The fastest machine in the Diss 25-mile time trials was a tricycle.
Trikes are usually around eight percent slower than a bike with a rider of equal fitness, but Stoke-on-Trent tricyclist Barry Charlton got back to the timekeeper in Bressingham in 1:00:55, while the fastest bike was ridden by Geoff Frost to 1:02:15. It must be said that it wasn't a level playing field - Frost was riding the Medium Gear bike event with gears restricted to 72 inches (approximately 46x17), while the only unrestricted gear bicycles were in the Classic Bike event - defined as those with pre -980 specification, in particular with no tribars.
Norwich rider David Staff, like Frost from the VeloVelocity team - was the fastest on a classic bike in 1:04:17. None of this actually proves anything except that Charlton is a very fast rider - he holds the bike course record for this sporting Bressingham to Thetford and back course in 52:41. He was actually disappointed not to get the trike round in under the hour on this spring-like morning. Best local rider on trike was Marcus Hopkins, second (King's Lynn CC, 1:15:48). Runner-up to Staff was Eddie Dean (Norwich ABC, 1:05:57). Second to Frost was R Hutt (Harp RC, 1:04:30) while best lady was B Schofield (Tri-Harder, 1:09:05) and fastest junior Ed Wootton (Diss CC, 1:11:18) A number of local riders contested the Veteran TTA-promoted 25-mile time trial on a triangle of single carriageway roads south of Newmarket. It was bright but windy, with the hardest leg the lane from Dunton to Six Mile Bottom. It was the VTTA East Anglian Group's sporting course championship and this went to Norwich rider Chris Nudds (CC Breckland) whose 1:02:14 beat his standard for his age (65) by nine minutes, 44 seconds. Other notable times by local riders included 1:05:45 by Chris Womack (VC Baracchi) and 1:06:40 by Nigel Walsh (North Norfolk Whs).
This week's Eastern Road Race League event was the Braintree Velo 54 miler, four laps of a Bulmer-Little Yeldham-Guestingthorpe circuit. The field was split by a crash on the third lap. As things sorted themselves out a break of six got clear, chased by a bunch of 15 to 20. But all came together again. Finally eventual winner Daniel Babbs (Chelmer CC) and Paul Saunders (Glendene CC) attacked with Autostrasse RTs David Warwick also taking leave of the bunch to seize third spot. Racing in the Eagle RC criteriums at Hog Hill, Strada Sport's Yarmouth rider Harley Matthews was second in the race for third and fourth category riders, with team-mate Chris Jackson in fourth.
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