Reports
Reviews
Legends
If getting issue number 1 of the ground surprised me; this leaves me absolutely staggered. A second issue for goodness sake!
Cranks
Riders
Kit
Old Skool
Carbon
Never work with animals or children
In hindsight, the first issue probably wasn’t quite right. It was meant to be "regularly irregular and total crap" but judging by the feedback we've received we're some way off the mark. Our contributors have been severely reprimanded and I have been assured that changes WILL be made, if not, heads will roll... probably mine! So all we're asking for is a second chance…please? I started trying to drum up some sort of interest in The Testing Times by off-loading a hundred paper copies of the first issue at the BBAR prize presentation at the beginning of January. Despite my best intentions to show that we've managed to produce something that is at least on par with any available alternative (and in so doing meet our stated objective, see above) I kept getting side-tracked. I was on a mission you see! "Take your camera and get some shots of the real stars - and make sure they're in colour, not like all those we've got of you" I was told. So, between us we took on the likes of Andy Jones and Kimroy-Silk (I didn't realise he took photos too but after hearing about him on "I'm a Celebrity…" it didn't come as any great surprise to be told it was the same chap).
Anti-clockwise,
Dawson, Eyles, Allen, Hamel, Bowdler, Ward, Dorrington, Cammish, Hutchinson, Roach, Woodburn
just enough peas on my plate to be able to use them to tick off, one by one, the number of past, and present, BBARs there…twelve! So, my plan was to get a piccy of us all together….and it VERY nearly worked! The waiter service was such that I was able to meander around the thirty odd tables during the courses seeking out my eleven "friends" without missing a bite. I didn't think it would work, but the idea was for everyone to meet in the foyer sometime between the speeches and the prize presentation. I was sure such illustrious company would have far better things to do than come along.
As I sat down for my meal I got the “If you don't show up, don't worry" seating plan out and as I looked at my main course I realised there were I said, "I'll assume you're not
S EE
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interested (not that I can blame you) and the three of us (Elaine, Martin and myself) will have our photo taken together" - which wouldn't have been that hard to organise because we were all seated at the same table. Low and behold though, they all turned up, with the exception of Julia (Shaw) who got delayed when she stopped at the bar for a top-up en route. More from Julia later!! Lots of nice people there and an opportunity to mix and mingle with all the stars so don't miss it next year. Thoroughly recommended! It’s just a shame it's all over so quickly! Right, back to business…."issue number 2 had better be good” Ian Cammish - Editor at Heart
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BRITAINS BEST CARPET TESTING MAGAZINE
If you have been in the sport for forty years or more and love it’s history, then this is one for you!
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2009
Agony, ecstasy, determination, humour, I could run out of expletives to describe this lifetime of work by Ron Good. Over the years we see endless pictures featured in our sports magazines, we expect to see the story from the photograph. What we don't often appreciate is the commitment and endeavour shown by the photographer to capture that moment, which is over in a split second, not even knowing who he was, but at the same time that image is locked away in some distant compartment of our mind. This book with it’s 250 photographs, along with a DVD totalling over 600 shots, brings back to life those memories we have had locked away, each one reminding ourselves of events in our own lives at that time. It doesn't matter which branch of the sport you favour there is something for everyone. As I looked through the book I was reminded of the greats I had been told stories of when I started out back in 1969, riders who were already legends and whose memories live on, as comparisons are continually made between each generation of talent. I loved the 70's and seeing photo's of the Carlton, Holdsworth and Bantel riders fighting it out on the road, King Alf, Beryl Burton, Paul Carbutt and Phil Griffiths dominating their Time Trial events, these pictures certainly bring back memories for me, as I strived to improve myself during that period. I am sure each decade will provide the reader with a 'wow' factor, with the changes in equipment and style reminding us of the achievements of our forerunners. The 'Boot', first man under 4 hours, how did he do it on that machine? Do we really need carbon fibre? With pictures from all aspects of cycling, Ron has truly captured something for everyone - a collection of work to be admired and enjoyed. Reviewed by Alan Roberts— top 3 BBAR rider from the 80s.
RACE RESULTS - DO YOU WANT THEM? Well it’s something we can do...if you’re interested.
ian@planet-x-bikes.com and I'll do the rest.
Don't bother with reports for now - if it's a BIG event or Bear in mind though that Testing Times is likely to be regularly irregular in both content and frequency of issue someone's whooped Hutch we'll get back to you for more so any results or reports that we include could well be details. four or five weeks out of date! BUT...bear in mind also that Britain's biggest selling cycling magazine missed out completely on Andy Bason's Anfield epic last season! Well that's the sort of thing we'd like to pick up on! We believe rides like that deserve some recognition. So, initially mail your top 10 riders and times + fastest schoolboy / junior / lady through to me at
S EE
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We’re up for it if you are?
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2009
MAKE 2009 YOUR BEST EVER... Recording one of the fastest 10 mile time trail times during 2006 in 18 minutes and 55 seconds make Craig Simpson, pictured right preparing for another arduous training session, is a great believer in the indoor trainer. “Going in to the winter of 20052006 was when I first decided that training on the UK roads was not enough fun to tolerate.
order to run the industrial wind machine needed to replicate the island’s true conditions but I was prepared to compromise on this element. With the exception of a 2 week training camp when I actually went to Lanzarote, I completed the entire winter indoors from mid October to early March training on the turbo for 10-14 hours a week. My longest session was 4 hours and my staple session was 8-10 X 10 minute efforts with a minute easy between.
“I completed the entire winter indoors from mid October to early March training on the turbo for 10-14 hours a week. .”
So after my last time trial in September I had a look at wunderground.com and printed off the 2004-2005 weather history of Lanzarote for the period of October to March. March. It was about October 10th when the lack of insulating properties of my bib-shorts and track mitts were starting to show. So, I got back on the internet and ordered myself a Hygro Thermometer (temperature and humidity) and a lovely 10'000 Lux Light Box to implement my plan to recreate the conditions of my favourite place to train.
