News
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November 2009:
Club clothing has arrived and Scott Westwood (clothing sec.) will be down the club over the next two Fridays (27th and 5th) for people to collect / pay. If people want to arrange alternative collection then contact Scott directly. Scott prefers payment via cheque made payable to ‘Walsall RCC”.
Mark Carter is organising a ‘curry night’. Preferred date seems to be Thursday 17th Dec and the venue will be in Cannock. Contact Mark for further details and/or follow the thread on the forum.
The Friday club night on the 18th Dec will be the last one before Christmas so people are invited to bring the usual nibbles etc.
Scientific report proves cycling improves health (From CTC Newsnet) - A report published in medical journal The Lancet this week shows walking and cycling to reduce greenhouse gas emissions also has major health benefits, including reduced cardiovascular disease, depression and dementia. Looking ahead to 2030, Scientists estimated the health effects of alternative urban transport strategies for London and the Indian city of Delhi. The authors, led by James Woodcock from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, wrote: "Policy makers should divert investment from roads for motorists towards provision of infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists”.
2010 CTT Handbook - David Lloyd is ordering a batch of handbooks from the CTT, ordering in bulk saves money on P&P. To order yours contact Dave on: 07905 678404. Price likely to be £6.50 if we can get the handbooks collected.
No 10 highlights the role of cycling (from CTC Newsnet) - A major review of urban transport published by the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit calls for much more work to promote cycling. It highlights the potential role of cycling as an alternative to short trips by car. The review includes best practice examples from around the world, together with a scathing analysis of the failures of government policy towards cycling over the last 13 years. Slide 74 says: “walking and cycling policy making often occurs without broader consideration of the trade offs required (e.g. disincentives to short car journeys to achieve a mode shift to walking and cycling).”
Cycle casualties up in one year (From CTC Newsnet) - Figures released yesterday show a 19% increase in killed and seriously injured cyclists in the second quarter of 2009, compared to the same period in 2008. However, as the Government has acknowledged, cycling is increasing significantly with a 12% increase from 2007 to 2008 alone. CTC’s Safety in Numbers campaign suggests that in places where cycling levels are higher the risk from cycling tends to be lower – we therefore expect the increase in casualties in the second quarter of 2009 is probably a consequence of there being much more cycling. Nevertheless, much more needs to be done to improve the safety of cycling – especially by reducing speed limits and improving both driver and cycle training. For more information read quotes from CTC’s Chris Peck in the Times.
Is 3 feet enough? (From CTC Newsnet) - An online petition calling for a law for drivers to overtake cyclists by 3 feet is gathering signatures, but CTC believes this sends out the wrong message to drivers. There are only a handful of situations where 3 feet would be a safe overtaking distance and we feel that speed, not just distance, must be taken into consideration. We want drivers to stick to what the Highway Code states and that is why, through Stop SMIDSY we are campaigning for the enforcement of current laws.
October 2009:
CONGRATULATIONS SPUD - Ian Simms has won the hill climb trophy this year in the narrowest margin of just four seconds on aggregate from second placed rider Scott Westwood who rode the final event despite suffering with a sickness.
CONGRATULATIONS ON HANDICAP - Alan Phillips has won this years handicap trophy with a huge 47.5 points.
2010 AGM - Please note that next years AGM will be on Friday 15th January at 8pm.
FINAL REMINDER - ANNUAL DINNER & PRIZE PRESENTATION - 2009. Details for this years event are as follows: Date: 31st October 2009 Venue: Old Wyrley Hall, Gt Wyrley (WS6 6LL) Time: 7:00pm for 7:30pm Dinner (Menu to Follow, but likely to be a carvery plus vegetarian options) Bar & Disco ‘til late Guest Speaker: Roger Iddles Halloween Fancy Dress: Optional, Ticket cost: Only £15 per person (this includes a sit down meal) See Steve Wilkins or Scott Westwood for Tickets
CLUB NIGHT CANCELLATION - Please note there will be no club night on Friday the 23rd October as the Scouts will be requiring the hut that night.
