Post by davidp on Feb 1, 2013 13:13:18 GMT
Just something to keep people amused, here is a little history.
Later this year I shall reach 65
and I have been looking at my records of cycling over the years. Since I started cycling in 1966 I have covered a total of 156,713 miles and ridden in some 436 events, as of year end 2012. Between 1986 and 2004 I didn’t ride at all, wasting my time doing martial arts and squash. I have been in 4 clubs, starting out with Worcester St Johns CC, then Malvern Esoteric, a couple of years unattached, then Bromsgrove Olympique, and after the long break joined Wyre Forest CRC. When I started racing I was very light, going down to 42kg in 1967, whereas I am typically around 71kgm today – no wonder I find the hills harder now.
A breakdown of the years spent in the saddle is thus;
I have ridden (finished) in 84 British Cycling road races, 27 LVRC races, 26 Circuit races, 233 Time Trials, 39 Reliability Trials, 8 Sportives, 11 Audax events, 2 cyclo cross, and several Roller Races. In all those events I have never crashed, although I have had to ‘bunny hop’ over fallen riders from time to time. There are some great memories, some of harsh rides and suffering, others of achievement, bit mostly it’s about a lifetime of camaraderie amongst fellow cyclists (some will recall the now infamous cling film incident at the Ronde Picardy in 2011
). Here are some of those that stand out for me.
I’ve managed 30 top 10 finishes in BC road races and finished in 3 of the old B’ham Division Championships. In my first year racing proper 1967 I did the Isle of Man International bike week and rode several events and saw Tom Simpson win the Pro race there. Of my 26 circuit races, some of which were Town Centre events, I have had 19 top 10’s. In 1971 I rode in the Woodstock Horse Show Trophy at Blenheim Palace in a top field of over 100 on closed roads. The Pro’s race was just before ours and they had set a new lap record, which us amateurs then bettered in our event. I finished 20th in this 40 ml race having felt ill throughout; after the finish I was soon into hospital for an emergency operation for peritonitous!
I used to be ok in hill climbs and of the 13 ridden all were top 6 places with 2 wins and 2 records. I never did much on the track only riding 4 times. The very first time was the Division Madison champs over 100 laps and my partner (also his first time on a track) and I finished 9th out of 11 teams. The next time I did the Div pursuit champs and finished 5th (out of 12) but my time was nothing special. I also raced in roller events a few times, winning an inter club competition in 1968, but the real epic was a 12hr team event with Nick Yarworth in 1973 which we won covering 396 ½ mls. In 1971 I also set a record for the 65ml Malvern-Monmouth-Malvern place to place.
Of the 39 Reliability Trials clocked up the longer old style were my favourites and I have done 30 of them in Gold Standard. The stand out memory was the B’ham to Shrewsbury and back in 1971, a 90 miler held on the coldest day of the winter when the thermometer never got above minus 6. and my drinking bottle froze solid. Just to make it worthwhile I rode out to the start and back home afterwards covering 150mls in all, my longest single days mileage ever. I also rode home from Devon in a day, 145 mls, on a heavy fully loaded touring bike in 1967. In recent years I have 'enjoyed' 11 audax events and 8 sportives, the best being the Picardy last year, getting a Silver for beating 17mph for the 187km. Other oddities are 14 Boxing Day 10ml TT’s, best being a 3rd fastest; 6 50ml TT’s, 3 30ml TT’s, 16 15ml TT’s, and 8 20ml TT’s. In the latter distance I was 2nd twice, 3rd once and 4th once, but never fastest. There have been 13 miscellaneous TT’s inc several stage race prologues, and 14 hilly TT’s. The best of these was a 9th fastest in the Beacon Little Mountain (now The Ernie Clements Memorial) with 1.49.35 in 1971, and a 2nd place in the 3 up Bath Hilly TTT over 50km, also 1971. Overall 71 was a good year.
Amazingly I have done 91 10ml TT’s, had just 2 wins but never mind, and also done 51 25ml TT’s, and since starting again and joining Wyre Forest I have ridden 27 LVRC road and stage races. This year I have my sights set on Europes biggest sportive the Nove Colli Gran Sportive in Italy in May, and then the Raid Pyrenees in June, after which I will be completely worn out. Happy days.
