Blog Bulletin

This will be the last blog bulletin for a while. Thank you, as always, to all of the contributors and of course, you the readers.

And to serenade you through the bulletin, with British summers being what they are, I've gone with Chris Rea's 'Looking For The Summer.' 

Born to an Irish mother and an Italian father in Middlesborough, the Rea family name was well known in his home town, as his father ran an ice cream factory and a chain of cafes.

To enjoy Chris' husky, yet strangely smooth voice, you can listen here.

On Friday 7th July 2017, Tommy took part in the Mille Pennines 1,004km Audax from Bispham, near Blackpool. This extremely challenging ride has 11,750 metres of climbing. Entrants have 75 hours in which to finish. Remember, this was only 5 days after Tommy had ridden his first 400km event in Essex.

Beaten by sleep deprivation, whilst his legs still had plenty to give, Tommy was forced to retire, but he can be hugely proud of the hilly 400 miles he did manage.

If you want to get a better feel for the enormity of the task here's a link to a very entertaining video of last year's Mille Pennines. Watch as riders tackle a 30% gradient.

Take a very well deserved bow Tommy.

Audax Club Bristol members issuing the Brevet cards

(Photographs reproduced with permission from Paul Rainbow)

The following week, on Saturday 15th July 2017, Mike G completed the Trains, Planes and No More Automobiles 200km Audax from Warmley. Naturally, Mike rode to the start and home again afterwards, which brought his overall mileage up to a very impressive 340km.

Mike has very kindly shared his thoughts on the day with us below:

3.30am. Ah, that blessed alarm, up and at um, as they say.

4.40am. Blimey, where has that hour gone? Quietly out of the door. Don’t wake the neighbours!

And so hit the road Jack!

Through Malmesbury and on to Bristol, or at least the Bristol & Bath Railway Path to the start at Warmley. 

Time for the second breakfast of the day with my Brevet card collected.

Riders ready to leave

7.00am and off we go, retracing my tracks almost back to Malmesbury. Now should I wake the Sporting Group, as they will still be in bed? No, discretion wins, and so onwards to Blunsdon Station and another bacon sarnie and coffee, this time unfortunately it's of the instant variety - yuk!

Now warmed up or something approaching it, the aim is for Avebury, the route for which, just happens to go via that haven of delight, Honeystreet. Sanity restored with a good coffee, and legs sort of loose, it's a case of Avebury here we come and the first standing stones of the day. Stonehenge is next, and of course comes with lots of tourists.

Boyton and food follow. What, no food! They've been eaten out of house and larder by my fellow Brevet card carrying riders. Still, the coffee and cake were good.

So to Radstock for hills and more hills. Not a problem if I didn’t already have 150 plus km in my legs and wasn’t 69 years old in a couple of days. Cake and well wishes both gratefully accepted. But for now, 'oh bother' or similar expletives.

Are we there yet is a recurring thought, and then the final sanctuary, the ARRIVEE. Walk in (just able), smile sweetly at the organiser and my Brevet card is stamped. 

Another day done. Oh, wait a minute, I've got to ride home now! The journey was shall I say interesting, but home I arrived. More fun and frollicks spent 'on tha cog' (fixed wheel translation).

Would I do it again? 'NO' my body wails! My mind peruses whether the day was acceptable. I run through a quick check-list. Hand okay? Legs? Rear end? With all of the boxes ticked, my mind quickly turns to the next Audax.

The Sporting Group at Lacock

Peter C informs me that Saturday's Sporting Group outing to the National Trust Tearoom, Lacock was a lovely ride. It was mainly dry with a short shower riding up to Sandy Lane. The lanes were very wet returning to SN16.

The coffee and cake were good, but the service was slow.

A nice blast was enjoyed by everyone along the Fosse Way.

Riders: Andy Poolman, Jonathan, Lyndon, Pete B, Peter C, Phil and Steve Clark.

Next up in the occasional series with the snappy title of 'Surely It Can't Be Coincidence Alone That So Many Businesses in Malmesbury Are Decorated in Clarion Colours' the featured establishment is The Whole Hog. Not only does it qualify by virtue of the dark green background, the pink pig also ties in nicely with the natty cycling socks that some of us are now sporting, which come with a pink blush.

They're made of bamboo

Speaking of which, I have more orders and will be collecting further stock soon. I've previously covered the socks on the blog. If you missed them, you can follow the link here. Please let me know if you'd like a pair. They're just £5.

The following has been received from Des Doody who is undertaking a charity cycle ride:

On the 30th July, celebrating the legacy for cycling created by the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100 starts at 06:00 in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, then follows a 100-mile route on closed roads through the capital and into Surrey’s stunning countryside. With leg-testing climbs and a route made famous by the world’s best cyclists at the London 2012 Olympics, it's a truly spectacular event for all involved. The Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100 finishes on The Mall in central London, shortly before 150 professional cyclists race in the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey Classic on a similar route. 

I along with 25 of my work colleague’s will be riding on behalf of Aspire and hope to raise £20,000 pounds in aid of a worth while charity. 

Aspire is a national charity that provides practical help to people who have been paralysed by Spinal Cord Injury; it can happen to anyone at any time and no one is prepared for how it will change their life. Aspire exists because there is currently no cure. 

The individual affected will lose muscle and sensory control and the vast majority become full time wheelchair users for the rest of their lives. Historically, the majority of spinal cord injuries have been sustained by those aged 21 to 30, with nearly three quarters of newly injured people being male, although increasingly it is affecting older people too. 

Through its projects and programmes, Aspire offers practical support to the 40,000 people living with a spinal cord injury in the UK so that they can lead fulfilled and independent lives in their homes, with their families, in work places and in leisure time. 

PLEASE DONATE any amount no matter how small at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/SophosInterceptors