October 2011 No 27. Club Runs List Pages 12 &13. Gavin Bench. Fastest VCC Rider Verulam Open 25tt 57min. 49sec. pmb. pmb photo

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1 October 2011 No 27 Club Runs List Pages 12 &13 pmb pmb photo Gavin Bench Fastest VCC Rider Verulam Open 25tt 57min. 49sec. 1

2 Verulam Open 25 tt Ian Brazier Mike Jubb Christine Pout Richard Marriott Matt Reader A successful event with a full field of 120 riders. Eleven VCC members completed the course in somewhat tricky winds, including some first timers. A big thank you to Nick Coe and Richard Marriottt, without whom this event would not have happened. James O Neill Photo s courtesy of pmb 2 Mark Drinkwater

3 In This Issue 2 VCC Open 25 (photo s) 4 To Build a Fixed Wheel Bike Josh Mann 8 Coach s Corner Rachel McKay 10 The Joys of a 24 hour Bike Ride Brian Vegro 12 Club Runs List 13 Club Room Calendar 14 SGM Report Don Andrews 16 Under an English Sky Len Plumb 18 Caton s Blog Paul Caton Hill Climb Championship 22 VCC Morning Club 10 (photo s) 24 VCC Open 25 (more photo s) EDITORIAL On 22 July 2012 the Verulam will be promoting its Open 25 tt for the 50th consecutive year. This is no mean feat and demonstrates our continuing history and the club s commitment to the sport over half a century. This would not be possible without dedicated members who are willing to make the effort to organize such a major event. To celebrate this remarkable achievement the club is going to promote two time trials. Firstly a high profile Invitation 25 Mile tt. This event will offer a 1st prize in the order of 500 to attract the best 30 riders in the country with a total prize list of 1500.* These are ambitious plans and the club has committed 500 in support, the rest is to be raised through sponsorship with a major cycle supplier. The second event is the VCC Anniversary 25 mile tt. This event will be run as our traditional Open 25 with a field of 90 riders, hopefully with an enhanced prize list.* Already a sub-committee has been formed and the Sandy Sports Hall is booked for the H.Q. which is an excellent facility and one this event deserves. This is an opportunity to mark a special anniversary and enhance the reputation of the club. David Korson * Prizes are dependant on the amount of sponsorship available. Verulam News is the official newsletter of the Verulam Cycling Club Editors: David & Val Korson Sale s Farm, Grove Lane, Whelpley Hill, Chesham, Bucks. HP5 3QQ Tel: info@davidkorson.demon.co.uk 3

4 To Build a Fixed Wheel Bike by Josh Mann Part 1 My project was to build a fixed wheel bicycle, also known as a Fixie. I wanted to build this kind of bicycle because it was something new and I had never ridden or really seen this type of bicycle before. I had some basic knowledge about them, and heard that some people thought they are a good bike to ride, and others thought they were bad. I wanted to find this out for myself, so I decided to build one. The oldest and simplest type of bicycle is the "fixed-gear" bicycle. This is a singlespeed bike without a freewheel; that is, whenever the bike is in motion, the pedals will go around. You cannot coast on a fixed-gear machine. Any enthusiastic cyclists ride such bicycles by choice, at least part of the time. Why would anybody do that? It is not easy to put into words. There is an almost mystical connection between a fixed-gear cyclist and bicycle, it feels like an extension of your body to a greater extent than does a freewheel-equipped machine. My aim was to build a fixed wheel bicycle with a budget of 200. This was the maximum amount I wanted to spend on the construction of the bicycle, because I knew that I could purchase an already built, fixed wheel bicycle for that price. The parts: This paper was submitted as an AS Exam Extended Project Qualification The bicycle which I used the frame, chain ring, and pedals of cost 12 on EBay. This came as a complete bike which was probably used for commuting. It had no real value and was quite old. That didn t matter to me because I was only going to use those three parts of the bike for my project, so age didn t matter. Also, Fixies tend to be made out of old frames. This is because of their size (normally quite large) and the fact that they are easy and cheap to get hold of. The rest of the parts all came from the online shopping store, Rutland Cycling; two 700C rims, two Cheng Shin tyres, Charge Bucket Saddle, Single-speed chain and Bartape. 4

