Tuesday, 22 November 2011
Wednesday, 2 November 2011
2011 NATIONAL HILL CLIMB CHAMPIONSHIP
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| Goody Bag |
It was only an 75min drive to the HQ so i wouldn't need to stay over night beforehand. The other half said she wanted to come which is the first event she has attended this year after being a pain in the bum at last years national. I had said i would never take her again but i relented. At least the weather looked like it would hold out and not be to cold. We got to the hq at 9.30am which was in plenty of time before my start time of 11.46am. I wanted to get a parking space as i knew the car park would fill up quick. On signing on we were givin a nice goody bag which i thought was a nice touch.
I decided that rather than park in the carpark i would park in one of the laybys on the climb so it would give emma something to watch and also once i was done i would beable to see some of the big guns going up.
The big concern of using long hill was going to be traffi and lesuire cyclists using the climb as the race was going on. People had said that there wouldn't be much traffic but unfortunatly this turned out to be the opposite. I think that the good weather had brought everyone out into the high peak. Whilst i was warming up i saw Stuart Baker have to stop as a truck had stopped on the climb. On talking to him back at the hq he had to stop again further up the climb.
For my warm up i decided to not take my heart rate up to high i just thpught i would just do about 30mins. I had decided to use the clip on aero bars but not the areo helmet. Most big guns were on full areo set ups. There was a head wind on the climb but i am not sure if it was as strong as the open event in september.
I rode down to the start and my heart rate was all ready at 140bpm so i knew it was national day. I started of well and soon got into a rythem. I was surprised as to how many people were on the road side cheering the riders on as we got further up the climb. I felt i was going ok and i was going faster than i had in the open event but would it be enough to make the top 50. At about 250m to go i got stuck behind 2 cars who were trying to pass a group of lesuire cyclist's. This did cost me a couple of seconds which as it turned out would have moved me up a few places but not enough to cost me a top 50 place. As soon as i finished i turned round and made my way back down the climb stopping to thank a few people from huddersfield who i had heard shouting incuragement as i raced up the climb.
I didnt warm down as i just got changed and packed my stuff in the car so i could watch the remaining competers go past
Matt and Gunnar as they came past me
1. Gunnar Gronlund 12:49
2. Richard Handley 12:56.1
3. Matt Clinton 12:57.5
My finishing position was 66th in 15.21.3
So a big thank you to Sam Clark at Buxton CC for putting on the event. Now for 2 weeks off and then back into it so i can crack the top 50 next year.
Saturday, 29 October 2011
Final Race
So tomorrow it's the national hill climb. It is a race that i have been looking forward to for a year. My HC season has had it's ups and downs. I have tried riding fixed but haven't got the gearing right yet but next year i will have more experience. Then i picked up a cold and had to miss a weekend of racing. So last week i did 2 hc and was about 10seconds of last years pace so i hope that my cold hasn't put me back to much. My aim for tomorrow is to make the top fifty but i think it will be tough but i am going into it with nothing to lose.
Monday, 17 October 2011
My first DNS
After last weeks 3 hill climbs i am afraid i picked up a cold this week. I had hoped that i would of got rid of it by sunday but unfortunately it was not to be. When i get ill at this time of year it normally takes me 3 to 4 weeks to fully recover so it doesn't look good for the nationals but i am trying not to get to down about it yet. As October is the month that i have been waiting for it couldn't have come at a worse time. It happened last year just before the nationals as well. I think looking back there are a few thinks that i have learnt about may body.
1. No more than 2 hill climbs in a weekend.
2. Need to start my hc season later as my body can not cope with more than 5 weekends of racing before it breaks down.
3. Need to stay warm at all time's
4. Don't worry about not entering certain hc even if you feel you are letting people down.
so fingers crossed i can get rid of it this week.
1. No more than 2 hill climbs in a weekend.
2. Need to start my hc season later as my body can not cope with more than 5 weekends of racing before it breaks down.
3. Need to stay warm at all time's
4. Don't worry about not entering certain hc even if you feel you are letting people down.
so fingers crossed i can get rid of it this week.
Friday, 14 October 2011
Gone into the red once to often
It would seem that at about this time of year i start to get ill. I thought it was just because of the drop in temperature but i think it is more to do with the fact that my body just can not cope with the high demands of the hc season. I have done 9 hill climbs so far this year over a 6 week period and i think that is about my limit before my body starts to break down.
I hope that after maybe missing this weekends racing i might just shift it before the final 2 weekends of the season so at least i can put in some sort of performance at the nationals. i really wanted to race this weekend but looking at it long term i think i might have to dns.
DAM YOU COLD
Next year i will have to have a close look at my race calendar and i might have to miss event's that i enjoy so as not to get ill. One thing that i will not be doing is doing more than two hill climbs in one weekend and will start my season later.
I hope that after maybe missing this weekends racing i might just shift it before the final 2 weekends of the season so at least i can put in some sort of performance at the nationals. i really wanted to race this weekend but looking at it long term i think i might have to dns.
DAM YOU COLD
Next year i will have to have a close look at my race calendar and i might have to miss event's that i enjoy so as not to get ill. One thing that i will not be doing is doing more than two hill climbs in one weekend and will start my season later.
