CUCC Newsletter, May 1993 (Ely hardriders, the gruellers lament)
1 May 1993
IS IT A BIRD? NO. IS IT A PLANE? NO. IS IT
SUPERMAN ? NO, IT'S...
CUCC NEWSLETTER NUMBER 7
Now you may have noticed that (discounting the half-
page flier most of you received some time ago) this is in
fact only the sixth newsletter to reach your pigeon-hole;
this is because no.6 was written before you all went
home, but was never circulated due to financial
problems...Here is the latest edition, however, complete
with all the relevant bits from the one you didn't get.
GENERAL NEWS: Two socials have been planned so
far this term, each having a fairly specific function - 8pm
(ish) starts for these...
Wednesday 28th April - James Farnhill (B3, North
Court, St.John's) - CLOTHING
Wednesday 5th May - Aled Williams (172 Sturton St.) -
BSSF 25
CLUB CLOTHING: If you've not collected your
clothing yet then you must do so at James Farnhill's
social. Final payment details will be arranged very soon
for those who owe/are owed money. A second order
will probably not be made this year as there may be
changes to the kit for next year...
MARSHALLING: Yes, it's that time of year again
- we're holding the BSSF 25, i.e. the Varsity match, on
SATURDAY MAY 8th and we MUST have plenty of
Marshalls out on the course. At least a dozen are
needed, to be at vearious points for around two to three
hours. Anyone can do this job - non-racing cyclists,
your friends we just need firm commitment to help the
race run smoothly. Touring members of the club are
particularly encouraged to help out - you may think
racing doesn't concern you but the club's reputation is
on the line here, particularly after last year's cock-up
over the roadworks on our 10 course. For more
information phone Aled on 323189 (or call round to 172
Sturton St.) and ATTEND THE SOCIAL coordination
of duties will be done then so please be there if you
can.
COMMITTEE CHANGE: This occurs at the end
of the year, but it's time to start thinking about whether
you'd like to do a committee job next year. It does take
a little bit of commitment, but it's worth doing. Please
don't think "Oh, someone else will do it" because if we
all do then the club ceases to exist....talk to the current
holder of a position if you're not sure what it entails. All
SELF-nominations to me or James please (P/H at
Churchill or St. John's respectively).
TOURING NEWS:- There isn't any of this as there
wasn't an Easter tour and there hasn't been a Sunday
yet this term. However rides still leave the Guildhall at
10am on Sundays for those wishing to escape the
stress of the City!
ATB NEWS:- There isn't much of this - there was a trip
late last term, a report of which will appear in the next
issue of 'CUCC NEWS' .As for this term - it is very
highly probable that there will be a trip over the
weekend of May 1st - please contact Chris Jones at
Churchill (room 111) as soon as possible if you're
interested. If you can't make it then try turning up to the
Guildhall at 10am on Sundays to see if anyone else on
a mountain bike does ! Incidentally, reports that I was
out last term riding OFF the tarmac strips of the area
are actually true, although I'm not going to make a habit
of this for a while as I'm trying to get some road speed
together. Later in the year (i.e. September) I'm thinking
of spending a week or two in the Lakes or Dales -
anyone interested in coming along?
Fortunately, the paucity of news in the above two areas
is accompanied by a substantial wedge of RACING
RESULTS AND NEWS...
The racing boys (and I'm not being sexist - for some
reason we don't have any female racers this season)
have been quite busy over the last couple of months -
so here are a big pile of results before we get onto this
term's news...
ELY HARDRIDERS: Amended result as I cocked up
last time...the winner was Mick St. Leger (GS Vitesse)
in 57-03 with Aled clocking 1-00-23 (not 1-03-xx as I
thought), Chris Cox 1-05-03 and Jeremy Turvey 1-07-
10...team time 3-12-36.
Well done all those who rode, as it wasn't the nicest
of days (wind-wise) - although it was a vast improvement on
the conditions three years ago when I last rode the event.
A somewhat smaller number of us ventured out to
race the following Saturday too.... COUNTY OF CAMBS.
C.A. 11.2 MILE EVENT Saturday 6th March - F14/11
course - dry and windy...
Winner Gary Stevens (St. Ives CC) - the course record
holder 26-26; CUCC - Aled Williams (26-54), Pete Wothers
(28-11), Christopher Cox (28-31) won the team prize (f1
each!) with Tony Hombuckle (30-14), Jon Lacey (30-30) and
Paul Bird (31-12) completing the club's entry.
