2 September 2026 - UHC80 - Bowden Hill Climb Roberts Tankard

Clearly hill climbs are not popular within the club and despite advertising to the wider club only 2 club members were on the start line. We were also joined by Ben from Andover who had come to try the hill before the Open event at the end of September. Paul regretted leaning on Andrew to come along as it meant he was not going to finally get his name on the Roberts Tankard. However, it was great to see Andrew and Emily after such a long break and we hope all goes well for Emily next week. After months of dry weather Bowden predictably greeted us with a damp evening, although through my suffering I could not tell you if it actually rained during the event. Andrew overtook me well before the church for 2 minutes and won the Roberts Hill Climb Tankard, keeping the Lockwood name going on the victors list. My thanks to Peter Iffland for doing start time keeper and to John Whittle who came to support and was introduced to the mysteries of holding up a rider at the start. It was also nice to see Lisajayne and Lauren Booth at the top supporting us as we gasped (well I did) across the line. There was a small presentation to Sue after the event to thank her for her commitment throughout the season to doing the time keeping; without her we would not be able to run the time trials. Paul then released the moths from his wallet by buying a round in The Red Lion. And so another season of club evening time trials closes.

26 August 2026 - UC867 10 Mile Time Trial

With traffic lights on Lyneham Banks we reverted to the P Course for the last evening time trial of the season. It was nice to see the English family join us. It was a warm evening with some humidity, so not the most comfortable night for racing. Simon was still on a road bike as his tubs have still not be glued to his wheels (wrong rim tape apparently). It was nice to receive the trophies back ready for engraving (a few still outstanding!). There would have been video evidence of a JCB on course but the the front camera turned itself off, so no one believes I was held up. Fortunately those who can read a Strava trace can see the change in profile for JCB and rather large tractor. Well done to Nick for coming first and Simon for splitting Paul and Peter on his road bike. Next week is the Roberts Tankard Hill Climb on Bowden Hill. Andrew Lockwood may be returning to defend the Lockwood name on the trophy.

19 August - UC861 - Jack Nunn 10 Mile Time Trial

The final Jack Nunn evening 10 mile time trial brought out all the familiar faces for one last push to improve their points tally. Conditions were breezy, and the headwind over the final five miles made sure nobody had an easy ride home. We welcomed Lewis Webb of Malmesbury, sent our way by Paul Freegard, adding a fresh name to the start sheet. Simon Cox came agonisingly close to dipping under 26 minutes on his road bike — still waiting for his tubs to be glued on after retiring a worn out tyre. Mark Evans, recovering from his hip operation earlier in the year, delivered a steady and consistent ride, just outside his season average.

Jack Nunn Results

This year’s overall Jack Nunn winner on handicap, and the rider showing the greatest improvement from last season, is Matt Chapple — a well earned result. The final points table also underlines the value of regular attendance: six of the top seven riders completed all six counting events, proving that turning up really does pay off.

What’s Next

Next week brings the final sporting event of the season on Lyneham Banks, followed by the Bowden Hill Climb on 2 September — with a likely gathering in The Red Lion afterwards. There’s hope that Andrew Lockwood may return to defend the Roberts Trophy, currently held by Emily. Everyone is welcome, and plenty of our non time trialling members can climb Bowden far quicker than I can, so why not come along and give it a go. It’s a great way to round off the season.

5 August - UC861 - Medium Gear / Steel is Real 10 Mile Time Trial

Yet another sunny evening drew a small field for the annual Medium Gear event (reminder a medium gear is no more than 72" meaning one pedal revolution is no more than 18ft 10 1/4 inches). At scrutineering Simon's bike passed and by the simple expedient of removing his electronic gear battery it was locked off. Paul's multicoloured Mango came out for his annual reminder of the need to increase cadence. The suggestion of a trip to the pub attracted Peter away from his new dog sitting duties. Paul set off first having reminded Sue that his usual time for the Medium Gear is 7 minutes slower than the normal weekly 10's! Paul thinks this is due to the robust steel construction of the Mango, as Simon was only 2:14 slower than his average. Mick tried to enter his titanium machine for steel is real. Google AI is very clear "No, titanium does not count as steel. They are entirely different materials with distinct chemical compositions." It is also about 45% lighter than steel. Paul dug out some of his older style kit to honour the retro cycling and feeling quite proud that 10 year old (plus) kit still fits so well. However, this did not help his performance - event with an 85 rpm (versus his usual 60 rpm) he was just over 33 minutes as forecast. So the winner of the Medium Gear event was Simon Cox. Some of us then went to the Wellesley Arms for a chat and to discuss the forthcoming Bowden Hill Climb on 2 September (this is an event where many of the leisure riders could do well).

