Doctor Ivan Prescribes, 14 Sept Wednesday Night Chaingang

This week we had 21 or more riders hard to say exactly as three joined along the route, anyway that's a new record. Great to see more new faces and the return of Tim and Jay Miles, with the impressive claim that they haven't ridden since visiting the the Tour de France back in July! Also Conrad who tho' he hasn't been riding much at all was still mixing it up in the sprint.

Speed was about 22 out and 23 back, mph.

More pacemaking from Matt. At a kilo to go Horta kicked early, I got on his wheel, had a dig then sat up, blown. Matt zipped thru with Stuart D, Alex and Conrad all on his wheel, yet strong Matt held them all off. As I rolled up Matt was plugging his terminator legs into the national grid for a charge-up, claims he's stretching due to stiffness from something called "running"? says he needs to ride his bike more...

Hmmm well anyway, talk turned to Sunday 11th when our bold racing men got up in the dark to do battle on the A22; despite hurricane downpours at 6am and strong cross winds all day Joe Jenner won fastest juvenile at the ESCA 25 mile TT, Adrian, Malcolm, Chris Parker and myself all enjoyed a good race while Pete Tadros, (who we'll expect to see after end of the hillclimb season in October) won in 52 something, thats 25 miles at 29 miles per hour! - Also Max Norell broke the hour with a solid 59:40, so our convincing excuses about the wind adding 4 minutes were pretty much sunk then, sad to say.

Time to head back, Matt went off front early, I had to sprint hard to get across. By Spooky hill we had a bigger group which broke up over the hill leaving four in the front - Alex, Matt on pace, a new guy, sorry I only saw your back, and me hanging on grimly! One car passed us quite close from behind, as a chap was moving up the line, said chap might have swore at the car, hem hem. Matt broke clear at summit of last lump before the Bexhill lights but I managed to bridge and stay on his wheel until he sat up and decided to have a rest, just before the point where I would think of jumping - sort of takes all the fun out of stealing a sprint on the line from a stronger rider so I didn't bother.

At the Bexhill stop spirits were high as everyone seemed to be feeling good and going better than last week. Simon Newell joined the five riders out on fixed this week, chirping "its easier on fixed!" as those on gears were still gasping for breath.
No sign of Malc and Ivan. A quick call; Malc discovered a flat tyre upon setting off at the halfway, Ivan stayed to lend pump. Chaingang organiser Steve Curtis and I waited for them as it was time for everyone else to go. Some match spinning fun was had down the natural velodrome slope between Harley Shute and Filsham.

Rolling home I was bemoaning my plummeting times to Ivan who gave this sound advice for nailing a sub hour 25: "Well Max rides over from Eastbourne every week, but for the rest of us the chaingang is like doing two "Tens", what you need to do is ride 25 miles, flat out, three times a week." How long do I need to that for? I asked,
"Oh, every week"

CW