Archive: Club News 2004
PZW Xmas Drinks [13/12/05]
PZW Breakfast Ride on Sat 24th Dec [13/12/05]
Open Letter from Richard Goulden [30/11/05]
Lloyd's Mercian [22/11/05]
MS Charity Auction on Thursday 17th Nov [14/11/05]
Camel Valley Reliability Ride on 20/11/05 [11/11/05]
Roscoff-Nice [7/11/05]
Future of Cycling in Cornwall [24/10/05]
PZW Club TTs [24/10/05]
Cyclelogic Road Training [16/10/05]
Salisbury '100' 11th Sep [3/10/05]
Truro Torturer [28/9/05]
PZW TT Training Report 1st Sep [10/9/05]
PZW TT Training Report 25th Aug [10/9/05]
PZW TT Training Report 11th Aug [10/9/05]
PZW TT Training Report ? [10/9/05]
What happened at the club meeting on 5/9/05 [10/9/05]
Comeback by Alan Jones - new photos[12/9/05]
Bike Wales 2005 [5/7/05]
PZW Tour de France Competition 2005 [28/6/05]
PZW TT Training Report 23rd June [26/6/05]
Grand Fondo 2005 [22/6/05]
PZW TT Training Report 9th June [11/6/05]
Misquoted - Where's My Lawyer?
PZW TT Training Report 26th May [30/5/05]
Truro CC S18A/10 TT 8th June [13/5/05]
PZW TT Training [13/5/05]
Tuesday and Wednesday Training Rides [21/3/05]
Springtime Pursuit 3 [28/2/05]
Springtime Pursuit 2 [21/2/05]
Springtime Pursuit 1 [14/2/05]
Why Cyclists Should Wear Black! [7/2/05]
Are You Addicted? [7/2/05]
PZW Awards 2004 [7/2/05]
New Format for Club Rides [4/1/05]
What happened at the AGM? Well, seven members turned up and undertook an exercise in night vision until Mike showed us how to turn gloom into semi-gloom.
Matt reported on road racing and revealed his plans for 2006 - 2 crits at Portreath, the Channel Atlantique at St Just, and a 2-day race using Portreath and the Leedstown circuit. The Divisional RR Champs will also take place at Leedstown. The new BC road race classification system will add a touch of novelty to the season. It was agreed to purchase new sets of race numbers.
Mike informed us that membership had remained stable, but that there were problems with renewals from some members. Come on Wheelers, let's avoid Mike having to make repeated reminders - pay your subs promptly.
Tony reported that no open time trials ad been organised in 2005 due to poor entries causing cancellations in the previous two years. In 2006 we have undertaken to organise 2 open races on the Leedstown circuit - Mike and Lloyd are the race secretaries. More urgently, a qualified first aider and 2 marshalls are required for the Boxing Day '10', if it is to take place. Terry has volunteered to do the timekeeping. Also, if we are going to put on some mid-week club '10's to replace the successful TTT evenings next summer, we need to make sure we have a timekeeper, a first-aider and 2 marshalls for each race.
Tony proposed to investigate the possibility of organising some grass track racing in conjunction with local schools to bring some new blood into our sport in a safe environment. Mark suggested regular roller racing through the winter and the idea of buying club rollers was discussed, but no firm decision was made. Matt and Tony expressed an interest in attending a BC coaches course and it was agreed that club funding could be provided. There was discussion about improving the Sunday club rides. It was agreed that the ride should remain open to guests and newcomers, as well as club members, with the leader for the day mapping out a definite destination and route before the ride starts. Various club members have cycling DVD's that could be shown on club nights. Discussions took place about improving local press coverage.
The club officers were unanimously re-elected, and Mark and Phil co-opted on to the committee. Serves them right for turning up to an AGM!
What else happened? Lloyd undertook to organise a sequel to the last very successful jumble sale early in the new year, Mike proposed the Xmas drinks for Mon 19th Dec, Phil suggested the Shire Inn, Camborne for the awards evening on Fri 27th Jan and agreed to investigate, the next committee meeting was fixed for Mon 23rd Jan, and to wild and enthusiastic aclaim, Sat 24th Dec (Christmas Eve) was fixed for the inaugral Xmas breakfast ride to Smokey Joe's. [Tony Farnell 13/12/05]
PZW Breakfast Ride on Sat 24th Dec
The ride will start from Longrock at 9.00am and proceed to Smokey Joe's at Scorrier via Goldsithney, Millpool, Godolphin, Nancegollan, Releath, Black Rock, Troon, and Beacon (Phil's house - aprox 10.00am), aiming to arrive for breakfast at Smokey Joe's at about 10.30am. Remember to bring some money! The return journey will not be climbing Portreath hill! [13/12/05]
The last club meeting before Christmas, on Monday 19th December, will be devoted to usual pre-Christmas activities at The Magpie Sports Club (Penzance Football Club). Proceedings will start at 7.30pm, and hopefully, will not end too disgracefully. [13/12/05]
Open Letter from Richard Goulden
Although I have e-mailed this to Tony Farnell it is an open letter. Upon reflection I have decided not to renew my membership of the Penzance Wheelers. I have approached Steve Coram and the cyclogic team and will be riding their kit for next season. As you all know my personal life limits the time and effort I can put into racing but I feel that my efforts for my targeted events both in the uk and abroad will be better supported through the cyclogic team structure. I do hope that my decision can be accepted without personal predjudice and that I will still be made to feel welcome on club runs etc as are other members of the cyclogic team. I would like to stress that I approched Steve and the team, not the other way round. And finally I have a Wheelers shirt and bibshorts, free to a good home. Contact me on 07870828636. [Richard Goulden 13/12/05]
Here’s a few pics of the late 1970’s Mercian that I’ve recently finished restoring.
The frame itself I actually rescued from a skip. My friend Mark, who owned it and who raced it consistently for quite a few years, had thrown it out when clearing out his house, deciding that he wouldn’t ever make use of it again. As luck would have it, I happened to call in on him for a cup of tea when he was chucking it out, and I decided to keep it from becoming landfill. I brought it home and hung it in my shed. Here it stayed for a few years before I decided to restore it.
History: the frame was bought from Geoff’s Bikes in Penzance in 1979. From looking at the Mercian website and doing a bit of research, I think it’s an ‘Olympic’ model.
After deciding on a new colour scheme, I sent it back to Mercian for a respray. This actually makes it the third paint job the frame has had. The original colour was a champagne bronze, and it was resprayed pearlescent green in 1986.
Components: I’ve tried to keep faithful to the era and use only original period parts. This isn’t always easy, as components are hard to come by, especially in anything approaching working condition. So, a bit of scrounging around and detective work was called for.
The wheels are original Campag hubs (the rear a Campag Tipo and the front Nuovo record), rebuilt using MA3 rims. Not ‘right’ in the true sense, as originally the rims would have been tubs, but during the eighties the bike ran on MA40’s for a few years.
TThe rear mech is a Nuovo Record, courtesy of Tony Rowell. I stripped it right down (easy to do, but imagine doing it with a present day mech) and with much elbow grease, cleaned it up.
The front mech and calipers are what hung on the bike originally - both Campag Gran Sport.