29 July 2026 - UC866 "Q" Course - Jack Nunn 10 Mile Time Trial

Well with the wind turned around from last week we had some good times last night. Sadly Lewis, making his return to time trials after becoming a Dad, thought we were on standard course although WhatsApp post shows that UC866 was the declared course. As a result when he overtook Andy and carried straight on, Andy followed him although in part this was due to a car blocking the turn and Andy having a blank moment, even though he had confirmed with Sue which course it was. Simon caught Paul a bit earlier than normal and spent less time overhauling him. Comparative video however shows that James, when he caught Paul, came through much more quickly. Paul did comment that he was held by a car not wanting to pass 2 casual cyclists on the Sutton Benger road. Would he have caught Joe and would James have caught him without being held? Next week is the Medium Gear / Steel is Real 10 mile time trial, although all are welcome including TT bikes.

22 July 2026 - UC866 "Q" Course 10 Mile Time Trial

It was nice to see 10 riders turn out on another hot evening with devices claiming 30C and almost no wind. MyWindsock said that there was 74% headwind but there really wasn't much so the impact was not very large. As usual there were various claims made after the race and there was some validity. The video review does show Matt having to wait while a car overtook Simon and Paul, not helped by Paul using his rear radar to let him know he had a rider behind him and he might have upped his power a bit to try and delay the inevitable overtake. Matt when he came past shot by and was clear in moments. Simon took a little longer to clear Paul, however Paul claims that at 15mph uphill there is no drafting benefit. It was clearly a good evening with the 4 riders who last rode the course in April being 30 - 80 seconds faster, with 3 being over 60 seconds faster. It was good to see the ladies from Chippenham Tri and a Saturday Chain Gang rider out to test his mettle. Matt's smiling face is not just because he won but also because it was his birthday. So Happy Birthday Matt.

29 July 2026 - UC866 "Q" Course - Jack Nunn 10 Mile Time Trial

Well with the wind turned around from last week we had some good times last night. Sadly Lewis, making his return to time trials after becoming a Dad, thought we were on standard course although WhatsApp post shows that UC866 was the declared course. As a result when he overtook Andy and carried straight on, Andy followed him although in part this was due to a car blocking the turn and Andy having a blank moment, even though he had confirmed with Sue which course it was. Simon caught Paul a bit earlier than normal and spent less time overhauling him. Comparative video however shows that James, when he caught Paul, came through much more quickly. Paul did comment that he was held by a car not wanting to pass 2 casual cyclists on the Sutton Benger road. Would he have caught Joe and would James have caught him without being held? Next week is the Medium Gear / Steel is Real 10 mile time trial, although all are welcome including TT bikes.

15 July - UC861 Jack Nunn

A slight delay for publishing results of the sporting course on 8 July on the Malmesbury hilly. My thanks to Sue for putting out the signs on the Malmesbury RAB. As she put it: Another ‘Heatwave’ …..and another ‘Hilly’. Just 3 riders braved the hills and the heat this time….so well done all. And to Robbie who missed us at the start but rode it anyway..! A second trip of the day to Malmesbury roundabout for me, having just collected the signs. Quite nice to get away from the finish to be honest tonight, as whilst I was sat waiting the farmer in the field behind decided to provide a rather unpleasant aroma. you can imagine what that was like in this heat can’t you..!!!!! Back to Jack Nunn 10 next week… And so to the Jack Nunn on 15 July on UC861. It was another hot evening at 30C but with a strong cooling headwind. we had a father and son combination as Robbie ran out of reasons for not racing and there was an appearance of accompanied riding as they crossed the finish line only 10 seconds apart but of course with Jamie starting 2 minutes after his Dad that was clearly not the case. Jamie did report tractors on the course but think his time was more down to still recovering from his epic endurance race. To return to handicapping - if Robbie had raced the Sheila Edwards several weeks ago, based on his then handicap and the performance last night he would have won by 54 seconds but then his handicap was a SWAG anyway. Thankfully we don't redo the handicaps each week as last night's time were wildly different from 2 weeks ago.

