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Plomesgate Cycling Club
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New editor?
Due to Matt Donaldson leaving the club for next season we are looking for a new Newsletter Editor. It is a fairly simple job and relies on Club Members sending in pieces and stories for inclusion as well as getting information on training rides and Club events out to the membership. A willing volunteer would be appreciated for next month.
Also the Club Kit Manager role will become vacant for the same reason, this involves creating an order with Impsport, our kit provider, from any requirements the club membership has. Generally an advert is placed in the Newsletter offering the kit that Impsport has available, I can provide all of this information for you, collate the requirements and then place the order with Impsport and await delivery. The job also entails holding the Club stock of kit and making it available if someone wants an item from stock. A new order will need placing this autumn ready for next season.
Any applicants should contact me and I will pass the relevant stuff on. If no one wants either job then no order will be placed and there will not be a Newsletter next month.
Thanks, Matt.
British Cycling Museum
I expect that not a lot of people know that there is a British Cycling Museum in the UK, in Cornwall to be precise.
We stumbled upon it on the way back from our family holiday and after dragging the children away from a bird of prey centre I was able to exert a little paternal choice! I happened to notice the museum on a map and we decided to give it a look, not knowing what to expect. It's certainly not like most museums, there are thousands of odds 'n' sods from the last century or so of cycling. It's run by a slightly mad seeming old lady and is noticeable for it's musty smell (the museum not the old lady - although I didn't get close enough to her to check!)
Don't expect a rigorously catalogued and detailed exhibition, but there are lots of curious things that make it worth a look if you're passing by.
(click on the leaflet above to see it in more
detail in a new window)
PCC comings and goings
Arrivals:
In case you hadn't heard, Jim Ingram is a daddy again - Hazel gave birth to a boy (7lb 3) on Sat 7th July.
Another Plomesgate Baby - Gary Holden is a proud Dad again, so hello to Mia Holden, who was born at the end of June.
Injuries:
Gary H has decided that he enjoyed being on paternity leave so much that he would like to extend it!
After going over the handlebars on (off?) a borrowed mountain bike and landing flat on his back, the verdict was a broken scapula, 6 weeks off work and an estimate of 3 months off the bike. Get well soon Gary!
Departures:
Matt Simmerson and family are making final preparations for their departure to New Zealand and are now just waiting for the sale of their house here to complete. Matt and co will be living in the Christchurch area and I'm sure they'd be pleased to see any familiar Plomesgate faces if you happen to be in the area!
Kia Ora, Kia Kaha, guys.
Committee meeting.
The most recent meeting of the committee was held on Thursday 23rd August 2007 at The Butley Oyster after the Club Evening 10. some points to come out of it are:
- We have volunteers now for some of next year's Open Events but as of today we still do not have an organiser for the "25". If nobody comes forward by tonight then it will be dropped from the 2008 calendar.
- We will be losing the Treasurer at the next AGM. After many years (10?) of service Steve has decided to hang up his balance sheet. After carrying out the role for many years and continuing to do it whilst living in Nottinghamshire, Steve has finally decided to stand down at the end of his term this year. So we will need a replacement at the next AGM, Steve will give full support and guidance to the new Treasurer. No volunteers have yet come forward
Club evening TTs
The 2007 Plomesgate evening series has not been blessed with particularly good weather, but it has been a very popular one. A record number of visitors joined 22 PCC members to make a competition of it. We had in total 187 entries (most solos, a few tandems), and that makes 1870 miles cycled up and down the Tunstall course (all carbon free). As always at the end of the series it is time for classifications.
Big Matt walks away with the Points and the Fastest Man competitions, but it wasn't a walk in the park for him. Adrian managed 3 victories (against Matt 6) and Matt had to work hard before going on holiday. Jim H. wasn't that far away either, taking advantage of the form he got during the cyclocross season and hasn't lost since (and also thanks to the new bike, envious people like to add).
The Fastest Man competition was one of the best in recent years. While Matt won decisively with the only Plomesgate under 24' time of the season, and Evert 2nd place was quite safe with 24:21, the third place went to Adrian only after a fierce battle: Adrian 24:43, Jim H. 24:47, Pete 24:48! Have we ever had so many riders under 25'?
The Fastest Woman was a quite close affair as well, with Viv winning by 15 secs on Bev. New Plomesgate member Caroline got the third spot on the podium.
