Pedal Your Cycle Oxford - Issue 3 - Autumn by lakewoodmedia

Racer for all occations P.5

I’m Free OXFORDSHIRE & THE CHILTERNS

AUTUMN 2015 ISSUE 03

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Interview

Uptonogood Mountain Bike Festival in pictures

Maxine’s Diary

Spirit Bikes Race Team The Season So far

Pedal Your Cycle P.14

P.8

P.16

The Free cyclists’ paper for oxfordshire & the chilterns

CALIFORNIA PART TWO Power To Your Pedal

an Francisco to Monterey done, hoping to catch our new found fellow cyclists, we were back on the tarmac. First stop Carmel, an unusual, enchanting town where apparently ladies need a permit to wear heels over 2 inches because of the irregular pavements; whose mayor was Clint Eastwood back in the eighties and rated a top 10 US destination year on year. The coastline was beginning to

change becoming more rugged, more winding, more hilly – the giant redwoods were calling. Here through Big Sur the mountainous cliffs drop at vertical angles into the tumbling surf, so the road is narrow and the terrain mentally and physically strenuous. We rounded one corner aptly named Hurricane Point and I was blown completely across the highway. Luckily there was no traffic, I regained my composure and set

Cycle, Stop and Stretch....P.18

off again battling the side-wind. That night’s camp was PfeifferBig Sur, a fabulous back-to-nature park where you pitch up right in the ancestral redwood forests with plenty of fire pits for cooking and keeping warm. First to greet us were the fixies, Elvis and Zeb, who had decided to have a rest day, their aching muscles needed time out. Now the reason you go North to South is simple - THE WIND,

My RideLondon Weekend....P.20

which blows strongest in the afternoon. At best it will rain dirt into your face whilst deafening you as it whistles through your helmet and at worst it will attempt to push you all the way back to Mexico should you ride against it. We had it on our side and by the end of the evening when stories where exchanged, we very nearly convinced two newcomers to turn around and come with us. Going south to north, their overriding

Club Column....P.23

memories were the wind and the fact that they pretty much were on their own for the journey. Next day, Big-Sur to Kirk Creek campground, destination decided only 30 miles today, minus side trips. According to our Bible, more demanding than the previous day. We set off first, the newbies still undecided, then slowly the rest of the gang gathered up Continued on page 4

A Hero In The Shaping....P.19

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Oxfordshire & The Chilterns - Issue 03 - Autumn/Winter 2015

News

Welcome

Editor’s Welcome 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.

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

Jeni Hughes

News & Copy Editor jeni@pedalyourcycle.com

Chris Palmer

heard on the radio this morning that yesterday (31st August) was the last official day of summer, so I hope you were able to make the most of the summer and all the various events that went on locally or elsewhere. Starting this cycling paper has opened my eyes to the variety of events, clubs and venues available to us cyclists, some of which have been under my nose for some years but passed me by. Hopefully we have helped to bring your attention to some of them this year. I was able to join in with the Tour de Vale, The Chiltern Cycle Festival, The Wallingford Festival, Uptonogood MTB festival and capped it all off with a wonderful weekend in London with the RideLondon 100. See my impressions of the weekend on pages 20 and 21. Zappi’s are one of our region’s well-known cycling clubs and their Gran Fondo on October 18th provides a great way to finish off your cycling season with 3 ride options with the big-Daddy of them all, the Gran, covering 115 miles but, as importantly also has 2,100 metres of climbing! That feels like a good way to justify all the eating for Christmas! More details on page 5. It’s been great to

hear about the youth development programme that the Outdoor Traders CC have been implementing and how the Cowley Road Condors have increased the number of women in the club from 10 to 55 in the space of one year. Read more about their achievements in this issue. There are clubs out there to suit any type of riding and through our web site we will be starting to help you choose the club that best suits you. As we start to enter another winter I wonder just how much longer we have to wait before our local roads are repaired to reduce the risk to cyclists. They are truly appalling across large sections of our region. I am continually perplexed as to why our busy roads are so poor, when I travel to other parts of the UK and see them is so much better condition. Perversely it seems the quieter the area and the less used the roads are, the more likely you are to come across well surfaced and newly surfaced roads. Examples I have come across include Devon, Cornwall and North Wales/ Anglesey. If roads in these areas are used less but maintained to a higher standard I can’t help thinking the distribution of monies for road maintenance is distorted.

If you have any comments or news to pass on to us we would love to hear from you and please email us at: chris@pedalyourcycle.com

Neil Coleman

Advertising & Sales Director neil@pedalyourcycle.com

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Club News

Outdoor Traders Cycling Club, Abingdon

t began, like so many good things, in a small and unintended way. James Choularton, the owner of Outdoor Traders, an independent Outdoor and Cycle specialist in Abingdon, went for a ride with friend Darren Milligan on a bright and chilly autumnal Saturday morning before the shop opened. Over the next few weeks more and more friends and friends of friends joined in. From the outset the rides were intended to have a mainly social focus and always left as a group and returned as a group, building into its foundation the belief that “no one gets dropped”. An ethos, James was keen to point out to PYC that still sits at the core beliefs of the club today. If someone is struggling to keep up with the group then there will always be people willing to support them. The group will ensure that all riders are afforded the same encouragement and support that had once been provided to many of them, at one time or another in the past. Shortly after the rides became an established

weekend fixture in Abingdon and numbers had swelled, the group decided that it would be beneficial to become a fully-fledged British Cycling affiliated club, ensuring it was offering a well structured environment and positive foundation for future growth. In 2013 Outdoor Traders Cycling Club was officially born. The club meets for rides on Saturday mornings at 06.30 to leave at 07.00 when all is quiet, and will do a gentle ride for about 20 to 25 miles or approximately one and a half hours in 2 or 3 groups of up to a maximum of 16 riders per group. There are also a Sunday rides meeting at 08.00 setting off at 08.30 and covering varying distances lasting around 2 to 4 hours with similar numbers to Saturday. Routes are posted on the OTCC and Outdoor Traders Facebook pages earlier in the week and a leaders and ‘sweepers’ are nominated beforehand to ensure the smooth departure and running of all rides. The club and riders enjoy access to the shop with all rides starting and finishing at the Outdoor Traders in

the centre of Abingdon. Riders are welcome to arrive before and enjoy a nice hot cup of coffee or tea, stay warm on the cold dark mornings of winter and enjoy friendly banter about all things cycle and beyond. Everyone is welcome, novices and experienced riders. Prospective members are encouraged to simply join in and regular club riders are happy to act as mentors during the ride passing on their knowledge and experience to those who may not have ridden in a group environment before. For those wanting to take riding more seriously or improve crucial riding skills or for those who may be interested in trying a spot of racing, the club provides regular opportunities away from its normal weekend rides. Blessed with having access to the airfield at Dalton Barracks where they can safely teach riders the essential skills needed to start racing and improve bike handling skills, OTCC organise a coach led Criterium camp on the second Wednesday of every month from April through to September. The Camps are open to all members

as well as those from outside the club and feature sessions that teach riding in echelon, braking, cornering and overtaking whilst in a group, among other things. The clubs and James’s desire to develop young riders into the racing scene together with more ambitious riders in the club wanting to be more competitive has led to the club forming its own racing team. The team which is sponsored by local businesses Outdoor Traders, OTCC, Breckon and Breckon, Take3 and sportswear company Velotec takes its training very seriously, meeting five or six days a week when the race schedule allows, training as a team and using sponsor Xhale’s software to monitor and assist the development of each rider. Spearheaded by Club and Team head coach Tony Ireland, who has been instrumental in developing cycling in Abingdon, the team, which is now in its second season, continues to compete in regional Criterium and road races and took a hard earned victory in this year’s Oxfordshire Road Race League after seven rounds

of exciting racing. The growing popularity of road riding and racing in the UK has not been exclusively male based and with 20% of the 135 person membership composed of women this year has seen some of the OTCC ladies try their hand at racing, some finishing a very respectable 8th place. To further ensure that the club is working to provide a solid channel for youngsters to get out and ride safely OTCC has introduced the Go-Ride scheme to develop young riders using the club’s qualified coaching team. Go-Ride is British Cycling’s development programme for young people. The programme 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. From October this year the club will create a full Race development team. Recognising it’s not always easy for a club to put in place the necessary controls to take on youth riders, Outdoor Traders have made that effort and now have 5 qualified Youth leaders. The introduction

of the development team will provide an opportunity for those interested in racing to benefit from the same training programmes that are in place and train alongside the team throughout the winter months. Outside of the organised events the club finds its very sociable nature has created no end of small groups coming together to do many events and holidays during the year, both in the UK and abroad. An annual barbeque and sportive which features a 50 and 100 mile organised rides followed by a grand BBQ helps round off the main part of the summer riding and cements the social nature of the club. If you would like to see what OTCC are all about, then come and join in with one of their weekend rides, both of which leave the Outdoor Traders shop in the High Street, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX14 5AX, or if you need more information, either call them on 01235 527704 or e-mail info@otcyclingclub. co.uk and they will answer any question that you have.

