Charlotte McDonald
Why come to me?
I am a registered therapist of the Institute of Sport and Remedial Massage (ISRM) and the Complementary & Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC). I have a BTEC Professional Diploma (Level 4) in Sport and Remedial Massage from the London School of Sports Massage (LSSM). I am also a qualified first aider.
My clients range from both elite and recreational athletes to those who are just seeking relief from specific aches and pains.
Cycle Club Basingstoke News Page
Thursday 30 June 2011
24hr Challenge
Dear All, a big thank you to all those who sponsored us. Below is a brief report on the event.
The weather for most of Saturday and early Sunday morning was less than ideal with torrential showers and 25mph winds which made the riding all the more challenging.
The team performed extremely well raising nearly £2,000, placing 10th overall out of 55 teams, were the 1st mixed team, and won the veterans category receiving a large silver trophy.
During the 24 hour period we completed 203 laps of the circuit and covered 487 miles.
If you did not have time to sponsor us in advance of the event, it’s not too late, and it would be great to tip the total sponsorship raised over the £2,000 mark.
This link below will take you to our fundraising page if you would be kind enough to donate and help support this fantastic charity.
Best Regards
Wednesday 1 June 2011
Cramps
There are many causes of cramps, each with it's own corresponding cure.
What is a cramp?
Cramps are strong, involuntary muscle contractions. They can occur at any time but are most common during or shortly after hard exercise. They can occur in any muscle, though in cyclists they are most common in the quads, hamstrings and calves. They can be so strong that they cause you to launch out of a chair or actually pull a muscle.
Cramps have many causes, though fundamentally they are similar. When you move, your brain sends signals to your muscles requesting a contraction. The brain receives feedback on the strength of the contraction that has occurred, from which it can make adjustments to create a controlled movement. If the feedback says that the contraction is harder than expected, the brain can send instructions to contract less. If the feedback says the contraction is weak, the brain can send a signal to contract more. As a muscle fatigues, the brain sends more signals to tell the muscle to contract to get the same strength of contraction. When the muscle becomes too fatigued to do what is asked of it, the brain sends a continuous contraction signal, initiating a cramp.
Causes of cramps and how to correct them
Anything that fatigues a muscle can bring on a cramp, and anything that keeps a muscle fresh helps prevents cramps.
Inadequate training: You may cramp late in a long or hard ride simply because you have not trained adequately for the distance or the intensity. Make gradual increases to volume and intensity.
Pushing big gears: One clue that you may be doing this is if you find yourself standing each time you need to accelerate. Another clue is measuring your cadence below 85 rpm for much of a hard ride. The cure? Switch to a lower gear. Spin to save your legs.
Dehydration: Muscles don’t contract well if they don’t contain their normal amount of water. Stay hydrated.
Fuel: Muscles can’t contract if they don't have a good supply of glucose. Keep eating carbohydrate rich foods on longer rides. Eat something at the start of the ride, after about 30-40 minutes and every 15-20 minutes thereafter. Aim for about 250 calories per hour if you are under 150 pounds and 300 if you are over 150 pounds.
Electrolyte balance: Muscles will cramp if they don't contain their normal amounts of sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium. Those amounts change during exercise. Salt your food and eat plenty of bananas. If you don't eat a lot of dairy, take a calcium supplement or eat plenty of brassica veggies (collards, kale, cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower).
If your cramps affect more than one muscle group, than electrolyte imbalance or dehydration is likely the cause. It is important to recognize that the primary electrolytes lost in sweat are those that are found in the greatest amounts in extra cellular fluid--sodium and chloride. Unfortunately, people who have high concentrations of sodium in their sweat, i.e., "salty sweaters", and/or who have high sweat volumes, lose sodium at a higher rate than it can be replaced. These individuals may lose up to 1500 mg of sodium per hour, while the recommended rate of consumption is 500-700 mg per litre of water per hour, which is based on the rate at which sodium is absorbed from the gut. Not all sports drinks are equal in how much sodium they provide, so read the label!
