January 2020 club night

Our January meet-up for the Wigmore CC social night is next week on Tuesday 14th January, 7-9pm at The Bike Warehouse in Gillingham High St. 

Please feel free to come along and get involved. Reasons to come:

  • Catch up with other members of the club that you may not have seen for a while. If you were there at the inaugural meet-up in December, then come along and see how much weight everyone else has put on over Christmas!
  • Got some left-over Christmas cash? Caeran and Jason will be more than happy to help direct you to some shiny new parts for your bike, some club kit or that overdue bike service. 
  • Roller racing competition – after a bit of fun in our December meeting and the realisation this is going to be a lot more competitive than first thought, the 2020 competition will be kicking off for real, culminating in adult and junior trophies at the end of the season.
  • Gillingham High Street’s best takeaway pizza! – will once again be making an appearance. 

We had a good turnout in December from current members, past members and the youth riders from the Go-Ride club, which made for a great evening and a lot of fun with the roller racing. Why not come along to see what it is all about, support your club and your local community bike shop. 

Postcode for the shop is ME7 1AZ. There is parking behind the shop in Britton Farm car park. 

Hope to see you there on Tuesday.

WCC Awards Dinner 2019

Many thanks to everyone that came along to our awards dinner at the weekend. We hope you had a good evening.

Massive congratulations to our award winners from both the adult club and the Go-Rode club. Well done on all your hard work over the season, and best of luck for next year!

Many thanks go to our special guest Neil Lauder, who was very gracious with his time and giving us an insight into what it takes to perform at the highest levels as a cyclist.

Many thanks also go to Helen Masters and Mike Finch who worked tirelessly to put on such a fun evening 🙂

See you next year!

Hollingbourne Hill Climb – RESULTS

– 44th Annual Open Hill Climb –

– Sunday 29th September 2019 – 

– Inc The KCA Championship –

Despite the torrential weather, a whopping 44 riders tacked the infamous Hollingbourne Hill this weekend, taking part in our annual open Hill Climb competition. 

Congratulations to both James Hayward (Woolwich CC) and Katie Painter (MedwayTri) on their winning rides in the 44th Wigmore CC hill climb.

After having to settle for second last year James made amends but by only the smallest of margins, pipping Tom Rowing (Abellio – SFA Racing Team) by just 0.2 of a second. This was James’s third win and makes him once again the KCA hill climb champion. Less than 4 seconds separated 3rd from 7th, with Bill Bell (Bigfoot CC) once again taking the final podium place as well as winning the 40+ age group.

Photo credit to Mike Savage @ www.mikesavagephotography.co.uk

Junior (and riding her first hill climb) Katie Painter was the victor of the ladies competition, with Victoria Fearn (Twickenham CC) taking second, just under 3 seconds slower.

Winning the overall Junior event and finishing an impressive eighth overall was Samuel Painter (ZeroBC Race Team), a pleasing result for the promoting club as Samuel is an ex Wigmore CC rider. Joshua Stone (4T+ Cyclopark) took second and led 4T+ Cyclopark to the team prize, notably with two riders even younger than himself, Leo Whyton and Matthew Brown. Their combined time of 12:35.9 put them over five seconds ahead of Dartford Wheelers (Ewan Tuohy, Jack Wade, Joseph Robinson) who finished with a combined time of 12:41.6

Photo credit to Mike Savage @ www.mikesavagephotography.co.uk

Fastest in the 50+ age group was Andrew Askwith (Vive Le Velo), 60+ was Lawrence Martin (Thanet RC) and the 70+ age group was won by 82 year old Rodney Kennison (Medway VC), well done Rodney.

The weather was not quite as kind as previous years with some rain but a breeze was assisting the riders up the hill, and as always good crowds were present encouraging the riders up the hill, as was Chris Bone blowing the bag pipes as the riders approached the finish line.

A big thank you to The Bike Warehouse for sponsoring our event and providing the prizes that we were able to give out on the day, especially the bonus prizes. Prize vouchers can be used in any of the 3 branches of The Bike Warehouse and can be used for parts, servicing and maintenance either in part or in full. Please contact the guys in the shop who will be more than happy to help.

