In which Grumpy Bob ends up riding solo...

This event is a regular on Team Grumpy's not very long list of annual 2-up events. In fact, we try to start each season with this event and finish the season with the other main 2-up, the Duo Normand (sadly not in 2020 through 2024 owing to Covid). This year was no exception. And as usual, the team faced problems.

In actual fact the event, entered as a 25 mile time trial, was reduced to 15 miles owing to roadworks on the dual carriageway section. This wasn't too much of a concern to us as a shorter opening event in the season isn't really such a bad thing. Unfortunately a lengthy period of difficult work-life balance for Grumpy Art coupled with a bit of a cold had left him uncertain as to how he'd get on in the event.

Things looked OK during the warm-up, where I needed to stop a couple of times to get all my bike's systems properly connected. On the way to the HQ, we'd noticed some traffic light signals at roadworks on the back road section. As it turned out, we'd only pass these in one direction, and the organiser had it marshalled to ensure that riders could get through without trouble. 

At the start, we looked the part with matching bikes and skinsuits (aka 'uniforms'). Pretty quickly, though, it became clear that while Grumpy Art was well enough for a warm up ride, he definitely wasn't well enough for a full race effort, and he was struggling to breathe. Just before the turn off the opening DC section, he decided to pack and told me to go on as a solo ride, which I did.

Pretty soon after that, the team that started behind us came whooshing past looking great. I suspect they were about a third of my age.

Getting caught! 

Most of the 15 mile course used on the day could be described as 'sporting', it features sections of quite rough road surface and plenty of ascent and descent. It's a very pretty road though I guess the hardened racer ought not to be noticing that! I was, however, now riding this as a training session. 

The loneliness of the 2-up rider!

As I crossed the finish line I could see Grumpy Art hanging about and tried to get out that last bit of energy. I finished in 39:39, which would have been good enough for 17th place had I a second rider! Not a bad outing, and a good weekend away in Wales.

In which Team Grumpy make a good impression by turning out in matching kit and bikes - but then disaster strikes!

Most years, Team Grumpy rides an early season 2-up team time trial to keep our hand in by brushing up our 2-up skills ahead of the autumn's Duo Normand. Since the apparent demise of the Duo Normand since the 2020 pandemic struck, these early season 2-up events have become an event in themselves, and this year was no exception. After a couple of evenings of food and beer we felt adequately provisioned for a 25 mile time trial. Maybe.

This event is the usual curtain raiser for my racing season, and it’s also the first 2-up event that I ride each year and as such gives an indication of how Team Grumpy‘s form is at this early stage in the season.  Usually, we also take advantage of the journey over to Wales to visit interesting archaeological sites, previous visits having included the Avebury stone circle, the Uffington White Horse and Wayland’s Smithy.  This year was slightly different: we stayed in Bath for a couple of nights en route to Wales.

We never wrote this event up, but  the CTT website reveals we came in 11th place with 1:01:14. 53 teams started the event, so not too shabby for a pair of old boys. The event was on the course that starts at Resolven, heads towards the coast on the dual carriageway, turns to return past Resolven before an out and back section on the old road that runs roughly parallel to the dual carriageway.

Anyway, here are a few photos Gerry grabbed from somewhere. I am sure I wasn't really on the front for the whole race.

Event details

Results

Event details

Results

For some years now, Team Grumpy has used the early season 2-up '25' event organised by Port Talbot Wheelers to gauge our form coming out of the off-season. For family reasons, Robert was unable to ride the '25', but the same club was organising a 13 mile event later in March, with a 2-up section. So we decided to enter that event instead.

This event has become Team Grumpy's annual season-starter. It's a well run two up team time trial event run on the R25/24 course. This course uses a dual carriageway section for the first half, before switching to the old road running roughly parallel to the dual carriageway, but which is quite a bit hillier, with several short but quite steep climbs.

