October 1999Bedfordshire Road Cycling Club
News Letter
Issue: 373October 1999
President: C. Byers; Chairman: D. Sullivan; Secretary: R. Crane; Treasurer: T. Sykes; Editor: D. Roberts e-mail DRobe10229@AOL.com
Contact Warwick Davies (Press Secretary) e-mail wad@warwickdavies.demon.co.uk
The Ed’s Bit
Welcome to autumn. Already we have had the first frost and it is decidedly colder. My family are as we speak sitting downstairs wrapped up in their winter woollies, as I am too stingy to put the heating on. After all it is only the beginning of October so it is far too early to think about polluting the atmosphere with greenhouse gasses from my central heating system. And I don’t know about you, but I haven’t been on my bike for ages. This aside, I shall only be compiling a lightweight edition this month as there is not a lot going on at the moment, but there are a few notices that need to be published sooner rather than later; not least the correct date for the club’s AGM.
The youth training should be restarting soon. Lyndon Lewis shall, work permitting, be running the Saturday afternoon sessions again. These were successful last year as all who took part, young or not so young, put in good a good effort this year. Personally I had my best season putting in PB's, and the lads and lass who joined in showed some good form too. Let us have another successful winter training season this year.
On the down side this year has also been a bad one for accidents involving club members. Yours truly has come a cropper twice but walked away to ride another day. In this day and age we cyclists need greater awareness of higher traffic levels on our already overcrowded roads. It is a pity that not all drivers have ever ridden a bicycle or motorbike. So please remember that when you are out on your bikes, socially or in competition, safety must always come first. It is not worth taking unnecessary risks in the hope that you might just put in a better time. After all, if you are involved in an accident you only end up with DNF, so please ride carefully.
Forthcoming Events
AGM Correct Date
Please note that the correct date for the AGM is 12th November, not the 5th as was stated in the last newsletter. There will be opportunities open for committee positions and events to organise. Please come along to this important meeting and have a say in how YOUR club is run.
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Evening Training Sessions
Lorna Webb will be holding training sessions on Wednesday evenings starting on November 10th. Please bring your turbos and appropriate clothing. A bike may also come in handy too!
Open Events Results
Could all those who rode Open Events this year please pass the details to Andy with details of the date, course, your time and winner’s time for calculating the winner of the Open Events Cup.
BEDFORD River Festival 2000
Next year we will have a tent at the Bedford River Festival’s Sports Village. It is proposed that we will have a broad spectrum of the Club’s activities and possibly invite the public to have a go at turbo racing. We will need a lot of willing helpers for this to run as smoothly as possible. Please contact me with offers of help. Also any recent photographs that you can spare will be of great help.
Christmas Dinner
The Christmas Dinner has been organised for 1pm on 12th December 1999 at the Greyhound at Haynes. Please contact Chris Byers or Trevor Marshall for further details.
Christmas Party
The Christmas Party has been planned for 4pm on December 19th. Please contact Chris Byers on 01462 871175 for further details.
Prize Giving
The date and venue for the annual prize giving are 7pm at the Rose and Crown, Wootton on Saturday 12th February 2000. If you are due to receive any award please do your best to attend. Contact Ray Crane for further details. - N.B. NUMBER ARE LIMITED - THEREFORE FIRST COME FIRST SERVED - TICKETS £10
We need 2 event organisers for the Open 10 and 50. These will be held on 2nd July 2000 (50) and 12th August 2000 (10). Please contact any committee member if you wish to help out YOUR club in the promotion of these financially beneficial events.
Coffee Bar Rota
Nov 6th Dot Crane & Chris Byers Dec 3rd Andy Maddox
12th Lyndon Lewis (AGM) 10th Bob Garrett
19th Terry Sykes 17th Lorna Webb
26th Trevor Marshall 24th Three Wise Men
(Happy Christmas)
VCEC
Just a few words about this most pleasant and sociable of events. This Audax ride takes part every year in late September over in Boulogne. This year only 5 BRCC members took part, the number being significantly down on previous years, but 154 from various clubs from this region came over for some quality miles and to make and renew friendships with likeminded people who enjoy their cycling.
The weekend started at some ungodly hour on Saturday morning with a drive down to Folkestone for the ferry over. This year we were accommodated in a youth hostel that used to be a hotel. Although the rooms were sparse, they were comfortable, and the food was excellent. Once we were settled in I and some of Catford CC went out for a little jaunt covering 56 miles. The route took in some excellent countryside with stunning scenery. The social activities started in the evening, and I am so pleased that so many people from all sorts of backgrounds got on so well. As we were all up early in the morning, we all went to bed nice and early, being tucked up and asleep by 9 O’clock. (If you believe that you will believe anything!) The following day we all signed on under the banner of VCEC with a choice of 50, 100 or 150 km rides, the most popular being the100. The weather was fine most of the day with occasional showers. I am glad I took my mountain bike over as it has some small gears, all of which were used. Some of the hills were very steep. As the event is Audax, it was for the most part ridden at a leisurely pace. The prize giving was on Sunday evening and the prize for the club with most riders went, as usual, to Velo Club Euro Central. This was a most enjoyable weekend and I am looking forward to next years.
