I am lead to writing about a bike I have grown so accustomed to riding I had almost forgotten what it was like as I treat this bike as my default bike, ie the one I always end up on when the weather is bad, the roads are rough or as of last weekend the threat of stacking was high and the roads extremely rough for a road race anyway. We are talking about the Rutland to Melton Cicle Classic that this year was a full 2.2 UCI international race, A race that I have unfinished business with, last year got taken out in while avoiding fallen riders, I had stopped but not the guys behind me, got hit hard and that was it for me.
So this year the race was upon us again with an even larger start list than last year. 180 plus riders.
as the race was so big we had to collect our race numbers the day before the event, luckily you could also collect other riders numbers and sign on for them as long as you had there licence. Which meant I was able to collect Sam Humpherson number as he was coming up first thing in the morning with Tom Hemmant.
I had Kimberly from Cyclefit with me as she had also entered the support race to be held over part of the main course, 4x 10km laps with some gravels roads thrown in for good measure.
Well getting back to the bike, I could have ridden a choice of bikes but in the end I settled on what I knew to be the best, which meant prepping my training bike a bit, ie. remove the mudguards, change the brakes and wheels and away we go, even riding it home I was staggered as I ride this bike everyday but must have got numb to how good it rides, just amazing, plenty of feedback from the road, lively as well as fast, only took the mudguards, seatpack, lights, OK, a few items removed, but basically the same wheels, handbuilt Campag Record hubs on new Mavic open pro rims, unlike my well worn training wheels which I have since replaced.
Ever since the race I have appreciated my bike a hell of a lot more, just feels amazing and a joy to ride, even today with some sad news that my father had passed away I went and thrashed myself silly up all the climbs on my ride out on the north Downs, 12 minutes faster than yesterday on the same route, bike does everything and more, have decided to treat it to some bling Campag record calipers in black to go with the overall paint scheme that I designed 4 years ago(don't worry Jules,I have payed for these), we have had the odd knock here and there, paint chips from broken spokes and road debris, the odd fall but just keeps on feeling as good as the day I started riding this bike.
Soaks up everything the London roads have to offer and more as I regularly take a short cut across the pavement and drop off the kerb at 20 miles per hour on the way into work, wouldn't do this on any other bike because I trust what I can do as well as the bike, we are one..
Oh the race, well I kept out of trouble but that meant using up lots of energy that I didn't have, what with having a slightly interrupted training period or lack off, way behind but still feel strong.
After 90 minutes my legs were having enough and hadn't even got to any rough sectors of the race, had to contend with not chasing but just riding and setting goals, like make 2 hours, then get to the next sector, kept pushing on, 2.5hrs, legs really hurting and in a small group that is still working OK, at 2.53 on the roughest sector I pinch flatted the front tire in the middle so had to ride out the sector to get a pare wheel.
From that point on I chased until the next climb when my legs said no, felt solid and on the verge of cramping so gave up, but as I was still on the circuit I kept riding to spin my legs out, every now and then a rider would catch me and pass, some would offer encouragement, while others were in there own world of pain, every time I came to an intersection the crowds were to vocal with encouragement to keep going even though I was going so slowly ,a kid on a bike did keep up with me at one point until the parent told him to leave me alone.
The last two hours I did not know were I was and the broom wagon hadn't caught me which was even more amazing, in the end 4 of us got together and decided whether to return to the start or ride onto the finish. The whole race was held over various circuits and the start and finish in a straight line where only ten miles apart, yet we raced, well rode for 100 miles somewhere between the two.
Officially I finished 94 and no recorded finish time as we were outside the winners 5% time cut, all very well, turned into more of a sportive, just glad it stayed hot and sunny all day.
Totally spent but glad to have completed this event and on the right bike for the job.
Mended puncture and rode to work the next day.
long live steel!!
