GrahamF

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

What really happens ... 

Hi there,
Many thanks to those who have already paid their membership fees for 2015-2016.
There are still some outstanding so this is a reminder to those who have still to pay, please do so by 31st January 2016.
Please note the fees are the same as last year and are detailed below :-
 
Senior £30
Family £50
Junior £15
Youth £15
OAP £5
 
https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/club/subscriptions?club_id=589
 
Membership is available online via British Cycling via the following link.
 
 
 
You do not need to be a British Cycling member to join.
If you have not been a member of British Cycling before you can have free bronze membership or discounted ride, silver or gold. Pm me for the code or email
[email protected]
 
N.B. The changeover date for access to the members only section of the forum is the 31st January. Those who have not renewed before this date will no longer have access to this section until their club membership is renewed.
 
Best regards,
Sans

Yeah, that was a bit daft. I punctured before I even got to the clubhouse, so that wasn't good when Iain, Adam, James and Andy rolled up. After some debate about route, we set off as planned. Adam pulled out at Bishopton, leaving 4 of us. On the descent to Westferry, the rain turned colder, so we took the snap decision to head up and over the Clune and back on the track. We had snow coming over the top of the hill and conditions were just generally unpleasant.
I discovered that the Ouray jacket is very warm, but not particularly waterproof, and once wet, quickly loses all its thermal retention qualities, as well as adding significant weight.
30 miles covered today in cold, wet conditions. Still trying to warm up.

Sell all my bikes, buy a fancy new one with all the money and then replace all my sold bikes with shiney new bikes, makes financial sense

my new year resolution is to only buy one bike this year.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN 1200km
JULY 24TH TO 29TH
 
The Rocky Mountain 1200km Brevet is traditionally offered by the British Columbia Randonneurs Cycling Club the year following PBP. The club is pleased to announce this brevet will be held July 24-29, 2016. This brevet traverses four of Canada’s mountain National Parks including the spectacular Icefields Parkway from Lake Louise to Jasper.
While the 2012 edition was in the words of one rider, “an epic journey†which saw riders challenged by extreme weather conditions in addition to the distance and high mountain terrain, over the years this brevet has usually been ridden under mostly sunny skies with spectacular vistas of amazing scenery and wildlife.
This challenging ultra marathon cycling event is an unforgettable experience for riders and volunteers alike. If you are interested in riding or volunteering on this event in 2016, please contact the BC Randonneurs Cycling Club.
 
 I HAVE SIGNED UP FOR THIS ANY OTHERS INTERESTED.
CAMPBELL
 
WEB SITE http://www.randonneurs.bc.ca/rockymountain1200/
 
ROUTE http://ridewithgps.com/routes/11381755

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
   

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
   

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
   

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
   

Frank Lauder memorial was run on the Beith road . Started at bench outside Bird in Hand Hotel ( inscription reads rest and be thankful)  went out through Howwood to turn at roundabout at Lochwinnoch road end . Retraced to finish back at start. A hilly course which was won regularly in 70s with a low 23 or odd high 22. This course and Lugton course were the standard in 60s-70s and was used a few times in 80s . The bypass made it a right turn back into howwood and this was the end of the course , it started to go out of favour when pedestrian crossing was installed at High school but was used with a marshall for memorial event . Frank Lauder was killed riding course when he collided with a milk tanker ( 50s or early 60s ) and memorial trophy was made in his honour .
Kenny MacD

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?
 

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?
 

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?
 

I'm sure Kenny McDonald, Graham Goldie, Rita and John could all answer your question!
 
I do like that last dip in your graph 😊

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?
 

Forecast is a bit too chilly tomorrow morning for us fair weather cyclists. If anyone wants to brave the cold, feel free to post a run.
Dave and Carol

Was wondering if there was any interest to aligning the club confined to the National 10/25 for example if the national 10 was end of May we could run our league of ten in such a way so that we get some 10 TT practice
Also run the 25 prior to the national 25
 
What's your thoughts , please post your comments below

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 cast the runestones, lit some candles under my bottom bracket and laid out an offering of cake for the great god of cycling (apocryphally for some it is not Merckx!)

Pictures from today.. 
   

Well, that was a bit wet run but still very enjoyable nonetheless :-)
 
Andrew, Peter Graham & myself set off from the club room with a few inside the clubroom ready for their turbo session. Was tempting to join but already wet and dripping water on the turbo would not be approved by our fellow Wheelers!
 
