Author Archive
Team Swift evening series final event
21/07/2011 by Steve McCall.
Andy and myself rode the final event of the Team Swift eveing league over at the 718 and recorded some of our fastest rides ever.
The conditions were pretty good with low winds and the rain drying up an hour prior to the first rider off. The only downside was that at 20 past 8, it was blinking freezing!!
I set off from the start and immediately hammered myslef to the max into the quite low head wind to the turn in anticipation of the assistance of a tail wind back.
Just after the turn I caught my minute and three minute man at the same time and to prevent myself going onto the outside lane I had to hold back. In anger though I flew past them with all cyclinders blazing and blew a little on the drag after that.
The finish was storming and I tried with all my body to get a 20 but just missed it 
I ended with a 21.04 and Andy posted a 21.11. That’s the fastest I’ve ever riden at 28.5 MPH and Andy’s ride was his 2nd fastest ever, so a good night all around.
Garmin data. http://connect.garmin.com/activity/100593414
I also came 2nd in the league so will pick up a nice £80 for my efforts, ding dong!
Happy but very tired tester
12/07/2011 by Steve McCall.
Went to Etwall tonight and in a stiff NW wind I posted a new PB of 54.43. Extremly hard night with cross head wind on the return leg but fast going out (did 1st 10 miles in 21.27, seven secs off my 10 PB! ALTHOUGH the second 10 was in 21.52 which included two straight through RBs and the turn RB, this was not too shabby either ).
I was well pleased with the pacing and this paid off on the drags later on and boy, was it a drag on the last 3/4 mile where they had just laid tar and grit just last week, it was like blinking treacle!
Garmin profile here, http://connect.garmin.com/activity/98753767 ,only thing it does not show you is me heaving up into a bush 1/4 mile after the finish!
Allez les verts!
Team time trial
10/07/2011 by Steve McCall.
Anyone fancy getting a few teams together to ride the 10 mile team time trial on 18th September on the quiet rural rolling course?
All you need is an old git (over 40) and someonbe who can actually ride fast 
Rob H and myslef are riding and want some competition. It would be a good laugh and give a bit of needle to the event.
Anyone else up for it?
Team Swift 4th event
07/07/2011 by Steve McCall.
Andy and myself were again riding the Team Swift event over in East Yorkshire on a very changeable sort of night, the wind gradually stiffened all night and temperatures were cool, so not a night for the PBs we were hoping for. It was all still to play for in my camp though due to the overal 3rd position in the points scoring I held coming into the race. With £100 up for grabs by the winner, it was an extra incentive
Times to the turn were a full minute down due to the savage cross head wind and going up the 7% ramp into a block head wind at the turn was definately what we didn’t want!!!!
Coming back up Welton Drag (a mile long 2% drag) were fast though with the assisting cross tail.
Times were;
Andy 21:50
Steve 21:34
This further strengthend my position in the competition and may push me up into 2nd place (may have to let the tax man know
Garmin doo-da thingy here http://connect.garmin.com/activity/97328618 (You would never guess I’ve just got one would you 
Club 50 mile championship
03/07/2011 by Steve McCall.
A sunny and still Saturday afternoon at Dalton near Thirsk saw the 50 mile time trial championship for the Thorpers (at least we got more than 1 entry this year for the longest and most fearful distance of the club chapionship!).
Riders were;
John Lancaster
John Hatfield
John Callaghan (DNS due to the onset of flu symptoms, yeah yeah, post graduating with a 1st in history, top dude!).
Andy Callaghan
Steve McCall.
The conditions were nigh on perfect and was payback for all the hard days we’ve had all season. The leg to the 1st of 3 turns was tough with Knayton bank to contend with that knocked average speeds well down and a horrendous surface at the turn was like negotiating a ploghed field (great time to take fluids on board and getting sticky energy drink all over my arms and legs!).
The leg to the bottom turn was lightening and saw regular forays into low to mid 30 mph but from then on it was a battle to keep the high speeds up the longest strech of road of nearly 20 miles back up to Osmotherly.
At this point I knew a sub 2 hours was neailed on barring punctures and was hopeing that Andy was riding the same for his 1st sub 2 hour 50.
Results and time were.
1st - Steve 1:57:49
2nd -Andy 1:58:45 Well done dude, well pleased for you on getting under 2 hours!
3rd- John Lancaster 2:04:12 and seemed pleased with his ride
DNF - John Hatfield suffered a puncture, unlucky buddy.
DNS - John Callaghan.
We may get even more for this event next year the way we are going in the testing stakes, let’s hope so!
In the mean time……keeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeppppppppp TESTING!
Testing update with some great news!!!
14/06/2011 by Steve McCall.
There were 3 Thorpers in action across the country tonight with the Callaghan clan venturing down to the midlands to ride the Etwall (A25/11) 25 mile course and myself on the old faithfull V718 again with 2nd claim member Al Wareham also in attendance!
