Stranger in the Night – Dipping a Toe into the Dark

Stranger in the night – dipping a toe into the dark

There’s a lot of buzz about night riding at the minute – what with the massive national increase in cycling since the summer of Wiggo and the Olympics, participation has skyrocketed both on and off road. With our balmy, breezy summer evenings, cycling through August, September and even October is perfectly do-able, but the switch to Greenwich Mean Time rather spoils the party unless you’re somewhere lit. That’s where quality lights come in – but quality can be pretty pricey. If you’ve never done it before, how are you going to know whether it works for you without taking a punt on a bunch of expensive kit. What you need is an understanding shop and an agreeable light manufacturer.

Luckily for me, I live not too far from such a shop. Run And Ride at Hednesford are literally right on the doorstep of Cannock Chase, which gives them access to miles of trails, and they took it upon themselves to hook up with Exposure Lights to put on a tryout evening – the incredibly accommodating Exposure sent along a massive crate of their finest off road light sets, and Run And Ride invited the world to pop up to Cannock one chilly November evening, where they would strap on some serious lighting kit and lead you on a night foray.

I chucked the bike in the back and packed some cycling kit in the car that morning, and headed straight up there after work. Even early on there was a decent turnout, and it was simplicity itself to get signed up. As a nightriding newbie, I put myself at their mercy as to what to try out, and was both startled and pleased  to be given a Six Pack to try, a self-contained handlebar mounted light that lit up the trail not unlike a police helicopter search light. I was impressed.

Once everyone was sorted, we were split into fast and steady groups and set out for a trawl around the Chase. Having not ridden off road at night before, it was a fascinating experience – the nature of the visibility makes you hyper-focused on the spread of light before you, and it all seems much, much  quicker, the flickering of shadows on uneven ground keeping you on your toes the whole time. I loved it – I can definitely do the winter cycling thing, which has opened up another six months of riding for me. Happy days.

Six Pack is an incredible bit of kit – a single unit with the battery included, on full power it’ll kick out 1800 lumens for about three hours, with medium (up to 10 hours), low (up to 24 hours) and flash settings, the indicator on the back will change colour to indicate the remaining charge, and it’ll drop itself down through the modes as it reaches the end of the battery to make sure there’s always a bit of get-you-home light in there. Riding with the Six Pack alone was great on straight or flowing tracks, with the beam plenty wide for most occasions, but when we got into the nadgery stuff, very tight and twisty, I found myself turning into corners blind, my eyes tracking the path round the next corner before I needed to turn the bars. If you only ever rode on fast, open trails, the Six Pack would be great on its own, but if you’re likely to face any tighter turns, I think you’d have to go for a helmet-mounted light as well.

I learned a lot that night – I had a great 12 mile ride out on a Thursday evening, and I found out that riding needn’t stop because the light goes. I even found a great new shop – it must have taken a lot of time and effort to organise, and thankfully they had a good turnout to reward their efforts. The staff were friendly  and approachable and incredibly helpful (one poor chap in front of me had his chain snap when he got out of the saddle at speed, resulting in a big swap one way, then a big swap the other way, ending in an oddly graceful flying W into the ferns – thankfully he was fine and one of the Run And Ride crew had the chain back together, (oooo, I’m going to say about 90 seconds after the crash happened, impressive stuff), and there was no hint of a hard sell afterwards, just good banter and useful advice. There’s a reason why people are both proud and protective of their local bike shop – that’s another thing I learned, too.

 

Massive thanks to Run And Ride and Exposure Lights for a great evening and an extra six months riding a year!

www.gorunandride.co.uk

www.exposurelights.com

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Scott Contessa Epic Announce New Squad for 2013

Phil and Anna Weaver of Epic Cycles opened their doors on a sunny Sunday morning to welcome the class of 2013.

Team Scott Contessa Epic formed in 2011 and with 8 junior riders on the squad for the 2012 Road Season and they managed to secure victory in the National Womens Team Series in their first year.

Today (25 November 2012) the team was announced with a 10 strong line up for the 2013 season retaining talented juniors from last year and introducing some exciting riders to add even further strength and depth to the team.

Now in only their 2nd year the team are already planning an assault on the major events for womens bike racing in the UK starting with a defence of the Team Series title.

The team has developed and become more commercially focused for the coming season and as such they have positioned a strong management team to support every aspect. One such position is Directeur Sportif and Scott Contessa Epic have aimed high in securing Alan Gornall, Commonwealth Gold medallist and well respected former professional cyclist.

On accepting the position Alan wasted no time in introducing himself to the team along with his clear and direct ambitions for them.

He went on to say “It is an honour to be involved with some of the best young female cyclists in the UK and having spent the day with the riders I am very excited about next season. My wife Sue and I have been involved with cycling at every level both in the UK and internationally and the future of our sport looks very promising. Scott Contessa Epic was very quickly recognised as the team to be involved in for Womens bike racing and has already played a part in producing a World Champion, European champions and providing 3/5ths of the GB Junior Worlds squad. That is some accolade for a team that is only one year old!” 

