Taylor’s Tandem Time Trial Terror 8^th June 2010

 

Sue Taylor, a member of Garstang Cycling Club for the last 2 years, was surprised one Tuesday evening when her husband finally relented and agreed to do one of the PETTS 10 mile time trials on their tandem. Signs did not augur well for a fright-free ride when she came home to find he had put slightly skinnier tyres on the tandem, and taken the highly unusual step of removing the rack and mudguards. He also appeared to be “slightly grumpy”.

 

At the start line a strange man had his hands on her bottom to steady the bike as her husband sat at the front oblivious, hyperventilating loudly in the fifteen seconds before the off. Soon they were sailing north along the A6 at about 40-45 kmh. Things began to take a turn for the worse at the Barton Grange Garden Centre when, balked by a slowing driver, her husband proceeded to overtake the car through the roundabout while cursing loudly.

 

At the left turn onto the A586 to St. Michaels she began her customary nervous monologue when approaching obstacles at speed on the tandem. However, the usual advice about braking, stopping pedalling, and going slower, was this time completely unheeded. She tried to stop pedalling herself, but with an angry roar from the front and a yee yawing wallow from below they took the corner at high speed.

 

Sue managed to get her head down and concentrate on her pedalling on the run in to St. Michaels, encouraged by furious exhortations to keep low and put more effort in. However, cresting the bridge in the centre of the village she was struck with horror by the sight of the mini roundabout and sharp left turn ahead. A wild swing to the right was followed by a savage clipping of the apex at an extreme angle of lean, the tandem drifting out to the white line, where the front wheel almost tucked in. This outrageous manoeuvre caused Sue to uncharacteristically emit an extremely rude word in an unearthly scream, prompting the marshals to shudder in their fluorescent jackets.

 

The final stretch back to Myerscough College was a struggle for the tandem duo to keep their average speed above 35 kmh against a gusty wind, despite the gut wrenching bellows coming regularly from the front. With cramping calves, shaky legs, and nerves shot to pieces, Sue returned their numbers to the organizers in a daze. On the return to Catterall Sue and Justin discovered their front tyre had had a slow puncture and was running at 40 psi. This accounted for the almost crash at the St.Michael’s roundabout and the tough last few miles. Justin wants to do it once more to see what they could do with a fully inflated tyre. Sue has sworn never again. She has decided to do the Undulations Trophy Event on her own bike and hopes to see you all there on the 16^th.

 

“What was the time?” you ask.

 

Well, that’s not important. It’s the taking part that counts

Submitted by Justin Noble