Angus Cycling Club

Newsletter Winter  2007

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The AGM on 28^th October marks the end of the 2006 -2007 Cycling Season.

The Sunday club runs and Wednesday night pub runs have been in general quite well attended by both men and women sometimes with 2 separate runs leaving on the Sunday,  with the 2^nd  providing a more leisurely alternative for mixed groups. The distances range from about 100 miles to 35 miles depending on time of year. Longer distances are covered during Audax and DATC events for which there is an extensive UK calendar.  These events normally vary from 100k (64 miles) to 600k (390 miles).

Angus CC not only have a group of cyclists who regularly take part in these events, but by organising these events locally have also attracted cyclists from all over Scotland to cycle our roads.

Events organised over the 2006/7 season were.

"Deeside Loop" 200k organised by Alan Ferrier- April

April weekend, 4 events organised by Ron Harrow.

150k "Pitlochry" 100k "Scone the Flat way"

50k off road event and the "Glenisla" 100k

Glenisla 100k organised by David Fawcett

September weekend organised by Alan Ferrier

200k "Tour of Angus" and the 100k "Cabby Latch and Girdlestane" on the Saturday,

100k "Braes of Angus"  and the 70k "Glen Doll Dander" on the Sunday

Pitlochry 200k organised by David Husband

DIY and permanent Audax events, where validated routes can be tackled by individuals or groups who must find their own control points e.g. shops, cafes, cash machine receipts etc to prove they have followed the correct route and completed the events within time, have also become popular. Alex Pattison and Dave Fawcett have mainly been involved with organising these events. 

David Fawcett and David Husband travelled to France this summer to take part in the 1200k (750 miles) Paris-Brest-Paris Audax event. David Fawcett finished comfortably within the 90 hour time limit with David Husband, picking up an injury in the last 300k, finishing an hour and 30 mins out of time.

 Charles Irvine completed an SR Series this year i.e. a 200k, 300k, 400k, and 600k Audax event in the same year. He achieved this by completing the following events: 

Kingdom of Fife 200k; Dalmeny 300k; Ardgay 400k; Daylight 600k

Alex Pattison completed the Ultra Randoneur series this year i.e. 10 SR series in 10 separate years.

 Audax events next year so far on the calendar are:-

Deeside Loop Alan Ferrier April
Pitlochry 150  David Husband April
Snow Roads 300 Alex Pattison June
Pitlochry 200 David Husband  August

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Events

Club weekends and events have also proved very popular again this year with Keith Buckingham being the main organiser.  

In October, 20 members travelled to Callander to take part in a social weekend of cycling. Based around the Hostel and Cycle hire centre at Invertrossachs there were 2 main cycling events organised. On the Saturday a run through the Trossachs over the Dukes pass to Aberfoyle then up and around Loch Katrine was enjoyed by all. The evening comprised a hearty meal followed by a sociable evening. On the Sunday there was a shorter outing up the cycle paths from Kilmahog to the head of Glen Ogle and back. Some members had also cycled up to the event on the Friday and home again on the Sunday.

In July about 9 members enjoyed a barbeque and camping weekend up at the bothy at Reekie Linn with people bringing their own food.  Ron Harrow also managed to procure a barrel of homebrew which proved to be a good night cap for the campers. 

At Hogmanay a group headed up to the bothy where they enjoyed some hot grub prepared by Keith as well as some mulled wine and a couple of tins of beer to help get them in the festive mood. Due to popular acclaim this will likely be repeated again this year.

January, Tom and Mary Ward also invited the Angus Cycling regulars to join them and friends at a Burns Supper held at their home. A great night was appreciated by all.

Charlie Irvine also hosted the CTC "mince pie" run last Christmas and was enjoyed by all.

In January 16 members made their way to the Park Tavern at Roundyhill for the club's annual festive lunch. As usual we were well looked after by our host and it turned out to be a fine afternoon.

Keith is already planning another club weekend for this Easter, with other events no doubt in the offing. Details will be circulated as they emerge.

The date of the annual lunch has not yet been decided, but all members will be notified when this has been finalised.

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Angus CC Tourist Trophy Awards.

 There are two Angus CC tourist trophies awarded at the end of each year. One to the top lady cyclist, and one to the top man. The awards are given to those who have the highest attendance of Sunday Club or Audax runs that appear on the club calendar.

This year the Top woman is Mary Ward with 22  points
The top man was again Dave Fawcett with 52 points.

For interest to show how closely run it was, the top 3 men and women were as follows:
David Fawcett 52 points            Mary Ward 22 points
Charles Irvine 50 points            Margaret Baird 18 points
David Husband 49 points,        Etta Grewar    15 points

PBP 2007 (Dave Husband)

Dave Fawcett and I travelled to France in August to take part in the 2007 Paris-Brest-Paris 1200k Audax Event.  Along with the Audax Ecosse  bunch we travelled there and back on the Graham Baxter Tour bus  from Edinburgh. We had both entered the 90 hour group and it proved a memorable and worthwhile experience.