The chainset is a Nuovo record with SR rings - drilled as was the custom of the time. I bought these, together with the seatpin (which is in really good condition), from John Morse. Also from John came the saddle. A copy of the old Unicanitor saddles of the time, it’s in brown suede and branded with the logo of a Spanish company. This is in the manner of Zeus - Spanish manufacturers who brought out a range of components that imitated Campag in every regard, but were cheaper.
Bars are Cinelli criteriums - my own, as is the Cinelli XA stem. Benotto tape from Riccis. I bought the levers - Campag Gran Sports to match the calipers - from a place called campyoldy.com. As the name suggests, a place that specialises in old Campag stuff.
True to the time, I put on a 13-18 block. Everyone rode them, and teamed with 42-52 rings as well. If you had even a 13-21 in those days you were considered a tourist.
I’m still on the look-out for some amberwall tyres to complete the look, and also a period bottle cage. I’ve decided as well that to put clipless pedals on a bike like this wouldn’t be right. I do have toe-clips-and-straps pedals, but I thew out my old shoes with the nailed-on cleats years ago. So, if anyone happens to have any old Detto Pietros or such like in size 10 kicking around in their attic, let me know.
So, what about riding it? Well, John Morse and I have decided to ride an Audax next summer, me on the Mercian, he on his restored Viner. 1970’s kit compulsory of course. Then there’s always the Eroica ride in Italy! [Lloyd Peters 22/11/05]
Rose (ex St Just Airfield cafe) is running a charity auction in aid of the local MS charity on Thursday 17th Nov @ 7.15pm, the venue is the Queens Hotel Penzance. I promised Rose that I would ask you to post this onto the PZW website to try and tout up some business for this worthy cause. The objective of the event is to raise money to aid restoration of an hydrotherapy pool in Penzance which is used to help MS sufferers.
The items under auction include several meals at top PZ restuarants and the star auction lot is a full tonsorial remodel (trim) by our very own 'Ricardo teezy weezy Goulden,'he of the golden scissors', now that must be worth a punt, if only to see his stylish whippeting cap. [Stuart Pickering 14/10/05]
Camel Valley Reliability Ride on Sunday 20/11/05
Camel Valley are putting on a reliability ride (like a cyclosportive) on Sunday 20th November. Here's an extract from an email from Mark Millergill, "the reliability ride is on the 20th Nov, meeting at Wadebridge Scout Hut at 8.30am to start at 9.00am. I think it will be like a race, so bring the boys along if you can. We are holding a road race in March and the reliability goes around the course so it should be good hope to see you if pos." Come on you Wheelers, let's support this and have a good thrash around the roads of north Cornwall for a change. [Phil Walker 11/11/05]
Beavis and Butthead do Roscoff-Nice!
It all started late last year, when fellow Audax Kernow-ite John Morse told me he was looking for a suitable challenge for the Summer of 2005. LEL just didn’t float his boat - it had to be a PRoF, and not just any old ProF would do either. Local organiser Simon Jones is well known for his ultra-long permanents, many of which have been ridden and written up in Arrivees past by Simon Kolka and George Hanna, but John couldn’t spare the time required for Trafalgar - Trafalgar or Calais - Brindisi. Happily, one of Simon’s more recent creations, Roscoff - Nice, fit the bill to a T. The start is just a ferry ride away from Plymouth, and it’s a ride that takes in some of the best scenery that la Belle France has to offer: the sunkissed Loire valley with it’s fields of sunflowers and old windmills; the rolling hills of the Auvergne; Provence, and it’s endless symmetrical fields of Lavender; the fearsome Mont Ventoux and Europe’s own Grand Canyon - the spectacular Gorge of Verdon. All this, and a generous ration of memorable climbs and pant-wetting twisty descents on roads that tend to be better surfaced than most motorways in the UK. Best of all, a time allowance of seven days to complete the 1405km - no kipping in hedges necessary! John had planned to do RN solo, but I was already sold on the idea. After i’d accomplished the difficult trick of selling the idea on to my cycling-sceptic wife, the date was set for the beginning of July.
In February this year, after a few months of less than military planning (we bought a Michelin map of France and traced the route on it), I checked the ferry times from Plymouth to Roscoff, and trawled the Easyjet website for a cheap flight back from Nice. Ever the bargain hunter, I worked out that, if we left Plymouth on Friday night, a cheap flight home would be possible only if we trimmed the schedule to six days, returning the following Friday afternoon. A quick play with Autoroute yielded a six day plan of 4 x 250km days and 2 x 200km. For the first four days we’d be taking a bite out of the next days mileage, until by day 5 we’d catch up with Simon’s 7 day schedule. John agreed to all this without demur.
With flight and ferry booked well in advance, we could rest easy. No need to book anything else, except perhaps the hotel at the Nice end. I managed to find one next to the Airport and booked us in for the Thursday evening. Job done. In the few weeks before setting off, I quizzed Simon Kolka and George Hanna by email. As seasoned PRoF-iteers, their knowledge was invaluable - how otherwise, would I have known how to ask for a stamp in France (un tampon-humide, s’il vous plait). It turned out that Simon had ridden RN the previous Easter. He had to contend with snow and foul weather on the way to Nice - I was hoping that heatstroke or TdF road closures would be the main worries in July. Simon also counselled against flying with Easyjet, and attempting the ride in less than seven days (too late on both counts).
All too soon, the day was almost upon us, and I gathered together all the kit I’d planned to take, to make sure it would fit in my saddlebag. Miraculously, it did (two thumbs up for the Carradice Camper Longflap and Expedition Saddlebag support). All that remained was to buy a few hundred quid in Euro, and my train ticket to Plymouth.
Arriving at Plymouth Ferryport on the Friday night, we found oodles of weekenders queueing to board the good ship MV Bretagne. A group of (motor) bikers on big Japanese cruisers exchanged good natured banter with us as we waited to check in. The heat from their exhausts was most welcome as nightfall and the proximity of the English Channel brought a pronounced chill to the proceedings. As only a handful of cyclists were waiting to board, we were fast-tracked to the back of the car deck and shown the bike park, a handy little room at the stern with plenty of space for the half a dozen bikes making the trip that night. Once we’d familiarised ourselves with the layout of the ship, and located the sleeping lounge with it’s banks of reclining seats, we hit the bar for a nightcap or two. We were joined by Roger Floyd, a Plymouth rider who knew many of the Devon DA gang like Graham Brodie and Mike Hunting. As a -frequent flyer - on the Plymouth-Roscoff route, he shared a few pearls of wisdom with us - e.g. take breakfast in the posh looking on board restaurant instead of the self service canteen - you pay pretty much the same price and get waiter service in an almost empty restaurant. After a few Kronenbourgs, we retired - Roger to his pre-booked berth (another of his top tips), John and I to an uncomfortable night of fitful sleep in the reclining seats. At about 05:30, I rose unsteadily from the makeshift scratcher and staggered to the washrooms to try and get myself shipshape. We met a much fresher looking Roger outside the restaurant at 06:00, and were soon sitting down to a full English breakfast plus cereal, coffee, fruit juice and croissants with maybe half a dozen other passengers for company. Roger was meeting a friend who owned a house in Josselin, and cycling down there to spend the whole month on holiday. We were heading for Josselin too, but we wouldn’t be stopping as it’s scarcely 100 miles from Roscoff, and the first stop on our compressed schedule was Blain, 25 miles further than the first Control at Redon. We rolled off the ferry and waved cheerio to Roger as we powered uphill out of Roscoff on what was shaping up to be a pleasantly sunny Saturday morning. The small and pretty town of St Pol de Leon soon gave way to a flat and very scenic ride along the estuary towards the market town of Morlaix. After the flattish ride into Morlaix, a succession of drags up over hilly moorland and woods to Berrien felt like a chore, and we took a quick stop in Carhaix-Plouger for some water and bananas. The next 20km was on the N164 to Rostrenen. I wasn’t looking forward to bashing up a dual carriageway - this wasn’t a time trial after all - but once on the road, whole minutes went by without encountering any traffic at all. Very odd.
