Ten Minutes of Hell Start times (updated 15/2)

The Stage is set......

Start List Timings


12.30      Alan Shuttleworth - Altrincham Road Club

12.40      Dave Connor

12.42      Sean Dalby

12.44      Zack Williamson - Mossley CRT

12.46      Carla Fagan - Vita Cycles

12.48      Matthew Sweeney

12.50      Andrew Davies

12.52      Nick Fletcher

12.54      James Thwaite

12.56      Will Poole - The Triathlon Shop / Felt

12.58      Sam Mansfield - Buxton CC

13.00      Jonathan Fairhurst - Vita Cycles

13.02      Alasdair Wright

13.04      Dan Granton - Vita Cycles

13.06      Paul Rowley - Vita Cycles

13.08      Dave Badley - Vita Cycles

13.10      Chris White - Vita Cycles

SWEEPER VAN PASS

13.20      David Pye

13.22      David Lindseay - Vita Cycles

13.24      Robert Lawton - Vita Cycles

13.26      Neil O’Brien - Manchester Tri Club

13.28      Fancis White - Champion Systems / Maxgear

13.30      Melissa Bury - Maxgear RT

13.32      Alex Caws - Vita Cycles

13.34      James Coleman - Witham Wheelers CC

13.36      Mark Williams - Birkenhead Victoria CC

13.38      Mark Scatchard - Chevin Cycles

13.40      Nicola Soden - Maxgear RT

13.42      Susan Maire - Vita Cycles

13.44      Vicki Wade

13.46      Gavin Marsden - Vita Race Team

13.48      Ross James - Vita Race Team

13.50      Dan Williams - Vita Race Team

13.52      Dan Ruygrok - Mersey Tri

SWEEPER VAN PASS

14.02      Anthony Breen - Vita Race Team

14.04      Jill Wilkinson - Port Sunlight Wheelers

14.06      Dominique Searle

14.08      Roy Sumner - Port Sunlight Wheelers

14.10      Dave Zelaskowski - Vita Race Team

14.12      Sean Fairhurst - Vita Race Team

14.14      James Mackie - Vita Race Team

14.16      Neil Buckley - Port Sunlight Wheelers

14.18      Simon Hodgkinson - Club Goldtec

14.20      Ian Fagan

14.22      Stuart Wells - Scunthorpe Poly CC

14.24      Dave Hughes - Club Rosio Mona

14.26      Graham Thompson - Anfield BC

14.28      Mark Donnelly

14.30      Alan Evans - Mersey Tri

14.32      Darren Crumpton - Stirling

14.34      Simon Smythe - Cycling Weekly

SWEEPER VAN PASS

14.44      Rebecca Slack

14.46      Jane Saunders - Vita Cycles

14.48      Julia Shaw - Drag2Zero

14.50      Ian Cox - North Lancs Road Club

14.52      Ken Buckley - Reading Cycle Club

14.54      Dominic Smith - We Love Mountains Race Team

14.56      James Ratcliffe - Fred Williams Cycles

14.58      Alan Warburton - Leisure Lakes Bikes

15.00      Blake Pond - North Devon Wheelers / Southfork

15.02      Liam Stones - Team Corley Cycles Blue

15.04      Rob Adlard - Team Wheel Guru

15.06      David McGowan - Team UK Youth

15.08      Ryan Mullen - Planet X

15.10      Andrew Wilkinson - Port Sunlight Wheelers

15.12      Alex Dowsett - Team Sky



APPROX. 15.30 PRIZE PRESENTATION






APPROX. 14.45 PRIZE PRESENTATION

Club Ride to The Cafe at the Walls

Today's Vita cycles Club ride had a purpose today. We were invited to check out a Cafe in Chester, The Cafe at the Walls, or @wilsoncoffee if you like twitter! One of the Vita riders works in Chester and recommended  the coffee and cake so I contacted the guys at the cafe and todays ride destination was sorted.
There were six of us today, the lads who have been in Lanzarote were having a well deserved rest. We rode through the lanes, towards Two Mills then dropped down to the Dee path. There was a surprisingly sapping headwind all the way into Chester which slowed down our chain-gang training! Once in Chester the Cafe is easy to find. just by the arch in the wall at the river end of Lower Bridge St.
True to Ros's recommendation the Coffee and Syrup sponge were great. I think we have found a new brew stop! http://www.wilsonscoffeehouse.co.uk/

