Didcot Phoenix Cycling Club http://www.didcotphoenix.co.uk Fri, 17 May 2013 19:14:07 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 Sunday 12th May – Club Run roundup http://www.didcotphoenix.co.uk/?p=1181 http://www.didcotphoenix.co.uk/?p=1181#comments Sun, 12 May 2013 17:23:47 +0000 didcotphoenix http://www.didcotphoenix.co.uk/?p=1181 Hi All,

I’m writing this email from the comfort of my sofa and with a slight drizzle coming down outside, its satisfying to know that the Sunday club runs clocked up over 100 miles in fantastic sunshine this morning!  Two rides left the Broadway, with the men’s ride (approx 60 miles) heading over to Brill Hill and back and the ladies ride (approx 40 miles) cycling out to Lambourne (via Blowingstone Hill) and back.  Over 30 cyclists out enjoying plenty of miles and warm weather across Oxfordshire.  Cake were well earned today :)

Some comments from Laura who led the ladies ride:

“Fantastic Ladies Club Ride today. Route planned yesterday with a little help (!?!) from Mike. 8 of us out, doing a 40 mile loop. 30 miles to the cafe at Letcombe Regis (wow) and an easy 10 back with the wind behind us”.

“The 30 heading out was into wind and a wee bit hilly…..But we all made it to the top of Blowingstone Hill :-)“

Next Ladies Ride will be Sunday 9th June

Some comments from Ron, who led the mens ride:

“Complementing the large ladies’ turnout, 22 of us left Broadway. Also doing a ~30 mile outward route, our destination was Waterperry Gardens. And also tackling a significant climb – ours being Brill Hill from Oakley – as well as a few minor ones, namely heading out of Chiselhampton and up to Cuddesdon. But we had the wind on our backs for most of the way there, and by the time we reached the cafe the sun had come out, meaning we could sit outside in the warmth while “refuelling” for the homeward journey”.“Heading back to Didcot we first took in Wheatley, Great Milton, the Haseleys, and Stadhampton. Then, to avoid retracing our outward route, we turned off through Newington, Warborough and Shellingford – where there was a brief break in the group as half of us got caught by the traffic lights. Regrouping a few minutes later, we took the back roads route for the final 10 miles or so – heading straight through Wallingford town centre and out to the Hithercroft roundabout to pick up the road to South Moreton”.

“Stats: just over 56 miles in 3 hours 22 minutes, meaning an average of a shade under 17mph”.

The past few weeks have also seen some great conditions for racing and time trials with a number of club members making PBs on the Tring TT course.  In addition, club members have been out road racing, Audaxing and generally enjoying the warm weather and Bank Holiday weekend.

Some dates for your diary:

10 Mile Cup – Thursday 30th May
Come and race on the fast H10/17R TT course to see if you are the quickest DPCC club rider

Barbury Bash – Sunday - 30th June
A little further off, but one of the clubs premier events throughout the cycling season.  The “Barbury Bash” is an Audax that Didcot Phoenix run annually and this year we are planning 3 routes with distances of 110 km, 160 km and 210 km.

As ever, to ensure the Audax is a success we are looking for volunteers to help run the event.  The starting point is the Methodist Church in Milton, but we need staff to look after each of the checkpoints on route.  This is very undemanding work that will hopefully be no more than sitting out in the sun watching the riders go past.  You will not have to give up a whole day and timings can be arranged to suit the needs of individuals.

If people are able to help please could they let Ian Middleton know.

Ianmidds@aol.com

Best regards,

Mike

]]> http://www.didcotphoenix.co.uk/?feed=rss2&p=1181 1 Thursday 9th May – TT Results from CC118 http://www.didcotphoenix.co.uk/?p=1174 http://www.didcotphoenix.co.uk/?p=1174#comments Fri, 10 May 2013 08:25:08 +0000 didcotphoenix http://www.didcotphoenix.co.uk/?p=1174 This weeks time trial was held on the Stadhampton CC118 course on a really wet and windy evening.  5 hardy riders turned up to tackle the conditions, with Rob Gray (RAF) completing a highly respectable 23.10! Top DPCC rider was Phil Stacey, picking up the lead scratch points this week.

See you at for the Harwell Hilly next week.

