Pedal Your Cycle Oxfordshire & The Chilterns - Summer 2015 by lakewoodmedia

Chris Armishaw

TransAm... a long way from Paris

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I’m Free OXFORDSHIRE & THE CHILTERNS

SUMMER 2015 ISSUE 02

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Your Guide to

A Summer of

Cycling

Oxfordshire & The Chilterns

Meet Titanium Bespoke Bike Builder

Interview With

Maxine Filby

We chat about training and competing around Europe.

Richard Baldwin

Coast to Coast Memorial Ride Part 2

Aston Hill

THE BLACK RUN

Downhill Race Action

Pedal Your Cycle P.8

P.15

P.17

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The Free cyclists’ paper for oxfordshire & the chilterns

7th June

13th June

19th June

21st June

18th July

Tour de Vale

Bike Week Oxford

BMCC Silverstone 9-up Team Time Trial

Wallingford Festival of Cycling

Pedal For Pace

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Page. 21

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The annual Mix96 Tour de Vale Bike 2015 cycle Ride.

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A week from Sunday June 13th, Oxford will see a series of organised free rides and events.

Summer Sportive. Helping children with disabilities.

estival Mountain Bike F 20th June Page. 4

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CALIFORNIA PART ONE Power To Your Pedal

ow did that happen? Not with much planning or packing time that’s for sure, four days to be precise, but it all came together beautifully - proof that adventures are best spontaneous.

We had had the idea for a couple of months after seeing a programme where a group cycled the Golden Gate Bridge and thought ‘we will do that some day’. I got the book ‘Bicycling the Pacific Coast’ and put it in a drawer, then came

the end of October and we had a window when we could go. I booked two return flights to San Francisco and off we went on 4th November, armed with our world on our backs and an address for a cycle hire shop on pier 49, SF.

Oh, and the book - all we needed right? Route 101 is perhaps the most historic highway in the US, built in 1926, taking travellers from the Mexican border through the Central Coast of California all the

way to the Canadian border, over 2000 miles in total. We were ready to take it on, well, part of it, from San Francisco to the border at Tijuana, and there is a... Continued on page 10

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Oxfordshire & The Chilterns - Issue 02 - Summer 2015

Welcome

The Club Column Pedal Your Cycle is the UK’s only free newspaper for cyclists. With articles for all levels of riders, from professional cyclists to parents looking for a route suitable for the whole family, our aim is to create a newspaper and hub for all who love cycling. In each issue you will find local news, trails and events along with reviews and cycling adventures. Discover cyclists from all over the world in our interviews and check out the centre map to find trusted local places along your cycling route. We hope you enjoy your copy of Pedal Your Cycle as much as we enjoy making it. Missed something in the newspaper? Check out our website www. pedalyourcycle.com for all the latest cycling news and videos.

Cowley Road Condors Tuesday Social Rides •• 6:15pm meet at Rick’s Café, Cowley Rd for a 6:30pm departure. •• Tuesday Easy ride: Perfect for those new to group riding and who can comfortably ride 25-30 miles, or for anyone looking for some gentle recovery miles after a hard weekend. •• Tuesday Faster ride: An easier ride for the stronger riders, but also an ideal opportunity for newer riders who want to turn the pace up.

Thursday Social, Development and Screamer Rides •• 6:15pm meet at Rick’s Café, Cowley Rd for a 6:30pm departure. •• Thursday Social ride: Averaging around 16mph, this one is just a little quicker than Tuesday’s easy ride, but still ideal for those starting their cycling adventure or just looking for a relaxed ride. •• Thursday Development ride: Averaging 18-20+ mph, this is a tough ride designed to build strength and pace. •• Thursday Screamer ride: Averaging 21+++ mph, the fearsome Screamer is for the strongest riders or those looking for the toughest challenge.

Saturday Morning Ride •• 9:15am meet at Beeline Bikes, Cowley Rd or Rick’s Café, Cowley Rd (check Facebook) for a 9:30am departure.

Bicester Millenium Cycling Club

Every month we have TWO types of Introductory Club Ride for you to try.

Shorter “Taster” ride - 30 miles @ 10-12mph (Cafe Stop at 16 miles)

9:30am on the 4th Saturday of each month 2015 DATES : 23rd May , 27th June, 25th July, 22nd August, 26th September, 24th October, 28th November.

Longer “Taster Plus” ride - 40 miles @ 12-14mph (Cafe Stop at 26 miles) 9:00am on the 2nd Saturday of each month 2015 DATES : 13th June, 11th July, 8th August, 12th September, 10th October, 14th November, 12th December.

Breeze Rides for Women – see www.cyclelyn.co.uk British Cycling Go-Ride Scheme. Safe off-road cycling instruction every Saturday morning at Cooper School, Bicester. Change Gear Cherwell sportive being run from Bicester Leisure Centre. Part of the Bicester Bike Day activities and will form the core of our club rides on Sunday 19th July 2015. There are 3 routes on offer: - a family friendly 28 mile ride , a 65 mile (100km) Metric Century ride and a 100 mile Century Ride including the fearsome combination of Avon Dassett and Edge Hill. And a recovery BBQ upon your return! www.bmcc2000.com

•• The Saturday morning ride is a chance to head out on a longer ride into the beautiful countryside surrounding Oxford. The ride is typically 50-60 miles, with the pace set according to the abilities of the riders present on the day.

Every four weeks or so we run Newbies ride, specifically for those new to road biking or to riding in a group. The ride will be on a quiet route and will typically include a café stop to refuel the legs. Keep an eye on the club calendar or join the Condors Facebook Group for details of these rides. www.cowleyroadcondors.cc

THE TEAM oxford@pedalyourcycle.com ads.oxford@pedalyourcycle.com

Chris Palmer

Oxford Editor-in-Chief chris@pedalyourcycle.com

Jamie Booth

Managing Director jamie@pedalyourcycle.com

Adam Haworth

Managing Editor adam@pedalyourcycle.com

Amersham Road Cycling Club

The Club is based in Great Missenden. There are five ride levels (Groups 1-5) to cater for different cycling strengths. New riders who are thinking of joining our Group 5, 4, 3 or Introductory Rides should contact Julie Anderson before coming along. Prospective new members are welcome to come along and ride with us to see whether the club is for them. Rides leave at 9:00am on Sundays from the Link Road Car Park, Great Missenden. Introductory rides for those who have not ridden with a club before will run every 2- 4 weeks depending on demand and leader availability.

Jeni Hughes

News & Copy Editor jeni@pedalyourcycle.com

Neil Coleman

Advertising & Sales Director neil@pedalyourcycle.com

ADVERTISING

Get in touch with Chris to discuss advertising in the Oxford edition: Chris Palmer - 07747015827 ads.oxford@pedalyourcycle.com For other editions of PYC contact: Jamie Booth - 07823 325099 advertise@pedalyourcycle.com

Pedal Your Cycle LTD

Bm Box 4523, Old Gloucester Street, London, WC1N 3XX

Registered in England & Wales 09472887 In association with Lakewood media Limited.

CTC Wallingford

1st Sunday of the month

Newbie Rides

www.amershamrcc.com

2 Star road ride – gentle pace. Suitable for regular riders who prefer to cover some distance but at a more relaxed pace. Average speed: 10–12 mph Distance: 20–30 miles Start time: 1:30 pm Start location: Wallingford Market Place Ride time: Approx 3 hours including a tea stop

3rd Sunday of the month 3 Star road ride – quicker pace. Suitable for experienced riders, may be hilly, long, quick, or any combination! Average speed: 12–14 mph Distance: 30–40 miles Start time: 1:30 pm Start location: Wallingford Market Place Ride time: Approx 3.5 hours including a tea stop www.ctcwallingford.org.uk

If you would like your club’s events included on this page please email Chris chris@pedalyourcycle.com

Editor’s Welcome Chris Palmer

Well, we are in for a feast of treats over the next couple of months. This issue is laden with events to take part in or to spectate at, in and around Oxfordshire and the Chilterns. There’s the Tour de Vale, Uptonogood MTB festival, both Wallingford and Oxford have events on during Bike Week, PACE are holding their first charity sportive, Bicester’s Bike Day and BMcc 2000’s annual 9-up Team Time Trial takes place at Silverstone. Something for everyone. One of the joys of producing this paper is the sheer variety of people and events you come across and the appreciation that cycling means different things to different people. I have been lucky enough to gain a place in the London Ride 100 and as the training schedule ramps up it can start to feel repetitive. Dusting off my mountain bike and reacquainting myself with off-road rides and the buzz of downhill single track has helped spice things up a bit and, as importantly, improved my bike handling skills. If you are a ‘roadie’ pounding out the miles take some time out on a mountain bike; you won’t regret it. Enjoy the many local events this summer and we’ll look forward to seeing you there.

We love to hear from our readers, please let us know what you think about PYC by emailing: hello@pedalyourcycle.com

Tour de Vale

he annual Mix96 Tour de Vale Bike 2015 cycle Ride takes place on Sunday 7th June with route changes for 2015. The three routes will take you through the delightful Buckinghamshire countryside and villages receiving a warm welcome at the refreshment stops along the way. Last year was the largest ever Tour de Vale Bike with 1,800

riders raising over £46,000 to help WheelPower transform the lives of disabled children and adults. The three signed and marshalled routes all start and finish at Stoke Mandeville Stadium. Registration closes on 3rd June, entry fee is £15 for adults & FREE for under 16’s accompanied by an adult.

There are up to 2,000 places available for registration. Any remaining places will be sold on the day of the ride for £30 subject to availability.

Sunday7thJune Start Times: 100k - 9:00-9.30am 60k - 10:00-10.30am 25k - 10.30-11.00am

To enter and find further details go to:

tiny.cc/wheelpower

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Seamless knit bibs and jerseys. Designed to reduce chafed bits on long rides.

20% off

BIKE KIT PLUS FREE POSTAGE & FREE RETURNS Quote the offer code PEDAL20 to claim your discount. This offer can not be used on sale items.

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Mountain Bike Festival www.uptonogood.org.uk

Saturday 20th June 2015 A417, Upton, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 9HX.

Uptonogood? is a mountain bike event and live music festival for experienced riders and novice families alike. Run by volunteers from Upton village and the local mountain bike fraternity, it aims to raise money for local projects and causes, offering exhilarating rides, fine food and drink, and a great mix of live music! Almost entirely offroad, the cycle routes wind their way through the beautiful North Wessex Downs, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty encompassing the Ridgeway and surrounding bridleways. The event was launched in 2010 and has grown from 300 riders to nearly 1,000 in 2014. Over those years

Uptonogood? has raised a shade under £35,000 for local charities and, in a nice touch, the marshals each year can choose charities of their own choice to support. The gates open at 08:00 and the first ride leaves at 09:30 and the last at 14:00. Live bands provide the afternoon entertainment and the event finishes at 18:00. All the rides start and finish in Upton village where besides the cycling there will be fun and frolics for all the family, including beer tent, BBQ, tea/coffee and cakes, pump track, adventure playground,

vintage bike display and raffle with great prizes. There’s also a free music festival, with a great mix of ska, world, folk, indie and dirty blues! We are delighted to bring you the winners of the Best Live Act & Best Ska Band at the Salisbury Music Awards 2013 - The Intercepteurs, also “Noisy and raucous and dangerously sexy jazz” (BBC Radio 6) in the form of The Original Rabbit Foot Spasm Band, Oxford’s own alternative rock heroes - Invisible Vegas, Senegalese kora player Jali Fily Cissokho, Uptonogood? Favourite Disfunktional,

and Upton’s own Amy Ireson. Camping is available both Friday and Saturday nights, so take advantage of all we have to offer (including hot showers) and make a great weekend of it. As at mid-April a third of all places on the rides have now been allocated and less than half the Endurance slots remaining. Sign up soon! Upton village is south of Didcot and the parking address is A417, Upton, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 9HX.

