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Manchester Velodrome Trip Friday 30th October 2009
AGM Thursday 22th October 2009
A rather dull and damp start to the day, but compared to recent weather it was a fine opportunity to get out on the bikes after missing several weeks with the icy conditions. Eight riders met at the library and set off towards Higham on the Hill for a very modest ride around the Fenn Lanes. Leader Anne, well aware of her own lack of fitness after Thursday’s ride, and noting that Rose had not been cycling since October, kept the pace steady.
As the group travelled through Wykin, Stoke Golding and Dadlington the weather brightened considerably and Sutton Cheney Wharf looked a most attractive sight in the sunshine. The Wharf was our refreshment stop and everyone enjoyed tea coffee and cakes etc and particularly lively chat. We met another Club member Don and friend, who were out walking so a sociable time was had by all.
The temperature seemed to dip a little on leaving, so the group made a brisk pace on the homeward journey back to Nuneaton, a short ride but an enjoyable one.
A motley group of 17 riders, left Hill Top Garden Centre heading for Shilton, where a right at the traffic lights and a left off the Coventry Road set us on the road to Brinklow. Two new faces were in the pack today, Eileen and Derek were made very welcome. On arriving in the village Bill, today’s leader, called a halt in order to phone the lunchtime destination to advise them of numbers. This also gave an opportunity for Arthur, who had popped up on the way, to add his name to Tep’s card before he disappeared again. We are all looking forward to seeing Terry on the rides again when his shoulder is fully fit after being replaced by a stainless steel one. There is no-one who does the “lantern rouge” as good as he does. Although the weather was distinctly autumnal, Mick had arrived wearing shorts showing 2 large plasters on his knee where he had recently had keyhole surgery. Has he got any long bottoms? The fine weather gave great opportunities to see the array of autumnal colours that bedecked the hedgerows. This does bring a problem of wet leaves on the road, a slippery hazard for cyclists We were soon passing through Easenhall and making our way to Harborough Magna. A left turn here took us across the B4112 and over the busy M6. A right turn took us through Churchover and soon afterwards a short stretch of the busy A426 called for single file and extreme care. This led us to the A5 island where we turned off for Shawell. A short stop was called to regroup, particularly welcomed by Anne to get her breath back, this being her first ride for many weeks after her brief spell in show business. After Shawell Bill led the group towards Lutterworth. We followed the one way system, eventually heading towards Bitteswell. From here the straight road took us via Ullesthorpe along the undulating road to Claybrook Magna and our lunch stop, the Pig in Muck where we were warmly welcomed by mine host. The most popular choice for lunch was fish and chips, one of the best found locally. Unfortunately as we left the weather turned for the worst and rain started to fall, those with the longest journey home destined to get very wet.
Rides take place every Thursday – contact Anne on 02476 741276 or www.nuneatoncycleclub.co.uk
Manchester Velodrome Trip - Friday 30th October 2009
A group of Nuneaton CC members travelled up to catch the first day of the Manchester leg of the UCI Track Cycling World Cup Classics 2009. The visit was typified by the successes of British cyclists cleaning up, or performing strongly in, just about every discipline on the track, winning 10 of the 17 events on the 3-day programme.Chris Hoy was as outstanding as ever with three victories over the three days, still head and shoulders (or legs and lungs) ahead of his rivals.For me Geraint Thomas's outstanding two races in the 4k individual pursuit, where he established, I believe, the second fastest time in history and was on the way to breaking that when he caught the Belgian co-finalist, were the high point of the meet.
Vicky Pendleton won the gold medal in the sprint, in front of the Chinese rider, Guo Shuang, although she needed the ride-off to finish the job. Chris Newton won the men’s points race - a 100 lap marathon (25k) which at times I found bewildering to keep track of given the unique points system and the chaotic nature of a 250 metre track covered by a multitude of riders.
The arena was smaller than I imagined but user friendly insofar as spectators can stand at the bend ends and view down the straight - useful for the amateur photographers and those who just need to stretch their legs. The facilities are good - plenty of room to circulate and good amenities.
