Alan McLean

What time at the clubroom please? Does anyone want to meet up around kilmacolm/BoW on the way there? Alan

Hope to be there. we will have the pleasure of 1k of the resurfaced Langbank-Houston Road which is just yummy. west Glen Road is disintegrating fast but is ok for ascent.

A lovely ride was completely ruined by the noises from Martin's cheap gruppo (some Italian tat) which clicked and creaked all the way round Argyll. Those of us with silky smooth Shimano just looked at each other and shook our heads in disbelief. Has the man no shame or self-respect? Top marks to the younger members, Greg and Sarah, who were still going strong when I bailed. They are steady riders and good at calling out dangers unlike SOME people. On the way back through Greenock/Port Glasgow I saw at least four other bunches out or at cafe stops plus a few singles. Cycling is the new black. Only 7 weeks til the days get longer, bring it on. Alan

Anyone know how long (time or miles) the 0930 clubhouse run will be tomorrow? Thanks alan

Hello Is there still a bunch leaving from clubrooms on Sunday as well? Ferry is a bit far. (My resolve to put the bike away for a month has lasted...ooh... four days.) Regards Alan

Kenny I've looked for photos but can't find them. Do we look fast and fit? If so then you've mistaken us for another club in blue and yellow. Can you post a link please? Alan

Thanks darryl. I've PM'd you. Don't know if I could face taking a fully loaded bike to Leadhills. Glass wine bottles weigh a ton. One of those Ortlieb panniers might make a nice wine bladder. Do they come with taps? A

Thanks Darryl I've lost the thread on this. Is the idea to cycle there on Saturday and back on Sunday? Or could I drive there Saturday lunchtime, cycle round the Leadhills, have refreshment and go back on Sunday morning in my big, comfy car. Alan

Lots of JWCC at Galston for the Braveheart ride. About 500 riders in total; great turnout. The rain held off but the first few miles were muddy on farmroads leading a to a couple of slides on corners. We were reasonably comfortable at around 35 kph in a good, fast bunch of twenty or so until Jason McIntyre, Alan Peiper et al. joined us and decided to push the pace. Club riders tried desperately to hang to these fit national/international athletes but the bunch blew apart. These guys are literally/physically in a different league. Duncan and I fell off the back quickly. Some of the fitter guys held on for a mile or two but soon all we could see was a little group of four or five top athletes about two miles ahead leaving victims in their wake every hundred yards. We were swept up by the groups behind and had a great last 5 miles into Galston with a fast bunch of Nightingale riders. thanks guys. Tea and cakes all round. Martin's son did the route on his lovely wee Tmobile bike and had some surprise T-mobile goodies. I'll let Martin report the details. Super end of season ride, I'm going to chuck the bike in the garage for a few weeks and cut the cables to avoid temptation. Alan

I'll be there. Duncan, I'll give you a lift. Anyone else from Kilmacolm/BoW can PM me or Duncan to car share. The pre-ride briefing suggests that D Millar and the other experts will be moving through the bunches giving everyone a chance to cycle with international riders for a spell. Excellent plan. I just hope the poor guy can face endless requests for photos and autographs. Alan

Darryl, thanks very much, excellent venue. My attendance depends on work. I'll pm you to book a place with pre-payment, even if I can't go then it's worth £15 to think about it for the next 6 weeks. We were at Wanlockhead this summer. Road surface is are surprisingly good and little traffic. The only potential problem will be ice/snow in early winter. There is a surfaced road up to the radio masts on Green Lowther which adds another thousand feet of climbing. Looking forward to it. regards Alan

Darryl I'm not sure if "Alan" is me or not. I can't book up yet, I don't know which weekends I'm working. I'd be happy to pay a tenner just to keep a place. Is this possible? If I can't make it you could buy four more bottles of White Lightning for the weekend. Just keep it away from your bearings. Alan