Wednesday, 12 October 2011
Monsal Head
I wanted to get one hill climb in this year that had a large crowd and was one of the biggest field's in the country so i opted for the Sheffrec CC run event which takes place on Monsal Head in Derbyshire. It is run on a closed road so the spectators have full run of the course. I got there early so as i could have a look at the climb. I rode up it on the fixie and the start was fairly flat but thought that it wouldn't hinder me to much and i would make the time back and more on the climb itself.
I was there nearly 3 hours before my start time so the boredom started to set in. We had to park in a farmers field so the rollers were going to be a problem for warming up, then it would be a walk across the field in the cycling shoes to get to the start which is never good whilst dodging the cow dung.
I wasn't feeling to good after the previous days 2 hill climbs but thought i would still do ok. I had hoped for a time in the low 1:40s. I could hear the crowd cheering every rider up as the commentator did his best to give some info about each rider. As i was off 109 i would no prity soon just how well i had done.
I felt ok on the start line but as soon as i had set off i knew the fixie wasn't the right way to go for me. I could only get up to about 30kph and the big boyes would have been pushing 40. Then as soon as i hit the climb my legs just died on me until the final 80 meters as the crowd encouragement pushed me on to pick the speed up and finish ok. On crossing the line i knew that my time was poor as it took me all of about 20seconds to get my breath back. I did a 1:54 which was very poor. The winner Gunnar Gronlund won in 1:26. I finished in 49th place.
Top 4
1. Gunnar Gronlund 1:26
2. Chris Metcalf 1:27
3. Lee Baldwin 1:27.9
4. Matt Clinton 1.29.9
This climb is ideal for fixed if you can push a big enough gear for the flat section and keep it going on the climb. For me i just don't have the power so if i do it again it will have to be geared.
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| trying to give it sum |
I was there nearly 3 hours before my start time so the boredom started to set in. We had to park in a farmers field so the rollers were going to be a problem for warming up, then it would be a walk across the field in the cycling shoes to get to the start which is never good whilst dodging the cow dung.
I wasn't feeling to good after the previous days 2 hill climbs but thought i would still do ok. I had hoped for a time in the low 1:40s. I could hear the crowd cheering every rider up as the commentator did his best to give some info about each rider. As i was off 109 i would no prity soon just how well i had done.
I felt ok on the start line but as soon as i had set off i knew the fixie wasn't the right way to go for me. I could only get up to about 30kph and the big boyes would have been pushing 40. Then as soon as i hit the climb my legs just died on me until the final 80 meters as the crowd encouragement pushed me on to pick the speed up and finish ok. On crossing the line i knew that my time was poor as it took me all of about 20seconds to get my breath back. I did a 1:54 which was very poor. The winner Gunnar Gronlund won in 1:26. I finished in 49th place.
Top 4
1. Gunnar Gronlund 1:26
2. Chris Metcalf 1:27
3. Lee Baldwin 1:27.9
4. Matt Clinton 1.29.9
This climb is ideal for fixed if you can push a big enough gear for the flat section and keep it going on the climb. For me i just don't have the power so if i do it again it will have to be geared.
A Good But Hard Weekend
So my second year running the Granville Sydney Memorial open hill climb. This is a classic climb and has been won by some of the greats of the sport. It's first winner was Graham Sydney a profilific hill climber of his day and brother of Granville so a fitting tribute who just happened to be our special guest on the day.
Trying to run an event is very stressful especially when you are also trying to compete. We had 41 entries for the open event which is a good number for a hill climb and 2 past winner were on the start sheet, Matt Clinton and James Dobbin. After the morning's event and not warming down after i wasn't expecting big things from my own performance but did have enough time for a warm up as i was going of near the end at number 39. Matt Clinton was off number 40 so i had hoped that this would spure me on a little. The weather had warmed up a touch from the morning and the rain had stopped so as i made my way to the start line i felt ok. I was riding fixed for the first time on this climb so i would see if i had got the gear right. The legs didn't feel to good and on the second 3rd of the climb i was struggling to keep the pedals turning. The encouragement on the climb was great and on the push for the line the crowd made all the differance. Until the last quater i had forgoten that Matt was chasing me until i herd the crowd shouting for him. I pushed as hard as i could as i didn't want to get caught.
On finishing i caught my breath as Matt crossed the line. I stopped my computer to save my data but didn't look at the clock as i knew it wasn't a good time as matt was closer to me than i had wanted. So i turned round and made my way back don the climb whilst thanking people for their surport. Matt caught me up and said that he thought i had gone under 5mins which is a good standard on this climb. Matt had done a 4:17 which is a very good time and would be the fastest of the day.
So my time was 4:59.8 which is my second fastest on this course but 11 seconds short of my best but as matt had gone about 11 seconds slower than his best which he did on the same day i surpose i shouldn't be to unhappy.
I hadn't got the gear right and on the few times i have used the fixed bike i now know where i have gone wrong but it will have to wait another 12 month's before i can put this right.
Trying to run an event is very stressful especially when you are also trying to compete. We had 41 entries for the open event which is a good number for a hill climb and 2 past winner were on the start sheet, Matt Clinton and James Dobbin. After the morning's event and not warming down after i wasn't expecting big things from my own performance but did have enough time for a warm up as i was going of near the end at number 39. Matt Clinton was off number 40 so i had hoped that this would spure me on a little. The weather had warmed up a touch from the morning and the rain had stopped so as i made my way to the start line i felt ok. I was riding fixed for the first time on this climb so i would see if i had got the gear right. The legs didn't feel to good and on the second 3rd of the climb i was struggling to keep the pedals turning. The encouragement on the climb was great and on the push for the line the crowd made all the differance. Until the last quater i had forgoten that Matt was chasing me until i herd the crowd shouting for him. I pushed as hard as i could as i didn't want to get caught.