Uptonogood? offers five routes devised to cater for all ages and abilities 5 mile Little Wheels Ride: • For kids aged 5+ accompanied by at least one adult aged 18+ (14”+ wheel recommended) • 12 mile Family Ride: • For kids aged 8+ accompanied by at least one adult aged 18+ (20”+ wheel recommended) • 18 mile Teen Spirit Ride: • For kids aged 12+ accompanied by at least one adult aged 18+ (24”+ wheel recommended) 25 mile Leisure Ride & 35 mile Endurance Ride: • For adults aged 18+ (believe it or not a 26” wheel will work just fine!) • All children’s ages are meant as a guide and are probably on the conservative side. You will know your child’s abilities better than us! Fees • Little Wheels Ride £5 per Adult* / £2 per Child* • Family Ride £7 per Adult / £4 per Child • Teen Spirit Ride £10 per Adult / £6 per Child • Leisure Ride £20 per Adult • Endurance Ride £22 per Adult All details can be found on www.uptonogood.org.uk

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he second day dawned bright, is that the start of a poem? The stag and hen do weekend at the hotel, complete with the Americana coffee that had a hint of Nescafe about it and the nauseous smell emanating from the wardrobe was already becoming a distant memory. We checked tyre pressures, cleaned the bikes up a bit and got ready to start. We had decided to add the Wiggins loop to our ride with the option of a hotel stop in the Dales. I was already feeling too shattered before we had even got our wheels moving, despite the early night and scalding hot bath the night before. After the disastrous waymarking incident the previous day, we were both a bit paranoid about making a wrong turn but the trail for the return leg proved easy to find, so off we went. The ride up by the river Tyne is lovely, even stunning, despite the broken beer bottles and strewn litter. It takes you through areas where the old shipyards used to be and gives a good impression of the scale of the industry on which Newcastle was built. As we continued along the Tyne we were shocked by the amount of street furniture, it’s as though someone had set up a really complicated slalom course. We end up on a cycle track that is like a fire road through the woods, but was infact an old railway line. We catch up with an odd bunch of cyclists on cross bikes, they are a little older than we are and have fresh legs. Although we are travelling faster they obstruct our passage and won’t let us pass. They did stop eventually so we cracked on, following way marks that they were not, only to find we ended up behind them again. It’s a ball ache, they think we are trying to be smart but we just want to be on the top of the Pennines by lunch time... Eventually we get past the lot of them. It’s sixty nine miles to the top of the Pennines, a really long haul. We lose contact with our support team again and are both feeling shattered and because we are riding different geared bikes it’s hard going. I don’t need to know how fast or slow we are travelling, so I make a mental note to put my Garmin in the pocket of my cycle jersey the next time I do this. We crack on through the drizzle and stop for a jersey change. I am beginning to struggle a bit, partly due to a knee issue that has not properly recovered yet and not enough of the right sort of training. I try to tuck in behind Carl for a while but I keep having to brake as he is able to ride in a much easier gear than I can. Time for a lunch stop as we are both fed up with gels and cliff bars. What a mistake that was, it was so hot indoors! I am not happy, consequently I never

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The COAST to COAST

Coast To Coast Part Two

Part two By Jamie Booth

really got going again that day and bale out on the final climb up the Pennines. Carl reaches the top and starts the descent, we finish that day in Appleby. That night over dinner we chat through our options and the lessons learned. We should have better information for the support crew, better route planning, more varied food and the same gearing on our bikes and no electric shifters in the UK! Not sure we will ever do it again though, but June would be a better time with the longer daytime hours. The next morning dawns and I am feeling okay, we ride for a while but realise we are tight on time so decide to just ride the Lake District leg back.

On the ride over to Whinlatter I let a guy on a mountain bike catch me up. “Alright you, not a great start,” he says, but after informing him of the miles and weather conditions we had already ridden in and the fact that it was raining yet again, he backed off somewhat. I can’t feel my left foot and bail on the last big climb. It’s a long 20 mile run in to Whitehaven so we decide to finish the last 40 miles together. Neither of us were feeling as pleased with ourselves as we should have been considering the amount of miles we had covered, the weather conditions and coping with mechanical problems but actually it was the lack of training for that specific ride that

was the downfall if anything. We are going to do it one way again in June when the weather ought to be better and the daylight hours longer. On reflection the whole challenge was a knee jerk reaction to losing my parents in 2010 and 2013. I became a lot fitter by 2012 then lost a lot of my fitness in 2014 for many reasons, but mainly because of the emotional stress while visiting my mother daily in hospital during her illness. Someone said to me during this

time that I was not the first person to deal with cancer. It’s true of course, but losing both parents seemed almost impossible to comprehend and still does. I am pleased we did the ride in honour of their memory, but I think with the correct approach and state of mind we will nail it this year. In the meantime I am trying to get a ride organized to cross America in 2016. We will keep you posted of progress in that venture and of any other events we ride.

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Oxfordshire & The Chilterns - Issue 02 - Summer 2015

Adventure

“The pleasure that cycling gives you is delicate, intimate and ephemeral. It arrives, takes hold of you sweeps you up and then leaves you again, it is a combination of speed and ease, force and grace. It is pure happiness.” - Jean Bobet - Tomorrow We Ride

TransAm... a long way from Paris...

For Chris Armishaw, a 50-year-old Property Manager, the route to a self-planned solo attempt at ‘TransAm’, an East to West crossing of the US, started just eight years ago on the road from London to Paris.

n January 2007 Armishaw read about a 4-day London to Paris ride organised by the UK Children’s charity Action Medical Research. The event appealed in a number of wawwys; the challenge of riding 320 miles in 4 days; the opportunity to raise funds for a great cause and reaching Paris in time to see the greatest names in cycling on the final stage of the Tour de France. Being generally fit and healthy Armishaw considered himself reasonably capable of completing the challenge that lay ahead even though at the time of posting the entry form he didn’t even own a bike! Leading up to the event Armishaw followed a programme of general training and preparation and the big day arrived in July with Armishaw being in one of three groups of 150 riders to leave London. However, with just 30 miles completed he already felt a little fatigued and concerned about the 300 miles that still lay

ahead. After a planned stop for the group Armishaw found the back wheel of three riders that he’d been following for the previous few miles. This was a moment that not only proved to be a turning point on the road to Paris but also the foundation for future cycling challenges. One of the three riders was Clifford Davison a 60-year-old rider and lifetime cyclist from Inverness. Davison, his daughter Susan and close friend John helped Armishaw all the way to Paris by giving good advice, encouragement and support along the way. Armishaw reflects, “I’m not sure that, without the help of Clifford and the other riders, I would have made it all the way to Paris. When we eventually reached the outskirts of Paris we joined up with the other groups to become a large peloton of 500 riders cycling towards the finishing line along the Champs Elysees. This was an amazing moment, full of emotion from the experience of being part of

such a large group of individual achievements.” Davison and Armishaw became good friends and the four of them cycled London to Paris on four further occasions. By this time, Armishaw had raised over £6000 for Action and began to think about the possibilities of bigger riding challenges and opportunities for fund raising. Motivated by Davison, Armishaw joined a local club and started to improve the different aspects of his riding: techniques, training regimes, nutrition and diet. Alongside club runs and indoor turbo sessions Armishaw started road based training rides with a small group of riders in Essex. This led the way to bigger challenges and longer distances through taking part in local 100mile sportives, tougher climbing challenges in the shape of the Fred Whitton sportive in the Lake District and further afield to European sportives such as the Etape and the Maratona in the heart of the Italian Dolomites.

Armishaw recounts, “The Fred Whitton is regarded by many riders as the toughest sportive in the UK, a 1-day event that takes in most of the toughest climbs in the Lakes with 25 and 30% ascents combined with 112 miles of challenging weather conditions. If you can get through the Fred Whitton you could take on almost anything.” Riding this event a number of times led Armishaw to Italy and the challenge of racing the highest peaks of the Dolomites. Armishaw says, “I remember driving up from the Auto Strada that runs through the valley and realising the scale of the challenge I’d taken on; these are climbs used in the high mountain stages of the Giro d’Italia. “With 85 miles of closed roads, live TV coverage and roadside support, this event is immaculately organised and in a stunningly beautiful part of the world. Both events just make you want to ride no matter how much it hurts.”

Armishaw will be heading back out to Italy in July with his riding buddies from Essex. Those bigger challenges lay the foundation to bringing to life the dream of taking on Race Across America, one of the top three toughest endurance events in the world. Armishaw attended two RAAM seminars in London to get a better insight about what the race meant for riders and crew and to set out a more rigorous training regime. His aim was to at least qualify for the start line in Oceanside California June 2012. Preparation for RAAM started 15 months ahead, including sponsorship, fund raising and qualification which Armishaw completed by riding 350 miles in 17 hours at one of Action’s cycling events, the 24-hour non-stop race held at that time at Goodwood race circuit. Armishaw’s next call was to the University of Essex and the Human Performance unit. What followed was months of preparation covering physiology,

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nutrition, lab tests and physical preparation & training plans. Armishaw recruited 7 crew members and began a fund raising plan that ultimately raised £30,000 for Action. The aim was to complete the gruelling 3000 mile challenge in 12 days, but 2 days in, miscalculations by the crew, the support vehicle being stuck in desert sands combined with extreme heat meant that one of the main time cut-offs in Colorado Springs could not be achieved. Not to be outdone after so much preparation and in recognition of the fund raising and sponsorship, they carried on across the US. Armishaw says “RAAM is one of the most gruelling challenges that anybody could take on, the sheer distances involved; the changing landscapes and terrain; the extreme heat and sleep deprivation are not to be taken lightly.” Now helping RAAM organisers to host their London seminar Armishaw often gets asked questions about training and preparation. In response to questions about climate and heat Armishaw says, “Imagine a hard, non-stop 12-hour turbo session completed in a sauna, that’s what riding through the Western side of the US and the deserts of California and Arizona are like. Riding through Monument Valley in Utah in temperatures exceeding 116° is not something you can train for, there are simply no conditions like this in Europe.” “What I took from RAAM above everything else was realising that there is no failure in not reaching specific targets either for the crew or rider. Many people involved in RAAM are just everyday people that give everything they can to taking on and being part of a very demanding challenge. Whatever the outcome you certainly come out of it stronger and more determined.” As they say ‘suffering makes you stronger’. Taking on the challenge of RAAM is a major undertaking and just to get to the start line is a big challenge. In November 2012, Armishaw decided to take on the challenge of solo riding all 21 Stages of the Centenary 2013 Tour de France. Armishaw self-planned the ‘Ride 21’ challenge, aiming to start four days after the Tour and reaching Paris one day ahead, making up time by riding two stages in one day on three occasions. Armishaw was supported by a crew of three, two of whom were 21 and 17 years old. Armishaw recounts, “Age is no barrier to responsibility and endeavour, the crew did an amazing job.” A day-to-day account of the TdF challenge can be found online (www.ride21. blogpsot.co.uk ). Armishaw’s continued support of Action and his involvement with the team based in Horsham saw a further £10,000 raised for the charity. Of the many experiences and

