Blog Bulletin

Clarions at Relish on Saturday 31st January 2015

Saturday's ride is to Relish at the Cotswold Water Park.

You can view and download the Social Group's 34.5 mile course here. It has 1,163 feet of elevation.

Similarly, you can find the Sporting Group's 39.0 mile course here.  It has 1,419 feet of elevation.

Both courses use the same route back to Malmesbury.

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 the course. Both will be of great assistance to your ride leader.

Beans means it's lunch at Kemble Village Hall on the Chippenham Flapjack

It's not exactly a club ride, but there's a good showing of Clarions taking part in this Sunday's Chippenham Flapjack 100km Audax.

Entries are now closed and I understand will not be accepted on the day. 

Confirmed entries have been received by Ian, Mike G, Peter C, Phil, Tim W and Tommy.

Caroline mentioned a while ago that she would be riding, and I need to check with Andrew to see if his entry was successful.

Other local clubs will be well represented, so please fly the flag and wear your club jersey if you have one.

We'll be riding over to Chippenham for the start and home again afterwards. An email will be sent out later in the week with the departure time.

Look out for a review of the ride in the next blog bulletin.

Wednesday evening's Knight Rider session produced a good turnout. 5 members and 2 guest riders made up our peloton. A heavy downpour at 6.00pm had more or less petered out by the time we set off, but did contribute to some flooding. The deepest and largest pool of water was in a dip between Kington St Michael and Allington. Safely negotiating the lake was made all the more difficult when an impatient motorist decided to drive through it at the same time. 

Undeterred, but a little wetter for the experience, we made our way through Chippenham and out to Langley Burrell where we passed the Chippenham Wheelers Knight Riders travelling in the opposite direction. They might have numbered around 12, but considering how many more members they have, I think we can still hold our heads high.

Members: James, Mark, Peter C, Phil and me, Tim W.

Guests: Cleggy and Simon V.

George in the blue helmet heads the race

Former Malmesbury Clarion, George raced at Abingdon on Saturday. The circuit is notorious in winter for riders puncturing. The course is plagued by small shards of flint. Despite being swept before the start, a staggering 22 riders out of a field of 80 in the category 4 event, fell victim to punctures. Testing the field, George led for the first 2 laps, but as he came around for the 3rd, I saw him raise his arm to indicate that he had a mechanical. A piece of flint still lodged inside his back tyre had cut through the rubber and into the inner tube. British Cycling rules no longer allow a rider to take a lap out for mechanical reasons, and so he had to retire. 

2nd birthday ride Saturday 22nd February 2014

3rd birthday ride Saturday 28th February 2015

4th birthday ride Saturday 27th February 2016

Plans are well advanced for our 5th birthday ride and party on Saturday 25th February 2016. The annual event celebrates the club's inaugural ride on Saturday 25th February 2012.

Last year's record attendance saw 21 members enjoy their free slice of birthday cake at The Angel, Sherston. It would be fantastic if we could attract even more members this year.

Weather permitting, there might well be a surprise party goer!

There are two courses, which are both designed to arrive at The Angel at 11.30am. I'll circulate these nearer the time. All members will be made very welcome. Please feel free to make your own way there whether you're cycling or driving. 

We'll also be lining up for our traditional team photograph before we leave.

As I'm not licensed to give financial advice, I need to be careful about making recommendations. However, I can inform you that National Clarion now offers third party liability insurance for £12. Existing members and those who joined in time to be added to the Boots & Spurs magazine mailing list, will be able to read more about the offer in the Winter/Spring 2017 edition. 

The policy underwritten by Royal Sun Alliance, provides cover for any claim made against a member while they are cycling anywhere in the world (except the USA and Canada) for injury or damage to a third party up to a maximum of £5,000,000 per incident. It covers commuting, club runs, time trials and Audax events. As with all insurances, certain things won't be covered.

Further information can be found on the National Clarion's website here.

You can also apply and pay online here.

Before committing, please ensure that the cover meets your needs. Members can also purchase 3rd party liability insurance from British Cycling and Cycling UK (formerly CTC).

Tim W repairs a puncture on 1st January 2015
(Spot the mistake!)

This is the second installment in Mike's Mechanics. The first generated a lot of interest. I'm certain that members will benefit from Mike's wealth of knowledge. Without further ado, it's over to Mike.

The Scenario

As we all ride on our beautifully maintained highways and byways, at some point we'll incur a visit from the Pssst Fairy. In other words, a puncture. The following will be well known to some, but not all, and there will be those who are too embarrassed to ask. Each step is fairly logical and should get you back riding again quickly.

If you feel your tyre deflating, front or back, on a club ride, shout out and let everyone know. Brake slowly and smoothly, giving consideration to your fellow Clarions, who won't want to crash into you. Change gear so that the chain sits on the smallest front chain ring and the smallest rear gear. If you don't feel able to safely execute these gear changes before you come to rest, you can always do them once you've stopped.

For the purpose of this exercise, we're going to assume that it's a puncture to the front tyre. We'll cover the rear tyre next time.

Before commencing the repair, for your own safety, move you and your bike as far off of the road as possible.

Des M tackles a puncture on 23rd May 2015

Step by Step Instructions

• Operate the quick release lever on the front brake. This will allow the caliper to open and the brake pads to move away from the rim.
• Pull open the quick release on the hub and unscrew the skewer until you are able to lift the front of the bike up and drop the wheel out of the forks.
• Using your set of tyre levers (you do have a set, don't you), insert one lever under the tyre bead between the rim edge and the tyre, and push down. This will lift the tyre up and away from the rim. Insert the second lever next to the gap you've created and repeat. Continue until all of the tyre bead is free from the rim.
• Unscrew the valve cap and valve securing nut. Put them somewhere safe (not on the floor).
• Carefully remove the inner tube.
• Run your fingers around the inside of the tyre to locate whatever fiendish item has penetrated your tyre. Remove said fiend. Usually this will be a thorn or a piece of glass. Do not proceed any further until you are completely satisfied that it's out. Check the rest of the tyre for any other miscreants.
• Obtain your spare inner tube (you do have one, right?). Slightly inflate the tube (with the pump you do have?).
• Place the valve through the small circular hole in the rim and lightly secure with the retaining nut.
• Carefully insert the inner tube under the tyre.
• At a point opposite the valve, re-engage the tyre on the rim, then carefully push the tyre onto the rim in both directions, working your way towards the valve. Ensure that the inner tube is not nipped/trapped under your tyre.
• This is where it gets harder. Continue pushing with your thumbs until the tyre is completely on the rim. Do not be tempted to use your tyre levers to finish this last stage. If you do, be prepared to repeat everything again, as it's likely that you will have damaged the inner tube.
• With the tyre now fully engaged on the rim, check that the inner tube is not trapped.
• Partly inflate the inner tube.
• Refit the wheel into the forks and tighten the skewer nut so that the locking cam locks the wheel in place when pushed. Make sure the wheel is central in the forks above the brakes. Adjust as required until it is central, then fully engage the cam. This locks the wheel in place.
• Re-engage the brake quick release, putting the brake pads in close proximity to the rim. Make sure the pads are equal distance from the rim.
• Fully inflate the tyre so that when squeezed between finger and thumb, it barely indents.
• Replace the valve cap.
• Put the punctured inner tube, tyre levers etc back in your saddle bag or jersey pocket (club one, I trust).
• Clean your hands either on grass or worst case, your shorts. Thank everyone for waiting and not helping.
• Check the front brake works properly, saddle up and ride off. 

Mike Greer