The main trouble I had was staying hydrated. I used to drink a lot during the sessions with various electrolyte supplements but some days I seemed to fall apart far sooner than I should have. My conclusion was that it worked pretty well. Maybe a bit soft compared to the hardcore cold winter training but my 2006 season was a fairly good one for me”. Master of the understatement!
“My longest session was 4 hours and my staple session was 8 to 10, 10 minute efforts with a minute easy between.”
Unfortunately my budget didn't stretch to getting the three-phase electricity system installed in
S EE
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As the 2009 season approaches we want to give you expert advice on reaching your goals and new PB’s PAGE
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FEBRUARY
2009
NOT FOR THE FAINT-HEARTED Joel Wainmann –Team Swift—has won several National Time Trial medals and been a top 3 BBAR rider which is no doubt due to the arduous training regime he follows each winter. “Having kept in contact with Mr Editor over last season and the winter period I was flattered when he asked me to do a detailed run down of my own winter training layout. What you are about to read isn't hyped up to show off, nor is it what I am recommending that you should do as we are all different and one plan may not suit another. It’s pretty simple stuff but painful. Some will do more; some will do less and still be more successful than me! I don't use power meters or coaches as, at the end of the day, it is the fastest time that wins not how many watts you've kicked out and I reckon I know my body more than any coach ever will. So, after my last race, which was late September, I just do a 2-3 hour ride on a Sunday at tempo pace until the beginning of December.
Joel’s Alloy Giant Winter Bike -17.5lb kitted with Shimano
“Then I get stuck in with the turbo. I use a Kurt Kinetic Fluid Turbo Trainer which is a twat.”
I always win, apart from early Then I get stuck in with the turbo and I use a Kurt Kinetic Fluid Turbo December when I hit black ice and broke my thumb! Oops! Trainer which is a twat. All rides are done solo which can As I get fitter I need less food and drink. I start on two full 750ml bot- take a strong mind at times I betles of Amino load, 4 cereal bars and lieve
Sunday mileage to 7+ hour rides, if there is enough light in the day!
a Turkish Delight but last week did 105 miles at 18.9 average on half a bottle and 3 cereal bars.
But planning out a route and sticking to it regardless helps mentally.
“Being alone, and in pain from ice cold hands I often shouted out loud "you won't fucking beat me"!
The only time I stop is traffic lights; you don't stop in 100 mile TTs so why stop in training for them?
Take a look at a typical training week from Joel on the next page total respect!
With a month to go until my first It sometimes seems like a personal race I shall continue to up the fight between the cold/wind/rain and
S EE
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Don't laugh if you see the result of me getting hammered in the Team Swift 9.5, it's a hilly and I haven’t been training for them!”
Thanks to Craig and Joel for giving away their secrets. PAGE
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2009
If you fancy doing something different this week then why not try Joel Wainmann’s weekly training plan: Monday: 40 press ups, 100 sit ups, 60 neck lifts, 30 bicep and tricep curls. Hop on the turbo for 40 minutes in 39x16. Sit at about 130bpm - average speed started at 16.6—now its about 18.5 with the same heart rate reading. Then 10 minutes warm down. Tuesday: A 10 minute warm up then an 30mins in 53x18 at 20mph+. I call it a threshold ride. I am going as hard as I can and there is eternal leg pain. At the beginning of December the average speed was 20.07 but come mid-January it is 20.37. Heart rate average is very low at 142ish but was 165 early December. Revs are about 87-90pm, the last 5 mins or so are ridden on the rivet! Then 10 minute warm down. Wednesday: Exactly the same as Tuesday. Thursday: Day off, too busy shaving legs and doing my share of the parenting! Friday: 10 minute warm up then into a 53x14 at hard painful effort, overgeared for 30 minutes to start with. Revs are about 75pm. Beginning of December the score was 20.7 average (162 average hr), mid-January 21.1 average (152 average hr). 10 minutes warm down. Saturday: 62.7 mile ride same route all the time. It is 748 metres of climbing and to make it harder I limit myself to just 4 gears - 53x16 -13. This means that on some of the climbs I am doing 12mph in the 16! The effort is tempo but I wouldn't rest if I didn't achieve a 20+average so often kill myself in the last 10 mile or so if I think it is not on. Av hr in early December was 159, it is now 146ish. Fastest average so far 20.7. Sunday: I have this obsession that every ride has to be 100 mile+ so last winter, and this year up to now I have achieved this. Av hr usually 135140. Biggest mileage has been 121 but I will probably better that very soon. December total mileage was 1242 but our modest Editor put me to shame by about 650 miles! Crikey I'd have issued a press conference if I’d have clocked up that many miles.
S EE
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BRITAINS MAGAZINE FOR CARPET TESTERS
FEBRUARY
2009
MARTIN PYNE Martin is a legend who continues to race long after winning the National 25 Championship in 1981 His exploits continue to attract great interest from the many enthusiasts who have followed his every move over the years.
Hi Martin what are you up to these days? I’m fairly busy. I am married with three young daughters, Emily, 15, Victoria, 13 and Annabel, 7. Taking them to school, brownies, girl guides and air cadets takes up a fair amount of my time. My wife, Helen, has had multiple sclerosis for the last four years and although she is as active as most women, I have to do as much as I can if she has a bad spell. Where do you work? I’ve been a fibreglass laminator, for 35 years now. In the 1970’s I worked on boats but since then I have been making medical scanner covers for Broadwater Mouldings in Horham, Suffolk. I ride to work about two or three times a week. It’s about 19 miles from my house in Barningham and on the way home I usually do a few extra miles depending on how I feel; usually about 25 miles. It’s on main roads and side roads and I ride steady but quite hard, at about evens. My training bike has mudguards, a pannier frame and lights and weighs about 27lbs. What about the weekends at this time of year? On Saturday morning I will probably do an hour before everyone gets up. I have several little circuits, one towards Thetford Forest and a hillier one along the Ixworth Road. That’s a hard road and I’m always quite knackered after riding flat out up the hills. I probably won’t ride on a Sunday, we might go food shopping and I usually have to clean out the chicken shed which takes a couple of hours. We have 12 and they are laying six or seven eggs a day at the moment. These older ex-council houses have bigger gardens, about a fifth of an acre so it’s nice to let them out, especially the free-range rescue hens which were a bit scrawny but are quite presentable now. We’ve got a guinea pig and a rabbit too.
