Blog Update

This week's Saturday excursion is to the AV8 Cafe at the Cotswold Airport, Kemble. Our last visit there was shortly before Christmas. Staff then were a little preoccupied with the helicopter rides to see Santa. As Santa returned to Lapland nearly 2 months ago, normal service should by now have resumed. 

It goes without saying that there's two courses to choose from.

You can view and download the Social Group's 33.3 mile course here. It has 1,395 feet of elevation.

Similarly, you can find the Sporting Group's 39.1 mile course here. It has 1,577 feet of elevation.

As always, 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.

Luminous-painted bikes?

Wednesday evening's Knight Rider outing was the Kingscote Hidden Valley Figure of Eight course. The short, sharp climb up through Easton Grey soon got the lungs working, but the ride quickly settled down afterwards. With the usual lively chatter, the miles quickly passed, and having successfully negotiated the Hidden Valley, we made the most of the gradual descent along Bowldown Road. 

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

Clarions returning from Relish on Saturday

Bryan paid us a visit at the start of Saturday's ride to Relish. It was good to see him out and about, and looking so well following his recent operation. Bryan isn't riding again just yet, but he's hoping to be able to cycle over to The Angel, Sherston for our 5th birthday party there on 25th February 2017.

With just 5 members deciding to venture forth on such a chilly morning, we rode as one group and trimmed the excursion back to a sensible 33 miles. Once we'd started moving, it soon warmed up, and with little or no wind, it made for very acceptable cycling weather. 

If you haven't got a bike, you can always rent one!

I was interested to see these steeds for rent outside of Relish. It's a self-service arrangement that operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. By using an App and Bluetooth on your phone you can lock and unlock the bikes at your leisure.

The Oxford based company, Bainton Bikes, offers a number of locations from where bikes can be hired, including Tetbury, Kemble and Cirencester. I read an article some months ago in the Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard about how they hope to entice visitors arriving at Kemble from London Paddington, onto their bikes, for an enjoyable day out in the Cotswolds.

Less journeys by car and more on pedal cycles, makes a lot of sense, and so I wish them every success in their business venture.

Riders: Peter C, Steve C, Stuart, Tim W and Tommy.

What else would you eat on the Flapjack?

Sunday produced a great effort from the Clarions. This was easily our best ever attendance on the Chippenham Flapjack 100km Audax. Mike, Peter C, Tommy and me, Tim W met in Malmesbury at 7.35am. We rode over to the New Inn at Seagry, where we met up with Andrew and Phil. 

Shortly after we'd arrived at the Bath Road car park, Chippenham, Graham arrived with his first claim club, the Sherston Velo CC.

What about John, where does he fit in, I hear you ask. Well, we spoke to John at the first control, at the Brinkworth Village Hall. John was riding with relatives.

After hot drinks, flapjacks and slices of what I originally thought was a very tasty fruit loaf, but cake connoisseur Peter C probably correctly identified as a tea loaf, our sextet (a formation of 6 members), headed northwards.

Beans means Heinz

An early lunch was served at the Kemble Village Hall. Stored in the kitchen was the largest collection of individual tins of Heinz baked beans, I'd ever seen. Tommy gave the beans a miss, opting instead for another slice of flapjack, which he declared was best eaten first dunked in his tea. 

Light and fluffy Victoria sponge

The next stop in our culinary carousel, interspersed with some cycling, was Sherston Village Hall. The light and fluffy Victoria sponge cake had by now become something of a firm favourite. I resisted the temptation of a second wedge, and opted instead for what might have been a Tracker bar.

Vegetable soup and a roll

(Picture courtesy of Peter C)

The end of the Audax ride was rounded off very nicely by soup and rolls at the Derriads Lane Scout Hut in Chippenham. With just a small corner to fill, my willpower quickly evaporated when I saw Andrew and Phil helping themselves to another wedge of Victoria sponge cake. Washed down by a warming cup of tea, it set me up perfectly for the last leg back to Malmesbury.

Riders: Andrew, Graham, John, Mike G, Peter C, Phil, Tim W and Tommy

You can use other manufacturer's inner tubes as well

As promised, here are the additional steps required from Mike to replace an inner tube on your rear geared wheel.

We'll assume that you've realised that the tyre is deflating, you've shouted out to let your fellow Clarions know, changed gear so that the chain sits on the smallest front chain ring and the smallest rear gear, and come safely to a standstill.

Step by Step Guide

• Release the rear quick release brake lever.
• Having persuaded a fellow Clarion to assist, get them to support the frame (by holding the saddle) and lift the wheel off of the ground. Undo the wheel quick release skewer. This should allow the wheel to drop out from the forks.
• Now the fiddly bit. With one hand move the gears slightly backwards and manipulate the wheel/cassette free of the chain. You can now fully remove the wheel. As you get to work, your friendly helper needs to keep your beautiful clean frame (it is clean, yes?) off of the floor.
• With the wheel in your hands, proceed as per the instructions for the front wheel. Follow the steps to remove one side of your tyre (preferably the side furthest away from your cassette). Avoid as much as possible getting covered in grease and oil from your immaculate, pristine cassette. (This will only apply if you clean your bike, which of course you do every week?).
• Having remembered to check the tyre for foreign bodies, insert a new inner tube and slightly inflate your tyre.
• The next fiddly bit is to return your wheel to the frame and to fit the chain around the cassette. Centre the hub into the frame and then the wheel. Tighten the skewer. This is all easier to do, than it is to explain.
• Thanking your fellow Clarioneer for his or her assistance, inflate the tyre as you would do with the front, only a bit harder. It supports most of your weight after all! Clean the crud off of your hands. Make sure your gears change smoothly and the brake works.
• Thank your fellow riders for (patiently) waiting for you! Offer to buy the coffee and cake for everyone, and hope that they refuse your generous offer.
• Return all of your tools etc to their rightful place in your tool bag, and don't forget to put your pump in its proper place.

Additional Note

An alternative to someone supporting the frame for you, is to invert your bike and set it down in the mud or grass on its saddle and handlebars, and then proceed as above. This method does make access to your gears etc, easier, so a possible trade off!

Mike G

I just wanted an opportunity to explain that although I write the article for our contribution to the Branch News section in Boots&Spurs, I don't come up with the captions. The photographs I submit are accompanied by the date and location. The editor is inclined to exercise a certain amount of editorial licence. Gathered outside of Relish, we've previously been credited with standing on the beach at the seaside. This was again the case in the most recent edition, where the caption under the photograph of the Sunday Series riders at Honeystreet, suggests that this is the Thursday mid-day diners at The Angel, Sherston.

The closing date for submissions for the next edition is 31st May 2017. Please let me know if there are any significant events, achievements or anything of note for inclusion. Photographs are also welcome too, but they need to be high resolution.