September 2000

BARNEY

John Bernard, life member and past president of our club died recently at the age of 85.

John lived with his parents in Ormskirk before moving to Rock Ferry. When he lived in Ormskirk and Gordon Thompson, Andy Kelly, Doug Phillips and others called, he always treated them to a slap up meal!

John and club members used to tour Lancashire and the Yorkshire Dales quite a lot, which we don’t do these days. John worked in Cammell Lairds, and saw service with the Royal Navy. He supported the Isle Of Man Cycling week and Portugal holidays. John took great delight in taking us to his favourite pub in Ormskirk pouring Trojan bitter and Taddy Brown down our throats, it was very strong, say no more!!!

One highlight was a tour of Ireland holiday when we stopped for a drink in O’Brien’s Bar, Tipperary. We were en route for Ballymena to stay with relatives of John’s. He was in a hurry to get there so he left first, we said we would follow but stayed over-long in the bar, decided to get the train and arrived long before him much to his relatives’ amazement! John was a star in their eyes.

John was more a tourer than a racing man, over 40 years ago he did 25 miles in 1 hour 5 mins, 50 miles in 2 hours 11 mins, 100 miles in 4 hours 45 mins, 12 hours 232 miles all on 1 ¼ alloy wheels, no disc wheels or tri-bars.

Doug Phillips

WORLD MASTER

Not happy with 2 gold medals at the National Track Championships, Clive Walmsley won the gold medal and rainbow jersey in the over 60’s point race at the world Masters Championships at Manchester Velodrome. Blocked in the first two sprints and with one rider away Clive took 3 points for second, he then bridged the gap to the leader before dropping him and lead out on the last lap, too strong for anyone to come round him he won the final sprint for double points and won the gold.

Doug Phillips and Geff Brandt both performed very well.

SEVEN STANDARDS IN ONE SEASON

Congratulations to Mike Daly who has achieved all his veteran standard times this season at all 7 distances

10m, 25m, 30m, 50m, 100m, 12 hours and 24 hours.

FOR SALE

Computer- Amstrad PCW9512

Printer-Canon BJ10EX

These belong to the club so offers invited see Alan Johnston 336 6443

FOR SALE

23 inch top bike, 1 year old 18sp Campag/Mirage white /mustard. Excellent condition £250

56cm look frame- kg171 (all carbon) yellow, as brand new, record h’set, Royce titanium/b, and look carbon seat pin. £550

Call David Newby-342 6187…0378408888

THE LONGEST DAY

Bill Hanson says that we need to start preparing for a ‘12’ about a month before, by getting plenty of long rides in, and putting on a few pounds - "because you’ll burn them up during the race". Hmm, can’t remember the last time someone told me I needed to put weight on. Decide that my first priority is to finish, and my second is to make 200 miles, so the third can be to use it as a means of losing some weight.

I’m off at 6:08. So I need to get to Prees by half five, so I should leave home at half four (allowing time for traffic jams!), so I should get up at half three. So I’m in bed just after the lottery (Saturday’s, not Wednesday’s).

Wake promptly at 3:30, get dressed, can of rice pudding and cup of coffee for breakfast. All the race food I’m not carrying from the start is at Mike Garner’s - he’s looking after Les and myself, so I bundle the bike in the car and set off. Traffic-free trip, surprisingly.

Arrive at Prees just before dawn, and just after Mike Daly. Mist rolls around the fields, but the skies are clear. Ring Les. He’s just leaving home, which I consider to be cutting it a little fine, as he’s off in less than an hour. Assemble the bike and go for a quick spin. Realise it’s bloody cold with all this mist, which is now coming off the fields and onto the roads, but hopefully it should warm up soon. Get back to the car to see Mike and Les have arrived.

3, 2, 1, and I’m off. Makes a nice change, not having to start a time trial with a mad, all-out effort. Settle into a comfortable rhythm at a steady pace on my tri-bars. Am surprised to catch my minuteman before Grindley Brook, and ask him if this means I’m going far too fast. He says he’s going very slow, which I say is probably very wise! I then catch 3 more riders before Broxton. Experienced club members will know that I never catch riders in a time trial, so this makes me feel pretty good, even if it might lead to my downfall later.

First pass Mike in a lay-by between Broxton and Christleton, but don’t need a bottle yet. Turn at Christleton, and come back to Broxton. The sun is so low that I’m getting a ‘strobe’ effect as the light comes through the top of a hedge on my left - very disconcerting. Turn at Broxton and head back to Christleton. This time decide to take a bottle from Mike, but we fumble the change. Fortunately, Dave Baker is ten yards behind Mike, and thrusts a bottle into my hand. Turn again at Christleton and head back to Prees. Go through 50 miles in 2:35, and stop for a pee.