Oxfordshire & The Chilterns - Issue 03 - Autumn/Winter 2015

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Power To Your Pedal Continued from cover

their things and took to the road. Scattered along the route were many panoramic viewpoints, we took advantage of these to have a rest. The fixies, seeing nothing but their front wheels, had to stop in order to breathe, they were struggling to get to grips with the enormous climbs and descents. It was as if the road was clinging onto the cliff side and the boys were clinging onto the road. Miles upon miles of the most breathtaking scenery, this area of central California is wild and undeveloped. There’s a possibility of mountain lions, rattlesnakes, sea otters, sea lions and whales - yes please! No Mexican food wagons on the side today, and not many shops, it is really important to carry enough for a meal just in case. In full summer this stretch could be tricky. The road is so narrow in places and with an added volume of nervous tourists in leviathan RV’s, I’m not sure it would be quite so exhilarating. Its charm, beauty and feeling of desolation would be lost. The next morning we were up early, as was becoming the way, tea, porridge, route briefing then off. Our camp had been at sea level, with sandy beach access – although the water here is too cold for swimming in November, so the warm-up today was a hill climb! In fact, for the next 20 miles, climbing and diving along the grey line that had scratched its way into the headland. Then in the turn of a corner, low, gentle rolling hills and a huge sigh of relief, the miles flew by. Remember the wind thing, on this stretch we saw the evidence. In the distance and on the opposite side of the road a lonely cyclist. He was there a while, had he stopped? A puncture? No, he was pedalling for all he was worth, with his head resting on his knees it was so low and getting absolutely NOWHERE except possibly backwards!! Walking would have been quicker and more productive. He didn’t acknowledge us, and probably failed to see the herd of wild zebra grazing the fields below Hearst Castle. San Simeon was home for the night and here I finally saw a raccoon. After days of hearing them and seeing the aftermath, Elvis invited

By Dawn Farnworth me to join in the chase and scare them off, hilarious. The next two nights took us to Oceano Campground and Lompoc, both of these sites felt different somehow, not hugely threatening but uneasy. Oceano is close to sand dunes inhabited by homeless people and we were warned not to leave our things lying around. The terrain here also changes with the transition from central to southern California. You weave your way through the level valley floor growing acres of strawberries, leeks and sprouts all being harvested together. The warmer air is filled for miles with the aroma of the strawberries and eucalyptus trees. The Monarch butterfly also stops along this route on its migration to Mexico. From Oceano we back tracked to Pismo Beach to find literally thousands hanging from the trees like dead leaves, until the sunlight warmed their wings enough for them to wake up and take flight. Captivating. The climb out of Lompoc is long, 13 miles all up with a couple of nasty steep bits. We were moving into an urban area, with a mix of freeways, back roads, and cities. The freeways have broad shoulders for cyclists, and though the traffic is daunting, the US drivers are far more courteous than ours. Sat around the campsite discussing this fact one night, Brett decided this was because they are never sure if we’re carrying guns. With LA looming, evening debates often centred around the megalopolis and how we were ever going to get through it and come out alive. Next though was Refugio, a pretty site overlooking the beach, with welcoming hot showers. The ride was about 40 miles, we saw a couple of big wild boar on the roadside but still no rattlesnakes. Again talk of LA. All breakfasted we set off for Carpenteria, another 40 miles. It claims to have the world’s safest swimming beach, long and sandy with no undertow. We passed through Santa Barbara, not too big, a colourful city with a host of Spanish influences and homeless people sleeping under the palm trees along the promenades. That evening we caught back up with Brett’s gang and in celebration we all went to the pub just across

from the campsite over the train track. The deep two tone blow of the Pacific Surfliners had been chasing us for days. A good night at the pub meant an early brisk walk along the beach was needed to clear the head before breakfast. It says in our Bible that whale bones wash up along this coastline but so far no joy until this morning. Two pieces, one much larger than the other, lie amongst the seaweed. After much wrangling and a refusal from Steve re the heaviest we carefully wrapped 18 inches of rib bone and put it in the trailer – yet another big smile. The evening’s destination hadn’t really been decided when everyone left that morning, a choice of two, Sycamore Canyon or Leo Carillo Beach, 5 miles apart, both on the outskirts of LA. The terrain was forgiving, nearly level and views to the ocean gave us palm trees and oil rigs. In one instance, an oil rig too close to the shore was disguised as an island, the only one of its kind and still in operation today. Arrival at the Canyon and there had been a bushfire, everything smelled burnt and black, we really didn’t want to stay, so we pushed on trying to convince the lone female cyclist who had already pitched there to join us. Leo Carillo was out of the fire zone, much nicer, with hot showers and a small camp store. Before long we were reunited with our stove, which we had left behind in our enthusiasm to get going, and the rest of the gang. Without delay we were huddled around the fire making tea, swapping stories and nervously laughing with LA looming tomorrow….. A bicycle trip can be as simple as putting on a pair of shorts, climbing on a bike and pedalling down a country road, or something completely different. Cycling saying: You’re only one ride away from a good mood.

“A bicycle trip can be as simple as putting on a pair of shorts, climbing on a bike and pedalling down a country road, or something completely different.”

Part 3 continued in Issue 4

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Event News

The fourth edition of Zappi’s Gran Fondo is set to be bigger and better in 2015 than any other time before, with October 18th fast approaching, entries for places on one of the three routes are filling up quickly. Zappi’s Gran Fondo will be that final challenge on many a cyclist’s calendar. And what a year it has been! We’ve seen the third British winner of the Tour De France in four years; not to mention Sir Bradley Wiggins holding the current World Hour Record. Participation in cycling is at an all-time high with membership in British Cycling now over one hundred thousand strong! It is truly a golden

age of cycling in the UK. With expectations of up to 400 riders, this is not a sportive any rider will want to miss. The Gran Fondo is the perfect stage to capture all the hard work and miles ridden over the summer. So give yourself that final season challenge and prove to yourself that you deserve at least a couple of weeks off before the long winter miles start again. If you follow one of Oxfordshire’s largest and friendliest clubs, Zappi’s always deliver an event with style - if it wasn’t, our Italian credentials would be revoked! There is no denying that the club’s founder, Flavio Zappi has an infectious if

not somewhat irregular charm about him. For anyone who meets him, member of the club or not, they are always bound to walk away with a story about Flavio. And this is reflected in every part of the annual event. This year’s routes, the Piccolo, Medio and Gran Fondo will be both challenging and beautiful. They will offer new sights and scenes plucked from many of the club’s favourite routes. This is a cyclist’s sportive, designed by Zappi’s Cycling Club and its members. Starting from The Polo Club Park Farm, Kirtlington, Kidlington, Oxfordshire OX5 3JQ each route is carefully crafted with a wide range of rolling hills, sharp and short climbs and some of the best descents in the Home Counties. The Piccolo - at 35 miles (56 kilometres), is perfect for the little bambino on two wheels, or if you’re

Summertowncycles.co.uk 01865 316885

just getting started on your own two wheels, you’ll find it the ideal challenge. Families are welcome to ride together and enjoy at least one climb out of the Evenlode Valley, which ought to give you an idea of how the riders could be suffering out there on the road. The Medio - this is a very lumpy 65 miles through the Cotswold hills with 1,132 metres of climbing. It’s not unusual for our club members to ride this type of loop at full gas on one of our ‘medium fast’ club runs. This type of terrain is a favourite for a Saturday morning ride. The Gran - The mother of all sportive routes. Nearly twice the distance of the Medio with almost twice the amount of climbing. 115 miles through the Cotswolds, climbing over 2,100 metres. It will feature a new challenging descent, a loop around the rolling

roads of Warwickshire and a visit to Fish Hill on the outskirts of Broadway. Make it up Fish Hill and you’re home free! So what are you waiting for? Book your place and look forward with anticipation to our wellstocked feed stations, with our friendly club members cheering you on along the way. Zappi’s Gran Fondo will offer a relaxed atmosphere to the whole event, with a very good HQ, situated on the grounds of Kirtlington Polo Park. Fresh Italian coffee will be on-hand to get you started and pizzas by the time you get back! Visit our sponsors showcase, grab a postride massage and enjoy the fresh coffee and baked goods available. New sponsors are being confirmed all the time and the club’s thanks must go out to the generosity of Maylarch Environmental, Infinity Foods and Clif Bar. Goody bags will also

01865 728877

be on-hand and given to every rider that finishes the ride. Expect a range of lucky-dip items courtesy of Muc-Off, Fuel It Sports Nutrition, and Zappi’s Pro Cycling key sponsor Planet X. Caps, socks, arm warmers, chain lube and bike cleaner, you won’t go home empty-handed. In fact you will be ready to face those winter miles fully prepared.