CLUB EVENT DATES - have been set for 2010, check out the events page for further information.
OPEN EVENT DATES SET FOR 2010: - Individual time trial, 25 mile on the K16/25 on Sunday 4th July, Contact David Lloyd on 07905 678404. - 2 up team time trial, 25 mile on the K16/25 on Sunday 12th September Contact Phil Gambles on 0121 311 2931.
STOP SMIDSY (From CTC NewsNet) makes a roar at the Cycle Show As featured in Newsnet last week, Stop SMIDSY, CTC’s new campaign, is now live and collecting cyclists’ stories of bad driving. If you’ve been to the site already, you’ll know that it has a rather prominent picture of a lion on a bicycle. SMIDSY the lion was adored by cyclists (especially of the childseat-using age) at last weekend’s cycle show! Cherry Allan from CTC’s Campaigns team gave a joint interview with the lion for Singletrack (interview begins at 6:20). If you haven’t visited www.stop-smidsy.org.uk, on it you can report crashes and near misses, learn about the law, and gain practical tips for dealing with bad driving.
September 2009:
Please, Please, Please, could all members who've achieved standards, records, trophies get their claims into David Lloyd ASAP as the prize presentation night is later this month and prizes/awards need to be ordered in good time for the night, Thank you.
CLOTHING. The final date for pre-ordering your clothing requirements for next season is Friday the 9th October. Scott Westwood will be available to take orders at the club that night. NOW WITH A FURTHER 10% PRICE REDUCTION FROM ENDURA. View the catalogue by using the link below:
A RECORD BREAKING YEAR (updated)! Congratulations to all the club members who have broken club time trial records this year. Three members have broken four team records this year and in doing so earned the nick name "TEAM SW", that's because the three are Stuart Walker, Scott Westwood and Steve Wilkins. Well done also to Lynne Taylor who has finished second in the womens Brittish Best All Rounder (BBAR) with times of 55:30 for 25 miles, 1:56:31 for 50 miles 4:03:47 for 100 miles a truely amazing result. Lynne also finished on the podium taking third at the national 100 mile time trial with a time of 4:25:43. Many other club members have also achieved some fantastic personal best's this year so well done to all of you! Here's a list of the new records:
INDIVIDUAL RECORDS:
10 miles. S Walker. 19.40
25 miles. S Westwood. 50.03
30 miles. S Walker. 1.2.46
50 miles. S Westwood. 1.45.02
TEAM RECORDS:
Team 10. S.Westwood. 20.16 S.Walker. 20.17 S.Wilkins. 21.53 Total time: 1.02.26
Team 25. S.Westwood. 50.03 S.Walker. 50.46 S.Wilkins. 54.18 Total time: 2.35.07
Team 30. S.Walker. 1.2.46 S.Westwood. 1.3.02 S.Wilkins. 1.7.52 Total time: 3.13.40
Team 50. S.Westwood.1.45.02 S.Walker. 1.49.21 S.Wilkins. 1.55.42 Total Time: 5.03.05
NEW FORUM! A new forum has been set up by Scott Westwood here: http://walsallrcc.hostingdelivered.com/ Club members need to go through a registration process, similar to the last forum.
Forum users will have noticed that the site has been closed. The host site appears to have disappeared. Scott Westwood has identified a suitable new host site and will begin work setting up the forum soon, thanks for your patience.
Congratulations to Mark Mullender who won the clubs final time trial of the season on Sunday the 20th September with a time of 22 minutes and 5 seconds from second placed rider Ian Ward who was only 20 seconds further back. Carlton Dodd also produced a great ride to finish third in 23 minutes and 38 seconds. Thanks also to David Lloyd who decided not to ride ensuring the event could go ahead. Polite reminder, could all members ensure they take their turn supporting club events and request permission from the Hon Racing Secretary to ride open events or private trials held on the same date/time as club events, thanks.