Calcium, magnesium, and potassium are also lost in sweat, although in much smaller amounts than sodium. However, you want to be sure to consume the recommended intakes of these electrolytes. Calcium is found in dairy products and fortified juices and other foods. Potassium is highest in fresh fruits and vegetables, meat and dairy products. It it somewhat more challenging to get enough magnesium in the diet as the best sources are green leafy vegetables, some beans and legumes, and unrefined grains. You might consider taking a magnesium supplement that provides the RDA or less. However, don't take it at the same time as a calcium supplement, as they will interfere with each other's absorption.
Raw Spinach: Some leafy green vegetables eaten raw, particularly spinach, will leach calcium from your system. Avoid large amounts of raw spinach. Cooked is okay.
Creatine Monohydrate supplementation: In some people creatine supplementation (especially loading) may cause cramps, especially if the athlete is dehydrated. If in doubt, avoid this supplement.
Tight muscles: Regular stretching of muscles that tend to cramp sometimes reduces cramping.
Impaired circulation: Muscles that are not receiving adequate blood supply are deprived of oxygen and fuel. They will not recover from one contraction to the next and so will fatigue quickly. Correct pressure points on the saddle, in your shoes, in your shorts and anywhere else they might interfere with circulation.
Heat or cold: On hot or cold days some people will cramp even if they do everything else right. On hot days, do what you can to keep cool. As well as staying hydrated, dribble water on your jersey and shorts and through your helmet every once in a while. Choose shadier and flatter routes on hot days, unless you are racing and don't have a choice. On cold days, dress warmly.
Bike Fit: A poor bike set up may cause some muscles to work harder than necessary, bringing on a cramp. If in doubt check your fit.
Rhabdomyolysis: If cramps are followed by red or brown urine, you are experiencing a breakdown of muscle tissue and release of muscle contents into the blood. This is a medical problem needing immediate professional attention to prevent kidney damage. Treatment for acute rhabdomyolysis is high volume IV rehydration.
What is a cramp?
Cramps are strong, involuntary muscle contractions. They can occur at any time but are most common during or shortly after hard exercise. They can occur in any muscle, though in cyclists they are most common in the quads, hamstrings and calves. They can be so strong that they cause you to launch out of a chair or actually pull a muscle.
Cramps have many causes, though fundamentally they are similar. When you move, your brain sends signals to your muscles requesting a contraction. The brain receives feedback on the strength of the contraction that has occurred, from which it can make adjustments to create a controlled movement. If the feedback says that the contraction is harder than expected, the brain can send instructions to contract less. If the feedback says the contraction is weak, the brain can send a signal to contract more. As a muscle fatigues, the brain sends more signals to tell the muscle to contract to get the same strength of contraction. When the muscle becomes too fatigued to do what is asked of it, the brain sends a continuous contraction signal, initiating a cramp.
Causes of cramps and how to correct them
Anything that fatigues a muscle can bring on a cramp, and anything that keeps a muscle fresh helps prevents cramps.
Inadequate training: You may cramp late in a long or hard ride simply because you have not trained adequately for the distance or the intensity. Make gradual increases to volume and intensity.
Pushing big gears: One clue that you may be doing this is if you find yourself standing each time you need to accelerate. Another clue is measuring your cadence below 85 rpm for much of a hard ride. The cure? Switch to a lower gear. Spin to save your legs.
Dehydration: Muscles don’t contract well if they don’t contain their normal amount of water. Stay hydrated.
Fuel: Muscles can’t contract if they don't have a good supply of glucose. Keep eating carbohydrate rich foods on longer rides. Eat something at the start of the ride, after about 30-40 minutes and every 15-20 minutes thereafter. Aim for about 250 calories per hour if you are under 150 pounds and 300 if you are over 150 pounds.
Electrolyte balance: Muscles will cramp if they don't contain their normal amounts of sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium. Those amounts change during exercise. Salt your food and eat plenty of bananas. If you don't eat a lot of dairy, take a calcium supplement or eat plenty of brassica veggies (collards, kale, cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower).
