Willesden Cycling Club

Not really Willesden club news but there is a great picture of the Team Sky “Road Train” in action in Australia. See http://bit.ly/7HOKXp

Tim Wainwright has sent me a selection of great photos he took on this year’s NYDP in central London.

A lull in the parade and time for a chat and a quick snooze.

The lean-green-racing-machine with a sprinkling of slipstreamer.

Seán appears to have worked on his upper body and arms .
Is he trying to impress the cheer leaders?

How the Gregarios normally see the WCC racing team?

“I want a wee” pose.

Did Jan selected her wardrobe to tone with Scottish flavour of the day?

Available for panto?

Peter Turnbull sniggers at my double chins!

Despite the cold the riders enjoyed the day.

Miles Back
14 Jan 2010

Seán Bannister reports that former Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin has revealed her love for the bike. She is coming over here and will be riding and racing with Watford’s finest cycling club – the Gregarios Superclub Ciclista.

Miles Back
Jan 2010

The West London Combine time trial events for next season have been published. They are:

Course descriptions are available at the CTT London West District Web site.

I will email riders to solicit entries about two weeks before each event. If you are interested in riding any of the races, make sure that I have your email address.

Willesden CC riders compete for club handicap awards in these events. To allocate these Gladys Purdy will need your personal bests (current and last three seasons – i.e. since 1/1/2007) at the appropriate distance. I’d be interested to know these as well!

The CTT handbook containing details of all open events should be here any day now. If you can’t wait for it to plan your season out (I know I can’t), a provisional list of events is on the CTT Web site.

The season is approaching fast. Don’t be despondent if your training has been curtailed by the recent snow. Use the time to brush up on other essential racing skills. I have been working on eating cake and moaning about the weather.

Lance Woodman

Image: Suat Eman / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

For those intending to the the Paris-Brest in 2011 you will need to do a pre-qualifier 400km ride in 2010 to BRM rules. According to some seasoned riders there are not too many BRMs to chose from this year. So I suggest all interested WCC riders get their applications in for Chris Beynon Severn Across in April.

Miles Back
11 Jan 2010

This is possibly one of the most deeply boring films ever made available via the Interweb.

See if you can watch it all.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lN98E6RlDO4

Club Captain

We’ve just received a request for a number of cyclists to take part in a photo shoot for the Mayor of London’s Skyride campaign. It will take place in a large studio (perhaps at Pinewood) for two days during the week commencing January 18 2010

They will need approximately 11-13 models (and bicycles!) who fit the following descriptions –

Models Required:
1. Young Mum – with bike with basket on handle bars
2. 5 year old boy – with kids bike including stabilizers
3. 30 something man – with “Racer”
4. Teenage boy – BMX
5. Old man – Brompton
6. 20 year old girl Student – Girls Mountain bike
7. Teenage Girl – Girls bike
8. 25 year old man – Extreme Mountain bike
9. Dad with kid – Bike with kids carrier on back
10. 40ish man to be paired with a road bike
11. 30ish woman to be paired with a mountain bike.

The day rate to each model is £250/day – this is to cover full advertising rights.

If you fit the bill then please contact Jim or Wendy Mears, via-

wendywearlATaolDOTcom

Miles Back
05 Jan 09

Just had a chat with Ray Kelly and he said that Julie May was the real driving force behind organising the NYDP.

Apparenty Ray just dished out some kit and tried to persuade a few of us to blow up the odd balloon…. 8o)

So my apologies to Julie for not crediting with organising and setting up the day for us. Well done Mrs May!

Miles Back
05 Jan 10

January 10 Stoke Mandeville
17 Dinton Pasture
24 Ivinghoe
31 Ashridge

For January I suggest runs start at 10am instead of 09:30

Club Capitaine

There was a great turnout of Willesden and Slipstreamer riders on London’s 2010 New Years Day parade. Our club colours were beamed across the globe to an estimated TV audience of 200 million viewers. What do you mean you missed it!!! We were warmly received by the large crowd who braved the sunny but bitterly cold day.

Thanks go to Ray Kelly who organised the day and kitted every one out in Willesden kit. An especially big thank you to Julie May who provided loads of snacks throughout the day and of course her legendary Baileys/Hot Chocolate cocktails at the end of the ride.

Thanks to all of you who took part and made it such a good day – the feeling will soon return to your toes and fingers!

Miles Back
03 Jan 2010


Julie’s field kitchen swings in to action.

The Clubs pose before the start.

Wall-to-Wall Willesden riders during the parade.

The post-parade queue for Julie’s Baileys/Hot Chocolate restorative!