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| Pushing for the line |
On finishing i caught my breath as Matt crossed the line. I stopped my computer to save my data but didn't look at the clock as i knew it wasn't a good time as matt was closer to me than i had wanted. So i turned round and made my way back don the climb whilst thanking people for their surport. Matt caught me up and said that he thought i had gone under 5mins which is a good standard on this climb. Matt had done a 4:17 which is a very good time and would be the fastest of the day.
So my time was 4:59.8 which is my second fastest on this course but 11 seconds short of my best but as matt had gone about 11 seconds slower than his best which he did on the same day i surpose i shouldn't be to unhappy.
I hadn't got the gear right and on the few times i have used the fixed bike i now know where i have gone wrong but it will have to wait another 12 month's before i can put this right.
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| Matt on his way to the win |
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| Andrew Askwith 1st Vet |
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| Shaun Crowther all the way from Jersey |
Tuesday, 11 October 2011
HUDDERSFIELD STAR WHEELERS HC
Results
A big thanks to everyone who came out to support the event as either a competitor, Marshall or spectator. Tried to thank everyone but i missed a few people. Top day and the weather wasn't to bad.
Results
British Schools Cycling Association Event
Under 15s
1st David Pullan Abbey Grange 6:17.7
2nd Lewis Hirst Castle Hill Acad 7.22.9
3rd Joseph Parker Priesthorpe Sc 10:07.5
Over 15s
1st Jack Duffy Appleton Grange 5:33.1
2nd Connor Palliser Immanuel Colleg 6:54.3
Open Event
1st Matt Clinton Mike Vaughan Cycles 4:17.2
2nd Dan Evans Rhos on Sea CC 4:35.7
3rd Joshua Ferguson Coveryourcar.co.uk RT 4:49.3 1st Junior
4th Mark Tickle Leigh Premier 4:52.2
5th Josh Teasdale Team Jewson UK 4:53.8
6th Sam Ward Otley Cc 4:59.7
7th Andy Pearson HSW 4:59.8
8th Andrew Askwith Bridlington Cc 5:03.4 1st Vet
9th Pete Barusevicus VC Bradford 5:05.8
10th Jason Fossey HSW 5:06.6
11th Mark Flynn Oldham Century 5:12.2
12th Craig Gath York Cycleworks 5:14.3
13th Paul Smith HSW 5:17.7
14th Richard Anderson VS Cycles 5:24.7
15th Mick Silversides HSW 5:25.2
16th Ivan Boyes HSW 5:26.2
17th David Thompson Scarborough Paragon CC 5:27.4
18th Tom Broadbent HSW 5:32.7
19th Andy Moore Lincoln Whweelers 5:39.8
20th Paul Brierley Huddersfield RC 5:41.2
21th Carl Mustill Ferryhill Wheelers Mountain RT 5:43.7
22nd Richard Facey HSW 5:53.5
23rd Ian Shapiro Stockport Clarion 5:56.2
24th Craig Melia Clifton cc 5:56.7
25th Will Boyes HSW 5:58.3
26th Nathan Veall Clifton CC 6:00.2
27th Joshua Ruddiman HSW 6:06.1
28th Kath Farquhar Holme Valley Wheelers 6:29 1st Lady
29th Shaun Crowther Caesarean CC 6:32.7
30th James George HSW 6:36.4
31st Greystone Small Bridlington CC 6:37.7
32nd Thomas Askew Ashley Touring Club 6:39.3
33rd Andrew Farquhar Holme Valley Wheelers 6:47.5
34th Jon Newsome Rhos on Sea CC 7:23.5
35th Chris Coulter HSW 7:24
36th Lucy Farquhar Holme Valley Wheelers 7:24.3
37th Alan Jones Yorkshire Road Club 7:30.7
38th Jonathan Poole Ashley Touring Club 7:35.2
James Dobbin DNS Apols
Chris Edmondson DNS Apols
Victoria Annis DNS Apols
Big thanks goes to time keepers Dave Lindsay and Richard Haigh and clark Christine Tiffany. But big thanks goes to the HSW Legend Graham Sydney for presenting the prizes.
A good event was had by all and some HSW popped there Cherry's. Looking forward to seeing you all back next year.
Thanks Andy Pearson
A big thanks to everyone who came out to support the event as either a competitor, Marshall or spectator. Tried to thank everyone but i missed a few people. Top day and the weather wasn't to bad.