For more information visit: granfondo.zappis.cc Book your place now on British Cycling: tiny.cc/zappies

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Oxfordshire & The Chilterns - Issue 03 - Autumn/Winter 2015

Gear Test

Quick Test

TWO BIKES WITH A SIMILAR AIM – PERFORMANCE AND COMFORT By Chris Palmer

his bike test is more about giving you a view on two possible ways to achieve a similar goal, rather than a suggestion that one bike is better than the other. That goal being to ride a quality bike that will offer a comfortable ride over a long distance but still have the performance to satisfy competitive riding. That pretty much sums up the ambitions of many sportive riders. We want to be able to ride a bike that allows us to get the best from ourselves but will also look after our comfort after several hours in the saddle on our nonetoo-smooth British roads. The Trek Domane 5.2 Ultegra Di2 comes with a full Ultegra specification

with a compact 50/34 chainset, 11-28, 11-speed cassette, Ultegra brakes. The wheels are Trek’s own brand Bontrager RL race wheels and the tyres Bontrager R3 Hard-Case Lite, 120tpi, aramid bead, 700x25c. The saddle, seatpost, bars and stem are all Bontrager. The price of the Di2 version is £3100. Enigma sell their titanium frames on their own or you can specify various levels of build. Our test bike was an Enigma Evade made up by Roadroom, Tring to a full Ultegra specification with the same compact chainset and the 11-28 cassette as for the Trek Domane. The wheels were Fulcrum Quattros and the tyres Scwalbe Durano 25’s,

a tyre aimed at providing a durable racing tyre with RaceGuard puncture protection. The price of the frame and forks is £2,200 and the build can be specified individually. Titanium frames are well known for their durability, lightness and smooth riding and the Evade frame is sold as being created for fast, smooth endurance riding. The Evade has an oversize 44mm down tube and matching head tube designed to increase lateral rigidity for a performance ride. Buying the frame or a whole build with many options means you can make up a bike that is individual for you. One of the key features of the Trek is its IsoSpeed decoupler between the

seat tube and top tube that allows tremendous flex in the seat tube by decoupling the seat tube from the rest of the bike that brings comfort in the saddle. Meanwhile performance is maintained through the oversized BB90 bottom bracket and oversized asymmetric chain stays. So, how did the two bikes ride? The key difference between the two bikes is that with the Evade it feels like the whole of the frame is damping out road vibration. The experience is that you are on something that is just ….. smooth. The only downside we found is that a heavier rider applying full power up a hill may find a little flex when out of the saddle such that we experienced some

17 High Street, Lambourn RG17 8XL Tel: 01488 71094

very minor chain rub on the front derailleur. The Trek immediately feels like a lighter and more reactive bike that cannot be explained solely by a difference in weight. Our 55cm Evade weighed in at 8.47 Kg and the Trek 56cm at 7.75Kg, so not a huge difference. But the feeling comes from that huge bottom bracket and stiff frame that applies what you put in to going forward. From the comfort aspect the Trek feels fantastic at the rear end with the decoupler doing its stuff to act as suspension over the bumps. At the front-end vibrations are more noticeable and not quite as smooth as the Evade but the ride is still very comfortable. So, how would you make

a choice between the two. We would suggest that if performance and speed with comfort are your main aim then the Trek is the obvious choice giving you a reactive ride that will help you on the hills and on the descents. If comfort with a good performance is the preference then you won’t go wrong with the Enigma Evade. You will feel like you are gliding over everything. Naturally, appearance and style will also influence your selection and in both bikes you will find a great finish and two very stylish frames, so that is one for personal choice. Our thanks to The Road Room, Tring, part of the Mountain Mania group of shops for supplying the bikes for our test.

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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

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News

BMCC Silverstone 9-up Team Time Trial Being used to going to a GP at Silverstone it was quite eerie to drive around the empty perimeter road in the early evening sunshine with not a sole in sight. On the day of a GP 100,000 people fill the stands and banking and the perimeter road is awash with slow moving people moving in opposite directions going somewhere. As I arrived behind the pits the hundreds of cars told me there must be people somewhere and sure enough in the vast warehouse-like pits buildings hundreds of cyclists were milling around in club strip of every colour imaginable and more besides. Teams were in groups talking tactics, riders on rollers warming up and others chatting and laughing while others seemed more affected by the tensions of the race to come. Walking through the pits into the pit lane where F1 cars assault the eardrums,

it was still very peaceful and bathed in summer evening sunshine with just the sound of voices and the race organiser marshalling teams to start their time trial. The teams of 9 were lining up to depart every minute or so and whilst many were relatively local others came from Southend on Sea and St Neots, for example. Some teams were obviously very experienced at time trials whilst others struggled to keep together right from the off. As for many of us the zest for the race to come was very evident at the start, but the effort involved was equally evident a lap later as some riders were dropped. Teams had to finish with 5 riders to gain a time after 3 laps of the circuit. The whole event is a tremendous achievement for Bicester Millenium CC and they are to be congratulated and thanked wholeheartedly for putting on such a great event.

The categories were for Mens, Ladies, Mixed, Junior and Vets and the results in each category were as follows: Ladies 1st Zappi’s Ladies, 2nd Corley Cycles – Drops RT Female, 3rd Berkshire Tri Squad Female Team Mens 1st Richardsons Trek RT, 2nd Corley Cycles – Drops RT Senior men, 3rd Arbis 0 Colbert Cycles RT

Vets 1st Mapperley CC Team Saga, 2nd BMCC B Team, 3rd OTCC 3 Mixed Litchfield CCC Ladies and Men, 2nd RP Racing Mixed, 3rd TCC Lads and Lasses. Full results are available at: tiny.cc/silverstone-TT

Juniors 1st Zappi’s Boys, 2nd RP Racing Juniors, 3rd Corley Cycles – Drops RT Junior

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

Oxfordshire & The Chilterns - Issue 03 - Autumn/Winter 2015

Festival News

Mountain Bike Festival

www.uptonogood.org.uk

f you like riding offroad and didn’t go to Uptonogood then make sure you look out for next year’s event. The organisers, Mike Tibbetts and Bob Lott and all their team of helpers, have created quite a special day out for us cyclists. There were rides for everyone from 5 mile rides for the young ones up to a 35 miler for the more seriously minded. The routes used much of the Ridgeway and were demanding enough going uphill and had some great single track on long downhill sections. It certainly seemed that the gods were looking after us as all around rain fell from time to time whilst the festival stayed dry. The quality of the music after the rides is very high making it easy to rest weary legs whilst

being entertained to a very eclectic mix of bands and singers. The music was only matched by the quality of the beer and especially the hot dogs. The event is set up primarily as a fund-raising and just over £10,000 was raised this year. The organisers primarily support local causes with this money and some of the main beneficiaries in the past, Upton village hall, Upton recreation ground and Blewbury School, may well benefit again this year. Mike and Bob offered a big thank you to all our volunteers (marshals, registration, bar staff, BBQ, car parking, sweepers etc.), without whom the event would not be possible, each of whom will be invited to nominate £20 of the funds raised for their preferred charity.

Above: Bob doing a Start briefing. By Isabela. Right: Isabela Marcham poised to start. By Dawn Fletcher. Bottom Right: Pull up a bale and listen to the music. By Dawn Fletcher. Bottom Left: Jali Fily Cissokho entertains. By Dawn Fletcher.

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Top: Riders pushing on near the start. By Anthony Pease. Left: Matt Wigley tries to convince us heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not really tired! By Dawn Fletcher. Middle: Photo by Anthony Pease. Bottom: The Intercepteurs. By Dawn Fletcher.