On the E72 riding the bike featured earlier in Nob Off the back
Although he’d probably be the first to agree he isn’t quite as fast as he used to be, Martin remains as keen as ever. Here, he looks back on some of the highlights of his cycling hey-days with Luke http:// www.crazyaboutbelgium.co.uk : Evans
S EE
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That’s about eight hours a week, not big miles then? I have done the same training year in year out for years. I’ve had the same routine all my life — the only time I stuck to a proper schedule — I wasn’t married then — was when Stan Turner did one for me in 1981, the year I won the national ‘25’ title. I would ride every day to work, about 12 miles, then do 20 to 30 miles after. About 40 miles most days then an hour on Saturday and 60 to 80 miles on Sunday. There were some intervals in there as well. About 300 miles a week, a good base fitness. In 1981 I did quite a few road races in the early season as well. I had six second places, one or two down London way. I should have won one of them, I was away
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with one bloke but he just sat on me the whole time and sprinted for the win. I liked doing road races, I would do them till April or May before the TT’s took over. During the season I would do the odd crit. I even did the Ras the Cymru once and got fifth or sixth on one stage. A hilly race that, I was on a VC Norwich team. What was your best ever ride? Probably the National ‘25’ in 1981. I won it by 50 seconds, I think Ian was second. The only other person who could have won it was that red haired bloke from London who rode as a pro…Dave Akam [Akam was still amateur at the time but racing in Holland]. I was on top form. I beat comp record for the ‘30’ on the E72 a week before with 1-00-11. On the day of the ‘25’ it was cool and very windy, conditions that suit me. I like the wind, it suits my strength. The course was the F2/25, along the A10 to Waterbeach, north on the A14, turning at the Stretham roundabout and back down the A10. It’s fairly flat but very open. I used 57x12 or 13, 126in or 128in in top, that’s what I used the whole way round. I was that strong I could use those gears into the wind and up the hills. [Cycling reported that he used 116in and 106in on the hardest headwind sections]. What bike did you ride? A Raleigh Ilkeston special, built with the latest Reynolds 753 tubing and aero seatstays. It was painted gold with black graphics and I had the rims of the wheels anodised black just for the look. I can’t remember the make of the rims but the hubs were Omas with titanium skewers and roller bearings. Tyres were Clement number threes, silks, pumped up to 120 to 130 psi. They made a lovely sound - they just roar. The groupset was Campag Super Record with a single chainset and seven inch cranks, or 177.5mm. I used Super Record track pedals with Christophe aluminium clips. My team-mate in the Breckland, Richard Bradley, used those Cinelli M71’s which you had to bend down and unclip each time. [Martin’s Raleigh also had Cinelli bars and stem, with concealed cables and no bar tape. The brake levers were drilled and without rubber hoods and Martin rode in an all-black skinsuit with integral hood and Duegi leather shoes] That bike is still around — I gave it back (to the sponsor) and someone still rides it around the Sudbury area I think. A few weeks before the national ‘25’ I did a 49-31 on the E72 on that bike. That was eight seconds outside comp record and I probably would have got it if it hadn’t been wet on the big roundabout and I hadn’t had to slow down around the adverse camber turn before the finish.
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2009
1981 RTTC National 25-mile Championship 1. Martin Pyne (CC Breckland) 2. Ian Cammish (GS Strada-Manulife) (Must have jumped a lorry!) 3. John French (Coventry Olympic) 4. R. Queen (VC Slough-Office Ass) 5. M. Ballard (Unity CC-Hireconomy) 6. P. Wheeler (Charlotteville CC) 7 .D. Hinde (Crewe Clarion) 8. J. French (Oxford City RC) 9. D. Cottington (CC Orpingt-Ken Bird) 10. M. Bowen (Oxonian CC)
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54-48 54-56 55-01 55-21 55-37 55-40 55-48 55-48
“Co favourite with Pyne, Eddie Adkins (‘25’ champion in 1977-78-79) punctured after two miles and packed at 10 miles when 1-36 down on Cammish”
“Pyne was fastest at all the intermediate time checks with 20-58 (10mls) and 36-11 (17.7mls)”
“CC Breckland won the team with Pyne, Richard Bradley (55-54) and Simon Warren (57-26)”
“Pyne was 24 when he won the ‘25’. He was 6ft-1in tall and weighed 12.5 stone. He won many events after 1981 and still races today, but he never won the 25 championship again”
I’m sure I’m not alone in thanking you for sharing some of your thoughts and memories with us. Good luck for the future Martin.
S EE
53-00 53-50
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FEBRUARY
2009
KEVIN DAWSON B.A.R. KING I’m always interested in what cycling champions do for a living. It often seems to give you an important insight into their personality.
International honours don’t come easily to our best time trialers. Peter Whitfield speaks to Kevin Dawson and Julia Shaw to find out more...
So when I talked to Kevin Dawson about his career, it came as no surprise when he told me he works in a milling plant, grinding stone to powder, smashed, shattered and ground nine-year reign. down until there is nothing left but True he didn’t win eleven in a row – fine dust. he has lost out to Gethin Butler, Andy Wilkinson and Michael Hutchinson – but remember when he wasn’t winning he was second.
He has never finished worse than second, and he set the all-time record speed in the competition in 2003 at 28.260 mph. Add to this his seven national championships in the 100, three in the 12, competition records at 50 and 100 miles and you have an achievement which places him among the very greatest figures in the sport.
Kevin Dawson at speed Photo courtesy Ron Good
It seemed to me that this is exactly what Dawson has been doing to his fellow time triallists for the past sixteen years. During which his almost unbeatable strength at 100 miles and 12 hours has brought him the amazing total of eleven BAR victories.
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And more was to come. In his first 12-hour he was well inside four hours for the first 100, still inside eight hours at 200, before slowing for a final total of 284, a magnificent debut, easily the best of the season so far, and one that placed him at the head of the BAR table. It was only Glenn Longland’s historic 300-mile 12 later that year that kept Dawson from taking the BAR title at his first attempt at the tender age of 21.