Results
British Schools Cycling Association Event
Under 15s
1st David Pullan Abbey Grange 6:17.7
2nd Lewis Hirst Castle Hill Acad 7.22.9
3rd Joseph Parker Priesthorpe Sc 10:07.5
Over 15s
1st Jack Duffy Appleton Grange 5:33.1
2nd Connor Palliser Immanuel Colleg 6:54.3
Open Event
1st Matt Clinton Mike Vaughan Cycles 4:17.2
2nd Dan Evans Rhos on Sea CC 4:35.7
3rd Joshua Ferguson Coveryourcar.co.uk RT 4:49.3 1st Junior
4th Mark Tickle Leigh Premier 4:52.2
5th Josh Teasdale Team Jewson UK 4:53.8
6th Sam Ward Otley Cc 4:59.7
7th Andy Pearson HSW 4:59.8
8th Andrew Askwith Bridlington Cc 5:03.4 1st Vet
9th Pete Barusevicus VC Bradford 5:05.8
10th Jason Fossey HSW 5:06.6
11th Mark Flynn Oldham Century 5:12.2
12th Craig Gath York Cycleworks 5:14.3
13th Paul Smith HSW 5:17.7
14th Richard Anderson VS Cycles 5:24.7
15th Mick Silversides HSW 5:25.2
16th Ivan Boyes HSW 5:26.2
17th David Thompson Scarborough Paragon CC 5:27.4
18th Tom Broadbent HSW 5:32.7
19th Andy Moore Lincoln Whweelers 5:39.8
20th Paul Brierley Huddersfield RC 5:41.2
21th Carl Mustill Ferryhill Wheelers Mountain RT 5:43.7
22nd Richard Facey HSW 5:53.5
23rd Ian Shapiro Stockport Clarion 5:56.2
24th Craig Melia Clifton cc 5:56.7
25th Will Boyes HSW 5:58.3
26th Nathan Veall Clifton CC 6:00.2
27th Joshua Ruddiman HSW 6:06.1
28th Kath Farquhar Holme Valley Wheelers 6:29 1st Lady
29th Shaun Crowther Caesarean CC 6:32.7
30th James George HSW 6:36.4
31st Greystone Small Bridlington CC 6:37.7
32nd Thomas Askew Ashley Touring Club 6:39.3
33rd Andrew Farquhar Holme Valley Wheelers 6:47.5
34th Jon Newsome Rhos on Sea CC 7:23.5
35th Chris Coulter HSW 7:24
36th Lucy Farquhar Holme Valley Wheelers 7:24.3
37th Alan Jones Yorkshire Road Club 7:30.7
38th Jonathan Poole Ashley Touring Club 7:35.2
James Dobbin DNS Apols
Chris Edmondson DNS Apols
Victoria Annis DNS Apols
Big thanks goes to time keepers Dave Lindsay and Richard Haigh and clark Christine Tiffany. But big thanks goes to the HSW Legend Graham Sydney for presenting the prizes.
A good event was had by all and some HSW popped there Cherry's. Looking forward to seeing you all back next year.
Thanks Andy Pearson
Monday, 10 October 2011
Holme Valley Wheelers HC Holme Moss
Saturday saw me wake up to a cold and miserable day. A stark contrast to the 29 degrees of the previous week but i suppose this is proper hill climbing weather. This is the first time i have done this event as i normally try to save my energy for our own event in the afternoon but this year i am trying to support the local event's. The weather seemed to get even worse the closer we got to Holme and the mist was covering the top of the climb. This year they moved the start time back an hour to 11am to make it closer to the HSW event and also to try and stop the fog and mist problems they some times get from a 10am start time. It is the coldest i have been warming up this year and from what people were saying the wind was going to be a challenge on the climb. Holme Moss is not i climb i enjoy climbing as it always seems to suffer from bad winds. Even climbing it 20 times in the summer has not made me like it any better.
After warming up i decided to wear arm warmers and full finger gloves as i don't like the cold much. The first 200 meters were sheltered from the wind and you seemed to be flying but then just as you got out of sight of the start the wind hit. I would normally do i climb like this in the 39x21 but i just couldn't get the cadence high so dropped down into the 39x23. The wind didn't let up until about 150m from the car park at the top but then over the top it was a strong head wind which meant sprinting for the line wasn't going to help much. I felt i finished ok but was probably a little over dressed on the climb as i overheated a bit but didn't want to get to cold on the decent. I finished with a time of 8:21.4 for 7 place.
I didn't warm down as it started to rain and i also needed to get over and put the signs out for our own race in the afternoon. But a good turn out of 30 riders and a big thanks goes to Richard Haigh and all at Holme Valley Wheelers for making the event happen.
After warming up i decided to wear arm warmers and full finger gloves as i don't like the cold much. The first 200 meters were sheltered from the wind and you seemed to be flying but then just as you got out of sight of the start the wind hit. I would normally do i climb like this in the 39x21 but i just couldn't get the cadence high so dropped down into the 39x23. The wind didn't let up until about 150m from the car park at the top but then over the top it was a strong head wind which meant sprinting for the line wasn't going to help much. I felt i finished ok but was probably a little over dressed on the climb as i overheated a bit but didn't want to get to cold on the decent. I finished with a time of 8:21.4 for 7 place.
I didn't warm down as it started to rain and i also needed to get over and put the signs out for our own race in the afternoon. But a good turn out of 30 riders and a big thanks goes to Richard Haigh and all at Holme Valley Wheelers for making the event happen.
A WEEK OF STRESS
Well the last 2 weeks has been very stressful. I am not the most organised person at the best of times but whilst trying to get myself into some sort of shape for the hill climb season i also run Huddersfield Star Wheelers open hc which took place on saturday 8th october. A few entries went missing in the post which didn't help so i am very sorry for the people who maybe missed out on riding the event. I feel now that a weight has been lifted off my shoulders so i am looking forward to the next few weeks of racing.
