simon simpson

Big Al and I set off just after 8 from the house to pick up Aillen and head off to Miller Street. We assembled Dave (2nd timer) Darren, Jim Daly, Frank Kennedy, Mike, Lesley and Sarah appeared from nowhere ( and disappeared to somewhere after floating up John's Hill -shame as after that we calmed down). We hob-nobbed with the comic club at Quarrelton Shed before going down to Kilbirnie and up the hill to Largs. At the start of the water board 5 of us opted for the downhill to the Dalry road and back along the cyclepath while the hardlads went over to do the Brisbane Glen route: Frank, Jim, Mike and Darren. Everyone seemed to get the ride they were after and it was a first for me with an adult stoker. ss

I will be filling the McKellar / Dennis perch on the tandem with Aileen on Sunday. Meeting at 915 for 9.30 departure route tbc.... ss

In the absence of David McKellar , next Sunday, we are one crank short of a bunch... Martin is also otherwise engaged..that's a pair of very expensive cranks we have lost... In the light of this we need a Sun Run organiser / leader and I am quite happy to do this unless someone else has a burning desire. Proposed routes Option A) Clubrooms, Howood, Lochwinnoch, Kilbirnie, Largs, Brisbane Glen, Woodhall, Bishopton and home. Distance: a bit less than this week......which was 58 miles apparently Option Clubrooms, Georgetown, Erskine Bridge, Duntocher, Mugdock, Strathblane, (option to go Gartmore then) Drymen for (enforced) cafe stop and 25 miles to go home on cycle route 7 then the Georgetown. Distance: about the same as this week but probably not as exposed Speed 15-17 mph average, slower riders will be waited for at the top of hills by at least one rider. 9.30 departure from clubrooms in either case. We'll also avoid the four abreast on urban climbs, the failed communication over who has turned for home, etc. etc. Simon

I was sent this which may be of interest to members: Just a quick e mail to see if you plan on coming on Thursday night at 8.30pm to the GFT to watch Manifesto and Kranked 6 and to meet star of The Collective and Roam, Ryan Leech in person for a Question and Answer session and a master class in mountain bike riding. He’s really excited about presenting his film, talking about riding with the audience and giving a demonstration of his prodigious talent.  He’s bringing his trails bike into the cinema should it should make for an interesting night!  I can reserve you tickets to pick up on the night (just mail me!) or you can call the Box Office on 0141 332 8128.  Hope to see you there.  Cheers  Sanny

Well Kenny its lucky I've only got six 1/2 bottles of wine this year...get on that bike you! Food and wine purchased will cover 3 course cyclists dinner and breakfast with only milk and bread to be bought at co-op.. approx cost inc wine £10 Post if you will be on beer only or don't eat pig a domani Simon Simoni

Now that a 3 series is the size a 5 used to be but a 1 series is too small if you've got bikes and kids I await the arrival of the 2 series....

Is it time for a new post on the ugliest executive car? SS See you Miller St @ 8 mobiles on

Can we confirm there are no special dietary requirements... Food has been arranged.. no need for anyone to carry anything... we'll get heavy stuff on the second pass through Brodick later that day (and anyway I think the hostel sells milk ...I will phone ahead to ask but if not we can do that in Brodick) ss

The last bit is probably important.... I prefer front loading the miles... do the 105 on Saturday then the smaller loop on Sunday?

I can't make up my mind... the long route is epic but so is getting there early and doing lunch and then loop the island.... Let's loop the island.... ss

booked ref 845582 £12 each payable in cash to me any others book themselves on 01770-830-631 after 5pm ss

I tried to book for 11 male beds today but got central booking... I will do it when I get back Monaday ss Plan is a slow overland route tho' some discussion of this is required... wine and beer from Tarbet coop and Martin Al and I will organise the food

That's seven ...more takers?