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surprises that taking on such challenges have brought none can be more special than at the Cycling Sport Gala Dinner when Armishaw was presented with a framed ‘centenary’ yellow jersey signed by Chris Froome, the winner of the 2013 Tour, by Sir David Brailsford. In 2014 Armishaw rode the biannual 240km full course of Paris Roubaix ‘the Hell of the North’, and a sportive event organised by the Velo Club of Roubaix which included a finish on the famous Roubaix Velodrome. Armishaw also gained accreditation at the London Velodrome to race on the track. There was a return to London to Paris in July, but this time the 240 mile course took 12 hours, certainly a long way from being rescued on the first day of Armishaw’s introduction to cycling. In August 2015, if all goes to plan Armishaw will head out West from Washington DC on a solo challenge following a 3000 mile route and 140,000ft of climbing to arrive 15 days later in San Francisco. Beyond the physical, mental and psychological challenge his aim is to raise considerable funds for Action Medical Research and hopefully encourage others in the same way that he was encouraged and inspired riding to Paris in 2007.

Twitter @chrisarmishaw www.TransAm3000.blogspot.com www.action.org.uk

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Oxfordshire & The Chilterns - Issue 02 - Summer 2015

Interview

Interview with

Maxine Filby

Maxine competes all over Europe and will be keeping us entertained with a diary of her training and competitions in forthcoming issues. Read her race report from the Volcat 3-day MB race in Barcelona on page 14 in this issue. When did you begin cycling? I began in 2008. My partner, Pete, bought me a bike for my birthday so we could spend some time together as he was just starting to get back into mountain biking. At the time I was racing racehorses so I saw it as an opportunity to improve my fitness for that too. I had a massive crash on our second outing so the bike got put in the garage for a few months but was brought out again when the sun came out. To help improve my confidence on the bike I went on a skills course where I found out you could race them. I went back home and was straight on the internet checking out the races I could do. I’ve been racing for 6 years now and still love it. I’m proof anyone can have a go and have fun.

What bike do you ride? My mountain bike is a Cannondale FS-I; it’s a hard-tail race machine. I adore it and have so much fun on the trails on it. My road bike is a Cannondale Evo Super Six Force. It makes me go super-fast on the road with an equally wide grin as my mountain bike, there aren’t many road bikes that can do that!

What was your first race? I did a 35K Trail Break challenge which wasn’t really a race but I enjoyed the aspect of competing on a bike. I then went and did the last round of the Southern XC at Borden in the Sport Female category and I won… but there were only two of us in the category! I loved it and was totally hooked again, coming home and entering in more races.

What are your strengths/ weaknesses as a racer? I think a major strength is that I’m brave, I’ll have a go at anything which is sometimes a weakness too, I’ve had my fair share of crashes! I also never give up, I’ll push myself as hard as I can no matter if I’m winning or if I’m at the back of the pack. This year working with Zer06 Performance Progress Lab has made me a stronger and more prepared rider. I’ve learnt to work with my body instead of against it.

What are your current and future goals in cycling? I’ve changed my focus this year to the longer discipline of XC Marathon so I’m aiming for a top five finish at the National Championships. I’ve also qualified for the World XC Marathon

Championships, so I’d love to get a top 20 finish there. I enjoy mixing up my riding, competing in road races, crits and gravity Enduro. In all these disciplines I always aim to do well and obviously I’m a racer so would like to win each race I enter! In the future I’d love to gain a National Title and just to keep enjoying cycling. I always want to be improving, you can always get faster.

Do you ride for a club or team? I ride for MuleBar Girl - Sigma Sport. The team consists of nine girls; all fantastic athletes. We compete across a range of disciplines and most of all we have loads of fun.

Have you competed in any other sports? When I was at school I competed in Pony Club Tetrathlon (running, shooting, swimming and horse riding) this led on to Modern Pentathlon where I was lucky enough to compete internationally and regularly competed at a national level. This passion for horses led me to horse racing where I was an amateur Point to Point jockey for four years. I achieved 6 wins and was the

South Midlands Lady Champion Jockey in 2006 and third in the National Novices title. I think doing different sports has given me the discipline to train and race hard in cycling.

What is the best piece of advice anyone has given you whilst cycling?

heaven in the dry with super-fast trails but then in the wet it changes to hell. The wet and slippery roots are a perfect training ground, I know if I can ride well there in the wet I can ride anywhere in the world. I also love the South of France, I do a race there called the Roc D’Azur, it has brutal climbs but the most awesome descents.

Pete is always telling me that ‘Speed is your friend’ when I’m going too slowly over something, it’s quite true, sometimes it’s harder to do things slower. My Skills Coach, Ian Warby gives me superb advice all the time, but one that continually saves me is ‘Look to the Sky’. Just looking up can get you out of a whole heap of trouble on the mountain bike.

What’s your perfect night in and perfect night out?

Who do you admire most in cycling?

What’s currently on your iPod?

I think Jenny Copnall is an amazing rider, she’s always so smooth and stylish and her achievements are unbelievable. Also Sally Bigham, she’s an inspirational rider and is seriously underrated. She’s tough and fast and it’s only a matter of time until she gets the World Champion Stripes in Marathon.

I have a really odd mix from Jimmy Eat World to Johnny Cash so my iPod is almost permanently on shuffle. But if I have to pick something, I’m mostly listening to the Rudimental album, a bit of Daft Punk and the Foales.

Favourite place to ride? I love riding up at Aston Hill in Wendover, it’s mountain bike

Night in would be a dinner party with some friends, one of Pete’s home cooked meals, lots of chatter and laughter. Night out would be an evening at our local curry house, they’re a great bunch that run it and you can always be guaranteed a giggle.

Find out more on Maxine’s website www.maxinefilby.com

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News

Pedal for PACE Charity cycle rides with a big difference!

Abingdon Cycle Festival 500 riders enjoy a chilly but happy day

bingdon Market Place was full of cyclists of all ages and persuasions on Sunday 19th April as the Abingdon Cycle Festival enjoyed another very successful event. The festival is organised by a committee of 8 including Project Manager Mark Utting, all volunteers from Abingdon’s Freewheeling Cycle Club. The club was founded in 2010 by a small group of passionate individuals who shared a love for cycling and wanted to promote cycling in the community. The vision was simple: to provide free cycling for all, whatever your age or experience and no matter what type of bike you ride! They certainly went a long way to achieving that on the day. Mark paid a massive thanks to all the other cycle-related clubs and businesses in the area for their support in delivering the rides on the day and to Abingdon Town Council for their backing. Sometimes it seems hard enough to make a club ride take place at weekends, so just imagine the effort it took to organise 29 rides all departing in the morning of the Festival day! There were literally rides for everyone from 5 mile family rides to 40 mile road rides and 25 mile mountain bike rides and even an orienteering Audax of 50 miles! The rides were organised by local bike and Triathlon clubs and bike shops, whilst Sustrans gave riders the chance to learn how to deal

with the ups and downs of commuting on a bike. Yours truly joined a 30 mile ride organised by Outdoor Traders Cycle Club and compliment the ride leaders for making everyone feel very comfortable and welcome. Swapping places on the ride and chatting to several other riders made for a very enjoyable couple of hours and should encourage all of us to join club rides. Over 500 riders went out on free rides ranging from 5 to 50 miles. The family rides filled up particularly quickly and the organisers even had to lay on an extra family rides on the day to cater for high demand. That bodes well for the future of cycling! Shoretrax built a wooden pump track in the Market Place and it seemed there were many adults trying to recapture their past, as they clearly enjoyed taking bikes around the circuit, and that included Mark, taking time out for a bit of fun on a very busy day. Live music played well into the afternoon supplied by Tony Lewis Jazz Band and then by Dan Rawle and Ohuki Eukele Band creating a festival atmosphere. Perhaps not quite Caribbean in feeling as the cold day made holding a beer in your hand quite a challenge without shaking its contents everywhere. Quite how the bands played their instruments for so long in the cold deserves all our admiration. Look out for next year’s festival!

PACE is a charity transforming the lives of children with disabilities such as cerebral palsy and is based in Aylesbury. www. thepacecentre.org Since 2008 PACE’s 12 cycle events have raised half a million pounds. To put it another way 200 riders have pedaled just over 85,000 miles in support of PACE. But that just gives you the basic stats. What PACE Cycle Challenges have really done is engage supporters in a very unique way. Bruce Jacob, from Flackwell Heath, has taken part in seven of PACE’s cycle challenges. He picks up the story: I was introduced to PACE by a mate of mine, Andy, who I played football with. One evening when he was driving me to the astro pitch I noticed a blue badge on the dash. I asked him whose it was and he told me it was for Charlie, his son. Charlie was the beginning to a life changing experience for me. Andy and a small group of guys had just finished a charity ride raising funds for PACE. They had ridden 350 miles from Aylesbury to Dublin. I told him how impressed I was and gave him a donation. In a moment of madness I told him that should he be so daft as to attempt anything so monumental again, I would happily keep him company. He said, “Really do you mean that?” I lied through my teeth and replied, “Yes, of course I would”. “Great”, he said, “You’re riding to Edinburgh in June then.” That was over five years ago. I’ve now cycled to Brussels, Donegal, across Iceland, across Spain from North to South, climbed some of the most iconic mountains in the Alps, and most recently ridden from Lisbon to Porto. Our next ride is to conquer Transylvania. PACE has totally changed mine and a lot of children’s lives. I’m now fitter than I’ve dreamt of and have made life-long friendships. For anyone looking for a cycling challenge, I cannot recommend a more worthwhile charity. The rides are fantastic. You’ll laugh, pant, sweat, freeze, swear and maybe even shed a tear. One thing is for

certain you will never look back and think, I wish I’d never said yes. Bruce is a member of a cycling club called ‘Ripcor’ www.ripcor.co.uk who are a cycling collective where having fun, getting fit and raising money for charity are the key motivators and are key fund raisers for PACE. PACE events are different, not only by the smaller-scale team ethos (maximum team sizes are 30), but primarily because everything they do is organized in-house, meaning an unbeatable return to the children and families benefiting. Simon Ekless, the Fundraising and Marketing Manager, is an avid cyclist and with the help of some equally mad-keen volunteers he’s

been putting together cycle events with a difference for many years. In 2015, Transylvania beckons. Not perhaps the most obvious choice for a road biking adventure. The main draw, other than bears, wolves and the Dracula legend is the world’s most beautiful road; the Transfăgărășan Highway. Cutting its way through the Fargaras Mountains of Romania - you may have seen this spectacular road on BBC’s Top Gear. On Saturday 18 July the ‘Pedal for PACE’ Summer Sportive takes place. Choose from a 100k, 50k, and a traffic free 20k route on the Phoenix Trail (£25, £15 and £5 respectively). Starting and finishing at Towersey, nr

Thame, the 100k ride takes in three counties: Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire and includes Whiteleaf Hill, which features in the UK’s 100 Greatest Cycling Climbs. On your return to base, everyone gets a chance to enjoy a hog roast along with live music, children’s entertainer and plenty of picnic space for the whole family. PACE’s first Sportive is, like its overseas adventures, more than just another summer sportive.

