Palefish Cross the Mersey!

It has been a while since I have been on a long ride. The plan today was to follow the route of a ride the club did last year, when we visited The Greedy Pig in Kelsall, with a couple of amendments.
Today was also a special ride, as we were joined by the member of the club who lives the furthest away, Rob, who drove down from Scotland to join us for the ride (and catch up with family in Liverpool!)
The weather once again threatened to be awful! After a sun filled Saturday, once again enjoyed by some of the club who couldn't make today's ride, We faced wind and rain! However, I decided to be optimistic and rode my summer bike, and didn't take a rain cape, I just wore my Club jacket (not rainproof, but very warm)
It was a little chilly as I waited in the car park of the Twelfth Man, to be joined by other insomniacs who were up and out at 7am on a Sunday morning!
Seven of us headed over to Birkenhead to meet 5 more at the mouth of the Tunnel.
I can still vividly remember the day I raced Alex Dowsett through the Tunnel, and as we rolled into the mouth of hell, I couldn't help putting my foot down a little bit! The Tunnel has been resurfaced, which I think would help me make up a few seconds on my last time trial time through there!
We exited the tunnel onto Strand St, and once again, I wish I had my video camera on the handlebars. Cycling in front of the Three graces is a great experience (If you are sad like me!) and the buildings tower over you and the Liver Birds look down at you. I will remember to take a photo along there one day!
We rode on, into the wind, to the Hotel Rob was staying at, just outside Liverpool Airport. The only puncture of the day was just round the corner, on an open bit of road next to the Airport, with the wind blowing at us relentlessly! The Garmin worked well, and only user error took us on a little detour at a roundabout in Widnes!

Another impressive structure along the ride today was the Runcorn Bridge! when you ride along the path at the side of the road, you realise just how high you are, which doesn't suit my dislike of heights  and also how high the arch of the bridge is.

Heading up to the Runcorn Bridge.

 Once over the bridge it was just a matter of climbing up and over to Frodsham, and then once again, up and over to Delamere! The Railway Cafe was a welcome sight, Half way into the ride, and wanting to be good, I only had a coffee and a toasted Tea Cake!!

Palefish CC at the Railway Cafe Delamere.

 Chris and Tuni left us and headed back, as a christening was waiting for them, and the rest of us rode on towards Kelsall, and then on to Chester. As we were not stopping at the Greedy Pig today, I changed the route a little, aiming to get onto the Greenway cycle path through the middle of Chester.

Steve Enjoying the ride

This is where the problem of trusting in a computer mapping system and routing device arise. In hindsight, I will in future check that all roads we are going to ride are suitable for road bikes. There was a section of the ride, just over a mile long, that for half of it was an unmade, dirt track, with a section of cobbles, including three bridges! I have not ridden cobbles before, not like these, and it certainly was interesting.

Not everyone wanted buckled wheels!

The same path in Winter (Thanks for the Photo Iain)

I will be taking both wheels into The Bike Shop in Moreton tomorrow after work to get them trued!

The roads seemed very smooth after this, and we motored on towards Chester, and joined the cycle path just as the rain started. I was very happy with the performance of my Jacket. Even though it isn't waterproof it did a good job of keeping me dry and warm.

The path through Chester wasn't too busy so it wasn't long until we were in Sealand and making a decision whether to go to Eureka or straight home. Home won (as most of us needed to get back reasonably early) and we took the new path through the Deeside industrial estate, and through the marshes to Neston.

The Boardwalk through the Marshes

When we reached Heswall the group split, and people headed home, I rode back to Greasby with Paul, and we were happy that we still had some energy left to enjoy the road from Irby to Gresby!

I arrived home, in time to relieve Mrs Palefish of childcare duties so she could go to the match, which was good, and then was asked by the boys if I had fallen off my bike as I was covered in mud! The bike wasn't much better, so I gave it a quick wash down and lube, ready for the next club ride.

A different kind of Spray Tan?

Finally I have to mention Phil! If he was ever to get off his full suspension mountain bike, which he rode with us today, and was at the front of the group for most of the ride, and got onto a Road bike, I don't think we would ever see him! I did the Liverpool Chester Liverpool ride last year on my Mountain bike, 52 miles, and it hurt! Today Phil has ridden 82 miles and was Wheelieing up hills right up to the end!!!!!

The Phenomenom of "The Ten Minutes of Hell"

Phil and Barry (Vita Cycles) must be really happy with the response and media coverage the Ten Minutes of Hell is receiving from some big hitting cycling media sites and competitors from the event.

                        

Today people have been posting links to sites and forums where there was nothing but praise for the event so I thought that I would put some of the links on here.

road.cc

Cycling Weekly.

velouk.net

merseysidermagazine

maxgearettes

Also here are some links to Photo Albums of the Day,

Phil Gale flickr

Sport Pictures Cymru

Jonathan Fairhurst

Here is a video from inside hell,

And here is my Album, which I will update with more photo's as they become available.

picasaweb TenMinutesOfHell

To top off a great weekend, I received a message from a friend who works at the Liverpool Echo, asking me if I would like to write a report for the paper on the event. 