That's the end of the Braehead bunch for a year. In July we had up to sixteen in the bunch but only one other rider with me on the last three weeks and I came home last night with my big lights on. Finito. We'll start again in the spring from Halford's at Braehead. 1800 hrs sharp on Tuesday evenings. All welcome. Route is Bishopton, Port Galsgow, Kilmacolm, BoW, Georgetown Road, Inchinnan, Renfrew. It's an excellent group for anyone in Kilmacolm, BoW, Houston, Renfrew who works in west Glasgow. Very fast trip home. I must be a year older. Alan

Thomson Put down your Hoover and take off the Marigolds. All the good guys will be at the Trossachs TT next weekend so you should enter the race at Lesmahagow on Sunday. I can't go but I'm sure some lurkers on this forum could join you. Or would you rather go to Ikea? A

Three JW at start of B race. Jim Daly, Kerry Lang and me. Very fast along the Invertrossachs road and the bunch stayed together over the Duke's pass. The group spread out on the descent and there was a chance to get a bit of a gap going into Aberfoyle but it was pretty impossible to go fast through the town and we all bunched up again. Jim and I stayed near the front and developed a 100 yard gap which lasted three minutes. Braes of Greenock is a nasty wee hill which stretched us out again followed by a fast blast into Callander to complete the first lap. I found myself at the front along Invertrossachs road and sat up. Lots of jeers but no-one came through. I led the bunch at about 25kph for 10 mins. ( Hope no-one filmed it.) Bit faster over the Duke's Pass this time, enlivened by a wee crash, going uphill thankfully. No-one badly hurt but Kerry, Jim and I lost some ground and had to rev up for the rest of the climb. Kerry is a climbing machine but stayed away from the mad descenders on the other side. On the next leg to Port of Menteith our Jim did too much work at the front. A real break of two went off about two miles before the BoG. Steaming down the BoG the leading two opened up a thirty sec gap and half a dozen of us were racing for third. Jim was cut up by a bus and couldn't get back into the chasing group. Excellent sprint (ie they beat me) from Graham Cockburn and AN Other in the final 200m. Well done guys. I won't post winners' names because memory is unreliable. Check TLI website for details. JWCC results were: Kerry Lang 1st lady Alan McLean 5th Jim Daly 8th-ish 33(?) starters Alan

Kenny Many thanks to you and Tony for timekeeping. Alan

After today's excellent hill climb victory Jim will be team leader tomorrow. Paul is also entering. Good news. Does anyone else want to make it four on the start line from JWCC? Race tactics involve hanging on for grim death until the Duke's pass then hang on for grim death to Aberfoyle then hang on for gd until..... you get the idea. We are leaving BoW about 0800 and have space for one or two more plus bikes. Alan

Duncan and I snatched two of the last five places on Bute last week. Flushed with this success I am going to Callander for the 50 mile TLI road race. The organisers are planning an A and B race so the racing might be better matched than last weekend. (ie we were thrashed by much better riders with superior skill, strength and tactics. Well done guys) Anyone else up for it? nice forecast for Sunday. B race starts at 1015. £10. TLI website is a bit patchy on information but the Braveheart site has details. Regards Alan

Stevie I can't join you but why not come past Howwood at 11ish to see if you can pick up anyone looking for a ride at the end of the hillclimb? (Mind the spew flooding down the road) alan

Cracking turnout, up 100% from last week: Jim Daly 2.13 (fixed) Duncan Thomson 2.14( winter bike and POWERTAP. OOOOOHHHH!!!) Alan McLean 2.14(winter bike and pannier and lights) KennyS 1.20 (downhill, feeling a bit peaky) Duncan's peak output was 4.34 nanowatts. He tells me he just dials in the numbers and attacks like an cyborg. (Didn't know cyborgs could vomit at end of hill climb) We are all now honed climbing machines. (I've done it twice). See you on Saturday. Bring it on. Regards Alan

Thanks Jim That's my second race in a week with good racers. Where can I find a race with old, fat, unfit people for some real competition? Alan

Bad link. Apologies. Check out Flickr. A

JWCC at front of bunch. rare photo. http://l.yimg.com/www.flickr.com/images/spaceball.gif

Many thanks to the Bute Wheelers for excellent organisation with good marshalling and for ensuring blue skies. A