If your cramps affect more than one muscle group, than electrolyte imbalance or dehydration is likely the cause. It is important to recognize that the primary electrolytes lost in sweat are those that are found in the greatest amounts in extra cellular fluid--sodium and chloride. Unfortunately, people who have high concentrations of sodium in their sweat, i.e., "salty sweaters", and/or who have high sweat volumes, lose sodium at a higher rate than it can be replaced. These individuals may lose up to 1500 mg of sodium per hour, while the recommended rate of consumption is 500-700 mg per litre of water per hour, which is based on the rate at which sodium is absorbed from the gut. Not all sports drinks are equal in how much sodium they provide, so read the label!
Calcium, magnesium, and potassium are also lost in sweat, although in much smaller amounts than sodium. However, you want to be sure to consume the recommended intakes of these electrolytes. Calcium is found in dairy products and fortified juices and other foods. Potassium is highest in fresh fruits and vegetables, meat and dairy products. It it somewhat more challenging to get enough magnesium in the diet as the best sources are green leafy vegetables, some beans and legumes, and unrefined grains. You might consider taking a magnesium supplement that provides the RDA or less. However, don't take it at the same time as a calcium supplement, as they will interfere with each other's absorption.
Raw Spinach: Some leafy green vegetables eaten raw, particularly spinach, will leach calcium from your system. Avoid large amounts of raw spinach. Cooked is okay.
Creatine Monohydrate supplementation: In some people creatine supplementation (especially loading) may cause cramps, especially if the athlete is dehydrated. If in doubt, avoid this supplement.
Tight muscles: Regular stretching of muscles that tend to cramp sometimes reduces cramping.
Impaired circulation: Muscles that are not receiving adequate blood supply are deprived of oxygen and fuel. They will not recover from one contraction to the next and so will fatigue quickly. Correct pressure points on the saddle, in your shoes, in your shorts and anywhere else they might interfere with circulation.
Heat or cold: On hot or cold days some people will cramp even if they do everything else right. On hot days, do what you can to keep cool. As well as staying hydrated, dribble water on your jersey and shorts and through your helmet every once in a while. Choose shadier and flatter routes on hot days, unless you are racing and don't have a choice. On cold days, dress warmly.
Bike Fit: A poor bike set up may cause some muscles to work harder than necessary, bringing on a cramp. If in doubt check your fit.
Rhabdomyolysis: If cramps are followed by red or brown urine, you are experiencing a breakdown of muscle tissue and release of muscle contents into the blood. This is a medical problem needing immediate professional attention to prevent kidney damage. Treatment for acute rhabdomyolysis is high volume IV rehydration.
Tuesday 17 May 2011
CCB International
Mark Green has been exchanging emails with an International CCB and we thought this may be of interest. I have copied some background information and put a permanent link on our blog should you wish to follow/contact them. Apparently, "one of the" founding fathers" was an ex member of Cycle Club Basingstoke, John Ireland, Bernie remembers him. You will see the similarity in club colours and logo."
"Sometimes I think our club has grown too much, but the essential spirit of the club has remained constant since our early days. Our membership is 160+ at this writing, and I would estimate that 40-50 members race. Mostly road races, but some cyclocross and off-road racing as well. The rest of our members are club riders, most of whom enjoy fast riding in the racing style. We are one club, with club riders and racers mixing together to a greater extent than most clubs over here. In season we do 4 late afternoon rides a week, and 2 rides each weekend year around, road conditions permitting in the winter.
"Sometimes I think our club has grown too much, but the essential spirit of the club has remained constant since our early days. Our membership is 160+ at this writing, and I would estimate that 40-50 members race. Mostly road races, but some cyclocross and off-road racing as well. The rest of our members are club riders, most of whom enjoy fast riding in the racing style. We are one club, with club riders and racers mixing together to a greater extent than most clubs over here. In season we do 4 late afternoon rides a week, and 2 rides each weekend year around, road conditions permitting in the winter.
