Willesden Cycling Club

The first road race of the season for the Willesden racing team is on March the 13th and Rich Cooper, Peter Dixon and Richard Jerome have all been named on the start sheet.

Tom London is named as 6th reserve but we hope he will still get a ride.

This race is usually very competative with some really strong time trialliasts taking part including Mike Broadwith and Johnathan Shubert.

Our racing team haven’t quite found their form yet so are just hoping to get a good solid race under their belts and put in a strong performance.

Good luck!

In 2008, Mark broke the world record for cycling solo around the world, an epic journey of over 18,000 miles, cycling
100 miles per day for over half a year.

In 2009, he set out on his second ultra-endurance solo challenge; to cycle the length of the American Cordillera; a 15,000-mile expedition, cycling down the longest mountain range on the planet and climbing the continent’s two highest peaks, Mt McKinley and Aconcagua, whilst making his second self-filmed documentary for BBC1 Cycling the Americas.

This is Mark’s story of his adventures, a personal rollercoaster of mental and physical endurance as well as a fascinating insight into the world we live.

7.30pm Beck Theatre Hayes 21 March 2010

Grange Road
Hayes
Middlesex
UB3 2UE

Tickets £13, www.becktheatre.org.uk/wrt-productions_details.asp?pid=3841

Those of you that have taken part in the Paris-Brest, LEL, Mille Miglia or the Sicilia No-Stop may know Tony Lonero. Tony lives in Italy and rides with Audax Italia. He is organising a 600km Coast-to-Coast ride across Italy to remember the Americans who gave their lives for the liberation of Italy.

The ride will start in Nettuno and cross the Appenines to the East coast and return back.

It looks to be a great event and I hope some of the Willesden can make the trip.

Miles Back
24 Feb 2010

I am organizing a historic 600km on 29 May 2010. It is called the Coast to Coast Italy. We leave from my house in Nettuno (near Rome) and ride across Italy and back – about 630km. The ride is to commemorate the 8000 Americans buried at the War cemetery just outside Nettuno.

So this is the program –

We leave from the baseball field in Nettuno at about 09:00, escorted by the police and 3 jeeps and a landing craft from the second world war, with the folks inside the vehicles dressed up like USA soldiers from the war.

We ride about 3km passing through the piazza of Nettuno where the people can clap or throw eggs at us.

Arrive at the cemetery, where Joe the cemetery director will be waiting for us. Each rider will have an American flag and Italian flag to put on one of the 400 crosses without a name.

Then we ride our bikes up to the monument, I have to lay some flowers give a 5 minute speech , then the riders leave.

Newspapers and Foxnews should be here to film this part of the ride. AFN for sure, AFN is the armed forces network of the US military – they are trying to find one us soldier who would like to do the event with us.

It is going to be a special day. If you want to come, I have some room at the house, there is a hotel up the road for €30/day for the riders.

The route will take the same course out and back. We have to make a few changes but it will be along this route, some climbing to do but the roads are nice.

This is our biggest ride of the year, I think we will have around 200 riders. Down on the other side Italy at Silvi Marina there is food, tent to sleep in and showers.

Tony Lonero
Audax Italia

The final overall results of the Imperial R.T Winter series was announced and Peter Dixon finished in 27th position.

The club’s reliability trials suffered due to the weather. Heavy rain and reported snow in the Chiltern area meant that only 30 riders signed on. Some of these gave up as the course became snow covered and the icy surface made riding difficult. Still, Team Quest boosted the profits by staying in the Headquarters and drinking coffee in the hopes it might stop raining.

Tony Savage collided with a motorist near Denham. Luckily there was a witness who saw the incident and took the car’s number.

Attached photos show Tom London and Rich Cooper covered in mud when they arrived back at Headquarters. Roll on Summer.

Cheers Gladys

Rich Cooper

Tom London

The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) is running a poll on its website regarding cycling. It only takes a minute to complete. They are encouraging all road users to respond.

Various issues are addressed in the survey including the use of public money to make cycling safer, the allocation of police resources to catch cyclists breaking the law, h*lm*ts (groan…) and whether bike riders should have to display license plates.

http://www.iam.org.uk/iam_polls/

Miles Back
17 Feb 2010

Mark Brooking has sent me the second installment of his RTYRA (Round the Year Randonneur Award), which he is doing with his tandem companion, Lynn Corr. The RTYRA involves riding a 200km Audax each month during the year.

Last weekend Norfolk was the victim of their ambitions.