Phil Weaver of Epic Cycles has tirelessly worked on behalf of the riders ensuring they have world class equipment, clothing and support.

“Both Scott UK and Epic Cycles are very proud to be part of the team and more importantly the development of its riders. 4 girls moved up to the next level of cycling and we are proud to have been part of their development as riders. With 3 girls now full time with the GB academy and 1 focusing on UCI events in Europe I feel we have every right to be proud and we will endeavour to do all we can in supporting the future of women’s cycle racing. I know that the 10 riders we have for the coming season perfectly match the team ethos, which, as we have proven, will ultimately lead to success” he commented.

 New appointments to the team are;

Crystal Lane, Paralympic Cyclist and London 2012 Team GB member

Laura Wasley, TT specialist, IoM Commonwealth/Island Games hopeful

Alice Barnes, National MTB Junior Champion GB ODP rider

Kim English, 1st Year Junior former National Champion

Beth Hayward, 1st year Junior and GB OPD Track and Road rider

Amy Gornall, 1st year Junior, Road Race and Hill Climb specialist

Joined from last season by;

Emily Kay, Multi-National track champ, GB OPD and 2012 World RR rider

Rebecca Hunt, 2nd year Junior Track and Road all rounder

Anna Christian, 2nd year Junior Road and TT specialist

Zoe Armstrong, 2nd year Junior Road, Circuit Racing and Cyclo Cross

 

Scott Contessa Epic line up for 2013 L-R

Emily Kay, Anna Christian, Rececca Hunt, Zoe Armstrong, Laura Wasley, Crystal Lane, Beth Hayward, Amy Gornall, Kim English and Alice Barnes

New for 2013 – CDNW Women’s Road Race League

So, with the number of Premier Calendar races at just 6 events in 2013, you would think that road racing has hit an all-time low.  I am glad to say that in the North West we are actually working hard to show that is not the case, and I am pleased to be involved with the inaugural Cycling Development North West Women’s Road Race League next season. It is not unique in that it is the first women’s road race league to exist, not at all, but it is unique in that it gives women in the lower categories an opportunity to race at a competitive level over a reasonable distance.

“How is that different?” I hear you cry.  Well, for a start, due to the various costs of organising a road race, and the relatively small numbers of women riders that compete, most road races are open to all categories of women, from Elite to fourth, and many are over a distance in excess of 50 miles.  The remaining races that women can compete in are usually circuit races which can last anything from twenty minutes up to an hour, covering a distance of say approximately 20 miles.  So, if you’re a fourth or third category rider looking to make a move into road racing for the first time, you could be totally unprepared for what is waiting for you when you get on the line at the road race.

Yes, there is a big difference between finishing a circuit race over 15 to 20 miles and being able to be competitive in a race over more than 50 miles when you’re not used to it.  Unfortunately, some women have to travel hundreds of miles to get a ride in a road race, only to get shelled out of the back on the first lap because it is totally different racing on the open road than it is riding around a closed circuit.  Worse still are the crashes that can occur because some riders can lose concentration because they are not used to riding in a bunch/riding over such a long distance (compared to your 40 minute circuit race), tiredness and fatigue sets in and you either get shouted at for nearly knocking somebody off or you just get really disheartened because you aren’t as good as you expected to be and you think, “why do I bother?”  All the fun is taken out of the race and you forget why you are there in the first place.

The CDNW Women’s Road Race League is only open to second, third and fourth category riders, with the longest race being over 65km (40 miles).  The courses being used are not hilly or too technical however they are well-suited for practising your race technique, and are races that will provide the stepping stone up to the longer road races, including the National Series Road Races.  There are two main reasons for these races – they assist younger (Junior) riders who are making the move from Youth “A” circuit races on to the road for their first season as a Junior, and they are also to assist women who are new to the sport of competitive cycling (as opposed to sportives, etc).

Unfortunately, women’s cycling will not continue to develop unless there are these “stepping-stones” to help women riders build up their confidence to move on to the next level.  I understand that there were over 15,000 women riders on the Breeze rides this year, many of whom may want to take the next step with their cycling “career” but don’t have the confidence or inclination to mix it up with the elite riders at this time.  The CDNW women’s races aim to be all-encompassing, where encouragement is the theme of the day.

The road race league events will be held as follows:

#1) 3 March 2013 – Pimbo Industrial Estate – 50km

#2) 17 March 2013 – Nateby/Pilling, Lancashire – 65km

#3) 21 April 2013 – Great Budworth, Cheshire – 65km

#4) 7 July 2013 – Pimbo Industrial Estate – 65km

#5) 1 September 2013 -Nateby/Pilling, Lancashire – 50km

In order to ride the events, it will cost £5 to enter the league itself, with each event being £20 in advance.  I have had a number of people telling me that the price is high, however these races are on open roads, with National Escort Group motorbike marshals.  The cost of first aid has risen by 100% for next season, and the men’s events will also be the same amount (as opposed to £17.50 plus online entry processing fee this season).  I would prefer for people to concentrate on the fact that these are five new races, which are aiming to attract people to competitive road racing, as unfortunately, if the grass roots level doesn’t develop, there won’t be a sport in a few years’ time.

