Dougie Da Rosa

Sorry guys,my mum is back in hospital and need to go visiting. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For all your computer needs, spares & repairs - PC Express, Love Street, Paisley 0141-561-0323 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Although I have known of your decision before today I only became aware that you had posted this subject under personal.I wish you the very best Sean with your racing this year,Im sure the training you are embarking upon and the fact you are a new father will stand you in great stead.Both yourself and Suzanne have been great supporters of the club for many years either in social evenings and sponsorship so Im sure no-one with the club in mind will grudge your decision.You are racing with a very strong team,they had some great results on the road this year,Im sure you can only add to those in the various Time Trialling events you will enter this year,good luck and good on you.Eh I take it wee Alex is gonna be a Wheeler and not a Beacher?!!! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For all your computer needs, spares & repairs - PC Express, Love Street, Paisley 0141-561-0323 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sean wish the Big Man all the best and tell him that he can target the Arran trip next year as a comeback!! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For all your computer needs, spares & repairs - PC Express, Love Street, Paisley 0141-561-0323 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hey have you thought about where those shoes and pedals came from?,the last guy who jumped ship fae the GRC and he was so messed up after Roabbie got him that he still canny ride the bike !!!.But hey we have a few good T.T'ers already so dont worry too much. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For all your computer needs, spares & repairs - PC Express, Love Street, Paisley 0141-561-0323 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Any chance of that number too Kenny?. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For all your computer needs, spares & repairs - PC Express, Love Street, Paisley 0141-561-0323 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I will bring some chocy bics and you can either put them in yer peeces or dip them in your soup!! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For all your computing needs, new machines, spares & repairs - the Yellow Computer Shop, Love Street, Paisley 0141-561-0323 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I have been doing a bit of thinking recently regarding my approach to training and have been asking various people some questions about their approach to training off season and during the racing season and have found that most folk have a different outlook towards this and yet are at the same time not a million miles away from each others views(if that makes sense!).At the Braveheart dinner on friday I looked around at all the assembled riders and thought these guys must be doing something right(except Al Yeoman who drinks like a fish!!)and must be getting the correct advice from somewhere,and there it was staring me in the face at the next table,Mark Young,cycling coach!.Now up until now we have only used Mark's services for a power test which ,for whatever reasons we never took him up on a back up to that test ,from which we would have gained much more info I am sure .So I think that if we were to post some questions to Mark regarding our training and nutrition on the Bunch,if sufficient folk feel it would help by Mark paying a visit to the clubrooms for an evening we could surely benefit from his experience,at a cost obviously.Am I alone in this way of thinking?,does everyone else have a sufficient enough training plan for the winter and coming season?,if so let me know(or dont) and I may just have to rent the clubrooms myself and get Mark in on a one to one!! By the way,reading a lot about creatine recently,anyone tried this,good,bad,waste of money?,maybe Mark could answer me this as the first of many questions I have?. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For all your computing needs, new machines, spares & repairs - the Yellow Computer Shop, Love Street, Paisley 0141-561-0323 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The dinner night was absolutely brilliant.A whole host of celeb's and happy faces was a sight to be seen.Mixing with guys like Chris Hoy,Graeme Obree,Brian Smith,Alan Miller not to mention Paul Rennie,Evan Oliphant and the regulars Jim Cuisick and Hugh Jamieson.The food was top drawer,the auction frantic and jovial and a fantastic amount of money raised,in the region of £7k I believe.I usually judge a good night out by the time it takes me to loose the hangover,considering I got home at 4 am and the head cleared at 7pm saturday night it was a damn fine night and roll on next year. THE BRAVEHEART DINNER SPONSORED BY ALKA SELTZER!! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For all your computing needs, new machines, spares & repairs - the Yellow Computer Shop, Love Street, Paisley 0141-561-0323 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

First a word from my new sponsor"made with a full glas and a half of fresh milk",work that one out yourselves!!. Anyway,I am willing to continue organising the Aran weekend along the same lines as the two previous years if there are sufficient numbers,3 would do you know,but I so enjoyed that malarky on saturday that I would be willing also to do the old hostelling thing.P.S. do you bring your own white bread or is it supplied in-house?!! "HAVE YOU VISITED CADBURY LAND YET?" (just down the M6 next to Birmingham). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For all your computing needs, new machines, spares & repairs - the Yellow Computer Shop, Love Street, Paisley 0141-561-0323 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Is it me or have these advert for the Yellow Computer Shop just appeared today?,who is it and why are they there?,do we know them,are they sponsoring us? Just curious that's all. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For all your computing needs, new machines, spares & repairs - the Yellow Computer Shop, Love Street, Paisley 0141-561-0323 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aw heh whit's awe this banter aboot man?,me an' the burd cannae mek oot a wurd yeez ur gon oan aboot,get the lingo boyz,goat tae go the wean Larsson is greetin,must waant a supper fae the chippy.Cheers doll.