Born and bred in Doncaster he He was training hard, 25 hours or discovered cycling for himself when more a week, but at that time it was he was a kid. all very traditional, with long rides His parents had a caravan at Filey and chain-gangs. No 21-year-old and when he was just fourteen he could conceivably post times like would ride over to the coast fifty those without a tremendous natural miles away and go sea-fishing. talent. Kevin had clearly found his Cycling was the only sport he ever role. went in for seriously. In 1992 he took the BAR crown, and His first club was the Askern CC, retained it in 1993. In both years it made famous by Peter Hill, the was Kevin’s unmatchable 12 times teenage BAR champion of the 1960s, that gave him the victory. in fact Alan Robson, one of Hill’s He would continue as a top-flight contemporaries, was Dawson’s earliroadman, winning elite events like est mentor. the Lincoln GP, winning stages in Kevin started racing when he was the Girvan and the Ras, and riding eighteen in 1988, and road-racing both the Pru-Tours in the 1990s. But excited him more than time-trialling. every year by late June his thoughts But in 1991 he decided almost on a would turn once again to the BAR.
If you think of giants of the past like Ray Booty or Bryan Wiltcher winning it two or three times, and riders of the calibre of Roach, Watson and Woodburn winning it just whim to take a break from the once, it seems incredible that one bunches and try some serious timeman could be so dominant for so trialling. long, surpassing even Cammish’s
S EE
Few riders can have started with such a bang; a 50 in 1:46, a 100 in 3:51, and then 3:41, Kevin had all the established stars sitting up!
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He didn’t set out deliberately to beat Cammish’s record of nine victories, but he realised early that this was his real territory, and he could do this PAGE
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supremely well and he was more you see I had tried the same tactics in certain of winning the big prizes here the previous 100, in the Cleveland event, and it hadn’t worked. I blew up than in the bunches. at eighty miles. We both broke If you try to analyse where his Wilko’s record that day, but you superiority lay it was above all in the won’t see my name in the book, be12. cause Hutch finished first. The secThis is the graveyard of so many ond time I didn’t blow up, that’s all.” BAR ambitions and so many great That record still stands, and it was the riders have admitted they rode second Wilko record that he had capunwillingly, Dawson on the other tured. In 1997 he had trimmed five hand has never been afraid of 12s, he seconds off the 50 time, and put the enjoys them, and no other rider ever record on the shelf for eleven years had such a run of 290-plus rides year until Hutch smashed it last season. after year. With his tremendous record you The 12 demonstrated his superiority, would think he had deserved at least but it also provided the biggest one or two international outings disappointment of his career, that he against the watch, wouldn’t you, but never quite got to the magic 300 and no. competition record. In distance terms his 12-hour victories culminated in “As far as international selection is the 2000 Elmet event, where he hit concerned, time trialling doesn’t 298.2, but his greatest frustration mean anything, it’s still a little backcame in the 2002 National, when he water. If you want selection for the did 296.11 after being off the bike for world’s or whatever, you have to ride well-nigh half an hour with five punc- the road or track, or your face just tures, and a road blocked by a crash. doesn’t fit. “Back in the mid-90’s I rode in a TTT squad with Randle and Lovatt and Speight. We beat the North Wirral Velo squad, but they still got international selection and we didThe only way we could get past was n’t.“ to take to the grass verge. I passed Gethin while he was walking with his This has been going on for years. bike and I was running with mine – Wilko smashed every competition that’s the only time I’ve ever run past record in 1996 but never got selected someone in a time-trial! I’m abso- for anything..” lutely certain I could have done 305 These days he trains fewer hours – miles that day without all those holdtypically fifteen hours or so a week, ups.” but it’s more intense and structured. He admits that he doesn’t have a “Ken Matheson brought me up to computer-sharp memory of all his speed with modern methods,” he rides – “It’s all a bit of blur,” he says, says, “with the pulse-metre, the zones “but you always remember the day and the rest of it. Now I do a lot on you broke competition record, like the turbo, and when I go out I know clearly what I have to do, I’m not just the 100 in 2003. riding the bike, it’s a calculated I was up against Hutch and he had work-out. But the best training is still broken comp record a few weeks bethe competitive group. fore. The only possible plan was to go flat out from the start. It was shit or I think a good roadman can ride a good time trial if he wants to, but the bust: reverse isn’t necessarily true. I took an early lead and kept it to the end. It was the national champion- He’s still serious about his roadship, a new competition record and racing, in fact it was only a couple of the BAR-winning ride all in one. But years ago that he signed for the Ital“There was a smashed caravan lying across the road,” he recalls, “and the police wouldn’t let any traffic through, even blokes in a bike race.
S EE
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ian team Agisko, and was flown out to Italy every weekend to race there, while still working at the mill through the week. So what of the future? What keeps a man racing when he has achieved so much? Is he going to try to get the BAR crown back, or is all that in the past? Has he really bowed out, and if so why? “To be honest,” he says, “I knew people felt I was killing the competition. They didn’t exactly say it to my face, but I got that feeling. I believe Cammish had the same problem. So I decided that eleven victories was enough, that I wouldn’t go for it again. In fact last season I did plan to ride a 12, I got myself psyched up for it, then I thought: Wait a minute, if I ride the 12 that means I am going for the BAR after all, which I’m not supposed to be doing, so I dropped the idea, I didn’t enter.” So has he any ambitions left at all? “Well yes, that 300-mile 12, it’s hovering in the back of my mind, but it’s just a vague idea, it probably won’t happen. Let’s just say it’s a bit of unfinished business. But I like winning, and I’ll keep on racing as long as I can keep on winning.” Kevin Dawson is modest, levelheaded and apparently relaxed in his approach, he seems to have no arrogance, he is the least egotistical champion you could imagine. He is not a big man, he is quietly spoken. Now that he’s approaching forty and thinning on top, when he wears his glasses and his suit he looks more like a professor than a great endurance athlete. But this man has achieved something unique, something other testers can only dream of, and it’s hard to see his record ever being beaten. He has added another dimension to the history of the BAR. Beneath the casual exterior lies a tremendous talent based on steely determination, and on years of practice at grinding down his rivals, just as he grinds down those tons of stone.
