Weekly Roundup

There's a lot to get through and so without further ado, on with the show. First up is a collection of photographs taken by Howard with his accompanying captions. If you have your own witty remarks, please feel free to use the comments box or email me and I'll post them up.

School Hill, Brinkworth, on the first Sunday ride. Tim W helps Peter behind the railings whilst others take shelter.

How many Clarions does it take to change an inner tube? One if it's raining.

Mechanical doping evidence. UCI take note!

Look into my eye.

Late arrivals for tea.

Cake consumption consumes concentration.

Malmesbury CCC en route

On Thursday evening George had his second race at Castle Combe. The category 3/4 race had a field of well in excess of 100 riders and was over 17 laps. Despite it being a longer race than his previous one, the pace was definitely faster. The pack was fairly tight throughout with only 3 older riders being cut adrift. By the mid-way point George had slipped towards the back and I started to fear the worst, but he then spent the remaining laps edging his way towards the front and finished in the top 30 or so. 

Coming through the chicane.

Saturday's club ride was to the National Trust Tearoom at Lacock. Howard has kindly sent me the following pictures with captions:

The team assemble and get ready to rock and roll.

The short ride team clearly showing that they don't know how to pose.

The long ride team arrive first at the coffee stop by cheating. They did fewer miles than the short ride team!

The Daneway Inn, Sapperton, one of the controls or at least it was last year.

Also on Saturday, Mike took part in the South Gloucester 100km Audax starting at Alveston near Thornbury. Mike cycled from his home in Tetbury to the start and then back home again afterwards, which was a great effort.

Mike enjoyed the well organised event, although he had to contend with a headwind for most of the ride.

And finally, on Sunday I rode the New Forest Excursion 200km Audax from Lymington. 

(Click once to enlarge the pictures)

Registration at the start.

It was a rather chilly beginning, although I did spot one hardy soul in bare feet wearing a pair of open-toed sandals. I was tempted to ask whether they were fitted with cleats, but thought better of it.

Riders setting off with possibly some late arrivals coming in the opposite direction.

The first control at the Cranborne Manor Garden Centre. 

A pot of tea and a decent sized wedge of coffee and walnut cake did the trick here.

Some riders sensibly opted to use donkeys instead of panniers.

Whilst I was aware that horses and cows can freely roam in the New Forest, I wasn't aware that this extended to donkeys. This pair were at the checkpoint - their interest aroused by a large box of bananas on the table.

The village of Lover

The scenic course took us across the border and into Wiltshire. The Lover (pronounced like Dover) post office, which sadly closed in 2008, used to do a roaring trade around Valentine's Day with romantics keen to have their cards sent out with the 'Lover' postmark.

Lepe Beach Cafe & Shop

The sun came out in the afternoon making this a very pleasant control. The instructions on the approach said to turn left when you see the sea, which sounded a bit vague to me. Surely it depended on how good your eyes were, but somehow the sea managed to stay out of sight until the very last minute and sure enough, as promised, the cafe was there.

The beach at Lepe looking towards the Isle of Wight and yes, it really was that sunny.

This was a well organised event following an interesting and varied course, and one I'll be sure to look out for next year. In the meantime, there's another chance to enjoy the delights of the New Forest plus the added attraction of the Isle of Wight on 6th September 2015, with the New Forest On and Off Shore 202km Audax. Breakfast on the ferry over, ride the length of the island and then back to ride the length of the New Forest!

http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/15-500/

Bank Holiday Weekend Roundup

Riders ready to leave Relish

(Group photographs kindly supplied by Howard)

I’d promised myself a bit of a keyboard vacation, but after the well-attended Saturday and Bank Holiday Monday rides I just couldn’t let them pass without a few words.

On Saturday we welcomed back Geoff who brought along Neil, his brother in law, who is staying with him this week. 

Nine of us took the longer route to Relish, leaving Howard temporarily by himself until as arranged he met up with Simon and Heather en route.

We all arrived at more or less the same time. Andy Poolman did a sterling job of gathering up any vacant chairs inside the café and we all managed to sit together, which is an important social aspect of our rides.