Tuesday, 4 October 2011
OTLEY 2 STAGE HC
Both myself and Paul "tall" Smith made the trip over to Otley to take part. There is just one thing to say about the day and that is that it was hot very hot. This is not the weather for trying to go up hills as fast as possible.
Stage 1 V8910 Guise Cliffe ( Pateley Bridge )
I got there in plenty of time as the numbers where being given out at the bottom of the climb. Park up about half a mile away and cycled to pick up my number. The ride to the so called base of the climb was hard enough in the heat. As i was doing my warm up Paul parked next to me. He is always late. I was off number 25 so got to the start just as number 18 was going of so had a little time to wait but with the heat you didn't cool down. I did this climb 2 years ago when it was cut short due to high winds so was unsure how i would go on the full climb. I rode it on the fixed and maybe that was a mistake as it felt like a struggle to turn the pedals. The climb is very step for just over 2 thirds of the climb before it goes into a false flat for the final third. My legs were shot after the step section and struggled to get the speed up.
Results
1.Tejvan Pettingter Sri Chinmey Cycling Team 3.24.8
2 Matt Clinton Mike Vaughan Cycles 3:29.9
3 Gunnar Gronlund RST Racing Team - Trigon 3.30.7
11th Andrew Pearson HSW 4:09.5
15th Paul Smith 4:17.8
Once i had seen the results i new it had been a mistake to ride the fixed but its a learning year where the fixed is concerned.
Stage 2 V897 Norwood Edge
I had planned to ride both climbs on the fixed but after the mornings ride and with about 5 riders either in front or just behind me i chickened out and rode the race bike. The legs felt heavy after the first stage and i think my age is starting to catch up to me and the recovery between stages is not as good. Norwood edge is a climb that is ideal for fixed but as i had not been up and practised i just couldn't take the risk. The first 20seconds of the climb felt very good but then i just seemed to hit a wall. I got to half way and felt like death the heat was a big factor today. I just felt like i was over heating. Looking down at my average speed at the half way point i was way down on what i had done 2 years ago and i actually felt like just cruising the second half of the climb but i had forgot that it is the second half of the climb that is the fastest so the average speed started to increase and my morale picked up. It felt like i finished strong but only everyone Else's time would see if i was right.
The winner was Tejvan who was only 4seconds of the course record which has stood since 1994. The boy is flying this year.
Results
1. Tejvan Pettinger 4:46.5
2. Gunnar Gronlund 4:59.1
3. Matt Clinton 5:02.7
6. Andrew Pearson 5:56.6
16. Paul Smith 6:21.7
so after seeing the results i think i made the right choice but could i have gone faster on the fixed who knows.
Overall
1. Tejvan Pettinger 8:11.5
2. Gunnar Gronlund 8:24.8
3. Matt Clinton 8:32.6
6. Andy Pearson 10.06.1
15. Paul Smith 10.34.5
So it was a tough day in the saddle but after my second ride i was fairly happy. It didn't make any difference to my overall position riding the fixed in the morning as the top five were head and shoulders better than me but luckily for me my second ride clawed back enough time to move up to 6th overall.
I big thanks must go out to Claire Jessop of Otley Cycling Club who put on a great event with a field of 51 which is a very big field for a yorkshire hill climb.
Stage 1 V8910 Guise Cliffe ( Pateley Bridge )
I got there in plenty of time as the numbers where being given out at the bottom of the climb. Park up about half a mile away and cycled to pick up my number. The ride to the so called base of the climb was hard enough in the heat. As i was doing my warm up Paul parked next to me. He is always late. I was off number 25 so got to the start just as number 18 was going of so had a little time to wait but with the heat you didn't cool down. I did this climb 2 years ago when it was cut short due to high winds so was unsure how i would go on the full climb. I rode it on the fixed and maybe that was a mistake as it felt like a struggle to turn the pedals. The climb is very step for just over 2 thirds of the climb before it goes into a false flat for the final third. My legs were shot after the step section and struggled to get the speed up.
Results
1.Tejvan Pettingter Sri Chinmey Cycling Team 3.24.8
2 Matt Clinton Mike Vaughan Cycles 3:29.9
3 Gunnar Gronlund RST Racing Team - Trigon 3.30.7
11th Andrew Pearson HSW 4:09.5
15th Paul Smith 4:17.8
Once i had seen the results i new it had been a mistake to ride the fixed but its a learning year where the fixed is concerned.
Stage 2 V897 Norwood Edge
I had planned to ride both climbs on the fixed but after the mornings ride and with about 5 riders either in front or just behind me i chickened out and rode the race bike. The legs felt heavy after the first stage and i think my age is starting to catch up to me and the recovery between stages is not as good. Norwood edge is a climb that is ideal for fixed but as i had not been up and practised i just couldn't take the risk. The first 20seconds of the climb felt very good but then i just seemed to hit a wall. I got to half way and felt like death the heat was a big factor today. I just felt like i was over heating. Looking down at my average speed at the half way point i was way down on what i had done 2 years ago and i actually felt like just cruising the second half of the climb but i had forgot that it is the second half of the climb that is the fastest so the average speed started to increase and my morale picked up. It felt like i finished strong but only everyone Else's time would see if i was right.
