Topic Title

rode the new v 718 course on tues - v fast !!!

did 20:49 and was 5th when i left and not many riders left to finish
and i know it was won with a 20:13.

taken me 2 days to recover thats why i was missing last night - saving
myself for sunday.

Where does the course go?

starts top slip road from south cave onto a63, along to turn for north ferrinby ( spelling ? ) round 2 roundabouts back onto a63 .

slight drag at first but well protected by trees hardest bit is drag up to
turn and a longish drag on way back but a fast finish.

Another dreadful advert for the sport

At least you lived to tell the tale.

no offence rob but that was ten times safer than the pocklington
spoco that goes down millington pastures - which is wide enough for one
car ! i was missing car wing mirrors that day at 40+mph and down as
one of your counting events.

my start time was 7:51 and there was hardly any traffic at all.

no offence rob but that was ten times safer than the pocklington
spoco that goes down millington pastures - which is wide enough for one
car ! i was missing car wing mirrors that day at 40+mph and down as
one of your counting events.

my start time was 7:51 and there was hardly any traffic at all.

But what was the impression given to the drivers passing the event. I know these events, particularly with an early start time, are actually safer than they look, but, heck, they look absolutely lethal.

Remember when you come onto the A63 at S Cave you are being passed by traffic that has been under motorway conditions since Liverpool, you are the first thing they've seen doing less than 60mph.

But on a happier note - well done with the 5th spot, I guess it was a high standard field.

I've had some feedback that my earlier post on this thread wasn't very positive or helpful. I apologise.

The problem is I do feel very strongly about this and I should explain properly. My approach to the issue is sort of the same with helmets. It's up to the rider whether to wear one or not, but if asked for advice I'll say you should wear it. And if I hear someone trying disuade someone else I'll join in and put the counter arguement.

Its the same with racing on motorways. If anyone wants to do it, it's up to them as long as they've thought it through. But many new riders read this forum and its important, I believe, that they hear the arguement as to why it's a bad choice.

There are so many reasons that I think the idea of racing on the A63 is bad - I just don't know where to start....

The obvious point is the safety one. While all forms of cycling are accompanied by some risk this one is unique as the danger all comes from behind. There is nothing you can do about it and you are just relying on the other road users driving sensibly (like they usually do eh?) If it goes wrong it will go wrong in a big way and it won't be just a bit of gravel rash. But it's not the safety issue per se that is top of my worry list.

What is top of my list is the image of the sport. This is the only cycle racing Jo Public sees. I used to work in Gilberdyke and most of my colleagues lived in Gilberdyke, Newport, S Cave.... all around the start of the V718 discussed. They knew all about racing on the A63 as they had passed the riders many times. They never commented to me about the athletic prowess of the riders or how fast they were going. To a man they thought the riders were dangerously irresponsible, insane, a danger to themselves and others. And to a man, be inference, they thought all cyclists were the same. Do you think they would let Little Johny join a cycling club based on their observations?

What also worries me is the sporting ethic that goes behind the chasing of fast times. This is harder to explain. In the event at the weekend Nige was 5th - a great result. Had the race been on the lanes either side of the A63 Nige would still have come 5th. But to most of us mortals who come about 63rd its no big deal to train a bit harder and come 61st. Because a TT is a "race of truth" by definition you will come 60 oddth week after week. So we look for improvements in our times instead. After a few seasons training our fitness levels start to plateau and improvements in our own physical strength become smaller than improvements (speed increases) from aerodynamic aids, the weather and, importantly here, the course. Training takes a back seat as we simply race at every opportunity to catch the good weather. The sport becomes an arms-race governed by how much disposible income we have to throw at aerodynamic aids. And we hunt out faster and faster courses. A fast course has a smooth surface, few gradients, no oncoming traffic (dual carriage way) and lots of following traffic. And we all end up racing on motorways. When we focus on absolute speed, rather than speed relative to everyone else, the sporting ideals soon get relegated.

I hope the above explains my position in a suitably adult manner. Its everybody's personal choice as to what/where they ride, but I don't want our new recruits to believe that in order to succeed in our sport or to be respected by their peers they need to ride up and down a motorway at 28mph - which of course Nige wasn't saying, but the culture can very soon build up.

While I'd agree with you about most of this, one can't really complain about using aerodynamic kit. That's part of the game: you need a race bike to road race, and a tourer for loaded touring. Why should TT'ing be different?

I've just finished reading Michael Hutchinson's 'The Hour' (highly recommended), and he makes the point that trying to acquire a bike that satisfied the rules was far more expensive than if modern bikes had been allowed. Merckx style bikes aren't made anymore, so the attempt to restrict technology just adds cost.