Hill Climbs are just around the corner, last year we had a good turn out, lets see if we can get a few more of you mountain goats there to show us what you're made of this year. The first two events are being held on the Sunday 11th October, see the events page for more details.
Recipe for disaster (from CTC Newsnet) - Last Sunday, celebrity chef James Martin wrote about his dislike of cyclists in his column in the Mail on Sunday. CTC received many complaints and we were appalled that he tried to run a group of cyclists off the road. He wrote: “Knowing they wouldn't hear me coming, I stepped on the gas, waited until the split-second before I overtook them, then gave them an almighty blast on the horn at the exact same time I passed them at speed. The look of sheer terror as they tottered into the hedge was the best thing I've ever seen in my rear-view mirror." His comments and actions were both offensive and dangerous to cyclists and we’ve urged the cyclists (if they exist) to contact CTC's Accident Helpline, as our legal team would be only too happy to take the matter further. The police have contacted us, as they’d like to speak to the cyclists too! The Mail edited out the offending section in the article and James Martin apologised, but if you think saying sorry isn’t enough, you can write to the Press Complaints Commission.
Easyrider (from CTC Newsnet) - Round-the-world cyclist James Bowthorpe is on track to beat the Guinness World Record - set by CTC Member Mark Beaumont in 2008 - for the fastest circumnavigation of the globe by bike, by an astonishing three weeks. The final leg of his 18,000 mile journey will see him arrive at the Sepentine Cafe in London’s Hyde Park tomorrow, Saturday 19 September, at about 6pm. On his Twitter page, James invites other cyclists to join him at Roehampton Gate, Richmond Park for the last few miles of his extraordinary trip, which aims to raise £1.8 million for Parkinson’s disease research.
Website update completed, hopefully the website will run a little slicker now. Let me know if there are any comments/recommendations. The forum is also being worked on and will be available as soon as possible.
August 2009:
Thanks to I.Lewis and P.Blacker For helping Rob Morris after his accident during the club 25 mile time trial on Sunday the 23rd August. Rob was caught by a strong gust which blew him into the kerb and off his bike. Rob was taken to hospital but thankfully had nothing broken, although he was suffering whiplash injuries. We wish Rob a speedy recovery.
A new clothing order will be placed at the end of September, see the Clothing page of the website for further details.
ANNUAL DINNER & PRIZE PRESENTATION - 2009. Details for this years event are as follows: Date: 31st October 2009 Venue: Old Wyrley Hall, Gt Wyrley (WS6 6LL) Time: 7:00pm for 7:30pm Dinner (Menu to Follow) Bar & Disco ‘til late Guest Speaker: Roger Iddles Halloween Fancy Dress: Optional Ticket cost: Only £15 per person See Steve Wilkins or Scott Westwood for Tickets
Message from Phil Brown, r.e. 2up. "Only 3 teams entered to date but I anticipate a flood of forms through the letter box over the next 3 weeks. As ever the success of an event is down to its planning and execution, with this in mind I am seeking volunteers for marshals, I need to identify 3 or 4 people who will be willing to marshal the far turns, clearly transport is essential. Names please at your earliest opportunity so I can post marshals to specific locations and make the best use of recourses".
IMPORTANT! Marshalling for open 2up 25 mile TTT on Sunday 13th September. Please note that volunteers are required to help out wherever possible at our clubs open TTT being held on Sunday September 13th 2009. Please contact Phil Brown on 01922 416664 for details. Please ensure you agree Phil where you'll be helping out prior to the morning of the event, this will ensure all helpers get to their stations in good time. Many thanks!
