July 2001

Two more new members have joined in the past month. Tim Pigula has been out on a number of club runs and made an impressive debut in his first time trial (see 3^rd 25 report). Peter Hillier is back to cycling after a lay off and has been out with us on a Sunday and is improving his race fitness.

It is good to see a steady influx of new members and increasing enthusiasm for racing in the club this year.

The order has now gone off to Pro-vision with 28 members having ordered some kit. I have also ordered a small stock of most items to avoid having to keep doing small re-orders. The total value of the order was £3,700. Delivery is expected in about seven weeks.

Club runs meet at the Shearing Hill/Burton Road junction on Saturdays at 9.30 a.m. and Sundays at 9.00 a.m.. Wednesday runs meet at Lowdham War memorial 9.15 a.m.

Club nights and committee meetings are held on Mondays towards the end of each month at the Burton Road Community Centre, (opposite Walker’s Garage) Carlton 7.30-9.30 p.m. The next two meetings are 23 July and 20 August.

Keith Jackson is running the Open 10 on the Long Bennington course starting at 5 pm on Saturday 7 July. Craig Watson is running an Open 25 on the Granby course on Saturday 28 July. Let Keith or Craig know ASAP if you are able to help with marshalling, catering etc on the day.

On Sunday 15 July the Club Championship 25 is on the Granby course starting at 9 a.m. The Halford Trophy also goes to the handicap winner, so don’t forget your entry form! The Skegness Race is on 2 September starting at 7.30 a.m. Keith Jackson is again organising a coach to carry supporters and to bring the riders back.

There is a “Saddlebag Sale” at Margaret’s, Redmile on Saturday 28 July from 11 a.m. You can sell unwanted bikes and bits or find a bargain. Pitches are £1.25 for a saddlebag or £2.50 for a table. Contact Jo Clarke 0116 2106505 to book in advance.

Nine o’clock. No clouds or wind. Ideal conditions for a time trial, but it was starting to get dark and I’d just finished my second glass of red, a ‘full of fruit’ New World wine. Twelve hours earlier on the line opposite Barnstone church conditions had been a little different; 12ºC and getting colder in a strong northwesterly. Luckily it had stopped raining but the roads were still wet.

Chris (Frost) punctured whilst warming up, courtesy of the re - dressed road through Barnstone village to the Granby ‘T’ junction where the dressing was just like a shingle beach - gravel two to three inches deep all across the junction of the first turn. Chris also warned of two to three hundred yards of thick mud on Granby Lane where the only clear line was a narrow channel in the right hand gutter.

Thank goodness the road had been OK for Wayne’s open ‘25’ last week! Trev, ably assisted by Stephen, was timekeeper. Sue had dropped them off. After unloading their bikes and putting on their racing capes to keep the cold out, they were ready to start the event. Warnings were passed around about the gravel and mud hazards and Jude was first off. Rob, last man off at number 8, was on his winter bike and number 7, Chris (Pearson), had his road bike. Both had made sensible choices for the day. Having achieved a ‘1’ and a ‘2’ respectively in our open eight days ago, I reckoned that both their rides were equivalent to being under the hour on other less rural courses.

‘5-4-3-2-1’ and I was off at number 5 with Neil at 6. Neil had finished his studies and his racing season could now begin. Having seen him on a hilly club run to Halstead two weeks ago, I could easily tell that he would be adding to the quality of the top riders in the club.

Back to the race, it was foot out to negotiate the shingle beach and left up Granby Lane into the northwesterly and the mud. Foot out again and into the right gutter at a slow pace to avoid having to do some muddy cyclo-cross. Fortunately I could see far enough ahead for any oncoming cars and I intended to stop and get on the verge if I had to, at least it was grassy! No cars came.

Neil passed me on the Langar road and a few words of encouragement were exchanged. At last it was the final turn into Granby Lane and a tail wind to the finish .The mud still lay thick and uneven but thankfully the clear channel was now on my side of the road, through that and there was Trev’s bright yellow racing cape - race over!

I then heard the bad news that it had been race over much earlier for Lesley. She had crashed on the road between Langar and Harby and Jude (Jackson) had gone to pick her up in the family’s people carrier. Shortly afterwards a battered, bruised but still cheerful Lesley was delivered with her bike. The picture emerged of a badly buckled back wheel.

Apparently two spoke in her rear Mavic Cosmos wheel had snapped locking the wheel and causing a skid and a heavy fall. Jude (Stevens) heard the accident, Lesley had been a few yards behind her when the rear wheel locked. Jude went to help and the rescue sequence was started. Lesley’s helmet was smashed, reduced to two loose flaps of polystyrene but it had protected her skull as designed.

Back to the race, Neil won his debut club event and Kevin improved while others went slower to take first handicap. Rob was slowed by a puncture and cruised round. Chris Pearson was fresh enough to lead a run to Margaret;s but I opted for the heated car and home for a hot shower. Flaming June!!! I’m sure it will be for Ed and Pat on holiday in Kos - no RTTC events listed there - although I’m sure there used to be chariot racing!

The cold northerly wind, rain showers and a hilly course must have deterred many riders as only two turned out for the Oxton Bank circuit TT. It was made interesting with a close fought battle as Orford gradually gained on Chris to win by just 54 seconds.

