Dennis

Kenny, What if everyone wants their bag(s) taken in the car - will there be enough space? How many bags can be carried? Is it a car or a truck? Is it first come first served, or what? Maybe this should be made clear, as I don't want to be the only one struggling up to Wanlockhead with panniers! Will there be two groups - the bagged and bagless? Dennis

Just to say that Dave Philip has booked up direct and we'll both meet up with the Bunch at Johnstone on the Saturday morning. Got my panier rack fitted and the hire/carry rate is £10 per kilo What's the latest plan regarding the meeting up time? Dennis

Hi Darryl, I meant to ask you this at the spinning on Wednesday but forgot, then tried to send a pm but don't think that worked. A life-long cycling pal of mine, Dave Philip, Dunbar, may be able to come along on the Wanlockhead weekend. He knows some of the club members from the Peebles run this year. Are there any spaces left if he can manage to come? Sorry for being so late in the day. Dennis

Hi David, Looking for a longer ride this week with a definite cafe stop - any chance? Dennis

One of the first reminders about being back from Virginia was the very long descent through thick, black cloud on the way to Glasgow on Sunday morning -as it happen, just as the club run was about half an hour down the road. Managed to get five bike runs in when in South West Virginia - a total of about 170 miles. Will say again, a great place for cycling. Stevie, I told Fred Morini that you were asking from him, and he remembers you as 'the fast time trialist from Scotland'. Lee Willis, who kindly arranged a bike for me when I was over there, was in Fred's training camp in March too and wonders if you were there at the same time. Will be out on Sunday and am also looking forward to Wanlockhead. Dennis

Hi All, Greetings from Very sunny Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia Managed to find a computer and have seen all the posts about the November 'Arran' weekend. Count me in again please. First went to Wanlockhead in 1959 when they had nae hot watter! Have managed to get three bike rides here on a borrowed bike and, believe me, its fantastic country for cycling - great roads, fantastic weather (80s every day), great scenery and very friendly people. Also met and rode with Fred Morini, an Itialian ex pro with Gerolsteiner. Fred is planning to run a training camp here in Apr09. This is well worth thinking about. If you want to know more about him, his website is www.fredmorini.com. See you a week on Sunday after the jet lag has worn aff. Dennis

Hi David, Please count me in, but I won't be able to start till 17th October. Hope that's ok. Dennis

Hi Daryl, Please count me in for 24th November. Will we need lights? Dennis

Any of the non Bealach people fancy going over to Peebles next Sunday? The Peebles Cycling Club are running 50, 70 and 90 milers in the beautiful Borders. I'm thinking of doing the 70 - Peebles, Broughton, Moffat, St Mary's Loch, Innerleithen, Peebles. You can enter on the day. If anyone is interested and wants to hook up, please let me know on 01555 895 616. Dennis

Well done, Aileen. More medals for the wall... yours, not China's - that one's yet to come next year! Dennis

Following the response from thousands of people, Downing Street has altered the proposed wording: An email to petitioners says, "You recently signed a petition asking the Prime Minister to "Listen to cyclists and not approve the revised highway code." The Prime Minister's Office has responded to that petition and you can view it here: http://www.pm.gov.uk/output/Page12275.asp Prime Minister's Office" Well done everyone who signed the petition! Dennis

Tried to post a report on this run on Sunday but, after thousands of words, I pressed a wrong key and the whole thing disappeared !!!!!!!!!!!! Suffice to say, Chung, Howie, Daryl, Colin, Lesley and myself had a great run over to Largs, via Kilbirnie, and back via Loch Thom. Good cafe stop in Largs, great weather avoiding all the rain, and super company. Dennis

I will be at the clubrooms for the usual 9.30am club run and hope to see lots of wheels. Weather may not be typical of July, but what the heck.... Dennis

Hi Campbell, Just seen the posts after a trip down south. It was a good run up the the big hill out of Johnstone, over to Largs, then up to Loch Thom. Thanks for the tow back along the Georgetown Road! It was great to see Alex and I hope he is back on the bike soon. See you Sunday. Dennis

Bob, It is generally recognised by the UK cycling fraternity that this legislation would cause serious problems for road cyclists. 'Alternative or adjacent routes' could be a path a mile, or just two yards away, from the road. Never mind the Labour Party - Carrington Ostrich Farm is looking for more ostriches to stick heads in holes. Dennis