Dear Editor.
Being a long standing member of the Club, although but a mere youngster when compared to some of our more senior members, I write to endorse your comments about the total lack of support by most Club members when it comes to assisting the Club putting on any activity that requires people to lend a helping hand.
For the many, a few dedicated Club members continue year after year to put time, effort and sometimes money, into Club promotions and Events. Recently, one member told the Club Committee that due to the total lack of support from others, he is no longer prepared to promote an all-important Open Time Trial for the Club next year. Another member has also informed the Committee that after three years in succession, he too, is no longer prepared to promote one of the most popular events in the local RTTC. Calendar. To save the Event, several committee members have agreed to have their names go down as next year's promoters, hoping in the meantime, that a Club member can be found who will be prepared to run the Event. Others in the Club have been running both Open and Club events year after year, generally because they like to do so. However, they would be hard pushed to count on the fingers of one hand the number of times a Club member has approached them with an offer to help out. The problem is not a new one for either our Club or any other and is not one that can be easily solved. We do need to recognise that as a Club with over one hundred and fifty paid up members it is about time that some began to contribute to the Club in a far more positive manner, rather than riding in events week in and week out without ever for just once considering to be a marshal for the Club, or similarly, sitting down to one of the meals held at the Clubroom without again considering who put all the effort into making the occasion a success, or afterwards wondering how the dishes will be washed-up and put away! Needless to say, all those who have worked for the Club over the years or even just the once, either in some small way or by taking on something major, are recognised and thanked by all accordingly.
Club promotions without help from others old and new, will gradually fade away, and then what will the Club's anonymous majority do? I strongly recommend that some of our members re-read the "Who" article that appeared in the Club magazine a few months ago. It's general tenor remains true today as it did years before it was ever written, and without change will also remain true for the future. That is of course, provided the, "Who's" still remain promoting and don't disappear, just like Reynard's globe of glass!
I look forward to seeing you all at the Clubs Annual General Meeting on the 12th November and having a real interest shown by members in their support of your club, The Bedfordshire Road Cycling Club into the next Millennium.
D. H. Sullivan
The Club's Chairman.
BEDFORDSHIRE ROAD CYCLING CLUB
Affiliated to: RTTC, RRA, WRRA, BCF, NDCA, NM&HCA, CTC
MIDDLEMARKERS F1/lO - TIME TRIAL 10 Miles Distance UNDER RTTC REGULATIONS
RESULTS SHEET
SATURDAY 14th AUGUST 1999
START 06:OOam (in the morning!)
EVENT OFFICIALS
Mr G.W Arnott - Senior Timekeeper
MR J. Pick - Senior Timekeeper
PRIZES £££ 102 POUNOS Total Prize Fund £££
Name Club Result
Pos.
1St Fastest £10 BRIAN HAWKRIDGE WOOLWICH CC 0:22:41
2nd Fastest £6 DANIEL HOPKINS SOUTH END & COUNTY WHEELERS 0:22:46
3rd Fastest £4 KEITH BENTLEY HITCHIN NOMADS 0:22:57
4th Fastest £8 JED ROCK RATAE RC 0:23:25
1St Improvement £10 GRAHAM KING BEDS ROAD CC 0:29:11
2nd Improvement £8 CHRISTOPHER HARTLEY BEDS ROAD CC 0:26:14
3rd Improvement £6 DEAN SHANNON SOUTHEND & COUNTY WHEELERS 0:22:04
4th Improvement £4 PETER MOON EASTBOURNE ROVERS 0:23:09
1st Lady £10 MARION REEVES Kettering FRIENDLY CC 0:25:57
2nd Lady (tie) £5 MONIQUE HOBAN 34 NOMADS 0:26:37
2nd Lady (tie) £5 SHIRLEY HOCKRIDGE OUNDLE VELO CC 0:26:37
2nd Lady (tie) £5 FRANCES HORNETT LEA VALLEY CC 0:26:37
1st Junior £10 RUPERT HUNT TEAM CHILTERN/ MIKE DYASON 0:24:16
2nd Junior £7 DUNCAN HALLAM EUROTEL DEESIDE RT 0:24:49
3rd Junior £4 PETER HARTLEY BEDS ROAD CC 0:27:50
A BIG THANKYOU TO ALL RIDERS WHO BOTHERED TO TURN UP!
A BIG THANKYOU TO GEORGE ARNOTT & JOHN PICK, THE EVENT TIMEKEEPERS!
A BIG THANKYOU TO ALL MARSHALS DONATING THEIR TIME AND SERVICES!
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