Original Cycling Blog from 2005

2005-09-09

Sri Chinmoy Cycling Team have a new place on the web at:

http://www.srichinmoyraces.org/cycling/

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.

I’m going to write a training manual at:

http://www.srichinmoyraces.org/cycling/cycle_training/

Not that I particularly know what I’m doing.

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.

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.

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.

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 –

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.

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

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.

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

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 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

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!

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.

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.