Finally, a thank you to all the helpers who ensured that the event was safe and issue-free. It is easy to forget that everyone is a volunteer, giving up their time for nothing more than a cup of tea and the pleasure of putting on a cycle event.

– Download Full Results Sheet –

KCA Reliability Trial – Sun 20th Oct 2019

This year’s Kent Cycling Association Reliability Trial takes place on Sunday 20th October 2019.  If you would like to ride the event, please reply to this email before Saturday 5th October.

This is an event we are usually very well represented at, with a good group of riders to tackle the roads around Ashford and Mid Kent.  As a club, we usually ride the 100km (62miles), starting at Potters Corner nr. Ashford.  For an idea of the route, take a look at it below and here: LINK.  Start time is usually sometime between 7 and 8:30am.

Entry is open to all adult members, but please let me know you wish to ride as part of the team by Sat 5th Oct.  Entry is just £3.50, to be paid in advance.  This can be cheque in the post, by bank transfer, or given to me at the Hill Climb Event on Sunday.

Hollingbourne Hill Climb – Sun 29th Sept

 
On Sunday 29th September the WigmoreCC will once again be hosting our annual hill climb at Hollingbourne Hill. Our event is one of the most eagerly anticipated events on the Kent cycling calendar with good attendance from riders across the district who come to both race and spectate. If you would like to contribute to the ongoing success of our event, there are several ways you can do so:

 

  • Ride it – If you fancy joining other Wigmore riders that have already entered, there is still time as the entry will remain open until Friday 20th September. the easiest way is online at cyclingtimetrials.org.uk or alternatively you can contact the organising team at wigmoreccopenevents@gmail.com who can steer you in the right direction for entry. First man off is 10:30am so it’s not like it’s ridiculously early either!

 

  • Marshal it – the event doesn’t run itself and is a product of the effort that people put in to it. If you don’t fancy riding it then your help will be invaluable in marshalling. We rotate marshals between the carpark ensuring rider’s and spectator’s safety, and the hill ensuring that marshals also get to see some of the racing. We also need help setting up the gazebos and other supporting paraphernalia so we normally ask for help to start arriving from 8:30-9am. If this sounds like it may be of interest please contact Anthony Bee at anthonybee@btinternet.com

 

  • Support it – we are indebted to the Boyd family who let us use their farm at the top of Hollingbourne Hill each year which includes use of their water and electricity and generally while causing chaos – all for free. We normally donate a couple of bottles of wine to the family as a small token of our appreciation. If neither of the above options sounds appealing but you’re planning for dry October and want to donate a bottle of wine you will certainly be helping us out. Please contact the event team at wigmoreccopenevents@gmail.com if you are able to help.
 
 
Thanks in advance, and we look forward to seeing you there!

Cyclocross tips

With the cyclocross season upon us, we should think about preparations so you can make a running mount into the season. We can take some hints from Simon Burney’s definitive (but, I think out-of print) book.

Unexpectedly high on his list is a visit to the Dentist before start of season. Infections here can affect the whole body as well as being sensitive to vibrations.

Cyclo-cross can be hard on the bicycle. A pre-season service will avoid most problems. New sprockets and chain are a really good investment as you need to be confident to give that harder-than-normal push to get over obstacles. You can usually do the first few races in the dry using your existing (semi-slick tyres) but again don’t take chances if you have been getting punctures lately. Invest in some new tyres with sharp knobs by the time the first rain comes so you can have maximum fun. With pre-season preparations and a bit of luck, you should get by with new brake pads after wet races (maybe not even that with disc brakes).

A Wigmore skinsuit is a good investment on so many levels. Most importantly, track-side photographers love Wigmore colours so you will be able to choose your favourite shots. Club colours also make racing more interesting as you can identify with the people you overtake twice per lap. With frequent dismounts to run over obstacles, the tighter fit of a skinsuit reduces the chances of a fall caused by getting jersey or shorts caught on the saddle and wastes less time keep straightening clothing to avoid draughts or mud. Skinsuits work well on their own in early events, and then with a thermal undervest might stretch over a long-sleeved jersey. That is often enough for flat-out 45-minute races. Of course, by February you’ll be in Duffle coat, scarf and mittens whatever you normally use. I found the club kit to be really comfortable and as durable as anything else. Although skinsuits look fragile, they are pretty much the same as other items of clothing just without the gaps. With care – it will last a couple of seasons of cross and evening tens.

