Blog Bulletin

Clarions gathered at Toomers April 2014

I'm a big advocate of having courses for club rides. Members then know the distance and elevation gain. This in turn allows them to estimate what time they'll return. The absence of one can strongly influence a member when they consider whether or not to ride with the club. 

The MCCC directory of coffee stops with Social and Sporting Group courses to reach them, was intended to be the ultimate point of reference. For it to fulfill its full potential though, it needs courses. It presently lists 29 cafes and 55 courses, all of which I've found by researching 3 year's worth of blog posts, our club website and my Garmin and Ride With GPS accounts. 

Three appeals made via the blog asking members to help fill in the missing gaps, failed to generate a single response from anyone. I'm sure this was just an oversight with everyone assuming that someone else was going to send me theirs.

The calendar page on the website lists the club rides up until Thursday 1st September. Saturday's ride is to Toomers Garden Centre, Lydiard Millicent.The Sporting Group's course is here.  If you take a look at the calendar, you'll see that I'm missing a course for the Social Group. Similarly, I don't have any courses for the Jolly Nice Cafe on 27th August.

If you can help, please send me the links to any courses you might have. Alternative courses to those already published, are also welcome, so that we then have a choice.

The New Inn, Seagry

Peter C's Wednesday evening rides, with an optional pub stop at the end, are certainly attracting a good following. Take last Wednesday for instance. Nine of us set off from the Town Hall. Sadly, Peter C and his girlfriend Sian, were early retirees after Sian was stung by a wasp, but they still rode to the New Inn at Seagry, where we were also pleased to be joined by Steve M and Heather and Simon Locke.

Photo courtesy of Des D

Between Kington St Michael and Stanton St Qunitin we were treated to a spectacular double rainbow. One end of the more colourful rainbow looked to be rooted at the New Inn. As to whether there was a pot of gold there, I couldn't possibly say, but there might well have been a pint of Thatcher's Gold.

Don't forget we're leaving the Town Hall at the earlier time of 6.15pm, and lights are definitely required, particularly if you intend stopping for a glass of something. If you can't make the ride, we'd still like to see you at the public house.

Clarions lined up at the start of the Sunday Series ride on 2nd March 2014

A new date is still being sought for the final ride in the 2016 Sunday Series. 

The 120 mile Tour of Wiltshire is under construction, but it will include the Wylye Valley, Woodfords and Salisbury Plain.

The ride is open to all club members. If you think you have the legs for a ride of this distance, then please come along. Your club mates will be there to offer support and encouragement all of the way.

It would be good to end the 2016 Sunday Series on something of a high. We've had lots of fun this year visiting new places, but there's no hiding the fact that numbers have been disappointing. Whilst 10 members have taken part, only 6 have completed more than one ride. This compares with 13 members participating in 2014 and 15 members in 2015. If you have any ideas about how the appeal of the Sunday Series can be broadened for next year, please make your views known. 

Phil has sent me the above pictures which, he took on our recent outing to the seaside. Amusing captions are of course very welcome, but can anyone who wasn't on the ride tell me what was actually going on. Please feel free to post your reply in the comments box below.

Criterium racing returns to Cirencester on Monday 29th August 2016. The course is on closed roads around the town centre. The races start at 6pm with the main event at 9pm.

I watched last year's thrilling finale. A very tight turn in the Market Place, made treacherous by the light drizzle, was the undoing of a number of riders. Local lad James Lowsley-Williams, whose family have owned Chavenage House, near Tetbury since the late 1800's, whilst riding for NFTO, was the clear winner. 

There's no entrance fee, so why not go along for a great evening of racing!