This might be of interest Press Release: The Inaugural Glasgow International Bike Film Festival Following hot upon the sell out success of the Scottish Premiere of Roam at the Glasgow Film Theatre in May of this year, we are proud to present the inaugural Glasgow International Bike Film Festival. Where other bike festivals tend to shy away from the more commercial and popular bike films, at the Glasgow Festival, we embrace them. How often have you watched the likes of Ryan Leech or Darren Berrecloth on Drop In TV or on DVD and thought how great it would be to see them in action on the big screen? This is what the Festival is all about. The best films where they belong. On the big screen. Running from the 4th to the 12th of October at the Glasgow Film Theatre in Glasgow, the Festival has something for everyone, and not just cyclists, to enjoy. With a European Cinema Premiere, two UK Premieres and a unique opportunity to meet Ryan Leech and see him in action, the Festival aims to cater to all tastes and act as a showcase for some of the worlds most talented riders and film makers. David Gould Festival Director Contact: [email protected] for further information, interviews, publicity details etc Brochure Extract The Inaugural Glasgow International Bike Film Festival 4th to 12th October 2006 Welcome to the Glasgow International Bike Film Festival. This nine day festival aims to capture the essence of all aspects of cycling and how it is being expressed through the work of some of the finest directors, cinematographers and riders working in the genre today. From the thrills and spills of downhill racing in Hypnosis through the ground breaking Collective and Stripped to the jaw dropping riding in Manifesto, there is something there for everyone to enjoy. Even if you aren’t a cyclist, take a look and enter a whole new world which challenges your perceptions of what cycling is today. For further information, downloads, trailers and updates, go to http://www.singletrackworld.com the UK’s most visited website for all things bike. David Gould Festival Director Ticket prices: All tickets are £5 / £4 concession per screening with the exception of the festival finale, An evening with Ryan Leech, which costs £7.50 per ticket. A special festival saver ticket can be purchased for £22.50/ £17.50 concessions which entitles you to see all five screenings. Tickets can be purchased or reserved in advance from the GFT Box Office. Reservations should be collected no later than 20 minutes prior to the performance time. Tickets can be reserved online by clicking on the reserve tickets button on the website www.gft.org.uk Tickets for all screenings are expected to be in high demand so early booking is highly recommended. The Box Office is open daily from 12noon to 9.00pm (30 minutes before first show on Saturdays and Sundays) Glasgow Film Theatre, 12 Rose Street, Glasgow, G3 6RB Box Office: 0141 332 8128 Email: [email protected] Website: www.gft.org.uk The Glasgow Film Theatre (GFT) is Scotland’s premiere art house cinema. Specialising in European and Independent film, the GFT caters for all cinematic tastes with a wide range of both commercially successful and rarely screened independent films as well as favourite classics. If you love film, you’ll love the GFT. Prize Draw Each ticket purchased will entitle the recipient to a discount voucher for Bikelove (10% off bikes, 15% off all parts, clothes and accessories). Simply present your ticket to the staff in the auditorium and you will be given a discount voucher and free entry into the prize draw to be held at the end of the festival. Fill out your name and contact details on the postcard which will be handed out with your ticket as you take your seat, drop it in the collection post box in the auditorium and you will be entered into a prize draw for some very special prizes. Winners will be drawn randomly from a hat and will be announced on www.singletrackworld.com. If you buy a festival saver ticket, you will be given 5 chances to win. Programme Joe Kid on a Stingray Wednesday 4th October 2006 Running time: 90 minutes. Documenting the evolution of BMX from the kids in the 1970s who first modified their bikes to look like motorcycles, Joe Kid on a Stingray is the definitive account of the history of BMX. Coupling unique archive footage with interviews with the greatest riders in the history of the sport, the film charts the history and evolution of the sport from the streets of 1970s suburban neighbourhood’s to today’s stadium-packed televised Dirt, Street and Halfpipe insanity. The opening sequence alone will leave you slack jawed in amazement. www.joekidonastingray.com Triple Bill Premiere Night Stripped European Cinema Premiere - Sunday 8th October 2006 Running time: 40 minutes The second feature from Cleancut films, Stripped combines perfect light, beautiful footage, amazing locations, professional riders, loud helicopters, dangerous cable cams, and tight editing to produce one of the most eagerly awaited mountain bike films of the year. Showcasing the talents of big name riders such as Steve Romaniuk together with a host of riders you’ve never heard of but soon will, Stripped is