The winner was Tejvan who was only 4seconds of the course record which has stood since 1994. The boy is flying this year.
Results
1. Tejvan Pettinger 4:46.5
2. Gunnar Gronlund 4:59.1
3. Matt Clinton 5:02.7
6. Andrew Pearson 5:56.6
16. Paul Smith 6:21.7
so after seeing the results i think i made the right choice but could i have gone faster on the fixed who knows.
Overall
1. Tejvan Pettinger 8:11.5
2. Gunnar Gronlund 8:24.8
3. Matt Clinton 8:32.6
6. Andy Pearson 10.06.1
15. Paul Smith 10.34.5
So it was a tough day in the saddle but after my second ride i was fairly happy. It didn't make any difference to my overall position riding the fixed in the morning as the top five were head and shoulders better than me but luckily for me my second ride clawed back enough time to move up to 6th overall.
I big thanks must go out to Claire Jessop of Otley Cycling Club who put on a great event with a field of 51 which is a very big field for a yorkshire hill climb.
Monday, 26 September 2011
Bridlington CC Open Hill Climb V491 Flixton Brow
Today i was hoping to get my first open hill climb win but it was not to be. It was going to be a long day as i was also doing the Scarborough Paragon club event in the afternoon. The Brid climb is mostley just a long steep climb which you can see just about all the way to the top. It had rained in the morning so the road was wet and there was a head wind.
I rode the fixed bike again but this climb was a lot more suited than last weeks. I felt good until the last 30meters of the steep section of the climb and the legs just seemed to lock up. As i crested the hill the wind hit you straight in the face so trying to get the speed up on the false flat was tough. I knew i had gone slower that last year but hoped that was down to the wind.
So second it was going to be today as a Brid rider powered up the climb after me and took the win.
Top 3
1. Miles Flather Brid CC 3:15.73
2. Me 3:32.18
3. David Thompson Scarborough Paragon 3:35.7
Then it was over to the Scarborough Club event in Hackness. This event is going to be an open event next year. The climb has 3 step haipins in it and a good gradient all the way to the top. It is tree lined until you reach the last 200m. There was a lot of leaves on the road and it was very wet but i knew this was going to be a climb that i would enjoy riding and it was ideal for the Fixie.
Top 3
1. Me 2:48.61
2 David Thompson 2:53.61
3.Chris Turner 3:05.06
This is going to make an excellant open event next year and is one i will definatly be doing again.
Thanks to Bridling Cycling Club and Scarborough Paragon for putting on 2 great events.
I rode the fixed bike again but this climb was a lot more suited than last weeks. I felt good until the last 30meters of the steep section of the climb and the legs just seemed to lock up. As i crested the hill the wind hit you straight in the face so trying to get the speed up on the false flat was tough. I knew i had gone slower that last year but hoped that was down to the wind.
So second it was going to be today as a Brid rider powered up the climb after me and took the win.
Top 3
1. Miles Flather Brid CC 3:15.73
2. Me 3:32.18
3. David Thompson Scarborough Paragon 3:35.7
Then it was over to the Scarborough Club event in Hackness. This event is going to be an open event next year. The climb has 3 step haipins in it and a good gradient all the way to the top. It is tree lined until you reach the last 200m. There was a lot of leaves on the road and it was very wet but i knew this was going to be a climb that i would enjoy riding and it was ideal for the Fixie.
Top 3
1. Me 2:48.61
2 David Thompson 2:53.61
3.Chris Turner 3:05.06
Thanks to Bridling Cycling Club and Scarborough Paragon for putting on 2 great events.
Sunday, 18 September 2011
ABC CENTREVILLE HC J9/11
Another sunday another hill climb. Today i was doing a new climb. Rode out to check it out in the week and thought on my recce run that it was fairly hard. So i got there early today as i wanted to ride up it on my fixed bike to see if this was the way forward. I have to say that it felt prity easy so i thought that the gear was probably a bit to low but didn't have the one i needed but decided to stick with the fixed and ride that.
The start so i thought was flatish for about 200 meters so new that i would lose time here but riding fixed is a compromise. I finished my warm up in the car park at the top of the climb. Then rode down. This is where i realised i had made a big mistake. The start was actually a further 300/500m further down the road which was prity flat so new i would lose a bundle of time but thats life.
I felt good today even tho i knew that i should have used my geared bike. Once i was on the hill proper the fixed bike rode like a dream. The tubs felt good and the cadence was good and high. My finish time was 8:53.8 in 7th place. The winner was Dan Evans (Rhos on sea CC) with 7:57.5. The start cost me a good chunk of time but it would have only moved me up 1 place but was happy with the fixed.
The start so i thought was flatish for about 200 meters so new that i would lose time here but riding fixed is a compromise. I finished my warm up in the car park at the top of the climb. Then rode down. This is where i realised i had made a big mistake. The start was actually a further 300/500m further down the road which was prity flat so new i would lose a bundle of time but thats life.
I felt good today even tho i knew that i should have used my geared bike. Once i was on the hill proper the fixed bike rode like a dream. The tubs felt good and the cadence was good and high. My finish time was 8:53.8 in 7th place. The winner was Dan Evans (Rhos on sea CC) with 7:57.5. The start cost me a good chunk of time but it would have only moved me up 1 place but was happy with the fixed.