It was a long day but action-packed and enthralling - well worth the trip.
Next stop in the series will be in Melbourne, Australia, from 19th to 21st November. I don't think a trip is being planned to that one!
Chris
Rose's Ride - Saturday 24th October 2009
aka - Oh what a miserable day for the SATURDAY CYCLISTS!!
On Saturday, nine riders turned up to brave the wind and rain on the Nuneaton Cycle Club usual Saturday morning leisurely cycle ride. Another two newcomers, Eileen and Derek were made welcome along with our other two new recruits Vlenka and Alison, and off we all rode in the drizzle, out through Weddington over Leicester Road bridge picking up the cycle lane onto Weddington Road. With Warwickshire County Council removing the cycle lane over the bridge recently because of the risks lorries incur whilst going round the corner, we were all taking our places on the road where car users can see us and not cut us up! So come on Cyclists of Nuneaton, get ‘on your bike’ and use the bridge and let’s make a stand (or should I say cycle!?). The more this cycle lane is used, the more the motorists will get used to the idea that cycling is now becoming a way of life for many residents in the borough.
So off through Weddington, Higham, Upton, Shenton and onto the Tithe Barn at Bosworth Battlefield we all rode, chatting away and enjoying the ride for a well earnt cuppa and cake! However, many of us had hot sausage rolls to warm us up! Our way back was hounded by more rain... but we soldiered on… as everyone chatted about this and that cycling against the wind towards the slow slog up Higham on the Hill.
Anne cycled off in front to get the photo of the very wet ladies, Vlenka, Alison, Rose, Kath and Janet bringing up the rear in the rain…. But we all enjoyed the ride which was about 18 miles… so well done to our new riders too!
Nuneaton ctc Cycle Club meet every week for their Saturday rides at Nuneaton Library at 10am and new riders of all levels are always welcome… come and join us, all you need is a roadworthy bike!
'Wet Ones' - a fresh definition
Nuneaton CTC Cycling Club Annual General Meeting – Thursday 22nd October 2009
This year's AGM took place on the 22nd of October. Several committee members stood down - Bert and Carole Pearce relinquishing the roles of President and Treasurer respectively, whilst Rose Selwyn has decided to discontinue her role as Chair. Kath Kent, who acted as Welfare Officer, also left the committee. Thanks are due to them all for their work, especially Rose, whose energy has helped to regalvanise the Club and to Carole for always having a steady hand on the accounting tiller. Bert deserves a mention too for his eminent good sense and good humour. Replacing them are Bill Hayward as President, Ann Jenkins as Chair and Arthur Mobley as Treasurer. John Allen, already a committee member, becomes Auditor. Also elected as Committee members are Janet Beale, Kath Thomas and Mick Cooper giving a committee of nine in all. More information and some photographs are available on the Events page. 31 attended the AGM. Bert Pearce gave a short verbal report and a vote of thanks to the Committee. He was particularly pleased at the success of the Saturday rides and easy Sunday rides – Bert is standing down. Rose Selwyn gave a comprehensive report of her activities this year. She referred to the CTC Award the Club had won and showed the cup, medal and certificate – Rose is also standing down. Anne Taylor gave a report and referred members to our scrapbooks of regular press reports. Carole Pearce told the meeting that the club funds stand at a healthy level and the Community Plan Fund has been used – Carole is standing down as well. Bill Hayward becomes Honorary President whilst the post of Chair goes to Ann Jenkins. Anne Taylor and Chris Steiner continue as Secretary and Runs Secretary respectively. Arthur Mobley takes over as Treasurer and John Allen as Auditor. Janet Beale, Kath Thomas and Mick Cooper join the Committee. Anne Taylor referred to the decision at last year’s AGM to stay under the umbrella of Coventry and Warwickshire CTC where it was agreed to reconsider this year. Anne explained that the Cov and Warks group are considering disbanding at their AGM on 25th October and the implications of this were discussed. The annual financial difference would be slight, but Bert Pearce pointed out that Cov and Warks CTC have considerable funds which could be split between the member groups. Morgan Reynolds thought any such funds would go to Head Office. Ian Bonner said the Cov and Warks group were an important part of the structure of CTC, but Rose Selwyn thought they are backward rather than forward looking. Alan Reynolds suggested an EGM to decide, Bert proposed deferring the decision until next year. This was put to a vote which carried Bert’s