There are only a handful remaining at best of us originals from our club that remember John Ireland. I can still feel his influence in the nature of the club. Perhaps one day I will venture across the pond to explore my family roots in England. I would love to do a ride with your club if and when that happens.
Much of our club communication is through a weekly email newsletter that I send out. I will include your email update in the next issue. I know it will be a big hit with the club. I'll take the opportunity to tell the newer members a little about our history. I haven't done that for a few years now.
Thanks again, and all the best from CCB International to Cycle Club Basingstoke."
Michael Zagachin
Sunday 15 May 2011
Thruxton & Team Basingstoke 24hr Ride
Thruxton
Craig Attwell our enthusiastic 18 year old (well next week he is) rode his first ever race today. Speaking at the finish line he said “I went with all the attacks and got in to a few breaks and felt really good, but I just couldn’t keep with the final sprint, but I was really proud to have finished in the bunch” Well done Craig - next stop Eelmore..!
IN THE RED - AGAIN!
Andrew and Karl made the relatively early start to show the CCB colours at thruxton this morning. A bright but cool morning looked promising, but a stiff wind blowing down and across the "back" straight looked ominous The race was to be 12 laps and started a minute or two behind the elites. The wind was to prove to be the decisive factor in the race. On lap 6, a fairly sizeable break occurred with at least 8-10 riders which the peleton seemed disinclined to chase. In fact, with the wind blowing obliquely from right to left across the back straight, it was very difficult to hide. The group seemed unable to form effective echelons, and everyone made for the left side of the track. A number of riders seemed to perform this manoeuvre without any regard for their fellow riders on several occasions. This led to some riders being forced off the track, and then losing contact with the peleton. Sadly Karl was caught up with such an incident on lap 8. This also contributed significantly to the work involved in chasing and probably explained the peleton's reluctance. Realising that, unless something was done, the pack would not be racing for points, on lap 8, Andrew made an effort to get on the front and try and organise a bit of a chase. Sadly only 2 or 3 other riders seemed to appreciate the significance of the situation, and were prepared to do any work. So, after a fairly long and sustained stint, including a decent turn up the hill and onto the wind, (and all the shouting!!) Andrew went into the red and got dropped out the back. Soon after, Andrew and Karl made contact again, found out what had happened to each and decided that a steady lap to warm down and an early finish at the end of the 11th lap were the order of the day!
Nevertheless, still a useful exercise: a high speed training ride, yet more race experience but still begs the question: how do you know if that's the break that's going to get away? Oh! And the breakaway succeeded with the first rider from the pack only managing 10th place!
TEAM BASINGSTOKE 24hr RIDE
Our longstanding member Luke Brashier and his team are taking part in a charity event riding for 24hrs round Goodwood Motor Racing Circuit on the 18 & 19 of June. They have a minimum target of £1,250 to raise for charity so please do see your way to helping them achieve their target for this worthy cause by pledging your support following the link below:
Luke will be joined by his wife Alison, Phil Watts and Graham Simpson (from North Hants Road Club) raising essential money to help the charity continue their ground breaking research.
Thursday 12 May 2011
Race Planning Meeting Reminder
Don't forget that we shall be meeting at the Basingstoke & North Hants Cricket Club http://maps.google.co.uk/?q=RG213DR on Friday 13 May at 19:00. Those wishing to race and prospective new members are welcome.
We shall also try to discuss and organise the structure of the development group rides...so even if you do not plan to race please do come along if you can.
We shall also try to discuss and organise the structure of the development group rides...so even if you do not plan to race please do come along if you can.
Eelmore Race 5
CCB riders were recovering from Sunday's incident so there were just 2 riders for race 5 of this Wednesday evening series. Here Mark Renshaw AKA Andrew McCombe eloquently describes the evenings racing...