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Oxfordshire & The Chilterns - Issue 03 - Autumn/Winter 2015

Club News

Women cyclists love the Condors

ow many cycle clubs do you know of that have a section on their web site dedicated to women? Not too many, and the Cowley Road Condors found a huge surge of interest from women cyclists simply from creating a section on their web site for them. The Club had made a real effort over the last year to increase the number of women cycling with the club and have raised membership from 10 to 55 in 12 months, so that women riders now represent 40% of the membership. A good website may bring in initial interest, but to retain members the club pride themselves on friendly and supportive experiences when new members turn up, and on subsequent rides. It is absolutely not about creating a separate world within the club, but

rather all about making a particular effort to make women feel welcome and encouraged to join a club, and to take their cycling forward. Newbie rides are organised to give beginners an experience of riding in a group before joining on a regular club night. That said, the steadier paced groups on Tuesday evenings and weekends are ideal for beginners to join, so there’s no need to wait for a newbie ride to come out. We met up with Cheryl Reid and Laura Cee who have championed the drive to increase women’s membership, as well as Club founder and President Ollie Jaques. With encouragement from the Club’s predominantly male Board and its membership the club formed a Women’s Committee that also includes Rachael Peterson, Tyra Rivkin and Fi Walton. Club rides at all levels

remain mixed-sex rides where the intention is to provide social rides as well as more serious ones with groups of similar ability irrespective of their sex. Asked why it was felt necessary to put emphasis to making women feel welcome, Laura and Cheryl said women like to be around other women in a cycling environment, not just for social rides but to develop together with other women their riding skills and raise their level. Cycling clubs can feel like a predominantly male environment so they wanted to change that perception. From the club’s perspective the existing ladies members also wanted to increase numbers so the club could form teams and compete in local events. A great innovation has been to hold a series of summer sessions for women who wanted to see if they were interested

in riding more seriously and whether or not to join a club. 35 women signed up for the sessions to start with and 18 have become members of the club so far. We at PYC were so impressed by this idea it is one we would commend to all clubs as a way of encouraging new members, whatever their sex, age or ability. The sessions not only were a bike ride but also included topic notes and a maintenance workshop in partnership with the Broken Spoke coop. Skills such as riding in groups, climbing, gears and cadence were all covered, as well as useful tips on items like nutrition. To keep groups manageable rides were made up of around 8 riders. It’s not hard to imagine the time and effort that had to be put in to make this happen. If you only imagine organising the summer sessions each

group needs a ride leader and the notes all have to be prepared and presented. Laura and Cheryl told PYC how they wanted to make sure the whole effort was not half-baked. They and the rest of the committee have made sure they cover all the angles and provide a professional but informal welcome to new members as well as ensuring existing women members are allowed to develop their riding in the way they want. Laura is the ladies’ raceteam captain and helps with developing riding skills from novices to those wanting to do time trials and racing. In her spare time (when!?) she also takes part in the South East Women’s Time Trial Series. www.sewtts.co.uk

It is testament to the new impetus that the club now had a women’s race team that could take part in an event like the Silverstone Team Time Trial event and next year the club wants to enter 2 ladies’ teams. Earlier this year the ladies entered the 53 mile Bicester Millennium Woodstock Classic Women’s Road Race with a team of 8 willing ladies, ranging from seasoned racers to first time newbies. Quite something that Aimee Fenwick finished 4th and Laura was in the top 20. It also says a lot about the progress made that the club’s recent TT at Stadhampton had 16 ladies taking part.

If the club’s approach interests you, take a look at their women’s section on the website www.cowleyroadcondors.cc/ladies-welcome and of particular note is Cheryl’s story. Not quite rags to riches, but commuting-hybrid rider to road-racing time trialist and racer in 12 months has clearly enriched her life.

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Oxfordshire & The Chilterns - Issue 03 - Autumn/Winter 2015

News

Maxine Filby’s diary

of a racer for all occasions

’ve had a busy few months full of amazing highs and heart breaking lows. At the beginning of a season you set out goals you’d like to achieve that season and, for me, I usually choose one race I’d really like to do well in. All my training is then built around this goal; everything leading up to it is just practice, although I always want to win any race that I enter. This year it was the World Mountain Bikes Marathon Championships in Italy at the end of June. I planned plenty of exciting races leading up to it, to get me in shape for some lungbusting climbs. I’m predominantly a mountain biker but I do like to dabble in road racing occasionally. I especially enjoy the big circuit races that are normally held in town centres. You tend to get a big crowd and lots of people cheering you on. It makes the atmosphere electric and I always push myself that little bit harder than normal. My first big road race of

the year was the Masters National Championships, this is a championship race for anyone over the age of thirty. It was quite local to where I live so I knew the circuit well. The race had some super-strong girls in it, so I was just hoping to keep with the pace and finish in the bunch. It was a lovely race and really well organised with the riders respecting one another. I’d just come back from a week in the South of France having fun climbing mountains and scaring myself on descents, so I was hoping I’d be a little stronger than earlier in the season. It was a fast-paced race with riders attacking, including myself, but no one got away. I’m not known for my sprinting ability, more the lack of it, so when I realised it was going to come down to a sprint my heart sunk a little. Within the last couple of kilometres the pace got faster and everyone was jostling for position, with adrenaline pumping through my body I told myself to wait, I sat around

sixth place and waited for the final push. As the sprint broke I pushed as hard as I could, I couldn’t believe it when I realised I managed to nab the silver medal. What a surprise! Thinking back to it now still brings a huge smile to my face although I can’t wait for next year to try and get the National title; racers are never satisfied with second. Another National Championships, but this time off road and for a little longer. The Mountain Bike XC Marathon Championships was in Selkirk in Scotland. A long journey but a scenic journey up North was well worth it for a fabulous course. 80km of varying terrain from rocky uphills, muddy technical descents, to hike a bike sections. It had a bit of everything. As my focus has been on the marathon distance this year I was hoping for a good result. Setting off I was towards the back of the grid and never really got into a rhythm. With these longer

distances I’m learning it’s more of a mental challenge than physical. To keep pedaling for five hours when you’re cold and miserable takes some doing. I looked forward to each descent and began dreading the climbs, my energy had decided to take the day off, so I felt like I was plodding round. However, I surprised myself by crossing the line in sixth place. Not too bad considering I thought I’d gone round at a snail’s pace. It was great to see so many women on the start line, I think there was around twenty, which for an event that is so far away for most shows the increase in women’s participation at this level. It makes you up your game and push harder for next year. Next on the calendar was a local XC mountain bike race, the Southern XC Series at Wasing Park near Reading. This course was used for the National Championships a few years ago, so I was looking forward to going back.

The organising team at Southern XC have been pushing for more technical courses which I love. This one didn’t let me down, it had gap jumps, log steps up and down, coupled with one huge drop off. Adel, my MuleBar Girl team mate, was racing too so we set off to do a practice lap. We tackled everything and even did the huge drop after a couple of run ups. I was chuffed to bits to overcome the section. I put a lot of time into my skills sessions on the mountain bike, it’s equally as important as fitness in my opinion. I’m very lucky to work with Ian Warby from B1ke and train regularly at Aston Hill with him on the downhill tracks. This prepares me for courses like Wasing and being able to tackle huge sections with confidence. As I’ve been concentrating on the longer distance a short XC race was a bit of a shock to the system, I’d forgotten just how fast they were. I had a small crash in a simple section where I just lost a bit of concentration,

but I managed to hold on to second place so was pleased to get on the podium. Adel bagged third spot so it was a pretty successful day for the MuleBar Girls. Back to the road again for some short-circuit racing, the first being the Tour Series. You may have seen it on ITV4. It’s a series of races in town centres that are fast and furious. I did the Croydon round and it was seriously fast, I was flat out from the off. I finished in 40th place which I was satisfied with, just pleased to be in such a prestigious race series. The next last was the London Nocturne, this is one of my favourite races. It is around Smithfield Market in central London. It always has a huge crowd and the most amazing atmosphere. Again it was flat out from the start. There were a few crashes that I’d managed to avoid but it made the race quite confusing as we were having to slow down in sections. Unfortunately this caused my group to