proposal. Anne proposed changing Cycling to Cycle in the Club name – this was finally agreed. The Mira Mile and Easy Sunday Rides initiatives were discussed. The majority were in favour of repeating the Mira Mile and continuing Easy Sunday Rides. Awards and Prizes All the awards were presented by Ann Jenkins as incoming chair. The President’s Cup was presented to Bill Hayward, the Amicale St Louis Cup for most rides was won by Janet Beale for 62 rides, the Lol Duncombe Junior Trophy was presented to Chloe Marshall and Carole and Bert Pearce were jointly awarded the Best All Rounder Shield. Anne Taylor made a proposal to change the name of the Shield Award to Club Member of the Year. This was carried by a show of hands. The Committee proposed to reduce the annual donation of £5 to £2. This was also carried by a show of hands.Kath's Ride - Saturday 3rdth October
It was on a very blustery morning that 10 cyclists set off from the library on their regular Saturday ride The group was happy to be joined by 3 newcomers who had decided to join us for the first time and had not allowed the unfavourable conditions to put them off. We followed the shared cycle path into Riversley Park and following the Sustrans-marked route cycled soon arrived at Coton Arches.Here we were able to join the recently completed cycle path which as well as providing us with our first hill climb enabled us to arrive safely at Hill Top. From here we crossed into Middlemarch Road and soon picked up another traffic-free path which took us into the Bermuda Industrial Estate, over the bridge looking down on the Bedworth bypass and into Bermuda Village. The group then enjoyed a pleasant circuit of Bermuda Lake and continued on cycle paths which took us out of the industrial estate behind Days Inn and onto the main road at the Griff Hotel. The next part of the ride was an opportunity to see Bedworth Sloughs, an area which has in the past suffered from mining subsidence but is now an attractive leisure area with walking/cycling paths and picnic spots surrounding a large pond where a variety of ducks and swans have made their homes. At this point a short discussion took place and it was agreed that as the unrelenting strong winds were taking their toll on our less experienced members, the planned route would be shortened. We then soon arrived at the coffee bar at Bedworth Civic Hall and after enjoying some very welcome refreshment we cycled home happily and with the wind behind us along the Coventry Canal.
Kath leading her posse in a southerly direction out of Nuneaton
Les's Ride - Saturday 27thth September
Saturday mornings ride was led by Les and had a good attendance of 14 riders, 4 of them new to the club. It was a pleasant morning weatherwise, with clouds overhead and the odd appearance of the sun, perfect for a lovely sociable cycle ride in the countryside. Our ride took us from Nuneaton Library to Weddington where we left the busy traffic to go onto the Weddington Trail, which took us under the A5 and onto Higham. We had a couple of riders who hadn’t been out for quite some time with us, so it was lovely to see Alan and Andy joining us again. From Higham we made our way to Wyken.
Our 4 visiting riders were from the cycle response unit of the St. John’s ambulance. Some interesting conversations took place as they explained their role in providing first aid cover at events where vehicles have difficulty accessing such as events up in the mountains or busy city events, often carrying heavy supplies of equipment such as oxygen etc. So it was nice for them to be off duty and relax as we cycled along taking in the beautiful countryside. From Wyken we headed to Stoke Goulding, where a Microlite hovering above caught our attention. The tranquil country lanes then took us into Dadlington and over the bridge at Sutton Cheney Wharf on to the A447. On arriving at Greenacres Tea Room we dismounted to have some delicious tea and cake. At this point, our St. John’s guys parted company with us as one of their members had a prior engagement and had to get back. Having been fed and watered, we took the tranquil lanes to Cadeby village, past Bosworth park and through Bosworth village. We saw many horse chestnut trees that had shed their conkers, taking us back to our childhood of the many hours spent ‘conkering’ (collecting conkers) and many bruised knuckles whilst playing the game. We continued on to Shenton and past Whitemoors tea-rooms. Our younger members Sean aged 14 who has been out with us for the past few and Chloe aged 11 who has been with us for the past few months were proving to be promising new members, as they seemed to effortlessly proceed with the ride. Our final part of the ride took us back to Higham and on to Higham Lane where members dispersed to head into various directions home.