Around lunchtime, we broke for lunch at a roadside eaterie called - Le Relais Armoricain - in search of a decent feed. It was a very traditional sort of place - everyone who walked through the door was treated like a long lost relative, made a fuss of generally, and shown to their table with no small degree of ceremony. Alas for us, this kind of star treatment was reserved for locals only, and we spent 20 minutes being ignored before Madame plonked a menu in front of us. After a further lengthy wait, an over seasoned omelete rustique avec frites arrived and I ate without complaint as I couldn’t for the time being call to mind the phrase for - excuse me, but did the top come off of your salt cellar?!?. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I spied Roger passing by the window. He had spotted our bikes and stopped in with his friend, Dave Newman, to say hello. It turned out that Dave had met us both before, having stayed in Penzance a few years ago and accompanied us on a club run with the Penzance Wheelers. Like the man said, it’s a small world - but I wouldn’t want to paint it! Dave and Roger saw us down the road as far as Pontivy, where they had planned to stop for lunch, and Dave showed us a shortcut out of town before we bade them farewell. Other than a quick picture stop in Josselin, there was little more to tell until we arrived at Redon, the first control town. John had been suffering a bit, so I pressed on and found a control at a bookshop. The lady behind the counter stamped my card, but showed little interest in my sweaty personage. Suddenly a voice behind me said: - You are Scottish, no? - I turned and met the gaze of a very pretty French girl, who had doubtless espied the large red letters AUDAX ECOSSE across my shoulders. I responded in my best French: - Oui mademoiselle, je suis Ecossais. This was music to her ears - she had spent her last summer holiday touring the west coast of Scotland, staying in Oban, Skye and the Outer Hebrides. She just loved Scotland, and it’s people - clearly a woman of taste! The ice was broken - even the brusque old baggage behind the counter was transformed and chipped in - Ah, but of course he is Eccosais - so handsome and rugged - like Sean Connery!. I took this hero worship in my stride - it wasn’t the last time i’d be hearing Sir Sean’s name on this trip - a pity that it’s phonetically identical to a French word meaning bullsh*t, but there you go! I exited the bookshop on a wave of adulation, blowing kisses as I went!
John pitched up soon enough, and we pressed on to Blain, arriving there around 7:30pm. Here, we were to learn the folly of our casual approach to organising overnight accommodation - there was no hotel in Blain! After a wild goose chase into a nearby forest, we discovered a charming little Logis de France - which was fully booked! Desolate, we returned to Blain, to grab something to eat and decide what to do. Luckily for us, a kebab shop was still open and we were able to stoke up on Steak Hache avec Frites while pondering the hopelessness of our situation. As darkness fell, it was clear that we were facing the grim prospect of a night on the tiles. Resigned to our fate, we set off for the next town on the route, Nort-sur-Erdre, arriving there around 11pm. Several fruitless circuits of the town later, we headed on into the night, stopping briefly at a derelict farm building for a snooze and waking up freezing an hour later. We reached Ancenis, on the banks of the Loire, in the small hours and were drawn moth-like to a glow of neon in an industrial estate on the edge of town. The glowing building turned out to be a Credit Mutuel Cashpoint lobby - a very well appointed one too, with heating and automated sliding doors. We wheeled the bikes inside and dossed down on the floor, managing four hours of sleep in spite of the lights and piped muzak.
The happy discovery of an open bakery (at 7am on a Sunday Morning!) near St Florent gave our battered spirits a much needed lift, and we ate a Randonneurs breakfast of Croissants, Custard Doughnuts and Orange Juice on a low wall beside the Boulangerie. The warmth of the sun soon banished the chill memory of the night before, and we continued on our way, encountering several chain gangs out for their Sunday club runs on the rolling road along the Loire valley. Just before noon, we reached the control town of Saumur and, chastened by our first night faux pas, we sought out the Office de Tourisme to book that night’s accommodation before finding lunch and a stamp. Further up the road, the town of Chinon formed part of the route on tomorrow’s stage of Le Tour, and direction arrows and Tour paraphernalia (clowns on penny farthings!?) were in evidence. We stopped for the day at Ligueil, where we’d reserved a room. The hotel was a flea pit, and the terms were room only (the owner’s daughter was married the day before, and she was too tired to prepare any food - lucky escape for us then!), so we dined at a local Pizzeria instead.
We awoke to a crash of thunder at 4am - unhappily, this is the price you pay for sun-kissed rides along the Loire in 30 degree temperatures. The rain was lashing outside, where John had hung his kit the night before - I rolled over and went back to sleep, convinced that the storm would have blown over by the time we got up at 6. To our collective chagrin, it was still cats and dogs when the alarm went off, and we were forced to set off into pouring rain and forked lightning. The one upside was the strong tailwind that blew us along the busy N143 to Chateauroux. Here we stopped for a hot choc and a sandwich, and to our relief, the rain stopped too. By 2pm, we had reached the next control at Montlucon, a fairly large town with some diabolical road surfaces. Again, we headed straight for the Tourist Info Office, where they managed to find us a room in a newly opened hotel just off the route in a little town called Ennezat. We soon tired of Montlucon, and after a quick feed and a stamp at a Chemist, we set off up the long drag out of town. When we arrived at our hotel that evening, we found that we were the only guests - they had just opened! M’sieur Le Patron made us welcome, and cooked us an excellent meal washed down with a bottle of some poky local red. For the first time on the trip, we retired to bed happy, well fed and scrubbed clean of the day’s dirt. After a simple breakfast of bread rolls, jam, coffee and Orange Juice, we set out for a rendezvous with the next control, 80km down the road at Arlanc. Here we stopped for a feed and a rest and attempted to sort out some accommodation further up the road. After a few false starts, the young lady managed to find us a B&B at les Ollieres Sur Eyrieux, 150km away. The owner asked when she could expect us, and we erred on the side of pessimistic, telling her that we might not be there until 9 or 10pm. As it turned out, this was hopelessly pessimistic - we hadn’t appreciated that the 40 miles between St Agreve and la Voulte sur Rhone is one long descent! Woohoo!!! We arrived in les Ollieres around 7pm and hit the nearest bar for a wee refreshment followed by two gigantic Pizzas from a nearby takeaway. We sat and ate these sur le Pont, and enjoyed the evening sunshine for a while before tootling up the hill to our B&B. M. and Mme Palix spoke very little English, but made us very welcome in their charming home. The following morning Madame made us breakfast, with some delicious home made preserves which she assured us were 100% Organique. As we left, she offered us handfuls of organically grown Apricots from the trees in her garden. These proved equally delicious and disappeared down our gullets long before we reached the bridge over the Rhone. Once across the river, the short stretch to the next control at Crest was fast and mainly flat. We passed many orchards on the way, dodging showers from the sprinklers as they watered the trees laden with ripe fruit. We arrived in Crest before 8am, and grabbed an espresso and chatted to some local cyclo tourists at a café. By this time, Armstrong was starting to tighten his grip on a seventh tour victory and the sporting papers were full of the news. The barman rolled his eyes in disgust - how many more years must France wait for another Bernard Hinault?