So, John and I were both there to fly the flag for CCB. Much smaller field than normal, about 40 riders. The race started slowly, but, as ever, and soon enough the inevitable breaks came. As usual it was a case of 2, 3 or 4 riders making a bit of a gap for half a lap or so, and then being reeled back in over the next lap or two. John did a good job of sitting in for most of the race with Andrew doing a fair bit of work on the front mid-race.
Strangely though, with about 6 laps to go, a small group of about 8 riders, including a couple of youth riders, made a bit of a break which seemed to stick at about 150-200 metres. Although the peleton upped its pace over the last few laps, and the gap seemed to close a bit, it never quite came back. Consequently, on the last lap, and following a pre-agreed plan, I (Andrew) gave John a bit of a lead out down the back straight (I saw 35mph on the Garmin!). I was able to close down the gap and delivered John to the back of the breakaway group just as we made the bottom corner. It was then up to John who, although tired from working hard to get to the front over the last few laps, was able to manage a decent enough sprint to claim 7th place. Not a bad evening's work and a few more points for the cause!
So, John and I were both there to fly the flag for CCB. Much smaller field than normal, about 40 riders. The race started slowly, but, as ever, and soon enough the inevitable breaks came. As usual it was a case of 2, 3 or 4 riders making a bit of a gap for half a lap or so, and then being reeled back in over the next lap or two. John did a good job of sitting in for most of the race with Andrew doing a fair bit of work on the front mid-race.
Strangely though, with about 6 laps to go, a small group of about 8 riders, including a couple of youth riders, made a bit of a break which seemed to stick at about 150-200 metres. Although the peleton upped its pace over the last few laps, and the gap seemed to close a bit, it never quite came back. Consequently, on the last lap, and following a pre-agreed plan, I (Andrew) gave John a bit of a lead out down the back straight (I saw 35mph on the Garmin!). I was able to close down the gap and delivered John to the back of the breakaway group just as we made the bottom corner. It was then up to John who, although tired from working hard to get to the front over the last few laps, was able to manage a decent enough sprint to claim 7th place. Not a bad evening's work and a few more points for the cause!
Monday 9 May 2011
The Development Group to Return to The Victory Roundabout..!
If we can garner sufficient interest we are hoping to get these rides starting again every Sunday throughout the year and possibly a Saturday also; if you are interested please let us know - keep an eye on this blog for further details.
From 27 April to 8 May 2011
Time Trialling: Andrew McCombe took a break from road racing and rode the NHRC 10 at Bentley (27/04/11) with a time of 24:43 and placed 14/28. I believe Mrs. McCombe who is a Triathlete also rode.
Jeff Triner rode the non-aero NHRC TT at Aldermaston (05/05/11) with a time of 25:41 and placed 10/25.
Road Racing
SERRL: Scott Oatridge continues his busy start to the racing Season with another SERRL road race saying “he went with every break and attacked several times himself, but none were successful, but when a break did get away he had nothing more to give, so he rolled in with the bunch”. Surely with race fitness improving it must just be a matter of time before his efforts begin to bear fruit.
Eelmore Race 4: Another large turnout for this one with 4 CCB members riding. A repeat of Race 3; a well organised team attacked and a rider got away with his team mates repeatedly and, successfully, riding on the front to slow things down. Thankfully this race passed without serious incident and the CCB were off colour on this one and came away empty handed.
Carnage at Glorious Goodwood: It was great to see the CCB out in force with 6 riders. After the heavy rain of the previous night it turned out to be a dry - if a tadge windy - race with a sensible sized field. Everything was going fine, with us all feeling strong and riding near the front. Scott in his inimitable style attacked and was joined by two other riders; their gap was around 200m and, with the wind, it was unlikely to last; a touch of wheels sent Scott to the tarmac with one other rider behind, thankfully Scott was not seriously injured but he did reinstate his road rash and with a few days recovery and his wheels straightened he should be back in the saddle soon. 3 other riders Jeff, Luke and Karl, at about halfway mark, were taken down by a considerable crash in the bunch at around 28 mph which resulted in the race being neutralised whilst medics attended what appeared to be some very serious injuries. Jeff later confirmed he had a broken elbow (get well soon), Luke was grazed and was eager to re-join whilst Karl who was an effective barrier came away with cuts bruises and a little road rash, but his beautiful Colnago is a write off; the race eventually restarted with just 3 fast laps. The 2 remaining riders, Andrew and Jon probably placed top 20.
