Blog Bulletin

The Canteen, Nailsworth

This Saturday we return to The Canteen at Nailsworth. There are plenty of options for routes there and back. I'll be absent for the next 2 weeks, as I'm taking George to race at Abingdon. Unless anyone else wants to put out some courses for Saturday, I'm going to leave the choice to the ride leaders. With a wet week ahead (apart from Wednesday), they'll be in a better position to assess the safest routes on the day.

Wednesday evening's Knight Rider outing saw 6 members complete the Chalford Loop in reverse. It's surprising just how different a ride can be when the ups become the downs, and the downs become the ups. 

I can reveal exclusively that Mark is our latest MCCC member. Like Graham, he comes from Sherston and is a member of Sherston Velo CC. They both rode over together for the start of the ride and then peeled off outside of Tetbury on the way back.

There's still plenty of room in the peloton, and with this week's excursion to Chippenham promising as usual to be a lot of fun, make sure you come along.

Riders: Graham, James H, Mark, Peter C, Phil and Tim W

They think of everything at The Old Stables, Castle Combe

Rides had been running like clockwork for some time. Take our visit to Oaksey Village Hall, for instance. Our estimated time of arrival for the owner of the cafe was 11.45am. We got there at 11.48am. A best guess on the number of riders was 10. There were 10 of us.

The Sporting Group inside The Old Stables, Castle Combe

(This and the photograph below courtesy of Lyndon)

The wheel didn't exactly fall off on Saturday, but it did have a bit of a wobble. The perhaps unrealistic challenge (my fault entirely) was for the Sporting Group to tackle quite a lumpy 36 miles and time their arrival at The Old Stables, Hullavington with the Social Group who would have clocked up 30 miles over a flatter course. 

The Social Group kept their part of the deal, but a puncture at Tresham, a general feeling of weariness and a unanimous need for coffee and cake, meant that we didn't progress beyond The Old Stables' sister cafe at Castle Combe.

Tommy has 40 winks on the sofa inside The Old Stables, Castle Combe

It's okay, he was only joking

I did ring Tim H to let him know, by which time the trio had just finished their refreshments.

I'm going to look at the courses again and see if I can make some adjustments.

Peter C ready to leave Castle Combe

As for the cafe itself, my thick wedge of coffee and walnut cake would easily have fed a family of four. The sponge was moist and the tasty butter cream was generously applied. It easily passed the MCCCCC (Malmesbury Clarion Cycling Club Cake Certification) which insists that a slice of cake must be able to stand upright on the plate. Inferior flimsy examples that have to be led on one side, can never expect to gain full accreditation.

With the cake priced at £2.80 and my pot of tea costing £1.50, the combination easily came under the £5 ceiling.

Social Group: Paul, Steve C and Tim H.

Sporting Group: Andy Parker, Ian, Karine, Lyndon, Peter C, Tim W and Tommy.

Mike Greer has very kindly put together some instructions for bike cleaning. This isn't meant to insult anyone's intelligence. Just because we ride bicycles there's a presumption that somehow we must be experts when it comes to maintaining them. This is the first in a short series. In the next installment Mike will take us through puncture repairs.

Keeping your bike clean has many benefits:

• It helps to keep your bike mechanics functioning smoothly.
• Creates a good image for the club.
• Makes roadside repairs easier and less messy.
• Keeps costs down as things don't wear out as quickly.

You'll need the following:

• 2 x buckets (1 will suffice, but 2 will make the job easier)
• 2 x sponges
• Cleaning/degreasing agent (washing up liquid does the trick)
• Old tooth brush
• Paint brush
• Clean polishing cloths
• Wax polish if you really love your bike
• Oil (bike oil of course, what type is up to you)

Here are the step by step instructions:

• Create an active foam in your bucket using hot water and washing up liquid.
• Ideally using a hard standing area, begin cleaning the bike by sponging the top and bottom of the saddle, handlebar tape, hoods and brake levers. Next tackle the top tube and then the rest of the frame.
• Remove the front wheel and put it to one side. Wash the forks and brake, paying particular attention to the condition of the brake pads (blocks). Check that they still have some wear left and are free of any foreign objects embedded in the surface.
• Remove the rear wheel. Either support the frame or turn the bike upside down. Repeat the cleaning and checking as per the front wheel.
• Leave the bike to one side.
• Wash the front wheel making sure that you check the braking surface of the rim. Wash the tyre and check for any damage and/or embedded flints etc. Remove as required.
• Wash the rear wheel as per the front one, then using the paint brush clean the cassette and hub.
• Rinse the wheels with cold water, ideally from a second bucket. If preferred, use a garden hose, but ensure the water pressure is kept away from the bearings. Water ingress will very quickly lead to their destruction.
• Return the wheels to the bike frame. Turn the bike back onto its wheels or remove from its support. With the old tooth brush or paint brush, clean the chain and gears and remove any grease/muck from the gear jockey wheels.
• Wash down the frame with clean water.
• Working from the top down, dry the saddle, frame, chain, gears, chain ring(s), hubs and spokes.
• Dry the chain, gears and chain ring(s), hubs and spokes.
• Apply oil sparingly to the chain and gear jockey wheels. Oil any exposed gear and gear cables, and brake/gear hinge points.
• Remove any excess oil on the chain by holding the chain lightly with a dry cloth and turning the pedals backwards.
• If you have cleated pedals, at this point using more hot soapy water and a toothbrush, clean the pedals paying attention to the cleat retaining springs. Rinse off the soapy water. Dry and lightly oil the springs etc.
• Now to finish, using a wax polish, wax and polish the frame.

Hey presto! You now have a clean bike, as shiny as when you first bought it.

Depending on the weather, a thorough cleaning, such as the one described above, would normally be carried out once a month.

Light cleaning of your drive chain, chain, chain ring(s), gears, brakes and tyres should take place weekly. This can easily be done with clean cloths and oil. 

The choice is yours. 10 minutes a week or expensive repair bills. Not only will your bike be nicer to ride, it will last longer and cost less! Also, your fellow Clarions will be much more willing to help if you have a breakdown.

The fitting of full mudguards will prevent some of the mess landing on your beautiful steed, especially in winter. Mountain bike crud catchers only protect you. They won't stop the rider following you from getting a face full of wet mud.

Mike Greer 

Blog Bulletin

The Old Stables Cafe at Hullavington

Our Hullavington correspondent, Paul Hadley, informs me that The Old Stables Cafe in the village is due to reopen on Tuesday 24th January 2017. With some trepidation, we're going to give this another go after the original reopening date came and went, with the refurbishment still incomplete.

The Social Group's 38.5 mile course has 1,306 feet of elevation. You can view and download the route here.

Please resist the temptation to cut the ride short after Stanton St Quintin. The leg out to Grittleton is included to give the Sporting Group a fighting chance of joining you for coffee.

The Sporting Group's 42.9 mile course has 2,178 feet of elevation. You can view and download the route here.

There's a long, but not overly strenuous climb from Hillesley up to Hawkesbury Upton. Please take extra care on the lanes between Burton and the A420, as some of them can have mud and gravel running through the centre.

Please take a few minutes to familiarise yourself with the course you intend to ride and if you have a Garmin or a similar device, please download it. Both will be helpful to your ride leader.

Clarions outside of Oaksey Village Hall

The roads on Saturday morning were much better than expected. Our rural relatives brought with them welcome news regarding the state of the lanes, as did Peter C. After being seen off by one of our founding fathers; Dynamo Mike, we all rode together and completed the Sporting Group's 41 mile course without falling victim to the isolated pockets of ice.

They say that every cloud has a silver lining. If Saturday's cloud was having to find an alternative venue after The Old Stables refurbishment took longer than expected, then the silver lining had to be the tearoom which, operates on Fridays and Saturdays inside 'The Rest' at Oaksey Village Hall.

Plenty of cakes to choose from

The enterprise is operated by Elizabeth Adey and has been running for nearly two years. It was Peter C who came up with the idea on Wednesday evening during the Knight Riders session. I subsequently made contact with Elizabeth and let her know that we'd be calling. She promised to reserve us a couple of tables.

Inside 'The Rest' overlooking the football pitch

There was a full range of hot drinks and a very reasonably priced selection of delicious cakes.

Steve C's trivia question posed over coffee was, what do Norwich City FC and Oaksey FC have in common? I rather enjoy his teasers, especially if I can stump him with a few of my own. (This surely has all the makings of a regular feature). The answer is that they both play in yellow and green.

