December 2000

CLUB TRACK CHAMPIONSHIP

The club track championship meeting was held on Thursday 30th November. Geoff Brandt coached and organised the event to his usual high standard, assisted by John Burgess, even producing a programme and timetable!

The riders were split into two groups: championship riders and non-championship, and in-between the competition the B group carried out various track exercises.

In the track championships Mike Garner won for the second time in three years (Geoff Brandt was unable to defend his title due to track duties)

FLYING 200m
1st. Mike Garner 12.86
2nd Paul Bannon 13.02
3rd Andrew Massey 13.06

25 LAPS POINTS RACE
1st Mike Garner 12 pts
2nd Peter Byrne 9pts
3rd Clive Walmsley 8pts

20 LAPS SCRATCH
1st Paul Bannon
2nd Clive Walmsley
3rd Mike Garner

FINAL OVERALL
1 Mike Garner
2 Paul Bannon
3 Clive Walmsley

An enjoyable evenings racing, but I think the club should hire a coach to enable Clive Walmsley and Geoff Brandt to race, they have shared the coaching duties between them but this denies them a ride!!

CHRISTMAS TEA

Please note a change of venue for the Christmas tea this year. Due to the Rigger being unavailable we will be having our tea at the Vaults in Armour Street, behind the Bike Factory Chester. Dave Parry has arranged for all our bikes to be secured.

The date is Sunday 17th December to arrive at the Vaults at 12 noon. All to meet at the Mills at 10am for the club run and free wheel competition.

Book your place now with Mike Garner on 648 3843 or see him at the clubroom.

LONGEST DAY: PART THREE

I thought I should reply to Alan's piece in last months circular.

Alan,
Although I cannot match your 292 miles in one day, if I may, I would like to make two observations on your 'Longest Day'.
Even though my previous claims may have been for mileage covered during the course of Audax events spreading over more than one day, I have only claimed distances covered in one day - that is, from the start to the last control point before midnight on that day or from the first control point after midnight to the finish.
The other point I was made aware of when making my first claim was that mileage covered in races could not count - sorry Alan your day was only 62 miles.
If we can count racing miles I am sure none of us could get close to Jack McA. or before that Don Spragget in their 24hr rides.

Mike Daly

(How was I supposed to know I was going to open this can of worms by writing a piece on my 'twelve'? Sheesh! :-) Ruaraidh)

CENTENARY DINNER

The club centenary dinner took place on Saturday 18th November at the Woodhey Hotel.

The evening was a great success and well attended by North Enders and partners.

John Helms and Bev Wood were the principal guests.

John Helms is Cycling Weekly’s cartoonist and penned one of his comic strips for the programme There were excellent speeches from John Helms, Bev Wood, and Gordon Thompson.

Club President Andy Kelly and Gordon Thompson cut the club's birthday cake, made and donated by Mrs Hazel Hawkins.

The trophies (all restored to their former glory for the occasion) and medals were presented by Ian Steel (Tour of Britain winner 1951)

John Moore was presented with a trolley to take away all his Five trophies and eight gold medals. He won all the club time trials (apart from the hill climb where he finished 3rd)

We had a slightly different photo display this year with member’s photographs from days gone by…

A memorable occasion for all, thank you to all the organisers.

CLUB WEEKEND

Thirteen brave souls gathered at the Eureka café on Saturday morning 28th October, the torrential rain having already put off the youngsters!! James Hartley at least made it to the Mills but then took up the offer of a lift with Jack and Marge. Keith Boardman was another absentee, but at least he was supporting his son in his attempt on Eddie Merckx’s World Hour Record.

Harry and Doreen Mahar took our bags; so caped and covered we set off to our watery fate.

On one particularly steep climb we found ourselves shooting the rapids as the road turned into a fast flowing river! Surviving that we stopped for lunch at Corwen. Due to the bad conditions we opted out of the planned ‘off road’ section and eventually arrived at our digs in Llander Valley youth hostel, luckily very warm, with a good drying room.

After a good meal we set off for the local ..

Benefiting from the extra hour the following day, refreshed and raring to go we split into two groups.

Mike Daly, Colin Gray and Mel Vasey headed straight back, while Dave Russell took the rest of us on a more scenic route over numerous climbs We got within an hour of the Mills in fine weather before the rain hit us again!!!

Thanks to Mel Vasey for organising the weekend. Harry and Doreen for baggage control and Jack Mac for the tea and cakes.

MOUNTAIN BIKE RACE

As this event has already happened, I shall replace its notice with an exclusive report:

Chris Byrne assumed control of organising this year's MTB race. We had been promised a "mystery tour" around Burton Woods, but when Andy Tempo, Mike Garner, Danny McDonough and I left the Mills, Chris took us towards the Wirral Way. We then proceeded to discover how muddy the Wirral Way gets the day after a torrential downpour, although Danny quickly remembered he'd left the gas on and doubled back.

To be fair, the work to create the National Cycle Network has made the worst parts of the Way a lot better, although on the other hand we were using the footpaths quite a bit! The bikes cast bow waves as we ploughed through large puddles, and only Andy with his full mudguards was anything less than totally filthy by the time we came to Thurstaston café.

Chris' organisational skills were shown in all their glory here, as there was no sign of the roadies who had been told where to meet us. So we pressed on towards Thurstaston Common, and thence to the woods by Montgomery Hill.

Worn sandstone paths, and treacherously boggy mud gave rise to 'Nam-style flashbacks of Flintshire rides I thought I'd been able to put behind me...

On arrival at the race route, Chris led us on the lap he'd selected: up a slope (crossing over some exposed tree roots), around a large chunk of undergrowth, and back down the hill. Not a bad course, actually, although Mike didn't like going for a burton on the tree roots. However, we decided that four riders and no marshals does not a race make, and so we headed for the nearby Farmer's Arms for a pint and a sandwich. Noteworthy incident here: one of the bar staff was outwitted by Chris Byrne! Whatever next?! :-)

Previous Newsletters: 2000 January February March April May June July August September October November
1999 January February March April May June July August September October November December
Email Pete about anything in here