This was to be the day when we finally caught up with the seven day schedule, and we planned to finish our day at the control town of Oraison. A short way down the road from Crest at la Begude, we stopped for a quick feed and tracked down a Chemist for some lip salve. The blazing sunshine and cool mountain air had combined to give me some grotesquely chapped and sunburned lips, which took weeks to heal completely. The scenery on this stage was a landscape photographers dream, with fields of sunflowers and lavender, and ornate roadside water fountains. One such fountain saved the day on the long drag up to St Leger du Ventoux. I hadn’t replenished my Camelbak at Nyons, where we stopped for lunch, as all the shops were closed, and in the vicious heat of the afternoon my scarce supply of H2O was soon used up. I had just about got to the spots before the eyes stage when we reached St Leger du Ventoux and a large water trough by the roadside. I felt like jumping into it, but confined myself to emptying a few bottles of water over my head and drinking several pints of mountain dew. A little further down the road, we stopped for an ice cream and a rest to let our dehydrated muscles recover. We enjoyed some excellent views of Mont Ventoux, the Giant of Provence, but thankfully we didn’t get too close as the route skirted the edge of that lofty peak. Later that day, I encountered another shower high up in the mountains above St Trinit, and caped up for only the second time on the trip. It was a price worth paying for the scenery and the occasional thrilling descent on the run in to Oraison. I was still suffering a bit after the earlier dehydration scare, but kept my spirits up by singing a medley of the Proclaimers greatest hits to the brown-eyed bemusement of several bovine spectators!
I arrived in Oraison at about 7pm, expecting to see John waiting in the town square, as he had dropped me near Reilhanette, but he was nowhere to be seen. Thinking he must be close by, I found a café with a good view of the road into and out of town and settled down with a beer, but in the space of deux bieres, he still hadn’t shown. I took the initiative and decided to look for a room, finding one at La Grand Bastide (the big bastard?) a rather cheesy motel just down the road. By the time I retraced back to the town square, I spotted a familiar looking bike propped against a phone box and it’s familiar looking rider gabbing into the phone. He had been waiting for me in Revest-du-Bion, but must have blinked as I passed through! After I had brought John up to date on the nights sleeping arrangements, we repaired to a rather excellent Pizzeria just off the square. The chef was a larger than life character named Eric, who spoke excellent English which he had learned while working in Inverness. He made me a present of a bottle of wine, and insisted that I send him a postcard when I got home. I retired that night slightly the worse for wear, but looking forward to our final epic day in the saddle, over the Gorge of Verdon.
For once, we set off at a halfway civilised time (07:30am), and were soon approaching the picturesque village of Moustiers Ste Marie. We stopped for a snack and a few pics before pressing onward, to the start of the climb up to the top of the Gorge. There are two routes round the Gorge, and we opted for the one that seemed to be going downhill. Sadly, this was just an illusion, and we were soon grimping up the Col d’Illoire. Some pesky mountain bikers were trying to suck my wheel up the climb, but I put the hammer down and blew them off in short order. After about forty five minutes of slog, I reached the top to find John waiting by the side of the road, and took advantage of the quick break to take a few pics of the view down into the valley below. I made several photo stops on the journey through the gorge to try and capture some of the epic scenery on my little digital camera. Just standing on the Pont d’Artuby near the Balcons de la Mescla, required a head for heights. A popular spot with bungee jumpers, it’s a 600 foot drop to the bottom of the gorge - looking down made me feel a bit queasy, so I took a few snaps and pressed on for a lunchtime rendezvous with John at Comps-sur-Artuby. Here I wolfed down an enormous ham and cheese sandwich and a beer or two, while John (who had been there for half and hour) checked the map. There were two more 3000 foot climbs before Nice, but we reasoned that, as we were already pretty high up, there couldn’t be too much climbing involved, and this proved to be the case for the Col de Clavel, which took only a few minutes to summit. Further down the road we enjoyed a spectacular descent through mountain tunnels to the picturesque village of Greolieres. Brightly coloured hangliders were surfing the warm currents of air rising up from the valley as I rounded the switchback curves leading down to the village. The theme music from the Stella Artois adverts was playing in my head as I wandered about this quaint little time capsule. Before long, I had located the village shop and made a dent in it’s impressive stock of cream cakes! After refilling our water bottles at another roadside fountain, we carried on descending for a while before the road inclined upwards for the last big slog of the trip, up to the Col de Vence. As we approached the sign for the summit, John’s finely tuned Randonneur sixth sense kicked in - something’s wrong here. Eh? What’s wrong? - I replied. Can’t you see it?... no more mountains!. He was right - a few metres further and the road swept downward for 20 miles to Nice. Far distant cruise ships were plainly visible atop the deep blue Mediterranean that marked our journey’s end. After another lighting speed descent we found ourselves caught up in the unpleasantly heavy rush hour traffic of suburban Nice, but a quick recce of the Airport and a time trial along the Promenade des Anglais saw us outside the hotel I’d booked us into a few weeks before. The celebratory meal we enjoyed at a bar along the road from our hotel was less than memorable - possibly due to the number of grand bieres we consumed. Security at Nice Airport the next day was extra tight, due to the London bombs of the day before - all shoes were removed and X-rayed, and hand luggage inspected in minute detail, though the nice lady frisking John passed when he asked if she wanted to rifle through his bag of malodorous used kit!
After all our detours and misadventures, my computer read 1520km for the six days, about 100km more than the actual distance from Roscoff to Nice. If I do it again, i’ll definitely be taking the seven days that Simon allows - six is too much of a rush, and you really need to take your time and enjoy the fantastic scenery en route. In summary, if you’re looking for an end to end type of challenge, but don’t fancy risking the vagaries of British weather, this is one ride that won’t disappoint. [Don Hutchinson 24/10/05]
The following is an extract from an email from Ken Robertson. Please note particularly the final few paragraphs. I think we ought to make sure we are well represented at the meeting when it takes place.
British Cycling has developed a UK Wide One Stop Plan, which incorporates plans from British Cycling, Scottish Cycling and the Welsh Cycling Union.
The UK Wide One Stop Plan is divided into three main themes: Participation; Excellence and Governance and will be delivered at a regional level through a dedicated Regional Team that includes a Regional Manager; Go-Ride Coach and Talent Coach.
The Regional Manager will work with Regional Board members to ensure that the UK Wide One Stop Plan is reflective of the needs of the people at a local level, whilst ensuring that it delivers the aims and objectives British Cycling has set itself. The Regional Manager for the South & South West Regions is Mark Adams.