testament to the fact that a tight budget is no barrier to big screen spectacle. A must see film that more than lives up to the hype. www.cleancutfilms.ca Evermore UK Cinema Premiere – Sunday 8th October 2006 Running time: 40 minutes Evermore is the collaborative effort of a group of Swiss filmmakers who bring a fresh European perspective to the genre. Through bringing some of the worlds best riders to some of the most spectacular locations in Europe, Evermore seeks to challenge the dominance of the Canadian filmmakers who have made mountain bike films their own. Since announcing the project, interest has grown through the media the world over to the point that Evermore is one of the most anticipated films of the year. See it for yourself first at the GFT. www.evermore.ch Clorophilla UK Cinema Premiere – Sunday 8th October 2006 Running time: 40 minutes Clorophilla eschews the conventional approach of capturing pro riders on film by bringing together a group of friends who happen to be talented riders and film makers and pooling their shared talents and skills to produce a film which is at once fresh, original and innovative. While the riding is first class, it is the friendships and an appreciation of the part that mother nature has to play as backdrop to the riding that takes centre stage. Coupled with a slick soundtrack, Clorophilla is a refreshing take on the established genre. Hypnosis Monday 9th October Running time : 105 minutes Hypnosis from Director Clay Porter is a unique fly on the wall documentary which charts the 2005 downhill mountain bike season. Capturing the highs and lows of the sport, the winning, the losing, the crashes, the injuries and the ever present need to risk everything to go that little bit faster, the film travels the globe and includes footage of the World Mountain Bike Cup Final in Fort William when local heroes Steve Pete and Tracey Mosley sent the partisan crowd into a frenzy with their winning ways. This is flat out mountain bike racing at its finest. Get ready to open your senses. The Collective and Roam Tuesday 10th October Running time : Approx 85 minutes Following the sell out success of Roam at the GFT in May, from Director Darcy Wittenberg comes another opportunity to see two films which have redefined the bike film genre. Gone are the low rent camera work and thrash metal soundtracks of old to be replaced with stunning cinematography, multiple camera sequences, a mood capturing soundtrack and a cohesive narrative style. Both films represent the collaborative efforts of some of the world’s best mountain bike riders and are an expression of their words, ideas and most importantly, their riding. It’s easy to see why these multiple award winning films have garnered both critical and commercial success and why they have set the standard for all films to follow. www.thecollectivefilm.com Written in the streets Tuesday 10th October Running time : 10 minutes Written in the streets is a documentary short from first time Director Philip Diprose which chronicles the day to day trials and tribulations of the life of a bicycle courier on the streets of London. Combining telling interviews with some hair raising footage of couriers as they duck and dive through traffic to make the next all important delivery, this film is guaranteed to make you look at couriers in an entirely new light. To be shown prior to the screenings of The Collective and Roam. An evening with Ryan Leech – Special Event Thursday 12th October 2006 Running Time: Approx 105 minutes Widely regarded as the finest trials rider in the world today, the festival will conclude with a special screening of his film, Manifesto. Trials riding has always been about finesse, control and precision. What Ryan Leech has done in Manifesto is to take the jaw dropping, gravity defying spectacle of trials riding and take it to a previously unheard of level. No one will leave the cinema without thinking that Ryan has superpowers. The screening will be followed by a question and answer session with the audience and the opportunity to enjoy some never-before-seen footage of Ryan in action. www.ryanleech.com Photographic Exhibition to coincide with the Festival Throughout the month of October, the GFT will be hosting an exhibition of the work of photographer Rob Hamilton Smith. Two years ago, Rob gave up a life in the UK as an IT consultant to follow his passions as a travelling mountain biker and photographer in Europe. Luck and being in the right place at the right time led him to living the dream working as a mountain bike guide in the singletrack heaven of Verbier whilst capturing the stunning riding and scenery of the Swiss Alps. Critical acclaim soon followed. The exhibition is a showcase for this exciting emerging talent. www.rhsimages.co.uk Thanks The Glasgow International Bike Film Festival would like to thank the Festival Sponsors without whom none of this would be possible. www.gft.org.uk www.bikelove.co.uk www.store51.co.uk www.thecyclejersey.com www.bikeverbier.com www.endura.co.uk www.paligapltd.co.uk www.chillivideo.com www.thecollectivefilm.com www.cleancutfilms.ca www.evermore.ch www.ryanleech.com www.singletrackworld.com