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be lapped by the leader so we were pulled out with three laps to go. I was so disappointed but it just makes me go away and try to get faster and fitter. The following day I stood on the start line of the Tour of Cambridge, a closed road sportive that had a race section too. I thought it’d be a bit of fun and would use it as some extra training. The race section was made up of two thousand riders and as you can imagine it was

a rather large and varied field. Riding in a group like this you have to put your trust in the riders around you that they aren’t going to do anything rash and stay safe. The group had split and I was in a nice group of around thirty riders, we’d worked well together and as we approached the half way mark I was beginning to relax and enjoy it. As we were ticking along at about 25mph, so not hanging

around, I heard the horrible sound of bikes hitting the floor on my left hand side and realised someone had gone down. To my horror it had produced a domino effect and bikes were falling towards me. I thought I’d managed to pass through only to be hit by someone on my right and that awful feeling off skidding down the road followed. I lay there and wiggled me toes and fingers and began to get back up. I didn’t feel

hurt and was now very cross, I just wanted to get back on and finish. Picking up my bike I realised that wasn’t going to happen, my beautiful Token Tubular rear wheel was bent in half. It was at that point my elbow began to hurt and the realisation that I’d actually sustained some damage too. It didn’t look too bad but the medic assured me I’d need to go to hospital. Uh oh! I had the World Championships in less than

three weeks that wasn’t what I needed to hear. After a visit to A & E I found I’d skinned my elbow and gashed it complete with a sprinkling of gravel deep inside of it. A trip to the plastic surgeon the next day for it to be cleaned and, with much debate, stretching my skin and stitching it back together. It was pretty amazing really, they managed to fill a huge hole in my elbow and ten stitches later I was sent home with the strict instruction not to bend my arm for three weeks. I gently inquired if it was possible they thought I’d be able to ride my bike any sooner, I had a really important race coming up. Did I want my elbow to stay together or would I like a permanent hole was the reply! I could have burst into tears on the spot. The race I had worked all year for and had dreamt of doing was now off the cards. I even had the GB kit sat at home waiting to be packed up. One moment of someone losing concentration had taken my biggest ever race away

from me to say I was gutted was an understatement. I’m a firm believer in not moping around so after three weeks off the bike I’m all healed complete with another scar that tells a story. I have a few. I’m back on the bike and loving it; I missed it so much that I’m sure I’m riding better just from the pure enjoyment of being back on it. I have a number of races planned including two rather big ones. The London GP which is a race in front of Buckingham Palace along the mall and one in the South of France, the Roc D’Azur, a big Mountain Bike festival. So hopefully I’ll have more highs than lows in the next issue!

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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Oxfordshire & The Chilterns - Issue 03 - Autumn/Winter 2015

News

SPIRIT BIKES RACE TEAM THE SEASON SO FAR

n our first issue we introduced readers to Spirit Bikes, so how has their season been going? The Spirit bikes race team is made up of 10 road riders and 1 triathlete and base themselves around the Spirit Bikes shop in Aylesbury. They race mainly in English national races, but have also competed in Ireland, France and Belgium, Holland and even Hungary. We spoke to Jake Hales, team road-captian about the season so far.

Where and when does the team race? The team competes week in week out from March through to September in races ranging from foreign stage races, to premier calendars and elite circuit series crits, right down to the local Thursday night world champs at the MK Bowl - a firm rider favourite. Riders usually race twice a week, and complete over 50 races within a season.

How is the team ranked nationally? The team has had bad luck with injuries and illness this year, meaning we have not scored as many ranking points as we might have

hoped for. Despite that we still sit around 20th in the national team rankings; not bad considering most of us work full time!

What is the team’s best result so far this season? By far the stand out result of the year is Jack Waller’s solo win in stage 3 of the Tour of the North in Ireland. After Ed Clemens made the early stage breakaway, only to be brought back by a French team, Jack Waller and Cameron Woolsey took advantage of the hard start to force away a breakaway group around half way through the stage. They worked hard to build a lead, putting pressure on the local favourites to chase. Going into the last 10Km, the group held on to a 1-minute lead, and on a nasty 15% climb, Jack, still feeling strong , took advantage and forged ahead with one other rider. They worked well together until the final kilometre, conscious of their ever decreasing lead. With just under 1000metres to go, Jack hit out alone to take the win. Jake and Cameron backed this up with 3rd and 12th- enough to take the lead in the team standings with one stage remaining.

T he team ended the race with a stage win, 4th overall in the team classification as well as numerous top 10 stage results. So pleased was manager Russell Rowles that he gave an emotional (embarrassing) speech in front of a packed restaurant the evening of the last stage! What has the team done to make improvements this season, has this lead to any stand out performances? Russell and Chris worked hard over the winter to secure some great sponsors. The team has taken advantage of sponsorship from Rotor to supply most of the riders with power meters. This along with senior rider, and sports scientist Jake Hales coaching the younger riders has meant that some riders have seen vast improvements in their performance. A great example of this is newbee Oli Barbieri- a rider who had only ever done one race before this season, but who has impressed so much, he was signed after a string of solo race wins and is now a solid part of the elite team. ‘Senior rider and team road captain Jake Hales, who has in the past spent 2 years riding for professional team ‘IG Sigma Sport’ tells us what it’s like racing for Spirit Bikes Race Team’

What’s life like fitting in all the training and racing around your normal life? After taking a year out last year to focus on my masters, I was keen to step things back up a level in 2015 with Spirit Bikes. For the first half of the season, having got myself tied into a house contract where I was at University, I found myself in the unenviable position of having to combine my racing with working full time nights - something I do not recommend! This was, at times, extremely hard; waking up when it’s already dark during winter and then having to go out training was difficult, and certainly character building….. However since moving home in July I have been lucky enough to be able to take time out of working to commit to riding the rest of the season full time. I competed in the national circuit race series, coming between 18-24th in every round I did - definitely a step in the right direction towards being competitive

with the top riders in the country and something I was pleased about.

How does Spirit compare to a professional team? I can honestly say this is the most fun I have ever had during a season of bike racing. All the riders get along so well, and everyone is so motivated. Russell and Chris are great managers/ owners and provide the best support they can with the budget that we have. They are highly motivated to keep improving the team year on year, and one day I believe they will make this team one of the best in the country. They are already planning next season and I’m sure we will make huge steps forward again.

What’s it like travelling to races and dealing with all the practical aspects of doing a race? Sometimes it can be hard. Getting back from crits at 2 in the morning is never ideal, but it costs

a lot of money to stay in hotels and we don’t yet have the resources to do that. However we are lucky enough to have a team car and a team van, which means we can carry everything we need for a race; from food to spares of everything, we always have what we need.

What have been the best and worst moments this season? Ireland was definitely the high point. Had we not all been so tired, a lot more beers could have been drank the evening the race finished! Every season comes with its lows however. It’s been hard seeing team mates struggle through injury and illness. Jack Beezer and Chris Dredge have missed almost the whole season, but I’m sure they will come back stronger than ever for next year.

For more details on the team and its fortunes go to www.spiritbikes.co.uk

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Oxford Road Race League The final race and RESULTS The overall winners of each category were: Men’s Team – 1st Outdoor Traders Race Team, 2nd G.S. Henley and 3rd Cowley Road Condors Ladies’ Team – 1st Cowley Road Condors, 2nd G.S.Henley and 3rd Oxonian CC Men’s individual – 1st Michael Devaney (Cowley Road Condors), 2nd Gavin Howell (BMCC) and 3rd Darren Milligan (Outdoor Traders RT). Ladies’ Individual – 1st Lydia Brookes (G.S. Henley) 2nd Laura Cubiss (Cowley Road Condors) and 3rd Michelle McCarthy (BMCC).

he 2nd Oxfordshire Road Race League, which started back in May came to a blistering conclusion on the rain soaked roads of the Great Milton course on the morning of Sunday 26th July. In the week preceding, at Dalton Barracks, Mike Devaney of the Condors took an unassailable lead in the Men’s individual rankings after impressive showings throughout the season, taking a number of top 3 positions. In the same week in the Ladies’ race Laura Cubiss, also of the Condors, jumped ahead of closest rival (and reigning

female champion) Lydia Brookes of G.S.Henley, setting up a show down for the final event! The men’s overall team prize was still a three way race into the last event, with G.S.Henley narrowly holding off OT Race Team and the Cowley Road Condors. As with most of the league races, we were lucky enough to be commissared by Patrick Kavanagh, who gave a short briefing about the conditions and the course, then the riders were underway. Despite the awful wet and windy conditions (our first league race in heavy rain in 2 years of racing, so we

shouldn’t complain…) the riders rode an incredibly safe and highly skilled race with no crashes or incidents throughout. Yet more evidence that regular racing really does upskill riders. After a few attempts to get away early from a slightly labouring peloton, 3 of the young guns extricated themselves into a break. Tim Allen (RP Racing), Sam Calder (Beeline Bikes) and John Mulvey (Cambridge Uni CC) forged ahead, working up over a minutes lead. Due to the composition of the break, there was no need for the three teams gunning for overall league standings to

For full results tables go to www.orrl.co.uk chase. It was left to Bicester Millennium who had Gavin Howells well placed in the league table to pull, with Tim Beaven taking some huge turns at the front. The last lap saw the usual upping in pace as riders realised the break had a potentially winning lead. A few more riders were jettisoned over Clare Hill, including Laura Cubiss and Michelle McCarthy (the other 2 ladies riding) but those who made it over were well placed for the turn and run up to the finish. Lots of riders put in big turns to help team mates come to the front, whilst up front, it was clear that the break had survived.