This has been taken from an email passed round the Edinburgh Road Club mailing system. It is extremely important to us, as road cyclists. *A planned revision of the highway code seriously infringes cyclists right to use roads (details below)* ** Our right to ride on the road is in jeopardy and we should all take action as below. The revised Highway Code says cyclists should "use cycle facilities where possible". If this Code is approved, cyclists will effectively lose the right to ride on the road where there are alternative routes or adjacent facilities. The implications of this are too bad to contemplate. First we will suffer more abuse and intimidating driving, second, if a cyclist is involved in an accident and tries to claim damages, the insurance companies are likely to argue that the rider contributed to the accident by not using a cycle facility. The Highway Code has been laid before parliament. It will automatically be approved unless it is referred to a House of Commons Committee which cannot amend it and can only recommend the whole document be rejected. It will take an unprecedented amount of adverse publicity to persuade the government to reject the Highway Code in its entirety. The CTC HQ Campaign team are working hard to find some way of achieving this and will obviously require national support.Meanwhile HQ says it will do no harm to support the petition which is at http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/roads4bikes/ It is interesting to note that 35 MP's objected to the original revised wording. Unfortunately, the replacement wording is no better. Only 11,000 objections were received to the previous wording. There are over 50, 000 in the CTC alone who should now be objecting. If this Highway Code is approved by government cyclists will effectively lose the right to ride on the road where there are alternative routes or adjacent facilities. Please register your name on the petition and persuade others to do the same. http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/roads4bikes/ Dennis

Hi Martin, I registered on 15th February (2007 that is). Aileen and I will be riding the 50 mile event on the tandem. Don't know if Aileen has registered, as she has been away. Can you please remind us of the sign in/start times? Thanks. Dennis

Hi Martin Please put me down for 2 tickets for the big event . Let me know how and when you want paid. Thanks Dennis

Hi David, I hope to be there on Wednesday. The good thing about an abs workout is that you get to lie down. That's even better than cycling, where you only get a seat. Is there a positive thinking session too? Dennis

My Tour De France 2006 Further to my incoherent non-querty keyboard posting on 21st July, here is a link to a photo webpage that contains some of the memories of the tour. An old pal (and two times PBP rider) from Edinburgh Road Club, Gareth George, and myself took the European Bike Bus from Middlesbrough to Perpignan. Thirty hours on the bus was a bit long, but it was generally a great way to travel. With 40lbs of cargo on each of our bikes, we started our tour at Perpignan on 10th July and travelled west, along the Pyrenees. We camped or hotelled in Quillan, St Girons, Tarbes, Lourdes, Campan, then north to Montegut, Fleurance, Miramont de Guyenne, Echowgmac, Angouleme, Confolens and Poitiers. I got the bus back from Poitiers after 800 miles in three weeks, and Gareth stayed on for another two weeks. He then met up with other friends and they took part in a cycling festival FFCT SEMAINE FEDERALE at Chateauroux (along with 15000 other cyclists). The temperature was around a hundred most days, and we missed all three thunderstorms, either because they occurred at night (and we were in a hotel), or we were drinking orangina in a café bar as we watched the TDF on telly. We took the train from Lourdes to Pau and watched the finish of stage 10 at Pau, then saw the Tour on its approach of the Col de Tourmalet the next day. The following day, we cycled up the other side of the Tourmalet, and we met a Scot who runs a cycle touring business in the area. He was with a client and cycled up the last few miles of the 6000 footer with us. At the clubroom last week, Steve Hall and I had been talking for about 10 minutes before we both realised that we had met before. Yes, he was the guy from the Tourmalet! Having met him in both situations, I would entirely agree with David McKellar’s recommendation of Allant Holidays. The captions of the pics start with a number (month/day/pic no.) and you can see some shots (from 10th to 20th July) of the general area in which Steve operates. Feel free to click on the link and take a slide-show glimpse into a wonderful country for cycling, a couple of close-ups of the TDF, and the fun enjoyed by two auld pals let loose on bikes in a foreign land. Dennis http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/denbwhite/my_photos

I can see from all the posts that you're a' gettin' a bit excited! Have a great time and I'll definitely be with you next year! If I can... Look out for the seals on the rocks opposite Brodick Castle. Dennis

Well done, Aileen. We (especially Dave and I) all knew you were capable of this win and you have proved it to yourself once again. Average speed of about 32mph huh? No bad. Dennis Congratulations Aileen. It'll take me a while to catch you but I'll keep at it! Morag

Simon, First time I've had a chance to come into the site this week, and I'm absolutely delighted, but not at all surprised, to hear your news. Like everyone else, I wish you and your family well after this debacle. I also missed out on the curry night, didn't I? How are all the rings of fire now, then? Dennis

I would also like to thank everyone who organised the event yesterday - everything from grub to massage and from ferry tickets to broom wagons! As Darryl says, this is the kind of thing that sets the club apart... Dennis

Hi all just q quick note on q non querty keyboqrd to sqy that the TDF is fantastic: but too hot!!! saw real tdf at pau and near tourmalet but the last fez days (on tv) in the alps were magic nesspah we have cycled over 600 miles in terrific heat and are drinking orangina by the galleon: what a lovely place for cycling _ caffys everywhere!! hope you are all well and also enjoying warm weather: see you soon dennis