GrahamF

The fourth and final of the 2016 Reliability rides, West Kilbride, 72 miles, is on Sunday 28th February. The weather is looking good so lets hope it stays that way! All rides will leave from clubrooms on Miller Street. As per previous years, there will be three bunches with the slower bunch leaving at 9:00am, the second bunch leaving at 9:15am and the racers leaving at 9:30am. Bunches closer together than usual so as to get back in time for those going to the track in the evening. The route http://www.mapmyride...-route-14021498 Shorter options are available, the 9 o'clock bunch may choose to cut a few corners off the route and go out via the Kilmacolm cyclepath and return via Haylie Brae, that would cut the route down to about 52 miles. Tea, coffee, soup, rolls, cakes will be served in the clubrooms at the end of the ride, donations of food gratefully accepted, please indicate what you will be bringing in your posting. If you haven't brought any food to the reliabilities this is your last chance this year! Thanks to those who have contributed previously. A volunteer please to heat the soup, etc. for this week.

Options, with round trip distances from BoW, could include: Lochwinnoch, from 13 miles upwards depending on route. Erskine Garden Centre, from 15 miles upwards. Stewarton, 40 miles Largs, 50 miles Maybe best to stick to one of the shorter options and add in extra miles when we see how we get on.

Weather looking good for Monday (22/2) after a wet weekend. We often meet on the cycle track behind Amaretto's in Bridge of Weir at 10:00 for weekday rides, but happy to meet at another time and place if that doesn't fit with you. Any other takers for some gentle miles and a cafe stop? Graham.

Looking at the latest forecast I don't see any improvement, so I think it would be only the hardiest of souls who might venture out for this run tomorrow. Iain, perhaps you could keep the soup in the hope of better weather next week? Going to be an indoor day for me, but I might give the turbo a go.

The third of the 2016 Reliability rides, to Sinclair Street (Helensburgh), 58 miles, is on Sunday 21st February. All rides will leave from club rooms on Miller Street. As previously, there will be three bunches with the slower bunch leaving at 9:00am, the second bunch leaving at 9:30am and the fastest bunch at 9:45am. The route is here: http://www.mapmyride...t-route-1827559 Tea, coffee, soup, rolls, cakes will be served in the club rooms at the end of the ride, donations of food gratefully accepted, please indicate what you will be bringing in your posting. If you haven't brought any food to the reliabilities yet there is still time, thanks to those who have contributed previously. A volunteer please to heat the soup and open up the club rooms.

Looks like a nice inn Paul, can add it to the options on where to stay. I hope to cycle from home, without any 'cheating' by getting a train, though that may work best for others. Regarding a route, I cycled to Newton Stewart last year via Straiton and Glentrool which was a lovely quiet road over the hills. I am flexible as to the length of the trip, but happy to fit in with the time constraints of others. We could perhaps have two groups with different durations but meeting up at the same accommodation.

I'm thinking of doing a short cycle tour in May, possibly to the Galloway / Isle of Whithorn area across the bank holiday weekend of 1st May. Maybe 2 nights away, approx. 90 miles cycling each way, plus a tour of the area in the intervening day. The route could be shortened by getting the train to Ayr. Accommodation could be hotel / B&B / holiday lodge, typical price £70 B&B per night for a twin room. Anyone interested in doing a little touring, and seeing another part of our beautiful country? Details to be thrashed out, could drive down and enjoy 3 days touring the local area at a pace to suit, etc.

The second of the scheduled 2016 Reliability rides, to Moscow, 46 miles, is on Sunday 14th February. Lets hope for better weather this time. All rides will leave from clubrooms on Miller Street. There will be three bunches with the slower bunch leaving at 9:00am, the second bunch leaving at 9:30am and the fastest bunch at 9:45am. The route is here: http://www.mapmyride...w-route-1787383 Tea, coffee, soup, rolls, cakes will be served in the clubrooms at the end of the ride, donations of food gratefully accepted, please indicate what you will be bringing in your posting. One contribution per person across the 4 weeks of Reliability rides will mean a hearty snack for all at the end of each ride. Jane says she'll defrost the soup prepared for last time and heat it up this week. Bring your Valentine along to join in the fun! Shorter ride options will be available for those who don't feel up to the full distance.

I'll come out for this one Gerard, as you say weather currently looking good so should be fun. Graham.

Given the 'detonating' weather I suggest a reliability in the club room on turbos. The forecast temperature and the rain are generally survivable, but when coupled with the forecast wind I think it's looking both uncomfortable and potentially dangerous. I'm told the soup will freeze until next week, let's hope for better weather then!

I'd like to give it a go, not been on a track before so will be starting from scratch and will need a bike and shoes.

Thanks for pointing this out Iain, don't know how I managed that, but it's fixed now on the original posting.