1 July 2026 - UC861 - Sheila Edwards Cup and Handicap (incorporating a Jack Nunn) 10 Mile Time Trial

It was great to see a good turnout for the annual Sheila Edwards Cup competition with a good turn out from the club and Chippenham Tri having escaped the swimming pool. Some riders (Andy) were fashionably on time rolling in as Sue was packing up the table. Sadly Robbie missed out due to a damaged side wall whilst still in the garage and David was delayed at work. Others arrived ear buds in place listening to the football, while Paul was trying to avoid getting any clues as to how the game was going. (It didn't go well, a car at the finish with England car flags cheered as they went past and then Matt put an outcome on Strava which Paul had assumed would be a football free zone. However, Paul stuck with it once he got home before conducting the stewards enquiry into the handicapping.) There was a head wind on the return from Dauntsey to the finish, which showed in people's 5 mile splits. Matt Chapple is to be congratulated on producing his best time of the year by 7 seconds, which considering his recent epic ride was impressive (oh and winning yet another bottle of wine). Paul Winchcombe won the handicap medal by 2 seconds by also producing his best time of the year by 23 seconds. (Which of course as the handicapper, produced some discussion almost verging on controversy.) Included in the results is the handicap calculation to show that it is based on pure mathematics. In terms of performances Simon Cox outperformed his best performance by 20 seconds and all other riders were slower than their best performance of the year. All riders, except Andy, outperformed their handicap.

Sporting 10 mile time trial No. 3 Lyneham Banks: Race Report - Wednesday 26 June 2026 by our roving reporter (Simon)

On a day when the South West reached new record temperatures, three riders arrived at Queens Field questioning the sanity of racing up Lyneham Banks in hot, still conditions, having first checked Sue was happy to stand out in the sun to do the timekeeping. With temperatures remaining near to the mid-30s C this must have been one of the hottest evening TTs - if not the hottest - the club has ever held. Simon and Robbie shared the only bit of shade available - under the boot of Sue’s car - while Mick applied a cold, wet sponge to the back of his neck, but there was no escape from the heat. Jamie R-P, still sore after his epic 1000km Solstice ‘Sprint’, was kind enough to come out and marshal the roundabout at Lyneham so that his father could ride. After a brief discussion about Jamie’s amazing feat of endurance, peaches and plums (it turns out there is no plum emoji Jamie), the riders set off towards the hill. Robbie and Mick were battling for supremacy in the new road bike competition, the first event having been cancelled due to torrential rain. Simon, having substantially ‘tweaked’ his position on his now-vintage TT bike after last week’s 50-mile discomfort-fest started well, catching both road bikes by the foot of the hill. Mick caught and passed Robbie on the climb, which evidently triggered Robbie’s competitive instincts. Simon thought he had saved something for a strong final push from the bottom of the hill to the finish, only to find in the heat that it had suddenly deserted him, requiring a switch into energy conservation/just get to the finish mode to set his slowest ever time on the course. Meanwhile, Robbie and Mick were engaged in a battle royale, with Robbie determined to unlap himself, resulting in a magnificent sprint finish in which Robbie prevailed, cutting the deficit to 59 seconds. All were deeply grateful to Sue, not only for timekeeping in the extreme heat (happily, she found some shade both for the start and finish), but also for bringing extra water and the masterstroke of providing cold cans of cola at the end! Mick now leads the new road bike competition from Robbie with two events to go (the 8 July and 26 August Sporting TTs). Next week is the Sheila Edwards Cup 10m TT, for which riders need to contact Paul Winchcombe if they wish to enter the handicap event.