Longer route: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/7696739

I’m afraid there’s no report from Mr and Mrs Dynamo this week as I understand they both had appointments at the opticians. According to my spy they were later spotted dining at the Europa.

My spy in this case is actually my wife who also happened to be at the Europa. Although she’s never met Michael and Maureen she was able to identify them from the line-up outside of The Angel Café. This was in fact her second spot of the week, as she’d seen a club jersey being worn one day near Calne. Reference to the MCCC Strava Club revealed this to have been Colin.

Perhaps if I post a picture of my wife you could return the favour and let me know when you see her!

Away from the club two members rode the Wye Valley Warrior Sportive on Sunday. Max from our Cardiff sub-section and Phil have never met and so unless they were wearing their club kit, there’s every chance they might have seen each other without realising they were both members of the same club. Well done lads!

The open road awaits . . . . . . . 

Judging by the number of riders who turned out, Howard's idea of switching the latest ride in the Sunday series to the Bank Holiday Monday, was a great one. 

Fifteen of us mustered outside of the Town Hall. Tom from Brinkworth and Peter's girlfriend rode with us for the first and hopefully not the last time and Steve from Malmesbury (not to be confused with Steve from Great Somerford) came for his second ride armed with a completed application form and a signed cheque!

The Berkeley Tea Rooms

The enjoyable 64.4 mile course took us over to Berkeley where some of us stopped for lunch at the Tea Rooms. Like condemned men and women we enjoyed our last meal before scaling the formidable Frocester Hill.

Course: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/7746933

Weekly Roundup

I must confess to suffering from a bout of blogger's block. Its not quite as serious as writer's block, but the symptoms are the same; a tendency to slip into well-worn cliches and familiar sentences whilst struggling to say something new. Apparently the only known cure is complete rest from the keyboard for as long as possible. Should anyone fancy doing a bit of blogging, then the floor is well and truly open. In the meantime I'll still be providing a reduced roundup service.

Wednesday:

I haven't verified this with our club statistician (Tim H), but I'm fairly certain that 9 riders for the midweek ride was a new club record. We were joined by Peter from Malmesbury. This wasn't exactly his first MCCC ride, but it was the first one he's started with us. Our paths crossed previously earlier this year at School Hill, Brinkworth on a Sunday ride. Peter had unfortunately suffered a puncture and after we'd rendered some assistance, he accompanied us back to town. We look forward to seeing him again soon.

Saturday:

This Saturday's ride to Sweetapples Tea Room in the High Street at Marshfield saw two new riders; Steve from Malmesbury and Des's friend, Ed. Hopefully they'll be both back over the coming weeks to share some more miles with us. 

Riding for the second time (I missed his first outing) was Mike from Tetbury. I've actually come across Mike twice before on Audax rides when he's been manning a control. The first time was in January at Chipping Camden and then Lacock in March. Again, we hope to see lots more of Mike and of course his partner Anita who made her maiden trip last week.

We were also pleased to welcome back Malc after an absence of some months, bringing us up to eleven. Four of us took the longer route and seven the shorter one. Those going the shorter way later fragmented forming a third group.

The outward leg saw us having to contend with a stiff headwind, but with batteries recharged after coffee and cake, apart from the climb out of Castle Combe, we hardly had to touch our pedals on the way home.

Meanwhile, our Senior Citizen's Section headed up by the intrepid Michael and Maureen set sail from Malmesbury at about 11.00am and travelled via Startley and Upper Seagry to Sutton Benger where they met some friends at the cafe adjoining The Bell House Hotel. From there, it was onto The Somerford Arms for an early lunch and then home on the back road. By all accounts this was a very relaxed and social 18 miles. In Michael's own words, 'Just right for us geriatrics!'

Editor's note: I'm pleased to hear that there was no mention of gambling this week.
Shorter course 34.4 miles http://ridewithgps.com/routes/7605766

Longer course 39 miles http://ridewithgps.com/routes/7605286

Weekly Roundup

Well, that's the end of another busy week. 

