Iain Cowden

Thanks again to Jann for timekeeping, Billy & Iain Couttie for "shovin aff" & haudin' the jackets respectively. Well done to all - another real improvement in PB from Alan, on a breezy night too. Glad to have finished before the worst of the rain. Iain

Thanks again to Jann for timekeeping and well done to all on a blowy night - especially Alan on his PB! Iain

Superb effort Al - fantastic time too! Iain

No luck Carol! Well done to Jann & Karen! There were indeed some highly impressive riders in the field and it was very wet & cold when the rain came down, so fair play for sticking to it and finishing! Iain

All the best folks - fair play to you all - have fun! Iain

Many thanks to Ian & Alan T for timekeeping and haudin' up! Well done to all on a breezy night - good to see James and Richard out. nice wheels BTW James! Iain

Billy At the risk of stating the blindingly obvious: 1. Last night wasn't on the Georgetown 2. it followed 2 weeks of uncertainty as to whether or not the course was rideable due to road works 3. It was a poor night weatherwise so a low turnout was forseeable 4. Any cursory look at turnout over the past 3-5 years demonstrates that the Georgetown is , by far, the best supported course we ride. As for near things, I think we have all ridden enough to know that these can happen anywhere. Iain

Thanks for this Al. I don't personally much fancy the Smiddy option used last night - although the road is wide, the surface is poor and its is a fast/busy commuter road at that time in the evening. As Alan says, people may not actively complain about the Westferry, but they do consistently vote with their feet (or should that be pedals!) - numbers always drop markedly when we move from the Georgetown. Not sure I quite get Billy's point about roundabouts - the Westferry 10 has six, the 25 course has 14 with 2 "dead" turns thrown in and the Ayrshire course to be used for the forthcoming National 25 has a similar number of roundabouts. A few years ago we used an APR course round Kilmacolm/Quarriers as an alternative to the Sgt Law/Peesweep course. It would serve pretty well also as a TT course. The start is on the B788 opposite Knapps Loch and runs anticlockwise turning left onto the B786 (Kilmacolm/Lochwinnoch) road left again after Duchal Mains Farm onto the unmarked road to Quarriers, left again just after the 30 mph sign/Scottish Epilepsy centre, over the Gryffe up and left onto the A761(main BOW/Kilmacolm road) briefly, before turning left again at Knapps Loch to the start. One circuit is bout 7.4K, so two laps would be about 9 & 2/3 miles or so, generally rolling terrain , with a testy wee rise up to the main road after crossing the Gryffe. Others more local will have a sense of the current road conditions, but from memory I think it is pretty fair, other than the B786 section which is fairly worn. Anyway, see what you (and others) think. Looking further ahead, as I mentioned when Ramsay first posted the confined events, my view is that we need to consider an alternative to the Uplawmoor course for the League 25s. I may be wrong, but I cannot think of another club that still uses the course. The last open events I remember on that course were the Couriers about 3-4 years ago, since then they have switched. Iain

Hi Paul - sorry for the slow response - some uncertainty over our whereabouts that week-end. Looks now that I will be here, so am happy to marshall or otherwise help out again so others can ride. Iain

Superb effort and great result from Al today, on a course he might not have expected to reward him and against a quality field - simply outstanding Conditions were cold, with a biting cross wind for most of the way. After a truly horrible start I managed to settle into things a bit, and actually really enjoyed my first outing on the TT bike in 6 months - felt strangely familiar and actually very comfortable. It's a testing course for sure - my minimum speed was 10mph at one point, with a maximum of 36mph elsewhere! That said it is a great test on a mostly fine surface, on one of Scotland's great roads. I would commend the event to anyone. Chapeau to West Lothian Clarion CC for another class act in hosting the event - really impressive throughout ...well organised, superbly marshalled and rider friendly. The post race hospitality was unrivalled - choice of 4 homemade soups, bacon butties for all and a pile of delicious home baking - Just as well I was in a rush or I might have been last out! Iain

8 riders in fine dry conditions this morning. In best lifeboat tradition: Women: 1. Karen 37:15 2. Mary 39:08 3. Carol 39:34 Form much the same as last week's Restricted Gear event and another fine win for Karen, maintaining her 100% record Men: 1. Iain Couttie 27:47 2. Davie B 30:45 3 George 31:54 Other times: Graham 33:02 David 36:23 Well done to all, particularly the two clear winners Karen & Iain. Thanks to Alan T and Billy for haudin'up and encouragement! Good to see Davie B out and giving it plenty! £21 receipts to club - Billy ran away with the loot! Iain

Hi Dennis - thanks again for this. Will confirm availability nearer the time but if I can I will be delighted to join you again - always a highlight of the year! Iain

Well done to all on a tough morning and exposed course (not a favourite of mine)! Great to see Emma competing on open events. Iain