The handicap competition rewards the best improver of the season. John had the lead for most of the series, but at the penultimate attempt Magnus found the right night, improved his best time by 3 minutes and took home the trophy. A PB on the last event gave Martin the third place.
No questions for the Vets trophy: Evert destroyed his standard time by almost 5 minutes, leaving Pete and Ron P. battling for second and third place. Pete was unlucky to have to skip the last few events due to injury, but Evert’s time would have been a very difficult target anyway.
Thank you to all Plomesgate riders and all the visitors who took part. We expect you all (and more) back next year. Unfortunately we cannot promise a better weather, but we can assure it will be at least as much fun as it was this year.
Competitions summary:
Points
1. Matt Donaldson 4.5
2. Adrian McTigue 8.25
3. Jim Hardwicke 16
Fastest Man
1. Matt Donaldson 23:42
2. Evert Wijnberg 24:21
3. Adrian McTigue 24:43
Fastest Woman
1. Viv Broughton 31:52
2. Bev Whelan 32:07
3. Caroline Goldsworthy 37:21
Handicap
1. Magnus Ross 18:54
2. John Vidler 19:14
3. Martin Alabone 20:46
Vets on standard
1. Evert Wijnberg +4:45
2. Pete Whelan +2:58
3. Ron Philpot +2:35
On behalf of the club a big Thank You goes to Valerio for the all his work during the series. The sheets were better than most open event events!
PCC 2007 Dinner
The PCC Dinner 2007 will be at The Bell Hotel in Saxmundham. The Table D’Hote menu was £18:50, this may change but is a good indication; it gave 3 or 4 choices for starter, main and dessert. We would get a room to ourselves, served together and allow for a chance to socialise during the evening.
Suggested dates were Sat December 1st, Friday November 30th, and Saturday 24th November, respectively, watch this space.
PCC Grass Track
What a great day, the sun shone and it was very warm. Our new venue of Bredfield village hall went down well with riders and proved to be a good track. The only comment about it was that it was a bit bumpy in places and would have benefited from being rollered a week before - we might be able to arrange this for next year.
My prediction that we could get a 250m track out of the field were correct, as Bev & I marked it out on the Friday with a 5m riding width and making maximum use of the field it measured out at 250m 10cm, so allowing for a slight margin of error, it was good enough. ~33m radius bends and 25m straights.
My thanks must go to Bev for helping rake the grass cuttings from the inside edge of the track on the Friday and also to Evert and Andrew for finishing the raking on the Saturday morning - Evert put in a couple of hours work to acheive this and give us a good safe track (the council had cut the grass a few days before and left the cuttings). Also, thanks to Trevor and Ron for judging/timekeeping, Bev for Chief Judge, Annelie and Marjory for helping with the catering and Sophie Bruton (Team Welwyn) for being Commissaire. Track racing doesn't need quite so many helpers as running a TT ! Without our gazebo in the centre, we would have fried in the heat as the sun rolled in from over the open fields.
I think we now have a good chance of getting more riders next year as the quality of the track is improved. British Cycling have asked if we could run one of the national league events, though without more sponsorship, it would be difficult to do (need to pay a national grade Commissaire to attend). Seckford Wines have been good in supplying us with bottled prizes, but it would be a bit hard to ask them for any more - if anyone knows of a possible additonal sponsor then let me know.
On to the racing, the Mens event was dominated by Richard Lambert and Matthew Fenton , closely followed by Leigh Haigh in most events. The Womens racing was a mix of senior and youth women, though to start with the two youth women thought they would be out of their league. It was not the case, with them claiming 2nd and 3rd in most cases. Prizes in this group were evenly spread and everyone got something. The same could be said for the youth events. It was only in the Mens events that a few riders missed out on a prize - we do try and please everyone.
If you haven't tried grass track racing before, come along to watch an event, or get a fixed wheel bike with 28 - 32 mm knobbly tyres on it and give it a go. It is good fun and a very sociable event.
Articles for next month
If you feel inspired by anything in this months newsletter then please drop me a line, by e-mail, post or carrier pigeon by 25/9/07. I will pass anything on to the new Editor.
It’s your newsletter so drop me a line at
or
Matt Donaldson
3 Boyton Road
Hollesley
Woodbridge
Suffolk.
IP12 3LD
………and finally
I think I have found out what happens to people who take the wrong turn at the roundabout!I happened across this and too a photo as evidence, beware, remember it is the 5th exit or you might never be seen again, nice Frame and interesting camouflage kit though!
(click on picture to see it larger in a new window)