Cycle paths are ‘frivolous’ (from CTC NewsNet). Former US Presidential candidate John McCain has complained that $2 billion from the Highway Trust Fund, which is collected from fuel tax, was spent on ‘pet projects like walkways and bicycle paths, at the expense of the nation’s roads and bridges! Errr I take it he’s not a cyclist then. Thankfully the other guy won! (Kevin)
Andy Wilkinson and Lynne Taylor end to end record, can it be broken? James Cracknell and Rebecca Romero were disappointed this week after they were forced to abandon their non-stop End to End tandem ride across Britain. 520 miles and 29 hours into their attempt to break the record, doctors advised Rebecca to stop due to pain in her knees. Lynn and Andy Andy broke the record in 2009 with a time of two days, three hours, 19 minutes and 23 seconds. To find out more about the journey, you can read James Cracknell’s article in the Telegraph and watch this interview with Rebecca Romero. The pair vow to try again.
Right to Ride victory (from CTC NewsNet). Sheila Jones, CTC’s Right to Ride Representative for North Ceredigion, has won her campaign to improve conditions for cyclists on the A470, the Cardiff to Glan Conwy trunk road. The project director has agreed to provide a gateway feature that will define the 30mph limit in Newbridge-on-Wye, and that alternative routes for cyclists will be made of bituminous material. This represents a significant victory in improving conditions for cyclists along what is the main North-South road for Wales. Congratulations to Sheila! More information about becoming a Right to Ride Rep is available on the CTC website. We need more of the same on our overpopulated, under funded, poorly planned roads of the West Midlands! (Kevin)
July 2009:
Club event cancelled - 28th July. Yet more cancellations. Don't blame me for the weather!
Very Urgent - Event secretaries required for next years 2up open time trail Many thanks to Phil Brown who has organised the open 2up TTT this year. Phil Brown is kindly doing it this year, having stepped into the breach when Kevin Highfield left, but as Phil would like to ride this event he doesn't want to promote it beyond 2009. An event secretary name is therefore required very urgently for next years event. Please, please, please, should you be interested in organising this event could you please indicate this to one of the committee members as soon as possible. The reason for the urgency is that the CTT requires full details of next years events now! Anybody interested can get an idea of what would be involved by reading the relevant sections of the CTT handbook. The club and it's members would be there to help you every step of the way. Alternatively please discuss the details with David Lloyd, club Hon Racing Secretary and organiser of this years individual open time trial event.
Club event cancelled - 21st July (where's the summer gone?) No results for the 21st July club event because the event was cancelled due to severe weather conditions. Fingers crossed the weather picks up soon!
Club event cancelled - 14th July No results for the 14th July club event because the event was cancelled due to severe weather conditions.
West Midlands RRL update The West Midlands Region RRL has now reached its half way stage, with 6 out of 12 events completed, and the latest report and points standing for the League is available via the main BC website here: http://new.britishcycling.org.uk/road/article/roa20090715-road-West-Midlands-Region-Road-Race-League-0 The BC draw your attention to the next two events as covered in the linked report. In particular for the Stafford RC event for which entries have not yet closed, please remind all 2nd, 3rd, and 4th cat riders from your club that West Midlands riders receive priority of entry up to the closing date.
More fantastic rides!! Yet more club records have fallen, Scott Westwood (seen below riding a club 25 in August 2008) has smashed the 25 mile individual time trial record with a phenomenal time of 50 minutes and 3 seconds in the CDLCA event on the A25/11 course held on 27th June 2009. In the same event Scott (50:03), Stuart Walker (50:46) and Steve Wilkins (54:18) also smashed the 25 mile team time trial record with a time of 2 hours, 35 minutes and 7 seconds. Well done Scott, Stuart and Steve!
Bike sales triple (From CTC NewsNet) Yet more proof that cycling is increasing in the UK. A few weeks ago, official figures showed the highest level of cycling for 17 years. Now there are reports that cycle manufacturers are struggling to keep up with the demand for bikes. According to the Independent and Bike Biz, annual sales of bikes have tripled in the last year. This is good news for the rest of us, as CTC’s Safety in Numbers campaign shows that cycling gets safer to more people do it.
