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The Chain Letter
The Lincoln Wheelers Cycling Club Ltd monthly gazette. February 2010 99
lincolnwheelers.co.uk
That was the year that was...
cycling, racing, training, weather - yeah
lots of it, the good, the bad, the downright
brilliant, personal bests, personal less than
bests, winning and the taking part, being
out on local country lanes, chatting, cake
stops, excellent flapjacks, decking the bike,
ouch, new kit, the smell of inner-tubes, the
click, click of chains, heat haze over tarmac,
ice lurking in the shadows, falling leaves,
top form, beating that hill, weaving through
the traffic on the commute home, tea, lots
of tea, breathing fast, muscles straining,
hard times, easy times, good times and bad,
audax, cyclo-cross, time-trialling, touring,
commuting, off road, on road, just being on
your bike. The days are getting longer!
Shock news!
Turbos can blur
your vision ...
(honest)
see inside for details
Remember:
The popular Winter Circuit
Training continues on
Thursday evenings.
The Winter Training Rides
are up and running - getting
the miles in.
The Chain Letter February 2010
History and
the Future: The
Lincolnshire Road
Riding Association
The Lincolnshire Road Riding Association,
is an Association to which any club in
Lincolnshire (the ‘old’ Lincs boundaries
- Humber to Wash) can affiliate. It was
founded in 1912 so has a huge amount of
history which we will
hopefully get on the
website this year. The website was new for
2009,
instigated by myself as Secretary of
the LRRA. The web address is;
http://community.lincolnshire.gov.uk/LRRA.
The LRRA promotes time trials, which clubs
volunteer to run on behalf of the
LRRA. For
example our John Nicholson has run the
Middlemarkers 25m event
for many years
now, and Trevor Roberts organised the 10m
up to last year,
which John has now taken
over. Awards are given for the first 3 fastest,
first
3 on handicap, first 3 vet on standard,
first woman, juvenile and junior at
all the
Events - so there’s a chance for everyone to
take a prize. The results of the events this
year have all been posted fairly quickly on
the
website. For 2010, the 2 Up event is
being run by the Spalding CC, the 50m by
the
Sleaford Wheelers, the 25m by the Alford
Wheelers, and the 30m jointly by
Witham
Wheelers and Yello Velo.
These clubs really
just organise the events, as they do need to
call on other clubs within the LRRA to assist
with marshalling, sometimes time-keeping,
and the other necessary jobs. So, as well as
wanting to bring the events to the attention
of our club’s
riders, if anyone can offer to
assist at any of the events it would be much
appreciated.
The 2010 events are up on the website they start with the 10m this year - a change
on previous years - on 11th April, with
the HQ at Saxilby. The next week
is the
Middlemarkers 25m at the same venue.
Essentially this is still a 25m time trial that
anyone can enter, however the main LRRA
prizes (and points
for the Club League) are
for the Middlemarker riders - those who
have not been faster that 1:00:00 in the
previous 3 racing seasons. There is also one
Longmarker prize, those eligible to compete
for this must have
been no faster than
1:04:00 in the last three seasons.
Hopefully in the next Newsletter we will be
able to have a few photos from the Annual
LRRA Dinner & Prize Presentation which is
held each February, with a massive array of
Trophies to present, as well as the Awards
mentioned above.
Theresa Brewer
Hi there,
I’m the new Clare
(but male and considerably slower) and I
have taken on the Wheelers Newsletter. I
need your help please - content. Could you
forward me information, results, notices,
sales, articles, reviews, illustrations,
photographs and the like.
As the weather has been rather inclement,
stories of long rides out in the Peaks etc may
be rather limited; but tales from the turbo,
finding that running isn’t really that boring
or reviews of the hundred best DVDs
watched from the sofa can also be fodder for
the Chain Letter (See Karen’s article).
All being well, over the next few months, I
would like to add a couple more sections to
the existing successful format; Cycle Culture
and The Lanterne Rouge.
Cycle Culture will be brief interviews, and
a supporting photo essay, with retailers,
bike builders, marshals, helpers and the like
(people that make our world what it is).
The Lanterne Rouge will be an opportunity
for a guest writer (Wheeler or otherwise) to
bring up a subject worth airing (contentious
but not offensive...).
Ride Diary
Winter Training Rides
February
7th
Karen & Peter
41 Long Leys Road
Lincoln LN1 1DP
14th
Jon & Paul Clarke
The Anglers, High Street
Saxilby LN1 2HA
21st
Neil Russell
Lindum Business Park
North Hykeham
28th
Deb & Dom Cunningham
3 Thirsk Drive
Swallow Beck LN6 8SZ
March
Finally, I would like to thank Karen and
7th
Peter for their advice and for producing the
previous Newsletter. I would also thank Clare Rob & Theresa Brewer
for all her hard work on the Newsletter.
