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Cycling shorts
CYCLINGSHORTS
Cycling Shorts is your platform for news, call-outs, views and opinions on anything cycling-related. We’re keen to hear your biking tales, old or new. Drop us an email with the details. We’re looking for all types of short stories from Audax riders, with a picture of yourself too if possible.
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Send to: gedlennox@me.com
New calendar event entry screens…
We are planning to update the event entry screens on the website shortly, to a new design that is more in line with the rest of the website. It will be applicable for calendar events, perms and Extended Calendar Events (ECEs). There are a few things to be aware of: ● You will be able to add members of your household to an entry, which will avoid the need for each person to log in separately to enter, and you will be able to make just one payment to cover multiple riders from your household. ● Non-members will have to register with Audax UK before entering. They don’t have to pay to register (and won’t get any member benefits), but registering means that we are more likely to get the correct contact details as we can validate their email address, it’s simpler for subsequent entries, and it solves a problem where the completed rides database has a large number of records that have no membership number. If a nonmember subsequently joins AUK we have to reconcile them with their past rides, which is a fiddly process. ● If you have an under-18 in your household and you are their parent/ guardian, you can enter on their behalf, and no longer need to provide them with a signed paper form. ● We have changed the way you accept terms and conditions of entry – we are adding a section in the “membership details” page where you can review and accept the terms. When you enter a ride, the system will check that you have done this, and prevent you entering if you have not. We’ve done this for two reasons – if we change the terms it is more obvious, because you will have to re-confirm (on the existing system it’s not obvious that the terms might have changed since you last entered a ride, so they probably won’t
get reviewed each time) – and the change to allow entry of household members means that we need to know that all entered members have accepted the terms, not just the person making the entry. ● We are supporting two payment methods – Paypal and Debit/Credit card (via Stripe Payments). We’ve added the latter as it allows us to streamline processing of validation and non-member fees. The method used will depend on which organiser’s event you are entering – you will see one or the other, not a choice. ● The website will send you an e-mail confirming your entry (in addition to one from Paypal or Stripe)) ● The postal entry process won’t really change much – although if you log on you will be able to print one form and enter more than one person from your household on it. The standalone paper entry form will be updated to align with the new online forms. ● You will have to enter the calendar event before entering the associated
ECE.
To make entry as smooth as possible once we’ve swapped over, we’d recommend that you accept the terms and conditions in advance. You can do that now – log in, go to “My Account/ Membership Details”, scroll down to “Accept Audax UK Event Entry Terms” and click the button. You’ll only need to do that once, unless we update the terms, which should be pretty infrequent.
The exact release date is subject to some further testing and refinement, we’ll add a news item on the website with more details closer to the date.
Mysterious meeting with a wheeled ‘wizard’
Patrick Douglas relates a strange encounter with a rider of remarkable memory on a lonely Lowland lane…
On London-Edinburgh-London in 2017, riding south about an hour from Edinburgh, we were on some small roads with little motor traffic. After a short, steep climb we started catching a few riders.
I rode alongside one rider, and after saying hello to him, he said: “I know you.” I took a good look at him and recognised him from the Three Coasts 600km just a couple of months before.
“Oh yes, I recognise you from the Three Coasts,” I replied.
I thought his emphasis on the word “know” was a bit unusual, and wondered what he’d say next. He looked at me with a strange expression for a long, thoughtful moment.
I was dumbfounded. This was a race that I’d indeed ridden – my first ever placing.
He thought for a moment, then added: “I can see you – you were wearing green, black and gold, Leeds St Christophers CC.”
He’d recognised me from an obscure race some 34 years ago, and not only was he correct with my club at the time, but also with my result. I could hardly believe this guy. It was incredible. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. Was he some kind of wizard?
● Have you had any weird encounters
on the road – mysterious or baffling, or just downright bizarre?
Let us know. Send your strange tales to: gedlennox@me.com
Sir, May I take up space to say, as someone who has undergone treatment for a minor heart problem and is rather reluctant to re-join the fray of Audax for the moment, how much I enjoyed the latest issue of Arrivée? Every article was well-written and an inspiration to this armchair AUK. I felt I was sharing the emotions, pleasure and suffering of each of your contributors. Many thanks also to everyone involved in what is surely the best cycling magazine available. Finally, may I say hello to the many riders who over the years have shared my Audax experiences and, of course, the selfless organisers who have made it all possible.
Sir, Mike Smith’s “Tubeless clinch the deal” (Arrivée 154) is very interesting, and I can see the attraction of this option even though personally I am quite happy with my old-fashioned inner tubes. I run my 28mm tyres at 70 psi which I find comfortable. If I ran them at Mike’s 45 psi I’d feel as if my bike was “wallowing”, an unhappy feeling you get when you’ve punctured, and the tyre is on its way down. There would also be the risk of “snakebite” punctures, which I know tubeless tyres eliminate. But the other problem, which tubeless tyres don’t eliminate, is that if you hit a pothole the tyre won’t protect the rim from damage if there’s not enough pressure in the tyre. I’m wondering what readers’ experience with this might be.
