October Club run

This will be at the CTC Ruff Stuff ride from Bromeswell on Sunday 19^th October. Meet at the rugby club in Bromeswell at 09:30 with your mountain bike. This costs £2 to enter. See the route description and entry form.

Winter training

The training rides are planned for every Sunday until Spring, except for those dates when there's a club run planned.

The rides are about 50-55 miles, normally take just under 3 hours (16-18mph average), and follow one of two set circuits, both starting from Somerfields in Saxmundham, and both heading east, up the hill, towards Leiston. Using set routes means that anyone who arrives a few minutes late can try and catch up. If some people have turned up in cars, look for a note in the windscreen as to which route is being used that day. Contact Steve for route details.

The rules of the rides are slightly different to a club run - the training rides are more like a fast reliability ride. The group will try and keep together and if you are struggling towards the end of the ride, it'll be more sympathetic (says someone who, in the past, has grovelled all the way back from Bungay hiding behind Trevor and Chalky). However, on a training ride, there is always the possibility of being shelled out if you can't manage the pace. If you are dropped, or just want a shorter ride, there are "shortcuts" in the circuits - check your maps! It is advisable if you are getting dropped, or are going to turn off/turn back, to try and let someone know so that the group knows what's happening (easier said than done! ed). You should be self-sufficient (food, drink, spares, pump, cash) as the group may or may not wait if you have a puncture or mechanical problem, depending on the temperature and size of the group that day. Café stops are not planned, but both circuits have them near by, suitable for emergency refuelling!

Once the runs have become re-established, there is the option, if numbers allow, of having more than one group, but let's see who turns up first. If, after all that, you haven't been scared off, the first run will be on October 5th,leaving the Somerfield car park at 9.30am. Be there or be slow next season!

Steve J

GHS National 10 mile champs

This years championship final for youngsters of school age was held on the Warwickshire /Worcestershire border on a specially designed, left handed circuit, course using mostly well surfaced B roads.

This was Becky Figgitt's third appearance at the championship final having qualified as fastest girl in the East District heat organised by us back in June. After her successes on the track riding over considerably shorter distances Becky was just looking forward to finishing the event and was not really expecting to be in the medals. So she was not too chuffed to see her name mentioned as one of the pre race favourites in the cycling press the week before.

The amazing summer weather was still with us even though it was half way through September, but a stiff south westerly breeze looked like it was going to make it tough for the first 4 miles at least. Our initial recce of the course suggested that it wouldn't be particularly fast, that proved to be wrong.

Becky started off well and was still on level terms with her main rivals at half way, but lost some time to them on the wind assisted return leg. Becky finished with a new PB of 26:52 which she was delighted with and she was second in her age category, for the 2nd year running. The course had proved to be quite quick after all with both the boys and girls winners winning in record times. Just goes to show you don't need dual carriageways or traffic assistance to get a fast course!

Oh, and the biggest laugh was reserved for the HQ afterwards. Whilst surveying the race photographs, taken by a visiting professional outfit, I had obviously been mistaken for one of the youngsters as I cycled around the course, so it was quite funny to see my grinning mug amongst the genuine photographs of the young fit racers!

Picture of Becky with about 100m to go.

It was nice to see another local girl Emma Hurrell (well Norwich isn't that far away) from CC Breckland, finish with a PB of 28.30 which was good enough for fastest 14 year old girl.

Trevor

Plomesgate road race champs

Seven riders turned out to contest the championship and lined up alongside about 50 others on the start line for the Ciclos Uno/TLI race, which was one of the fastest races in the TLI series this year. It started at a steady pace, although one guy attacked alone from the word go. The steady pace lasted all of half a lap, then we suddenly moved to race pace. The two Jims dropped out of the bunch at some point, I think because of the pace on the up hills, but continued to circulate. Matt D dropped out after about 20-25 mins as the hills started making his injured knee sore, but not before (unwittingly) doing some good domestique work pulling me through the bunch - a favour I returned a couple of laps later, I hasten to add!