Find out more about both events at www.thepacecentre.org/cyclechallenges

distance options 100K - 50K - 20K (Child friendly) PRICE £25 - £15 - £5 RESPECTIVELY SIGN UP DETAILS www.pedalforpace.org MORE INFORMATION AT: www.thepacecentre.org/cyclechallenges

2015

venue

ADDITIONAL ATTRACTIONS

Start and finish:

Hog roast ice cream real ale live music picnic grounds FREE parking Childrens entertainer

The Manor House, Towersey, Nr Thame, Oxon OX9 3QR

Registered charity number: 1011133 A charity for children with physical disabilities such as cerebral palsy to ‘Transforming the lives of children with disabilities’ since 1990’.

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Oxfordshire & The Chilterns - Issue 02 - Summer 2015

Continued From Cover

“You can’t buy happiness but you can buy a bicycle and that’s pretty close.” - Citizen Chain Bike Store, SF

very good reason you ride North to South but I will get to that later. The Bike Shed, pier 49: We rented two great bikes, one set of panniers and a trailer for the camping gear. They couldn’t have been more helpful, enthusiastically they stored our backpacks and sent us on our way with only a rough idea when we would return, and the price - only £280 all in – BARGAIN. We took a look at the Golden Gate Bridge and decided to ride that as a last celebration when we got back. So off we set, and promptly got more than a little lost, it took the rest of the day to get out of the city and on the road proper. Still looking for the bike path and running out of daylight, we found a room in El Camino and a fellow cyclist who the following morning pointed us towards the cycle path – finally – Route 101. The weather was beautiful, perfect for cycling. Needing to catch up with the route according to our book, we only cycled about 30 miles over the Santa Cruz Mountains to Half Moon Bay and our first campsite. The state parks in California have a hike and bike scheme whereby if you turn up on foot or by bike you are guaranteed a camping spot, so no forward booking necessary and this

important feature means you don’t need a destination – freedom to travel as far as you want! They cost roughly $5 a night. Here we started to meet others on the route, all with different stories, some had started in Alaska and had been on the road for months!! A mixed bag of people from 20 to 70 somethings all out for a ride. This set the scene, each morning we set off in our own little gangs and ended up at night pretty much together swapping stories, and laughing. We arranged nothing and just kept bumping into each other along the way. Setting off from Half Moon Bay, excited and a little nervous wondering what the day would bring, it soon became apparent this was more than just a route: rugged coastlines, breathtaking scenery, national and state parks, historical monuments and of course the incredible wildlife. When you’re cycling all your senses get hit at the same time, and you become so much more aware of what is around you, this overwhelming desire to explore consumes you and you just have to hang on and experience it. The light got the better of us again and we ended up riding through Santa Cruz in the dark trying to find New Brighton Beach.

By Dawn Farnworth

Lesson learnt: start earlier and aim to finish before sunset, leave yourself plenty of time to take a break and enjoy your new-found surroundings. Earlier in the day we happened across two streetwise city kids from Denver, Elvis and Zeb, riding fixies, no gears and no brakes. Their destination was Los Angeles, on a tight budget, they cooked a lot and introduced us to Chilli beans and tortillas and seemed to have a problem with raccoons who kept stealing their minimal stuff. They were our neighbours that night when we finally found our camp. Today we had done 70 miles instead of the 56 as stated in the book, damn this getting lost / exploring. New Brighton Beach to Vets Park, Monterey was apparently 40.8 miles and we couldn’t wait to get started. The terrain here varies between gently rolling and level, easy riding along back roads and cycle paths. Nearing mid day, the path turned and put us alongside a large bay where elephant seals had taken up residence, hundreds of them. From a distance they looked like large pieces of wood, it was only when we got close we could see them wriggling across the sand like oversized maggots.

Time for lunch, a burrito from one of the streetcars along the way and one by one the rest of the gang appeared. We shared the experience and moved on. Vets Park: the book told us to get supplies from Monterey as it was a steep climb to the campsite and it certainly wasn’t wrong! About a mile – straight up and then up a little more, to a nice campsite where you leave your money in the box. This was our first proper encounter with the level of homelessness in California, whole families living in cars and tents, making the best of their situation, trying to work and get on. At first I was a little uneasy but in America it’s dealt with differently: some people live in houses, some don’t and that’s just the way it is. Here we met Vanessa, 23, never cycled before, from Quebec who had started her journey in Vancouver. She had spent about a month on her own before finding Brett and Bob, the 70-somethings from Alaska, who had taken her under their wing. We cooked by torchlight and shared stories about the

day, trying to stay up past eight o’clock and being observed by the deer on the grass. You could hear the incessant barking of the sea lions down at the bay, which is quite a nice way to fall asleep, and Elvis shouting at the raccoons for stealing his stuff. Up early, the usual porridge and tea, brief discussion and study of the book. At some point we needed to check into a hotel to do some washing, charging of phones etc. This general housekeeping meant that periodically gang members would dip out and stay over somewhere for a day, then catch up later on the road. Monterey is a fascinating place, busy and vibrant, we rode onto the pier where there was a sign for a whale watching trip – had to go, didn’t we? Luggage stored, we locked the bikes to the pier and stepped aboard, not knowing how long we would be out, but the weather was great and the turquoise water calm. Well, I want to do this every day! We saw Rizzo Dolphins on the way out, then just in the bay, roughly 1000 sea lions

and over 100 humpback whales all in feeding frenzies around us. There was diving and breaching, tail and fin slapping, and even courtship being displayed, and something you don’t get from the tv – the smell from the blow was unbelievably dreadful. You had to cover your nose and mouth it was pure, rotten fish and boy did it stink. The captain and crew didn’t want to go back and miss this so we were out for most of the day. Apparently, it was one of the best trips of the year so far, and all down to a shoal of anchovy that had made it to the Bay Area. Time was getting on, and one other ‘must do’ - 17 mile drive, awaited. Possibly the most famous stretch of road on the California Coast, it’s a private road and you have to stop at the security gate and sign a form waiving your right to sue should you get run over. We decided to head back to Monterey and spend the night. We found a nice motel just on the edge of town and set about our housekeeping...

Part 3 coming to issue 3

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Supporting Charity

Fa r m S h o p - B u t c h e r y - D e l i c a t e s s e n - Te a R o o m The shop is situated on the B4494 just between the villages of Brightwalton and Farnborough. We rear all of our own beef and lamb which is butchered on site and utilised in the butchery, delicatessen, kitchen and tea room. All the food served in our tea room is made on site using our own meats as well as other local and seasonal ingredients. Enjoy a variety of competitively priced homebred local meat butchered on site to your requirements

Butchery

A delicious selection of local and British cheeses as well as homemade quiches, pies, scotch eggs and quick and easy meals, such as lasagnes.

Delicatessen

We source as much as we can from local growers to enjoy the best of what is in season.

Fruit & Veg

We have a beautiful tea room overlooking the fields, serving a delicious breakfast menu as well as a variety of lunch options using seasonal and local ingredients.

Tea Room

We also offer a range of homemade cakes, scones, traybakes and tarts to enjoy with Ramsbury Tea and freshly ground coffee. Please ring or see the website for opening times

Open Tuesday to Saturday 8.30am - 5.30pm | Sunday 10am - 4pm Open on Mondays from Easter

www.saddlebackfarmshop.co.uk | tel: 01488 638806 Saddleback Farm Shop, Brightwalton, Newbury, Berkshire, RG20 7HR

The Café Lambourn at the centre of the village of Lambourn welcomes one and all!

We are a friendly, family run village café, serving fresh hand cooked food: Panini’s, sandwiches, and jacket potatoes with a variety of fillings, all day breakfasts, freshly brewed Lavazza coffee, creamy hot chocolates, and handmade cakes. Open 7 days a week: Mon 9-4 Tues -Fri 8.30-5 Sat 9-4, Sun 10-2 17 High Street, Lambourn RG17 8XL Tel: 01488 71094 facebook.com/thecafelambourn

www.thecafelambourn.co.uk

Lessons Learned...

By Kim Riddell

t’s been almost 4 months since 5 of us signed up for the ‘Ride the Night’ Charity bike ride in aid of Women’s Cancer Charities and a lot of miles have passed under our wheels since then. We are all ‘Women of a Certain Age’ and with work, family and other commitments it hasn’t been easy to find the time to train together as often as we need. So we have trained solo or in groups of 2, 3 or 4 but not yet managed a fiver, and probably won’t before the event itself. But Kaye (The Triathlete) has her own gym and a willing partner in Mark to train with her, Vanessa (The Working Mum) and Caroline (The Trainer) are both fit from lots of dog walking with 4 great Labradors between them. Which leaves me and Susie, 2 complete novices in almost any kind of fitness regime to be honest and many of our acquaintances expected us to have given up long before now. It is no less a surprise to us that we haven’t either; Myself, because I have never stuck to anything sporty ever in my life before and Susie, you may remember, fell off on day two and ended up in hospital with a torn artery in her upper thigh (viewings by appointment only!). She has since had the all clear and couldn’t wait

to get back in the saddle. Last Monday we completed a 40 mile route, achieving our target for April, and as we look back at our progress we feel very pleased with ourselves. It has been an amazing rite of passage I can assure you and I personally have learned many things. Without wanting to sound too Zen or anything, I have learned that: • if you cycle 20 miles, 3 times a week, your fitness levels will improve; however, if you keep stopping for pub lunches and/or afternoon teas, and eating jelly babies “for energy” you will almost certainly not lose any weight. • being a cyclist makes you a lot more tolerant and considerate of other cyclists when you are in your car. • bike seats - even gel ones - are in fact instruments of torture. That picture of me ‘peeling myself off’ said bike seat after a 2 hour ride is not faked, and in actual fact excellent timing by Susie who was in recovery from her op that day, but still managed to meet us for lunch. • four layers of foam padding are still not enough to alleviate the situation! • an English Spring is even more lovely when seen from a bike. • cyclists are very badly catered for in the UK compared to say,