Brian Mann – CC Sudbury
CS
Time flies…
Sir, I’ve just received my latest magazine, a publication I’ve been reading for years. There was a time when its stories were about riders who were older than me, all completing crazy rides. Now, suddenly, the authors appear to be half my age, and are riding bikes I’d usually expect to see on local trails on a Sunday afternoon. It’s all a bit out of my comfort zone! But well done for protecting our hobby and passion into the future. Ian McDonald CS
Moriaty’s no more
Sir, I’m just reading Arrivée (154) and have reached the Dick Turpin item, written by Tom Deakins. He mentions there’s a cafe in Walsham-le-Willows. I’m sad to report that this café (Moriaty’s, a former carpenter’s workshop) has ceased trading. Rolffes, the village butchers/general store remains open. Both pubs are also still trading. Possible alternatives for cafés might be the nearby Wyken Hall Vineyards, or opposite Lawes in Station Road, Bacton. However, as Tom mentions, Debenham has more resources including a chippy, café and Co-Op.
Tony Childs CS
Happy on tubes
Heyday… Alan on his perfect machine
Perfection discovered in the Small Ads
Audax rider Alan Linge ponders the perfect Audax machine – and lovingly recalls a second-hand bike which more than did the job
I needed to find a bike when, in 1980, I agreed to joins some friends on a CTC Sunday ride. Not having ridden since my schooldays 30 years before, I had to first buy a bike.
The For Sale columns of the local paper revealed a second-hand gent's sports bike of about the right size, so I bought it, and turned up for my first run.
It turned out to be an interesting machine. It was a 531 steel hand-built frame from by a Dutch maker, Jonge, with Nervex lugs and pencil stays. The wheels were Conloy rims on Harden hubs, with tied and soldered spokes.
Along with my new pals, I was learning a whole new language. One of them was a member of the Wessex Road Club and suggested I try my hand at time-trialling. By removing all surplus bits my “social” bike morphed into a time-trial machine, allowing a performance good enough to spark my interest.
I soon learned that the club was big in Audax, and it was suggested that I have a go at the Dorset Coast 200. Anyone who remembers the 1981 event will recall that the weather was horrendous, with only 60 finishers from a field of more than 200.
The Dorset Coast 200 proved to be a steep learning curve for me, mainly concerning weather-proof clothing and lower gears. I was hooked, and my “social/time-trial” bike had completed the transformation into an Audax machine. Over the years, various modifications have been carried out, and the final result is pictured above.
Lighting was a big problem (pre-LED), which was solved in my case by a Dynohub, allowing all-night rides. Older riders may recognise the route sheet holder on the bars (there was no GPS then), the tyre-savers on the bottom of the mudguard, and the cyclometer on the bottom of the front fork (pre computer tech).
Also the granny-arm attached to the saddlebag (Carradice long-flap) support. One and a half metres clearance wasn't even dreamed of then.
The machine was written off in and accident 106 miles short of its 100,000. Having completed 26 consecutive Dorset Coast's; two PBP's; and five full AAA cards, I think I had the perfect Audax machine.
CYCLING SHORTS 2
Too late for breakfast?
Audaxer Geoff Sharp enjoys the lumpy lanes of Devon on a bracing ride through his home county
The Breakfast in Bampton event takes riders over a 115km route, down the valley of the River Exe and over the rolling hills and quiet country lanes of Devon. I joined around 80 other riders in November last year – the third time I’d tackled this ride.
Setting off from Cranbrook, near Exeter, at 9am, I’d be fortunate indeed to get a breakfast in Bampton two hours away – unless they were serving some very late breakfasts. It had been a long time since I’d been able to cover 35km without a break. But this time I managed to get to Bampton without stopping
This event is always popular with riders as the route is mainly over minor roads, and while it’s a little lumpy in places, is largely traffic-free.
I started in the first group with a dozen members of my club, South Devon CTC. We followed the lanes through Elderhayes and Silverton before coming out on to the A396 a mile or two before crossing the River Exe at Bickleigh, and then on to Tiverton. I was holding a reasonable pace as I went round Tiverton and picked up the road to Bampton.
We reached the old market town just before 11am. No late breakfasts were being offered at the control – just a bun and a coffee. Then it was back on the bike to join the B3227 to Wiveliscombe and Norton Fitzwarren.
Most of the traffic now uses the North Devon Link Road so we had this road mostly to ourselves, passing through several villages then climbing to Petton followed by a descent through Waterrow. The ride is a little more challenging at this point. There followed a long descent to Wiveliscombe. Fortunately, the traffic lights were green when I went through – I’m not sure I’d have been able to stop in time if they’d been on red.