Thanks for supporting the club open 25 mile TT on Sunday 5th July A special thank you to all the volunteers who helped out. Results are available here.
Get your TdF fix (From CTC NewsNet) What a tour eh! If you have been keeping a close eye on Mark Cavendish and Lance Armstrong in the Tour de France, you might want to know you can view live updates on the official TdF website, follow it on Twitter or pay to watch live streaming from Eurosport or Cycling.tv. You can also download interviews via the Cycling News or ITV podcasts.
Respond to the Road Safety Strategy! CTC’s Safety in Numbers campaign calls for changes to the new Road Safety Strategy, currently out to consultation until the 14 July and the CTC and the general cycling community need you to respond. Critical issues to support include extending 20mph speed limits and the creation of a new target based on exposure to risk rather than on numbers of injuries.
June 2009:
Stuart Walker the first club sub 20 minute!! A huge congratulations go to Stuart Walker (seen below, riding the South Pennine last year) who smashed the previous club 10 mile time trial record by 26 seconds to record a time of 19 minutes and 40 seconds on the V718 earlier this month.
IMPORTANT! Marshalling for open 25 mile TT on Sunday 5th July Please note that volunteers are required to help out wherever possible at our clubs open TT being held on Sunday July 5th 2008. Please contact David Lloyd on 07905 678404 for details, many thanks!!
May 2009:
Another BIG thank you!!! Many thanks to all the members for making the ladies riding our club event on the 19th May so welcome, this event was a women's league points event. Thanks to David Lloyd, Stan Hunt, John Blower and Mark Carter who helped run the event. Photos taken at the event are available in the gallery.
‘Safety in Numbers’ gets mentioned in Parliament (From CTC NewsNet) Despite all the debate in Parliament about expenses, MPs managed to squeeze in a discussion about CTC’s Safety in Numbers Campaign. So far almost 100 MPs have signed a parliamentary Early Day Motion ( EDM 1431) by Gwyn Prosser MP, in support of CTC’s ‘Safety in Numbers’ campaign. CTC is calling on all cyclists to contact their MPs urging them to add their signatures. Getting your MP to support CTC’s campaign only takes a few clicks: all you have to do is go to www.ctc.org.uk/safetyinnumbers to send an email.
Fill That Hole a whole lot better (From CTC NewsNet) CTC’s online tool for reporting potholes and other road hazards, Fill That Hole, has just been relaunched with new features that make it much easier to use. You now have the option to register with the site, which allows you to view all your potholes at once and even report them as fixed. You can also report a crash or injury sustained as a result of a pothole. Fill That Hole will send your report directly to the lawyers at CTC’s Accident Line, who will contact you about your legal options. Potholes are annoying and can be dangerous to cyclists, so rather than simply cycling around your local road defects, report them and help your council get them fixed!
Life without cars (From CTC NewsNet) Imagine a street with no cars - that’s what life is like in Vauban in Germany. Residents of the district on the outskirts of Freiburg have gone car free and are now bike mad instead. To find out more about what life is like in a suburban area where 70% of the population don’t have a car, you can take a look at these photos or read this report in the New York Times.
A HUGE THANKS!!! Many, many thanks to all the club members who helped out at the South Staffs & Shropshire Evening Road Race event which we supported on Thursday May 7th with a full field of eighty riders including one of UK's best, Roger Hammond from Cervélo TestTeam. Yet again our members turned out in great numbers to promote a fantastic event, which thanks to our help ran without incident. The event organiser and club Hon Racing Secretary have passed on their thanks and congratulations to you all, well done.
Evening Club Events Reminder, the clubs series of evening Time trial events have started, they run every Tuesday night at 7:00pm on the K6/10 or K7/25 courses.
