I’m planning to write an article in support of the Save Herne Hill Velodrome campaign and would love any photos that Willesden CC members may have from Herne Hill – obviously, the more historic, the better.

These could be of people racing or watching races; of the stand, the pavilion (is that what it’s called?), the tea room, the bike sheds – anything that gives a flavour of the place over the years.

I’d love to produce a really evocative article that reminds people of why Herne Hill Velodrome is so special and why we should support the campaign to save it.

People can email their pictures to me at thefixedfactor@hotmail.co.uk and I’ll give everyone a credit.

Simon Wicks

I ride out with Angus Huntley, who is blind, on his tandem. We do weekend rides and 100km Audaxes. It’s good fun riding with him and gives you a new perspective on cycling. Sometimes I can’t do it because of other commitments or, like now, because of an injury. Would another Willesden member like to ride with Angus sometimes too? The only qualifications are that you will need to be 5foot 7in – 6foot 1in or so to fit on the tandem and are able to get to Harrow Weald where he lives without too much hassle. If you want to give it a go, call Angus on xxxxx or Ian on xxxx.

Ian Oliver

This weekend the Willesden CC are organising the John and Dulcie Walker Road Races.

This is one of the most important events on our calendar and we need all club members to come along and Marshall this event. Don’t even think of going on the club ride – that’s been canceled too.

Rich Jerome is organising the races and he needs us to to be at the event’s HQ for about 8:30am. We will then be allocated our duties. The address of the HQ is –

Neighbours Hall
Church Road
Great Milton
Oxfordshire

The quickest there by car is –

– M40 to Junc 7 (A329).
– Turn Left on to the A329
– After 2km turn right into Church Road.

View Larger Map

This weekend the Willesden CC are organising the John and Dulcie Walker Road Races.

This is one of the most important events on our calendar and we need all club members to come along and Marshall this event. Don’t even think of going on the club ride – that’s been canceled too.

Rich Jerome is organising the races and he needs us to to be at the event’s HQ for about 8:30am. We will then be allocated our duties. The address of the HQ is –

Neighbours Hall
Church Road
Great Milton
Oxfordshire

The quickest there by car is –

– M40 to Junc 7 (A329).
– Turn Left on to the A329
– After 2km turn right into Church Road.

View Larger Map

Ian Why is a hero….

On yesterday’s Sky Ride the stem on Vyv’s bike sheared as she was approaching St Paul’s Cathedral. As she was practicing her slow speed bike handling skills (she does this a lot!), the plunge earthwards was at a sedate pace.

Fist bit of luck was that we agreed to lunch at “Look Mum no Hands“, just a short walk from St Pauls.

Second bit of luck…..”LMNH” were holding a sale of scrap iron, which some cyclists see as jewels of bedazzling beauty. For £3, a dusty pair of bars and a quill stem were bought. Next followed a blur of a Allen keys, punctuated with hammer blows as Ian Why set about replacing the bars and stem. What a fine job he did too, even replacing the bar tape!!

Having also bust her sturdy tourer the previous weekend Vyv is now considering opening a cafe called “Look Mun No Handle bars“.

Ian, thank you once again for saving the day and thank you also to the helpful mechanic at “LMNH” who kindly let us her tools.

Miles Back
06 Sep 10

Mark and Wendy continue their quest for the Audax Round the Year Randonneur award. For added challenge they decided to go for a 300km event for August’s ride. Here’s Mark’s report and photos.

Miles Back
2/9/10

The Mildenhall Rally was the start point for a 300km East Anglian Diagonal.
Mark, Jim and Wendy stayed over at Barton Mills Travelodge – a few miles from the start.

We had a quick look around the Rally site – it was not yet in full swing but was pretty busy on the Friday. Having located the start point we Adjourned to the Blue Bell for some sustenance. Wendy had a bottle of red all to herself to ensure a good (short) nights rest.

Multiple alarms went off at 03:00 and Mark scoffed half a kilo of Tesco pasta salad before waking up properly.

Bags packed in the car we rode to the start Jim had decided to ride with us but (he sensibly diverted back to base after 50km in the cold darkness of predawn).

There were quite a few takers for the longest ride of the day. As usual after the start a blistering pace developed to the first control at 28km (into a headwind).
After turning and with a favourable wind we pedalled into the sunrise with other riders for company on an occasional basis.

At Breakfast time we said goodbye to Jim and shared a sandwich after a stretch of flooded roads in the forest. It was 70 miles to the first sit down feed at Diss – we couldn’t quite make it without a top up.