I continued down towards Milverton on a well-surfaced road which meant I could hold a good pace all the way to the control at the Cross Keys pub in Norton Fitzwarren. The pub was offering a good deal for soup and a roll plus a cup of tea – and I took advantage. I was now over half way with 65k covered, but the next section was along narrow lanes, so the pace inevitably slowed.
There was some light rain for company on the section to Allerford and Bradford on Tone. East Nynehead and Ash were also ticked off before I arrived in Wellington. This is a place with connections to the Iron Duke himself. There’s a monument to the victor of Waterloo up on the hill, erected 200 years ago. These days it’s showing its age and has been clad in scaffolding for the past couple of years.
Climbing over Sampford Moor I hit a pothole which blew the rear tyre. It just had to be on a mucky part of the route outside a farm.
Tyre fixed, I continued over the M5 and down to the Culm valley to turn at Craddock for Kentibeare and Dulford. The road to Talaton seems to go on forever. Then it was on through Wimple, known for its cider, followed by a couple of miles down the old A30 to the finish.
Sarah Britton and the Exeter Wheelers Cycling Club do an excellent job organizing this event and I’ll definitely be on the line for the next one.
Arrivée editor, Ged Lennox, studies the newly updated Highway Code, and what the changes mean to road users, especially cyclists
Priority at junctions
Previously, the rules gave motor vehicles priority at a junction unless the other person was more than half-way across. Now drivers must give way to pedestrians, horses, cyclists and scooters which are crossing or preparing to cross. Implicit in this rule is that if there is an accident the fault will automatically lie with those who can do the greater harm. So, a cyclist must give way to pedestrians and scooters, but by implication not to horses, although it might be better not to argue that with horses.
Zebra or non-light-controlled crossings and parallel crossings
The rule in the past was that all road users should give way to pedestrians already on the crossing. Now it is a legal requirement for all road users, including cyclists, to stop if there is anyone even waiting to cross. As nearly all of us carry a camera this is going to be quite a big issue and expect to see lots of fines and points on licences here.
Where to ride on the road
I am a kerb-hugger by habit, and it’s worked for me for many years, but roads are not as well maintained these days, and poor road surfaces frequently force me out into the road. Now however, it is required that cyclists should ride no less than half a metre from the kerb and further out where it is safe to do it. So, own the lane is the message and insist that drivers see you and wait until you can either pull in to let them past or overtake safely. The minimum distance a car should pass is 1.5 metres. At speeds above 30mph that distance expands to two metres. Interestingly, cyclists are not legally required to use a designated cycle path or lane, although it has to be said, many cycle lanes I use are also car parking for locals and can’t be used anyway.
Turning across the path of cyclists
I was surprised to learn that there was never a legal requirement for drivers to treat cyclists as other vehicles. That lack has now been fixed, with drivers required to not cut across the path of a cyclist. This includes turning either way at junctions. The most common cycling accidents are caused by drivers overtaking a cyclist and then tuning left across their path. Cycles are now to be considered as vehicles rather than inconveniences. Some progress at least, but this is an advisory rather than legal requirement and will only be actionable if there is an accident – the legal requirement is that drivers should always give way to cyclists.
RANDONNEURS RIDES SCHEDULE
2022 will be another year of great rides exploring Southern Wales with events planned from April to September. Complete a 100km, 150km, 200km and 300km SBR ride this season a receive a free SUPER ROULEUR medal* To book your place visit our website www.audaxwales.com or book directly at audax.uk
23rd April – No Time to Yat 100km, 1.5AAA 23rd April – Fishing Expedition 50km, 0.75AAA 25th June – Tintern Express 50km, 1 AAA 25th June – Devilish Devauden 100km, 1.75AAA 23rd July – 10 Peaks Challenge 200km, 4.5AAA 23rd July – Canal Boats & Mountain Roads 160km, 2.5AAA 13th Aug – Looks Like a Welsh Dragon 200km, 3.5AAA 13th Aug – All That Glitters isn’t Gold 160km, 2.25AAA 10th Sept – Welsh Ruins 200km, 3.75AAA
All rides come with a Free Event Patch for all finishers
* 300km Welsh event details/date will be available in April 2022
Hand-held mobile phones and other devices
It has been illegal to use a mobile phone to make a call or a text while driving since 2003, but the law didn’t cover other handheld devices such as music players, taking videos or photos. This clear loophole has now been addressed and you can expect a £200 fine and six penalty points if you are caught. It’s even more if you are a new driver and can lead to you having to retake both your theory and practical tests. Hands free is fine but if like me you use your phone as a satnav, be sure to bolt it down securely during the drive. Interestingly there doesn’t seem to be the same requirement for cyclists, who use phones in the same way.
The “Dutch reach” requirement
We have all been here. People opening doors into your path without looking. To be fair it’s not always possible for cyclist to give a wide pass on parked vehicles so this is a welcome advisory. Drivers and passengers are asked to use their opposite hand to open doors, thus requiring them to turn and look back before opening. Not really sure how effective this will be as it’s just guidance, but it will have an impact on any cases that are prosecuted.