The trio got going pretty sharpish and was joined by Iain (Jan Ullrich) on the Howood climb, he chummed us along all the way on our intended route, we got to the Windfarm along the A77 before he headed home without our cafe stop at the visitor centre.
Obviously, by now it was very wet & the constant "drizzle" have reduced the visibility vastly, luckily we all had front & rear lights which it's well advisable even during the day time indeed.
Rolls, cakes & hot drink consumed we were well ready (not really) to make the return leg of the run.
 
Please note - there was a large group of 9-11 year old "cub scouts" in the visitor centre ready & eager to head out to do a loop (probably circa 5-7km) of the Windfarm with the bare minimum of waterproof gears :-) on speaking to one of the cub leader, whe wasn't really looking forward to it even though he had better gear on. But the kids were well up for it, chapeau indeed!
 
Ritchie, maybe you should join the Cubs instead of the polis, seems to be better character building :-) sorry I shouldn't really be taking the mickey with someone who have access to a sub-machine gun :-)
 
Anyway, back home by 12.45pm with 85 wet km! Not as long as last Sunday, but definitely much wetter!
 
Thanks for the wheels to follow & company this morning. Surely we're due some dry weather next Sunday (then again, I won't hold my breath)
 
Cheers
 
Chung

A bit of a late call to organise a run last night, 5 Wheelers - AllanM, Andrew D, Campbell, Peter Graham & myself went out to "enjoy" the weather with a run over the bridge for the Tak via the Kilsyth end & planned on tackling the Crow too.
 
Met up the troops on the bridge nice & early to take advantage of the better weather forecast earlier on, "hoping" it would last longer than predicted :-)
 
The Tak was nice in the sense that the road surface had been smoothly tarmac up till the car park, which made the climbing that bit more bearable. The weather started to close in while we were riding through the valley, it seemed like someone just turned the shower hose on & switched the fan setting a lot higher .......... boo!
 
So a decision was made to skip the Crow & turn right at Fintry to head for Killearn for a shorter route home & a café stop in the lovely village.
Large amount of food/drinks was consume & we left a big wet puddle on the lovely café floor (sorry to the café staff/owner) as we ventured (reluctently) back out to continue our wet pedal home.
Dissaster struck as Andrew double puncture on the way out as he rolled over a sharp drain cover, slashing his tyre wall. Fixing the damn thing was not pleasant given the fact it was blowing a gail & lashing down by this stage ......... fun!
 
Anyway, we got going again & riding through Dungoyne, then Strathblane to Milgarvin then I split with the guys to head through leafy Westend of Glasgow for home while the rest cycled back over the bridge.
I hope everyone got home without too much bother!
 
To be honest, I really enjoyed the wet & wind, I've said it before but there's a certain deep satisfaction cycling in the rain (as long as it's not freezing cold) it cleanse my soul (not that it's dirty in the first place mind) :-). With a decent "GoreTex" water proof, I was dry apart from my leg & feet, very much bearable for me.
It's the car passing in the wet which caused the ear annoying noise that I find really off putting, why do people want to drive in the rain anyway? :-)
 
However, it was a fantastic ride despite the weather & thanks to all for the wheels to follow today, I'm super glad I went out this morning!
 
Back home with 130km on my Garmin, I love Scottish weather! Now I'm going for a hot bath & then to bed! :-)
 
Thanks for reading .............
 
Cheers & catch youse on the road
 
Chung

All, please see below, I received this from Dave Moss at TLI Cycling. May well be of ineterst to some,
 
For the last three years I have organised a week long supported tour of some of best cycling routes in Scotland. I'm taking expressions of interest for our 4th annual cycle tour of Scotland, June 11th to 17th. Being fully supported, this may appeal to anyone wanting to tour with a lightweight bike without the hassle of carrying all your luggage, having accommodation sorted for you and meals cooked for you have a hard days ride. You also befit from a route selected by a fellow cyclist who knows the best way to get round Scotland on a bike. Starting and finishing in Stirling, the 2016 tour takes us through the Grampian Mountains, across to Fort William and onto Mull via the remote Ardnamurchan peninsula visiting Iona before returning to Stirling via Loch Awe. Fully supported with baggage transfer, on ride snacks and van support, high carb meals prepared by our own cooks and great company make this a fantastic cycling experience. see www.tearfundcycling.btck.co.uk for details. I just charge the actual costs of the tour, all the support staff are volunteers. I then ask you to raise funds for the charity Tearfund. ( www.tearfund.org ) Dave Moss Regional Secretary Scotland