5 Wheels: The first thing I needed to do was get the wheels ready for putting on the bike. I did this by placing the tyre on one side of the rim. Before you put the tyre on the rim, you should check the side of the tyre to see if it says anything about which way the tyre should roll. I then worked my way along the tyre until the whole of one side of the rim was inside the tyre. Then, by squeezing the tyre against the side of the rim already in the tyre, I could clearly see the hole where the inner tube needed to go. I then got my inner tube, took off the dust cap and lock nut that is supplied with the inner tube, and slotted the valve through the hole, whilst holding the tyre out of the way. I then let the tyre go. The tyre should then be over the inner tube. Then I had to start at the bottom of the wheel, and push the inner tube up into the tyre, making sure that it did not twist. When I was sure that it was not twisted, and the whole of the inner tube was inside the tyre, I could roll the other side of the tyre, over the rim and into the trough. When doing this you have to be careful that you don t trap the inner tube between the tyre and the rim. To prevent this from happening, it is advised that you pump the inner tubes up a little, to give them a bit of shape. You can feel when the inner tube has been trapped and when it has not. When you are happy with the positioning of the tyre in the trough and are sure the inner tube has not been trapped, you can pump the tyre up fully. Do this gradually, checking every now and then that the tyre has not been forced off the rim and that the inner tube is not poking out. When the tyre has been pumped up to the recommended air pressure, you need to check that the tyre is sitting correctly, and is not miles higher then another area of the tyre further round. You do this by holding the axle in two hands and spinning the wheel. You then need to focus on a specific surface, such as a wall, and look out for the tyre moving up and down rapidly. If the tyre has been correctly assembled on the rim, then it should not move up and down too much, however if it has been badly done, it will be all over the place and it is recommended that you let the air out of the tubes and start again. This process needs to be repeated for both of the wheels. 5

6 Chain: Once the chain was connected, I then had to make sure that it was fitted properly and had the right tension. To do this I had to undo the rear wheel slightly, so that I could pull it back and forth. This made the chain tighter or looser. Because this bike is a fixed gear and not a multi-speed with a derailleur, the rear wheel needs to be secured in place for the chain to have the correct tension. This would be done by the derailleur on a multi-speed bike. When you think you have got the right tension, turn the pedals slowly, feeling where the chain gets tight. It will get tight in some places more than others, so you have to make sure that in the tight areas it is not too tight, and in the loose areas it is not too loose. It is important to get this balance right, because if the chain is too tight, it could quickly wear the teeth on the sprockets down, or if it is too loose, there would be the danger of the chain falling off, causing the sprocket to jam, and throw you off your bike. When you are happy with the positioning of the rear wheel, tighten up the wheel nuts a quarter of a turn each time (by doing one side a quarter, then the other side a quarter and so on). This is because if you tightened all of one side then all of the other side, the force of tightening the wheel nut will cause the wheel to twist, putting the chain back out of line. to be continued ADDIKTION CYCLES.COM Victoria Street, St. Albans, AL1 3TJ Tel: Cannondale - Trek - Whyte - Turner - Ridgeback Friendly and impartial advice Everything from pro bikes to kids bikes - custom bike and wheel builds Comprehensive clothing section 10% CLUB DISCOUNT 6

7 Welcome to New Member Dayle Guy Joined in August after a recommendation from Dave Haynes. Dayle is an ex-welwyn Wheelers rider. He is keen to compete next year in the Club Circuit Racing at Hog Hill and also in Evening 10 s and Sportives. Dayle used to ride in MTB events and became S. Devon Junior Champion. Clearly a guy to look out for! 84th Annual Club Dinner Dance and Prize Giving at Harpenden Golf Club Saturday 19th November pm for 7.00pm Don t miss this evening, it is always a sellout so book early as tickets are limited. Why not book a table for your group Tickets: available from 1st September: Ticket sales close 31st October. (Cheques to be made payable to Verulam Cycling Club) From: David Korson info@davidkorson.demon.co.uk Tel