17 June 2026 – UC864 Nixon and Edwards 50 Mile Time Trial

As the solstice approaches Chippenham Wheelers ran their annual 50 mile mid week time trial to compete for the Nixon Cup and the Mike Edwards Handicap Cup. The club is unusual in still running a 50 mile club event and especially mid week. Only 3 other clubs in CTT run 50 milers and those are on Sunday mornings. Matt Chapple was not able to defend his trophy, as he had decided that a 1,000 km Solstice Sprint (if anything is misnamed a 1,000 km sprint is it) demanded his attention. Others who had indicated interest clearly thought that watching England in their first round World Cup match was a better option than the 4+ laps of Sutton Benger – Dauntsey- Somerfords. Despite the grey clouds it didn’t rain and the close weather with light winds meant whilst moving it wasn’t too hot. Our 3 club riders were looking forward to a pleasant evening when Jake Sargent of Team Bottrill rocked up to join us. He said that he needed a 50 as a warm up before the National 50 on 28 June. This meant we knew that we were probably about to be blown away, given Jake’s recent victories. Fortunately his partner in crime, Rob Francis, couldn’t make it as he was conveniently away in Germany. I can only speak for myself but Jake blew past me at about 11 miles and about 29 minutes in, having set off as my 6 minute man. The math speaks for itself. The other club riders experienced similar passes, with Jake only being 4 minutes off lapping Peter. Sue had time to do calculations waiting for us and says we were lapping at 29-32 minutes a lap to Jake’s 22-23 minutes a lap. Jake broke the course record by 9:45, set by Ben Anstie in 2017 (1:55:17), with an impressive 1:45:32. Having reviewed my video Simon takes the record for the longest overtake at over 10 minutes, including taking a drink rather than chasing me down. I was hoping to analyse rides using Strava compare function but at the moment it is not showing Peter or Simon on matched segments. Congratulations to Simon Cox on winning the Hinder Cup and finishing this year. Paul Winchcombe won the Edwards Handicap Cup and in his defence as the handicapper he beat his Open 50 time from the weekend by 2:28 and rode his best UC864 since 2020, beating last year’s time by 12:38 (although that did include coming off). At least Peter and Simon’s were close on handicap. Peter did beat his handicap by 3:15 and Simon was within 28 seconds of his handicap. Some video of passing moments:

https://youtu.be/hkzG8zjjrIY

Race Report – UC861 Lottery 2 Up (10 June 2026)

With the World Cup looming and two weeks of sunshine-and-showers where the showers have definitely taken the win, it seems many riders found better things to do than race a bike. Even the beauty of the Lottery 2 Up — where you don’t even need to bring your own partner, unlike the PYOB — could only tempt four riders to the start line on a dry but blustery evening. That left two pairings: Paul & Simon, and Mick & Joe. On paper, the winners’ medal looked a foregone conclusion, but the club trophy is decided on handicap, and everyone agreed the numbers looked fair. On the Road Paul and Simon’s ride was lively from the start, featuring a few overtakes that, in hindsight, might generously be described as “optimistic”. Paul even managed a polite nod to an oncoming police car while bouncing over the Dauntsey potholes near the school. The theory of a 2 Up is simple: take turns, get a rest, share the load. The reality? If a gap opens, it’s every rider for themselves — as the heart rate graphs later proved. Paul and Simon caught Mick and Joe in Great Somerford, where Mick’s discipline briefly evaporated and he drifted up alongside Paul at the top of the hill (a place where everyone knows Paul is not at his most rapid). With only 2.5 miles to go, and having clawed back just two minutes of the 3½ minute handicap gap, the writing was on the wall. The Results

• Fastest Time: Paul & Simon
• Handicap Winners: Mick & Joe

Despite the tiny field, all four riders clearly had a brilliant evening — the kind of low key club event that reminds you why these midweek races matter. Handicap Corner For the curious (and the sceptical):

• Paul & Simon were predicted 25:30.
  • Paul beat his season average by 1:24.
  • Simon was just below his average — so Paul wasn’t too much of a drag anchor.
• Mick & Joe were predicted 29:00.
  • Mick beat his season average by 1:53.
  • Joe had no 10 mile times, so his handicap was based on a local 25 — clearly a touch generous.

A small field, a fun format, and two pairs who gave it everything. A proper club night.