Safety in Numbers (From CTC NewsNet) CTC President and Channel 4 broadcaster Jon Snow launched CTC’s new ‘Safety in Numbers’ campaign in Parliament yesterday see video. MPs from all 3 main parties attended the launch. After a presentation from Chris Watts of the Department for Transport outlining the Government’s draft Road Safety Strategy, CTC’s Roger Geffen unveiled New CTC research showing that cycling gets safer the more cyclists there are - see our map of how different places in England compare for cycle use and cyclists’ safety. CTC urges all members to contact their MPs asking them to sign an Early Day Motion which has been tabled in support of CTC’s “Safety in Numbers” campaign. You can do this automatically with just a couple of clicks.
Kidnap attempt (From CTC NewsNet) James Bowthorpe, who is attempting to beat CTC member Mark Beaumont‘s round-the-world cycling record, is still on track to shave a day off Mark’s time, despite a kidnap attempt in Iran. James had to make a rushed departure from Iran in the early hours of the morning after some people tried to bundle him into a car. James is now in India and continuing on his journey. You can read all about his journey in his blog or you can follow him on Twitter.
There’s a whole lot of potholes (From CTC NewsNet) According to figures out this week from the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA), the number of potholes on the roads in England and Wales is up by 32% since last year and on average a road now boasts a pothole every 120 yards. The AIA estimate it will cost £8.5 billion to bring the condition of roads up to scratch! If you spot a pothole, don’t just cycle round it, report it on our site www.fillthathole.org.uk.
April 2009:
Reminder - Marshalls required for South Staffs & Shropshire Evening Road Race League on Thursday May 7th Please note that volunteers are required to help out wherever possible at the above event being held from the Penkridge Cricket Club on Thursday May 7th 2008. Please contact Ian Ward on 01543 270557 or David Lloyd on 07905 678404 for details and to pledge your support. 10 marshals and 3 lead cars will be required. The event starts at 7:00pm, so please aim to be there by 6:30pm. Thanks to all those who've helped out at previous events, they've been a huge success, we're hoping for the same turn out this year, so please get on the phone and pledge your support to Ian or David, THANKS!!
March 2009:
IMPORTANT! Marshalling for South Staffs & Shropshire Evening Road Race League on Thursday May 7th Please note that volunteers are required to help out wherever possible at the above event being held from the Penkridge Cricket Club on Thursday May 7th 2008. Please contact Ian Ward on 01543 270557 for details and to pledge your support. 10 marshals and 3 lead cars will be required. The event starts at 7:00pm, so please aim to be there by 6:30pm. Thanks to all those who've helped out at previous events, they've been a huge success, we're hoping for the same turn out this year, so please get on the phone and pledge your support to Ian, THANKS!!
February 2009:
Clothing Order Scott Westwood will be placing a clothing order soon, so please get your orders to Scott as soon as possible, thanks. Memberships Phil Gambles has kindly offered to take on the role of Hon Membership Secretary at this years AGM, could members therefore please get their subscriptions for the year 2009 to Phil. New applicants should complete the application form.
Hon Racing Secretary David Lloyd has kindly offered to take on the role of Hon Racing Secretary for the year 2009. Please give David your full support in his new role.
January 2009:
AGM This years AGM will be held at 8.30pm in the clubroom on Friday the 16th January 2009. If you have any propositions you wish to be discussed/voted on, please get these to the Hon Secretary before 9th January 2008, please. Note that any change of club rules requires a 2/3 majority of members present at the AGM for the change.
Membership subscriptions are now due. It's that time of year again, unfortunately. Please get your subscriptions for the year 2009 to the Hon. Membership Secretary, thank you.
REMINDER: Dinner and Prize presentation - Saturday 24th January 2009 There are still many places available for this years club dinner and prize presentation. Tickets are £25.00 per ticket. Please contact Scott Westwood who has kindly organising this years event, for more details and to purchase your tickets on 07764 952024. The dinner will be one last opportunity to let your hair down prior to knuckling down for some serious training for the coming season, hope to see you there, before you ask mine is a larger, thanks.