Mike

Course CC118 – Stadhampton
Date 09/05/2013
Start TK Simon Evans
End TK Nick Druce
Pusher Richard Abbott
Number taker Simon Evans
Position Name   Club Total Time
1 Rob Gray RAF 23.10
2 Niall Davidson RAF 25.44
3 Phil Stacey DPCC 27.02
4 Martin Stanley DPCC 28.03
5 Mick Fountain DPCC 33.31
]]> http://www.didcotphoenix.co.uk/?feed=rss2&p=1174 3 Provisional Results – 2nd May CC241 http://www.didcotphoenix.co.uk/?p=1161 http://www.didcotphoenix.co.uk/?p=1161#comments Fri, 03 May 2013 12:17:55 +0000 didcotphoenix http://www.didcotphoenix.co.uk/?p=1161 Hi All,

Here are the provisional results from last night, the CC241 10mile TT at Fairmile.

Conditions were excellent with light winds and warm temperatures, so it was great to see some fantastic times being recorded.

The TT season is well underway and Mick is logging the times for Didcot Phoenix club members on his two trophy tables; the Castle Points series which awards points for the best improver on the night and the Scratch Points series, which gives points for the top 5 DPCC riders.  Links to the points tables are below.

Castle Trophy Points
http://www.mickfountain.co.uk/points13.htm

Scratch Points
http://www.mickfountain.co.uk/POISCR13.htm

Before I leave you with the results, please remember that each TT requires voluteers to ensure the event runs and next week were are short of a Finish Time keeper.  You can volunteer via the website, so please sign up ASAP to ensure the event can run!

See you soon,

Mike Cooper, DPCC Social Sec
Steve Rowe, Time Trial Sec
http://www.didcotphoenix.co.uk/

Course CC241 – 10mile Fairmile TT
Date 02/05/2013
Start TK Robert Briggs
End TK Mark Scanlan
Pusher Martin Stanley
Conditions 15degrees / Wind NE at 6kts/6.9mph
Position Name   Club Total Time
1 Rob Gray RAF CC 22:13
2 Neil Ashcroft DPCC 22:40
3 Ron Smith DPCC 22:41
4 Steve Mead DPCC 22:55
5 Nick Druce DPCC 22:58
6 Mike Cooper DPCC 23:03
7 Simon McGowan DPCC 23:18
8 Mark Rickinson Oxonian CC 23:19
9 Neil Morris DPCC 23:51
10 Tom Sefton PPV 24:05
11 Pete Tantrum DPCC 24:14
12 Oliver Clark DPCC 24:44
13 Matt Williams RAF CC 25:01
14 Adam Gardner GS Henley 25:10
15 Sam Dorkins DPCC 25:14
16 Jake Smith - 25:31
17 Iain Kent DPCC 25:35
18 Ross Bentley-Davies DPCC 26:20
19 Andy Black DPCC 26:49
20 Simon Evans DPCC 26:55
21 William Annells DPCC 27:00
22 Zoe Ludwig-Tantrum DPCC 27:20
23 Patrick Swain DPCC 27:40
24 Laura Cooper DPCC 27:48
25 Kevin Stopps DPCC 28:13
26 Keri Panton DPCC 28:25
27 Giles Clark DPCC 28:45
28 Darren Addison DPCC 28:48
29 Jack Constant DPCC 29:28
30 Mick Fountain DPCC 30:03
31 Richard Abbot DPCC DNF
]]> http://www.didcotphoenix.co.uk/?feed=rss2&p=1161 1 DPCC Club Kit Order http://www.didcotphoenix.co.uk/?p=1158 http://www.didcotphoenix.co.uk/?p=1158#comments Wed, 01 May 2013 12:43:42 +0000 didcotphoenix http://www.didcotphoenix.co.uk/?p=1158 Hi All,

Just a quick note to say that we now have enough orders to make our club kit order and hopefully details will be available soon.

This means we need to receive everyones cheques as soon as possible.  Please bring your cheque/cash to a Time Trial or contact clothing@didcotphoenix.co.uk to find out where it can be posted.

Thanks, Mike

]]> http://www.didcotphoenix.co.uk/?feed=rss2&p=1158 2 Abingdon Cycling Festival – Sunday 21st April http://www.didcotphoenix.co.uk/?p=1135 http://www.didcotphoenix.co.uk/?p=1135#comments Wed, 17 Apr 2013 08:46:40 +0000 didcotphoenix http://www.didcotphoenix.co.uk/?p=1135 Hi All,

This weekend sees the return of the Abingdon Cycling Festival, an opportunity for local riders to take part in sevearl arranged bike rides, an Audax hosted by DPCC, plus soak up the atmospere will some local beers and good food care of the Loose Cannon Brewery and Kings Head and Bell, Abingdon.

Didcot Phoenix Cycling Club will have a stand in the Abingdon Market Place from 09:00 on Sunday, but we are in need of volunteers to help out with the audax as well.