Sunday, 11 September 2011
Buxton CC Hc Long Hill Sept 11th 2011
So today was Buxton cc open hill climb. A dry run for the national later on in the year. This is a climb i haven't been up before so on arrival i got kitted up for a slow ride up the climb to check it out. On reading a few reports on the climb i was expecting it to be flattish but the gradient is not to bad. It will defiantly but a strong testers course. The wind was a head wind for most of the climb which meant speeds would be down on last years time's. The climb is roughly about 4.5miles long with a gradient of about 3%average.
The hq was Whaley Bridge bowling club which has a very large car park which is needed as there is very little parking on the climb and only a few viewing spots so i think that crowds will be sparse at the national.
I felt that my warm up was ok but was still unsure how i was going to tackle the climb. I was on my road bike but i did where my tt helmet. I had planned to keep my cadence above 95rpm and try and keep an average speed of between 28/29kph.
I started ok and quickly got into a rhythm with a good cadence and the speed i was hoping for. Certain sections had a terrible head wind and the speed did drop. There is one slight down hill section but the headwind was so bad i was actually going slower than on some of the uphill section's. After this section you turned to the left and hit the only tail wind and it felt good to get the speed going again. Even tho i had been up the climb once i was a little unsure how far to the finish from here so just keep ed it going but this is were you really need to push on and i didn't quite do this. At the finish i averaged 27kph so was semi pleased but felt i didn't give it 100%.
My finishing time was 15.57.1 in 20th place.
Winner Tejvan Pettinger 13.49.3
Total starters 70
http://connect.garmin.com/activity113483595
Thanks to Buxton CC for putting an excellent event on.
The hq was Whaley Bridge bowling club which has a very large car park which is needed as there is very little parking on the climb and only a few viewing spots so i think that crowds will be sparse at the national.
I felt that my warm up was ok but was still unsure how i was going to tackle the climb. I was on my road bike but i did where my tt helmet. I had planned to keep my cadence above 95rpm and try and keep an average speed of between 28/29kph.
I started ok and quickly got into a rhythm with a good cadence and the speed i was hoping for. Certain sections had a terrible head wind and the speed did drop. There is one slight down hill section but the headwind was so bad i was actually going slower than on some of the uphill section's. After this section you turned to the left and hit the only tail wind and it felt good to get the speed going again. Even tho i had been up the climb once i was a little unsure how far to the finish from here so just keep ed it going but this is were you really need to push on and i didn't quite do this. At the finish i averaged 27kph so was semi pleased but felt i didn't give it 100%.
My finishing time was 15.57.1 in 20th place.
Winner Tejvan Pettinger 13.49.3
Total starters 70
http://connect.garmin.com/activity113483595
Thanks to Buxton CC for putting an excellent event on.
Monday, 5 September 2011
Glossop Kinder Velo Hill Climb (Snake Pass)
My first open hill climb of the year. I did this race last year and really enjoyed it as this is one of my favorite climbs. Conditions this year were ideal as it was mild and very little wind. A stark contrast to last years head wind. The event had 50 starters, 20 up on last year.
Some big hitters had made the trip to glossop. Peter Tadros, James Coleman and Dan Evans as well as a few of the Blackburn Ctc and Buxton Cc lads. Myself and Paul Smith from Huddersfield Star Wheelers. My warm up went well but a problem with resetting my garmin didn't help me go of with a clear head. I am the sort of person who needs everything to go well or it just lets the negative thoughts enter my head.
I felt my pacing was good all the way up the climb and my cadence was around the 88 to 90rpm mark and my heart rate was a consistent 185bpm. I finished with a time of 14:47.1 and 11th place.
I was a little disappointed with my finishing position but it gives me a platform to work from and close down on the people in front for the national.
1st Peter Tadros 13.19
2nd Dan Evans 13:27:2
3rd James Coleman 13:34.2
Some big hitters had made the trip to glossop. Peter Tadros, James Coleman and Dan Evans as well as a few of the Blackburn Ctc and Buxton Cc lads. Myself and Paul Smith from Huddersfield Star Wheelers. My warm up went well but a problem with resetting my garmin didn't help me go of with a clear head. I am the sort of person who needs everything to go well or it just lets the negative thoughts enter my head.
I felt my pacing was good all the way up the climb and my cadence was around the 88 to 90rpm mark and my heart rate was a consistent 185bpm. I finished with a time of 14:47.1 and 11th place.
I was a little disappointed with my finishing position but it gives me a platform to work from and close down on the people in front for the national.
1st Peter Tadros 13.19
2nd Dan Evans 13:27:2
3rd James Coleman 13:34.2
Wednesday, 31 August 2011
Holme Valley Wheelers Club Hill Climb 2011
So tonight i was breaking out my hill climb weapon for it's first outing. A local club hill climb is always a relaxed atmosphere but for some reason i was nervous all day. This was probably due to the fact that i won it last year and i was using fixed for the first time. My warm up was ok but i did go half way up the climb twice on the fixed and it made my legs feel crap.
These are some pic's of my fixed the Racescene had made up for me.