Hopefully, someone can recommend a good Dentist. Everything else is available from The Bike Warehouse.

Paul Buckley, Off-road Secretary

WCC Track Session @ London Olympic Velodrome – 18th Aug, 9-11am

The club will be hosting a track session at the London Olympic Lee Valley Velodrome on Sunday 18th August, 9am til 11am. This is open to all club members (see below) and selected invited guests. The session will cost £15 per rider, excluding equipment hire.
Please drop Phil an email at secretary@wigmorecyclingclub.org.uk and let him know if you want to attend.
We need to get an early idea of numbers, so please let us know by Sunday 14th July.

—SMALL PRINT—
We will have exclusive use of the LVV velodrome for 2 whole hours, and we will split into 2 groups (intermediate and advanced riders, and beginner and novice riders).  Each group will be coached by an accredited LVV track coach.
The novice group is suitable for all riders, no matter what track experience you have. This could be youre very first time on a track bike, or something you’ve done before but want another go.  The experienced group will have the freedom to suggest to the coach which exercises we do. So have a think about what you’d like to try on the track.
In order to keep costs as low as possible, the club have agreed to subsidise the cost a little.  Therefore, the session will cost just £15 per rider.  This is significantly lower than a standard session on the velodrome.  Once you confirm your attendance, I will be asking for a small £5 deposit in advance.

(Please note, only club members will have their session cost subsidised.)

There is an age limit on those that can ride unfortunately. The hire bikes are only suitable for those 12 years and older.  If they have their own track bike and track experience, riders 10years and over are permitted.  Family members of club members are also invited to join the session.
Equipment hire is available at additional cost.  Bike hire is £12, with shoe hire being an additional £7. The hire bikes use LOOK KEO cleats, so if you also use that system you may use your own shoes; if not, you will have to hire shoes. Changing pedals is not permitted.  Track mits and helmets are also available for hire.  All riders will be required to ride with a helmet, with cycling gloves (or track mits), with non baggy cycling clothes.

Use of your own track bike is permitted, as long as they comply with LVVs bike requirements (see attached). If you have you track bike, you probably already know if it’s permitted on the boards.  Road bikes, including road worthy single speed/fixed speed bikes are not permitted.

Riders are expected to arrive at the velodrome 1 hour before the session starts. This is so we can get checked in on time, get track centre in plenty of time to setup, be briefed in the format of the session by the coaches, and get on the track bang on 9am.  Car parking at LVV is free for 4 hours, but riders must enter th eir registration number into the terminal track centre, failure to do so will result in a parking ticket fine.  If you wish to stay longer than 4 hours, additional payment will be required.

Previous track sessions at the velodrome have not proved financially viable, which is why we haven’t done one in a while.  If this one proves successful and well attended, we will look at holding more regular sessions up there again.
If you have any questions or queries, please don’t hesitate to let me know and I’ll do my best to answer them.

Help 4 Heroes

Congratulationss to all our riders that took advantage of the amazing sunny weather this morning to ride the Help 4 Heroes supportive. Here’s a picture of the whole crew, alongside Dame Kelly Holmes.

☀️🌡🚴‍♀️🚴🏻‍♂️🍦🏖

An evening with…

Don’t forget to book your tickets for An Evening with Brian Smith. Brian speaks with great authority on cycling and he has a wealth of experience. From his own successful racing career to stints as a DS for Endura Racing, Team Netapp and MTN–Qhubeka to TV commentating for Eurosport on all the top races on the professional calendar.

You can book tickets here – priced at £12.

Proceeds from the event go to Help for Heroes.

Talking of which, don’t forget to book up the Cycle for Heroes ride here. The route is 75km and goes through the teasing climbs, fast flats and stunning scenery. It is a great way to explore the lanes of the beautiful Kent countryside.

A brand new Bottechia road bike is on offer for the highest fundraiser.

Remember that the amazing Dame Kelly Holmes will also be taking part in the event.