TIME TRIALS 2009
VTTA(NM) 18 Kilometre time trial at Ranby on 14th March is my first event of 2009. This event starts fast for most of the circuit then start a long steady climb before a final dash down the A1 back to Ranby. I chose to ride my road bike as I thought it would be more suitable on the climb. from Barnby Moor to the slip road on to the A1 at Blyth. This resulted in a time of 30:11 and a plus of +2:57 giving me 47th place out of 110 riders.
 At barnby Moor in the VTTA 18k 14/03/2009
NMCF 25 mile time trial at Hatfield Woodhouse on the 28th March comes next, Very strong winds, a cold temperature and an icy shower just before the start made me decide not to ride. D.N.S. Appology was recorded on the result sheet.
NMCF Pooled Clubs on the 25th April. The O25/13 is certainly the worst course that I ever ride on and because of this I have built another bike with a steel frame, a cheap second hand disc wheel and a standard metal front wheel especially for riding on it. I chose to use a 93 inch fixed gear which proved to be a little too low for me on the day. I finished with a time of 1:07:43. The weather was good and with a higher gear I could have knocked 4 or 5 minutes of that time.
Raliegh the all steel bicycle, I built this for the rough O25/13
VTTA Yorkshire 30.. 10th May V243. I did not feel at my best on this morning and it showed in my performance. I was an almost still day and I should have flown, but I just could not get going and I had to settle for a time of 1:17:02. the slowest thirty I have ever ridden.
Team Swift 50.. 16th May A50/3. I felt a lot better for this one but the weather wasn't, a strong southerely wind was blowing and heavy rain showers. I was lucky as the rain only got me for a few minutes just before the turn but that wind slowed me down a bit and I finished in 2:12:19.
City R.C. 10.. 30th May V718 I entered this event with a best time over the last three years of 27:26 which I did early last year on a cold and snowy afternoon. What a contrast this was, bright sunshine with a stiff easterely breeze of about 12 mph. I felt good and I put everything into getting a new P.B. I didn't manage to do that but I was pleased with the result of 23:14.
Newark Castle C.C. 25.. 6th June A25/25. Another hard one, when is that wind going to go away. It felt hard going out and was even harder on the return leg then I started suffering from cramp in my right calf, but I still managed to get a 1:03:07. Stuart Burrows of featherstone passed me on the line for three minutes.
Barnsley RC. 10.. 13th June O10/1 A good day with a troublesome breeze as usual. 24:37 was my time which was good enough to be 2nd fastest of the six of the B.R.C. members beaten only by Neil Dyson.
Otley 50.. 28th June V259/1 A wet drizzly morning greeted me when I arose on this morning, and it did not stop until about 12 miles into the event though the Cloud did not clear nor the road dry out. I found the first 11.5 miles hard going but then came to life and set a good pace but could not pull back what I lost in that early part of the race, I passed the timekeeper in 2:05:57.
Y.R.C 25.. 18th July V236/1 Another very windy day and no chance of a PB but I worked as hard as I could and was pleased with my result in these conditions, and it was a seasons best. All in all a good day, Jackie came along to take some photographs and my time was 1:02:56.
Finishing The Y.R.C. 25 at Topcliffe 2009
Elmet 12 hour.. 26th July V12HR This was my 5th 12 hour since 2004 and I can honestly say that I have never failed to finish one before. Well this year after 115.75 miles I climbed off the bike. The first four hours felt good and it looked like a PB was in the offering, then the pains in my thighs started followed by cramping, it was so bad the I thought I had torn a hamstring. I felt that to carry on would cause injury and ruin the rest of my season so I decided to call it a day which left me feeling dissapointed and depressed that this year I shall not be entered in the B.B.A.R.
Drighlington 25.. 8th August V236/1 On this the same course as last months YRC 25 the conditions were better and I also felt fitter and it showed in my result, knocking almost three minutes from my last 25 mile ride and a seasons best at the distance. My time was 1:00:12.
Here you can see my joy as I finish the Drighlington 25 on the 8th of August 2009, I thought I had beaten the hour.
Team Swift 100.. 22nd August V278. Lovely Sunny day for my last event in Barnsley Road Club colours. But I failed to get the overall club record, even though it was dry this year, the wind was much less favourable, and I lost 3 minutes and 35 seconds on last years very soggy ride finishing this year in 4:17:45. Not bad or a bloke only weeks away from his Sixtieth birthday. I was given a skinsuit to try on in my new club colours which are those of the Yorkshire Road Club.
Y.R.C. 50.. 19th September V259/1 My first event as a Yorkshire Road Club member and I produced my best ride of the season at the distance by passing the timekeeper in 2:03:41 and knocking over two minutes off my last fifty.