Holland where every mile (or kilometer) of road has a parallel cycle path, priority at crossing etc. Mind you, not sure about the Dutch tendency to ride around at night without lights on! • I don’t like hills, or, as Caroline – trainer in chief – insists on calling them: inclines. • looking at our little band – recently acquiring the Team Name of the Warwickshire ‘BOBs’ (Babes on Bikes, or on a bad day B*****s on Bikes!) I feel that cycling has become an Allegory of Life: Some of us pedal like mad, change gear a lot, slow right down, swear a lot, grit our teeth and struggle, cursing and whinging ‘til we get to the top of a hill, then scream with joy as we freewheel down the easy bits. Others set off at a strong steady pace, keep calm and collected, meet every obstacle with quiet determination, do not get distracted by pretty lambs or tweeting birds and barely even break a sweat on a hill, but wait patiently at the top, like the good friends they are, and only occasionally laugh with derision at said friend’s ‘sense of humour failure’. Between us we are keeping a certain bike shop in business as we have spent enough on equipment and gear that it would

have been cheaper to just donate to the charities. I feel personally responsible for getting two friends interested in cycling and one has purchased and another threatening to purchase a bike. They have seen and heard how much fun we are having and they want in. Even my 84-yearold father is talking about getting on board - no Dad we are NOT getting a tandem. It has been and continues to be fun, and surely that is the point. Marathons, Charity bike rides, races and competitions are all very well but it has to be pleasurable for all concerned. Finding a fitness activity which is enjoyable, that you can do with or without friends, has to be the Holy Grail for all those dogooders around us, despairing of the modern couch potato lifestyle. I enjoy my solitary rides as much as my communal ones, and we are thinking of joining a cycling

group once the Charity ride is out of the way. Watch this space... Four more weeks to the Big Night and training will be difficult as my season as a Tour Guide has started, which has led to another first: This week I am in Lisbon and only a lunatic would cycle these streets - potholes you could sink a ship in and narrow cobbled streets - so I have made use of the hotel gym’s cycling machine; iPad propped on the handle bars and off I go! Taking up cycling has truly been a revelation to me, and I look forward to exploring not only the countryside here and abroad, but my own abilities, and learning more from life on the road. You can donate to Women V Cancer Ride The Night: justgiving.com/kim-riddell

Cycling Where In OXFORDSHI to stop & things to do

THE COFFEE HOUSE

3 Butter Market, Thame, Oxfordshire OX9 3EW

01844 212266

www.cafeboboandthecoffeehouse.co.uk

THE SPREAD EAGLE

Cornmarket, Thame, Oxfordshire, OX9 2BW

01844 213 661

SADDLEBACK FARM

THE LIVING RAINFOREST

Hampstead Norreys, Thatcham, RG18 0TN

2 WHEELS

99b High Street, Thame, OX9

01844 212455

01635 202444

01865 874170

www.livingrainforest.org

www.crumbswheatley.co.uk

www.spreadeaglethame.co.uk

CRUMBS WHEATLEY

87a High Street, Wheatley, Oxfordshire, OX33 1XP

www.2wheelsthame.co.uk

CHIPPING NORTON

Brightwalton, Newbury, Berkshire, RG20 7HR

01488 638806

www.saddlebackfarmshop.co.uk

RISBORO’ CAR & CYCLE PARTS

1 Church Street, Princes Risborough, Bucks, HP27 9AA

01844 273092

www.risborocarcycleparts.co.uk

WADDESDON MANOR

Waddesdon Manor, Aylesbury, HP18 0JH

01296 653226

www.waddesdon.org.uk

SWINDON MB

Croft Trail, Swindon, SN3 1TX

www.mbswindon.co.uk

WOODSTOCK

CRUMBS TOO

2 High Street, Princes Risborough, HP27 0AX

01844 344462

WITNEY

www.crumbswheatley.co.uk

BURFORD

ASTON HILL MTB

Aston Hill, Halton, Buckinghamshire, HP22 5NQ

www.rideastonhill.co.uk

OXFORD

BLENHEIM PALACE

Woodstock, Oxfordshire OX20 1PP

0800 849 6500

www.blenheimpalace.com

Oxford’s Bicycle Specialists Since 1975

NEW BIKES - USED BIKES - REPAIRS - ACCESSORIES

ABINGDON

www.spoke.co.uk Shop Tel: 01865 31161

78 Walton Street, Oxford, OX2 6EA

22 Rides On Air and Grind Coffee Bar

Sales, Service, Coffee and Cake Cycling Fuel Open 7 Days 11 St Martins St Wallingford OX10 0AL

Cycle Food

• Fresh Barista Coffee

• Sales, Parts, accessories

• Loose Leaf Tea

• Servicing

• Light Snacks

• Clothing & shoes

• Free Wifi

• Road , off road, hybrid cycles

www.ridesonair.com - 01491 836289

SWINDON

UFFINGTON WHITE HORSE 14

20 3

DIDCOT

IRE & THE CHILTERNS 3EH

BUCKINGHAM BIKES

3&4 Villiers Buildings, Buckingham St, Aylesbury, HP20 2LE

LAMBOURN CAFE

01844 339226

www.thecafelambourn.co.uk

www.buckinghambikes.com

www.rumseys.co.uk

Waterperry OX33 1JZ

0148871094

01296482077

RUMSEY’S

26 High St, Wendover, Aylesbury HP22 6EA

01296 625060

WATERPERRY GARDENS

17 High Street, Lambourn, RG17 8XL

RUMSEY’S

8 UPPER HIGH STREET, THAME OX9 3ER

01844 260303

www.waterperrygardens.co.uk

www.rumseys.co.uk

MOUNTIAN MANIA CYCLES

4-6 Miswell Lane, Tring, HP23 4BX

01442 822458

www.mountainmaniacycles.co.uk

Do you know of or own a place that is cyclist friendly?

Advertise your place on our map in the next issue for just £24 inc VAT and reach a broad audience of happy cyclists. Want to know more? Contact us at oxford@pedalyourcycle.com

BICESTER

MOUNTIAN MANIA CYCLES

62 Wantage Road, Didcot, OX11 0BY

01235 759366

www.mountainmaniacycles.co.uk

MOUNTIAN MANIA CYCLES

1 Alvescot Road, Carterton, OX18 3JL

01993 842396

www.mountainmaniacycles.co.uk

23 13

01491 871721

www.mountainmaniacycles.co.uk

AYLESBURY

MOUNTIAN MANIA CYCLES

10 High Street, Goring, RG8 9AT

COG CAFE

1 Parsonage Place, Tring, Hertfordshire HP23 5BN

01442 826146

19 24 16

TRING

THE COURT HILL CENTRE

Court Hill, Wantage, Oxfordshire, OX12 9NE

01235 760253

www.courthill.org.uk

2 1 12 18

THAME

PRINCES RISBOROUGH

BERKHAMSTED

WENDOVER 7

MAP LEGEND

WALLINGFORD

BIKE SHOP

HIGH WYCOMBE

BIKE FRIENDLY CAFE

CYCLIST ACCOMMODATION

MTB CENTER

OT PLACE OF INTEREST

23 11

Do you know of a place or bike shop that you trust, or maybe a business that is bike friendly? If so we would love to find out more and even feature your suggestion on our map. oxford@pedalyourcycle.com

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Oxfordshire & The Chilterns - Issue 02 - Summer 2015

News

Maxine Filby’s race report Volcat 3 Day Stage Race, Barcelona

aving changed my focus this year from short course XCO to more XC marathon based races I decided to have a go at a three day stage race in Barcelona. I’ve done an XC stage race before but nothing with a full marathon stage within it. Over the winter my training has changed from previous years, now focusing on longer rides on the mountain bike. Coming into the race I’d just completed a week at Zer06’s new training facility in the Dordogne so I had plenty of solid miles in the legs and was looking forward to my first race of the season. I was joined by my MuleBar Girl team mate Adel, she’s increasing her mountain biking and she was crazy enough to give this race a go too. She was in the open category and had her sights firmly set on a podium. I was in the Elite category and was excited to see how I fared over the longer distances. The race consisted of three stages; stage one - 58km, stage two - 85km and the final stage was a relative sprint at only 44km. I flew out a day early so we could settle in to our hotel and get signed on. I also found some ace single track that was about a thirty second ride from the hotel. I spent a good few hours playing on drops and giggling lots. I was hoping the

race was going to be made up of tracks just like these. A little shake down on some single track before three days of hard riding was the perfect prep. It got my head in the right place and gave my legs the stretch they needed. Those that know me may have heard how much I’m enjoying riding my new bike this season. It’s a Cannondale FSI. Every time I ride it I finish with a huge grin and anyone close to me gets to hear what an amazing piece of kit it is. I was a little disappointed with the first stage, it was mostly fire road with a few technical sections towards the end. I’m a complete wuss when it comes to cornering on fire road; give me a 6ft drop any day over a gravelly corner. I lost a lot of time being a wimp, but finished in a reasonable time ending up 20th in a pretty classy field. Poor Adel had to put up with my moanings of descending on fire roads and where was all the single track?! I’m very spoilt working with Zer06 as I get looked after very well and this race was no exception as I had been given some Normatec boots to aid my recovery after each stage. They look a little funny but do wonders for tired legs. After some super recovery food and a Normatec session I felt I could tackle the next stage.

As I pushed off the start line of the second stage I knew it wasn’t going to be the best day I had on the bike. My legs felt tired and empty, I spent the next five hours convincing myself I’d feel better in a minute. I had to have some rather strong words with myself and nearly burst into tears when

“Those that know me may have heard how much I’m enjoying riding my new bike this season. It’s a Cannondale FSI. Every time I ride it I finish with a huge grin and anyone close to me gets to hear what an amazing piece of kit it is.” we descended on a road after a particularly brutal climb. All that effort for a road descent! I did conquer my fear of gravel corners though, there were plenty to practice on. I was so chuffed at the end when one of the Spainish guys I’d been riding with called me crazy for hitting them so fast, I took that as a compliment! After another night of recovery an early start saw the final stage. It was only 40km, it couldn’t

possibly be that bad surely?! As I’d had a pretty dismal second stage I’d been moved down a start pen into a mass of over eager men. There was lots of jostling before the gun had even begun. I thought I’d take it easy and let them go then I could concentrate on my race. I set off and all of a sudden I was flying through the air and landed rather heavily in the barrier right on my elbow. I haven’t had such a heavy fall in a while and it took my breath away. I got up feeling a little tearful and had shooting pains through my arm. I gently started to pedal away from the start: could I carry on? Luckily, just as I was having these thoughts, a little voice appeared, “You’re not racing back here with me, get your ass up the road!” You’ve got to love team mates who know you so well! After a couple of sobs and being told to man up I started to weave my way through the field. I passed girls that had caught and left me for dead the day before so I was feeling pretty strong. It was the type of stage I love, technical climbing and awesome descents. I was loving it. Just a few km from the finish there was a tricky descent with

a right hand turn off it, I missed the turn unsure where the course went. I stopped and looked back, lost my balance and fell straight into a ravine. A deep hole with lots of rocks at the bottom, not ideal on an already sore body! It must have looked worse than it felt as the guys behind me rushed over to see if I was still alive. They helped get me and my bike out of the hole and I carried on to finish. I got a huge hug from the guys following me, just relieved I was okay. What a stage! Adel took a little detour getting a bit lost but still managed to win her category, not bad for a novice mountain biker. I finished 22nd overall. My body is still getting used to going over such distances and I’m learning something new each time I race. I think my first year in marathon racing is going to be a tough one with just so much to get used to. I really enjoy the challenge though. I’m now sat back at home feeling fully recovered although I do have some rather impressive bruises, who said marathon was easy?!