Sunny Intervals; Temp: 3°C; Wind: NNW 3mph; Hum: 58%; Press: 1014mB; Vis: Very good
We awoke to a cold and frosty morning - with very little wind to make our racing hard - and all the predicted precipitation was noticable by its absence. Our customary preparation of Thai curry and Singha beer was having side effects as we set off for the race HQ in Cheddington, but once we gained entry to the hall, we quickly got ourselves and our bikes sorted, and set off to the start. Gerry had decided to usehis Xentis wheels, and left the H3s in the car as reserve. As you'll see, this is significant.

A bright but very cold and frosty morning greeted us as we loaded up the car to drive over to Resolven to ride in the 2010 Port Talbot Wheelers 2-up ’25′. In fact we were both apprehensive – about the weather, yes, but also the uncertainty of what form our winter training had led to. In my case, I was reasonably confident, but I was aware of being rather overweight and lacking in mileage – most of my winter training had been in the form of relatively brief turbo sessions in the garage. On the other hand, my team mate Gerry had left resumption of training until late December, and had then been afflicted with a lengthy cold (possibly the same thing that got me during most of December). So he was pretty sure he was going to be riding sub-par.

We awoke to a cold and frosty morning – with very little wind to make our racing hard – and all the predicted precipitation was noticable by its absence.  Our customary preparation of Thai curry and Singha beer was having side effects as we set off for the race HQ in Cheddington, but once we gained entry to the hall, we quickly got ourselves and our bikes sorted, and set off to the start.  Gerry had decided to use his Xentis wheels, and left the H3s in the car as reserve.  As you’ll see, this is significant.

Team Grumpy regrouped this weekend for the 2-up 32km sporting course time trial organised each year by the Icknield Road Club. This was the day after Grumpy Bob's club time trial round the Astwood sporting course, after which he suffered a rear tub puncture about 2 miles from home during his ride back home - which necessitated a trudge home along the verge since he couldn't get the tub off the disk wheel. Once home, he cleaned up the bike and shoes. Note this latter point as it becomes important later...

Riding the Port Talbot Wheelers 2-up 25 mile event in south Wales has become something of a Team Grumpy tradition in recent years. In the past, the event has been held on the fast R23/3 (or variant) course, which features the improbably fast descent of the Neath bank, a hill that you don’ have to go up again! Due to roadworks, last year the event was run on the R25/24, an altogether more realistic course – this course was used again this year. In 2007, the weather was astoundingly vile, torrential rain coupled with strong winds. 

As is now usual, Team Grumpy prepared intensively for the 48h prior to this event: a preparation which entails consumption of takeaway curry and Belgian beer, while sitting on a sofa watching TV.  Team Grumpy dispensed with rule #2, by tinkering with 'Grumpy' Art's chainring bolts the day before the race.  On the morning of the event both riders woke feeling surprisingly chipper considering the quantity of preparation, but were were somewhat disappointed to see thick fog blanketing southern Wales.  Fortunately the weather lifted, leaving clear sunny conditions with a light but rising wind by the time the team convoy reached the race HQ at Resolven. 

The Port Talbot Wheelers 2-up ’25’ has been a regular fixture on the Team Grumpy calendar for a number of years. As usual, the two evenings prior to the event were characterised by conspicuous consumption of Leffe and curry. This was an acceptable preparation, since both members of Team Grumpy had seen their pre-season training somewhat derailed by illness. The team also avoided any serious bike tinkering on the day before the race. Indeed, the only issues needing dealt with were (a) "Grumpy" Art’s disc wheel needed to be replaced with his trispoke owing to braking issues, and (b) Grumpy Bob's left shoe wouldn’t clip onto his pedal. This turned out to be due to tiny fleck of mud in the shoeplate springs! Pretty quickly all was in order.

As the title should make obvious, the weekend's regrouping of Team Grumpy once again failed to set the world of team timetrialling aflame, with another rather under par performance.  Grumpy Bob would like to be able to place the blame squarely on the shoulders of the erstwhile Team Manager, who chose to spend the afternoon gardening rather that shouting requests for 400W at the team, but frankly it was down to the riders.