With Charlotte turning 40 in April we had spotted in the VTTA North handbook that no mixed tandem had ever completed a 15 mile time trial, and that therefore there was a record waiting to be set. We thereby entered the East Bradford 15 mile time trial on a course alongside the A1 near Boroughbridge with the intention of establishing a record. What were the chances of another couple having the same idea?! The other couple had a combined age greater than ours so whilst they were assured of setting a record we would have to beat them.
Either way we would set a new club record for finishing so we duly travelled the 75 minutes south and lined up on the start line at 10:05, the third of three tandems riding. We had removed the mudguards and rack and fitted tri-bars to give ourselves the best chance of setting a good time.
The outward leg heading south was into the wind, but having crested the first rise we managed to hold an average speed of 21.7 mph for the 5.5 miles to the first roundabout, where we turned over the A1 for a further 2 miles to the turn. The turn was slow and quite tricky on the tandem, turning left and left again over a bridge and then turning sharply back down to rejoin the road northbound. We were also slowed by a car as we went to rejoin the road north.
The return leg didn't bring as much of a tailwind as had been expected and it was a long grind back up course before a fast final half mile. Our average speed has barely lifted in the second half and we were a little disappointed to be well beaten for the VTTA North record with our time of 41:30. We couldn't have ridden any harder so we shall have to look for another record to set!