So i did go of as hard as i normally do as after reading Matt Clinton's hill climbing guide i thought maybe i have been going of to hard. My legs felt like crap after about a third of the way up and i thought that maybe i had a to big a gear on but pushed on through to finish with a time of 2:23.6 which as it turned out i beat last years time by .1 of a second. I was a little disappointed with my ride but lets hope i push on from hear unlike last year when i felt that i went backwards.
I finished second this year to a cracking ride by Jacob Scott. But its was close from me down to 5th. Two other Star Wheelers also took part and Tom Broadbent took over 10seconds off his pb and Richard Facey but in a good effort for an old man (only joking richard)
So i did go of as hard as i normally do as after reading Matt Clinton's hill climbing guide i thought maybe i have been going of to hard. My legs felt like crap after about a third of the way up and i thought that maybe i had a to big a gear on but pushed on through to finish with a time of 2:23.6 which as it turned out i beat last years time by .1 of a second. I was a little disappointed with my ride but lets hope i push on from hear unlike last year when i felt that i went backwards.
I finished second this year to a cracking ride by Jacob Scott. But its was close from me down to 5th. Two other Star Wheelers also took part and Tom Broadbent took over 10seconds off his pb and Richard Facey but in a good effort for an old man (only joking richard)
Wednesday, 24 August 2011
Matt Clinton - Occasional Racing Cyclist: Hill Climbs and the lack thereof.
Matt Clinton - Occasional Racing Cyclist: Hill Climbs and the lack thereof.: That's pain, pure pain!
First things first, hill climbs hurt . Now that's been put forwards, you can understand why many people don'...
First things first, hill climbs hurt . Now that's been put forwards, you can understand why many people don'...
Tuesday, 23 August 2011
FIRST WIN OF THE SEASON
Well i made the trip over to do Bridlington Cycling Club's 2 stage club hill climb. The weather said it was going to rain and it did.
Got there in plenty of time so that i could have a look at the climbs and get a good warm up in. The first climb out of Wold Newton was a straight drag up on to a plateau. The climbs length was about 1km but only about 200m was steep. I managed to get warmed up for about an hour until people started to turn up so i went to the start to sign on. I was going off number 10 out of a field of 11. It was about a 45min wait before i went off and had cooled down and then the rain came so i was a bit cold on the start line. As always with a climb i have never rode in anger i always struggle with gear choice. I started in the 39x17 which was ok for the first 3rd of the climb then i dropped it in to the 39x19 for the steeper section and as i hit the plateau and knocked it up 3 gears for the final sprint. Felt ok but should of put it in the big ring for the plateau section i think.
Everyone waited at the top as the times were worked out and the clothing was brought up in the car from the start. I managed to win it by about 6 or 8 seconds so was fairly satisfied. Then it was down the other side to climb up the other side. This climb was about 10% for 2/3rds of the climb until you hit a longer flat section.
It was probably about 20mins from finishing the 1st climb to starting the second and i had got very cold.
Started of in the 39x19 and then when i hit the steepest section i dropped it into the trusty 39x21. As i hit the top section i put it in the big ring and by the time i crossed the finish line i was in full sprint going 43.2kph. On reflexion i didn't try hard enough on the second climb and should of started my sprint about 100m before i did but i think i had got to cold between the two. So as we waited for the results in the fine drizzle i was a little bit disappointed that i had not got everything right. I managed to win the second climb as well by about 6sec so over all 2 wins on a wet night.
So a not a bad start to my 2011 hill climbing campaign. Big thanks to Bridlington Cycling Club for letting me ride and i am looking forward to doing their open event which is on 25th September at 11am.
Learning points
Need to still work on my warm up.
Keep Positive
Always look up the climb
Got there in plenty of time so that i could have a look at the climbs and get a good warm up in. The first climb out of Wold Newton was a straight drag up on to a plateau. The climbs length was about 1km but only about 200m was steep. I managed to get warmed up for about an hour until people started to turn up so i went to the start to sign on. I was going off number 10 out of a field of 11. It was about a 45min wait before i went off and had cooled down and then the rain came so i was a bit cold on the start line. As always with a climb i have never rode in anger i always struggle with gear choice. I started in the 39x17 which was ok for the first 3rd of the climb then i dropped it in to the 39x19 for the steeper section and as i hit the plateau and knocked it up 3 gears for the final sprint. Felt ok but should of put it in the big ring for the plateau section i think.
Everyone waited at the top as the times were worked out and the clothing was brought up in the car from the start. I managed to win it by about 6 or 8 seconds so was fairly satisfied. Then it was down the other side to climb up the other side. This climb was about 10% for 2/3rds of the climb until you hit a longer flat section.
It was probably about 20mins from finishing the 1st climb to starting the second and i had got very cold.
Started of in the 39x19 and then when i hit the steepest section i dropped it into the trusty 39x21. As i hit the top section i put it in the big ring and by the time i crossed the finish line i was in full sprint going 43.2kph. On reflexion i didn't try hard enough on the second climb and should of started my sprint about 100m before i did but i think i had got to cold between the two. So as we waited for the results in the fine drizzle i was a little bit disappointed that i had not got everything right. I managed to win the second climb as well by about 6sec so over all 2 wins on a wet night.
So a not a bad start to my 2011 hill climbing campaign. Big thanks to Bridlington Cycling Club for letting me ride and i am looking forward to doing their open event which is on 25th September at 11am.
Learning points
Need to still work on my warm up.
Keep Positive
Always look up the climb
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