My first race. Sort of.

I don't race. I'm just a trundly commuter and occasional CTC club run rider. But one of my mates
managed to persuade me to ride the bike leg of the Hairy Legs Challenge in Goring today. 5k run, 20k
bike, 5k run, either as individuals or as teams.

After the first running leg we were in 57th place out of about 120, not too disgraceful as the first
runner is a 40-odd year old asthmatic. So I set out on the bike leg, as a not-quite-40-year-old
asthmatic hoping not to let the team down too much. Goal: not to drop any places.

Result: I moved us up to the mid 20s in the running order, and we were fourth team home overall
thanks to a fine performance on the last leg by our second runner (also named Guy), our sole
non-asthmatic. My time for the bike leg, which was mainly offroad and went from Goring-on-Thames
station into Streatley, up the Ridgeway and then down the Fair Mile and back, was apparently around
43 minutes (whih is better than last years fastest bike, but that was over a different course).

I have to admit with all due modesty that I did drop everybody I met, and in almost every case I
dropped them on a climb. And in almost every case it was because they were hoofing along in high
gears, pedals turning once a fortnight, while I was spinning along comfortably on my low-end no-sus
mountain bike with a cadence of 100+, as is my wont when "pressing on."

The piéce de résistance was when my handlebar stem cap came loose and the bars started waggling
about. I reached behind me, unzipped my seat pack, pulled out the allen keys, zipped the pack back
up, tightened the stem screws and dropped the allen keys in my back pocket
- all without stopping. One guy passed me as I fiddled, and I passed him as I put the tool in my
pocket :-D

Descending at speed on concrete-hard ruts churned by tractors, Landies and horses, with no
suspension at either end, is a complete killer. I could have gone faster downhill if I could have
held onto the bars. I did manage over 30mph on a descent on road, thanks to my Specialized
Cross-Country tyres, inflated to 80psi.

Not bad for an asthmatic old git, I thought

Guy
===
** WARNING ** This posting may contain traces of irony. http://www.chapmancentral.com (BT ADSL and
dynamic DNS permitting)
NOTE: BT Openworld have now blocked port 25 (without notice), so old mail addresses may no longer
work. Apologies.

 

Just zis Guy, you know? wrote:
> The piéce de résistance was when my handlebar stem cap came loose and the bars started waggling
> about. I reached behind me, unzipped my seat pack, pulled out the allen keys, zipped the pack back
> up, tightened the stem screws and dropped the allen keys in my back pocket
> - all without stopping. One guy passed me as I fiddled, and I passed him as I put the tool in my
> pocket :-D

Bloody hell!!! Well done, it all sounds good.

~PB

 

Well done Guy.....and welcome to the mad world of duathlon...watch out or a triathlon will sneak
up on you!!

Cheers, Hedgehog

P.S. couldn't pop over to London to do my cycle leg in London Tri could you...it's my weakest
section :-(

"Just zis Guy, you know?" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I don't race. I'm just a trundly commuter and occasional CTC club run rider. But one of my mates
> managed to persuade me to ride the bike leg of the Hairy Legs Challenge in Goring today. 5k run,
> 20k bike, 5k run, either as individuals or as teams.
>
> After the first running leg we were in 57th place out of about 120, not too disgraceful as the
> first runner is a 40-odd year old asthmatic. So I set out on the bike leg, as a
> not-quite-40-year-old asthmatic hoping not to let the team down too much. Goal: not to drop
> any places.
>
> Result: I moved us up to the mid 20s in the running order, and we were fourth team home overall
> thanks to a fine performance on the last leg by our second runner (also named Guy), our sole
> non-asthmatic. My time for the bike leg, which was mainly offroad and went from Goring-on-Thames
> station into Streatley, up the Ridgeway and then down the Fair Mile and back, was apparently
> around 43 minutes (whih is better than last years fastest bike, but that was over a different
> course).
>
> I have to admit with all due modesty that I did drop everybody I met, and in almost every case I
> dropped them on a climb. And in almost every case it was because they were hoofing along in high
> gears, pedals turning once a fortnight, while I was spinning along comfortably on my low-end
> no-sus mountain bike with a cadence of 100+, as is my wont when "pressing on."
>
> The piéce de résistance was when my handlebar stem cap came loose and the bars started waggling
> about. I reached behind me, unzipped my seat pack, pulled out the allen keys, zipped the pack back
> up, tightened the stem screws and dropped the allen keys in my back pocket
> - all without stopping. One guy passed me as I fiddled, and I passed him as I put the tool in
> my pocket :-D
>
> Descending at speed on concrete-hard ruts churned by tractors, Landies and horses, with no
> suspension at either end, is a complete killer. I could have gone faster downhill if I could have
> held onto the bars. I did manage over 30mph on a descent on road, thanks to my Specialized
> Cross-Country tyres, inflated to 80psi.
>
> Not bad for an asthmatic old git, I thought
>
> Guy
> ===
> ** WARNING ** This posting may contain traces of irony. http://www.chapmancentral.com (BT ADSL and
> dynamic DNS permitting)
> NOTE: BT Openworld have now blocked port 25 (without notice), so old mail addresses may no longer
> work. Apologies.