As always I couldn’t race without the support of my fantastic team and sponsors so a huge thanks goes to my team MuleBar Girl - Sigma Sport and my sponsors; Mule Bar, Sigma Sport, Cannondale, Wildoo, VeloPac, Oakley, Rubena, Purple Harry, Zer06 and B1ke.

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Discover

Richard Baldwin

“In the early days, I chopped and changed bikes trying to find a ride that fitted me well and was also unique. Baldwin Titanium Bicycles grew from my passion to develop a brand of high end, hand made in the UK and custom fitted bicycle frames that were unique and exclusive.”

’m Rich Baldwin and I have been a road cyclist for 15 years. In the early days, I chopped and changed bikes trying to find a ride that fitted me well and was also unique. Baldwin Titanium Bicycles grew from my passion to develop a brand of high end, hand made in the UK and custom fitted bicycle frames that were unique and exclusive. I started off using aluminium and “upgraded” to carbon when budget allowed. Then I tried a titanium frame and the epiphany occurred. Everything about titanium felt right; it’s light, tough and completely impervious to the elements. Our cycles are available direct from Baldwin Titanium and start with an initial consultation as to what is required. From there we gather data to ensure a good fit for your bike. This is done in a variety of ways. Our preferred method is to get fitting measurements from a professional bike fit. We use York Cycle Works, however if you would rather use your local fitting service, we welcome third party data. Next comes frame design incorporating a selection of tubes to get the ride quality that

is a signature of our bikes. Our design will also show the components we have selected so you get a feel for the finished look. Our tubing is made from Grade 9 titanium from a reputable American supplier. Titanium is an element rather than a metal and once alloyed with aluminium and vanadium, its strength is increased. Our head tubes, bottom bracket shells, brake bridges, bosses and cable stops are also from the USA. Some of these are made of Grade 5 titanium which is even tougher than grade 9! A really good frame starts with mitring the tubes. Good mitres allow our welder to complete a double pass technique which gives great strength and aesthetically pleasing welds. All our bikes are TIG welded to avoid oxygen being absorbed into the weld and making it brittle. Our frames are then finished in one of four ways: blasted; brushed; painted or polished. Then the bike is built up and client led components are fitted. If you have any questions or simply want to follow our progress, please get in touch or follow us on social media.

www.baldwintitanium.co.uk facebook.com/Baldwin.titanium Tel: 07904 236007

Towards Oxford Castle Street

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Wallingford Festival of Cycling Race Map

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Wallingford Festival of Cycling On the 21st June 2015, Wallingford Town will become a cycling racing circuit and will play host to a whole day of bike racing and other cycling activities to celebrate National Cycling week. The event is based in Wallingford town centre with community events and high speed street racing (on closed roads). Three rides for the general public will be using the lanes and bridleways of the local area and finishing on the beautiful Wallingford Bridge which will also be closed.

The Wallingford Festival of Cycling will cover the full range of cycling possibilities with a number of rides for the public, including a 50km sportive, mountain bike rides, a general ride for all around the race circuit, children’s races for local school children, historic bike ride for any bike over 30 years old and a Bikeability ride on a special course for those with Bikeability level 1 or 2. The organisers have catered for around 700 local people to take part in a number of

community cycling events and have races for 160 Elite riders, both from the local area and nationally. The Elite races will take place on a circuit (see map) around the town centre and include events for Men and Women and Elite Youth A&B for under 14 – 16 Girls and Boys. It is hoped some 2,000 people will participate and watch the event. A wonderful opportunity to get involved in cycling, as well as be entertained by the Elite road races around the town.

Sunday 21st June 2015

The likely programme is as follows but for up to date details and how to enter events/races see www.wallingfordfestivalofcycling.co.uk

☼☼ 11:00 - 50km Sportive for anyone** Take in the lovely Oxfordshire countryside on this waymarked and marshalled route. Starting from the Market Place. Finish on Wallingford Bridge. Certificates for finishers.

☼☼ 14:35 - Historic Bikes ride for anyone** 15 minutes around the circuit for bikes over 30 years old to Penny Farthings and anything in between. Prizes for winners and presentation.

☼☼ 11:15 - 17 mile Mountain Bike Ride for anyone** Led by specialists from Rides On Air. Starting from the Market Place. Finish on Wallingford Bridge.

☼☼ 15:00 - Men’s Elite B Final. A 25 minute race around the long circuit for men who did not make the final.

☼☼ 11.30 - 12 mile Mountain Bike Ride for anyone** Led by specialists from Rides On Air. Starting from the Market Place. Finish on Wallingford Bridge.

☼☼ 15:35 - Bikeability Event for Wallingford Primary Schools. Local year 5 primary school children who recently passed their Bikeability levels 1&2 take on a special course for 15 minutes on the closed circuit involving all the skills they learned doing the tests.

☼☼ 12:10 - Wallingford Rides for All. Rusty Riders try out the circuit: an opportunity for anyone with a bike to try out the closed circuit preceded by top ten tips from an elite coach including road positioning, cornering, stopping and starting.

☼☼ 16:00 - Elite Women’s Race. A 30 minute race around the long circuit for women who race at regional or national standard. British Cycling Category E/1-4 riders.

☼☼ 12:30 - Men’s: Heats A and B for the Elite Men. A 20 minute race around the long circuit for men who race at regional or national standard. British Cycling Category 2-3 riders.

☼☼ 16:40 - Men’s Elite Final. A 35 minute race around the long circuit for men who qualified in the previous rounds.

☼☼ 13:30 - Children’s Races for non-competing local school children under 12 years old.

☼☼ 17:30 - Final Parade. A slow procession of all the entrants and winners of the day’s events.

☼☼ 14:00 - Elite Youth A&B Race for under 14-16 Girls and Boys. A 25 minute race around the circuit for regional/national standard youth cyclists. Separate prizes for girls/ boys/ Youth A and Youth B.

** Children under the age of 14 to be accompanied by an adult. The Market Place will be used for community stalls associated with cycling, safety and healthy living along with a mini BMX track, get-your-bike-fixed zone and much more. Local coffee shops, sandwich shops, cafés and restaurants will be open, as well as live music to create a carnival atmosphere.

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The Black Run Race, Aston Hill Bike Park - 12th April 2015

Celebrating 18yrs of Downhill Race Action

By Ian Warby www.b1ke.com

efore the race report, an introduction to Downhill Mountain Bike Racing. The races are all about setting the fastest time from the top to the bottom down a man made track with both sides of the track taped-out. Anywhere between the tapes is allowed and one of the skills of a top rider is finding and remembering the fastest lines in practice, so they can repeat them in the race. Each rider gets time to practice the course and then races two timed runs with the fastest time of the two giving them their overall position and their category position on the day. Downhill racing is open to male and female riders of all ages and despite the race just being down hill you need to be fitter than you might first think. Downhill Mountain Bikes have 6 - 8 inches (200mm) of suspension travel front and rear and are designed purely for downhill. The long travel suspension and slack frame angles mean that they don’t excel at much else. To give you an idea of how good the suspension is you can ride at a roadside curb at full speed and not even feel it as you ride over it! The other bike of choice is

the Enduro Bike; these bikes are designed to be good downhill but have the gearing to get back to the top again. With the rise of Enduro Mountain Bikes over the past few years, these do-anything bikes have become really popular and have opened up Downhill Racing to a whole new group of riders. Full Face Helmets are mandatory and body armour, especially for knees and elbows, is another essential given the speeds achieved and technicality of the track. For those without a fullsuspension bike there’s also a Hardtail Category, for bikes with just front suspension. This hardy (some would say crazy) bunch like to do things the hard way but it’s a great way to get into downhill racing for those without the need for, or the finances for, a full-suspension bike. So back to the racing. Aston Hill’s Black Run has become infamous in the South. First used for Downhill Racing in 1997 it is fast, steep, technical and challenging. For the fastest it’s just under 1 min and 30 seconds of non-stop action. Racking up 18 years the Black Run is one of the most raced downhill tracks in the UK. Over the years Championships have been won and lost and careers made and broken on the chalky Chilterns escarpment. So who were the riders to watch this time around?

Ten year old Lewis Hallwood kicked off the racing and, sporting the number 1 plate, he had it all his own way in the Young Ripper, 12 and under category, setting an amazing time of 2:04:52. In the Hardtail category it was local rider Brandon Kelly who stopped the clock on a 1:38:50 fastest enough to put him in 101st place overall showing that a fullsuspension bike isn’t essential if you’ve got the skills! In the Women’s race it was almost a foregone conclusion that Team Aston Hill’s Elite Downhiller Suzanne Lacey would take the win in the Women’s race, as she prepares for the upcoming European Downhill Race Season. Suzanne’s target was to place in the top 75 overall and with 61st place overall on the day she did just that. Aston Tutt took second and Hanna Meahin rounded out the women’s podium places. The Juvenile, Youth and Junior Men’s category is where you’ll see the next big talents showcasing their skills. Juvenile was wrapped up in a time of 1:40:31 by Team Aston Hill’s Development Rider Fin Stockings with Jeremy Coe in 2nd and Seth Kanaris 3rd. In the Youth Men’s race it was Owen Martin who stopped the clock on a stunning 1:30:21 to take the win from Charles Griffith and Ollie Hamilton-Fox who were separated by just 3 tenths of a second. In the Junior Men’s race Tom Davies (Crank Cycles) set

a lightening pace to take the win with the time of 1:23:22 the 5th fastest time of the day. Josh Corbett and Owen Gionow joined Thomas on the podium in second and third. With 77 Senior Men taking part the race for the fastest time of the day was always going to be tight. With just 11 tenths of a seconds margin Matthew Cooper edged out Sam Wakefield with Sam Kiddy in 3rd spot. The Master’s and Vets is where you’ll find all the guys that should be older and wiser. However, they are no slower! Neil White stopped the clock on 1:24:69 to take the win by just 0.80 of a second from Andy Weames with Chris Spooner rounding out the top three with just 0.91 of a second between his and Neil’s winning time. The Veteran’s category is for riders over forty and it was great to see so many racing. Again times at the top were tight with Pete Little taking the win by the smallest margin of the day just 0.07 of a second from Lee Handley with Ian Warby in 3rd just 0.46 off Pete’s time. Finally it was time for the fastest category of the day, the Expert/Elite riders to take on the course. With International riders Josh Lowe (Solid Bikes) Glenroy Martin (Team Aston Hill) and Roger Vieira in attendance it was going to be another tight race. Josh set the pace on his first run with a 1:21:65. Getting from the top of the hill to the bottom

in that time has to be seen to be believed! In his second run Roger shaved a few tenths of his time to secure 3rd place. Glenroy dropped into the final section and over the jump stopping the clock on 1:21:31 just 3 tenths faster than Josh’s first-run time. Everyone held their breath as Josh swooped down his second run unable to tell if he had done enough. As his time came up on the screen he’d just pipped Glenroy by 0.30 of a second to take the win. What a day’s racing, it’s great to see grassroots downhill racing still going so strong on Aston Hill after 18 years of race action. Attracting riders from youngsters and first timers through to World Cup Downhill Racers. The next race on Aston Hill takes place on Sunday 6th September don’t miss out on the chance to catch the racers in action. Top Left: A relaxed Josh Lowe before his winning run of the day