3 June 2026 - UC867/25 - Hinder and Gerald Cup 25 Mile Time Trial

Having had a day of sunshine and heavy showers there was a degree of reluctance in the car park and as we got ready to ride there was another downpour. This led to several riders choosing to race with race capes to try and stay warm. However, once the race got underway all riders rode in the dry. There was however a significant wind, as shown by the tail wind on the northerly leg to Great Somerford and the right turn at the volunteer. Thereafter it was a lot of headwind and cross wind. Despite the poor conditions Matt Chapple smashed his own course record and nearly went under 55 minutes, with a time of 55:05. This is even more impressive when you consider that the bend at Church Lane/Dauntsey road was treacherously wet and at least got my respect, as did the left at the Volunteer and village shop in Great Somerford. Sadly we had no women riders, so there was no winner of the Gerald Cup. The late handicapping for James Eccleston following an unadjusted mathematical logic was almost spot on, but of course with Matt being 1:26 faster than last time out James allowance was too generous. Peter Iffland's handicap time also implies that handicapping was quite accurate but again he was 1:03 faster than last time out, which again complicates calculations. I was of course the outlier here as I managed to ride 1:56 slower than last time out. So once again handicapping just adds an element of fun to our competitions. Joe Mann is to be commended for making it to the start, having gone to Wavin Way, and Sue for adjusting times to allow him to start. Welcome Joe as I feel you are going to be a regular with that commitment.

27 May 2026 - UC867 "P" Course Jack Nunn 10 Mile Time Trial

Well it was a hot mid week night with very little wind to cool us down. 5 stalwarts signed on to ride with James Eccleston being released from home as it is half term. I could say that half term had reduced our numbers but sadly I don't think most of our riders are affected by school holidays any more; although some may be in the future. Our congratulations go to Corinne Clark on the birth of her daughter, Lily. We hope to see her back to time trialing, although probably not till next year. Simon Cox posted another fastest 10 of the year and Mick Sharratt is steadily bringing his times down as he gets back into the swing of things. Paul Winchcombe almost equalled his best for the year despite abandoning on a 100 at the weekend, or is that because he did. As a reminder we are starting our various handicap events. Next week is the Hinder and Gerald 25 mile time trial. The Gerald Cup is based on handicap, so please let Paul know if you intend to ride by Sunday 31 May. 17 June is the Nixon and Mike Edwards 50, followed 2 weeks later on 1 July by the Sheila Edwards 10.

UC867 "P" Course Jack Nunn 10 Mile Time Trial - 20 May 2026

After an aborted attempt at Lyneham Banks last week due to rain, we were back to a windy and cool evening. It was unfortunate that Lyneham Banks had to be cancelled, as of course when the road is wet it is not a safe descent at speed, as we had riders who had come from Swindon specifically to try the course. In addition Sue had taken payments so then had the hassle of doing on the line refunds. Despite the conditions Matt Chapple broke the course record by 8 seconds with a time of 21:39. Simon Cox and Peter Iffland set new best club 10 mile times for the year. I do wonder if there may have been a tailwind but since I was not riding due to injury that is just speculation. Our newest recruit David Hyman set a personal best as his first 10 mile time trial and had clearly given it is all as he laid on the grass recovering. Unusually we had a pusher off for the event and all bar Matt took up the offer of support (he might have been even faster). Apologies for the long shot photographs but mobile phones are not great for taking photos (IMHO). However, Paul has no intention of making this a regular thing and hopes to be back racing next week. The start sheet has now been published for the club Open 25 mile TT on Sunday 31 May and we have 51 entries. We have enough support to allow the event to be run but a couple more people would not go amiss. So if you can help please contact Paul.

UC867/25 6 April 2026 - 25 Mile Time

Yes, you read that right a 25 mile version of the "P" course courtesy of of the road works in Chippenham. 3 1/2 laps of the Great Somerford - Dauntsey - Little Somerford loop certainly gives you time to work out a riding strategy and learn where the pot holes are. Questions like "how wide can I take this bend?", "can I remain on the tri-bars?", "do I really need to brake here?" or "really is that car going to stop there?" (which of course it did!); all run through your mind. So the usual selection of stalwarts turned out for the first 25 mile TT of the year. Thankfully it was a much less windy evening than the last two weeks but it was much colder. Peter Iffland did not want to be set off first so that honour went to Paul who therefore had 5 riders overtake him at differing points on the course. Some announced their overtake (thank you) and others rocketed past making the most of their 3 mile an hour difference in speed. The Mag Speed boys came past almost as a 2 Up pairing but in reality it was just a matter of timing as Jamie overtook Lewis. Having almost never encountered cars turning in Little Somerford, there were 2 during the race; one of which almost caused an incident as the driver turned (safely and correctly) but then stopped just past the bend to park; stopping a TT bike on the front brake only is an interesting experience! The battle was for last place as Peter overtook Paul at the start of the last lap, which meant a minute gained. Paul fought back and regained 35 seconds, although there was some comment about dropping in the front ring causing a loss of time. There has clearly been some investment in aero helmets as you will see from the photos and perhaps the best comment goes to David English when commenting on the black stealth rider. It was a night for records with Jamie breaking the course record but only to have it taken off him a minute later. So congratulations to Matt for breaking his own course record with an impressive time of 56:31; imagine what he could do on an Open 25 mile course such as R25/3H? The graphic is the Strava compare function so I can see how everyone drew away from me. Due to the vagaries of Strava some riders are missing, despite them riding the segment. Robbie came out to support and I think took some photos but Sue had time on her hands tonight so the photos are thanks to our esteemed time keeper. As a reminder by popular demand next week is the first of the new road bike series on our sporting courses. The time trial next week is Lyneham Banks.