 

> "Just zis Guy, you know?" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > I don't race. I'm just a trundly commuter and occasional CTC club run rider. But one of my mates
> > managed to persuade me to ride the bike leg of the Hairy Legs Challenge in Goring today. 5k run,
> > 20k bike, 5k run, either as individuals or as teams.
> >
> > After the first running leg we were in 57th place out of about 120, not too disgraceful as the
> > first runner is a 40-odd year old asthmatic. So I set out on the bike leg, as a
> > not-quite-40-year-old asthmatic hoping not to let the team down too much. Goal: not to drop any
> > places.
> >
> > Result: I moved us up to the mid 20s in the running order, and we were fourth team home overall
> > thanks to a fine performance on the last leg by our second runner (also named Guy), our sole
> > non-asthmatic. My time for the bike leg, which was mainly offroad and went from Goring-on-Thames
> > station into Streatley, up the Ridgeway and then down the Fair Mile and back, was apparently
> > around 43 minutes (whih is better than last years fastest bike, but that was over a different
> > course).
> >
Nevertheless, cause for a certain amount of smugness, I reckon....

> > I have to admit with all due modesty that I did drop everybody I met, and in almost every case I
> > dropped them on a climb. And in almost every case it was because they were hoofing along in high
> > gears, pedals turning once a fortnight, while I was spinning along comfortably on my low-end
> > no-sus mountain bike with a cadence of 100+, as is my wont when "pressing on."

pure class ;-)

> >
> > The piéce de résistance was when my handlebar stem cap came loose and the bars started waggling
> > about. I reached behind me, unzipped my seat pack, pulled out the allen keys, zipped the pack
> > back up, tightened the stem screws and dropped the allen keys in my back pocket
> > - all without stopping. One guy passed me as I fiddled, and I passed him as I put the tool in my
> > pocket :-D

- Phew!! - My hero !....oh to have been a fly on the wall for that one ;-)

> >
> > Descending at speed on concrete-hard ruts churned by tractors, Landies and horses, with no
> > suspension at either end, is a complete killer. I could have gone faster downhill if I could
> > have held onto the bars.

...You did it 'look ma, no hands' ?!!? - you have my utmost admiration sir!!

> > I did manage over 30mph on a descent on road, thanks to my Specialized Cross-Country tyres,
> > inflated to 80psi.
> >
> > Not bad for an asthmatic old git, I thought
> >
- Less of the 'old' if you don't mind, please young man !

> > Guy
> > ===

Congrats and well done that man. Take a seat, for a while. How come you didn't do it on the 'bent ?.
You could've really shown them what speed was ;-)

Dave.

 

On Tue, 13 May 2003 18:02:03 +0100, "Dave" <[email protected]> wrote:

>Congrats and well done that man. Take a seat, for a while. How come you didn't do it on the 'bent
>?. You could've really shown them what speed was ;-)

Thank you my public :-D

As soon as I find a pukka offroad 'bent I will indeed begin their conversion to the Dark Side...

Guy
===
** WARNING ** This posting may contain traces of irony. http://www.chapmancentral.com (BT ADSL and
dynamic DNS permitting)
NOTE: BT Openworld have now blocked port 25 (without notice), so old mail addresses may no longer
work. Apologies.

 

On Sun, 11 May 2003 12:46:18 +0100, "Just zis Guy, you know?" <[email protected]> wrote:

Final results now in: my time was 42.57, making me the 12th fastest bike (out of 110), and I gained
the team 39 places on the ride. We were fifth team home, not fourth, 18th place overall. And we are
well satisfied with that

Results will eventually be posted at <http://www.hairylegschallenge.co.uk>. It's no disgrace, I
think, to be beaten by the likes of Sharkie Jaggard - and I do believe the PSF might make an
exception to the rule if he was spotted wearing bibs; the ladies all seemed to admire his - er -
physique quite immoderately.

Guy
===
** WARNING ** This posting may contain traces of irony. http://www.chapmancentral.com (BT ADSL and
dynamic DNS permitting)
NOTE: BT Openworld have now blocked port 25 (without notice), so old mail addresses may no longer
work. Apologies.

 

In news:[email protected], Just zis Guy, you know?
<[email protected]> typed:
> On Tue, 13 May 2003 18:02:03 +0100, "Dave" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> Congrats and well done that man. Take a seat, for a while. How come you didn't do it on the 'bent
>> ?. You could've really shown them what speed was ;-)
>
> Thank you my public :-D
>
> As soon as I find a pukka offroad 'bent I will indeed begin their conversion to the Dark Side...
>
The Mountain Quad. Does that count?

http://www.crank-it.com/quadfeatures.html

 

"Ambrose Nankivell" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...

> The Mountain Quad. Does that count?

At double the weight of my MTB I think it might be a bit less of a breeze on that :-/