What a difference the weather makes! A beautiful sunny and very warm day attracted eight riders many of whom turned out personal best times. Chris was just six seconds outside the hour on what is considered a relatively slow course. This was after doing a 22-40 in a ten the previous day.

Tim, riding his first ever time trial, took third spot without the benefit of tri-bars. Judy knocked five minutes off her previous best.

	1^stCircuit	2^nd Circuit	3^rd Circuit	Ollerton & back	4^th Circuit	1^st 25	2^nd 25	Oxton Bank	3^rd 25	TOTAL
Orford Spencer	6	7	4		7	4	5	7	1	41
Chris Pearson	4			8			3		6	21
Kevin Newbury				5	2	7	4		1	19
Chris Frost	4		4				2	7		17
Judy Stevens	2	4				3			3	12
Ian Savage		2	6							8
Craig Watson		2	1		1	4				8
Rob Stevens	2			4			1			7
Neil Walker							4		3	7
Dave Woodward				3	3					6
Tim Pigula									6	6
Lesley Cliff	1			1	4					6
Nigel Moreland			5							5
Nigel White		4								4
Maria Haynes			1	1	1				1	4
Robert Godfrey					2				1	3
Terry Kelly					1					1
Wayne Bradley						1				1

Tuesday Evening Tens start on the Old Epperstone Road near the Springfield Pub at 7.00 p.m.

Rob Stevens maintains his lead in both the fastest and handicap sections of the league. His 22-11 on 26 June was a sudden improvement (it can’t just be his new wheels) earning him first handicap and what I believe is the fastest Sherwood ride on the course. Although it was a pleasantly warm evening it was quite windy. John Duckworth has also been turning in some very good rides with a best of 22-54 and has beaten Rob a few times.

TENS	LEAGUE	SEASON TOTALS		5 June			12 June				19 June			26 June
				s	h	Time	s	h	Time	s		h	time	s	h	time
SENIORS		Fastest	H/Cap
Rob	Stevens	34	18	4	1	23.08	4	1	23.02	3		1	24.11	4	4	22.11
Chris	Pearson	21	7	3	1	24.24				4		1	23.41
Dave	Woodward	12	10	2	4	24.50
Chris	Frost	10	11	1	3	25.21	1	1	26.04					1	1	25.39
Keith	Jackson	10	6				2	1	24.49					2	1	24.20
Orford	Spencer	10	6	1	1	24.57	3	1	24.39	1		3	24.55	1	1	24.51
Maria	Haynes	9	11	1	1	26.42	1	1	26.40	1		1	26.46	1	1	26.41
Judy	Stevens	8	15	1	1	29.47	1	3	29.13	1		4	29.26
Terry	Kelly	8	12	1	1	29.05	1	4	28.12	1		1	28.49
Don	Cunningham	8	11	1	2	27.24	1	1	27.25	1		2	27.42	1	3	26.48
Craig	Watson	7	7							1		1	28.08
Paul	Wilson	6	6				1	1	28.59	1		1	28.26
Trev	Adams	6	5				1	1	28.32					1	1	28.28
Barry	Shelton	6	5				1	1	28.27					1	1	28.10
Lesley	Cliff	5	7	1	2	27.24
Neil	Walker	5	1							2			24.31	3	1	23.39
Neil	Copland	4	10				1	2	25.25
Don	Wells	4	3	1	1	29.09	1	1	28.29
Nigel	Moreland	4	0
Kevin	Newbury	3	4
Tony	Beresford	2	1
Ian	Savage	2	0
Steve	Walsh	1	0											1		26.02
John	Duckworth	Not	Eligible			23.29			22.54				23.32			23.14

Editor: Ed Ward	52 Shearing Hill, Gedling, Nottingham NG4 3GX	Tel: 0115- 9615477	e-mail
Secretary: Dave Bostock	61 Shelford Road, Gedling, Nottingham NG4 4JB	Tel: 0115- 9521301
Membership Sec: Orford Spencer	9 Woolacombe Close, Mapperley, Nottm NG3 5SL	Tel: 0115- 9200971

Pos	Name	Actual Time	Handicap	Handicap Time	Acorn Points
1	Neil Walker	1:06:11	2:00	1:4:11	4
2	Chris Pearson	1:07:33	4:00	1:3:33	3
3	Orford Spencer	1:08:33	6:00	1:2:33	5
4	Chris Frost	1:09:42	7:00	1:2:42	2
5	Kevin Newbury	1:10:57	12:00	12:00	4
6	Rob Stevens	1:14:33	SCR	1:14:33	1

Pos	Name	Time at A617	Time at A614	Actual Time	Handicap	Handicap Time	Acorn Points
1	Orford Spencer	32:42	1:00:37	1:18:23	SCR	1:18:23	7
2	Chris Frost	33:07	1:01:07	1:19:17	2:00	1:17:17	7

Name	Actual Time	Handicap	Handicap Time	Acorn Points
Chris Pearson	01:00:06	00:01:00	00:59:06	6
Neil Walker	01:01:13	SCR	01:01:13	3
Tim Pigula	01:01:56	00:06:00	00:55:56	6
Orford Spencer	01:04:22	00:02:00	01:02:22	1
Kevin Newbury	01:06:04	00:05:00	01:01:04	1
Maria Haynes	01:07:04	00:05:00	01:02:04	1
Rob Godfrey	01:08:40	00:06:00	01:02:40	1
Judy Stevens	01:15:58	00:18:00	00:57:58	3