We kept to our self imposed time limit to the cafe stop, and headed back along the Dee path, this time with the wind at our backs. The pace was obviously faster, 14.8mph ave on the way out and 22mph ave on the way back. It didn't take long to get back to the Chester high road and then drop back into the lanes. I felt good today, the evening rides seem to be paying off, and I even managed to climb one of my lest favourite hills faster than I have before.

Once back at the shop the conversation turned to the Tunnel Challenge and logistics for the day.
The chance to enter has now closed, but if anyone would like to offer help as a marshal then please contact the shop. We need as many people as possible to help make this event a success and run smoothly.
Tomorrow will be my last tunnel test ride. As usual we will be leaving the 12th Man at 7am.

Today's Ride details: http://app.strava.com/rides/4064167

A late evening blast and a City Bike expereance.

The evening rides are becoming more popular. It started off a few weeks ago with just me and Paul and last night we had our biggest group of 6 going out for a late evening blast. We rode out to West Kirby, at a reasonable pace through Meols and Hoylake, to do some loops of the Hill before heading up Thurstaston to Heswall and back through Irby.
It was the first time I had given the new Moon Shield 60 a proper outing. As with the X-power 500 front light it helps the confidence riding at night  knowing you are clearly visible to other road users, even if you do have to put up with moans from others in the group that you are burning their retinas!



We are planning on going out again tomorrow night. 7.30'ish at the 12th man on Greasby road. (sunglasses optional!)

Ride details: http://app.strava.com/rides/3972721

Today I had to go to Crosby Leisure Centre for a meeting. It is a bit off the public transport network, so I decided to use a pool bike instead of the Bus! It certainly was an experience. I can't remember the last time I rode a bike with Sturmey Archer 3 speed hub gears and a sprung saddle. The position felt a little awkward, very different to the racing bike, and also different to my mountain bike set up. But fundamentally a bike is a bike so off I went. It didn't take long to miss the smooth Ultegra gear changes and the range of gears available on my other bikes. I soon ran out of usable cadence!! The one advantage of riding to a meeting is being able to use cycle paths, especially the coast path from the docks to the Leisure Centre. It was great seeing the Tide come in to cover the Iron Men.

Dawes Haarlem City Bike at Crosby Beach

Riding back to the office wasn't as pleasant. There was quite a strong headwind, and it was slightly uphill. Add to this the wrong clothes, Suit and fleece lined coat equals a rather sweaty ride!!
I will definitely be using the pool bikes again, but maybe need to rethink the clothing and request that a Cervelo S5 is maybe added to the fleet!
I used the Garmin app on my phone to record the ride, It worked well, but drained the battery significantly, but that could have been the two and a half hour pause between riding there and back! I'm not sure how I hit 33mph either!!!

Ride details: http://app.strava.com/rides/3994500

 If you have been reading the blog for a while you will know that I use Purple Harrys Cleaning Products to keep the bike clean and shiny! If you have used it too why not give the company some support by commenting on a thread on Wiggle's Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/WiggleCycling/posts/10150635010455429?notif_t=feed_comment_reply

Finally, the Ten minutes of hell time trial is nearly upon us. There are still a few places left, so if you haven't signed up but wish you had, it's not too late, and it's only £25!
If you live on Wirral and read the Wirral Globe, please ignore the journalistic mess they have made of promoting the event! I'm not too sure how they managed to mess it up but they did.
It is definitely not a Motorcycle Time Trial, although on a personal level I wish it was. The web site has been updated, and next weeks paper will have the correct details.
For info on the Challenge: http://www.vitacycles.co.uk/pain_suffering_glory_a_new_year_challenge