With Tim Allen fading over the crest of the finishing climb, Sam Calder bolted from the wheel to take first, John Mulvey taking second and junior rider Tim taking third. Over the crest of the hill came the bunch, BMCC’s hard work clearly paid off as Gavin Howells led the bunch home, with Darren Milligan of OTRT and Simon Jones of G.S.H on his wheel. These three riders would slot in this order behind Mike Devaney on the men’s individual rankings, a great effort on the day. Just behind was the brave Lydia Brookes who stuck it out with the men

to finish safely in the pack. With Laura outsprinting Michelle McCarthy to take second, there was a tie between Laura Cubiss and Lydia Brookes for first overall woman. As per BC guidance, this meant that by winning the last stage Lydia had (just) done enough to take the overall leader’s position. In the team events Outdoor Traders Race Team narrowly won the Men’s Club Ranking with a good haul of points in the last race and in the Ladies’ Club Ranking the Cowley Road Condors were runaway winners.

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Oxfordshire & The Chilterns - Issue 03 - Autumn/Winter 2015

Lifestyle

Cycle, Stop and Stretch by Lucy Tennyson

ow do you feel after a long day in the saddle? What do you look forward to next? A hot shower, change of clothes, a pint, and a well-earned bite to eat? But next time try paying a bit more attention to your body. How does your back feel when you straighten up? Are there any twinges in your wrists and shoulders, for example, or stiffness around the hips and legs? We all know cycling is good for us, and that it has a relatively low injury rate compared to many other sports. As it is virtually impact free, it offers a safe workout to both muscles and joints. The bike itself is a wonderful machine too, light and efficient, equipped with gears that allow us to match our effort to the demand of road and hills. But there is a flip side: the body is held curved over the handlebars for hours at a time, with feet, head and hands fixed in a position nature never intended. In addition, if your bike isn’t ideally set up for your size and weight, then stresses and strains can build up so gradually you get used to them and it’s easy to disregard those twinges

until too late. There is a simple solution, but if you ask the average club cyclist how often they stretch or practice a complementary form of exercise such as yoga, it’s likely they don’t do much if anything. They may not only be missing out on avoiding injury, they may be losing out on an easy way of improving their ride and performance on the bike as well. It’s well known that a range of professional athletes now incorporate some form of yoga into their training routines. Fewer cyclists seem to be taking it up, perhaps the most notable exception being Bradley Wiggins. His comments on how he deals with the pressures of his sport, reported in the Independent newspaper, could have come straight from the pages of Yoga Journal. ‘A mantra using such words as “cool” and “calm” allows him to focus on what he describes as “keeping the chimp in the cage”. This chimp, he says, is your emotional side, “and in a pressure situation you have to react with logic, not emotion”…… He makes sure his body is resilient by

avoiding building up muscle bulk, and strengthening his core with Pilates, yoga and exercise balls.’ Many athletes are now discovering that yoga has an added benefit. It can help with concentration and focus and building strength in the mind. There is far more to it than just stretching says Alison Partridge, a triathlete and keen cyclist – and now yoga teacher. She discovered yoga by accident in her 40s. “My 12 year old daughter decided she wanted to become a Buddhist, and dragged me along to a class. I was into running, and I thought yoga was boring and not active enough for me.” “It started out as exercise but I soon discovered it was harder than anything else I’d done before, and I started to get more and more into it. It was a challenge.” Fifteen years on, while her daughter never became a Buddhist, Alison now practices yoga regularly. She believes it has enabled her to improve her fitness year on year, coming second in her age category at the Blenheim Triathlon this year, her best ever result. One regular rider who

has just given yoga a try for the first time is Ellen Lee, lifelong CTC rider and co founder of Oxford based CTC Isis Women’s Cyclists. She does around 120 miles on her weekly commute to work: “I’ve been meaning to give it a try for years. I am lucky, and have been injury free, but I can feel I am getting more aches. A few months ago, she took the plunge and tried an introductory yogaworkshop run by Alison and fellow cyclist and yoga teacher Lucy Tennyson. Lucy is on a similar mission as Alison to convince fellow cyclists, especially men, to give it a try. Ellen Lee’s partner and Oxford CTC stalwart Stephen Lee agrees about the benefits of yoga, but would he be giving it a try? “I know I’m very stiff, but no, it’s not for me. I just can’t see it happening,” he said. Abingdon-based yoga teacher and sports massage therapist David Haworth is well aware that men are reluctant to give yoga a go, but also very clear about the benefits for both the pleasure cyclist and competitive athlete. He says, “Regular yoga practice can

have huge benefits for any cyclist, including improved strength and endurance, flexibility, balance, and focus. It can play a key role in injury prevention, reducing muscle soreness after riding and reducing overall stress on the body. “In my work with cyclists I’ve found that areas like the back, hamstrings, core, and upper body can often be tight, sore or neglected. Yoga will strengthen those, as well as stabilising key muscles such those in the ankles, hips and groin that are very important in cycling. And for those willing to explore beyond the physical aspects of yoga practice, there are the benefits of mental focus, calmness under pressure and breathing.” Lucy adds; ‘’given how hard your legs work on the bike, it’s natural to assume that when an overuse injury strikes, it’s your knees that will be most vulnerable. Surprisingly however, the research says otherwise. Most leading riders suffer some form of back pain. For them it’s not posture, but muscle fatigue that plays a major role,” she says. In one study, scientists demonstrated that when cyclists pedalled

to exhaustion, their hamstrings and calf muscles became progressively more fatigued, as expected. What was surprising, was that this fatigue seemed to produce undesirable changes in muscle movement patterns, which then affected the back – specifically, the degree to which the cyclists were bent forward in the lumbar region and also how far their knees were splayed out. In a nutshell, the more tired these cyclists became in their legs, the worse their spinal posture became. “This is where yoga comes in, says Lucy, “it works on all the muscle groups in the body as a whole, building up both strength and flexibility. Alison and Lucy are running two yoga-for-cyclists workshops in Oxford, on Sunday 18 October and Saturday 20 February 2016. As well as yoga and stretching suitable for yoga beginners, they include training tips, advice on cycling posture and a guest expert such as a physiotherapist. If you would like more information please email Alison, a.partridge4@ ntlworld.com or call Lucy 07715207784.

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A Hero In The Shaping meandered down the empty street and I was surprised to see some of the shops were open for business. Business was obviously elsewhere. Elsewhere, being in the water. People always associate surfing with warm weather, and with the sun bouncing off the water. But in fact not even the drop in temperature stops those wanting to catch the waves. The harsher weather makes the waves more

aggressive so in the winter there is greater offshore wind which gives a better wave shape. It becomes a surfer’s paradise with consistent swell. Dedication to this sport doesn’t mean it is essential to be snug as a bug in a wetsuit running purposely towards the sea, while proudly carrying a board under your arm. One man I was about to meet is so passionate about this sport, that he is spending all the

hours he has to make the boards for others to enjoy it. Grant is the man in charge and creator of the inspiring surf company, Unsung Hero. Straight away I knew we were going to get along when he offered me a selection of out-ofthis-world coffee. This is a man who knows his coffee beans. I was in my element, being a coffee lover myself this was a perfect start to a meeting. Lined up in front of me there were shots

Since you have opened your shop do you have chance to surf much?

I’m a boat designer. I just took what I learnt from that as it’s all the same kind of materials and hydrodynamics. So I taught myself. Lots of trial and error.

standing up, that’s the easy bit, the hard bit is when you try to catch the wave. Getting in the right place is the really difficult part.

be pretty bad. Like semidrowning, but it’s very rare. Sometimes you could get minor injuries like twisted knees if you fall off awkwardly. It’s a relatively safe sport really.

When did your surf shop open and why?

About a year ago now; we opened in December 2013. I find it very difficult to be in an office environment, I would much rather be doing this than be bored in an office. It’s not easy though and I have worked harder than I have ever worked in my whole life. In the summer we open all week and only 3 days a week in the winter months when it’s quiet.

How did you get into shaping boards?

I did a degree in naval architecture so technically

Lifestyle

By Reanne Atherton

n the summer months Britain’s smallest city is heaving with tourists, outdoor enthusiasts, and of course those who can’t function without hopping onto their board for a daily dose of surfing. But today, on this cold drizzly autumn morning it was a drastic contrast, and I got the impression that St David’s in Pembrokeshire was having some down time. The sound of seagulls filled the eerie silence as I

Not a lot now. I used to before I had to earn a living. In the last 18 months I’ve not really got into the water much. It’s bad really as I should try to get out more.