This left Richard, Valerio, Mark H and me. We'd all been alert and, while not bothering to mark every single breakaway attempt, we had made the major "selections" as the size of the bunch was whittled down. The pace remained high as we approached the 40 minute mark, and for the next few laps it was a bit like a Plomesgate "Devil". Mark was first to succumb, followed a lap or so later by Valerio. Another lap and it was my turn - the two people in front of me sat up and I came round them to see the bunch disappearing up the road. I continued to ride hard, just in case anything happened and was heartened to catch a glimpse of a yellow-jerseyed rider leaving the back of the bunch. As I got closer, I could see that it wasn't Richard. Resigned now to the loss of the trophy, I continued at a reasonable pace but was lapped (and pulled out) with five laps to go.

Richard said that after he and I had both passed Valerio (just before Valerio "popped"), he kept looking around the bunch to see where I was, as he knew I'd been on his wheel, but the number of yellow jerseys meant he thought I was still there. It wasn't until he saw me ahead of him (about to be lapped) that he was able to relax. Richard's idea of "relaxing" was to move to the front of the bunch and pull them round for a lap or two. He seemed to slip back in the bunch on the last couple of laps, but still finished in the top 15 and, in doing so, took the Plomesgate title.

Steve J

MTB in the dark

Do you fancy some excitement on a Tuesday night? Meet at Sizewell T car park at 8pm for an off road ride of about 1 hour. Lights are preferable, but Trevor managed quite well (virtually) without last week.

Open Events 2004

These are the proposed dates for next year’s open evens:

Saturday 20^th March 2004, Open ‘10’

Saturday 15^th May 2004, Open ‘25’

Sunday 20^th June, Open ‘10’, to include the East district GHS champs

Saturday 14^th August, Grass track meeting, St Mary’s School, Woodbridge.

Club Dinner

Yes, it’s that time of year again. The club dinner has been booked for the Lighthouse restaurant in Aldeburgh again. It is on Sunday 23^rd November at 7:30pm, with people meeting before hand in the Cross Keys pub from 7pm. Please e-mail Viv on broughton.m@btopenworld.com or ring on 01728 452143 to confirm that you will be attending. You need to do this by 15^th November.

Plomesgate AGM

Advance warning that this will be on Thursday 20^th November at 8pm at 22 Naverne Meadows, Woodbridge (chez Whelan). Details will be sent out separately.

Talent team update

After the excitement of riding National Championships it was back to basics for Becky at her last training camp. The camp was based at Cannock Chase Forest in Staffordshire. The weather was beautiful as the Talent Teamers learnt MTB skills and in particular downhilling on the newly built downhill course, which Becky says was pretty scary stuff.

Becky's next camp at the end of October is cyclo cross and cycle speedway camp based a little nearer home in Ipswich. This will be followed by another cyclo cross camp at the beginning of November in Derbyshire.

Results

World Masters Track

Did you know we have another world champion in this area? Julia Shaw won the pursuit at the World Master track champs for women aged 35-30. She qualified fastest by some 6 seconds.

13th Sept, Norwich ABC 10, Bungay

Bev was only Plomesgate rider, with a wind not helpful in either direction, though nice and warm, did a 30:24, with Geoff Muller winning in 22:50, so not a fast day.

14th Sept, Ipswich BC Cyclo-cross, Thorndon

'Gadget' was the only Plomesgate rider, suffering a few mechanical and puncture problems, but was determined to finish, especially as his boss (Steve Grimwood) was riding, for which they had a bit of a battle.

20^th Sept, Stowmarket club 20

A new 20 mile course from Debenham, The course is definitely sporting - no really sharp hills, but lots of deceptive drags and corners to upset your rhythm. It was quite a windy day, with only 4 riders under 50 minutes. Dave James (IBC) was fastest with 46:13. Jim "I don't do hills" Hardwicke was fastest Plomesgate rider, with 55:38, ahead of Valerio (56:13) and Steve J (56:15).

Cyclo-cross – Bury St Edmunds

Becky finished 6^th and 1^st girl in the youth event, although matters were not helped by mechanical problems and a bad back.

28^th Sept, Eastway Ciclos Uno

This was the last Ciclos Uno Sunday race of the season, so Matt, Valerio and Steve piled into Matt's Frontera and headed for London for a final blast. Although "only" about 55 riders started, it was an international field with Brits, our own Italian, a small group of Irish lads and a 3-man team from Columbia taking part! It was as fast a race as the Plomesgate championship a couple of weeks before, but the pace was a lot less stop and go, but mainly because four people, including one of the Columbians, managed to break away after about 10 minutes, so the bunch was always chasing it.