(Pictures by Ron Purdy)

This Sunday’s Club Run will be to Boulters Lock. Meet at 10am, Denham

Last night was the last Turbo session of 2009….. Ahhhhh,

….but the new Tuesday Turbo Class for 2010 starts on 12 January 2010!!

All the rest remains the same –

– the same Death Ray (Kelly),
– the same start time (7:30pm),
– the same place (The Old Cricket Pavillion, London, Road, Wembley)
– and the same price (£2.00).

However the sessions will be harder to burn off that excess Christmas flesh.

Suffering is guaranteed!

Miles Back
23 Dec 09

The 2010 Harp Hilly 100 Reliability Trial will be run on 24th January 2010.

The start will be at Kings Langley, Herts and it follows a challenging route through the Chilterns via Chesham, Berkhampstead, Whipsnade, Ivinghoe and Tring. Before returning through Ivinghoe and Berkhampstead to finally finish in Kings Langley.

The key ascents will include Bison Hill near Whipsnade, Aston Hill and Ivinghoe Hill.

The entry fee for the Harp Hilly Hundred is £10 for the 100km ride and £5 for the 50km ride with at least 50% of the entry fees received for the event donated to charity.

This year you can enter in on line, thereby saving yourself a long queue on the day of the event.

For entry and further details of this classic ride please goto http://www.harphillyhundred.org.uk/

Miles Back
23 Dec 09

In arctic weekend of Eurostar ,road and rail chaos Cooperman gains an excellent placing at Hillingdon yesterday. Richie made the following post-ride posting on Facebook “Dead chuffed. Came 8th in today’s winter series race, 2 British Cycling points in the bag. Season’s goals achieved!… (now need new goals).”

Lance Woodman exclaimed “Woo Hoo! Time for that new Pinarello Dogma?”.
Richard Jerome observed “Top ride mate – you looked in good shape the entire race.
John Williams said “Very well done indeed that man.
Whilst Mrs Cooperman requested more “Yeah well done Coop! Shame I missed it- you’ll have to get top ten again next time I’m down the track”

Well Done Richie for an excellent result in demanding conditions.

Miles Back
20 Dec 09

London’s 24th New Day parade will be held on …. err, New Year day. Each year it seems to get bigger and bigger and as usual the Willesden CC have been invited to attend. It’s a great event and we’d like the Willesden to be there in vast numbers.

A major change this year is that the parade will be run in the opposite direction. This is to cater for the huge American interest, some 100 million viewers are expected to tune in. This might even include WCC members currently living the USA, namely Rick, Diane and Tracey!

As a result of the route being reversed our assembly point is now in Piccadilly, opposite Half Moon Street. Our parade number is 72. See map at – http://bit.ly/WCC-Meeting-point

Ray Kelly suggests we arrive at arrive at about 11.00am for the 12.00noon start.
Ray will be enforcing a strict Dress Code – New Willesden kit only. Don’t panic as he’ll be bringing some spare kit for those without the latest model.

His parting advice is “Wrap up warm and look forward to Julie’s excellent catering at the finish”

See you there.

Miles Back
16 Dec 09

I received some information about 1200 Audax to be held for the first time in Holland. Flat, loads of cycling lanes, windmills and bike friendly motorists make this an attractive event. Full detail below.

Miles Back 16 Dec 09

For the first time ever, in 2010 a 1200 km brevet will be organized in the Netherlands. The “Lowlands1200”, will start on July 13 in Zwolle, a capital city in the mid-east of the Netherlands.

A great deal of the Dutch scenery will be included in the route, which leads through all major parts of the country. Little parts of the route will cross the borders with Belgium (for some km) and Germany (for around 150 km).

What can you expect?
-A rather flat ride. In the middle part there will be some hills, but you’ll never get higher than 100 meters above sea-level.
-Some dikes including one of 30 km length connecting two provinces and leading all the way through sea.
-No massive participation. We expect around 50 participants.
-At some checkpoints there will be facilities for resting and sleeping.
-The weather usually is mild, with a daytime maximum of 20-25 degrees (68-77 F), but highs of around 32 (90 F) are surely possible. Nighttime lows usually are between 12 and 17 degrees (54-63 F).

There is a site: http://www.lowlands1000.nl/ but this one is still building up and info in English will follow later.

Greetings,
Gerrit Schotman

The Willesden Dinner & Awards Presentation will be held on Saturday 23 January

Uxbridge Golf Club
6.30 for 7.00 p.m.
£25.00 (last few tickets remaining)
Please contact asap: Jim and Wendy Mears if you would like to come
Tel: 01494 862372
email: wendywearl@aol.com / jmearswcc@aol.com

Please stipulate if you have any particular dietary requirements, e.g. vegetarian lasagne only, or nothing but things gathered from the forest.