With the winter in full swing is it less busy with surfers now?

How do you catch a wave?

There are 2 types of surfers, fair weather surfers that come in the summer, but the problem with that is when we have nice weather there is generally no swell so you can’t actually go surfing. So during the months of autumn/winter it’s the best time to go. But it’s been surprisingly warm this winter.

As a wave comes at you, the shape changes to a bigger peak and also the colour changes. It comes up like a triangle closer to the shore. What happens is the water at the bottom slows down and the water on the top keeps going. You need to be on the wave just as it is peaking. Then you need to paddle in and get onto your feet. It’s pretty simple really, and the better you are the bigger the waves you catch.

Does surfing compare to snowboarding?

Can you get injured from this sport?

Yes, kind of. If you’re physically fit and physically agile then you will pick up surfing easily. It’s all about practice. When you are

Not really, no. again but it’s common for to get injured. does happen it

Now and not that someone When it tends to

How would someone go about choosing a suitable board?

Well, you start off with a sponge board for a beginner. Volume is the key; the more volume, the more it will float and the easier it will be to catch waves. You pick one for your size and ability and go from there. The worst thing to do is go and buy the most expensive board out as your first one because you won’t be able to use it and it’ll be a waste of money. Materiel is an important factor. The more high performance ones are made of a much lighter material. But the problem with that is they don’t last as long.

of silky brown liquid, all of which had their own distinct taste. Enjoying the multitude of flavours from these comforting hot drinks on this drizzly winter morning, it became apparent that this was the link between surfing and cycling. A coffee has a much more deep and meaningful existence than being just a drink. It relaxes and re-energises you, it is a time to sit with your friends and reminisce the hours

How long does it take to make a board?

A standard board from scratch is about 2 weeks. There are so many different types of boards I can do; there is carbon fibre, foam and wooden boards. It also depends on if the customer wants any artwork. I’d much rather do a board that has something different and unique on it. I have a couple of boards ready made for those that want one straight away.

How much do the boards cost?

Standard price is about £450 which is the same as any other board off the shelf. It also depends on the size and material. A very basic entry level board can start at about £280. For someone starting out you would be spending about £300 for everything needed.

spent riding the waves, and most of all it gives you that intense buzz you crave; all of this in a cup. That is where cycling and surfing intermingle. It is an addictive drug which you cannot stop taking. Before I met up with Grant he was down the road in his workshop getting all creative and hands on.

By the time you have got a board and wetsuit, the rest is free. You don’t pay to go out in the sea.

You also offer surf lessons?

Yes, we offer coasteering and surf lessons. We would eventually like to introduce a few bicycles to hire out from the shop too. We get a lot of people asking about where to hire bikes from so I think it would be a good thing to have access to.

I’ve never tried surfing before and would like to learn. How many lessons would you recommend?

I would say a couple of lessons and then go out by yourself to get better. You improve really quickly. The main problem with surfing is fitness. It’s a really physically demanding sport.

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Oxfordshire & The Chilterns - Issue 03 - Autumn/Winter 2015

News

My RideLondon Weekend

he RideLondon weekend is in its third year and this year I succeeded in getting a place, through the ballot, in the RideLondon-Surrey 100 on the Sunday. We decided to make a weekend of it and my wife and I, and a friend went into London on the Saturday and joined up with our sons and their friends. It was such a good weekend I thought my experiences were worth sharing, as I would encourage anyone to give it a try. If you do nothing else biking-wise next year try to go to the Saturday Free Ride in London. As a commuter in London for the last 30 years it is hard to express the sheer pleasure of cycling on closed roads around central London between Buckingham Palace and the city. Thousands of people clearly having a great time in perfect weather without that constant drone from traffic. We sat on the steps of St Pauls having some lunch and what was so notable was all you could hear was the sound of people talking;

By Chris Palmer

bliss! You can start the circuit from anywhere and as you go round, in various places, sometimes just on a street corner or sometimes at one of the Hubs, bands were playing everything from Caribbean steelband music to a pretty decent rock band under the Duke of Wellington’s statue. Wonder what he would make of it all…….? Uni-cyclists entertained at Mansion House and people picnicked in leafy squares, whilst at the main Hub in Green Park there was wide selection of food, drink and entertainment. Some of us drove in and some took their bikes on the train and either way worked well. On to the big ride. The organisation is superb on both Saturday and Sunday and our group of perhaps 2/300 riders set off from the Olympic Park to the minute of our start time at 8.27. It takes a while to believe you can cycle on the wrong side of the road and to ignore traffic lights but you soon find yourself using all the road and flying along dual

carriageways near the city. You soon realise too that speed is coming not only from the adrenaline of getting started but also how good the roads are in London; so smooth. (Take note Bucks and Oxfordshire councils – please, please repair our roads!!) By time we reached south-west London occasional spectators appeared with chairs and tables in their driveways, often eating a cooked breakfast outside their houses. Slightly demotivating when the next few hours on cereal bars and gels is a gourmet’s worst nightmare. They made up for it with shouts of encouragement. Also disconcerting was seeing riders on the other side of the road heading back into London after their ride. Wonder what time they started …….. ? The route feels very flat for the most part with gradient changes being quite gradual apart from Leith Hill, Box Hill and Newlands Corner. You can miss out Leith Hill and Box

Hill if you want to and it felt like more people missed out Leith Hill than went up it judging by the stream of people that re-joined at the top. As we headed back into London, passing through Leatherhead, Dorking, Oxshott and Kingston and villages in between, everywhere the numbers of spectators increased and I must say in Kingston I felt quite overwhelmed by all the people encouraging us along. The lanes in the Surrey countryside were often very busy, so as we returned into London and the roads widened it was great to stretch your legs knowing the finish was 10 to 15 miles away and you were definitely going to do it. Whizzing along the Embankment in the sunshine with all the space you could want for you appreciated just how lucky you were to be there. I was torn between riding fast as I could, as the rush from the sheer joy of it all urged me on, to wanting to go slowly to make it last

longer. I succumbed to my ego and pushed on through Parliament Square and up to the top of Whitehall where the crowds thickened again cheering you on, and you want to go faster still as you hang a left under Admiralty Arch to be met by an absolute clamour of noise with people cheering, and banging the hoardings. Yes! I did just win the Tour! Well it felt like it for a moment or two. I think it’s wonderful that so many people turn out to encourage you on and so many tell you, a complete stranger, how well you are doing. Notably, all the charities form groups of supporters at various places all along the route and quite how they maintain the volume of cheering hour after hour is amazing. I am sure I speak for all the riders when I say a big thank you to you all. We would turn out to do it if no one watched, but how special the experience is with all of you cheering us on. As I write this these memories swell up and I find myself enjoying it all

over again. Sure the weather was near perfect, especially after the torrents of 2014 but if you are wondering if you can do it, you can. I am the wrong side of middle age and really only started doing rides of more than 20 miles two years ago. Last year I did my first sportives, the longest being 80 miles, and have just gradually built on it, so I can now genuinely enjoy a long ride of several hours. I have never been out to break records, but the selfsatisfaction that comes from achieving a goal you set early in the year is worth all the effort. I have signed up for next year’s ballot. I want to do that again! Some thoughts on all the training. You may have read my article on our web site www.pedalyourcycle.com/ getting-fit-for-a-100-mileride in which I explained how I was developing my fitness to take on the Ride 100. To update on that first; the only changes to what I planned to do was the riding in Turkey, whilst on holiday, which was considerably

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News tougher that I expected and I did a 107 mile ride three weeks before London. In Turkey it was never flat and the hills often climbed steep gradients for a good 15 to 20 minutes, so became a good work out. I also decided to enter the 100 mile ride, rather than a shorter distance, at the Chiltern Festival 3 weeks before the London ride. That proved to be a tough ride with around 5,000 feet of climbing and also turned out to be 107 miles not 100! Funny how far 7 miles can be when you think you have arrived. Just for good measure Kop hill was on the agenda at around 95 miles; definitely a serious challenge at that stage. The good news was it was definitely a good decision, and with the riding on holiday, when I came to the London Ride with its 3500 feet of climbing, it was very much easier than I was expecting. My goals had been to be fit enough to genuinely enjoy the whole ride and hopefully do a reasonable time. I achieved both. Did I learn anything for another year? A couple of things. I learnt you can overdo the training. After the 107 miles at the Chiltern Festival I took a break for 3 or 4 days and then started

riding again doing 30 to 40mile rides. The Chiltern Festival ride was definitely a step up from previous rides and I underestimated just how much time it would take to recover. By the end of the week I seemed to be very low on energy much of the time and felt I needed to eat a lot. I am pretty good about in-ride and post-ride nutrition, so I decided it was my body telling me to take a break. I was nervous of doing it with a fear that I would lose fitness before London, but decided not to ride for a week and then rode 3 gentle rides in the last week before London. Good move â&#x20AC;&#x201C; I felt very fresh on the London Ride and never felt strained, finding the hills quite comfortable especially after a life cycling in the Chilterns. The other thing was that I wanted to top up on food, so stopped at the top of Box Hill and wish I hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t. They operate a sort of one-way system at the stop zone and it took me about 20 minutes to get in and out, only to be told there was no food left. I was one of the later starters so found food on the route to be in short supply. You really need to take enough of your own supplies, especially if a late starter. Good luck if you decide to enter next year.