Tuesday was the first evening session of the season run by Andy Cook Cycling at the Castle Combe race circuit. The track has been resurfaced and really delivers the smoothest possible ride imaginable. There was a mixed bag out on the track from small children with stabilisers to some serious looking dudes on high performance road bikes. In between was a host of mountain bikes, a hand-operated recumbent and a tandem trike. It's pretty much a case of anything goes and impossible for anyone to feel remotely out of place.

Sign-on begins at 5.30pm. Adults pay £3 and under 18's just £1. You then get to do your own thing. Slow riders use the outside of the track, fast ones the inside and medium paced through the middle. 

Whether you're looking to flex your top gears, improve your fitness or just enjoy some traffic-free cycling, it's a great place to ride.

Leighterton's Parish Church

In view of the good weather and extended daylight, Wednesday's evening club ride spread it's wings out to Luckington and up to Leighterton. Tim H has a varied selection of courses and they're definitely worth supporting.

On Friday Howard, Tim and possibly some others drove down to Bitton and then used the cycle path to ride to the Bespoked Bicycle Show at Brunel's Old Station adjoining Temple Meads railway station in the centre of Bristol. 

Saturday's club run was to The Canteen at Nailsworth. According to my wife who just happened to be walking into town at the time, the peloton made an impressive sight as it snaked its way along Bristol Street.

Also on Saturday, I rode a 200km Audax starting from Royal Wootton Bassett. The course ran through Cirencester, Lechlade, Woodstock, Lambourn, Hungerford and Marlborough. In order to qualify for my Randonnee Round the Year award I have to complete a ride of at least 200km for 12 consecutive months. This was the fourth and so just another eight to go!

Riders lining up

(Click once to enlarge the pictures)

On Sunday George raced for the first time. It was good to see our club colours on the tarmac at Castle Combe.

After a faltering start when it took two attempts to click in his second cleat, he soon got into his stride. By the time he'd reached the end of lap two he'd moved into second place. Apparently no one wanted to do the hard work at the front and as the leaders eased off, he unexpectedly found himself heading the race.

Over the next five laps he sat comfortably in the pack and finished in the top half of a field of around sixty.

Coming down the home straight

Whilst the MCCC might not be a 'racing club' it can still serve as a very useful launchpad. Without doubt had George not joined the Clarions he would never have started racing. Howard's encouragement, Max's guidance and those in the peloton who pushed him on during his early days with the club, such as Tim H, Malc, the two Andy's and Jamie, all played a significant part in him reaching the starting line.

Club Ride Saturday 11th April 2015

I wasn't present on Saturday and so can't offer a firsthand account, but I understand there was a good turnout for the trip to Toomer's Garden Centre at Lydiard Millicent.

Home from university John made a welcome return and our ranks were boosted further by Steve and Heather's daughter whom I believe was making her maiden voyage with us. With mum, dad and brother Ewan riding too, having four members of the same family on our club run must surely be a record.

There was no easy ride for John who found himself heading up the group taking the longer route.

Unfortunately Mike and Maureen arrived a little too late to join the ride and so formed their own splinter group heading off into the wind for Shipton Moyne, Tetbury and Chavenage (closed until 1st May) which ensured a tailwind home.

A very pleasant stop at Cafe 53 followed by some foolish wagers on the Grand National rounded off their afternoon.

The Famous Five's Foray to the Fish Farm

Our peloton held at the lights in Cirencester before the start of the Whiteway
(click once to enlarge the pictures)

Firstly, thanks Steve for coming up with the very apt title of this piece covering Sunday's ride.

Tim H again demonstrated why he would be a very worthy candidate for the Clubman of the Year award, that's if we had one, by joining us on his third choice bike. I say 'joining', Tim H was actually leading us, albeit shouting instructions at the back, as he was the only rider with the course on his Garmin. I've a feeling that revenge will be sweet just as soon as his number one cycle is ready.

Under a bright sky and with a stiff wind more or less behind us, we headed for Bibury.

Here they come again . . . . . . . . . 