Matt was riding really strongly and spent most of the race either at the front of the bunch, or trying to break away himself. Valerio and Steve both moved up towards the front a couple of times to try and give him a hand, but he didn't seem to need it. Matt and Steve both got into a brief eight-up move, although the split was more down to a crash than an attack - a rider went down at the hairpin as his rear wheel overtook the front. Steve was immediately behind and had to take to the grass on the outside to avoid the fallen rider. As the rest of the bunch slowed to pick their way past, a gap of a couple of lengths developed, but everyone got back together on the bottom straight.

With about ten minutes of the timed period (the race is one hour, plus five laps) left, the original breakaway was still clear and the chase got a bit more serious. As the bunch lined out, our three were still very much up there at the sharp end of the bunch. With three laps to go, Steve moved up to a better position, but then chose to follow the wrong wheels, got swamped and finished at the back of the bunch. Valerio tried, unsuccessfully, to move up on the last lap while Matt, who'd dropped back slightly for a breather, managed to pick up a few places in the final gallop.

Offical Result:

Winner 30 laps in 1.15.34 (av. 23.8 mph)

Bunch @ 8 seconds: 12th. Matt; 28th. Valerio; 32nd. Steve.

Steve J

My Season

Day One of holiday, One racing accident resulting in being:-

One point off a BC licence upgrade
One ride away from from completing my SPOCO East series
One ride away from completing my club 10 series
One long lay-off from the bike
One can but hope for a better season next year.

p.s. One bright bit was Sarra getting her Elite licence.

Pete W

Dates For The Calendar

12^th October Mildenhall CC Cyclo Cross, Nowton Park, Bury St Edmunds.

19^th October, Plomesgate club run

2^nd November, CC Sudbury Hill climb, Semer.

20^th November, AGM – details of this will be sent out separately.

23^rd November, Plomesgate club run

23^rd November, Plomesgate club dinner

14^th December, Plomesgate club run

Evening events 2004:

Starting on Thursday April 29^th, followed by May 6th and then fortnightly until the last one on Thursday 26^th. Start at 7pm except for first and last ones.

Newsletter contributions

Send us any news of events, results etc so that they can be included in the newsletter.

Our e-mail address is broughton.m@btopenworld.com

For Sale

A few items from the Wolsey newsletter:

25” Paul Milnes ‘753’. Shimano 105 groupset. Wolber H.P’s. 24” Diamant. Shimano 105 groupset. 12spd. Mavic H.P’s Numerous spares - all need to be disposed of so will come to any reasonable agreement on price. Richard Pearce. Tel: 01473 747900.

23” ‘753’ frame. Royce titanium B/B. Ultegra 8 spd STI. Open 4CD’s on Dura Ace 32 H. Dura Ace chainset, H/S and seat pin. Flite Titanium saddle. Various spares inc. shoes (size 44).

In all cost over £3,000, will accept £1,200 ono. Paul Hyder. Tel: 01473 215377.

FOR SALE

HED SUPERLITE disc wheel, Tufo S3 tub and Shimano 12up cassette.

Excellent condition. £150

John Tovell. Tel: 01473 271028

WANTED

3 or 4 spoke, or deep rim, 16 or 20 spoke, tubular rear wheel in good condition.

Would exchange for above disc wheel.

John Tovell. Tel: 01473 271028.

Evening TTs 2004

The dates have been set for next year’s evening time trials. These will start on Thursday April 29^th, followed by May 6th and then fortnightly until the last one on Thursday 26^th. Start at 7pm except for first and last ones (6:45).

Club Clothing

Do you need any new club cycle gear before next season? We have a number of pairs of Plomesgate socks in stock, particularly plentiful in the larger size. John C will be taking orders for any other items by 23^rd November. Full details of what is available and how much it costs will be printed in the next newsletter.

New cycle?

This newsletter was going to include a rather impressive picture of our secretary balancing on a uni-cycle with both hands in the air. Unfortunately the e-mail police deleted it as they thought it might contain a virus, so I cannot share it with you!!!