Pass once around the finishing circuit (where we execute a perfect handover), then head for Ternhill and am directed to Hodnet (as is Les), and not down the detour to Market Drayton. Unfortunately, Mike doesn’t see this and waits for ages on that road! I don’t see him again until just after I’ve turned at Shawbirch. Stop to take on food and drink and stretch my back and neck. It’s about 10:30, and warming up nicely, so hand Mike my gilet and set off again.

Pass the North End crowd, who have drinks and sponges. Mike’s with them, and I get some more food. Crack on towards Battlefield, and go through 100 miles in about 5:30. Returning from Battlefield, start to get terrible pain in my right foot. Realise it’s cramp, and try to stretch my foot. Not easy whilst pedalling. Get to the BNE group to see Les standing there - he’s packed in due to his back seizing up. Take a couple more minutes rest, and lie down to stretch my foot. Restart, boosted by the knowledge that, whatever else happens, I did better than him! (sorry Les!)

Pride comes, as they say, before a fall. Or in my case, before I go straight on where I should have gone right (in Hodnet). I end up going in a big loop, and approach Ternhill from the Prees road: over 7 miles longer than it should have taken! Am redirected back towards Hodnet, to do the roads to Shawbirch and Battlefield again. These trips are punctuated by stops to swap bottles (I inherit Les’ unused ones, which was nice!), and stretch my back and neck. I am getting absolutely knackered, and keep telling myself, "just get to the finishing circuit, then you can stop and get a distance."

Eventually, with about one and a half hours left, I arrive back at Prees and go onto the circuit. The roads here are quite heavy, and I’m happy to just keep turning the gear over. Sid Old is waiting with Mike and Les and some sponges, and I make my last bottle change. I’m still saying to myself that I’ll stop when I get back to Prees.

Of course, this is forgetting the small crowd waiting at Prees, who applaud as you go past. Can’t stop here, can I?! On to my second lap.

Time runs out just after I rejoin the Prees bypass, and then I have to ride back to the start. Mike passes me in the car and asks if I want to get in, but I’m so close I may as well finish á vélo, despite the tiredness. My computer registered something like 203 miles when I’d finished.

Pack up the bike and go and look at the board. The provisional results start to come in - I’ve got 210! We then realise that, because I arrived at Ternhill from the Prees direction, I must be down as having done that detour! The official results will make interesting reading. The event was won with 257. Mike Daly did 215 miles, and Ian Hawkins did 227.

Thanks to all the North Enders who helped out on the route, and a big thanks to Mike Garner - we couldn’t have started it without him!

Ruaraidh Gillies

PS: The official results, after they'd asked me why I appeared to have come from Prees without going there in the first place, credited me with my actual miles, and I was given 202!

WORLD RECORD!!

Doug Phillips (80), Dave Cummings (54) and Bill Bucknell (69) (Stockport Clarion) have set an age group at their Word Masters Track championships.

They recorded a time of 1 min 13 secs in the 750mtr Olympic Pursuit and beat the existing record for total age by 16 years!!!

CLUB TRACK NIGHTS AND TRACK CHAMPIONSHIP

The dates for the next club track nights are: Thursday 5th October and 30th November 8pm start. Members without track bikes will need to hire one, call the velodrome on 0161 233 2244 in advance.

The November date will also incorporate our own track championships with a couple of world record holders, and world masters gold medallist’s in the club. The rest of us should get training!!!!!!

Also Clive Walmsey is proposing that we move next years track sessions to Sunday mornings between 10am and 1pm. This would give an extra hour to work on tack skills as well as our usual format. The earlier start will also help our youngsters as the late Thursday sessions inevitably mean a late night with school the next day. Clive would be interested in feedback regarding this.

KIRBY TRACK LEAGUE FINAL STANDINGS

Geff Brandt was our highest placed rider finishing 4th overall he gained all his points this year in the tough A group. David Berry was our best juvenile finishing 2nd in his category. James Hartley, Clive Walmsley and Peter Byrne also competed.

TESTING TIMES

John Moore continues to excel setting a PB in Chester RC 50, with 1.53.11 for 4th place. We also won the team prize with Peter Byrne 2.01.59 and 8th place, Ian Hawkins 2.02.35PB and 10th place.

In the West Cheshire TTCA 25 our youngsters did very well, riding only their second ever 25 Andrew Christie was first junior with 58.30. And Andrew Massey was first juvenile with 1.03.0. Both promising rides and looking good for next season.

FLINTSHIRE CHALLENGE

Our last event of the season is on Sunday October the 15th a reminder of marshalling duties C grey, I Hawkins, P Byrne, C Byrne, A Massey, P Hudson, D Phillips, K Alston, A Flannery, J Lyth, C Neukom, B Mc Lellan, R Mc Lellan, B Mc Donald, D Mc Donough, Ann McAllister, M Robinson, S Old, M Jones and P Kay.

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