The first of the 2016 Reliability rides, the Tour of Renfrewshire, 40 miles, is on Sunday 7th February. All rides will leave from clubrooms on Miller Street. As per previous years, there will be three bunches with the slower bunch leaving at 9:00am, the second bunch leaving at 9:30am and the fastest bunch at 9:45am. The route http://www.mapmyride...e-route-1730016 Tea, coffee, soup, rolls, cakes will be served in the clubrooms at the end of the ride, donations of food gratefully accepted, please indicate what you will be bringing in your posting. One contribution per person across the 4 weeks of Reliability rides will mean a hearty snack for all at the end of each ride. A non riding volunteer please to heat the soup, etc. for this first week. If you don't feel ready for the full 40 miles at this stage in the season, don't worry there will be others in the same boat and there are various shorter options available. Just come along and work up an appetite for the soup!

Had a good run out. Didn't even see any snow, never mind ice. Brisbane Glen and Fairlie Moor were both on good form, though a bit of a headwind down the Glen! The Bagel Basket was busy with about 16 Fullarton Wheelers, but fortunately there was still some cake left. A good 45 miles and no rain!

I've not been to the Bagel Basket for a few weeks, and it looks like it could be dry tomorrow so I'm planning to take a trip. Meet at the Pullman pub in Kilmacolm at 09:30, then the high road to Greenock, Brisbane Glen, Largs for coffee. Return via Hailie Brae or Fairlie Moor. Happy to have some company and to vary the pace to suit any group - so long as you wait for me too! Please post if you are planning on joining me or I may go earlier.

Attached is a provisional calendar for Confined Events for the coming year. As you will see I have also included for reference a number of open events and other club activities to help see how they all sit together. I have included the published date for the Scottish National 10 and 25 TTs, and included two confined events at those distances before the respective National event. Also, I've not specified a location for the confined 25s yet, and suggest that potential competitors agree amongst themselves where they would like it to be. Graham. Provisional 2016 club calendar - as at 14-1-16.pdf

I plan on being out for this one Gerard. See you then.

Thanks Kenny, I've come across this piece on the club site written by Joe Brunetti (another name we remember with a trophy!): "There was one fatal accident in the Club when Frank Lauder was killed. He had just started a 10-mile time trial at the Bird in Hand Hotel, when he collided with a milk lorry which had come out of the road from the quarry. This happened in 1934." The rest of the article gives an insight into the club around that time and make a good read, here is a link to it: Out and Back a Wee Bit - and Up and Down a Wee Bit, Too!, by Joe Brunetti

Whilst updating the club records with this years results I have taken the opportunity to plot the graph below of winning times for the clubs 10 mile TT for all the years where we have the information available (as recorded on the Frank Lauder Trophy). As you can see there has been a significant improvement in times over the years, it looks like there were step changes in performance in 1952 and 2001. I suspect 2001 may be related to the improved aerodynamics with the introduction of Tribars (first used in the Tour de France in 1989). I expected to see some improvement when the West Ferry course was adopted, it was built in the mid 1970s, but does anyone know when we started using it, or where the event was held before then?

Gerard, it looks like your forecasting is better than the Met Office, as they have updated their forecast since yesterday to match yours! I'm up for a run so see you 9:45 behind Amaretto tomorrow. Graham.

I plan to be along for this, not been to the Rendezvous for ages!

Hi Ian, I've not looked at this thread for a while, but on my original post I suggested going via Kilmacolm and Gourock. So that would be via the cycletrack and down Clune Brae, the thinking is not to add extra miles before Largs so as to be within the reach of a maximum number of club members. You could pick up a group in Port Glasgow after we come down the Clune.

Thanks Alan, for a great session last night. It's great to get insight into how these jobs should be tackled. Sorry I missed the other two sessions, and thanks to Charlie for arranging the series.

To mark the end of the season and the start of winter time, here's a whole club run to Largs and the Bagel Basket. Starting from the Club Rooms at 09:00 (winter time, the clocks go back the night before). As in previous years for this run, the intention is to set of in groups of 15 to 20 with members mixed from the regular Sunday bunches, proceeding anticlockwise to the Bagel Basket, via Kilmacolm and Gourock. After the stop we can reassemble into different groups to depending on who want to take which route back. The outbound leg is 32 miles from Miller St., the return can be anything you want it to be, including the train if required! The minimum return cycling is 20 miles via the Haylie Brae and Kilbirnie. Nearer starts are possible for anyone who may not feel up to cycling all the way. Remember the clocks go back, so you get an extra hour in bed, and mudguards on please! (but lets hope it's not wet) Please post if you will be riding, then I can warn the BB how big an invasion to expect.

Hi Gerard, I'm up for this if the weather is tolerable. The forecasters seem to be a bit undecided about Tues. am. But at the moment it looks like the might be a break in the rain, if that's what there saying early Tues. then I'll be there! Graham.