Dropping down through Withington Woods we were met by a convoy of Land Rovers on a club rally travelling in the opposite direction. A little further on, just past the entrance to the Chedworth Roman Villa, our paths crossed again. One of them just happened to be driven by a former work colleague of Steve who recognising him, pulled over for a quick word. I seem to remember something similar happening with Steve when we went to Bradford on Avon to watch the Tour of Britain. 

The unspoiled countryside between Withington and Bibury was absolutely stunning and a pleasure to ride. Chapeau Howard.

Something fishy going on?

The morning's exertions had built up a bit of an appetite and sandwiches for lunch proved a popular choice at the Trout Farm cafe, although no one opted for trout in any of its various guises. 

A nuisance or an attraction in its own right . . . . the yellow car

Before leaving the village we showed Karine the almshouses and pointed out to her the yellow car which has recently been the subject of complaint, as it spoils some of the visitors' photographs.

Next stop Malmesbury

The return journey wasn't quite the quick 20 mile ride enjoyed by the two Andy's when they checked the course on Easter Monday. Instead, we rode straight into a lively headwind which when it wasn't battering us in the face, did its best to shake us off our bikes with sudden sideways gusts. 

Crossing the Cotswold Water Park the inevitable happened. Well, I suppose it was just a question of when. No, not a puncture, Steve was spotted again, this time it was someone from his village. 

Karine came up with an interesting theory that Steve might actually be famous and that's why he gets to be recognised so much. 

With the sun having deserted us a long time ago and dark clouds gathering, we were pleased to return home in the dry. 

Easter Roundup

This interesting contraption was recently photographed by Howard, I believe whilst on holiday in Barcelona. Much to Alison's relief, Howard's offer to purchase the tricycle was rejected by the museum. 

Now that Easter is behind us, I thought it might be useful to have a quick roundup of what’s been going on.

There were 7 members for the first Wednesday evening training ride on 1^st April 2015. Tradition dictates that any pranks on April Fools’ Day have to be played before mid-day and so with the 6.15pm start we were safe from any practical jokes.

Out on the Foxley Road we faced a brisk headwind. A Dyson employee living in Bath overtook us on his way home from work. Never slow to take advantage of an opportunity, those at the front gratefully tucked in behind him.

Saturday’s club ride saw 12 riders taking part. We welcomed back Zoe for what I believe was her second outing with us. There was a new face too as we were pleased to be joined by Derek from Malmesbury. As well as the usual suspects, it was also good to have Peter and Tony from Corston back with us again.

We left in two groups for Allington Farm Shop, although misfortune was to later bring us together a little earlier than expected.

Mark suffered a compression puncture in the potholes between Norton and Hullavington. This section of road really could do with resurfacing or at the very least, the worst of the holes being filled in (again).

Having successfully negotiated the tourists in Castle Combe we undertook the testing ascent from Ford up towards Biddestone. This particular lane running roughly parallel with the main Bristol Road sees little traffic of any description. Undeserving of any attention it was neglected for years, but has now been tarmacked, from top to bottom. The smooth surface certainly made the climb much easier, but it left me wondering on what basis road improvements are prioritised.

Turning the corner on which the impressive Biddestone Manor sits, we came across Howard, Zoe and Tim H who had a puncture. The spectacle of 12 cyclists gathered near the manor’s gates had attracted the attention of two charming ladies from within. Pleasantries exchanged and Tim H’s inner tube replaced, we completed the short distance to our coffee stop.

The return leg took us over to Kington Langley, across the Draycott Straight to Sutton Benger and up to Seagry.

https://connect.garmin.com/course/8242291 - 30 mile course.

https://connect.garmin.com/course/8524088 - 36 mile course.

Sunday saw the two Andy’s doing some sterling expeditionary work by checking out next Sunday’s course cunningly devised by Howard. By all accounts it’s an absolute cracker and with a stop in Bibury for tea and cake, what’s not to like?

And finally, Simon Barnes, who is a member of Thailand Cycling, has kindly forwarded this link to a cycling magazine covering the Asia region.

http://issuu.com/54858/docs/bicycles_united_asia_vo1_issue_1_20