It was a comfortable ride after the dawn chill evaporated – Blackberry and apple pie at Bungay Butter Cross Café slid down well a mere 20 miles further on than breakfast.
We had a short ferry crossing at Reedham before a headwind slog to the boat station at Ranworth.(214km) Wendy’s first sub 11 hour 200 !

Wendy leads the way in the pre-dawn light

The next section showed evidence of the heavy rain that was to come and the ride up the coast to the next control was straight against
a very strong coastal breeze. Jonets café at Mundesley was a welcome sight!

Wendy on the ferry

Here a small groupetto formed and decided not to go for the optional control at Cromer but to head west to rejoin the route which at this point was already over distance. We all got caught in a heavy downpour with no cover which dampened the spirits.

The garden centre at the next checkpoint was closed but a general store provided proof of passage. So off into the gloom for the last leg which was also one of the longest and most remote.

We found Craig (riding his first 300) trying to make adjustments to cater for a broken spoke and helped out and stayed together to the end. He had a GPS system and the last 20km on the route sheet was actually 40! Not good news on a small forest lane in the dark looking for a left fork after a crossroads. Craig started to bonk – so Wendy plied us all with Jelly Babies which proved to be just enough to get us back.

Mildenhall was a welcome relief – the route we had followed was 328km – a bit over the top.We finished at 23:10 – many thanks to the controllers who were still on duty when we arrived.

Thanks to Jim for driving us home afterwards and for support on the later stages of the ride. Next time two nights at the site would be a good idea.

4 more 200’s to go and we should get the award…………………………..

Mark Brooking

Saturday 2 October

Youth races
4th Cat Men’s race
Women’s race for Cat E/1/2/3 riders

Programme

Race 1: 13.15 start for 30mins for U8, U10 and U14

U8 placings for each age category count towards club prize
U10 placings for each age category count towards club prize

Overall:
£220 cash awards shared between the top three clubs
as earned by their riders in each of the three youngest age categories – split as follows
first club: £150
second club: £40
third club: £30

Points awarded:
According to finishing position in each age group and also based on number of riders in each age group.

U14
Winner under-14 boy £20
Winner under-14 girl £20

Race 2: 14.00 start for 30mins – U12 and U16

U12
Placings for each individual rider also count towards the club prizes as the £220 on offer is shared between riders in the three youngest age groups – U8, U10 and U12

U16
Winner under-16 boy £20
Winner under-16 girl £20

Race 3: 14:45p Men’s 4th Cat race – 1 hour + 5laps

Race 4: 14:46 Women’s E/1st/2nd/3rd Cat race – 1hour + 4 laps

Entries

Youth race:
Entries on the line £3
Judge and commissaire for youth races:
Steve May – stevemay@dircon.co.uk

Adult races:
Advance entries £13
Entries on the line £16

Adult races: entry fee includes a £1 supplement to be paid out to the race winner.

Cheques made out to:
John Leitch
7 The Avenue,
Brockham,
Betchworth,
Surrey,
RH3 7EN

email: johnleitch65@googlemail.com
mob: 07963 377 249
home: 01737 84 36 01

FAQs

How will the points system work?

Well, if there are 20 riders are in your age category, for example, then the winner gets 20 points while the second-placed finisher gets 19 points and so on all the way down to the one point earned by the rider finishing in 20th place. That means everyone counts. You all pick up points for your club.

If there were 15 riders in the next age category, say, then the points on offer would range from 15 down to 1.

So the more riders we come with, the better our chances?

Exactly.

In all, there will be prize money of £300 for us, but how is it split out?

The £300 is split between £220 for the age groups Under 12, Under 10 and Under 8 leaving the £80 balance for the riders competing in the Under 16 and Under 14 age groups.

OK. How will the £220 be split?

The top three clubs will share in the total:

first: £150
second: £40
third: £30

What is there for the two older categories: U14 and U16?

Last year it was chaotic running five age groups at once, so splitting everyone between two races should make life easier for Steve May and his team of eagle-eyed judges who have to do the totting up.

In the three youngest categories, riders tend to split and finish individually, so that’s not bad to judge.

However the U14 and U16 get tactical and often finish in a packs and that’s why Steve has asked for them to be allocated to different races, so we have U14 in the first race and U16 in the following event…please note they are not both in the second race!!

What do they stand to collect?

A total of £80, split between four individual winners:

winner under-14 boy £20
winner under-14 girl £20
winner under-16 boy £20
winner under-16 girl £20

Ray Kelly
26 Aug 2010