Volunteers required:

Market Place
09:00 – 16:15 (Audax riders likely to leave by 10:00 and return by 15:30)
Mike and Laura will staff the market place, with a small DPCC stand and Audax Sign-On.

Check Point 1: North Leigh
Approx 10:30 -> 12:00 (The Audax requires cyclists to be at the check point between 10:44 and 11:42)
We need 1 volunteer to man this check point for an hour or so. It would be a great cycle out from Didcot, check the Audaxers and return home!

Check Point 2: Longworth Village Hall
11:00-14:00
Preferably 2 volunteers required for this check point, or more if we split the shift into two.
Someone is required to deliver some cakes and tea/coffee to the village hall and then wait for Audax riders to check in (between 11:28 and 13:23).

Who can help?!

Please let me know as soon as possible.

Mike – 07801 240 898, audax@didcotphoenix.co.uk

]]> http://www.didcotphoenix.co.uk/?feed=rss2&p=1135 0 Spring has sprung! DPCC weekend update http://www.didcotphoenix.co.uk/?p=1117 http://www.didcotphoenix.co.uk/?p=1117#comments Sun, 14 Apr 2013 16:49:53 +0000 didcotphoenix http://www.didcotphoenix.co.uk/?p=1117 Hi All,

We had a great club ride this morning and it finally felt warm out on the bike…shame about the strong wind, but you can’t have everything!  There were two rides today, with the ladies heading over to Abingdon to meet up with the Freewheelers and the guys cycling out to an amazing cafe at Brightwalton.  It was certainly good practice for those tacking the White Horse Challenge next weekend.

Iain, pictured above, led the ride today although committed a school boy error by not checking his spare innertube before riding today!  Aside from his puncture before we even started, all was well on the roads today.  Below the ladies stopped in Abingdon to meet up with the Freewheelers and demonstrated that female cycling is going from strength to strength.

Up next weekend is the Abingdon Cycling Festival, organised by the Abingdon Freewheelers.  The event starts at 09:00 in the market place and I’ve attached the ride schedule to this email.

If you aren’t cycling in the White Horse Sportif next weekend, we would really appreciate Didcot Phoenix members to come along and provide some support.  We’ll have a few turbos set up and people talking about our club and what we do.  We are also running an audax and need a couple of people to help at a few control stations.

Please email the club if you can help!  welcome@didcotphoenix.co.uk

Club Kit:

We now have the details for ordering the new club kit.  The order form is attached, but please note we need to confirm if prices include VAT.  However, in the interest of ordering kit as soon as possible can you send your sizing details to Tom Gray (clothing@didcotphoenix.co.uk) by the end of the month so we can put an initial order in.

Time Trials:

As you all know, our Time Trial season is well under way and are in need of helpers to run each event.  The website includes a list of dates where help is needed, so please take a look and let Steve Rowe know if you can help out.

As you can see we need a Finish Timekeeper for the event on April 25th.  Full training can be provided on the night and please don’t be daunted by the task, as it is fairly straight forward.

 

]]> http://www.didcotphoenix.co.uk/?feed=rss2&p=1117 0 Easter weekend round-up http://www.didcotphoenix.co.uk/?p=1101 http://www.didcotphoenix.co.uk/?p=1101#comments Tue, 02 Apr 2013 09:59:48 +0000 didcotphoenix http://www.didcotphoenix.co.uk/?p=1101 Spring has arrived, in theory rather than practice, but it means club events and club riders are out in force enjoying the longer days, start of the TT season and the prospect of races, audaxes and sportifs filling the calendar.  Making the most of the long Easter weekend, the club was certainly busy with the traditional opening time trial fixture being two laps of the Harwell Hilly course.  The weather was cold and the wind was strong, but it didn’t stop 15 riders from completing the course and also a good mixture of our youth and junior riders putting in some great times.

12 Oliver Clark DPCC 16:45 33:28
02 William Annells DPCC 18:32 37:30
13 Giles Clark DPCC 18:36 38:13
14 Jack Constant DPCC 20:03 40:39

I’m sure this season will lead to an interesting Castle Points trophy, which encourages the up and coming cyclists in our club!

This weekend also saw Martin “Stan” Stanley lead his first club ride with a hilly route out to the Henley Rowing Museum cafe and back.

Stan wrote “10 riders braved the early chill this morning out to Henley’s Rowing museum cafe, 4 of the riders being from our friends at Abingdon freewheeling. The sun did make a few welcome appearances which meant mainly frost free roads. We encountered a few hills on the days route, Cholsey mountain, Battle road (?) out of Goring and Pishill, the latter being assisted by a tail wind”.

