Anyhow, webmaster Carl is fixing the underlying framework that I monkeywrenched. Then I’ll get the events back on there. In the meantime, the rest of the website is still working so we can use posts here (just email me) or posts on the forum.

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Members of the commitee will each give short reports on how things have gone over the past year and talk about what’s upcoming, then we’ll have the election of committee members. Anyone can stand for these roles - all you need is someone to put their hand up as your proposer and someone else to second the proposal. While most of the committee will be restanding, it’s not a closed shop, and if there’s more than one candidate we’ll have a show of hands to see who gets in.

We also have the opportunity to vote on any motions. At the moment, there’s just the one: an amendment to our constitution. You’ll have had an email about that from club secretary Lorraine. But if there’s a motion you want to put forward, for a course of action that you want the club to adopt, you can. All you need to do is get it in writing to Lorraine by Friday night, along with the name of a seconder (someone who supports your motion). Both of you need to be Richardsons CC members, and we’ll vote on any and all motions at the meetings.

That’s the business bit. There will also be a raffle. And the prize is a good one: one year’s free individual membership of Richardsons CC. Don’t say we never give you anything.

We were a bit late sorting out a speaker for this meeting, so Dan - a cycling journalist for almost 20 years - is going to give a short talk (followed by a short question-and-answer session) on what happens in terms magazine bike testing. It’ll be a sort of ‘behind the scenes of bike testing’ talk. If you want to ask anything related to bike testing  - what is ‘trail’ when it comes to steering, what makes a fast road bike tyre, is the 26-inch hardtail dead as an XC racing platform, or whatever - he’ll do his best to answer.

Look forward to seeing you there.

We awoke on Sunday to heavy rain  it was bad very bad…wet and windy.  It was going to be a hard slog over a very muddy course.   We arrived at the event in plenty of time and signing on sheets were lacking signed up riders.   A warm up consisted of a sit in the car with heaters on full blast and heated seats on…with 10 mins to go we rode a quick warm up on the bikes .  Mike was off first with the Juniors going 5 minutes before the main field.  However Mike managed to miss his start and arrived a few seconds late much to the joy of the PA who announced to all that there was a late starter.

Mark went next and managed to avoid the two large crashes 15 metres from the start which took down several riders and he made the first single track in the top 15 riders - a good start. 

Mike rode the 2 hours event well and managed to catch up with the main field and then showed his skill in riding in thick rutted mud routes and soon cleared the field to reach the first few riders.  He overtook the series leader Bradley Burbridge who had won the last two races.  A duel then ensued between Joshua Hannan and Mike for first place, Joshua was a more powerful rider but Mike made ground with his skill.  The race finished close with Mike taking second and Joshua first by a 6 seconds lead over Mike which he made in the last few hundred metres of the course. Third place Bradley Burbridge finished around 16 minutes behind.   

Mark meawhile had a good first lap but then was struck with almost constant chain suck which meant pedalling 3 revolutions and back pedal one, so after 2 laps retired.  However it was clearly a hard race for everyone else as he still managed to come 13th in his category.

Mike has had some good results in the series and in the three events he rode he has had a 3rd, 4th and 2nd  place.   Mike Thompson is due to start racing in the British National Points Series this March.  He is currently being coached by our club coach Mark Grange.

This MTB day will start at 10.0oam meet in the Adderstone Field/Dixons Hollow Car Park.  The day will finish  at 12.30pm.  All ages welcome. 

All riders are expected to pay £1.50 and free mountain bike hire is available (small to large size adult bikes).  Contact Mark Grange for bookings markg280@hotmail.com

Also any instructors or MTBers who are willing to help out on the day please contact  Mark.

 Only a couple of years old but has not had an awful lot of use. I actually prefer to ride in the cold and dark. It is very quiet and provides a relatively smooth action. You use the gears on your bike to increase/decrease resistance. For pictures you can e-mail me at gaz1049@yahoo.co.uk or any other questions that you may have. It cost me £100 am selling for £45.