Miles Back
16 Feb 2010

A tale of a dirty weekend in Norfolk.

Throughout the preceding week the forecast was not brilliant – Max temp 4 Degrees Min -2 degrees with a strong NNE Wind straight off the North Sea.

Saturday proved dry & still. After an Olympic Breakfast accompanied by a decent caffeine hit, we were off to the start at the John Innes Centre near Colney. There were 50 entries for the 200 – most of whom seemed to have made it to the start.

The first section was laney & undulating to the control at Lodden and we soon warmed up managing to clock the info control en-route without stopping. On the next stage it started to snow quite heavily and on one right hand bend, in the lightly snow covered road, there was a clear imprint of a rider…! Naturally this encouraged us to negotiate the corner gingerly; by the time we made it to The Goodies farm shop control at the quarter way point, the weather had changed again.

Plop….Snow and bikes don’t mix well!

On the next leg the sun came out and we watched the local hare population racing around the adjacent fields. The minor B roads used for this section were clear of ‘Slud’ (A glutinous mix of Sleet & Mud) and progress was rapid.

The last 17km back to the HQ was directly into the rising chill of the anticipated NNE wind. The last 400m to the HQ ended with a monstrous climb, hampered by two sets of traffic lights.

I was all in: cold, damp and totally ineffective – I can’t imagine what the stoker was thinking at this point. After hot soup, rolls & Tea with more Tea, I felt quite bilious and made a hasty retreat to the Gents. Fortunately lunch stayed were it was most needed and after 5 minutes with a hairdryer hose stuck down the front of my jersey, I felt ready to continue. (If this was Woman’s Weekly, it’d make it has best ‘household’ tip of the week!). We took it easy until I was gastrically totally settled down.

Snow and ice forming on all leading edges

The change of direction was away from the wind with ample tree cover. We slowed briefly to witness a herd of deer cross the road in front of us – white bottoms flicking up & down in unison across the fields. We had to keep an eye on the time as the Garden centre control at Fakenham closes at 17:00 and hot sustenance was essential. In spite of the conditions we made it to the control at the predicted time, where Lynn had two hot chocolates with cream & a bit of flan. Well deserved after nursing the ailing windbreak (should that be the other way around?? Miles B.) along the last stage. A welcome change of clothing and into the last leg back to base in our new position as Lantern Rouge.

The sun set behind raggedy clouds and now the challenge was to stay on the road/read the route sheet/avoid the worst sections of frost damaged lane.I had spent most of the day peering over glasses that were either covered in snow or misted up so my eyes desperately needed/wanted to be firmly closed. Lynn’s cheeks began to glow from the relentless pounding as we approached the final climb to the control. This time it was climbed with ease without even changing gear!!!!

Lynn and some Norfolk road spaghetti

A 12 Hour outing came to a close. The good thing about being last is that you get plied with all of the leftovers. We crept back to the lodge and a few beers brought the day to a close.

Everything used during the day was filthy. Little piles of grit appeared in strange places.

Even the evening shenanigans of both Loughborough & Sheffield volley ball teams couldn’t keep a weary tandem crew awake………………

Next ride will be Boudicca’s Revenge in March. Maybe it won’t snow this time?

Mark Brooking

Hi everyone,

Don't forget it's the Reliability ride this Sunday (21 Feb 2010).
Two routes on offer at 60km and 113km.

9.30 kick off from Ickenham Guide Hut, Community Close, Ikenham.

Five quid entry

See you all there.

John Williams

Willesden CC Coach Ray Kelly is organising a series of three Go-ride races for under-16 novices riders with no previous racing experience.

Saturday 06 March 2010

at

Minet Country Park,

Hayes

In the frozen Gloom at 07:02 & -4 degrees C Wendy Mears, Lynn Corr & Mark Brooking set off from Great Dunmow to enjoy a permanent Audax ride known as Dick Turpins day out. It was January 31st – the last chance for a Round the year Randonneur ride for this month.

Wendy’s chauffeur Jim and Digger-the-Dog were there to see us off before early morning walkies and a planned rendezvous at Wally’s café. A couple of miles up the road water main repairs had left the road covered in ice – we decided that if walkies was good enough for Digger we would have some to get to some terra nonslippia. After that we made good progress to the Cash Point at Saffron Walden whilst being treated to an awesome blood red sunrise over the frosty white fields of Essex.

There was a wonderful wind assisted blast past Dick Turpin’s birth place and the main objective for the day was in sight – to make it to Wally’s for a Full English before the Frying pan was put away at 10:30. We got there in time for the works with tea & toast £4.00 a head.