8 Coach s Corner A regular feature from our Club Coach Rachel McKay ABCC Coach Group Riding This month I d like to talk about group riding as not only have we welcomed a few new members into the club but many of you have been away doing your own thing on events. Like most UK cycling clubs, the Verulam CC Sunday club run is at the heart of the club s cycling. These rides provide a sociable way to get fit, whether that s building basic endurance or working on top end speed and power. The spread of groups from the Sociables to the Fast via the Intermediates and Moderates gives you every pace and intensity to suit your needs. So how do you know which group to join? This decision is based on your current fitness (you need to keep up at a minimum), your goals and current training needs. Don t think you have to stick with the same group all year round and don t think you always have to aim for the next group up this isn t a football league! Indeed, I encourage riders to move between groups over the course of a year. During the winter months you should be building your base fitness so the emphasis is on low intensity rides; sometimes called getting the miles in. Drop down a group and offer to lead or at least share the work at the front. Conversely during the spring and summer consider peaking for a race or event by moving up 8 a group. Accept that you will get dropped at first but over the weeks you will get fitter and keep with the group for longer. Bear in mind that the speed and distance covered by all the groups fluctuates naturally with the seasons simply because you go faster and further in the summer than the winter. This is perfectly natural and indeed a good thing; riders who try to maintain the same speed and mileage all year round suffer fatigue, poor results and ultimately burn out. Now you ve figured out which group to ride with, you need to ride with the group not against it. This is where the etiquette comes in. All club members should have a handy laminated card listing the club run etiquette rules. In general, there are two types of club run: the first where the leader rides as if he s on his own and everyone else just tags along and the second where the whole group co-operates to ride as a smooth efficient unit. Unless specifically stated, all Verulam club run groups are the latter type. This means that although the leader sets the pace of the group, everyone must ride at that pace to make it work smoothly. So if you re at the front, judge your effort so that you don t

9 ride off into the distance. This is especially important on hills where it s tempting to race out of the saddle to the top. If you do spread out on a hill, it is vital that you regroup at the top and go back to the original pace; it s all too easy for a breakaway to occur and the group disintegrates into a mad Tour de France scramble. In the group, it s normal to ride two-abreast but to revert to a single file when the road is narrow or with overtaking traffic. The leader will shout single out at which point the inner rider moves forward and the outer rider slots in behind. When going back to two-abreast, the outer rider goes back outside and the inner rider closes up the gap in front. The rule is that the rider on the outside does the bulk of the work thus protecting the rider inside. Bear this in mind when moving between groups. Another vital skill to learn is smoothness. This means changing speed and direction in harmony with those around you, gradually not suddenly. As you become more experienced you use your brakes much less and much more delicately (known as feathering, especially the rear); you ease on and off the pedals to change speed; you drift in and out rather than chopping or weaving around. One of the best ways to learn is to follow a smooth, experienced rider. Also as your confidence increases you can follow the wheel in front more closely. Focus on their rear mech and maintain a comfortable distance and you ll find yourself gradually drawing closer over time. If you do want to change position, always but always check over your shoulder. For those motorcyclists amongst you this is called the lifesaver. Flick your right elbow out to indicate your intention then move smoothly but decisively. This also goes if you wave riders behind you through. When moving out for parked cars, drains or potholes indicate with your left arm behind your back and finger pointing out. Most groups operate a rotation method of sharing the work at the front. This means that when the leader calls out change the outside front rider moves forward and across one place, the next outside riders move forward 2 places. This is the basis of the chain gang method and watching any professional road races on YouTube or the TV will demonstrate this happening clearly. It also shows clearly what happens when the group doesn t co-operate as the chain quickly disintegrates and the group slows down considerably. Don t worry if this is all new to you. Watch and learn until you feel confident with the various hand signals. It s far better that you ride smoothly and safely rather than trying to point out every lump and bump in the roads and in the UK we certainly have enough of these! And for stronger, experienced riders, you can help the group by judging your pacing, doing the work at the front, acting as tail end Charlie and riding alongside those less experienced or strong. 9