I am very proud to have been able to do this, and apparently got a "good Job" from the Sports Editor!

It certainly is amazing how cycling and this Blog have affected my life. And a big thanks to James for the opportunity.

Here is the Piece I wrote for the Liverpool Echo, Sorry the text isn't too clear, but if you want to read the report, please check out this link: Liverpool Echo

I  have also been given the Photo's the Echo photographer took on the day.
Pictures are Courtesy of Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo

It was nice to see Vita riders, Carla and Dave's photos used in the Paper.




Tonight I was back out on the bike, with 6 other lads from the Club, training for the next TT, wether that will be this season or next years Ten Minutes of hell, I don't know!

"Ten Minutes of Hell" Mersey Tunnel Time Trial

Phew! What a day. The morning seemed to drag from when I got up to when I left to pick up Paul and Dave to go to the Tunnel. I had a healthy breakfast of cereal and then Scrambled egg and grilled tomatoes, even though the nerves were making my stomach do somersaults!! I took the bike out for a shakedown to make sure everything was still working, why it wouldn't be I'm not sure but it seemed to be the right thing to do and wasted some time!
Eventually Dave and I loaded our bikes in the car and headed off, twice as I forgot the parking permit, to pick up Paul.
We arrived in Birkenhead way too early, so we went for a coffee at the golden arches!

After a caffeine injection, and confirmation the tunnel was shut, we headed off to park up sign in and get ready.

It was great to have all our families there to support us, and take photo's! (thanks Mrs Palefish)
After the bikes were set up we headed up to the start area to warm up. Vita Cycles had done a great job in organising the event, even providing turbo's for us to use before we set off.

It didn't take long for our start times to come round. and we were off!

And not too long after, we were back.

and received a warm welcome from our boys.

That was it! For me it was 12minutes 19seconds of hell, and I am very happy with the result. The full finishing times haven't been released yet but with 10 still to go I was sitting in 29th, out of a field of 63. I think the last 10 will have beaten my time so that puts me 39th, not bad for a first time trial attempt!

After a quick warm down we watched the rest of the Team Vita lads lay down some impressive times, and then it was the time for the big boys and Girls. The field was filled with Current national TT Champions, Junior Champion and GB Triathletes. It was humbling to see the effort they put in to just warming up!

Alex Dowsett, current National TT Champion and rider for Team Sky, was last off. He certainly looked focused as he waited on the line to go.

Alex was the eventual winner, in a time of 8minutes 28seconds, only 4 minutes faster than me!

After the awards ceremony I managed to catch a quick chat with Alex, he is a really down to earth guy, who was happy to chat and sign autographs, and even have his photo taken with a fellow competitor (never thought I would write that in a sentence!)

The day was a massive success, and Phil and Barry from Vita Cycles should be proud of their achievement. Not only did they put on a great Time Trial, attracting some of the best riders in the country, they have also been very influential in getting me involved in the sport, and the Club.

When I started writing this blog in August 2011 I said that one day I may enter a race, I just didn't think that day would come so soon!!!

What have I done?

I am not the fastest person on a bike, and I'm no way ready for racing yet, but today I signed up for my first time trial! The lads at Vita have organised the TT that will take place in one of the Mersey Tunnels in February,

Due to additional generous sponsorship, entry into the Ten Minutes of Hell is now £25! Entry closes on 27th January, so be quick as spaces are filling fast and there is a 100 rider limit. For more details check out Vita's website: http://www.vitacycles.co.uk/pain_suffering_glory_a_new_year_challenge

The lads also announced today that the Current British National Time Trial Champion Alex Dowsett has signed up to ride the TT.

Alex Dowsett British Time Trial Championship 2011

 Now rather than putting me off it has motivated me to try harder, and although I will probably be at the other end of the time sheet to him, at least I will have been in the same race as him! Not bad for a first race!
So tonight I headed out into the wind to get some miles in, and some efforts into the wind. It wasn't as bad as it has been but the gusts were still strong. I took advantage of mother natures help along the Marine lake in West Kirby to record my fastest time along the 0.6 mile stretch. I need all the help I can get! But I was pleased with a 20mph ave into an energy sapping side wind along the Hoylake to Meols road, which is almost as long as the first leg of the Tunnel TT.

I got a package from Wiggle yesterday, with a new Craft base layer and a pair of Castelli overshoes in, but no Haribo!! I hope the recent sale of the company hasn't affected their usual great service and the omission of my Haribo was an oversight! Anyway, both products were great, the base layer keeping me warm, but wicking well and the overshoes, or Belgian Booties as Castelli call them were brilliant. It was nice not to have to wear the waterproof and warm but constricting  neoprene ones I usually wear. They are well worth a look and are currently in the sale!!

Tonight's Ride details: http://app.strava.com/rides/3107109