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FEBRUARY
2009
JULIA SHAW UNCONVENTIONAL CHAMPION On stage at the 2007 Champions’ Night, Julia Shaw collected so many trophies that she couldn’t even attempt to carry them. To win the 10, 25, 50, 100, the BAR, the Rudy Project series and the Beryl Burton Trophy was simply magnificent – in fact is was almost embarrassing.
“In a National Championship it’s black and white, you have to be the best on the day, whatever the conditions.”
It was like going back to the days of Beryl herself, with the audience wondering, “Hasn’t anyone else won anything?” Having won the BAR in the previous year too, Julia had established herself as unbeatable. Yet in 2008, although she won another clutch of trophies, she didn’t figure in the BAR tables at all! Had something gone wrong? “No, not really. I only entered one 100 and it got cancelled, so no BAR. But the truth is that I didn’t specifically target the BAR in 2006 or 2007. I was trying for the 100 championship, and by winning that I ended up winning the BAR too. I actually prefer the shorter distances and the circuit-type events. The 100 is a bit too long to enjoy, and I don’t really like the dual-carriageways anyway. It’s true that 2007 was a bit of a wonder-year for me, and it’s always been a problem for anyone, man or woman, who wins the BAR, because people assume you must keep on targeting and winning it or you are a failure – not true! To me, winning national championships is the greatest achievement. The BAR has always been slightly artificial hasn’t it, because you are comparing rides done on different courses on different days, so there has to be a big
S EE
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element of luck in it. “In a National Championship it’s black and white: you have to be the best on the day, whatever the conditions.”
“I think I rode my first time-trial in 1992, as part of my triathlon training, and managed to do a half-decent ride despite the terribly hilly course from Romsey to Stockbridge and back.
I continued with triathlon for another eight years, and competed in the World Championship, in my age group, five times. But I was always hopeless at running: I would get to the front on the bike, only to give it all away on the run. Eight years of being run down was enough, and I For one thing she has reached the top saw the light and switched to cywhen she is over 40, and for another cling. My first national victory was she has not progressed up through in the Rudy Project series in 2002.” traditional cycling routes. Instead she As with Kevin Dawson, you wonswitched from triathlon, in which she der why a rider who has won so started competing fifteen years ago. In the last three or four years Julia has made an enormous impact on the time-trialling scene, and last season a 20-minute 10 and a 1:51 50 shows that she is still getting faster, but she is in many ways an unconventional champion.
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many championships never gets selected to ride for Britain at international level. Does this bother her?
Julia’s training secret is, but she claims not to have one, at least not one that is unique to her.
“In a way yes. I rode the World Masters time trial in Austria last year and won it. That was a super event, a great course on closed roads, and fantastic weather, I can definitely recommend it. I’ve done a few domestic road races just for a change, but my sprint isn’t what it needs to be to do well.
For part of the year her training is relatively relaxed and unstructured: she enjoys spinning through the New Forest, where she lives, building basic fitness.
During the racing season though, it’s completely different. Highly structured pulse rate and power work designed to bring her to her peak exactly when she wants it. For the I also raced in the World Masters road race, that was after the time trial, national championships. She got herand I came fifth and really enjoyed it. self a coach early on to learn the scientific basis of race-fitness, first A few years ago I won the World Auriel Forester, and now she works Masters pursuit, so I’m not exactly a under the expert eye of Jamie Pringle. novice in international terms. Yes it The science ought to be her strongwould be great to be on the national squad, but as a time triallist I accept point, because she is herself a research physicist, working in the that’s unlikely to happen. Look at Wendy Houvenaghal: she switched to field of fibre optics and lasers. the track to get on the squad. There’s Julia isn’t exactly burning to get back no doubt that the pure time-triallists her BAR crown. Her only ambition is get frozen out. That said, it would be to go on improving, to ride faster this super to see how much I could imyear than last, and she would love the prove by concentrating on cycling chance to compete for Great Britain, alone, without having to go to work. I even if it was just once. would like to see the winner of the She doesn’t know how long she will BTTC given the opportunity to ride keep on racing. “I have thought about the World’s.” retiring a few times,” she says, “but Given her age and her unusual backafter a break from the bike I always ground, everyone wants to know what
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seem to change my mind. I suppose I’m addicted to riding, especially through the New Forest in the beautiful clear air. I have a fairly pressurised job, and cycling is my great escape, especially after a bad day at work.” Asked about the future of timetrialling, she admits she is not overoptimistic. “There aren’t many youngsters coming into the sport are there? More than half the field in any race seems to be over 40. The roads are getting busier all the time, so that it gets harder and harder to find good courses. I think time-trialling needs to experiment with new types of event, like the closed circuit event at Blenheim Palace last year, otherwise the future may not be too bright.” A sad reflection from a great timetriallist; but isn’t it contradicted to some extent by her own career? Not everyone comes into the sport as a youngster. Perhaps we need Julia as an ambassador, or a missionary, to go out and preach to all the triathletes. Tell them to stop running themselves into the ground, forget splashing through the freezing water, and switch to the bike and maybe become a great champion – as she has.
WEBSTER ON HIS WAY BACK in the sand. At times this has become rather frustrating because the moderaDuring the Beijing Olympics I found tors aren’t very moderate and I can’t myself viewing cycle racing and hav- just get away with telling one or two ing the first bit of real interest in cy- posters to fuck off...bit of a shame cling for several years. This led to me really! becoming a regular on the Cycling Now the Time Trial Forum’s a toWeekly forum and from there the tally different situation....here there’s Time Trial Forum. And now for my a far better educated bunch in cycling trouble…Testing Times. matters. The “tech heads” do tend to Testing Times indeed! On the Cybang on a bit, they’re sometimes incling Weekly forum, once I’d actually formative but all too frequently managed to convince sceptics I am they’re indulging in a kind of “kit and indeed myself, I seem to spend a fair tech masturbation”. Still, whatever bit of time attempting to offer an gets your rocks off I suppose. Person“inside” view of the reality of Pro ally I’ve always found top shelf sport to a rather disbelieving reader- glossy magazines do the job better. ship who just want to bury their heads
Getting back on my bike...