29 April 2026 - UC866 "Q" Course Jack Nunn 10 Mile Time Trial

Well that was a bit brutal. If we thought last weeks head wind was hard MyWindSock gave us a new set of figures showing a stronger headwind and an over 4% increase in weather impact. Add in the top dressing which meant if you had to overtake someone in the mile before the first left it was admittedly a bit sketchy. The results includes comments showing difference in time for the 3 repeat riders. Paul reckons his loss was less as he was using a larger front chain ring this week. Riders Strava comments say it all but are not repeatable on a family forum. We saw the return of some of the tri-athletes this week as the pool was closed and Neil Lewis back from the Mallorca 225 and a 12 day cycling holiday. Sadly Neil was DNF. We also had Albert Vallatton from Magspeed Racing join us putting in a very strong ride, taking a break from his GCSEs! We hope to see him again with the other Magspeed riders, although the logistics of getting to us from Stroud shows commitment. Robbie Richardson joined Sue at the start and provided the rare treat of having a "holder up". Matt Chapple is building a lead on the Jack Nunn results table as his form continues. A reminder next week is the first 25 mile time trial. Given the road works out of Chippenham it is likely that we will be on UC867/25. Decision will be made on Tuesday and publicised.

22 April 2026 - UC866 "Q" Course Jack Nunn 10 Mile Time Trial

Numbers have fallen away but perhaps people had looked at the weather. The night saw a viscous head wind which riders experienced twice, as shown by the MyWindSock graphic. For a comparison my 5 miles split was 47 secs slower than the same segment raced on Saturday. However, Matt managed to break his own course record by 10 seconds. Simon also set his best 10 time for the year so weather effects are clearly not equal. It was great to Mick Sharratt returning to the club and time trialing with us. Also back was Andy Summers so his return a few weeks ago had not put him off. Joe, from Cycology joined us and then impressively had to ride home to Bristol after the race. Update Jack Nunn table also included, showing Matt is leading the way which means he has had massive improvement from last year.

15 April 2026 - UC861 - Pick Your Own Buddy (PYOB) / Random 2-Up 10 Mile Time Trial

Well the day was certainly sunshine and showers and the WhatsApp Group asked the question about dry roads. A driven recce of the course was able to confirm wind blown dry roads but threatening dark clouds over the course. A subsequent recce of the course on a bike was in torrential rain and high winds leading me to question my sanity. However, by the time of registration the sun was showing in places and the rain had stopped. With lower numbers than past weeks we calculated that even if the planned road works were to take place, all riders would be through before 1900 hrs. In fact it appeared the council had allowed 4 evenings for a one evening job. So with no road works and clean roads we were good to go. It was great to see Owen Burgess return (and hopefully not for one night only) to partner Simon Cox. Paul Winchcombe ended up as a random pairing with Simon Vannerley, which meant Paul knew he was going to have to work. it was also nice to be joined by Joe Taylor and Jess Schofield who ride for Mag Speed and live in Chippenham. The other 2 Mag Speed regulars were notable by their absence, clearly having decided that a TT and Road Bike pairing was not going to work for them. It was a bit sobering to be caught by James just after 5 miles as we were working hard but clearly 2 older men just couldn't hold of the youngster. Apparently Matt had us in his sights on the straight to the finish. Owen remarked that he thought they had gone off too fast and then realised that it was a pretty good headwind towards the Dauntsey turn. Simon V produced a course PB, something about riding behind a wind break but then Paul also had a 41 second improvement on last week so shelter is pretty even. Looking ahead the next 2 weeks should be on the "Q" Course, provided the planned top dressing does not make course unrideable. The really good news is the planned repairs after the left turn to Dauntsey - see screen shot - so hopefully for 29 April there will be no more picking our way through the broken surface.