10 The Joys of a 24 hour Bike Ride by Simon Vegro It had seemed like a good idea at the time. A 24 hour non-stop bike ride - how tough can it be? After all, there would be 4 of us in a relay, so we'd have regular breaks and time to recover, more time off the bike than on, a breeze really. So after a gap of a few years the grouping known as Redbourn Postal (inspired by Lance Armstrong's former US Postal team) got our act together, canvassed the "membership" - spread as far afield as Toronto and even Yorkshire - and came up with a team of four. Two of us have the privilege of being sons-in-law of Bill Sibley - each married to one of his beautiful twin daughters - one arguably the slightly more dubious privilege of being one of his sons, and our ringer - a very good club rider from somewhere hilly near Leeds. The next step was the important one of deciding what kit to wear. Having cycled from London to Paris for the same charity in the past, we had tailored Redbourn Postal shirts - but sadly not our ringer from the hills near Leeds. As luck would have it I persuaded a friend from the Head Office of O2's (where I work) parent company (Telefonica) to supply us with the Movistar shirts used by the professional cycling team they sponsor - followers of the Tour de France will be able to visualise how good we looked. Finally, we felt we should do some training. There were no worries about our ringer - the sort of guy who does 60 miles before breakfast, average speed around 25 mph (with hills!) - six days a week. With a "long" ride on a Sunday (interestingly his definition of a long ride was vastly different to ours) and lots of races. Contrast with the traditional members of Redbourn Postal, who feel that a long ride is anything in excess of our average speed, which hovers around the 13mph mark. After about six training rides, with frequent stops at various public houses, we concluded that "the adrenaline will get us round". That, plus the prospect of getting on Chris Boardman's wheel on the Sunday morning. 10

11 And so to the big day. We arrived at Goodwood, put up the tents, faffed about for a bit, and agreed our rota - Matt (ringer) first; Graham (son) second; me (son-inlaw) third; Chris (son-in-law) fourth. At 2pm on the Saturday afternoon, as Matt sped off, it all seemed fine. At 3am Sunday morning, however, things were a little different. My alarm went off - I must, against all the odds, have fallen asleep. The inflatable bed had almost deflated, I was freezing cold, a gale was almost blowing the tent away, and we were in the midst of a torrential downpour. I remembered that I'd left my wind jacket and gloves on the bike outside. I had 1/2 hour before Graham came in. The poor guy was out in this, and I was out next! I got back into my cycling gear in darkness (lost torch) went outside and put on the wind jacket. I'd have been soaked in five minutes anyway, so it didn't really matter. I walked the short distance to the pit lane, and waited. 3:25am. Pitch black. Howling wind. Driving rain. An hour long stint coming up. I consoled myself that my fancy combined torch/mp3 player would be blaring out "The Dark Side of the Moon" shortly, bit it wasn't much consolation. Graham came in, and off I went straight into the wind am the following morning. Sun out, although the wind hadn't dropped, all seemed right with the world. We'd all done over 100 miles by now (all that training had clearly helped) and it was coming to an end. Excitement was mounting. We were now doing only two laps each, as fast as we could - I almost kept up with Chris Boardman for about 1/2 mile! Redbourn Postal was shooting up the rankings (total laps done)... almost into the second quartile. Bill's lovely daughters had arrived. All seemed well with the world. And then 2pm came - it was all over. Rapture! It wasn't too bad really, was it, we all asked ourselves? 'Yes' was the unanimous answer! I slumped in a chair. I've run 3 London Marathons, cycled to Paris 3 times, done all sorts of physical challenges, but this was something else entirely. We concluded that we should take it easy next year and do La Marmotte.. 11

12 Club runs start at the roundabout on the corner of Catherine Street and St. Peters Street, St. Albans. Times below: These are social rides of morning only and you can choose to ride with a strenuous, moderate or social group. For more details of these groups and their leaders please visit the website and click on Clubruns. Each group will travel at the speed of its slowest member. New Members made welcome. Please ensure your cycle is roadworthy and fitted with mudguards with an extended flap at rear. You must obey the Highway Code. For further information Tel: Bill Sibley NOVEMBER th Friskies & Mods to Worlds End G.C. Wendover. Inters & Inters & Sociables to Pitstone Wharf Cafe START 9.00am 13th Friskies & Mods to Harkness G.C. Hitchin Inters & Sociables to Stevenage G.C. 9.00am 20th Fairlands Valley Park, Stevenage 9.00am 27th Friskies & Mods to Lauren s Cafe or Costa Coffee, High St. Leighton Buzzard. Sociables & Inters to Blackwell Cafe, Chipperfield. 9.00am DECEMBER th Club Freewheeling Championship - Entries on start line 9.30am at top of Wheathamstead Hill, Nomansland Common. Come and have fun. Clubrun to Freewheel & Vanstone Park, Codicote. 9.00am 11th White Horse Pub. High Cross. 9.00am 18th Visitor Centre, Dunstable Downs. 9.00am 25th No Club Run 12