S EE
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The welcome I’ve received there was, I have to admit very unexpected. I’d actually toyed with joining earlier but fear of getting mauled by a rabid bunch of 80`s riders hell bent on revenge for some of the kicking I’d dished out back then had put me off. I’m glad to say nothing could be further from the truth and after a couple of weeks thoughts of actually putting my leg over the bike turned to actually doing so. This I announced. Big mistake! One could be forgiven for thinking I’d had just one season out going on the expectation this announcement has caused. What I’ve actually had is 17 years off during which I’ve indulged in the kind of PAGE
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position these days. This has given rise to the possibility of my doing new PB`s should I actually pull off this “getting fit” malarkey. What a thought! But purely down to equipJoin the queue of those wishing to ment “advances”, especially Tri Bars. claim my scalp as the opportunity A few tech heads will no doubt disTime has come to put this on the back should be there for at least a few agree and say its advances in training burner and knock my poor body back weeks if not the whole season. Here’s methods but I’m not convinced. the strangest thing of all. I’ve been into some kind of shape. So here I Time will tell! Boom, boom as Basil looking at personal bests of many am, 3 stone over weight, two weeks Brush might say. Till next time into quitting smoking and about 150 riders and almost all my personal miles done so far. I’m not exactly in bests put me in a fairly average Dazzer debauchery one would normally expect of a University student that’s failed and gone back packing to some far flung place where substance abuse is the done thing. Oh how I’ve enjoyed it!
any danger of appearing on a start sheet any time soon but astonishingly considering the very real possibility that by around May 2009 I just might.
BIG BEN’S DIARY THAT’S BIG WITH A CAPITAL “B” (BECAUSE HE’S A GIANT) BEN “BIKEDOC” INSTONE...OK? Ben burning off the calories (urm… ..nice wheels mis ter!)
“I’m knackered. When I looked at this week’s training plan I thought to myself it didn’t seem so bad, in fact I thought it was a bit on the easy side so I decided to spice it up a bit. Monday was an hour on the rollers so I decided to make it 2. Tuesday was meant to be a 2 hour easyish spin on the road but it was wet again so on the rollers instead.. Then I remembered I was meeting up with Redhill CC that evening for a turbo session so probably shouldn’t have tried so hard in the morning. Wednesday, the session I hate, 2 ½ hours on the road mixed pace but ending up at a set average power which means if you start on the lazy side the last bit is hell. Just to make it that little bit more interesting a gritting lorry decided to sand blast me on the A22. Still, it made me change my pace to catch up to him and express my thoughts on what he’d just done. Thursday was another 90mins on the rollers and now I’m sitting here knackered. It really wasn’t a hard week but after last week’s efforts it’s taken it’s toll so while I sit here recovering I might as well look through the Handbook and start planning what races I’m gonna be doing this season. I might even get around to putting the TT bike back together later. At the moment it’s just a collection of bits spread around the shed and dining room but after a quick check I reckon I’ve got all that’s needed except tubs. My Veloflex Carbons have been great, 3 seasons old and never punctured but starting to look a bit on the worn side. I’ve heard PX
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have some French hand made things that are pretty good so might give them a go. The rest of the bike is gonna be pretty much the same as last year. One or two small changes here and there but nothing major. Torq have kindly (or foolishly) said they are willing to feed me this season. I haven’t broken the news to them yet but I actually eat quite a lot so the deal might not be so great for them! Auriel’s gonna keep trying to talk me into a 12 hour. Apparently my SRM says I can do it despite what my legs think. Planet-X don’t know this yet but they are gonna be helping out again and there’s a couple of people I’m still hoping will join in as every little helps keep me out of work and on the streets. Thinking about food again, so far today I’ve had breakfast, 2 large bowls of cereal, a banana, an energy bar (it was on the top and I couldn’t resist), then an apple and some grapes followed by 3 Ryvitas with cheese and a bagel. Turbo’ed then half a pack of pasta with minestrone soup poured over it, a litre of fruits blended up together with some yogurt, another energy bar ( it was next to the yogurt and I couldn’t resist). While I’ve been writing this I’ve had a couple more Ryvitas and cheese, a large bowl of porridge with some Horlicks mixed in for flavour, some more grapes and some nuts. In a minute I’m gonna be cooking duck stir fry with rice followed by chocolate cake and tonight I’ll probably end up raiding the larder again. I hear there might be some energy bars in there that need using up”
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2009
GAMBLING ON...LIGHTS Originally prepared for Cycling circa July 1969
When the early months of this year were still dark, two brickbats were taken from my saddlebag and flung at the manufacturers of lamps, for the poor standard of their products However, unfortunately, they remained undisturbed in their monopoly towers and no reply was provoked, or maybe they were too pre-occupied with profit margins to read this column. If so, they are not very light-hearted. Surely, though, their tea boy could be ordered to read them occasionally. More important, irate letters and adverse comment from Randonneur, my upper half, should have come to their notice. My original cavil was against their new standard rear lighting made so close to obsolescence as to be almost simultaneous. As we move again into the gloomy weeks, this is unchanged. It is the truth that dealers are sorely disappointed and have in some instances introduced modifications at their own expense to improve their lights.
shouts not designed to improve our relations with car drivers. If your flashing light has not brought this response then the driver didn’t see you, in which case you are in no position read CYCING now. Sometimes there is an unfortunate interview with uniformed men who are not only sceptical and without sympathy but keep you on the end of a lecture so long that three weeks’ training is missed with a rearing cold. A lamp kept on a cape-roll? The dangle is less vulnerable to bumping but does swivel round to give reduced benefit as well as being doubtful in law. Front lamps need elastic too, for the tops fly off if tubulars are reasonably inflated, and go under 10-ton lorries. As we all know, the lighting for’ard has always needed do-it-yourself ingenuity to scold darkness from our path.
