Last Saturday Mr Buckley and I turned out to rep BnC @ the STVCC and Triathlon Tasmania Sandford Time Trial. Bucks decided to take on the 20k TT (which included an absolute bitch of a hill climb) whilst I took the softer 14k option. Neither route was particulary flat, with plenty of undulations and potholes to boot. The turnout for the event was good with plenty of serious Timetriallers in both distances.. (Picture aero helmets, boot sleeves, skin suits, aero bars, rear disks and three spoke wheels.. as well as a motley assortment of carbon tri bikes). Bucks had just built up a new carbon roadie to replace the one he recently broke.. You could tell the bike was fresh out of Workshop Buckley as it squaked and groaned (alot) during our warm-up. As a TT virgin, I was unsure what to expect.. I decided to roll with the ‘I’m in it for fun’ attitude and not take it too seriously.. I rebuilt my steel framed commute bike (Surly Steamroller) for the race, throwing on most of my track racing kit and taking a stab in the dark as to what gear would work best on the race route (having NEVER seen the route it really was a guess!!) Threw on a 46 x 14 which I think works out to be 88 gear inches. I was definately the only fixed or singelspeed rider and I lined up for the start hoping like hell not to come last.. The route was fairly up and down and the gear I chose was little big for the climbs …I quickly felt the lactic acid build up in my legs.. As 14k isn’t too far, I just stayed out of the saddle and sprinted the whole way (My standard track tactic) ..this paid off as I crossed the line in 2nd place! I was completly suprised. My $900 Surly and taken me to a podium finish!! Bucks, who was watching the presentation afterwards heard another rider comment on my 2nd place, stating; “Well it appears you can ride a TT on anything”…and that’s just the way we like it @ BnC.
I just read the results again and it looks as though Bucks took out 3rd in the 20k distance? Dave Buckingham must have tallied up the 2ok reslts incorrectly on the day as Bucks didn’t get on the podium on sat? I’ll investigate further.. Could be a BnC 2 & 3!!
http://www.stvcc.asn.au/Assets/Results2008/SandfordTTS20080628.pdf
Far out, top work fellas. Great shit.
i remember fondly riding over the bonnet home after work and passing a few of the twilight guys racing in all their gear. i had a few beers under my belt, cut offs and bag, fixed up the hill past the shot tower and was chased by some accountant on a full carbone when i flew by. always wanted to go there one day and sit on a set of rollers, cigarette in one hand and a beer in the other and blitz everyone in c grade. might have to happen when i get back… or have i just thrown out a challenge?
C-Grade? WTF Hunners.. C-Grade?? Mate, c’mon.. I’m kicking my B-Grade habit at track this year and getting serious about having a crack @ A-Grade.. I’m pretty sure you’d be in the same ball park as me riding-wise(love drinking beer, out all night, loose in general) so C-Grade? Nah..
Anyway, Grundy tells your story far better than you.. He reckons that you’d just stepped out of Mobius after a particularly hard night and hopped on ya fixie and rode home over the Bonnet, where on the climb you passed a peleton of lycra-clad faux-lypians.. Grundy said you may have been smoking a durrie at the time..
BnC Stylin’
oh yeah, most likely true! at the moment my legs are toothpicks and two days of courier work in flat london has left them all jelly like. 18 months off the bike does things. is there an f minus class?
I Say, send us some courier pics from Old Blighty Old Chap. Spiffing good work!