The Go-Ride Coach will plan, deliver and evaluate high quality coaching activities that are progressive and reflective of the needs of young people in the local community. The coaching programmes will link school; community and clubs and provide increased opportunities to attract and retain young people in cycling. The Go-Ride Coach will be the interface between the Talent Coach and Coaches delivering high quality coaching activities in Go-Ride Clubs. The Go-Ride Coach for the South & South West Regions is Dan Coast.
Richard Shepherd continues to be funded by British Cycling on a part time basis, his role is to work with primary and secondary schools in the Torbay area to activity promote cycling on behalf of the two clubs in that area: BikeinMotion and Mid Devon Cycling Club. Both clubs are keen to deliver high quality coaching sessions to attract and retain young people from local schools in the area.
The Talent Coach will work with exceptionally talented young people that have been referred through the club/school networks to improve their riding/competition skills. These young people will continue to be part of the Go-Ride club structure and have opportunities to take part in regional academy sessions to take their riding to the next level. The Talent Coach for the South & South West Regions is Frances Newstead, who will be based between Reading Track and Newport Velodrome.
Margaret Nolan has been appointed as the National Manager of Regional Programmes and will be responsible for the Go-Ride programme including both Mark Adams and Dan Coast.
Gary Coltman has been appointed as the National Manager of the Talent Team and is responsible for the work of the Talent Team, including Frances Newstead.
In order to ensure that the efforts of the BC officials are used to maximum efficiency and time is not wasted in chasing leads that go nowhere it has been decided that their work load will be centralised around existing cycling facilities and established Go-ride clubs.
In discussion it emerged that Mark Adams will be meeting with officials of Plymouth City Council to see what can be achieved in our largest population centre.
It was also agreed that if the Division can summon sufficient enthusiasm then there will be a meeting in Cornwall open to all Cornish club members to see what can be achieved in the Duchy. Mark Adams would attend and set out the situations and the options. If some form of co-operative can be agreed upon then Cornish Cycling can be included in the future plans of BC. If this is not achievable then there will be little or no future BC activity in the far South West. It is up to the people and clubs of the area to face up to this challenge.
Between now and the year end the existing Regional Coaching and Club Development Officer, Dan Coast, will visit all of the Go-ride clubs to ascertain their current and future position.
The processes outlining how the changes will take effect will be communicated over the winter so the Regional Councils (aka Regional Boards and Divisional Boards), clubs and riders involved will be aware by the start of the new year. [24/10/05]
Tony,
It has come to my attention that during the course of the 2005 season the Penzance Wheelers have promoted a number of training rides using the approved CTT Course S45/10S. This course has a written risk assessment that requires certain signs to be posted in the start and finish areas plus at a points on the course. It also requires marshals to be stationed at the 2 main junctions. Following CTT guidelines these marshals should wear flourescent jackets and be armed with a red flag so that other road users are aware that an event is in progress - see attached.
All of this is to protect the promoter and every event has a promoter though not necessarily in name.
When the smelly stuff hits the fan a promoter will be identified - you can be sure of that.
Dates of these events that I am aware of were:- 26 May, 23 June, 11 and 25 Aug, 1 Sept plus another one at least on an unidentified date in August. There may have been others but I do not have the dates.
The number of competitors total some 50+
Firstly I must bring it to your attention that this activity has no insurance cover from CTT. It would therefore fall on to the individual promoter to cover any damages awarded by the courts - no insurance puts the promoter's property at risk from sequestration.
Secondly it could be construed as a breach of the Cycle Racing on the Highways Act 1960 if no notice has been given at least 28 days prior to the event to the Chief Constable of the area viz Devon and Cornwall Police. Alternatively the police might view the competitors actions as riding recklessly or some other catch all.
I understand that the riders do not wear any race numbers but that they may be signing some form of disclaimer prior to starting.
From the information to hand one of this year's competitors was involved in a serious accident earlier this year through no fault of his own. This could hapen again during one of these rides but the rider be at fault. If that happened then the promoter could be joined in any action on the basis that if he had not promoted the ride then the rider would not have been at the point of the accident.
In recent years a rider fell heavily just after the "S" bends at the base of the hill beyond Leedstown. He blamed a large pot hole. Smart layers acting on his or another person's behalf could claim that the club or its agents were negligent in not inspecting the road prior to the ride and then either abandoning it or issuing a written warning to the riders.
During another promotion this year in our district a driver failed to yield at a give way sign just missing one rider going from right to left (as seen by the driver) and then took out another rider going in the other direction. This was despite there being a sign facing the driver (as per the risk assessment for this course) as she reached the dotted line. The rider suffered severe cuts and bruises
All of the above seek to show the kind of incident that can occur during any ride and that if it goes wrong someone somewhere will be left to "carry the can". Far better that it is the CTT insurance and not the individual with no assistance from HQ.
I trust that for 2006 the Penzance Wheleers will give serious consideration to the above and that wiser councels will prevail.
Regards
Ken R [24/10/05]
Cyclelogic Road Training Wednesdays at 6.00pm
Winter training rides on Wednesday evenings at 6 o'clock at Leedstown start on the 19th october. Contact Andy on 07962 304570 for more info. Good lights are required. [Andy Ellis 16/10/05]
Four Wheelers made the pilgrimage to Salisbury for the annual Wessex 100 - Dave Henderson, Phil Walker, Lloyd Peters and Mark Haynes. Just days before the event Mark tried to poof out of things by claiming he had a cold, but a few threats soon put that right.
Imagine four hours of farting and bad jokes, and you have the journey there in a nutshell. Relieved only by a stop at Exeter services, where Phil decided on a scientifically- balanced pre-ride meal (see photo).
Arriving at the guest house, bikes were quickly unloaded and sleeping arrangements made. Dave drew the short straw, having to share with Phil and look forward to a night of strange noises and frottage.
Then it was down into Salisbury and a search for grub, eventually ending up at an Italian restaurant. The proprietor took an age to decide whether to admit us or not. Fair enough really, I wouldn’t have let us in either. Eventually though, a table was found and we troughed down.
And so to the hardest bit of the whole weekend - getting up at 5.30am in order to be at the start line for 7. Incredulous, Mark and Lloyd nearly quit on the spot. However, by 6 O’clock, and with a few tins of baked beans inside us, we were ready. In the gloom we pedalled down to the start in the town centre.
The announcer bloke tried to summon up a bit of enthusiasm at the departure, a difficult job given the skies that looked like rain and a strongish wind. Before long though we were off, heading north following the Woodford valley for the first 10 miles or so, then across army-barrack country of Salisbury Plain. On the first ascent of the day, Dave and Lloyd went backwards out the first group, leaving Phil and Mark battling it out up front. We passed through Amesbury, where we were joined by Andy, a friend of Lloyd’s from London, and two other geezers. About 5 miles further on, a lone figure was spotted up ahead circling in the road. Mark - detached from the front group, waiting for us. The six of us ploughed onwards, through numerous little villages, heading for Pewsey where we turned westwards.
Soon after, Dave punctured. With damp roads and a flinty surface, it was always on the cards. However, we got it fixed and continued, making good progress through Devizes and a succession of picture-postcard villages on the way to the stop at the half-way point at Bradford on Avon.
Here, tea was drunk and cakes were consumed, while we all speculated on the whereabouts of Phil.