3 Hill Rise, Coleby
Right then, I’m sitting here with my
Downhiller body-armour and full face helmet
on ready to be hit by the deluge of stuff!
So bring it on!
LN5 0AE
John Stocker
email: [email protected]
Post: Gwithian, Occupation Lane,
Broadholme, Lincolnshire, LN1 2NB
9 Park Lane
Submission date for March
issue of the Chain Letter
Thursday 18th February.
Many thanks, John.
Getting kitted out
Don’t forget to order your club kit for
next season online at www.impsport.com,
password muVa3racuq, or ask Karen Brooks
for an order form if you don’t have internet
access. Prices are held until the end of
February so get your orders in now. New
items including non bib shorts have recently
been added to the online shop. Karen also
has a small amount of 2009 Lindum clothing
for sale at favourable prices. Contact her for
details at karen@ spaces.uk.net or call
01522 548786.”
14th
Judith & Trevor Roberts
Washingborough LN4 1BP
21st
Nicola & Neil Winter
14 Sunbeam Av
North Hykeham
LN6 9SG
The Chain Letter February 2010
Watching this event unfold had well and
truly whetted Jono’s appetite for multi-sport.
So, when the call came from team captain
Hodges for a LWCC team to represent the
club in the National Tri Club Relays, he
jumped at the chance. And so it was that
Jonathan, Myself, Graham and Robbie Taylor
took part in the event in Wheelers colours.
The commitment, determination and sheer
effort put in by each team member was
fantastic to see as we all swam, biked and ran
(see below Jono in full flow) against 400 +
teams of four on a beautiful, sunny August
day in Nottingham. An overall finishing
position in the top half of the field was a good
effort for a cycling club team in a triathlon
club event (or so WE thought anyway !)
Jonathan Wraith: A Tribute
03/03/74 – 27/12/09
By Jeremy Nicholson
Although Jonathan was not a long standing member of the Wheelers
(having only joined in Spring 2009) I thought it fitting that as a
friend and fellow club member I write this short piece to mark his
untimely and tragic passing.
A very much “larger than life” character, Jonathan (or Jono to all
those that knew him !) recently found running, cycling and triathlon
when he became a slightly less large but still every bit as lively a
character whilst training for and completing the London Marathon in
April 2009. This he completed in the very respectable time of 3 hrs
and 53 mins. The weight loss that he achieved via many hours in the
gym at Burton Waters and out on the road, led to a new passion and
enthusiasm for sport. As a result of this new found love of pain, it
didn’t take much persuasion to see him complete his 1st LWCC time
trial. This he did as a guest on a Tuesday evening in Norton Disney
in horizontal driving rain. Despite the horrendous conditions for his
1st taste of time trialling, Jono was keen to perform again and this
time with brand new TT bike, pointy hat and kinky skinsuit, he took
part in the Interclub 25 mile event versus Newark Castle on their
Long Benington course. It was on this very evening that he became
a member of the Wheelers, paying his subs there and then so that his
time could count towards the LWCC score in the competition.
Jono was always “full on” and unbelievably competitive so this 2nd
defeat in a row to myself signalled the beginning of some serious
training. Meanwhile, Jono also joined Lincoln Tri Club and was
regularly attending open water swimming sessions at Whisby,
continuing his gym work, keeping up with some running and (in his
own words), “training like a goon” on the bike.
Unfortunately, he was only to compete in a further handful of events
(in which he was now able to beat me !) but a particular highlight for
me personally was when we teamed up to achieve a 36.30 and 4th
placed pair in the GP de Gents.
As the season progressed, Jono began to focus on triathlon. His big
debut event was to be the Dambuster Olympic Distance Triathlon
at Rutland Water but due to a very severe bout of man flu (!) he was
forced to pull out of the event and turned up purely in a supportive
capacity. His enthusiastic shouts of encouragement and abuse
certainly helped Graham Hodges, Steve Paley, myself and others
around the tough Rutland course.
Main picture: Jonathan
(second from left) with
Graham Hodges, Jeremy
Nicholson and Robbie
Taylor representing
Lincoln Wheelers CC
at the National Triathlon
Club Relays at Holme
Pierrepont on August
22nd 2009
This picture: Jonathan in
full flow
What proved to be Jono’s last race came
in the form of another tri. This time, an
individual sprint distance event at Southwell
in September. When he “climbed” right over
the top of me during the crowded pool swim,
I realised he meant business and that this
was going to be a tough race ! It was neck
and neck between the two of us on the bike
before Jono’s superior run speed over the
5km distance, saw him to a very creditable
finish time of exactly 1 hour for the 400m
swim, 19km cycle and 5km run.