Thursday 28 April 2011
Eelmore Race 3
A chilly and blustery evening and a tailwind to the finish line set the scene for a potential break. Again this week there were enough incidents to keep the first aiders busy. A brace of riders attacked from the start and were able to hold to the finish. A solo effort for third was also successful, whilst a fourth solo effort was reeled in by the main bunch. Scott Oatridge showed a quality of spirit and pedalled himself to a fine seventh, meanwhile Jon Harris who achieved fifth last week also had a brave race but this time was just outside the points. Karl Smith DNF Jamie Fry retired (crashed).
Wednesday 27 April 2011
Race Planning Meeting
The CCB race planning meeting is being held at the Basingstoke & North Hants Cricket Club http://maps.google.co.uk/?q=RG213DR on Friday 13 May at 19:00. Those wishing to race and prospective new members are welcome.
Saturday 23 April 2011
Surrey League RR (promoted by The CCB)
Hi Everybody
Firstly thanks to everyone who helped on Saturday and also to those of you who brought along cakes to sell, which has resulted in £74.00 going into club funds.
The races went off without any major incidents just the usual few irate public, loose horses, etc.
Next year I have asked for a date of 22nd April, which is not Easter!! This may be possible if there is no 3 Day race held.
Thanks
Berni
Friday 22 April 2011
Castle Combe
4 members of the CCB travelled Good Friday to race at Castle Combe. Unbelievably there were around 175 riders in the Cat 3 race! The weather was glorious and the wind light. We all had a go near the front, but the sheer number of riders made it very difficult to maintain a top 20 position. There was a sprint finish of sorts with the usual pretenders having a go and basically getting in the way, which led to a few crashes; our positions were not good enough to be contenders so we finished safely within the main field.
Thursday 21 April 2011
Earmarked CCB Rider Races
Below is a list of races that CCB riders will be attending: If you want to hook up with us drop us a note so that if appropriate we could organise car share etc.
Eelmore - Wednesday evenings until 20th July - no event on the 6th of July
http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/events/details/48722/Cycle-Kingdom-Circuit-Series-3Ludgershall Summer Series - Monday evenings from 30 May to end of August
http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/events/details/62992/Ludgershall-Summer-Series-1Castle Coombe 3rds only (22/04):
Goodwood 3rds only (08/05) £15 on day:
Thruxton 3rds only (15/05) £15 on day:
Thorney Island (12/06) £15 postal only:
Goodwood (24/07) 3rds only 11.46am:
Wednesday 20 April 2011
Hillingdon & Eelmore Race 2
From the BC website: The new classification, of the Reg C, 3rd/4th category event, saw 30 riders start with 4 riders making a decisive break at about half distance. They were Ralph DeKanter , Ben Moores, Jason Humphries all from Norwood Paragon and Gareth Thomas (Kingston Wheelers). They all worked very well together and once they had a gap never looked like getting caught. The Norwood Paragon trio took the first 3 places with Ralph De Kanter running out the winner, the break finishing 1 minute ahead of the rest of the field led home by Karl Smith (Cycle Club Basingstoke).
Another very large field and Scott attacked early to try and establish a break, Karl got on the front to try and slow things down, but Eelmore isn't slow, so that didn't last long. Anyhow, Scott and his renegades were reeled back and most of the race went without incident. Karl was feeling tired from the previous night’s endeavour but was still feeling strong for the sprint finish, when, presto! with 3 laps to go, a rider came down in front of him finishing his chances of any points. Penultimate lap, Jon was getting his position and looked very good indeed, round the hairpin for the final gallop home and Jon carved out a deserved 5th place – well done Jon!