Before long we were off again - a descent down to the valley of the river Avon and then the hardest climb of the day - Brassknocker Hill. A bit of a grind it must be said, but we all regrouped at the top to continue on the route, heading in the direction of Frome.
After about 75 miles in our legs and with an undulating road, some of us were starting to feel it. Fortunately (and this is probably the best bit about the Wessex 100), the final 20 miles or so are virtually all downhill. Following the valley of the river Wylye as it heads south through Wiltshire, it’s a great feeling knowing the hardest climbs are behind you. Talking of great feelings, with about 10 miles to go, Dave rose from the saddle, looked around and leaped across the gap to a couple of guys about a quarter of a mile up the road. None of us had the energy to follow.
Through Wilton, and it was head down to the finish, where our times were recorded, a jazz band played, and waiting to greet us was Phil. He finished in 4th place, only beaten by a trio of triathletes in the final run-in.
Dave, Mark and Phil formed a threesome in the showers while Lloyd loaded the bikes onto the car, then we headed home. [Lloyd Peters 3/10/05]
Truro Torturer Randonee Sunday 9th October
A reputedly tough 100K randonee heading around east Roseland, Tregony - Mevagissey then through St. Austell to Luxulyan and return to Truro over the claypits, about 100k. Entry form also available from 01872 272972 daytime and 01872 270953 evenings. Directions to the start(club member's house)will be on the route sheet. More details on Truro Cycling Club web site. [Julian 22/9/05]
PZW TT Training Report Thursday 1st Sept Leedstown
Stu 24:07, Paul F 25:20, Mark H 25:31, Dave H 26:12, John M 26:40, Ian J 26:46, Layton 27:01, Richard 27:16, Steve 27:44, Phil 27:47, Andy 29:20 [Mike Tonkin 5/9/05]
PZW TT Training Report Thursday 25th Aug Leedstown
Steve L 22:24, Mark 25:02, Stu 24:01, James 25:26, Ian J 27:16, Lloyd 28:06 [Mike Tonkin 5/9/05]
PZW TT Training Report Thursday 11th Aug Leedstown
Stuart (guest) 30:23, Beth (guest) 28:54, Dave M 28:05, Dave H 25:59, Andy E 24:57, Mark H 25:39, Jon M 27:01, Steve (guest) 25:14, Lloyd 28:02, Chris 29:56 [Mike Tonkin 5/9/05]
PZW TT Training Report Thursday ? Aug Leedstown
Steve 23:30, Stu 24:36, Andy 25:28, Mark 26:22, Jon M 28:05, Daniel 29:20 [Mike Tonkin 5/9/05]
It was decided that PZW ought to be promoting open and club time trials as well as road races next year. Mike and Lloyd both undertook to organise open races on the Leedstown circuit, and Terry offered to organise regular club races on the same circuit. Matt is intending to promote a road race to replace the Channel Atlantique as well as the Portreath crits. We also undertook to assist Cyclelogic, who were represented by Stuart at the meeting, to promote a road race on the Leedstown circuit. Help will be require with marshalling and signing the courses - please don't wait to be asked - volunteer your services. [The PZW Club Committee 5/9/05]
After secret warm weather training in Crete this summer Alan is considering utilising a revolutionary new design of time trial machine. Photo coming soon - watch this space. Don't tell the UCI! [A rival 10/9/05]
PZW '25' TT Champs Sun 18th Sept
The original championships did not take place earlier this summer as the race distance was changed from 25 to 10 at the last moment, so thwarting the handfull of Wheelers who turned up. So, the official PZW Club '25' TT Champs will now be held in conjunction with the St Austell Club '25' race at 9.00am on Sunday 18th September. [The club committee 10/9/05]
Have you heard about this cycle ride in Wales, it's the day after the women's world cup race. Anyway the link is below, may be some of the guy's will be interested. http://www.bikewales.org [Jon Moore 5/7/05]
PZW Tour de France Competition 2005
Entries (only 2 battling for the prize fund - I might consider further late entries as long as you don't leave it too long!):
Rhys: 1. Armstrong, 2. Basso, 3.Vinokourov, 4. Ullrich, 5. Karpets, 6. Menchov, 7.Landis, 8.Evans, 9.Azevedo, 10 Beloki, 11.Farnell
Tony: 1. Armstrong, 2. Vinokourov, 3. Ullrich, 4. Landis, 5. Basso, 6. Mancebo, 7. Botero, 8. Menchov, 9. Leipheimer, 10. Sastre, Kom. Moreau, Points. McEwen
Rules:
1. An entry will consist of a prediction of the names and positions of first 10 finishers in the overall classification and the winners of the King of the Mountains (polka dot) and Points (green) jerseys.
2. Predictions by email to me by midnight on Sunday 3rd July (Note: first two stages will have taken place by then, so we are all sure exactly who has started.).
3. Scoring will be as follows:
2 points for every rider correctly predicted in top ten regardless of actual position (20 points in total).
5 bonus points for name of winner correctly predicted.
3 bonus points for name of second correctly predicted.
2 bonus points for name of third correctly predicted.
1 bonus point for names of any other rider's positions correctly predicted. (7 points in total)
3 bonus points for correct prediction of King of the Mountains.
3 bonus points for correct prediction of Points jerseys.
Maximum possible score = 43 points.
4. Each entry will cost 1 pound towards the prize fund. You may make as many entries as you like. Pay when you see me next. All entries will be published on the web site.
5. Winner will take the prize fund. [Tony Farnell 28/6/05]
PZW TT Training Report Thursday 23rd June Leedstown
WARM NORTHLY BREEZE.
TIMES FOR THIS WEEK: JASON 24:47, WAYNE 26:00, PAUL 26:11, DAVE 26:27, MARK 26:38, ED 26:59, PHIL 27:38, MIKE 28:05, STEVE 29:49, ANDY 29:49, CHRIS 31:20. [Mike Tonkin 26/6/05]
First lets begin with the facts: 214km total distance, 94 kms of climbing over four mountain passes at 1410m, 2047m, 1970m and 1015m, gradients ranging from 5% to 15% and temperatures soaring into the mid 30's. Fat sad sportiveist that I am I managed the course in 9hrs 51.07, placing 941st overall, 308th in my age category with an average speed of 21.7kmh.
For anyone who has ridden this, rated as THE hardest of the Italian fondos in this extremely beautiful part of north east Italy, I dont need to tell you much but for eveyone else here's my little story.
Flew from Newquay to London Stanstead then on to Treviso, greeted by tour organiser in beautiful hot weather, air con coach, NICE, takes us to Feltre, start and finish town. Auberghio La Cassona, lovely hotel, great food, lots of it! Went to sign on straight away, love these 'villages' so much lovely kit, organisation very good, get my numbers and return to hotel to EAT. Saturday dawned sunny and HOT, so plenty of sun cream and full bottles and off for a ride of about 53km on a nice circular route map supplied by the hotel, rode with a Dr Dave Pedney (just in case of heat stroke) once away from the town we quickly found ourselves on beautiful forested empty roads 1000m of climbing and great descents, good confidence builder!
More food and relaxing, prepare kit and bottles, more food and then bed. 5am breakfast then down to start pen by about 6.30 ready for 7.30 start. Got chatting to a 66 yr old guy resident in Tuscany and before we knew it on came 'Flight of the Valkyries' a huge cheer and we were off!