I have just awoke from one of the biggest nightmare dreams I have ever had but strangely with a large grin on my face .It began with us turning up at the ferry to discover it was broke and even Al Yeoman hinting about me havin a wee quick look at it we decide to take Darryl's(or is it Darren)suggestion to ride at a fast pace rucksacks and all to Wymess Bay to grab the ferry just as the ramp was getting lifted .After what we felt was a 10 minute break on the ferry we were back on the bikes again with Simon S already showing his appetite for eating miles with about a ton of gear in his panniers!.Another wee ferry dropped us at Colintrive where the wee ticket wifey was getting a bit stroppy before Darryl could calm her down and get her to take our money .This was where it all began to go uphill,the Pannier-ia boys setting the pace followed closely by myself,Ian Manson,Scott D and Martin M,the other lads slipping off the back slightly,thats what they get for bringing their carry oot,at least thats their excuse !A quick photo shoot above Tighnabruach,sharp descent then up again and down into Portavadie to grab another boat to Tarbet where we thought we would have time to catch lunch,but,to Andy C's dismay we had to get moving or we would miss the Clonaig ferry,damn !Now up to this point Jim Brogan has not been mentioned in my run down but the big man was rippin up those hills on his fancy new steed,carbon no less I must add.He seemed to have found a new lease of life when climbing but when I heard him telling himself that the hills were only an optical illusion I nearly fell off laughing but trying to keep up with Ian manson(130bpm)took up my attention,Ian had grabbed a march on us and went scuttling up the climb followed by the rest of us and this was where the miles were starting to tell,you dont hear that nice lad Steve Hickey swear often but some of the obscenities would turn your milk,that tells you how he was feeling .One more ferry,after we managed to share 3 small baguettes and 3 slice of meat between 11,its the loaves and fishes trick again !!.Incredibly 7hours after leaving Ardrossan we touched down on Arran but still had to climb the Boglie to get to the hotel,nightmare no.2!.I dont know how we managed it,dont know who was first to top,who's ba'burst or who was sick,who cramped up but we still reached Auchrannie in one piece and together,great team work.A wee lounge about the pool,sauna and dressed,it was time to drink the town dry,aye right,I think we averaged 4 pints each and then we all retired to bed gubbed .Oh,top tip from Simon,if you dont have earplugs,white bread is good!!!!.The next morning after a mega brekkie we split up,some went home early,some went over the Ross and String roads including Big Jim with renewed enthusiasm for the hills,says he doesn't want to ride on the flat anymore!!.I dont know what Davie Mc Kellar ate for breakfast but he was flying on sunday,leaving us all for dead on the hills and even going off the front,what was going on there ?.The return journey on the ferry would have been uneventful had the boat not veered left sharply and some wee wummin on a wheelchair went flying across the dining area,thankfully unharmed but brought on some amusing thoughts.Back on dry land we all headed home in cars thanks to Jim and Davie Mc k's wife coming down for him.Many thanks to all who attended,for the laughs,the teamwork,moral support to others when struggling and for just being in my mad dream,if that ever came true nobody would believe me,would they?

Yes Simon that is still the arrangement.Last on the ferry buys the beers.

Well lads the forecast is great for the weekend so bring your sunblock !!.This could also be last chance to ride your good bike before the salt goes on the roads ,oh and I believe that one of us is taking a new machine on it's maiden journey ,be at the ferry to see who and what!!.It's a cracker.

Not to be outdone I hear the GRC have enlisted their own style of sports massage:Robbie Robertson in a skinsuit and a major bottle of engine oil!!! He's still waiting on his first booking.

Hey Kenny I forgot to tell you I met Bob Finnie in August at Applecross camping,he had just been at your old man's over in Skye so we had a good chat and he told us a right few good stories.Top Bloke.

Well David while your on the subject of being challenged in some form or another I shall point out to those who dont know me that I am a bit vertically challenged which causes certain problems when in public,especially when trying to get served at the bar,so if you dont mind I will give that one a back seat this weekend!!!!!!!!!

Ian,I will strike a deal with you.I pay your ferry fare as long as you dont sing at the Karaoke in Brodick on saturday night!!!! .You and Big Jim,"unchained melody"

Well if you two are driving down and we are riding,I think you two could swim across and we will meet you at the terminal at the other side!!!!

Before you start to panic lads the pace is not to be of a level at which we will all be sweating.This message is to provide some info about departure time and expected arrival back on the mainland hopefully as agroup of 12!!.To catch the ferry at 9.45 I suggest we leave the Clubrooms at 7.45 and head down the cycle track which will be safer than the main road until Dalry where we can head over the hill to Ardrossan.This gives us plenty time should we have any mishaps.Practising alcoholic Alan Yeoman is going to drive to ferry as are some others and Al has said he will come and collect rucksacks and take them to ferry.Take with you some gladrags for saturday night,some smellies as you will be honking after riding all day,a pair of speedos or shorts for swimming in and some alka seltzers in case it turns into a serious night!,oh and money,40 quid accomodation and brekkie,ferry fair,approx 10 quid incl. bike,lunch vouchers and beer tokens also required,I think a grand will cover you!!!!!!!!!!.Any questions ask them,any thoughts spill them,any doubts keep them!.

Al,you must have posted this message when you got home from Maty's Party on saturday as it sounds as though you are still pi##ed!

As you may well know the PM was taken into hospital today.As he exited his vehicle at the entrance he was asked about the British and American war against Iraq and if he had any comment on the rumours about an invasion into Aran to which he replied "as far as Im aware the boys are just going for a wee cycle and a few bevvies,if you need more info speak to Dougie Da Rosa at the Wheelers"!.At that point he was pushed through the front door and straight oot the back to a private hospital where he will get fixed first time.

As Jane and I are die our first small, hopefully future champion around Christmas/New Year it would suit us better locally.

Well the Arran trip is now fully subscribed with Anthony from Auld Reekie making up the twelve who are no doubt going to attract a rather large amount of attention from the Party Polis on the island .Unlike last year where we had the clocks going back to confuse matters we are going a bit earlier to avoid that problem but I am quite sure something else will fill that gap eh ?! .If any of you have any questions or suggestions please speak up now cos if you give me any hassle you will just have to deal wi Big Jim B and you dont want that do you?!!

No problem Andy,as soon as I have numbers filled I will post full details of weekend timing.So far the whispers about the Stripper Sisters appearing have yet to be confirmed,there is time yet you know.!! .Cheers Andy.