Andy PBd AGAIN with his remarkable run of form whilst knocking out a stunning 55.20 (Andy, modify if I have not rememberd correctly) and John posted a 58.07 which is 8 minutes improvement from his dark day on the Welsh course. This shows the determination to suceed, well done dude!
In Yorkshire, the warmth and still night was well appreciated. With 90 minutes between Al and me going off it was always going to be a long and late night but Al suitably reduced the potential tedium by producing a leg burning and tarmac scorching ride of 19.51!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Well done my man, an awesome ride that has rewarded your thoroughly hard work.
I rode my dependable ride again and posted a 21.32 AGAIN, consistancy is getting boring now :-(
Although the times are fast it was not the same across the board as there was a very stiff head wind on the way out but delivered a stunning finish where I recorded 40 MPH on the rise to the finish (if only it was like that all the way around!)
Team Swift event 2
08/06/2011 by Steve McCall.
The series event continued with Andy and myself being the Thorpers representatives. A nice evening welcomed us after some horrendous rain storms through the day but there was a stiff SW wind upon arrival.
As we were warming up the wind eased and it looked a lot more promising but the direction changed into a due westerly (not favourable for the longer return leg but at least less of it to battle through!).
I’m glad to report that there were no naked Thorpers flying along the A63 this time after my zip escapdes on Saturday, Andy set off 2 minutes before and as usual went off really smoothly and was quickly into a smooth rhythm. I was determined to ease into the ride and set off well within myself.
As soon as the DC was reached there was a stiff cross wind and all looked hopeless again until a quick look at the speedo showed speeds well above the average of 28 mph we were hoping for. We both reached the marker at turn (as the white line splits for the exit slip road) in 8.41 so pretty fast average of 28.5 mph for the outward leg.
The return leg was inconsistent, flying at 31 and grovelling at 25 and the finish was a true slog into a block head wind. This was a shame as it added vital seconds onto what would have been great times without it.
Andy did a 21.49 and I did a 21.46 with most of the field going back considerably further. There were only three 19s in a field of 90, compared to five 2 weeks ago with last events winner Lee Tunnicliffe going back 30s.
All in all a decent sort of night and more good training for that float day that will come soon ( I hope).
See you all on Saturday for the Thorpers club 10 championship battle royale!
718 drag strip turns into a quagmire
04/06/2011 by Steve McCall.
ANOTHER hard day in the wind for all 6 Thorpers who had the misfortune to ride the 718 today. The forecast was for 12 mph ENE winds which would make it one of the favorable directions and with the temperatures optimal it looked like a very fast day would be had.
Well, they are lying b4rs’ds are those people at the weather office, after the race everyone I spoke to commented there was a deceptively horrendous northerly that felt well in excess of 20 mph.
The ride out seemed like the anticipated cross/head wind with gusts blowing all riders off their line but everone commented how their times at the turn were some of the best recorded. Personally, I was 2 seconds down of my best ever at my usual marker and was getting excited about the prospect of a PB with the anticiapted cross/tail coming back on the longer leg (5.5 miles versus the 4.5 out).
Heading back off the ramp it seemed like this was well and truly on the cards but then as the course heads north the full force (and direction) of the wind revealled itself :-( The drag up the half way section on the return was exagerated massively. I saw 21 mph against a usual 25 mph minimum at that section.
The finish was a stormer though and gave me my fastest speed of the ride, 36.5 mph. All in all a frustrating day that had promised so much, we just have to put it down as extra training for those float days that are just around the corner
Times were.
Jack - 22.25 great ride
Steve - 22.28 (argh, 3 seconds, I’ll get you next week orange boy!)
Les - 23.05 pleased to be so near me (37 seconds Les, a light year buddy
John L - 23.43 Not a happy bunny again with the wind.
Rob Hattfield - 24.09 A stonking ride with an old skool set up!!! Really good to see Rob record such a fast time but what was most pleasing was that he was not satisfied and was thinking how he could have gained 10 seconds to get a 23! I think we have a prospect on our hands!!!
John hatfield - 25.22 Seemed pleased with his ride but pleased for Rob (through gritted teeth, I suspect )
Al (the tanned and lean married man) recorded a stunning time of 20.28 in such hard conditions it looks nailed on for a 19 this year. Fingers crossed for him!
See you all tomorrow,
Steve.
HELP! Craig, can you fix the blog!!!!
30/05/2011 by Steve McCall.
Been trying to post and it keeps knocking it back.
This is the copy paste of what I was trying to post in the new member post. There are no rude words on it to block it and I cannot see it in the posts to moderate section of the blog.
Hi Rob,
That is a great story of success and detmination. The strength will stil be there from your pre-weight loss and will make you into a great tester!
Seeing your times from the Clarion you should be well in the mix, it’s an easier course.
Hope to see you on Saturday.
Sneak preview, Mad in training for the club 25
27/05/2011 by Steve McCall.
Found some sneaky training rides by Mad for the club 25. I’ve put it on youtube but don’t think his position and cadence are much to write home about.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWRpwDAL0OM