13 START JANUARY st Impromptu Club Run 9.30am 8th Harkness G.C. Hitchin. 9.00am 15th White Horse Pub. High Cross 9.00am 22nd 29th Friskies & Mods to Worlds End G.C. Wendover. Inters & Sociables to Pitstone Wharf Cafe. Friskies & Mods to Lauren s Cafe or Costa Coffee, High St. Leighton Buzzard. Inters & Sociables to Blackwell Cafe, Chipperfield am 9.00am Club Night: Mondays 8.00pm pm. Fleetville Community Centre, Royal Road, St Albans. Refreshments at modest prices. For further information Tel: David Korson NOVEMBER th The 2001 Kimpton/Lilley Bottom Floods to the 2009 Tour Down Under including Lance Armstrong Come Back Interview - Tony Brazier. Not to be missed. 14th Social Evening 21st Film. Tom Simpson - Something To Aim At 28th VCC A.G.M. All 1st claim members should attend. 8.00pm sharp. DECEMBER th Cycling with Irene in Nova Scotia, Nick Siddell. Not to be missed. 12th Christmas Party Night. 2 a head. 19th No Club Room 26th No Club Room JANUARY nd No Club Room 9th Mulled Wine & Mince Pies 16th Social Evening 23rd Two Wheels and Four Pedals around New Zealand. Andy & Barbara s Tandem Tour. Andy Chisholm. Not to be missed. 30th Social Evening 13

14 Minutes of the SGM held on 12th September at Fleetville Communtiy Centre. Don Andrews & Andrew Rice Chaired the Meeting 1. Two apologies for absence and 17 members present, approx 7% of total membership. 2. All 2011 club and open events deemed a success with increasing popularity of club evening 10m time trials. The hardriders was well supported but limited entries for the Satuday morning 10s. - Suggestion from the floor that the club could consider Saturday pm 10s which might attract more entries. The Chiltern 100 was again a success particularly helped by a new headquarters venue. A major club promotion which has gained a reputation as the best in the area and probably the only major event in the country not run for charity or profit. Ride4aReason had c.140 riders and enjoyed excellent weather but entries have been static for a number of years. The club's open 25 went well and had the only full field on the F1 this year. N.B. All these events depend on the help and commitment of those members who are willing to give their time to ensure the club events are successful. New members are invited to offer assistance when requested. Events for Ride4aReason. David Yorke agreed to organise again for 2012 in National Bike Week subject to the excellent HQ being available. Some ideas were discussed to stimulate the number of entries, essentially more publicity amongst non regular riders. 2. Eddie Spriggs said he would be lead organiser for C100 next year. 3. Club Hardriders, club 10s and morning club 10s and hillclimb all approved although is was recognised that getting marshals for the evening 10s to agreee to and stick to their rota duties is a job in itself and remains a problem with no obvious solution. 4. The club road races at Hog Hill were popular and David Korson agreed to run at least 2 again next year. Although there was a view that a club of our size should run a BC road race no one is prepared to organise one which precludes our members getting entry into local races. Don Andrews outlined the committee s proposal for a special celebration open 25 to mark the 50th continuous running of this event. This will be an invitation event to attract the top testers in the UK. 14

15 N.B. The details of this proposal have been ed to every member and was approved with the club's financial contribution limited to 500. This event will need considerable organisation and sub-committees to deal with all the aspect and ensure it is a prestigious event. The key factor is the amount of sponsorship which will determine how much we can offer as prizes. Initial steps agreed that Don Andrews and David Korson will target sponsors and Tony Brazier will sound out potential riders to be invited. 5. Associations that the club should be affiliated to were agreed a follows - Cycling Time Trials (CTT) British Cycling (BC) Road Records Association Norlond Combine North Mids and Herts Cycling Association. Norlond Combine 25 Result 19-Sep-2011: Nick Coe Reports: Thirteen VCC riders rode the Norlond Combine 25 TT on Sunday, in chilly conditions. Some very good times posted, including a sub hour from Steve Maxted in his first 25, and improvements from a number of other riders. Christine Pout was first Lady, and 3rd overall on handicap. 15