left to right: Averil, Alan, Janet, Les, Dave, Sean, Arthur & Chloe
Chris's Ride - Saturday 19th September
A good number of riders turned out for an excursion to the Battlefield Centre near Bosworth. Chris led the ride, his first time out after recuperating from his leg injury. The party included a young first-timer, Sean, who turned out to be quite a fit ‘un. It was, once again, a sunny day – this late in the year the phrase ‘Indian Summer’ comes to mind, catching out those who’d expected a cooler run, especially young Chloe, who was dressed more for a trip into the Arctic than rural Leicestershire. Help was at hand though and her yellow hi-viz jacket and fleece were soon handed over for carrying to the two Ann(e)s, thus averting the threat of potential heat exhaustion! The route was usual-ish – along Weddington Road and right along Brookdale followed by Higham Lane and the first big workout of the day – that long drag uphill into Higham. Through the village and then a right turn onto Wykin Lane, crossing the bridges, in quick succession, over a disused, disappeared railway line and an increasingly well-used canal, passing the fishing lake, then making a sharp left-hand bend and corresponding right-hander before reaching Stoke Lane. As suggested this road took us into Stoke Golding – the self-styled birthplace of the Tudors! A right took us by the George and Dragon, the Post Office, the general stores, The Three Horseshoes, St.Margaret’s church and the White Swan, all making this a very convenient place to live in. Out of the village and down towards the so-called Duck Bend, where the little fellas are fed by canal folk and strollers alike, and up a leg-burning incline into Dadlington, then left and along, with a cautious crossing over Fenn Lanes. This continuation is interesting, avenue like in stretches, with yet one more narrow canal bridge and Shenton station. It was here one or two decided to get to the Centre on the sharply rising stone tracks whilst the rest went by the road. We were soon sitting down in the sun next to a large party of ‘serious’ local riders – less leisurely travellers than ourselves. An hour or so of pleasant conversation waiting for Chloe to finish her huge sausage roll and we were on again, pausing only for Janet to recover from a chance encounter with an insect and her right ear’ole. No names mentioned but someone made a very amusing and irreverent remark about the incident – she should have more respect for her elders! Averil and Bob parted soon after to make their way back to their respective homes whilst the rest trooped onward to Higham and Nuneaton. Altogether a truly pleasant day in the saddle.21 riders arrived at Karen’s Kafe for the star of Thursday’s ride. The weather, bright, sunny and warm brought more riders than usual out. We started our ride as usual at 11.00am, along the shared cycle path to the Ropewalk, crossing at the pedestrian lights and making our way along Queens Road. Our route went through Stockingford, passing the Arbury Hall entrance, on to the left turn to the B4102. Down the hill past Seeswood Pool and in to open country, a pleasant change from the 4 miles of urban roads we had just ridden through. At Astley crossroads, a left turn then a right took us on a loop to meet the B4102 once more at Fillongley. Care was taken to cross the busy main road and half way up the hill a right turn took us on to a quiet lane which was missed by Chris who was held up at the crossroads. He wasn’t seen again until lunchtime. The route pressed on to Maxstoke where a left turn took us to Meriden. Group photographer Kevin captured the day with a photo in front of the Cyclists War Memorial. We left Meriden passed the village hall where another left took us to a quiet lane leading to the B4102 again. A long climb terminated at Chapel Green and it was during the descent that Jill (one of our new ladies) had a spill, fortunately landing on soft grass. On recovering her composure her first concern was for her bike and she was pleased to see it was undamaged. A short distance on we arrived at Corley Moor where we had an excellent lunch at the Bull and Butcher. After lunch the group made their various ways home - a hilly but enjoyable ride.