Aston Hill is open every day and offers 5 downhill courses, a five mile Cross-Country Circuit, Pumptrack and the 4X. It’s a great place to go mountain biking. Head to the website at www.rideastonhill.co.uk to find out more. facebook.com/teamastonhill

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Oxfordshire & The Chilterns - Issue 02 - Summer 2015

News

Condors runners up in Decathlon club of the year comp’

ou could be forgiven for confusing the 2,000 in Bicester Millennium’s name for the number of activities they can offer! Actually the club was founded in 1999, just in time for the millennial celebrations. Equally, it may be corny, but 16 years later they could also be called the Bicester One-Stop Shop for cycling. It doesn’t take long to get a sense of the vast range of events on offer and breadth of their ambition to involve all cyclists; a club that really is for everyone who is serious about their cycling. With some 250 members, its size allows it to offer a huge variety of activities, there always being someone available to organise an event and plenty of willing participants to support them. Proud of their friendly and diverse nature, the club is built around a core of 4 road ride groups of varying speeds and distances every Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holiday. Tuesday sees RAF Weston-on-the-Green host one of the most popular club Time Trial nights in the country, with 80+ riders not unusual, and Thursday evening means going offroad on MTB’s and CycloCross machines. There are velodrome trips overseen by their own British Cycling qualified coaches and the

Road Racing team which competes in events like the Oxfordshire Road Racing League, which the club helps to organise and also hosts one of the rounds. There is a very active BC Go-Ride Junior section and the popular ‘Bicester Belles’ ladies group which is entering its first competitive events this year. Indeed, getting more young people and women to take up cycling is the focus of the club’s activities. Go-Ride is British Cycling’s development programme for young people. It provides a fun and safe way to introduce young riders to the world of cycle sport and provides a platform to improve bike handling skills. Sessions take place in a safe offroad environment every Saturday morning at Cooper School, Bicester. The club also has a monthly social evening with talks, films, silly quizzes, club awards and other activities which in summer also include a casual ride-out followed by a BBQ’n’beer. There’s also the (in)famous Christmas Rides and Lunch - think twinkling lights, tinsel and antlers! It’s obvious that Bicester Millennium don’t take themselves too seriously. They also recognise that joining any club can be daunting, so they have developed a pathway for

prospective new members to try them out! There is a short introductory ‘Taster’ ride on the 4th Saturday of every month, along with easier club rides to build up your confidence and skills. Once you become a member then you are bound to find a ride group that suits your ambitions. The club is also active in supporting other cycling organisations in Bicester, including the CTC’s new monthly social ride and Breeze Rides for Women. The CTC social rides offer a regular series of easypaced 25 mile rides starting from the Leisure Centre at 10:00 on the third Sunday of each month. There is a coffee stop midway and the aim is to be back in Bicester around 13:30. Breeze Rides are a Sky/ British Cycling initiative to help more women to take up cycling. They are organised locally by BMcc members Lyn and Kym, who also run programmes to help children and adults get into cycling – see www. cyclelyn.co.uk for details. On May 10th the club are also running a National Level Women’s Road Race, The Woodstock Classic, a BC Cat 3&4 race around the Cotswolds starting in Woodstock. World and Olympic road race champion Nicole Cooke MBE is their guest of honour at the event. The annual Bicester Bike Day falls on July 19th when BMcc members will be providing junior grass track races and sprints. They are also supporting the inaugural Change Gear : Cherwell sportive which

takes place on the same day from Bicester Leisure Centre, with 28, 65 and 100 mile options. Club members will be out in force if you fancy joining the “Bicester Train”. Undoubtedly the BMcc’s flagship event is the Silverstone 9-up Team Time Trial which is now in its 4th year having grown from some 30 teams to 80. That’s 80 teams of 9 riders each, competing in Men’s, Women’s and Mixed Team categories, racing around the full Silverstone Grand Prix circuit in what is probably the largest event of its kind in Europe! This year’s entries are already sold out but you can go and watch for free on Friday 19th June. Entry to Silverstone Circuit opens at 17:00 and the first team away - HandCycling UK start at 18:55. All the monies raised by the event go to charity, with over £10,000 raised last year alone. With so much on offer, it’s easy to see why being a Bicester Millennium member is so attractive. Their ambition is to encourage, develop and promote cycle sport in Bicester and the surrounding areas of Brackley, Buckingham and everywhere in between. You would have to say they are being very successful at it!

www.bmcc2000.com www.bmcc2000.com/Race/ silverstone www.goskyride.com/Breeze

ongratulations to the Cowley Road Condors, our featured club in the Spring issue, who were runners up in the Decathlon Club of the Year competition. Nearly 200 clubs entered the competition and 10 finalists chosen to be voted for, to find the club of the year. The Condors were praised for their work in establishing the Oxfordshire Road Racing League and in helping to make Bike Oxford a success. The competition was won by Surrey Wheels For All, who focus on cycling for children with disabilities. The Condor’s commented on their win: “Upon hearing the news we’d come 2nd in Decathlon’s Cycling Club

of the Year each and every member of the Cowley Road Condors was absolutely delighted. We truly felt this recognition perfectly culminated what had been a significant past 12 months for our club. This was a season which included a huge growth in members (with a particularly large increase in the number of women riding with the Condors); the launch of the Oxfordshire Road Race League and Bike Oxford, two events which simply would not have happened without our club’s involvement. The Cowley Road Condors would like to send congratulations to Surrey Wheels For All, who are a very worthy winner of Decathlon’s Cycling Club of the Year.’’

www.condors.cc facebook.com/groups/cowleyroadcondors www.facebook.com/cowleyroadcondors @CRCondors © Photography by Jack Wilcock and Fi Walton

CYCLING TOURS - SCHOOL ADVENTURE - THE FREEDOM TRAIL - FAMILY ADVENTURE

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Oxfordshire & The Chilterns - Issue 02 - Summer 2015

News

Editor’s Ride – 96km (60m)

his is one of my favourite rides. I am blessed with living at the foot of the Chilterns and can pick and choose between hilly rides in the Chilterns, or flatter rides in the Aylesbury Vale and out towards Oxford and Bicester. I love this ride for its mixture of both hills and flatter sections but mainly because it encapsulates some of our region’s beautiful places. It also uses roads which are pretty quiet, which is always a pleasure. If you don’t know the roads already I can promise you a challenging as well as interesting route. It could always be broken into two shorter rides, one mainly in the Chilterns and the other in the Aylesbury Vale. The route is about 96km (60 miles) long and has about 1,100 metres (3,600 feet) of climbing. It is a figure of eight, so you can reverse either of the two loops or the whole route, of course. I won’t go into the detail of every twist and turn, as that would be a bit tedious. You can use the map on this page to build the route yourself or use the link to download the route. I will cover the general directions, points of interest and places to stop for food and drink. I’ll start the route in Princes Risborough where there is plenty of car parking. Other possible starting points that will handle smaller groups, where you will need to use local knowledge for parking, could be the top of Whiteleaf Hill, Lacey Green by the Whip Inn, Orchard View Farm café, Owlswick (with their permission), Long Crendon and Brill. Park in Princes Risborough in the Mount car park, Stratton Road, near the Church, for about £2. The first 20 miles will take you up and across the hills and valleys of the Chilterns and you will very soon go up Whiteleaf Hill, which is a very decent climb, with an average gradient of 10% and up to 20% in one short section. So you might like to do a couple of circuits around the housing estate soon after the start, to warm up before tackling the hill. If the weather is kind to you there will be plenty of spots to take in views over the Aylesbury Vale and across the Chilterns. When you cross the A4010 and go past Saunderton

station you start a 5 mile section along two valleys that are amongst my favourite local spots for cycling, for the peacefulness and scenery. Slough Lane meanders along a quiet valley and then as you wend your way along Bottom Road and up the small hill, take a moment to stop and just take in the peace and quiet, and the beauty of this small valley. Worth getting up for, especially on a sunny day. Tearing down Wigan’s Lane is fun and to be savoured as you prepare yourself to go up Kop Hill a little later. I guess the jury’s out on whether Kop Hill or Whiteleaf is more demanding but, personally, I think Kop Hill is harder, as it keeps coming at you and the steepest parts are at the top. After doing some 18 miles and a few hills it is a good test of your fitness. Once down in the Ayelsbury Vale you can set yourself up for a good 10 mile spin and enjoy cycling along the drive through Eythrop. After a fairly gentle climb you reach Main Road and as you go along the top of the hills enjoy the views, especially to your left towards the Chilterns. Then two hills to whizz down and one to go

See the full map at tiny.cc/editorsride up in between and some more quiet lanes and you are ready to tackle the last significant hill on the ride, at Brill. I suspect many of you will know Brill and a loop can be added to my route through Ludgershall and Piddington, if you want to come into Brill up the hill past the windmill, though it will add another 4 miles. If you fancy a breather there’s no better to place to stop, grab yourself some supplies at one of the two shops and pootle down to the windmill to take in the view. A long downhill run from Brill always feels good and it’s pretty much downhill all the way back to Princes Risborough; well a couple of small hills here and there, but you can make a good speed all the way back if your legs are up for it. It’s not difficult to imagine the different test this route can give you if you do the Brill loop first and follow it with the Chiltern’s loop. That way you will do some 40 miles before hitting Whiteleaf Hill and, unless you reverse the Chiltern’s loop, Kop Hill will be almost your last event of the ride. Definitely one for the masochists amongst you!

Places for food and drink

If this is to be a long but more relaxing ride there are plenty of pubs along the way where you could take in some lunch. In the Chilterns there is the Three Horseshoes in Radnage, The Whip Inn at Loosley Row and the Pink & Lily. Then in the Vale, the Prince of Wales in Marsh, The Pheasant and The Pointer in Brill, The Chandos Arms in Oakley, 3 or 4 in Long Crendon, the Bell in Chearsley and the Crown in Cuddington. Think I may have just created a decent pub crawl, but not on a bike! There are no village shops on the route in the Chilterns, though a small diversion to Walters Ash will find you one and you can, of course, pop back into Princes Risborough, before tackling the Brill loop. There are village shops in Stone (slightly off route) Brill, Long Crendon, Chearsley and Cuddington. There is a cycle friendly café at Orchard View Farm on Stockwell Road, just 300m north of the route as you turn right into Kimblewick Road.