16 Under an English Sky by Len Plumb There are many reasons why we cycle and speaking on behalf of myself it s not to get away from my wife; she who waves me goodbye every Sunday morning, telling me to leave my crash helmet at home and if you are not back by dinnertime keep riding! Seriously though, I ride for the companionship (me-talkative), able to take in all of our beautiful countryside, while chatting two to the dozen and of course to keep myself fit, able to climb the heights, not all of them I might add, with the big plus and sheer thrill of going down hill without pedalling. Yes, and a big bonus is riding through our seasonable weather, sun, snow and rain with the wind for and against, unless it s a cross wind, which blows nobody any good. This is my Country, that is how I feel when astride my cycle, with my roots buried in rural England and for good and bad this is my land. And just to put bums on saddles read Henry Charles Beeching s poem, Going Down Hill (which sums me up) on a bicycle: a Boy s Song. With lifted feet, hands still, I am poised, and down the hill, Dart, with heedful mind; The air goes by in a wind. Swifter and yet more swift, Till the heart with a mighty lift, Makes the lungs laugh, the throat cry:- O bird see; see, bird I fly. Is this, is this your joy? O bird, then I, though a boy, For a golden moment share, Your feathery life in air. Say, heart, is there aught like this, In a world that is full of bliss, Tis more than skating bound, Steel -shod to the level ground. Speed slackens now, I float, Awhile in my airy boat; Till, when the wheels scarce crawl, My feet to the treadles fall. Alas, that the longest hill, Must end in a vale; but still; Who climbs with toil, wheresoe er Shall find wings waiting there. Down the years many writers, playwrights and poets rode bikes. George Bernard Shaw was a cyclist, one who rode one of those sit up and beg heavyweight cycles and I wonder what he would think about the lightweight drop handlebar cycles the majority of us ride nowadays? George would be amazed, as I would if I arose out of the grave. Rupert Brooke the poet, wrote a poem The Old Vicarage, Grantchester, while in Berlin, May 1912 and in it he writes of his love of home and of the County of 16

17 Cambridgeshire; its villages and towns and the surrounding countryside and it was his desire to get back to all its sights and sounds and be out there in the countryside. I am planning a ride to Brooke s house and also a few of the towns and villages that he mentions in his poem; such as St Ives, Royston, Trumpington, Madingley and Cherry Hinton. Cambridgeshire is not that far from Hertfordshire and thinking further afield I wonder if anybody has ever ridden a cycle through all our Shires? Perhaps that could be a future cycle ride, one that would take me the length and breadth of our Island. Cycling opens up so many opportunities, from touring to racing and truly the saying under your own steam was never more apt. No filling up your petrol tank or catching the bus or train, but just pedalling and letting the chain take the strain. Your hands, my dear; are adorable, Your lips of tenderness, -Oh, I ve loved you faithfully and well, Three years, or a bit less. It wasn t a success. Thank God, that s done! And I ll take the road, Quit of my youth and you, The road to Wendover, By Tring and Lilley Hoo, As all free men do. Rupert must have got on his bike as well! 17

18 Caton s Blog A regular feature in which Paul shares his experience with readers By the time August arrives the race season starts to slow down and by September it is almost over. This always seems a real shame and I can t understand why riders are keen to race in the cold and wet of March but have retired for the season come the late summer when the weather can be pretty good. My last circuit race at Hog Hill on the 2 nd October was in brilliant sunshine and 26C. Although my race season started early this year (I was one of those March racers) I tried to initially keep it low key as I wanted to race right into the Autumn, finishing with the Masters World Track Championships being held at Manchester Velodrome at end of October. Historically the guys that are doing really well in the spring rarely keep it going to the end of the season. Enthusiasm for me is generated by results and at the beginning of the year they were scarce although by Paul competing in the European Masters June things were starting to look promising. I missed a medal in the BC National Track champs due to a tactical blunder caused by my lack of experience of racing the short indoor tracks. A week later I recorded 20 minute 45 seconds for a 10 mile time trial on the new Tring bypass course which showed my fitness was pretty good. My previous best set some years ago (pre aero kit) was a so it was pleasing to improve by a good amount and it also shows how much difference an aero position etc can make. On one downhill section I was nudging 47mph which reduced to 36mph on the following level section only to go back up to 42mph when a lorry went past! Now I know why time trialists like busy roads. Soon after that I rode the BC Masters Road Race National Championship over an 80 mile course which had its fair share of climbs. The race was run off at just over 25mph on a very hot day. I picked up 3 rd and my first national medal which I was chuffed with. 18