My Pal Al should be coming that's 4 so far....

oooops post if you are going so i can book...

So it looks like the youthie They have availability for either weekend. Cost £13 non members and Martin and I will organise the food and wine. I will go under the assumption we will go on the Saturday 7th October. Route suggestions please with distances...

new post !!!!

I seemed to have missed the debate here... I've had a small court related item to deal withjavascript:emoticon('Oh%20ya%20dancer%20!') People were out at the curry night the other night so perhaps with the help of the poll and the information from Friday Dougie will give us the definitive post? I could be wrong but I think you can add to the poll without posting but it would be far from my place to suggest you should pack your favoured option by multiple personal votes. Certainly not now... adding a few a day from the start is what I'd be doing in future!

I am afraid I can't make it as Jane is going out... thinking of a ride Saturday morning tho not with the 'ring of fire' guys

For those of you aware, and also for those unaware, I was found Not Guilty of assault at Glasgow Sheriff Court this morning. It may be on Reporting Scotland at lunchtime and 6pm. Thanks to all those club members who offered support during the difficult months since my being charged in January. There may still exist some continued action, this time concerning the reporting police constable who failed to interview two witnesses named by the complainant (and favourable to me) and failed to forward to the Procurator Fiscal another statement which supported my position as he regarded it as "more of a defence statement" The world 'full' and 'disclosure' come to mind. Thanks to all ss ps Edinburgh Bike has a sale on starting saturday

Ok time to firm up... as dougie and I discussed so it's a poll and majority verdict is the one we go with regarding place and time. my guess is Auchranie was £40 (BnB) plus our meal out and beer (another £25 to 30) £65?? I cant remember what the Youth hostel trip total cost was but it was about £13 accomodation plus food and wine (£15???) plus beer (£15???) Probably about £45 ... could be more as fresh basil is very expensive this year If the YHA options are chosen I am happy to pannier up front rear and saddle bag... by the way do you know a bottle of wine weighs 1.5kg.

Normally I'm late but today I was early!! Went out to Erskine for 9 a.m. and found only 2 furniture vans and no cyclists.... thought I might have misread the start location... anyway I rode to Bowling and knee misery prevented further distance..so just as well really I suppose..oh well best pack the car for holiday enjoy the ride ss

That's the 2006 report of course..lost a year of my life somewhere!

A report on the 2005 JWCC Audax Audax UK / Ecosse have a policy of never publishing times for the ride but it's useful to give people an idea of how demanding etc etc. The ride was 127 miles and took in the Kyber Pass(!), the Crow, Top of the World, Dukes Pass, The Katrine Circuit and 'The Snake's Back' to Drymen and then back to Johnstone via The Vale of Leven. Audax routes avoid main roads where possible and tend to be a bit rolling rather than flat blasts over a distance It was very hot and sunny most of the day with a Southerly increasing throughout the day. Twenty or so riders set off at 8 am and along the Georgetown to the bridge at a fair crack. By the bridge gaps were emerging as the ride split into 3 or so distinct groups of 7 or 8. On the hills to Strathblane the slower groups would split on the climbs and rejoin on the descents and flatter sections. This works a bit like a club run with nobody to pace the climb at a pace suiting everyone. Everyone seemed to recognise the use of sticking together which apart from anything else helps with following the route as a route sheet gets hard to read at 15 mph.... The groups were varied including riders from as far away as Manchester ( up on holiday and thought he'd join in) and a number from Edinburgh. The bikes were equally varied: from the JWCC showings of full carbon to proper touring bikes with 28mm tyres to a mountain bike with fat trekking tyres. As is usually the case the faster riders travelled light with small saddlepacks to a single pannier. Interestingly, the first rider home sported that much neglected, practical, and to many indispensible, British item: the traditional saddlebag (albeit a small one) supported on a great Scottish invention : the EDBRO Innovations saddlebag support (probably titanium). As indicated by David McKellar, at Fintry there was a 'Control' with soup, sandwiches, biscuits, tea, water etc etc. The control element is to check nobody was done a cheeky shortcut and the feed station is common on Audax events where there is a distance between potential cafe stops / shops. I've even known an unscheduled control to appear to give everyone a warm drink after 30 miles into a sleety Easterly. Most riders, including those in the first quarter home, had at least one, and sometimes 2, cafe stops at Aberfoyle's 'Wee Butt an' Ben' on The Katrine or Drymen Pottery. Audax rules state a minimum (about 9 mph) and maximum (about 18 mph) average speed over the course which may sound slow to those used to time trialling, road racing etc. Back at the clubhouse Dave had to be in place for 20 to 3 in case someone was sitting on the line of 18mph. Helping hands (me , Joyce McKellar, Campbell) joined him in arranging drinks and a pasta feed for the returners. La Famillia Da Rosa joined us in the sun to see the Inverclyde Velo pair roll in at in at about 5:05 ( having taken 9 hours 5mins averaging about 14mph overall inc stops) Next was the scream as David McK was outsprinted by Dougie down Miller Street. "See, I've still got the old magic!" boasted one of them..... by the way guys I hope you didn't race up the hills! Robert Sharp had joined them on the Aberfoyle return section. Groups came rolling in a few at a time, with Chung coming in around 11 hours (great time for your first 200) I think from his post you can see he was glad of the support and experience of those around him who had more experience at these distances. Last rider came in just before 8, almost two hours within the time limit. Martin Mulholland popped by and Scott Donaldson joined the back markers on the Crow and set off with JWCC riders from the Fintry feed zone. So that's it... the first Audax to leave Miller Street for many years, well run and well ridden. As you can see it's a sort of sociable challenge... racing up hills is there for you if you want it but so are the cafe stops to recover...if you can't hack the group you are in you just drop back and find a slower one... except, of course, if you are at the back of the back group! So watch this space so it can go in your diary for next year..... Many thanks to Triking Dave for organisation. ss