Pics here: https://picasaweb.google.com/108507510398559469646/EelmoreCircuits20april2011?feat=embedwebsite#
Saturday 16 April 2011
Eelmore Race 1
Eelmore got underway last week with 3 riders from the CCB taking part. Here is a description of the nights events and other race reports by an in form Andrew McCombe:
So, went to Eelmore on Wednesday night for the first of the Cycle Kingdom Wednesday night series. Met both John and Jamie there. We were all entered in the 3rd/4th cat race. John explained that this was his first race and so expectations were not high. Jamie was clearly up for it having just won the youth race!
Off we went - decent sized peleton - with the usual sprint out of the corners - particularly the bottom corner. A typical Eelmore interval session. John and I sat in the bunch to conserve our aging energy. Jamie did a great job - always near the front - and chased down a couple of attempted breaks. He was looking very good until in the home straight on the penultimate lap, with the usual bunch sprint looming, there was an enormous crash. At least 2 riders went down and one of them was Jamie who went head over heels! Amazing and a bit scary to watch but fortunately he was fine, just a flat tyre. In fact this was the second crash of the evening with an earlier crash on the bottom corner taking out a couple of riders.
I managed to avoid this crash, just, and then sat on the back of the front group until the home straight, when I went for my best sprint and placed 6th! John finished somewhere in the pack.
Today I went to Hillingdon for another 3rd/4th cat race organised by Westerley CC. This was also the usual bunch ride for 25 laps but no crashes. Once again stuck with the race plan that seems to be serving me so well. Sat at front end of the bunch until coming into the home straight, and then blasting it. Not quite in the perfect position for this today, sat a little too far back so had a fair bit of work to do but still managed to get 7th. So, very happy to be keeping a 100% scoring record but didn't see any familiar faces.
pics here: https://picasaweb.google.com/108507510398559469646/EelmoreCircuits13april2011#
pics here: https://picasaweb.google.com/108507510398559469646/EelmoreCircuits13april2011#
Thursday 14 April 2011
Magnificat Preview Ride
Jeff Triner (group leader) Scott Oatridge, Ralph Colegate and Karl Smith help lead a group of cycling enthusiasts with the Mayor of Newbury in tow around the 81 Mile InterCat route. Below are comments from event organiser Ken Robson; there are still places available should you wish to ride this Sportive:
It was good that you could take part in the Wiggle Magnificat Preview ride on Thursday. I was particularly pleased that the rain held off, so you could fully appreciate the 81mile InterCat ride. This intermediate route of the overall Wiggle Magnificat event, is a demonstration of the quality of our ride design, as it has the right combination of good climbs, rolling sections and lovely countryside to cycle through. There are challenges for all cyclists, and of course some interesting testers at appropriate points on the course!
Another advantage is the inter-linkage between the three main ride courses: all cyclists depart and cycle over Walbury Hill [the Wiggle Magnificat signature climb], and then all the routes combine on the drag-climb up to Hannington so we can support all our riders at their last water and top-up station before they head back to the finish at Newbury Racecourse.
Finally, on the support side: the food you have enjoyed is what the cyclists can look forward to on the day. And the energy drinks will be sponsored by Torq, with their whole range being available over the event weekend. Banjo Cycles will also be there, providing neutral assistance. In addition our three rapid response vehicles will be equipped with GPS Trackers, and any incidents will be co-ordinated from HQ.
It was great to hear that some of you intend to bring your families to the event to take part in the cycling activities within the racecourse grounds. We are looking forward to seeing all families enjoy the day with the fun elements, as well as the opportunity to learn and test new skills from GoRide Racing to bike agility.
