Brickendon 10, Wk 4, 30th May 2017

A fine evening with many helpers including Frank Rawlins, Jobe Usher, Ian Clay, Chris Dixon, Eric Paillet and others. Nick Candy again showing the North Roaders how to get round the course and up the hills rapidly but nevertheless three guest riders also making it look easy! Paul Groves inexplicably managed to wander off course - that was his excuse but never take anything for granted in life even when the way is ingrained into your legs!

Pos. Rider Time

1 Nick Candy 21.44
2 Jobe Usher 21.54
3 Dan Ryan 22.10
4 Chris Symonds 23.50
5 Glyn Dodds 24.19
6 John Saysell 24.32
7 Pete Lee 24.36
8 Ashley Glass 25.23
9 Dave Candy 26.04
10 James Cross 26.57
11 Ivana Prokopova 27.20
12 James Tyrer 29.06
13 Abigail Coles 32.51
14 Paul Groves 37.15

Guests

1 Joe Fry Bike Channel Canyon 19.53
2 Karl Willis Herts Rouleur RC 20.52
3 Jake Callis YONDA 21.42
4 Ben Lewis Finsbury Park CC 23.50
5 Andrew Hughes Come & Try It 24.51

Last week I wrote that I would look back to 1963 when all the above apart from one were mere twinkles in parental eyes. I was living in Leicester which entailed a ride across the city to the course on the Melton Mowbray road on Thursday evenings.

The late Dave Dowie was the timekeeper and the outward course always seemed uphill, losing time which it was impossible to make up on the return leg. Single carriageway road, little traffic, dead turn at the half way mark, no tri-bars, no disc wheels but I did have a bike reserved solely for time trials which was quite common then. My diary shows that my best time was 23.54. I usually took just over 24 
minutes but happily I was frequently fastest. The days of competition records and national championships at 10 miles for men at least were a long way off..... see the next chapter after 6th June!

My first 10 was near Glasgow at Renfrew in 1953, a boys event in those far off days! This involved a crossing of the Clyde on a chain 
ferry to reach the start.

Graham Thompson