Contact Gary Scott: 07856627993

Now we know why Debbie & Ian ordered such a sparkly trophy! ;-)

Snow might be putting some of our rides on ice at the moment but it didn’t stop almost half the club turning out for our first club dinner, which took place at the Everley Hotel on 29th January. (Matt and Jackie’s big yellow Landrover was the shrewdest transport choice all the same!)

On arriving at the Everley, everyone got their complimentary drinks and had a chinwag in the bar. Then we repaired to our tables. Jackie had not only shown us where we were sitting but also listed our menu choices - a great idea, as most of us had forgotten. The food was excellent - the best cycling club fare I’ve had - and there was a lot of it too.

After that, quizmaster Hazel conducted the quiz. Every other question was a non-cycling one, so your Coronation Street knowledge was as important as knowing who invented the pneumatic tyre. That meant that the non-cycling partners at the dinner had plenty to contribute and didn’t just have to listen to us jawing about cycling all evening.

Hardly anyone was left empty-handed after the raffle and there was a good mix of cycling gear and other essentials like alcohol and chocolates.

Finally our new trophies were awarded - many thanks to Debbie & Ian Richardson, Toby Boyes and Mark & Hazel Grange for supplying these. Despite the absence of a kettle drum, Lorraine managed to summon up some table-thumping drum rolls to build the anticipation before the winners’ names were announced. Debbie won the Richardsons trophy for the most succesful rider (for her herculean 3rd place women’s solo rider at Mountain Mayhem). Rex Rixon - who couldn’t be with us that night - won the Grange trophy for the most improved rider. Mark and Hazel were worthy winners of the Boyes trophy for services to the club.

Next year we hope to add a few more trophies - not just for stuff like the fastest rider, but also for stuff like ‘Best crash’ and ‘Best backside in lycra’. If you’ve got any suggestions, send ‘em to Lorraine.

Many thanks to Jackie for making our first ever dinner such a great success. It’s hard to believe the club is only a year old. Onwards and upwards!

Date: Sunday 7th February. Time 9.30am
Venue: Pickering Memorial Hall
Cost: £20 (including a goody bag!)
Deposit £10 secures a place (limited numbers)

Call the shop on               01751 474220         01751 474220 or call in to book a place.

It’s a great opportunity to get something that would cost around £200 if you booked a 1 to 1 down at their offices.

Hopefully see some of you there.

We have secured  2 hour track session at the Manchester Velodrome on Sunday the 14^th of March (Mothering Sunday!!).  The slot we have is from 1:30 – 3:30 and we hopefully have the coaching services of former Olympic Track Rider  Mark Barry.    

The session is open to anyone aged 13 years and over.  The only requirement is that all riders must be able to ride a bike.  We had a session in July last year which was attended by approximately 15 members and we all had a great time.  It is a little daunting at first for any ‘track virgins’ but it is a really enjoyable session and gives you an insight into another branch of the sport.  We had a good mix of Mountain and road riders last time. 

The costs are as follows:

The cost of hiring the track for the 2 hour session is £170 so this will be split between the number of riders attending.  The more we get, the lower the cost!  Track bikes are available to hire for a cost of £9.60 for up to 2 hours for adults and £7.50 for under 16’s.  If you don’t have any cycling shoes with ‘Look Delta’ cleats you will need to hire track shoes at a cost of £4.00 for the session.  It is intended that we will travel in cars to the velodrome and split the cost of travel.  Travel arrangements to be sorted out nearer the time, when we know how many people will be attending.

If you would like to come please let us know ASAP and if you also require bike and shoe hire we need to know so that we can pre-book.  For bike hire we need to know the bike size you require, similarly for your shoe hire.

All bookings to be via email to Toby Boyes tmboyes@btinternet.com and secured with £10 non refundable deposit.

All booking to be made before 1st March 2010.

Note that the bad weather is also curtailing many of the club rides at the moment, off-road and on. The main roads are passable, but it’s slippy in places. I felt the back end of the bike start to slide yesterday on a black-ice corner.

Take care out there. Or learn to love that turbo trainer!