Just because the South East Area Group is that little bit harder...
Whilst some were in bed nursing their hangovers your Area Coordinator and his deputy were out on the road, making (well trying to make) Retrobike proud! 1st January means the first time trial of the year thanks to the kind chaps at the Bognor Regis Cycling Club (BRCC) on their hilly 10 mile course. This really isn't one for fast times!
There was a smattering of snow on the ground in Horsham and heading out on the train towards Arundel the flood plains were still a sheet of ice. Green Rabbit and I put in a sighting lap (in the car, we're not that daft), good job as there were a few icy patches.
Green Rabbit was on his Slingshot and I was on my old lugged steel Geoffrey Buttler tourer, complete with Brooks saddle and cantis, the only concession I made to aerodynamics was to remove the mudguards and headlight before trundling off to the start.
Signing in we both put down Retrobike.co.uk as our club, now all we had to do was not sully the good name. Well, you can all be the judge of that. I managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. I went off third, caught and overtook my minute and two minute men and unfortunately, with no one else to aim for infront of me came in a close second. Green Rabbit managed a very creditable fourth. (I'll post a link to race results when they become available).
IT WAS BLOODY COLD! The race can only be described as pure hell, freezing on the downhill, avoiding the ice, then having the inside of your lungs burned by the still freezing air as you're gasping for breath on the uphill sections.
Unfortunately no photograpic record exists for three reasons:
1. We would not wish to offend style moderator Ed. Neither of us wore shorts or short sleeved road jerseys as we are limp wristed jessies who didn't want to catch a chill. Ed, we apologise unreservedly.
2. It was so cold none of us could have operated a camera.
3. None of us had brought a camera with us.
pip pip!
Whilst some were in bed nursing their hangovers your Area Coordinator and his deputy were out on the road, making (well trying to make) Retrobike proud! 1st January means the first time trial of the year thanks to the kind chaps at the Bognor Regis Cycling Club (BRCC) on their hilly 10 mile course. This really isn't one for fast times!
There was a smattering of snow on the ground in Horsham and heading out on the train towards Arundel the flood plains were still a sheet of ice. Green Rabbit and I put in a sighting lap (in the car, we're not that daft), good job as there were a few icy patches.
Green Rabbit was on his Slingshot and I was on my old lugged steel Geoffrey Buttler tourer, complete with Brooks saddle and cantis, the only concession I made to aerodynamics was to remove the mudguards and headlight before trundling off to the start.
Signing in we both put down Retrobike.co.uk as our club, now all we had to do was not sully the good name. Well, you can all be the judge of that. I managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. I went off third, caught and overtook my minute and two minute men and unfortunately, with no one else to aim for infront of me came in a close second. Green Rabbit managed a very creditable fourth. (I'll post a link to race results when they become available).
IT WAS BLOODY COLD! The race can only be described as pure hell, freezing on the downhill, avoiding the ice, then having the inside of your lungs burned by the still freezing air as you're gasping for breath on the uphill sections.
Unfortunately no photograpic record exists for three reasons:
1. We would not wish to offend style moderator Ed. Neither of us wore shorts or short sleeved road jerseys as we are limp wristed jessies who didn't want to catch a chill. Ed, we apologise unreservedly.
2. It was so cold none of us could have operated a camera.
3. None of us had brought a camera with us.
pip pip!