Around 5000 entrants started the event at 9:30pm on the Monday, and it had to be completed by 15:30 on the following Friday. 90 hours to do 1230 Kilometres. We were released in groups of 500 at 15 minute intervals.
Large crowds lined the roads and gave vocal support as we headed out of Paris into the night. The weather didn't hold, and it was soon raining, but even in the early hours of the morning people waited in the towns and villages to cheer the cyclists on their way. An hour or two into the ride I was passed by Dave Fawcett who had been way ahead of me at the start. Apparently he’d been lead astray by a bunch of Italians who’d taken the wrong route. That was the last I saw of Dave until the hotel at the end. After the first control at Mortagne at around 140k, the rain turned into a downpour and for me this would be the pattern from the next 3 nights, with lighter showers through the day. Luckily it was warm so didn't suffer from the chills as we would have done in this country. There were controls at intervals of about 100k and all offered good food, medical clinics, bike mechanics and sleeping facilities for those that could afford the time. As with all Audax events, these controls had to be reached at within a certain time and you got your "Brevet" card stamped, and an electronic card swiped as you entered each one. The swipe card worked well as the information was made available on the Paris-Brest-Paris Web site so that friends and family could track your progress. Arriving very soggy at the next control (Villaines) at mid morning, I enjoyed breakfast and a short rest before continuing. With so many cyclists on the road you were never really alone at any time. At night it was quite a spectacle to see a never ending stream of brightly illuminated cyclists. Day and night people would stop and sleep anywhere when they became drowsy. Villages and towns were lined with people wrapped in space blankets sleeping on walls and benches. In the countryside the grass verges did nicely.

Cafe's in many small towns were open all through the night, offering hot food, drinks, and somewhere dry to sit. Some villages had set up large tents in the main street where cheap food was available 24 hours. At the 300k point at Fugeres, I found our tour bus waiting and changed into some dry clothes before eating. Controls at Titeniac, Loudeac, and Carhaix were welcome breaks on the way to the half way point at Brest where the skies were blue and the sun shone brightly. Another good meal and a 10 minute nap that lasted 2 hours and I was on the return journey. The good weather lasted until that evening, when it rained lightly at first then turned into a complete downpour by the early hours. Still, the rain stopped me from falling asleep while cycling along. Into the next day the legs were getting tired a sore from over use, lack of sleep, and rising damp. Just before the 900k control  at Fugeres, a sudden sharp pain from the back of the right knee stopped me in my tracks. I struggled to the control where the physio worked on it, and with a tube support bandage and some adjustment to the seat height on the bike I set off gingerly on the last 300k. Now in a bit of discomfort, I was slowing and losing valuable time, and, through yet another heavy downpour, I just made the next control within time.

Another good meal and some more treatment from the physio then it was off again into the night. 

This now being the third night on the road, the rain stopped, and I was so tired and sleepy that I started to hallucinate (reading accounts from other participants this was fairly common for slower riders who skipped sleep) and had to stop at the roadside propped up against a pole for a short nap. I woke up still in darkness with large groups of Americans passing by. Got back on the bike and joined them but things were very surreal, and for 2 - 3 hours I had no idea where I was going. All I knew was that I had a common purpose with those I was cycling with.  I lost all track of time and arrived out of time at the next control back at Mortagne, but never the less was allowed to continue. Into the morning of the final day, I had to resort to an assortment of pain killers to get me to the final control at Dreux. The short stop there to get my card stamped and a bite to eat did me no good at all and just after starting the last stage to Paris, my pain killers stopped working and my left knee which I had been favouring when climbing up hills packed in also. Taking more pain killers now had little effect but I found a pharmacy where I got another knee support bandage and some spray. Got going again making slow progress until about 20k before Paris all the pain killers seemed to click in and I managed to keep on the tail of another cyclist all the way to the finish. Unfortunately I was 1 hour 35 mins out of time, but they stamped my card and I had to wait until the end of September before being officially declared "Hors Delais" i.e. out of time.

But disregarding the official result I was extremely satisfied that I had at least gone the distance. Around 1700 cyclists failed to complete the course at all so I can't complain. 

Dave Fawcett finished well within time and congratulations to him. I was also grateful to him for the can of beer handed to me on arrival at the hotel and for helping me with getting my bike dismantled and loaded into the bike bag for the early departure next morning.

Subscriptions :  It is that time of year again! Please forward your subs to Dave Fawcett (£10)

 Email: Mailing by email saves time and club funds, if you would like to receive the newsletter and runs list by email, please give your address to Dave Fawcett or Keith Buckingham

 Dave Fawcett                   cycleman31@hotmail.com
Keith Buckingham           keith@keithbuckingham.fsnet.co.uk 

Club Committee and Contact details

Committee Meeting dates:
Thursday 14th February 2008 7:30 pm
Thursday 8th May 2008 7:30 pm
Thursday 11th September 2008 7:30 pm
AGM Sunday 26th October 2008 2pm

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