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Oxfordshire & The Chilterns - Issue 03 - Autumn/Winter 2015

Viewpoint

Light Up Your Ride

By Neil Coleman

here’s a modern day need to put everything or everyone in a category so, in cycling terminology, I’d be a MAMIL. There’s plenty of us around and apparently we’re a growing breed (or type), depending on how you look at it. However, I’m also a ‘Cyclist who Commutes’ as, living 40 miles from London, I have a daily routine that involves standing on a platform, waiting

for delayed trains and then sitting on an overcrowded train cursing Apple, who design and make fantastic products... except headphones. As we approach London, I notice a few of us looking down enviously at the growing army of cyclists making their way into work, together with the occasional sight of teams of yellow jackets, notebook in hand, waiting to pounce on the erring cyclist who decides to speed up the journey by jumping the odd

red traffic light. I’m pretty sure that it’s not just me who wishes we live a little closer so could be out on the road rather than stuck on the train. The other evening though, the Evening Standard carried the headline that tragically a third cyclist had been killed whilst on London’s roads this year - for the record today is the 10th of February! I don’t think anyone who hasn’t experienced it, can even begin to imagine what it’s like to receive news that a loved one had lost their life in a tragic accident. Sadly, and with the talk of Cycle Superhighways potentially being introduced, these events continue to happen and such is our culture, we tend to look at potential reasons why. My kids will tell anyone that if there’s one word I don’t like, it’s ‘blame’ as that’s the consequence of something that

has gone wrong, they’ll follow that with a roll of the eyes and the statement ‘ it’s responsibility that’s important’. Last night, I found myself driving back from London after work, it was dark and the roads were still very busy with commuters trying to get home; the roads being shared between cars, motorbikes, lorries, buses and cyclists - we’re all human and we’re all doing the same thing so there’s no axe to grind here. As a fellow cyclist, I tend to look out for my ‘mates’ but what was alarming was the number of bikes that I nearly didn’t see as they didn’t have any lights on. Don’t get me wrong, in no way am I blaming any of the tragedies on a bike not having lights, far from it, but what I don’t get is why someone would decide that, no matter whether they’ve bought a second hand bike for a tenner,

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or saved hard to buy a beautiful looking Bianchi, it’s not worth £10 or so to stick a set of lights on it so that there’s a better chance of being seen. Maybe a different way of looking at it is to think that it might not be important as a bike can be replaced; however it’s not so easy to bolt ourselves back together. For those that don’t know - a MAMIL is a Middle Aged Man In Lycra. My uncle is slightly older than me and I don’t remember the acronym but what I distinctly remember though is the tone in my Mum’s voice, almost exactly a year ago, when she told me that her brother had been airlifted to hospital having been knocked off his bike. People think that it might never happen to them but it can do. So come on fellow cyclists, invest a tenner and Light Up Your Ride.

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News

Club Column

Bicester Millenium Cycling Club

Zappi’s Cycling Club

We’re here to encourage, develop and promote cycle sport in Bicester and the surrounding areas of Brackley, Buckingham and everywhere in between!

Saturday and Sunday Club Members’ Rides 9:00 meet outside Bike Zone/Zappi’s Cafe on St Michael’s Street (just off Cornmarket) in Oxford’s city centre for a 9:15am roll-out.

Tuesday Social Rides

Our membership has grown to 200+ in the last few years, which means we can offer a vast range of activities including social road rides, junior & senior coaching sessions, racing, off-road MTB/CX and velodrome trips. We also host the most popular Time Trial night in the country at RAF Westonon-the-Green.

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.

Plus social nights, BBQ, Xmas rides, annual awards and quiz . . . plus so much more

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.

We have 4 road ride groups every Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holiday of various distances and speeds plus a weekly off-road ride on Thursdays plus a monthly Social Evening plus TWO types of Introductory “Taster Rides” to choose from. :

Cowley Road Condors 6:15pm meet at Rick’s Café, Cowley Rd for a 6:30pm departure.

Thursday Social, Development and Screamer Rides

6:15pm meet at Rick’s Café, Cowley Rd for a 6:30pm departure.

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

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.

9:30am on the 4th Saturday of each month. 2015 DATES: 26th September, 24th October, 28th November 2015. Longer “Taster Plus” ride - 40 miles @ 12-14mph (Cafe Stop at 26 miles)

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.

9:00am on the 2nd Saturday of each month. 2015 DATES: 12th September, 10th October, 14th November, 12th December 2015.

Saturday Morning Ride

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

Newbie Rides

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 on join the Condors Facebook Group for details of these rides. www.cowleyroadcondors.cc

CTC Wallingford 1st Sunday of the month 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

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. www.bmcc2000.com

There is a lot to learn initially when you’re thinking of joining a cycling club and Zappi’s will make that experience as easy as possible. If you are coming to a Zappi ride it is generally assumed you have some level of fitness, we make no bones about the fact that we are a fast club and that this may or may not be for everyone. As a general guide new members should be comfortable to ride up to 65 kilometres at a steady pace. We will always offer a welcoming smile and up to four different groups of various speeds on Saturday. Slow - 2427 kph (no dropping if possible); Medium - 26-30 kph (no dropping if possible); Medium Fast - 27-31 kph (people occasionally dropped); and Fast - 30-34 kph+ (regular dropping of experienced riders). Our groups aim to be no bigger than 16 riders overall. 12 is ideal. Our Sunday rides are typically smaller and faster, at a Medium pace. More recently, during the summer / autumn a social ride organised via Facebook leaves at 10am at a Steady pace with no dropping. If you like riding with us, we strongly encourage you to join after at least your third ride. Tuesday Night Chain Gang 6:00pm start SHARP at the corner of Banbury Road and Marston Ferry Road. This is for serious racers only, and takes place when the clocks go forward in the spring up to the early autumn. While not an official Zappi CC ride, members and non-members, and other clubs are all part of the weekly Tuesday night chain gang. Riders must be competent enough to ride in a fast-moving pace line and be able to clearly communicate potential hazards, turns, etc. It isn’t known as the ‘leg-ripper’ for nothing! www.zappis.cc

CTC Groups in Oxfordshire Cycling with a group can be a great way to build your cycling skill and confidence – and to meet new friends! The CTC is a national cycling organisation and its member groups offer many different rides across the county. • CTC Oxfordshire – The hub for CTC activities in the county – rides exploring Oxfordshire and beyond, on and off the road, and social events • Isis Cyclists CTC, womens’ cycling group – riding from Oxford or other locations • CTC Midweek – rides every Wednesday – join for the morning or for lunch too. Many also meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays • CTC Oxford City – rides every Sunday • CTC Wallingford – rides on the first Sunday and third Saturday of each month • CTC Wantage – rides on Tuesday evenings and most weekends • CTC Witney – rides on Sunday mornings • Bicester Social Rides – Third Sunday morning of each month New riders are welcome on CTC Oxfordshire rides, whether CTC Members or not. We ride at a pace where the group can enjoy the conversation as well as the scenery, and we don’t leave riders behind. But please make sure that you and your bike are prepared for the distance and bring a spare tube. Details and links to all these groups can be found at: www. ctcoxfordshire.org.uk Or contact: Robin Tucker, 07901 622622 secretary@ ctcoxfordshire.org.uk

Amersham Road Cycling Club Amersham RCC was established in 2006 by a group of local riders to cater for cyclists of all ages and abilities. Despite our name we are based in Great Missenden, in the heart of the Chilterns, where we do the majority of our riding. We have a thriving membership of over 200 members ranging in age from 16-75 as more and more people discover the benefits of cycling. Members come from across the Chiltern region and beyond, travelling to us from Windsor, London, Aylesbury and Uxbridge. Unusually for a road cycling club, we have a lot of female members (20%). We run a varied programme of rides, time trials and social events to make sure there is something for everyone. 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 9:00 am 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. www.amershamrcc.com

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

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