19 Our summer holiday had been planned for some time with an apartment booked in a small historic town near Perugia on the Tuscan/Umbria borders. We were staying close to a friend of mine, Neil Wass, who had entered us both for a 6km hill climb the day after we arrived. In true Italian style the 8.30am start became 9.15am before the first rider set off in near 30 C heat. Not having seen or ridden the hill beforehand I was at a disadvantage and by half distance I was regretting having agreed to take part, I was over geared, I was overheating and I felt sick with the effort of just keeping going. Not one for packing I finished and to my surprise won my age category beating the Italian Road champ in the process. Neil came 2 nd in his category although we were some way off the overall winning time set by a local pro rider. It was a great experience with a commentary at the finish line for the spectators. We duly attended the prize presentation afterwards to receive our spoils. Mine was a whole leg of Parma ham which I had trouble lifting and Neil won a huge Salami. Luckily for us we found someone in a car to take them back as we had both ridden out. Anyway the most unusual prize I have ever won in a bike race. I am pleased to see that Frazer has been trying out the track racing at Gosling Stadium, winning his first ever race. Perhaps next year we could see a few more riders from the Verulam taking part and winning some more races? In a previous article I wrote some guidance on fuelling up for racing and training which I hope provided some useful tips. I hadn t realised how important this was until I got lax with my diet, didn t fuel and subsequently couldn t train properly as I felt very tired. A few bowls of porridge sorted that out, a good reminder though as to how important diet is. 9 St Brelades Place, Jersey Farm, St. Albans, Herts. AL4 9RG Tel: st-albanscycles@btconnect.com Mountain Bikes, Road Bikes, Hybrid Bikes, Kids Bikes, Parts & Accessories, Clothing, Shoes. Servicing and Repairs. No Booking. Fast turnaround. 19

20 Hog Hill Circuit Racing Advance Notice Encouraged by last year s enjoyable day out at Hog Hill, the club has booked the top circuit for two dates, Sunday 22nd April and Sunday 8th July Come to the Christmas Party Great food, Good Wine, Great fun Meet your mates for a chat. Monday 12th December pm Dates for Your Diary Club Events 19th November Annual Dinner Dance Harpenden Golf Club & Prize Giving 28th November AGM & Party Club Room 12th December Christmas Party Club Room 20

21 2011 Hill Climb Championship 2-Oct-2011: Sunday s Hill Climb near Preston was contested by 25 riders (including a number of first timers) on another sunny and warm morning, followed by coffee stop at Vanstone. Jonathan Shubert returning from Wales as a guest proved his class by beating all others by a huge 33 seconds. A closely fought battle for the championship was won by John Hall, from Mark Antcliffe and Joe Plumb. 1st Jonathan Shubert 2min. 11 Sec. 2nd John Hall Hill Climb Champion 3rd Mark Antcliffe th Joe Plumb th Martin Jones th Steve Maxted th Richard Colt th Sam Skuce th Paul Hart th James O Neill th Nick Coe th Roger Porter th Alan Swain th Max Ward th Colin Vidler th Justin N Rolfe th Lucy Cuppleditch 3.29 F First Woman 18th Christine Pout 3.32 F 19th Alan Ackrill th Paul Rosenthal st Nick Hawkins nd Michael Sims rd James Plumb th C.Crede th Karen Jones 5.23 F 21

22 VCC Club Morning 10 Photo s Nick Coe Ian Brazier Paul Browning James O Neill Steve Clarke Luke Clarke Photo s courtesy of pmb John Hall 22

23 VCC Club Morning 10 3-Sep-2011: Nick Coe reports A dry and warm morning was enjoyed by a strong turnout for the last 10 of the season, this time on the Whitwell circuit. After a very close battle, Shu Pillinger has claimed the ladies Seabird Trophy (Gavin Bench had already won the mens), whilst the Stokes Trophy (best aggregate 6 evening 10s on Standard) also goes to Gavin (Stephanie Wheatley was the fastest Lady). Congratulations to all three. Stephanie Wheatley Gavin Bench Shu Pillinger Juan Montoya Mike Sims Steve Maxted Paul Williams 23

24 VCC Open 25tt More photo s Paul Williams pmb Also riding were: Nick Coe Stefan Weidmann James O Neill pmb Dick Morgan mans the result board Wendy Morgan & Bill Sibley Take charge of the tea and cakes 24