Northern Combine ITT & BCC Road Championships - Non-race report

If I had to sum up the Northern Combine Individual Time Trial Championships and Brunswick Road Club Championships at Balliang on Saturday 31st August in a sentence, this is it. We came, we saw, we were blown away and we went home. Even though, not much happened on the racing front, those of us with a nose for a story, can sniff one out or at least make one up.  So hold onto your hats and here goes.

During the week, the weather bureau was telling us that these high winds are unseasonably early.  By mid week I’m googling about safe wind speeds for disc wheels and thinking that I really should prepare that tri-spoke in case it's too windy.  Driving out to Balliang with my passenger Tom McDonough and no tri-spoke, it’s 16 degrees but a howling NW wind is bringing the temperature down to near single digits. Now Tom arrived at my place with nothing more than a musette and his bike.  On the way out he's telling me about his aero bars, which has got me thinking, they must be bloody tiny to fit in that bag, but ok Tom whatever you say.  Approaching Balliang on the road planned for the TT event, it is obvious that there have been a lot of recent road works, with a lot of dirt on the road, which is not ideal. Mr Pink greets me as I get out of the car and gives me the news that the course has been changed to two 9km loops on an alernative course on account of the debris all over the road, which was completely understandable.

38 riders, less two scratchings signed up, but one look around the Balliang Hall car park suggested that a few more had made the tough decision to scratch before leaving home.  Rumours of "no disc wheels allowed" swirled around the riders, like a mini tornado in the carpark.  Was it true or not? Race organiser Vanessa said "not recommended", but chief commissaire Karen took one look at my bike and said "no disc wheels allowed".  

The wise heads of the time trial scene did not need to be told that conditions were unsafe.  They had done their recon rides and decided to pull the pin before the event even began.  This left the few remaining thinking, I might be a chance today.  

Meanwhile Tom produces a couple of Aero Bars of the chocolate variety from his musette, proceeded to empty the packets and attach the empty wrappers to his handlebars with some rubber bands. Voila, Aero Bars for the TT.  The next thing I know I'm being offered the contents of the Aero Bar packets, surely Tom's sole source of sustenance for his planned ride home after the TT.  Tom's generosity know no bounds.  

Tom's Custom Aero Bars

My plan B, was to use my road bike I had brought out for the road race and ride non-aero.  I headed out for a warmup ride just as the juniors were about to finish their one lap TT and David Bird waiting on the start line ready to go.  By the time I ride up to the telephone exchange and back, the commissaires confirm that all races are cancelled.  There was a car accident nearby at Anakie and police advised that traffic was going to be diverted onto the course and it was no longer safe to race on account of the extra traffic and the wind.

Tom and his aero bars hit the road and ride home. Meanwhile I hang around to the juniors presentations, which was dominated by Brunswick riders. I send Tom a message to see if he wants to be picked up on the way home.  No reply.   I pass Tom on the freeway just after Leaks Road and give home a toot and get a wave.  90 minutes later after I've unpacked the car and about to head out to the shed for Plan C, my indoor ride, Tom replies to say he's home safely.  Tail wind Tom with his Aero Bars has surely smashed all known records this day for the Balliang to Melbourne Classic.

Lessons learned from the day.  Not all aero bars are equal.  Infact some are quite delicious. Adapt, adapt, adapt and adapt some more. Things don’t always work out the way we hoped they would. The course changed, equipment rules were applied and accidents happen.  At the end day, this is a sport, something that we do for fun. Taking unnecessary risks is not going to make heroes of anyone.  I couldn't find any UCI rules about wind speed and disc wheels, but Karen our Chief Commissaire had something more important than a set of rules and that was the common sense to know that she did not want to place riders in a risky situation, when it was avoidable.  New dates will be set for the time trial and Brunswick Club Championships.

Back to Blowing in the Wind and thanks to Bob Dylan for the inspiration

How many roads must a rider ride down

Before you call them a rider?

How many kays an hour must the wind be blowing

Before disc wheels are banned?

Yes, and how many times must the course be changed

Before we have somewhere safe to ride?

The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind

The answer is blowin' in the wind

Yes, and how many inches must a junior rollout be

Before it is too long?

And how many years can we keep coming to Balliang

Before farmland is turned into suburbia?

Yes, and how many times can a commissaire make tough calls

so we can all get home safely?

The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind

The answer is blowin' in the wind

Yes, and how many times must I look at the weather app

and realise I should have stayed home?

And how many teeth must a TT big ring have

Before it makes my legs cry?

Yes, and how many riders scratched this event

Because they all knew better?

The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind

The answer is blowin' in the wind