This is nothing compared with the remedial adjustments we make to If all the lamps that clutter my shed protect ourselves against the rampant worked properly the garden could be motor vehicle, and increase the lifefloodlit. Their hollow cases hang span of the lesser-illuminated bikie. from nails, covered in barnacles of There were times when girls relied a rust. Two black ones brood on a shelf, loaded with batteries from last good deal on elastic for confidence and may still do so, for I am unquali- winter and seeping sinister liquid fied in such matters, and certainly the from the hole in the bottom, as a recyclist needs elastic to defend his per- prisal for being forgotten in the excitement of spring evenings. son.
is that you can’t mend a lamp without two more lamps – one to take to bits and use for testing the broken one, and another to shine on your work. You start by taking light number one, looking inside where the battery used to be, at a sort of sago pudding with blue streaks. So you take a battery from number two and then start a constant rotation of bulbs and batteries and lamp tops, until a frenzied hour later you have three lamps that won’t work.
The batteries, which cost so much it is almost cheaper to run a car, give a warm glow under test, but become Every one of them gives the appear- extinct ten miles out amid the thunder In his case it is the rubber band that keeps the light together and in work- ance of being willing to go with just a of heavy lorries. bulb, battery and a penny slipped into Just a moment, we are getting fliping order, or if the lamp is permathe bottom to stop the rattling. (The nently affixed to the frame there is pant again, when this subject is really little chance of it surviving vibration. penny pushes the top off but this is serious. Hey, tea boy, tell your mascountered by the elastic previously The dubious flickering and someters that Gambling is getting lightmentioned.) But somehow they don’t minded. times total darkness breeds brake work that easily. The reason for this squeals, blaring horns and raucous
S EE
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THE MAGAZINE FOR TESTING CARPETS
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2009
BOTTOM 5 INNOVATIONS about you know. It all began when people started riding “low-pro” bikes – the idea being to get your handlebars down low. It would also have benefited team time trial riders as they would have been able to ride (marginally) closer together – but that's hardly a justifiable reason to ride one of those monstrosities. I mean, we're all time triallists aren't we? We don’t like people close to us and all that. That’s bunched racing isn’t it? Quite why Alf tried one I'll never know! Alf was the “King” – but he hardly FIFTH ...Let's start with bonded frames. Anyone relooked like one on his. Although he had some “speed mamember those? I’ve nothing against them as frames go, infact my most cherished Ron Kit Vitus Carbon 9 still lays chines” over the years no-one could call one of them, one gathering dust at the back of the garage despite the fact the of them, could they? Thank goodness they died a death. bonding came “unbonded” maybe 20 years or so ago. So we’ve done the top 5 innovations now I think it’s time to turn our attention towards the worst! These are only my personal opinions by the way.…I’ve no doubt many people have found the following products to be superb for the use they were intended….or maybe even for uses they weren't!
It did go back to be re-glued (whoops, sorry... rebonded, I had my wrists slapped by Raleigh once for referring to their Dyna-Techs as being “glued” together!!) but no sooner had I had it repaired when the same thing happened again. The frame, forks and headset were SO light I haven’t had the heart to sling it even though it’s highly unlikely to ever see the light of day again. I never had ANY problem with Raleighs by the way - it’s just the bonding on the Vitus 9s that sucks! Unused cycle frames make excellent “punctured tub hanger-uppers” you know – which is something else that gets thrown to the back of the garage and never used again (i.e. punctured tubs!) because, deep down, I know they’ll never get repaired. Well they’re knackered let’s face it!
THIRD In third place are “L” shaped cranks (you knew they had to be here somewhere didn’t you?) which, as everyone knows, overcame top-dead-centre when pedalling (yeah right!). Good in theory…but come on! They did have a "plus" as far as I was concerned, and that was the psychological effect they may possibly have had on the opposition at the
FOURTH ...There are four things worse than bonding which is worse than useless though, 24” front wheeled testing bikes being one of them! Did they look ugly or what? What were we thinking of? Well not me personally because I never had one, but there were an awful lot of them time – I was using something that no-one else had and I was doing fairly decent rides. Strangely enough, the very first time I used them I came second in the National 25. I also went on to break both the National 50 and 100 mile records while using them ….which was good for the sponsor :-). Then they broke, which wasn't! The jury's out on whether or not they actually "worked" (ok… it's not really…they…urm…. weren't THAT good). Alternative use? Try Ebay and use the cash you'll get to buy something marginally more effective….like some of those little 6 inch silver coloured "racing" mudguards we all used to fit on our training bikes before we realised they were totally useless (remember them? Just missed a worst 5 innovations placing IMO!).
S EE
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SECOND and runner up…….. Been-Bag’s
Polartex inserts. Instead of chammies in shorts, Been-Bag (a clothing company which used to operate in the Newcastle area) started making a synthetic short insert that was like the buffing head from a Black & Decker WP900 6" Random Orbit Waxer and Polisher.
A brilliant white fleecy fabric that caused me no end of boil problem in the scrotal region (that’s down south!). That, I believe, was the beginning of ALL the ongoing problems I’ve had in that department (chronicled elsewhere). Four, maybe five times I’ve been operated on to sort out a problem which need never have ever arisen if someone had confined Been-Bag’s Polartex inserts to the bin where they rightly belonged! An alternative use for Polartex inserts then? Rubbish bin liners! Can anything be worse than that? Of course it can...
FIRST OR SHOULD THAT BE LAST PLACE…. the skin hat! Considered to offer superb aero advantages, the skin hat was all the rage in the early 80s (weren’t they Nob?). I think Lloydy started the trend and I must admit he looked pretty cool(ish) in his. I remember reading a report in Cycling at the time drawing a comparison between Llloydy and Martin Pyne (who also used to wear one) – poor Martin couldn’t quite carry it off and took a bit of a “panning” in the press! At this point I’d like to point out that I NEVER wore one, owned one or thought about having one because I think they looked bloody awful! Probably just as well no wellmeaning Aunt or Sponsor ever gave me one because they were so utterly crap I can't even think of an alternative use for one……so I might (…..just might!...) have had to wear it! In my opinion? A pretty bad idea at the time!
