Last week
Last session, we were lucky to be joined by Alison Lilley from British Cycling who kindly brought down some cyclocross bikes for the St Ives CC Go Riders to try. For those of you unfamiliar with cyclocross bikes, imagine a racing bike with drop handlebars, stick some slightly wider tyres on them and voila, cyclocross bike! There’s a bit more to it than that but not much. Feedback from those that tried them were “wicked”, “awesome” and “I’m going go beg dad for one” so I apologise for any of that in advance.
In terms of skills, we put together a small course that had a fast straight for moving mounts and dismounts, getting over logs either by riding or getting off and pushing over, and a bendy descent with really tight (“switchback”) turns. We split everyone into three groups and each group practiced one of these three elements for 15 mins before moving onto the next, such that each group had tried all three elements by the end.
We finished off the session with a relay race between 2 teams, captained by Molly and Charlotte this week. It was a very close run race, with Molly’s team sneaking the win this week
Rider of the week
New Go Rider Libby joined club regular Harriet as our Rider of the week this time. As its Christmas this week, we are still having prizes, but it won’t be bottles…
Race update
No racing last week, the next cyclocross race is the Broome Heath Scramble near Bungay, NR35 2RA on Sunday. Holly will most likely be racing as will Sophie so stick it in the diary and come and have a go. There is also a grown ups race at 11am if parents fancy a go. You don’t need specialist equipment and many people do race on mountain bikes. It is a great family day out (even in the cold) and for many, the whole family race. U12 races are only 15 minutes long so it is not too daunting.
As always, anyone interested more in racing, let me know and I am sure we can find some events for you to have a crack at.
Next session
First things first. I know I say this every time, but please remember to bring a water based drink. This does count as exercise and it is important to stay hydrated. Even when it is colder, you can still become dehydrated. Please also remember to wrap up warm as I imagine it will be a tad chilly tomorrow. I recommend gloves and a scarf.
We expect to be going for a slightly longer ride this week, then setting up an obstacle course this week that will test balance, cornering, gear selection and braking. Oh, and after a few practice goes, we will see how you fare against the clock! There will be a 2011 champion in each category.
We will meet just the other side of the zipwire from the cafe, since that gives us some protection from the elements. Please remember to bring a water based drink (that’s twice now!) and a helmet (although we now do have a few helmets as well if you don’t have one). If this is your first time with James or myself, we will also need a signed parental consent form, copies of which I will bring.
Don’t forget we have been kindly provided with a few 24” wheel bikes by British Cycling and we have now bought a 26″ wheel bike so we can cater for a few people that are unable to get their bike to sessions. These are available on a first come first served basis so I would recommend you drop either James or me a line ahead of the session if you would like to take advantage of this.
In 2012, we will continue to hold these sessions on the first and third Saturday of the month. Therefore, the proposed dates next term are as follows:
7, 21 January 2012
4, 25 February 2012
3, 17 March 2012
Please note that the second February date has been moved back by a week to avoid half term. As before, I also attach a flyer so please feel free to pass this around or forward to interested parties. See you Saturday!
Club membership
Membership of St Ives CC brings a number of benefits including regular club runs, mountain bike trips, time trialling and the ability to race (at all levels) in club kit, not to mention the discounts available at Grafham Cycling.
If you would like to join St Ives CC, the 2012 club membership forms are now available. Please read sheet 1 of the application from and then complete sheet 2 and post to John Best, membership secretary (sheet 2 only) with cheque for correct fee. All details are on the form. Any current memberships and corresponding discounts at Grafham will expire on the 1st of January 2012. ALL renewals must be sent to John by 31 March 2012. Please be aware that you will no longer receive a membership card. ALL membership correspondence will be done via email. A list of members for 2012 will be sent to Grafham with details of active or standard members discount.
Club kit
For those people who are (or become members), you are able to buy club branded kit as seen on the website. In addition to adult kit that has been available previously, we will be placing an order for children’s kit in early 2012. Pricing will be dependent upon how many garments we order irrespective of size, obviously cheaper as we increase numbers. If you are interested, let me know and I can then give you pricing before anyone commits.
