Bedfordshire Road Cycling Club

News Letter

Issue: 368Date: April 1999

President: C. Byers . Chairman: D. Sullivan . Secretary: R. Crane . Treasurer: T. Sykes . Editor: D. Roberts - e-mail drobe10229@aol.com

The Ed’s Bit

RTTC bans chocolate

In a shock announcement, the RTTC is to ban chocolate. Recent research has shown that chocolate contains the stimulant Florap Oil, named after it’s discoverer, Professor Florap of the University of Budapest, Hungary. It is claimed to make you hyperactive, which the RTTC think is a disadvantage to non-chocolate eaters. So it is claimed, one Mars Bar, which contains 200mg of Florap Oil, eaten before a race can give you an advantage of 10 seconds per 10 miles. Of course the big downside to all this is that long term irreversible effects occur. These include bloated stomach, and rotten teeth with accompanied bad breath, and lethargy. A spokesman for the RTTC said, "For years we have known that people who eat chocolate have had an unfair advantage, but we haven’t been able to find out why; now we know. And let’s face it, we are in the business of banning everything concerning the bicycle, so why shouldn’t we be complete and utter spoilsports and take away the legitimacy of chocolate, or other substances containing Florap oil from cyclists."

But this is not the end of it. Snapshot inspections of all club ‘T’ bars will take place in early April to ensure that all chocolate products are withdrawn from stock. Should any be found, then the entire stock will be confiscated. The Ed and his kids have kindly offered to dispose of the entire BRCC ‘T’ bar chocolate stock before the ban comes into force on April 1st. 1999.

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Letters to the Ed.

Dear Sir,

Just to thank you for the latest Newsletter. I doubt if you know much of me, and wonder if you ever think it a waste of time sending me a Newsletter. I can assure you with all my club membership, every item of club news is much appreciated and hope it can be maintained. I enclose some help to future postage.

Yours A.A.G. Swales.

Thank you for the donation Mr. Swales. It is always a pleasure hearing from the more senior members of the club; and I’m pleased to keep you informed of the club’s activities through the newsletter.

Dear Sir,

Thank you once again for sending me the Newsletter. I suspect that you have computerised book keeping etc. you will have gone back quite a way in your records. In doing so you will no doubt come across the dates of both my own, and my wife Gwen’s dates for joining up with BRCC. I believe that they were 1932 and 1947 respectively.

I regret to tell you, but many of the ‘older’ club members are aware, that my wife passed away in 1991.

May I say to you that I would not have missed the good times, fun and companionship of the years spent with the club; the club runs, Thursday evening training bashes, hostelling and holiday tours including Germany just before the War

I am afraid I am no longer an active cyclist having broken my hip last year whilst getting off my bike.

I still envy you all and hope those that go on your published suggestion - the South Downs in May - have a great time. I have not peddled it, but have found much pleasure in walking all of its lovely paths.

Yours sincerely. Alec Wilmot.

I am sorry to hear of your fall last year Mr. Wilmot, and that you are no longer an active cyclist. But it is pleasing to know that you that you are still enjoying the Newsletter, and still feel part of the Club. No doubt you have many cycling tales of yesteryear, before the days of mass car ownership, when it was a pleasure to go cycling on a Sunday afternoon. It must have been interesting touring Germany before the War, and I often wonder what it was like travelling in those days.

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Forthcoming events

Bob Garrett asked me to publish some details of local Audax rides.

Evening League 1999

This year’s Evening League takes place, as usual, over 14 weeks between early May to early August. Prizes will be awarded for 1st. overall, 1st. lady and attendance (for competitors who make all 14 events). For further details, please contact Chris Byers via dc@dcrane.freeserve.co.uk Dates are as follows:-

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Results

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And Finally

See you out and about sometime.

Des Roberts

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RALPH NICOL

After a long illness, Ralph Nicol, a member of the Bedfordshire Road Cycling Club, passed away on the 26 February. He had been a Club member for more than fifty years. Ralph was a noted short distance Time Trialist in his day, holding both the Club record at 25 & 50 mile distances. He was a member of the Club's winning Pursuit Team in the N.C.U. Championships held at the Herne Hill track stadium in 1949. This Team the went on to compete against the Willesden C.C. in the National Championships of that year. Other notable achievements included being placed among the front runners of the Luton 12 Hour in 1956 and of winning the Club's B.A.R Jubilee Trophy in the same season.

Ralph also made a very valuable contribution to the running of the Club and it's affairs by being both a committee member and Club Treasurer for many years.

In 1951 he married Jean, who was also a Club member. After retiring from working most of his life in the Drawing Office at W.H. Allen of Bedford, he remained a committed sportsman and continued to enjoy cycling as well as walking and dingy

sailing. In 1995 he rode "The End to End" (Land's End to John O'Groat's) taking just

twelve days to complete this most outstanding achievement. On his arrival at the finish he then set off for Dunnet Head, the most northerly point on the British mainland; before crowning the journey by finally finishing his epic ride at Cape Wrath. The "Cape" being the "Last place to nowhere" and a coveted destination point in any long distance cyclist's book. In 1993 Ralph decided to leave his bicycle at home for a change and set off on foot to complete the famous Coast to Coast walk from Whitehaven to Robin's Hood Bay. A distance of around 200 miles. Yet another major achievement for anyone to be rightly proud of.

Ralph spent most of his life living in Bedford and Wootton area. He was a regular rider of the Forty Plus Cycling Club and was still an active member up until last year.

On behalf of the Bedfordshire Road Cycling Club, the Committee sent condolences to his wife Jean, and family. Many members from the Club attended Ralph's funeral which was held on Monday 8 March in Bedford.