Despite the general crappiness of the day, there was a
100% turn-out for the 4-up with all 32 teams starting (3
failing to finish for various reasons). It wasn't an altogether
straightforward day for us, all three teams losing a rider
Pete Wothers decided it wasn't too nice a day, so rode into
Nick Fretwell's wheel and removed half the flesh from the
right side of his body - OK, it was really an accident and it
wasn't quite half the flesh....- while Cameron (deputising for
a suddenly-ill John Blunsdon) was dropped due to feeling
the effects of 'flu, continued in case the team had a problem
and punctured himself, persevering to do a 1-30 ish ride and
Tom (deputising for a called-up-to-the-second-team
Cameron) did likewise but didn't puncture) and still beat
Warwick University Ladies by 35 minutes or so....we actually
caught up an 18 minute deficit to them on the road after just
35 minutes riding.....at least they had a team though.......
After the Easter break, we accidentally (i.e. three of us
decided to enter out of our own choice) entered a team
for the Lea Valley Road Club 25 on Sunday 18th April -
Course E2/25 (Sawston - Royston on the A505) -
conditions were bloody awful - v.strong wind from SW
(= headwind for 10 miles out) and rain during the
event.....despite this we took the team prize with
Christopher Cox (second with 1-01-19) Tony
Hornbuckle (1-09-11) and me (1-11-35); Ken Platts won
in 59-16.
If anyone else has any results they'd like putting in
future issues, get them to me a.s.a.p.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: I know this is a competitive
sport, but be nice to the other members of the club - if
you're thinking of entering an event then see if anyone
else is and we can try and win the team prize! I've got a
short list of 25's happening near Cambridge during the
summer in case anyone else is around - fll put it in the
next issue.
FUTURE EVENTS:-
The BSSF 10 is on Saturday May 1st in Oxford - if
you've not entered yet then don't as the closing date's
well gone. If you have entered, please contact either
me or Aled a.s.a.p. so that we can work out exactly
what we need in the way of transport.
The BSSF 25 is on Saturday May 8th in Cambridge -
course E3/25 (starts near the A45 Stow roundabout ).
There's still time to enter - use the enclosed entry form
and get it to Aled by Tuesday 27th April with a cheque
(payable to Aled) for f3-00. If you don't fancy riding
(though all racers should) then please come and
marshall!
The BSSF 50 is on Sunday May 16th in Oxford -
contact Aled if you're interested in this one - if numbers
are sufficiently low then the van may not be needed -
which is just as well as I'm not going..!
If you can't be bothered riding open events for around
K3-00 a go, you can always ride the Team Cambridge
and Cambridge CC club events. Both series have
started - they're on Wednesdays and Thursdays
respectively - I'll try and get details of locations and stuff
for the next issue. We don't have any club events
planned this year as very few people ride them, we get
no timekeepers and there's a Chain-gang on Tuesday
nights anyway (see below). It seems a shame that a
long standing CUCC tradition is to end but it's probably
for the best.
TRAINING: You should do this.
If you want to train in company, then turn up to
Brookside at 2pm on Saturdays. Note that the weekend
of the 10 there'll be a reduced turnout, while the
following week there shouldn't be anyone there as
everyone should be doing the 25. Racing will interfere
for the rest of the term too, but not half as much as
exams do I recall being the only rider on more than
one occasion in the past...
Sunday rides may still leave Addenbrookes as usual
ask Aled or any Cambridge CC member if you're
interested.
TUESDAY evening rides - all are welcome, but you
need a bit of speed to keep up with this one. It's good,
quality training though, so if you're feeling a little short
of pace then go along and get yourself a good work-out.
I should perhaps point out that this ride waits for no-
one....
Any other time - train as much as you see fit, but don't
overdo it. If you want to train at some regular time
(other than the above) with others then tell me and I'll
stick a sort of advert in the newsletter.
Well, there's no more news, so I'll close with a poem
written by a former member of the Club present at the
club dinner last term. This went OK, in case I haven't
told you yet, but in future years would be better if
organised longer in advance by a committed Social
secretary (which as of next year is the president
anyway....)
THE OLD GRUELLER'S LAMENT
When will we three meet again:
Henly, Bullows, Baldry, Fenn? *
Whose flying feet would chase the hours **
With Tim, and Fred & Margaret Towers.
Wind in the hair, pumps striking dogs,
We'd struggle over mighty Gogs,
Until our legs felt just like putty,
Then stop for welcoming chip butty.
While slung across our backs a
sack o'Rice pudding, and shirt alpaca.
On F2R, what Wednesday feats:
"Ride out like hell; turn at St.
Neots!"
What blessed days - companions boon,
God grant we'll get together soon.
JF.
The astute reader may note a numeracy
problem here - however the problem was more severe
in the middle ages when there were some 40 'Cinque
Ports'.... ** With apologies to Lord Byron in "Childe
Harold".