CC. Event won by D.Axford in a new course record
Sat 24th July 50 Mile TT
Finished 1st : Time = 1.54.??
First 50 Mile TT so a Personal Best. Course record is 1.51.?? Course was the H50/1 on the A4 near Aldermaston.
It rained all through the race, pretty unpleasant not many people finished.
ROger Chamberlain of Sri Chinmoy CT finished his first TT 10 miles in a very respectable 25 minutes (no tribars)
2005-06-16
Newbury CC 10
It was my first 10 Mile TT for a long time. Got a new PB by 2 seconds 21.11
Wanted to go under 21 minutes but didn’t go quick enough.
Came second which was quite good.
The winner’s time was 20.59
The Course was the H10/1 near Aldermarston.
Aldermarston is famous for something but I’m not sure what. I’ve just looked on Google – “Aldermarston March” campaign against nuclear weapons. I wonder if it was the same Aldermarston
Tomorrow is the Tour Of Cotswolds 100 miles etape style day. Hopefully will do it in under 5 hours.
National 100 Mile TT
I finished 4th in the National 100 Mile TT Championship (result is provisional at the moment). I particularly like the course which was hilly.
My time was 3.55.04
Oxford – Henley
Today was the Oxford to Henley and Back Time Trial. I like the course as there is about 8 miles of flat followed by a long climb into Nettlebed and then a long descent into Henley. At the turn I was 45.30
Last year I won in a time of 1.37.07. This year I won in a time of 1.32.32, (AV. speed 25 mph) which is a new course record by 2 and a half minutes.
The weather conditions were very good with only a light wind.
* The Tour De France is looking quite good with many riders attempting to attack Lance Armstrong. I’m going to watch it now.
10 Mile Time Trial
Newbury CC 10 Mile TT H10/1
Came second in the Newbury CC 10 Mile Time Trial at Aldermarston.
My time was 21.11 – 12 seconds behind the winner.
Its a long time since my last 10 Mile Time Trial I got a PB by 2 seconds which was good.
Tour Of The Cotswolds
Rode the Tour of the Cotswolds today, ending up doing 130 miles see. Tour of the Cotswolds
First 100 Mile Ride of The Year
In preparation for the National 100 I rode 100 miles for the first time this year. It actually included 6 miles commuting in the morning. But in the afternoon I travelled 90 miles averaging just over 20 mph. I quite enjoyed it, despite it being quite hot, it is suprising how much drink you can get through.
However although its hot here, Abichal and the other 3,100 mile runners are experiencing heat of over 95 degrees in New York, glad I’m not doing that.
Entered National 100
Entered the National 100 Mile Time trial today. Am planning to ride 100 mile training. It will be the first time I have ridden 100 Miles for nearly 2 years.
Raining again today. When its raining I like to do interval training the intensity makes you forget the wet.
I have added some writings by Sri Chinmoy about sports. Includes some articles on drugs in sport
Cycling Photo
Photo Copyright: Dennis Sackett.
This picture was taken at OUCC 10 Mile Time Trial 1st May 2005
Dennis has many more excellent cycling photos on his website Cycling Photos.org
These include photos from the current Tour De France.
It’s interesting to see the riders time trial style
25 Mile Time Trial – 12th July 2005
This evening I rode the BMCC club 25 at Weston on the Green.
I set an new course record in a time of 56.50.
Looking forward to the National 100 mile Time Trial on Sunday.
I’m really hoping to go under 4 hours, we shall see!
Verulam CC 27 Mile TT
Today I rode the Verulam 27 Mile Time Trial near Luton Airport. It was generally a rolling course with one steeper hill on the second lap. I enjoyed the course, although I did get held up behind some cars on the last 5 miles.
I felt pretty good having recovered from last Sunday’s 130 mile epic.
I finished in a time of 1.02.04 Average speed 26 mph.
The second placed rider finished in 1.06.57.
25 Mile Time Trial – 1st
Tuesday evening. Rode the 25 MileTT organised by Bicester Milenium CC at Weston on the Green Airfield.
10 laps of the 2.5 Mile circuit is pretty boring but it is interesting to see the splits
(well its interesting to me if not to you!)
Richard Pettinger 06:06 05:32 05:38 05:40 05:45 05:44 05:48 05:46 05:50 05:46 Final Time+00:57:35
Slowed up in the middle with a bit of saddle sore – glad it wasn’t a 100 miles would have been torture.
Riding a 10 on Saturday and then the Tour of the Cotswold, I need to finish in under 5 hours because I have so many exam papers to mark this weekend.
Other comments from other pages
Tour de France 2005
(Rasmusen is nicknamed the chicken because of his lanky build. Quite a few people have noticed the similarity in build between me and Rasmusen, but the comparisons just about stop there.)
In the past week, I’ve been to Bolton Abbey a few times. On Sunday it was sunny and the roads were quite busy with cyclists. The weekend enables a lot more cyclists (and cars) to be on the road. During the weekdays, there are not as many cyclists, but still quite a few on the back roads. I think the riders mid-week are more likely to be serious racers. There are quite a few professionals who live in the area, and these are popular roads for training on.