Wendy was having trouble drinking – it turned out that the water in her bottle had frozen!!! By now it was a beautiful sunny day but the next leg had some seriously frozen stretches of tarmac which were crossed Gingerly without mishap.

Wendy’s WCC ice-lolly

The pub we used at Walsham Le Willows was not that good – no food available . So it was Jim & Wendy’s sandwiches with a round of Shandies before the next stage to Debenham. We used the Co-Op as a control as there was nothing else open on a Sunday afternoon. Then we had to turn back into the biting NNW wind that had helped a bit on the way out.

Mark and Lynn’s Transport

Progress was slow and got slower as it got dark – we were ever mindful that there might be ice so the pace was cautious. We finally found Jim by an oasis in the darkness – Ok it was only a McDonalds – but at the time it was just what we could have done with 2 hours previously. The hot food and drink cured the shakes that I had developed. The staff were brilliant an wished us well for the last 25 miles back to the finish

I led us off in the wrong direction – funnily enough it was towards Wally’s at Acton long since closed for the day. Retraced back up the hill (!) and back on course.

There is a monstrous climb out of Sudbury – and by now it was really dark. Ever wary that the time limit was fast approaching we made steady progress as the temperature dropped again. Wendy punctured 8 miles from the finish. With a bit of an Adrenaline rush and the end nearly in sight we upped the snails pace to a brisk limp along the last B road to get back to Great Dunmow and the final cash point.

207 +km in 14hrs 13min.

A full day of fun and by now the temperature was a sweltering -2 degrees C.

Now its February & another rides calls……………………….

Wendy and Lynn – Doing what Audaxers do best!

Many thanks to Lynn and Wendy for their company and to Jim for keeping a watchful eye on us when the conditions were at their worst

Only another 11 months of 200km rides to go so that Lynn can get another badge!

Mark Brooking

7 Marlow Sports Centre

14 Edgware CC Reliability 09:00 Denham country park

Well, it was a bright but chilly day, a bit of a westerly but nothing me and Betty the Bike couldn’t handle. So that’s the Met Office report out of the way.

It was carnage, absolute carnage! The ambulance arrived, got a pay-and-display, and stayed for the day.

Lance Woodman raced with the 4th Cats . He had a good race and managed to miss the pile-up of young aspirants as they went for the sprint. Nasty broken collar-bone for my coach’s son, Gavin Percy. John Percy is also currently nursing a broken collar-bone from skidding on the ice a couple of weeks back. It’s Mrs Percy I feel sorry for, now as much as ever.

I was in the 3rd Cat men with Peter Dixon. Richard Jerome is currently a victim of a particularly beastly cold ( full reports on the hour via Facebook) and Richard Cooper is doing up his kitchen ( full reports on the hour via Facebook). None of the breaks succeeded, and we went round mostly in a rather cosy, tight bunch, probably for warmth. I saw Peter darting about, usually very well placed, and sometimes driving the pace up on the front. I got on his tail for a few laps until I got bored and dropped to the back. He was right up there in 5th for the final sprint, but was had by a few horrid sprinter-types and came in 13th.
I decided not to contest the final sprint and throw myself on to the track instead. A couple of chaps lay down with me, in a platonic kind of way.

Then it was time for the E123 race. I didn’t watch much of it as Lovely Alison was coming at me with tweezers, hunting for gravel. Luckily, after only about 5 laps there was another crash which left 3 riders motionless on the track. This distracted her and I made a swift getaway up the Uxbridge Road.

Bad news to report I’m afraid, not willing to be out done by Simon, Jayne had a nasty fall at Hillingdon in the 4th cats and womens race.

Details are yet to follow buy Jayne was quite concerned about her tooth however it turns out there isn’t any major damage.

All the best Jayne!!

It that time of year!

If you are one of the rare members who have paid their subs on time – then you can relax. The rest of us need to take action immediately. Your Club subscription for 2010 is due on 31st January 2010. Failure to pay by this date will incur a rejoining fee.

It a hard job collecting the annual club subscriptions so please make the process easier and get your payments over to Gladys by Sunday 31st January. You have three days left before the dead line

The 2010 rates are the same as in previous years –

• Single – £15
• Couples – £18
• Families – £20
• Juniors – £3
• Schoolpersons – £1

The address to post your cheques to is –

Gladys Purdy
Willesden CC
55 Exeter Road
Harrow
Middx
HA2 9PQ

Miles Back
28 Jan 2010