In the first 30 minutes of riding I was averaging 44kmh! Then we hit the first climb, hot hard and relentless a process of attrition against the body and this was only the first climb, plentiful roadside fountains became our only focus as fluid was sucked from our bodies. Long descents allowed for a little recovery but the climbing! The passo Manghen lets you discover what your're really made of and my two distinct memories of this climb are the fireman who hosed us down about 3km from the top and the sound of the cow bells(or was I hallucinating?) I had been told that after this pass the rest would seem easy, well let me tell you,it's not! although as the distance started to be counted down with big red roadside signs I started to feel like I would make it. The final 10km was all descent and I had enough left for a little sprint to the line.
All in all a great event that I would reccomend to anyone with a screw loose! [Richard Goulden 22/6/05]
PZW TT Training Report Thursday 26th May Leedstown
THE NEXT 3T EVENT WILL BE ON THURSDAY 23rd JUNE 7pm LEEDSTOWN.
TIMES FOR THIS WEEK: DAVE 26-36, WAYNE 26-47, MIKE 26-55, IAN 27-03, MARK 27-31, BOB 29-21, ANDY 30-35, CHRIS 32-53. [Mike Tonkin 11/6/05]
Misquoted - Where's My Lawyer?
I feel I should correct the terrible misrepresentative that has been made of Cornwalls top road team.
Time-trialling is only cool if it doesn't involve a dual carriageway and pointy helmets. Any course you can do 25 miles in 55 minutes must be sooo easy that it ain't a challenge. A time trial should represent real world conditions i.e. have hills, should not be motor paced and should always be performed in the rain. Whats wrong with the PZWers have they all gone soft (er), maybe their bikes will get dirty on these orrible farm tracks of 'B' roads, they'd sooner go touring on a Sunday.
Bring back Time Trialling, death to testers. [Stuart Pickering 31/5/05]
PZW TT Training Report Thursday 26th May Leedstown
THURSDAYS TIME TRIAL TRAINING (3T) WENT WELL WITH 12 RIDERS TAKING PART. THE NEXT 3T EVENT WILL BE ON THURSDAY 9th JUNE 7pm LEEDSTOWN.
TIMES FOR THIS WEEK: PAUL 25:45, IAN 26:55,JON 27:04, MARK 27:20, DAVE 27:24, PHIL 27:33, LAYTON 27:35, ALAN 27:46, ED 28:03, A.BLAKE 29:46, C.HEAD 31:43, TRISTAN DNF. [Mike Tonkin 30/5/05]
Truro CC '10' TT (S18A/10) on Wednesday 8th June
Truro CC are trying a new course on the S18. It will start and finish in the vicinity of the Treswithian junction (Camborne West) of the A30, with the turn at Avers junction (Redruth). The Choughs Inn is the proposed assembly point.
We are using this race as our club championships '10' this year. It promises to be the fastest course in Cornwall and Truro deserve our support, as it's a long way from their base. They are hoping that we will pick up the baton and organise some races on this course next year. As with all club TTs, entries are taken on the night with the first rider starting at 7.01pm. [13/5/05]
PZW Time Trial Training Thursday 23rd June Leedstown
There will be a club time trial session of 10 miles on the Leedstown circuit. The aim is to give riders some local time trial activity on an informal basis in preparation for the upcoming club TT championship races. Riders should assemble at 6.45pm in the lay-by just outside Leedstown on the Hayle road. Anyone requiring further details contact Mike Tonkin on 01736 711363. [Mike Tonkin 11/6/05]
Tuesday & Wednesday Training Rides
Starting on Tuesday 29th and Wednesday 30th March on the Leedstown road race circuit. Every Tuesday and Wednesday. 2/3 laps of the circuit. Meeting at Leedstown at approximately 6.00pm. Anyone interested in these rides contact Andy Ellis on 07962 304570 for further details. [Andy Ellis 21/3/05]
Undaunted by the thought of an extra lap and bigger time handicaps, PZW racers Richard E., Phil, Rhys, Layton and Tony, together with Cyclelogic's Stuart and Chris lined up at the start. The weather was colder, but conditions were dry again and the fierce wind of the preceding weeks had abated.
With most groups working well together the gaps closed gradually. Rhys excelled in the intermediate sprints, winning on the second and third laps, the latter being particularly noteworthy as the whole field had come together by this time.
Rhys paid for his exertions, losing contact with the bunch on the last lap, as did Phil. The remaining Wheelers and Logics were able to enjoy the final slog up the interminable drag to the finish in a very large bunch.
Chris Opie grabbed 12th place on the line and finished top Junior for the second week running. [28/2/05]
A bumper turn-out from PZW (Richard E., Phil, Rhys, Layton and Tony in different generations of PZW jerseys, kindly supplied by Stuart!) and Cyclelogic (Stuart, Steve and Chris).
Everyone acquited themselves respectably. Steve was narrowly beaten into 2nd place, and leaves for Spain on Tuesday. His first race over there is Round 1 of the Spanish Cup next Sunday.
Richard took the sprint prize at the second lap 'prime'. Chris made 9th overall and first Junior. Phil was unlucky to get tailed off on the last lap after riding strongly for two and a half laps - cut down on the burgers is my advice, Phil - and the rest of us finished in the straggly bunch on the uphill finish.
Special congratulations to Rhys, who managed to curb his sprinting instincts, and now knows what it's like to finish with the peloton.
Other less parochial race reports and photos can be found on the British Cycling and Mid-Devon CC web sites. [21/2/05]
So, a year on. Loads more miles under my belt!!! Would 2005 be any better than 2004? Well what did I have to beat? Getting shelled out within a lap thats what.
It went a bit like this.........
Just passed Okehampton on the way up the A30 and already I can feel my stomach churning. As we pass Exeter Tony decides to drive through Sowerton Village so we can see the course again. Yep that's where I rode all by myself last year, would I be able to do better?
Changing rooms at Whimple had a nice River Tamar type divide. Up-country in one room, Cornish (or adopted Cornish) in the other. Steve Lampier and Chris Opie riding for www.cyclelogic.co.uk looked relaxed as they compared their (fake!!) tan lines. Masking tape must have been the order of the day. Many disparaging comments from Phil, Steve and Tony about my Welsh kit but hey 11-9!!!
We all assembled for the briefing and then made our way down to the start at 'the Pub'. Hammer nominee Phil should have been listening more carefully during the briefing his pub appeared to be somewhere else to everyone else's!! The run down to the start was a blustery affair and as Tony upped the pace into the ridiculously strong wind I got that sinking feeling from last year all over again. They continued as I turned into the car park followed closely by Layton.
