Pre-Christmas Social Rides

Hi All – just a quick update on the social rides that we have coming up this side of Christmas.  After a great turnout at the first ride last Saturday, we are back in the (roughly) fortnightly cycle of regular rides from the shop.  We will be trying to provide a bit of variety in the rides so will be changing the ride leader around a bit so that they don’t all end up being too hilly (i.e. if led by me!).  The next few dates are:

• 31^st October – Ride leader:  Dave Powell
• 21^st November (a 3 week gap!)
• 5^th December
• 19^th December – but this one is a BIG social ride.

The big social ride on 19th December will be a mini-sportive, called the Winter Warmer, similar to the Spring Challenge.  It will be fully sign posted and longer than the normal social rides at 40-45 miles, with hot soup, roll, tea, cake etc at the end.  It will be run in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust and will cost £6 to enter, with a 100 rider limit (restricted by parking limitations – won’t be able to use the field as it will be too soft).  All details and a link to the entry system (on-line only) are on the shop’s home page (http://www.epic-cycles.co.uk).

September sportive type stuff

Hi All – a couple of dates for your diary…on the 6th September there is quite a turnout planned for the Trans Cambrian sportive out of Rhayader (won’t be there myself as I will be supporting Molly, Ethan and Jack at the Youth Tour of Wales stage race), and there are still places left.

Plus, we will be doing an informal recce ride of the Autumn Epic route out of Knighton at 9.30 am from the Community Centre on 13th September, with lunch stop in Rhayader – this will mark the restarting of Epic Cycles social ride season, with the fortnightly rides from the shop on Saturdays kicking off a month later, following the Autumn Epic.  All welcome!

Pete is national champion!

British Cycling’s masters track championships are one of the biggest events in the track racing year and Epic-Viner RT were there with Pete and Matt in full flow, with Pete emerging victorious!  Read his full report here…

Super Sprinter Giles takes Otley!

British Cycling described Giles at Otley as “Super Sprinter”, so who are we to argue Simon – THAT is how you celebrate!.  Click, then click again for full size image.

Giles Takes Otley Town Centre Crits 2009

Fantastic result and a great write up below from the victor himself:

Devil Ride test ride – the report :)

Devil Ride Recce 2009

What a great day out on the bike – read Dave’s brilliant report of the test ride on Cyclosport…and weep in sympathy (not laughter Dave, no never) at the alarming loo incident…

It was my comeback ride after 5 weeks of limping around feeling sorry for myself, but the real hero must be Christian – his longest ride by a good 20 miles and barely a flat bit in sight.  Nice one

New road race in calendar – Stafford 9th Aug

Details have been sent to me of an addition to the BC road race calendar on 9th Aug, and not yet on BC’s on-line calendar – Stafford RC’s 60th anniversary road race.  Fills the August race void nicely and will be a come-back target for the clicky hipped one   Details below:

Track leagues

Posted on Gary’s behalf (thought it deserved a thread of its own!):  For those interested, our two local outdoor track leagues have started , with Wolverhampton being tonight (Wednesday) and Halesowen on Friday, both start at 7.00pm ( weather permitting ) Ewen intends to ride both, also this weekend are two enter on the line events, Darley Moor Sat, and Birmingham City Crits ( held on a trading estate at Solihull ) Sunday, all cat`s catered for.

Tour of the Abberleys – phew!

The LVRC Tour of the Abberleys gives you a taste of what it is like to race over multiple days – with tactics, team work, fatigue and a small dollop of good fortune thrown in ( picking the right break to join/chase etc) it is great weekend of racing.

A1 Classic

What an excellent race the LVRC A1 Classic turned into last weekend, after almost not starting at all.  A major mess up at the local authority meant that it had been odds on for cancellation until the organisers and police came to a last minute compromise and the race was allowed to go ahead as long as each age group raced separately to keep the bunch size down to around 30.  This meant that Giles and Matt raced in the A-group race, I went in the B-Group 2 mins later and John was further 4 mins back in the D-group.

More points!

Congratulations go to Simon on bagging another 12 points today for his second place at the Two Counties Road Race in Bridgenorth (the bad news is that he now has to race with the second cats!) and to Charler for a fine 9th place and his first BC points.

The race was an interesting one as it turned into one long war of attrition, with a big bunch of 80+ setting off from the neutralised zone at the top of the Hermitage (the hardest climb of the day oddly) at a cracking pace – one or two riders would then drop off the back on each of the long rises as the race belted along the A- roads for 15 miles or so before hitting the only hard-ish climb on each lap at the back of the Hermitage.