“I had intended to give the full stats from the ride, but my Garmin computer decided to do a reset after the stop at the Rowing museum cafe. :( ”

Return leg stats:
26.8 miles
1hr 35mins
970ft of elevation gain
16.9 mph avg

No mechanicals encountered.

http://goo.gl/maps/G3Xkt

Aside from our club TT and Sunday ride, other club members took part in the aboundance of Open Time Trials running in the region.  Ron completed the Reading RC 25 on H25/1, PhilB, Pete and Stephen Warwick and Mick completed the High Wycombe  10 on H10/22 and NeilM completed a tough ride around the North Hants RC run H19/11.

http://www.mickfountain.co.uk/t13-005.htm

News of Club Kit will be published soon, so watch this space.

Apologies if I have missed some events out, but certainly things are getting busy from now on.

Remember Sunday Club Runs now start at 09:00 from the Broadway Pub, Didcot.

See you soon, Mike

]]> http://www.didcotphoenix.co.uk/?feed=rss2&p=1101 0 Harwell Hilly – First TT of the season http://www.didcotphoenix.co.uk/?p=1099 http://www.didcotphoenix.co.uk/?p=1099#comments Tue, 02 Apr 2013 09:40:13 +0000 didcotphoenix http://www.didcotphoenix.co.uk/?p=1099 I was cold and it was windy, but dispite this 15 riders turned up to race on the Harwell Hilly course this weekend.  First DPCC rider in was Nick Druce, with a couple of ex club members heading up the field.  Next Sunday we are on the Cholsey Hilly course and hopefully some warmer weather will arrive by then.

See you soon!

 

Timekeeper Ron Smith
Pusher Neil Morris

No Rider Club Lap 1 total

15 Mark Cox Fairly United 14:06 28:18
11 Paul Lloyd Fairly United 14:09 28:26
04 Ron Gray RAF 14:24 28:56
09 Nick Druce DPCC 15:03 30:24
05 Simon McGowan DPCC 15:09 30:38
10 Steve Mead DPCC 15:37 31:11
06 Ian Middleton DPCC 15:57 31:58
03 Matt Williams Zapps 16:09 32:24
07 Robert Briggs DPCC 16:17 32:48
08 Phil Stacey DPCC 16:22 33:06
12 Oliver Clark DPCC 16:45 33:28
02 William Annells DPCC 18:32 37:30
13 Giles Clark DPCC 18:36 38:13
14 Jack Constant DPCC 20:03 40:39
01 Mick Fountain DPCC 21:49 46:19

]]> http://www.didcotphoenix.co.uk/?feed=rss2&p=1099 0 Club Volunteering http://www.didcotphoenix.co.uk/?p=1090 http://www.didcotphoenix.co.uk/?p=1090#comments Wed, 27 Mar 2013 15:08:43 +0000 didcotphoenix http://www.didcotphoenix.co.uk/?p=1090 Hi All,

If you take a look at the TT pages on our website, you can now see columns where you can volunteer to help out throughout our TT season.

In addition, the club is also some help to draft an Audax routesheet which we are preparing for the Abingdon Cycling Festival.  If you are able to help out at a club TT, please email timetrials@didcotphoenix.co.uk.

If you are able to assist with the Audax routesheet, please email audax@didcotphoenix.co.uk.  Note, that work can be done from the comfort of your laptops with Google Streetview, even just doing a 10-mile section – it all helps!

Your help is welcomed!

 

Thanks, Mike

]]> http://www.didcotphoenix.co.uk/?feed=rss2&p=1090 0 The last weekend of Winter http://www.didcotphoenix.co.uk/?p=1066 http://www.didcotphoenix.co.uk/?p=1066#comments Mon, 18 Mar 2013 19:32:41 +0000 didcotphoenix http://www.didcotphoenix.co.uk/?p=1066 Four hard men (and a soft photographer) turned up at the meeting point to see if a club run could be squeezed out of the wintry conditions.
It couldn’t ! It was slippery under foot and Ron’s bike had picked up an inch of ice on the underside of the frame and in the cassette after just half a mile.
A short discussion was all it took to decide a ride was not on…

 

 

 

 

 

 

On another note, some club members decided to avoid the Great British weather and head of for a winter training session in Lanzarote…Pete and Zoe, you had better start the season with a tan and some good speed in your legs!

Fingers crossed the Spring will start this weekend…

See you soon, Mike

]]> http://www.didcotphoenix.co.uk/?feed=rss2&p=1066 2