Phil O’Connor has taken a superb portfolio of photos of the day. These photos can be accessed and downloaded free of charge from this link http://sportivephoto.thirdlight.com/a.tlx?k=3jmzgnb
Look forward to seeing you on Sunday 12th June
Kind regards
Ken Robson
Sunday 10 April 2011
LVRC Road Race
Andrew McCombe was the only representative of the CCB following Karl Smith's withdrawal. A couplpe of riders from North Hants, Richie Bremner and Billy Girvan raced also. It was a tough circuit with a nasty hill out of North Waltham and a long drag up to the start finish line, which proved to be the key factor; 5 laps of just over 10 miles each, saw a large number of DNF's. Richie got blown out in lap 3 and Andrew said "I also got blown out on Lap 3!! Bugger me it was hard! I suspect Billy was 10th because that was all that was left!!? (He did look good though)"
Pics here: https://picasaweb.google.com/108507510398559469646/LVRC10april2011#
Wednesday 23 March 2011
Thruxton
Meanwhile Andrew McCombe has been showing fine form at Thruxton 20/03/11 with a fourth place finish out of a field of some 88 in his Cat 3 race. Keen to repeat his success the following week 27/03/11 and with a field of around 100 riders he made a tactical mistake by sprinting too early and was beaten to the line, however points could still be in the bag…waiting on final results…
Our promising young rider Jamie Fry was in action at Thruxton also 27/03/11 in the U14-16 group with around 20 starters; his race bike is being repaired (faulty frame) so he was racing on his Winter hack, which was under geared, meaning he was pedalling faster than most (they say leg speed wins races!); anyhow, he managed a respectable 5th/6th place but feels he could have done better with the correct gearing.
Monday 14 March 2011
Goodwood & SERRL
Meanwhile Scott Oatridge who has been working hard through the Winter months made an early start to the racing Season competing at Goodwood 13/03/11 finishing 37/70 saying ‘it was good to blow away the cobwebs and to get used to riding in race formation again’; last Sunday he promised to be ‘more animated’ 27/03/11 he was racing a SERRL event on the open roads and narrowly avoided what sounded like a severe coming together of around 8 or 10 riders sprinting for the finish line – emergency services were called to the scene. Prior to that incident, Scott attacked several times, but no one was prepared to pull their weight so they were caught on all occasions.
Sunday 13 March 2011
On the Road with Colin Bezant
I rode the Maidenhead & District Hilly ‘29’ on 13 March. The event was reduced to 21 miles missing out the final 3 mile long hill due to roadworks which might have helped me make up one or two places – I finished 17 out of 34 starters with 53:50
On Saturday 26 March I completed the Dean 300km Audax which starts and finishes in Oxford, taking in the Cotswolds, the Forest of Dean, the Severn Bridge, and Marlborough. I finished 2nd out of 100 starters (not that its a race) in 12 hours 27 minutes – its a bit like doing 3 club runs back to back - so this was good practice for the National 24 hour time trial at the end of June which is my main goal.
On Saturday 26 March I completed the Dean 300km Audax which starts and finishes in Oxford, taking in the Cotswolds, the Forest of Dean, the Severn Bridge, and Marlborough. I finished 2nd out of 100 starters (not that its a race) in 12 hours 27 minutes – its a bit like doing 3 club runs back to back - so this was good practice for the National 24 hour time trial at the end of June which is my main goal.
CCB on the Costa Blanca
Four members, Jeff Triner, Jon Harris, Karl Smith and Ralph Colegate, spent 5 days riding the hills of Southern Spain covering 350 miles and climbing around 28,000ft. Noted climbs were the Col De Rates and the Col De Tudons and many others besides. We were invited to hitch up with a group of riders who were on a training camp with a UK coach with support from Ciclo Costa Blanca.
Thursday 3 March 2011
The Puncheur Sportive
Six members of the CCB; Jeff Triner, Jon Harris, Jamie Fry, Karl Smith, Ralph Colegate and Scott Oatridge road this undulating course on what turned out to be a fine and pleasant day. We climbed 4346ft in 69 miles and all finished in the top 20 out of more than 375 entries; young Jamie Fry recovering from cramp finished 14th to ensure he was the first CCB rider to cross the finish line which was the top of Ditchling Beacon.
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