Things to watch out for

As ever these days, the road surfaces are not great in places but not too bad overall, though there are plenty of potholes around. The lower part of Bottom Road, for about a mile after the end of Slough Lane, can become flooded after long periods of rain in the winter. Not impassable (so far!) but a few centimetres deep. Smalldean Lane, between Lacey Green and Walters Ash, has a very steep downhill section (around 20% or more) on a 90° bend and is narrow, so should be negotiated cautiously as an oncoming vehicle will have little room to move over. Down Whiteleaf Hill is fun but be aware of a tight 90° left hand bend at the steepest part. Again, a little caution is wise, or you will run out of road or meet an oncoming vehicle.

Oxford Bike Week 13th to 21st June

Everyday cycling for everybody!

By Josie Woodcock

ith June almost upon us, we can officially say that summer has arrived. June also signifies that Oxford bike week is nearly here. On Sunday June 13, Oxford will see a series of organised free rides and events in and around the city as part of a national celebration of cycling. Bike Week is the UK’s biggest mass participation cycling event, with almost half a million people participating at events across the country. The aim is to promote everyday cycling for everyone and to get more people cycling, more often. Bike Week events offer something for everyone; from families, schools and companies, to seasoned cyclists and those who have never cycled before. It’s coordinated by small groups of passionate cycling volunteers. Joining bike week rides is very easy, you just turn up and cycle, there is no need to worry about getting lost or having a breakdown, all rides have guides and someone always knows how to fix it if you get a flat tyre. The week kicks off with a women-only ride led through gorgeous countryside to Cuddesdon via Great Milton. The ride’s about 15 miles and goes at the pace of the slowest rider, along quiet roads. A lovely amble with some lovely people. Oxford Bike Week will also be at the Jericho Street Fair on the same day, so come along and talk to us about upcoming events. During the week, taking advantage of sunny evenings, we have a ride each evening. These include a Narnia-themed ride, where children are welcome, which goes to CS Lewis’ house and the ‘Wood between the Worlds’ from the Magician’s Nephew. If you’re interested in knowing about what went on in Oxford during World

War One, come and hear about the history of Oxford in war, from explosive research to dashing pilots and more! If you’re a keen cyclist, you will know that hunching over your stem for a long time can leave you cramped and sore. Why not try Yoga for Cyclists on Thursday evening? No yoga experience needed. Friday evening sees a ride to the Treacle Well in Binsey, a must for anyone who loved Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and has never seen the church and well that was inspiration for the great Lewis Carroll. On Saturday there is a 35 mile long ride led by Isis cyclists for women only, out to Stanford in the Vale – a chance to put some miles on your tyres. The highlight of the week celebrates the 20th birthday of our great and glorious national cycle network. Five rides, along National Cycle Network routes, from Charlbury, Woodstock, Bicester, Thame and Abingdon converge on Oxford for a celebratory picnic. Come for the rides, or come for the picnic at St. Ebbe’s school. There will be cake! Later that evening, for hardy distance cyclists, the Dorset Dash leaves Broad Street arriving at Avon Beach, Christchurch around 7.30am the next day. On Sunday morning, the ever popular Solstice Morning ride, leaves Broad Street at 5.45am to catch views of Oxford in the early morning light. Finally, on Sunday, Oxford CycleHack, part of the Global CycleHack event, is a workshop to discuss and find solutions for better cycling provision in Oxford, how to encourage children to cycle and encouraging safer student cycling in and around Oxford.

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Oxford Road Racing League

he ORRL kicks off on Tuesday 26th May with the first event being The Weston on the Green time trial and is hosted by Bicester Millenium CC. This round is only open to the 7 clubs of the league and is a

25 mile “Road Rules” Team Time Trial (TTT) at the Weston on the Green closed circuit. This will include a 9-man Men’s event and 5-woman Women’s event, both over 25 miles. Spectators are very welcome to attend.

Then there are 5 open road races and a criterium, with prizes for team, men’s, women’s and under-23’s riding for league clubs, provided by the league sponsors: Beeline Bikes, Azur cycle tours and the Sufferfest.

The ORRL has been created by a collaboration of 7 cycling clubs in central England: Cowley Road Condors CC; Didcot Phoenix CC; Bicester Millenium CC; G.S Henley; Outdoor Traders CC; Oxonians CC; and new for this

year, Reading CC. Each will be running a race and offering up and coming riders more opportunities to get into racing. The League is affiliated to British Cycling and as such riders can earn BC points (races are all classified Regional B) as well as League points. Each of the 7 clubs host one race during the summer, either on the road or on a closed circuit. Each race is on a different course and provides its own challenges, and rewards a different kind of rider. Points go towards both a rider’s BC licence and also towards their league tally. Riders are welcome from all clubs regardless of the region, though priority entry is given to riders from the 7 clubs hosting races as part of the league. www.orrl.co.uk

BMCC Silverstone 9-up

MB Swindon and the Croft Trail

hat a little treasure this is! The Croft MTB Trail sits on the south side of Swindon in the Croft Country Park and it is quite amazing how much has been put into a relatively small space and all by volunteers from the Swindon Mountain Biking Club. Phil Mayger is one of the founding members and is still very much involved in the Club, though confessed to us DIY is taking over. Not a good sign, Phil! The club meets every Friday evening to ride the Trail and Phil took us around

at a steady pace pointing out the way the trail had developed and allowing us to get to know it. We then took it in one go, starting to enjoy its potential. The Croft Trail is a meandering single track that was first created in 2007 but has been continuously developed over the years by the club’s members. It only occupies a space that is about 500m by 1km but is cleverly laid out to give a ride of about 5km in length. It lies on fairly flat ground but makes good use of the small dips and rises and is best described as a technical course rather than a demanding work

out. At first, when taken slowly, it seems quite undemanding, but as you up your pace it requires concentration and skill to get the best out of the many curves, tight turns, short flowing downhill sections and especially the raised wooden section. Not least because of the number of trees around the trail to make you think about your riding technique. It’s not a fast, technical downhill but it is a great place to hone your skills and has the virtue that it can give pleasure to beginners and the more experienced. Many of the club members use full

suspension bikes but a hard tail is fine too, just a bit lumpy in places! We can vouch for the very warm and relaxed welcome MB Swindon gives new participants; it is a friendly and noncompetitive club with the aim of promoting mountain biking and caters for all abilities. As well as the Croft Trail the club runs rides around the local area, as well as further afield, has a ladies ride group, training courses and a race team, doing both XC and gravity. Potential members can join “novice friendly” ™ rides with a route that will be suitable for riders

who wish to build up their confidence and where the pace will be adjusted to match the slowest rider. There will be plenty of support and advice, and you’ll be under no pressure to do anything you’re not happy with. They pride themselves on being friendly and having fun and that part is identical to the regular rides. As the sun went down and the light faded it was only a shame we did not have time to go around again. We will be back. For more details visit: www.mbswindon.co.uk

Team Time Trial Friday 19th June 2015

It’s too late to enter a team now, but why not go along to watch this fantastic event, the largest Team Trial Event in Europe. The event is in its fourth year and has grown from around 30 teams in 2012 to some 80 teams entered this year from clubs all over the country. Location: International Wing Silverstone Motor Racing Circuit. Circuit: Full Formula 1 Grand Prix Circuit 3.7 miles x 3 laps = 11 miles. Time: If coming along to only spectate please arrive around 7:00pm to allow all the teams to park and sort themselves out. The first team to start is the Hand Cycle AUK Team at 6:55pm and the first Bicycle team sets off at 7:02pm. Presentations & Prizes given on the F1 Winners Podium at 21:00 and everyone leaves at 21:30. This is a charity event - all proceeds go to: Prince’s Trust, Hand Cycling Association and JDRF (Curing type 1 diabetes).

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Oxfordshire & The Chilterns - Issue 02 - Summer 2015

News

THE UK’S NEWEST & MOST EXCITING DOWNHILL & FREERIDE CENTRE 1 Day Push & Ride Pass

£5 Pay On Arrival

The ultimate mountain biking experience set in the heart of the breathtakingly natural beauty of The Black Mountains. Situated just five miles north of Abergavenny, the centre is designed to inspire, excite and is guaranteed to take your breath away! The BMCC is predominantly a downhill and free ride centre which has been designed by renowned riders and trail designers Shaun Bevan and Gary Broad. They have joined forces to design a course which is unique to the UK. We can boast a trail that features a dramatic bridge, large table tops, flowy berms and the country’s best jump line, set on a working hill farm in beautiful unspoilt rural Wales. We aim to challenge enthusiasts of intermediate and advanced ability.

1 day ride pass with uplift

Midweek Group uplift service

Contact for availability

£25

PUSH UP AND RIDE:

Available every day from 10.00 – Dusk

Great Llwygy Farm Abergavenny NP7 7PE

07779 243099 gwenda@blackmountainscyclecentre.com

www.blackmountainscyclecentre.com

UPLIFTS:

10.00 – Dusk on Saturday and Sunday (Summer + Winter Months)

Book Ahead To Avoid DISAPPOINTMENT.

Book Now

STAGE 1

KENT, UNITED KINGDOM

WWW.REVOLVE24.COM

CYCLING RELAY SERIES IC MOTOR RACING CIRCUITS

AROUND SOME OF THE WORLD’S MOST SCENIC AND ICON

OPEN TO SOLOISTS AND TEAMS OF 2, 4, 6 & 8 FULLY INCLUSIVE RACE PACKAGE CLOSED ROAD RACING

19TH - 20TH SEPTEMBER

2015 REGISTER NOW Spaces are limited Book online:

revolve24.com/events/brands-hatch

For a cyclist, emotion is closed-roads, smooth asphalt, arduous climbs, exhilarating descents and fast sprints. Revolve24 have searched the planet to deliver the perfect package of emotion and competitive conditions for you to challenge your fellow racers on closed-road motor racing circuits.

www.revolve24.com

Summer 2015

e h T f O t r a P e m o c Be

UK bike sales grew 14% to £745 million in 2013

Over 17% of all working residents in Oxford cycle to work

44% of the population own a bike

10% of people cycle recreationally at least once per month

How many of your customers cycle? Reach thousands of potential customers through advertising with Pedal Your Cycle.

Advertise from as little as £24 Inc VAT

No strings attached, get your business featured on the center map for just £24. Want more exposure? A full page advert is just £250 exc VAT! Over 9,000 issues are distributed between the West Midlands, Wales and Oxfordshire. Combine this with our online readers and website traffic and you can expose your business to tens of thousands of potential customers Get in touch with Chris to discuss advertising in the Oxford edition: Chris Palmer - 07747015827 ads.oxford@pedalyourcycle.com www.pedalyourcycle.com

Oxfordshire & The Chilterns

West Midlands & Wales

n o i t u l o v e R Cycling