Riding one of the UK’s fastest Time Trial Courses

27/10/2015

Cold, wet, windy… That’s a standard Saturday round this way.

I clambered aboard the winter bike, a single speed before going for a late season look at N1/10.

Its great how time trial courses in the UK are given top secret codes as a nod to the sports under cover history. Tradition is important to me so I am delighted this particular and peculiar one carries on.

I knew the course pretty well to be honest. I had been hunted down by Michael Hutchinson in a TT on it a couple of seasons ago, so I know the chasms of time this strip of road can open.

My 70" gear was wholly inadequate to try and ride a 10 but after a nice warm up, I set up my on bike camera, clipped in and headed from the painted line on the kerb just south of Sawtry.

The first mile is downhill through a roundabout, but the visibility was good and I sailed through, legs whirring. The next couple of roundabouts come close together and have a steep little rise between them. Once I was through them though I was heading North with the wind at my tail away from the truck park.

The road replicates the route of the A1M and is quiet, especially before nine o’clock on an October Saturday. The roads was nice and fast, I think that’s part of the courses charm.  Soon I was away past the war memorial at Conington and rolling quite fast. I wished I had brought a geared bike with me so I could click up a cog or two and get some real speed.

The noise from the motorway on the other side of the hedge was rhythmic and aided my concentration. It was pleasant work getting to the turn.

There is a little drag on the way back, which was made worse by the prevailing south-westerly nagging at my right shoulder and slowing my progress. The cloud was beginning to lift by now and there was an easing to the cold as the sun tried its best to burn off the thick cloud.

The course seemed a lot more stark than when there is an open time trial on it during the late spring and summer. I love it in April when the wind starts to bite a little less and you can start to feel the warmer heat on your face.

Its a good while until that time though.

I tried a little sprint from the final roundabout and rode through the finish line, which was another understated dab of pain on the kerbside.

I will be back and faster in 2016. N1/10… you have been warned!