Never again would the TT bike be ridden in
anger…………………………………………
Targets, challenges and events had already
been discussed for what would have been a
competitive 2010 season. With some quality
training and his natural competitive spirit,
Jono’s potential to achieve some good results
and fast times was very real but sadly his
season is over before it even began. The
news of his sudden death very soon after
Christmas came as an incredible shock to
every single person that knew him and the
family. It really was a privilege to know,
compete with and compete against such a
friendly and enthusiastic character.
He leaves a wife, Paula and two young
daughters Katie and Poppy and our thoughts
are with them at this time.
The Chain Letter February 2010
Turbo Terrific
or Glory through Suffering
I am condemned, by a combination of bad weather and a collar bone
operation, to over 2 months off the road and on the turbo, writes
Karen Brooks. I last rode a bike on Boxing Day and if all goes well
I may be allowed back on a bike in late February (please!). So in
the meantime I’m looking for as many ways as possible to prevent
slow and agonising brain death. For the benefit of any other poor
Wheelers condemned to a similar fate, here is a summary of my
experience so far:
- it’s amazing how difficult it is to find enough up tempo music to
ride to. I now know every word and note of about 3 hours worth of
my ipod tracks. If anybody has any suggestions suitable for a middle
aged woman raised on 70s glam rock, please share them!
- conventional workouts aimed at improving time trial speed are
just about bearable on dark week-day evenings when one can look
forward to the week-end club run, but a diet of only these is more
than any cyclist can be expected to tolerate.
- after an online search and a modest financial outlay I found myself
pedaling to the Sufferfest Downward Spiral one evening last week
(www.thesufferfest.com). After flying along a mountainbike downhill
course with some impressive jumping thrown in, I raced the Paris
Roubaix and climbed the Huy (whatever that is?). 60 mins passed
fairly quickly but I couldn’t walk the next day and next time I’ll
remember how much it hurt.....
Image from roadcyclinguk.com
Diary note...
A club social has been arranged for 20th
February at the Grey Horse, Collingham,
Notts to include skittles and buffet.
The cost: £5, for info and booking contact
Neil Winter
Winter Training Ride: Saxilby
Conditions were cold but with little wind
and occasional sunshine.
57 Miles @ circa 19 mph. Course
north along B1398 to Greetwell - west to
Butterwick and back Neil Winter, Dom
Cunningham, Stuart Stott, Neil Russell, Ian
Potter, Doug Malcolm, Aydan Aspin and
Andy Moore.
46 Miles @ circa 15+ mph. Course
was all back lanes to Scotter then back
throughLaughton Forest. Difficult to
navigate but well managed by the group.
Lara Thornhill, Helen Shore, Darren Wood,
Richard Parker, Simon McIntyre, Jim
Edwards, Mark Harrison.
- in search of something to keep me going for longer than an hour I
turned to Tacx which sells interactive training dvds at rather more
than a modest financial outlay. I don’t have an interactive turbo but
found that the videos will run as stand alone films. So last week-end
I set off round Luxembourg behind the Schleck boys. I recommend
this video to all the female cyclists as the view was rather attractive.
On this occasion I managed 90 mins with a cafe stop. Fairly rubbish
cafe though as I had to make my own tea and there were no bacon
butties. Still a long way short of Hutch’s 6 hour record!
So that’s it so far. My next strategy involves a pile of Woody Allen
dvds on loan from a fellow Wheeler. And if anybody else can help
me get through the next 3 weeks with novel ideas on what to do
on a turbo trainer, please share them. Oh and that’s cycling only
please - nothing which involves stripping off and posing for the 2011
calendar!
Both groups finished almost together and it
started raining some 20 minutes afterwards.
A close run thing!
Report from: John Nicholson
Women’s Team Records
The club currently holds records for men’s teams but not for women’s.
Clare Ella, Karen Brooks and Theresa Brewer would like to record the
following women’s team times:
10 mile, 1hr 17mins 16 secs, Lincoln Wheelers Charity 10, 2008
25 mile, 3hrs 26mins 02secs, LRRA championship 25, 2008
30 mile, 4hrs 10mins 17secs, LRRA 30, 2008
If anybody knows of any faster Lincoln Wheelers women’s times
at these distances in open events, please contact Theresa or Karen
within the next 4 weeks, otherwise these times will be entered into
the club records.
Footnote - Mark says; For base training over the winter you should plan - test - execute to read more visit; lincolnwheelers.co.uk