Later this year I shall reach 65
and I have been looking at my records of cycling over the years. Since I started cycling in 1966 I have covered a total of 156,713 miles and ridden in some 436 events, as of year end 2012. Between 1986 and 2004 I didn’t ride at all, wasting my time doing martial arts and squash. I have been in 4 clubs, starting out with Worcester St Johns CC, then Malvern Esoteric, a couple of years unattached, then Bromsgrove Olympique, and after the long break joined Wyre Forest CRC. When I started racing I was very light, going down to 42kg in 1967, whereas I am typically around 71kgm today – no wonder I find the hills harder now. A breakdown of the years spent in the saddle is thus;
I have ridden (finished) in 84 British Cycling road races, 27 LVRC races, 26 Circuit races, 233 Time Trials, 39 Reliability Trials, 8 Sportives, 11 Audax events, 2 cyclo cross, and several Roller Races. In all those events I have never crashed, although I have had to ‘bunny hop’ over fallen riders from time to time. There are some great memories, some of harsh rides and suffering, others of achievement, bit mostly it’s about a lifetime of camaraderie amongst fellow cyclists (some will recall the now infamous cling film incident at the Ronde Picardy in 2011
). Here are some of those that stand out for me.I’ve managed 30 top 10 finishes in BC road races and finished in 3 of the old B’ham Division Championships. In my first year racing proper 1967 I did the Isle of Man International bike week and rode several events and saw Tom Simpson win the Pro race there. Of my 26 circuit races, some of which were Town Centre events, I have had 19 top 10’s. In 1971 I rode in the Woodstock Horse Show Trophy at Blenheim Palace in a top field of over 100 on closed roads. The Pro’s race was just before ours and they had set a new lap record, which us amateurs then bettered in our event. I finished 20th in this 40 ml race having felt ill throughout; after the finish I was soon into hospital for an emergency operation for peritonitous!
I used to be ok in hill climbs and of the 13 ridden all were top 6 places with 2 wins and 2 records. I never did much on the track only riding 4 times. The very first time was the Division Madison champs over 100 laps and my partner (also his first time on a track) and I finished 9th out of 11 teams. The next time I did the Div pursuit champs and finished 5th (out of 12) but my time was nothing special. I also raced in roller events a few times, winning an inter club competition in 1968, but the real epic was a 12hr team event with Nick Yarworth in 1973 which we won covering 396 ½ mls. In 1971 I also set a record for the 65ml Malvern-Monmouth-Malvern place to place.
Of the 39 Reliability Trials clocked up the longer old style were my favourites and I have done 30 of them in Gold Standard. The stand out memory was the B’ham to Shrewsbury and back in 1971, a 90 miler held on the coldest day of the winter when the thermometer never got above minus 6. and my drinking bottle froze solid. Just to make it worthwhile I rode out to the start and back home afterwards covering 150mls in all, my longest single days mileage ever. I also rode home from Devon in a day, 145 mls, on a heavy fully loaded touring bike in 1967. In recent years I have 'enjoyed' 11 audax events and 8 sportives, the best being the Picardy last year, getting a Silver for beating 17mph for the 187km. Other oddities are 14 Boxing Day 10ml TT’s, best being a 3rd fastest; 6 50ml TT’s, 3 30ml TT’s, 16 15ml TT’s, and 8 20ml TT’s. In the latter distance I was 2nd twice, 3rd once and 4th once, but never fastest. There have been 13 miscellaneous TT’s inc several stage race prologues, and 14 hilly TT’s. The best of these was a 9th fastest in the Beacon Little Mountain (now The Ernie Clements Memorial) with 1.49.35 in 1971, and a 2nd place in the 3 up Bath Hilly TTT over 50km, also 1971. Overall 71 was a good year.
Amazingly I have done 91 10ml TT’s, had just 2 wins but never mind, and also done 51 25ml TT’s, and since starting again and joining Wyre Forest I have ridden 27 LVRC road and stage races. This year I have my sights set on Europes biggest sportive the Nove Colli Gran Sportive in Italy in May, and then the Raid Pyrenees in June, after which I will be completely worn out. Happy days.