I've thanked Elizabeth for looking after us. She said that she also serves bacon butties and soup. To minimise waiting time in future (not that we were complaining), she's offered to provide pots of tea and coffee with a selection of cakes, on the table for us. For those who fancied a bacon buttie, I'm sure we'd be able to ring ahead to place our orders.

Riders: Andy Poolman, Andrew, Bryan, Mike G, Peter C, Phil, Steve C, Steve M, Tim W and Tommy.

Blog Bulletin

A polite reminder that front and rear lights must be used on club rides during the daytime when there is poor light. It goes without saying that a motorist's range of vision will be reduced in the fog and mist or if the weather is particularly overcast. The more lights we have running, the bigger our presence, which hopefully makes us all safer. 

Also, please ensure that you have mudguards fitted between 1st October and 31st March. This is out of consideration to your club mates and the cafes we use.

Saturday's ride is to Quackers Cafe, near Pucklechurch. We first discovered the farm shop by complete accident on a Sunday Series ride back on 2nd March 2014. Then, it was a thoroughly miserable day. Cold and wet, and in desperate need of a warming drink and something to eat, Quackers was a very welcome and completely unexpected find.   


The Social Group's 37.7 mile course can be viewed and downloaded here. It has 1,558 feet of elevation.

Similarly, you can find the Sporting Group's 43.3 mile course here, which has 1,792 feet of elevation.

There are two important points to note, which are relevant to both courses:

• As always, please take care when crossing the busy A46 road.
• The ascent of Hinton Hill is less severe using Cock Lane, but the road surface isn't as good as the Cotswold Way. Ride leaders will need to make a decision on the day, based on the local conditions, as to which route to use.

Please take a few minutes to familiarise yourself with the course you intend to ride. If you have a Garmin or a similar device, please download it. Both will be very helpful to your ride leader.

The first Knight Riders session of 2017 got off to a flying start. We were joined by Graham Simpson who rode over from Sherston and became our latest new MCCC member. During the course of the ride out to Purton and Royal Wootton Bassett, the temperature plummeted from 4 degrees to minus 2. Our customary meeting with a gritting lorry took place at the beginning of the ride, as we made our way up to the BP garage. Peter C's course avoided lanes where ice might have formed and we all returned intact.

If you're thinking of joining us, but are uncertain as to the drill for riding at night, here's a link to an excellent 'how to' video by the guys at GCN.

Riders: Graham, James H, Peter C, Phil and me, Tim W.

I have great pleasure in announcing that Peter C is the clear winner of the 2016 Chairman's Trophy. Points were allocated based on attendance on club rides between 1st April, when the competition began and 31st December. Well done Peter!

Position	Member	Points
1st	Peter C	73
2nd	Tim W	63
3rd	Phil	43
4th	Steve C	37
5th	Tim H	34
6th	James H	28
7th	Lyndon	28
8th	Mike G	26

The Grimpeur Challenge for the most elevation gained by members of the MCCC Strava Club during the same period, was won by me, Tim W.

Position	Member	Elevation in Metres
1st	Tim W	82,599
2nd	Peter C	77,280
3rd	Mike G	63,453
4th	Lyndon	42,981
5th	Phil	39,875
6th	Tim H	35,807
7th	Andy Poolman	34,511
8th	Malc	25,903
9th	Steve K	24,207
10th	Paul	14,586

Engraved trophies will be presented in due course.

The future is bright, the future is green

We've always taken a relaxed view over the wearing of club kit. We'd much rather see members riding in something other than a club jersey, than not at all. That's not about to change, but a uniform body of cyclists can make a very impressive sight and often commands more respect on the road. Motorists seem far less inclined to angrily demand that we get out of their way. It's also a great way of advertising the club.

With a number of new members joining recently, I thought it might be useful to provide some information about how you can buy our club kit.

Firstly, Howard carries a certain amount of stock. If you have to order yours from our supplier, Force GB, they make them on an individual basis, which means that if it turns out to be the wrong size, they won't refund your money or exchange it. If you email Howard to arrange a fitting and he doesn't have one in your size, you'll at least have a better idea of the size you need.

You can follow the link to our own club page on Force GB's website here. In addition to the jerseys, they have an extensive range of cycle clothing all available in our club colours.

MALMESBURY CLARION CODE OF CODUCT

Also of interest to new members will be the Malmesbury Clarion Code of Conduct, which can be found here. If you haven't read the document yet, please take a look so that you are fully aware of your responsibilities. Thank you.