We are still looking for a series sponsor who could help with prizes (for example, most improved rider, best 4th category rider, best 3rd category rider, etc), so if you think you could help with promoting the development of grass roots women’s racing, please get in touch.

#getinvolved #womenscycling

Matt Holmes Interview

Matt Holmes ©Phil Jones (bluetrainatlondon) 20/12/2009

Click play button to listen.

Short interview with Matt Holmes, team Raleigh, about his experience at the Revolution event at Manchester Velodrome of the 27th Oct. Matt also talks about how he got into racing and the support he recieved from his parents and Team Wallis. He also chats about the loss of his friend Lewis Balyckyi.

Team Raleigh
Lewis Balyckyi Trust Fund
Cycling Shorts Revolution 37 Report
Cycling Shorts Revolution Series website
Follow Ned on Twitter @nedboulting

 

 

 

 

A Few Minutes with… Buxton CC

Richard Towse – Buxton CC

Featured Club
A Few Minutes with… Richard Towse of Buxton CC

I have been looking at the “Wiggo Effect” in the North West of England, as I wanted to see whether Bradley Wiggins’ success in the Olympics and Tour de France has had an effect on the general public.  I decided that one of the best ways to do this would be to speak to a cross section of cycling clubs/teams to ask their opinion, and whilst I was at it, to ask them for some information about their club.

The first one up is Buxton CC, and Richard Towse, organiser of the Buxton Mountain Time Trial for the club, has kindly answered a few questions for me.  So without further ado, here goes…

1. How big is the membership of Buxton CC? Have you seen this grow since the Tour de France/Olympics? Are you seeing an increase in membership in general or are there more increases in particular areas (e.g. women’s riding, time trialling, etc)

Buxton Cycling Club has around 70 members with an age range of between 7/8 years old up to 70 plus.  We haven’t seen a rise in membership since the tour or Olympics but we have noticed that more people are cycling in the local area. We expect an increase in membership in 2013 and attendance of our weekly time trials.

 2. What type of rider do you cater for?

We mainly cater for the road rider (recreational, race or time trial) although we have members who ride at the Manchester Velodrome, go mountain biking or do cyclo-cross.

3. Do you promote events? If so, what type of events do you do?

We run a series of time trials during the summer months on a Tuesday night just outside of Buxton where anyone can turn up and ride the 9.8mile TT either for fun or to chase a time. These are followed up with a series of 3 hill climbs.

The club also organises 2 open time trials: a mountain time trial (follow @BuxtonMTT if you are on Twitter) which is probably the toughest in the country held on Good Friday each year and a 10 mile time trial in June (follow @BuxtonCCOpenTT if you’re on Twitter). There is also the Bole Hill road race we host on behalf of the CDNW [Cycling Development North West], which is one of the toughest circuits in the North West.  We also host one of the first hill climbs of the season on Long Hill which hosted the National Championships in 2011.

4. Is there any development/coaching at the club which is available to all members?

We don’t have any structured development or coaching available in the club but we have a lot of members who have a vast range of knowledge who are willing to pass it on to those who want it.  This ranges from the basic “how do I survive a club run” to road race or time trial training tips.

5. Do you still have traditional club runs? Are these well-attended?

The club has the Sunday club run every week throughout the year, usually we have about 6 or 7 riders (on good weather days).  Due to the nature of where Buxton is club runs are hilly but are only as fast as the slowest rider, no rider is left behind.

6. If anybody reading this article would like to join Buxton CC, who is the best person to contact?

The best person for a quick chat is Sam at Sett Valley Cycles (www.settvalleycycles.co.uk), as our website (www.buxtoncyclingclub.co.uk) is undergoing a rebuild at the moment and should be back up and running towards the end of November. Full contact details will be on there.

7. Do you struggle to find marshals for events?

As with any event you always feel you’re marshal short, we are fortunate in the Club we have 2 qualified time keepers and a committed group of guys who want to see events run and be successful.

8. Finally, are there any riders at Buxton CC who deserve a mention? Any results that the club are particularly proud of?

Lee Baldwin had an impressive Hill Climb season culminating in 4th place at the National Hill Climb championships on the Rake, his result along with Chris Baines and Sam Mansfield contributed to winning the Team Prize, the Hill Climbers in the club have been chasing this for a few years.

 
If you would like to have your club [ no matter where in the world you are] featured please contact a member of the team we will be happy to chat and find out what you’re all about. Click to contact us.
 

 

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