Rider Profle: Graham Laming

Role in club:
I am the Club's membership secretary and web master. I create the Club's web applications in php, HTML5, css, mySQL and Javascript.

Cycling background:
My first bike, aged 8 - an old Humber in rural Zimbabwe, complete with powerful 750cc playing-card on the spokes :-)





I joined BRCC in 2006, and served on the committee as treasurer and web master for 10 years.

Favourite cycling activities:
I started out doing short sprint time trials of 10, 15 and 25 miles length, around 2010. This bike carried me safely for over 80 000 miles over the next 8 years, until one day ... more on that later ...





I now prefer competing in solo, unsupported endurance time-trial competitions.

I rode my record of 647 km (402 miles) in a day, solo, unsupported, on 4th November 2017 in the desert of California during the 24 hour World TT Championships. Came 6th out of 24 in age group.

My current aim is to get 1st Place in my age group.







Roadside repairs during the 2017 race - burst front inner tube. Temperature 35C










This qualifies me to ride solo RAAM, a non-stop 3000 mile Time Trial across the USA... I don't think I'll take that up, thanks all the same!





My ill-fated 2014 World Champs 24 hour attempt - big toe went septic and quit at 322 miles.





The toe - it was fine at the start but my foot swelled up and my shoe became too tight ...



Finishing my 500km-in-one-go charity solo ride for St John's Hospice in Moggerhanger, around the lanes of Old Warden, Cardington, Ickwell, Northill and Cople. This was my first 24 hour ride, in 2013. I finished with 524 km in 24 hours.





In 2018, my race bike's handlebar suffered from metal fatigue and broke off whilst I was in a sprint during the New Year's Day Lottery TT.

By this time, I had ridden over 80 000 miles on the bike, so it was well past its use-by date, as was I.

You've got something on your face mate...





I also have a regular habit of attracting bees and wasps to my face whilst cycling - this one got me right on lip and it felt bizarre with my lip wobbling about on my face as I rode over rough parts of the road :-)





I also attracted a LandRover one day in 2009 - unlicensed, uninsured driver. Broken collar bone and hand.





My bike came off worse ...





I still need a daily endorphin fix from cycling - it is definitely addictive.