Well done to all on what proved to be a truly hateful morning! Congratulations on great efforts from Adam (without even a warm up) and Karen in her first ever TT Well done Jane on volunteering to timekeep, being so well organised and providing a car for me to shiver in! Yes Al, it was pretty baltic for hingin' aboot. Commiserations to Boyd on the mechanical. Must be a bermuda triangle in that neck of the woods at present - as Mary and I rode out the dreaded Lochlibo road from Barrhead, we saw a small hatchback in the hedge via a road sign on the wrong side of the road (facing Barrhead), immediately beyond the humped railway bridge at the Uplawmoor turn off. Hope the driver was OK and just glad we weren't a few minutes earlier. Iain

Pre-contemplative as yet Ian - looking out the window I might be better off with a ski helmet!

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/las-chronometro-aero-tt-cycling-helmets-1/ This helmet new is just under £109 at Wiggle and Halfords. This is the one I have used for the past two seasons. It is white/silver as pictured in the wiggle link above. The helmet is in virtually mint condition, complete with original box, carrying bag, user instructions and two unmarked visors in yellow and smoke. Sizing is fully adjustable (54-61cm). The helmet comes with a new/unopened set of replacement pads and velcro (£12.57). I am looking for £40 for it. A chance to venture into the world of pointy hats for a modest outlay! Pm if interested. Thanks Iain

Hi Ian If it's the accredited ride sessions it is very much DIY. Numbers vary depending on time/day. Very often a pace line forms around the blue line with riders taking their turn at the front (generally 1 or 2 laps) and saying in as long as they want/can. Depends on riders of similar strength obviously. Sometimes there are groups of friends/clubmates doing Russian Steps. Equally individuals use the pursuit line for interval training then swing up an out the road to recover as any pace line passes by. Often there are sprinters practising too but essentially folk keep out of one another's road. Generally the sessions work well and are very enjoyable. If there is no-one on after your session or the numbers are low, generally no-one chases you off. Great VFM - have fun! Iain

Thanks Ramsay. I wonder if we might consider an alternative course for for the Uplawmoor 25s, with a view to maximising participation? It is a very busy A road with an increasingly appalling surface (I had the misfortune to ride part of it yesterday)! The Ivy use a a variation on the A77 10TT course for their confined 25s. - a tough course, but relatively very quiet and by comparison a far better surface. As it uses roundabouts for turns, there is less need for marshalls than the Westferry course with it's "dead" turn. Once we move from the Georgetown we generally lose significant numbers, who just don't fancy Westferry or Uplawmoor and the increased traffic. A similar case could be made for moving the Westferry 10s, but options are limited (tho' St Christopher's regularly use the A77 for their confined 10s). People may be reluctant to travel to the A77 on a more frequent basis and want to pursue "faster" times on the Westferry. Just a thought really, but it seems a real pity if the venues in effect restrict some folks' "competitive" outings to the spring and autumn. Iain

Six of us made the run in the end. Mary, Alan, Chung, Hugh, Ken Mac and myself, Kenny C having indicated yesterday that he wouldn't make it this time. We really got the best of weather and really nice light all the way. The towpath was very quiet early on, a bit busier on the return leg and generally fine for road tyres, with the exception of one muddier section just east of Kirkintilloch. Tho' the wheel cafe was closed, the Scottish Waterways, staff very helpfully let us use the toilets there. Alan, under time constraints turned just short of the Wheel - BTW Alan the "Kelpies" was the word for Scots seahorses/the new sculptures at the Wheel, which we couldn't quite remember! A welcome stop at Greggs in Denny for coffee and food saw us ready for the run back. A couple of punctures and a minor mechanical aside, a great day out - nice to do something a bit different and to cycle outside again! Thanks to all for turning out and the relaxed company - hope you enjoyed it as much as we did! Iain

Excellent folks! See you in the morning. Hugh - Mary and I will be riding over to Temple if you fancy meeting up. Can swing past yours around 8.35am - will drop you a text later. Iain

Will do Ken, glad you can make it. Merry Christmas. Mary

Hope to join you on Friday if it's not too wet! Iain

Mary, Kenny Christie and I are going to do this again (at least one way!), leaving Lock 27 at Temple at 9.30am (about half a mile north of Anniesland Cross). If anyone is at a festive loose end and wants to join us, they are very welcome. A hybrid or cross bike Is probably best for the towpath, but a road bike is fine. I will use my fixed wheel. Hip flasks are encouraged but not mandatory! Iain

I will join you folks at 9.30am - haven't ridden outside in 3 weeks! Iain

Aye, well done to all right enough. Indeed, the standing start on a slope (not to mention the riding as a team) is something that merits care and practice! Thanks to Al for captaining the Nowheres and to all for riding at a realistic pace given the constituent parts! Iain