NMCF Pooled Clubs.. 20th September. O25/13. I marshalled at this event. The morning was quite cool but bright and it did get warmer as the day went on giving a very enjoyable ride home.
VTTA(NM) 10.. 3rd October O10/1.. What with gale force winds and the threat of rain I found this one rather heavy going, I couldn't get the bike above 26 mph at any point and I had to settle for a time of 25:57. The traffic was also heavy and I was held up at the turn and on the approach to the finish line. All the other riders times were down so my result wasn't really as bad as it looks. Roll on tomorrow.
Y.C.F. 25.. 4th October V234...What can I say, It started of a float day and I hit 27mph without even trying but as the road started to climb up towards Knayton my average speed started to drop and I left the turn with 23.7 so I had to make it back somehow on the return leg of the ride. I did manage to push it up to 24.5 for a while and only for a while because I crossed the line at 24.2 with a time of 1:02:30. With the course being changed because of road works the ride to the start was a little over 7 miles giving me a total mileage of 42 miles.
Y.R.C. club scrap 25.. 11/10/09 V235...... A slow course at the best of times but today gave us the addition of a nice blustery wind that was never behind us enough to help only one person got under the hour and I finished with 1:07:03 and seventh place, 4th on standard and 9th on handicap.
Club Scrap Result Sheet
South Elmsall " Mince Pie10".... 20/12/09 Dry weather but with wet roads and an westerley wind making the outward leg heavy going. There were 5 riders only in the race with me being the only visitor. I came in second with a time of 29:52. Every one rode "Old Skool" no lo-pro's or aero gear and the course was 10.25 mlies.
Team Swift 10.. 20th December V718....This would have been the last event of 2009 but due to snow and icy conditions Mike Williams decided to cancell,so that is the end of my racing this year.
Club Evening Ten Results
Date.........................Time.......................Position....................Points
6/5/09...............26:53....................5th...................1
13/5/09..............D.N.S..........................................0
20/5/09..............24:50....................4th..................2
27/5/09..............24:52....................4th..................2
03/6/09..............D.N.S..........................................0
VTTA(NM) afternoon Ten Results
Week 4
This was week four but it was my first ride in the VTTA(NM)s' afternoon 10mile TT on the 24th June....Lovely sunny day and a good result, taking second place beaten only by Daryl May who took 55 seconds out of me. My time as I passed the time keeper was.23:20
Week 5
Another go at this weekly event on the 1st of July and again the weather was good. I improved on last weeks time by half a minute crossing the line in 22:50 taking first place on actual time, just pipping second placed man Daryl May of Sheffrec by four seconds.
Week 6
This was my third ride in this weekly event on the 8th of July and again the weather was good but much windier, the wind being directly against riders on the hardest part of the course. So I slowed a lot on last weeks time. I crossed the line in 23:51 taking second place on actual time, just pipping with Daryl May of Sheffrec beating me by a minute and thirtythree seconds.
Week 7
I missed this week because of the showery weather and did not want to drive all the way to Ranskill and not ride but nature being what it is thweather improved the moment it was too late to go. So not to be beaten jackie and I went up to the Sovereign for the Holme Valley Wheelers evening 10 and what a hard course that one is with it's climbs I returned a time of 27:58. It is an excellent cardio-vascular workout.
Before the start Holme Valley Whs 10 in 15/07 2009
Alan Jones in the Holme Valley Whs 10 in 15/07 2009
Week 8
Back to Ranskill this week and again the wind was strong but it did help on the hardest part of the course so much that I was climbing the drag to Mattersey at 33mph in places. I finished in third place with a time of 23:09. I was set off in the number five position and crossed first which felt good as it was witnessed by wife Jackie and daughter Dawn on her first visit to the event.
Week 9 was a wash out so I stayed at home.
Week 10 Ranskill this week was a little less windy and the rain cleared in time for the event. I was off no five and without Daryl I was hoping for at least 2nd place, but John Fitch did a flyer to beat me by 9 seconds pushing me into third place with a course record time for me of 22:46.
Alan Jones at the Ranskill 10 on 8/08/2009 taking a course best
Results in 2009 with Barnsley R.C.
My last season of racing with Barnsley Road Club was just as fruitful as the previous two seasons.
At the annual presentation, which I did not attend, I was presented in my absence with certificates for completing the 50 miles in 4 hours and the 100 miles in 8 hours. The senior B.A.R. Trophy, the Veterans B.A,R Trophy and a Record certificate for taking the two up twentyfive mile team time trial record with John Allen.
B.A.R. and Vets. B.A.R. plus two RT certificates and a Record
certificate. Barnsley RC 2009 |