8 April 2026 – UC861 Jack Nunn Time Trial

The second Jack Nunn of the year was run on the hottest day of the year so far (and apparently the warmest April day on record). Not hard given it is still April but 21C on an April evening is pretty impressive. It was also a very still evening so all results come from the riders efforts with no wind assistance (or detriment). The warm evening enticed another great turn out and it was great to see some many tri-athletes come back for another race. It was also really nice to see Andy Summers return after a 5 year gap and he produced a creditable time but I might argue that his memory of his times from 5 years ago is a bit hazy (so don’t sell your TT bike, just rest it). His Planet X is a classic. We also had a first time rider, Tom, who may now join the club and thankfully the spare lights I carry were put to good use. (Remember front and rear lights are mandatory, as is a cycling helmet.) The evening produced some great results with Personal Course bests for 3 of the club riders, a second overall for Matt Chapple (although Strava segment results do not always seem to pick up every rider and vary depending on the course which has been defined) who is now in some very esteemed company. The Tri-atheletes also mostly improved on last weeks times and Paul Freegard was obviously being lazy last week. Paul Winchcombe bought the 58T front chain ring out of winter retirement and saw significant gains, finally just beating Peter. Robbie was co-opted into time keeping and despite feeling stressed did well, with no issues setting us off. Apparently Emily is taking a season off as racing with a little one onboard may not be good for the baby, so congratulations to the Lockwoods, whilst Emily may be helping with timekeeping. A mention must go to James Eccleston who had a good result at Castle Combe Good Friday Easter Classic last Friday (anyone who finishes with main bunch after off roading to avoid a crash on circuit had done well in my book). It would appear local farmers are getting ahead off the increase in fertiliser prices by good old fashioned much spreading. The number of tractors coming towards us on course meant a little bit of breathing in was needed and the smell (and the flies) on the Seagry Road (before the S bend) was more than a bit off putting. Well done to all and a reminder that next week is Pick Your Own Buddy 2-Up, so pair up with a friend or let random allocation happen on the night. You are of course still welcome to ride on your own, if you cannot find a friend.

UC861 Jack Nunn 10 Mile Time Trial – 1 April 2026

Tonight saw the first of the regular Jack Nunn Time Trials for the 2026 season which is unusual as the first event of the year is normally a sporting course. However, a programming issue which put the hilly before the clock change and thus finishing in the dark meant an alteration to the calendar. The turn out the regulars was boosted by 8 triathletes from Chippenham Tri and Avon Valley Tri, taking the rider numbers up to a very healthy 19 riders. Fortunately we were forewarned of the participation and Rob Duncumb stood up to do the start time keeping, allowing Sue to be at the finish in time for the first finisher. Course briefing given riders formed up at the start to enjoy the newly resurfaced road from Sutton Benger to the Dauntsey turn. There was still some trepidation amongst the triathletes about the course but a left, a right and a left was all that needed to be remembered and no one went off course. Sadly, despite reporting multiple potholes over the winter, not much progress has been made by Wiltshire Council on road maintenance and where repairs had been conducted the quality was questionable. The potholes and drain edges were no longer a problem for cars but you would not want to ride over them as a cyclist at speed. Despite nice weather recently the clouds had rolled in for the evening and the temperature had dropped. The wind was not strong but enough to require some concentration if you were riding deep section. What I forgot to mention to the triathletes is that of course they would all have had a course Personal Best for tonight’s ride. I was a little concerned in the car park when we had one car left with no owner but knew all riders had finished and had not found a missing cyclist on the mile back to the car park from the finish. Having waited and locked up (leaving a note) the missing cyclist was spotted on the main road having followed the other triathletes back towards Chippenham. Apparently this has not put them off and they will be back. It was great to see so many riders, as it creates its own atmosphere having a good turn out. We look forward to seeing the triathlete community riding with us for their training and giving us competition.