Right—Ricahard Bradley (top) and Martin Pyne - both CC Breckland.
S EE
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BRITAINS CRAPPEST TIME TRAILLING MAGAZINE
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2009
NOB OFF.. THE BACK With Planet X’s “old skool series” in mind, Nob shows the extremes that can be taken to get a bike that fits the “old skool” bill! “Those of you who were lucky enough to race in the 80’s will probably remember a famous mini bike ruling the roads of the A12 & A1 built by Mick Burrows (of Lotus fame) & made especially for the legendary Martin Pyne.
Nob’s not just off the back, he’s off his rocker as he tracks down the love of his life and applies some tender loving care to...!
You were either in awe of the machine’s looks as it came whizzing past or it flew by with such speed & smoothness you’d be thinking you were in first class of a 747 whilst this supersonic Concorde flew straight past in a different class altogether. He was a God on the E72 & he knew every bump, road marking & pothole on this stretch of the A12 to gain time on his competitors.
mate Richard Bradley and the UK’s No.1 TT Forum I made contact with Mrs. Helen Pyne & negotiated a price for the complete bike—can she can haggle though? The bike was packed up, shipped to the sands of Abqaiq, KSA but was found to be in quite a sorry state when unpacked. So, for the techies out there, the renovation began as follows : 1. The frame went of to Big Boy Kirky (Paul Kirk) of Bob Jackson’s for a makeover to be sprayed a nice white with red decals. Superb job Kirky!!! I embarked on a journey to reclaim the version that Martin had (which I believe is the Mark II version) & with the help of his former club
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2. Both 24” front wheels were trued up on a lathe at work (naughty) then fitted with Vittoria Chrono CS tubs – Madgetts of Diss
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3. The special forks were buffed & found sound when inspected at work!! 4. The Campagnolo Super Record Rear Mech upgraded to a Campagnolo Record Carbon 10 (but I couldn’t resist drilling the back jockey plate). 5. A KMC 10 Gold chain was used along with a Campag 11-15 set up which has been specially nitrided by the McClaren F1 workshops thanks to Ron Dennis 6. The chainset was upgraded to a more aero version using Campagnolo Corsa Record Pista 177.5 cranks. However the original 54T chainring was kept although the holes were drilled out bigger (I just love getting the drill out!)
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7. The saddle was replaced with a sleek looking San Marco Magma MgC – so smooth. 8. The rear brake remained as a rare Dura-Ace AX caliper because no Kronos spares were available. 9. Rear wheel? Well there is only one answer & that is the Superb Campagnolo Ghibli coupled with a Veloflex Servizo Corse Tubular. 10. The seatpin bolt was a Tiso red affair which appeared a lot later (Dec 25, 2008). 11. The gear lever was the original Shimano 6 speed index which works on the Campag 10 cassette which I had!! 12. Pedals? Time RXS World Champ Ltd Edition – white obviously.
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love the 80’s too He faxed me a rough sketch of what the bars looked like & let me know the type of alloy used but I still had to think about all the angles etc so a lot of this was actual guess work since the broken bars were not traceable. Unfortunately, Mick said he would be unable to make them for me as it would be an extremely time consuming exercise. Even if offered a 4 figure sum he said he probably wouldn’t be interested!. You may ask why not just use some tri-bars but I wanted to create the bars of the original as these had nice clean lines with cables well hidden & the bike just looked fast. So again the WWW came to the rescue & I managed to find an Ilford Based Engineering company willing to take up the challenge – not sure they knew what was in store but after some 3-4 months we had managed to get the bars completed & added some brake levers that you’d normally use on tri-bars. These ensured the cables would run through the bars smoothly into the aero section .
By far the most challenging part in bringing the bike to as near to the Mark I as possible was the handlebars This journey led me via the WWW (boy is this a great investigative tool) to Mick Burrows’ Wind Cheetah Company. I got his phone number in Norwich and bravely called him—but being a famous designer I wondered if he’d have time to speak to someone like me! I nervously dialled the number.. waited…. then a gruff voice answered. We proceeded to talk about the bars & the frame design itself. What a great down to earth guy Mick is. He hates computers and prefers the good old fax machine & phone to do his business. He must still
The special seat pin was manufactured by the same company. This replaced the rather ragged old seat pin which was still useable but was badly scratched & dented on its aero section. If anybody wants some jobs like this done then I will plug the company in question as G. Middleton Engineering http:// www.midengineering.co.uk/
Again this took another 2-3 months as they had other work besides mine so I had to be patient. The simple but very effective front braking system proves extremely aero—more so than many of the modern machines of today. The cables enter cleanly
S EE
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into the aero bars which have been fully nondestructive tested using both the magnetic particle inspection process as well as being dye penetrant tested to ensure no cracks in the welding / machining of these delectable bars. It now remains to be seen if the Legend himself approves of this new look machine with it’s modern upgrades & a lot of patience having gone into getting it right.
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It has appeared in a local Cebu Bike show & drawn a lot of attention. Even though this machine is over 25yrs old it still looks stylish, fast & innovative. Every time I ride it, all it’s history comes alive the moment I leave the timekeeper. I feel the need to ride as hard as I can even if the heat & humidity drains my bodily functions. So the aurora & spirit of Martin still lives in this machine. I just wish I was fitter to do it real justice. I have won the occasional prize on it though so I’m not doing too bad for an old lardy boy hehehe!
Price? Well with all the renovations etc. you won’t get much change out of 8000 pounds but it’s about the history of the machine & the looks. I love it to bits. I sincerely wish to thank Richard Bradley for the link to the Pyne family & for the Pyne's for parting with How does it ride? Well having raced it in Cebu such a historical bike. I hope they like this small trib(another story) I find it handles extremely well & feels ute to such a splendid machine & that they’re pleased fast for a machine from the early 80’s. So many peoto hear what’s happened to it since it left the UK. ple have commented on this strange machine racing on Philippine roads. Only Testing Times can bring you in-depth detailed stories
Sir Nob of Two Ghiblis
S EE
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