Having been promoted to the lofty ranks of a 3rd cat (as last years worst 4th Cat I was a bit gutted) group 2 was second off. As we started there was a familiar streak approaching; Phil had failed to make the start and so joined us wearing his warm up top. He did get stuck in taking turns on the front as I tried to limit the amount of work I did. The Royal Navy were well represented but there was some confusion as to which side we should be attempting through and off on. The fourth group caught us lead by Tony. this is it, time to hang on. look for a fat boy and sit behind him. I survived a bad patch and towards the end of the second lap I started moving up so there was less danger of being dropped. Just moved up to Tony's shoulder at the bottom of the rise up to the 2nd prime. One rider jumped away and I thought since I was here I might as well go after him. Sprinted up the hill feeling good and felt like a real racer as I caught the man away paused and then went again. It was too good to be true as Rowan Bosworth had jumped away from the bunch and took the sprint by 5 metres or so. The bunch eventually caught us but I was gone and within a couple of miles I was off the back just like last year. Not even encouraging words from Steve as he passed could get me to catch the group (even though it apeared to virtually stop for a few seconds). I continued on my own being passed by a few more until I started to recover and managed to finish and get back to the Cricket Club before everyone else had changed and gone home (a new experience). Warm showers and tea and cake. Looking forward to next week already.
So yet again the best Wheeler's performance was Tony Farnell, finishing competitively in the main bunch after doing lots of work on the front. Steve Lampier prepared for Sundays Perfs Pedal race with 9th. (He was to get 12th on Sunday)
As for me well it was better but still a lot of improvement needed. Target: Not to get spat out and finish with the bunch. [Rhys Ellis-Davies 14/2/05]
Why Cyclists Should Wear Black!
[Jane Thurnell-Read 7/2/05]
You Know You're Addicted to Cycling When:
Your surgeon tells you need a heart valve replacement and you ask if you have a choice between presta and schrader.
A measurement of 44-36-40 doesn't refer to the latest Playboy centerfold, but that new gear ratio you were considering for your bike.
A Power Bar starts tasting better than a Snickers.
The bra your significant other finds in your glove compartment belongs to your Trek and not the cute waitress at Denny's.
You wear your heart monitor to bed to make sure you stay within your target zone during any extracurricular activities.
The funeral director tells you "NO!" you can't ride your Cannondale in the funeral procession, even if you keep your headlight on.
You experience an unreasonable envy over someone who has bar end extenders longer than yours.
You're too tired for hanky-panky on a Friday night but pump out a five-hour century on Saturday.
Your wife tells you the only way she'll let you ride across the country
is over her dead body and you tell her, "If that's the case, you'll be my first speed bump!"
You no longer require a hankie to blow your nose.
You have stopped even trying to explain to your spouse why you need two bikes...you just go buy another one and figure it will all work out in the divorce settlement.
You buy your crutches instead of renting.
You convert your car's brake and gas pedals to clipless.
You see nothing wrong with discussing the connection between hydration and urine color.
You find your Sidi touring shoes to be more comfortable and stylish than your gunboat sneakers.
You refuse to buy a couch because that patch of wallspace is taken up by the bike.
You have more money invested in your bike clothes than in the rest of your combined wardrobe.
Biker chick means black spandex, not leather, and a Masi, not a Harley.
"Four cheeseburgers and four large French Fries" is for you.
You see a fit, tanned, Lycra-clad young woman ride by, and the first thing you check out is her bicycle.
You empathize with the roadkill.
Despite all that winter fat you put on, you'll skim weight by buying titanium components.
You use wax on your chain, but not on your car.
Your mud guards are made out of milk jugs.
Your first course when you eat out is a large banana split.
When driving, you yell "On Your Left!" on passing another car.
You yell "Hole!" when you see a pothole while driving your car.
Your bike has more miles on its computer then your car's odometer.
You wear your riding gloves when driving your car.
You wear your bike shorts swimming.
You wear Charles River Wheelmen T-shirts all the time, including under dress shirts.
Your bikes are worth more than your car.
You buy a mini-van and immediately remove the rear seats to allow your bikes to fit.
When you move to a new area the first thing you look for is a bike shop.
You have more bike jerseys than dress shirts.
You take your bike along when you shop for a car - just to make sure the bike will fit inside.
You use the Yakima or Thule 'Fit Catalog' to pick your next new car instead of Consumer Reports.
Yelling at cars to "hold your line."
You're comfortable bumping elbows with step vans.
You view crashes as an opportunity to upgrade components.
You clean your bike(s) more often then your car.
You're on the Board of Directors for a Bike Club.
You spend weeks during the summer spraying arrows on the sides of roads.
You and your significant other have and wear identical riding clothes.
You mount a $600 topper on a $1,000 pickup truck so your $3,000 bike doesn't get wet.
You can't seem to get to work by 8:30 AM, even for important meetings, but you don't have any problems at all meeting your buddies at 5:30 AM for a hammerfest.
You can tell your spouse, with a straight face, that it's too hot to mow the lawn and then bike off for a century.
You regard inter-gender discussion of genital pain as normal.
You know your cadence, but you have no idea what your speed is.
When driving your car you lean over the steering wheel, just like an aerobar.
Your car sits outside your garage because your garage is full of bikes and cycling gear.
You tailgate a semi-trailer to get the drafting effect.
The Bike Nashbar customer order number is on your speed dial.
You hear someone had a crash and your first question is "How's the bike?"
You smile at your evening date, and she politely points out that you seem to have bugs in your teeth.
You actually get these jokes and pass them on to other friends who are addicted to cycling. [Jane Thurnell-Read 7/2/05]
10 MILE TT SEN
1st I JEFFERY
2nd L.WILKES
10 MILE TT VET
1st T FARNELL
2nd M TONKIN
3rd D MORGAN
25 MILE T SEN
1st I JEFFERY
2nd P FRIDAY
3rd J GLASSON
25 MILE VET
1st J PAYNE
2nd T FARNELL
3rd A JONES
50 MILE TT SEN
1st l WILKES
50 MILE TT VET
1st A JONES
2nd E .TREZONA-PHILLIPS
HILLCLIMB SEN
1st R ELLIS-DAVIES
2nd I JEFFERY
3rd J BUTT
HILLCLIMB VET
1st M TONKIN
2nd R GOULDEN
ROLLERS
1st M TONKIN
2nd L WILKES
3rd L PETERS
SENIOR RR CUP T FARNELL
RR TROPHY J PULLIN
BAR J PAYNE
OVERSEAS B POCHEE
HAMMER D HENDERSON
JON MOORE TT SHEILD T FARNELL
NOVICE I JEFFERY
FREEWHEEL A JONES
WOMEN'S CUP J THURNELL-READ
CLUBMAN M TONKIN
[Mike Tonkin 7/2/05]
From next Sunday 9th January, there will be a shorter ride of about 25 miles, starting from the Long Rock Institute (map on Club Rides page) at 9.00am, catering for beginners, newcomers and less fit riders, as well as the normal longer club ride of roughly 40-50 miles.
The ride will be lead by Terry Mappin. If you know off anyone who might be interested, make sure they know about it. You don't need a fancy bike or flashy gear, but riders should be self-sufficient - bring a pump, spare inner tube or puncture repair kit, tyre levers, and, at this time of year, full arm and leg cover, a waterproof, gloves, and food if necessary.
It is hoped that we can organise it so that both rides meet at the same cafe for a coffee break. It should be possible for riders to swap groups at this point if appropriate. This is an important new venture, so experienced riders please support it and be patient if there are teething problems. If you're a beginner reading this, now's your chance to make an impact on the local cycling scene. If you're an unfit Wheeler or ex-Wheeler, now's your chance renew old friendships and stop the downhill slide. [4/1/05]