Search found 98 matches

by Les Ladbury
27 Jul 2019 07:43
Forum: Pro Racing
Topic: le Tour
Replies: 9
Views: 13775

le Tour

Is anyone interested ??????
by Les Ladbury
11 Feb 2019 15:35
Forum: Club Runs
Topic: 184 mph on a bike
Replies: 1
Views: 4800

184 mph on a bike

I've just been reading an article in Octane magazine about a successful attempt on the world cycling speed record during which Denise Mueller-Korenek raised to record to 183.932mph/296.01kph. The writer of the article states that "Mueller-Korenek knew it would be practically impossible to accelerate...
by Les Ladbury
09 Sep 2018 07:41
Forum: Time Trials
Topic: 2018 Time Trial Calendar - Open TTs, Club TTs, Team TTs and Hill Climbs
Replies: 54
Views: 115944

Re: 2018 Time Trial Calendar - Open TTs, Club TTs, Team TTs and Hill Climbs

I realise that I have left it rather late but what time does the hill climb start this morning ? I assume that it is the usual venue, namely Great Farley Woods.
by Les Ladbury
20 Aug 2018 11:50
Forum: Club Runs
Topic: Club runs - 26th August
Replies: 10
Views: 8311

Re: Club runs - 26th August

Matt Clegg, who's back from Utrecht after a year away,

Matt, During your travels did you by any chance encounter Dr. Stabismus (whom God preserve) of Utrecht.
by Les Ladbury
30 Jul 2018 21:14
Forum: Pro Racing
Topic: Tour de France
Replies: 11
Views: 15805

Re: Tour de France

Has anybody noticed that this Welsh chappy gas won the Tour de France. Wouldn't it be a good idea for the cycling community to get themselves organised and all vote for Gee when the Sportsview Personality of the Year selection comes round. I thing that most will agree with me that it's all a load of...
by Les Ladbury
30 Jul 2018 21:04
Forum: Cafe Stop
Topic: Cycling in Croatia (Split)?
Replies: 5
Views: 6250

Re: Cycling in Croatia (Split)?

Laurence, this was a long time ago and the guy with the gun was security at Split airport. I had a bag of about 40 films and I asked if he could hand check it. He refused and told me to put it through the x-ray m/c. If there had been a problem seeing something in the bag the operator would just incr...
by Les Ladbury
29 Jul 2018 13:42
Forum: Cafe Stop
Topic: Cycling in Croatia (Split)?
Replies: 5
Views: 6250

Re: Cycling in Croatia (Split)?

Anne and I flew to Split with bikes and had a great time on the islands of Brac, Korcula and Hvar. We didn't find the natives particularly friendly particularly when they tried to rip us off. I had to adopt my American persona on occasions. On one occasion when I was trying to negotiate a deal on a ...
by Les Ladbury
21 Jul 2018 15:24
Forum: Cafe Stop
Topic: Cycling in Tuscany
Replies: 4
Views: 5567

Re: Cycling in Tuscany

Hi Ian, I know Tuscany quite well having been to the area several times. It's difficult to offer advice not knowing what you are looking for, do you want to visit the main attractions such as Florence, Pisa and so on. Alternatively do you want to tour and find interesting villages, hotels and restau...
by Les Ladbury
16 Jul 2018 10:15
Forum: Pro Racing
Topic: Tour de France
Replies: 11
Views: 15805

Re: Tour de France

Dave, I agree absolutely with what you have said but would add that now that Chris Froome has been exonerated from any wrongdoing let's move on.
There are a lot of new names in the peleton and I think that the future of our sport hasn't looked brighter for more than 20 years.
by Les Ladbury
12 Jul 2018 15:58
Forum: Pro Racing
Topic: Tour de France
Replies: 11
Views: 15805

Tour de France

Is anyone following the Tour de France.
by Les Ladbury
05 Jun 2018 11:13
Forum: Technical Talk
Topic: Bike Fit
Replies: 27
Views: 22758

Re: Bike Fit

The whole concept is new to me but has anyone tried the Boardman setup at Evesham. Interesting and worth a visit. They are at the Evesham Garden Centre at the northern end of the Evesham bypass.
by Les Ladbury
01 Feb 2018 17:52
Forum: Club News & Events
Topic: Velodrome
Replies: 57
Views: 43741

Re: Velodrome

Dave. Am I demonstrating what you describe as "the sheer selfishness of the human condition" when, having been diagnosed as suffering from a life limiting condition I am denied treatment and medication because there is not the cash available. There is a drug which could improve my situation but it's...
by Les Ladbury
01 Feb 2018 10:12
Forum: Club News & Events
Topic: Velodrome
Replies: 57
Views: 43741

Re: Velodrome

On a more constructive vein than my last posting. The original Skol 6 track was installed at Wembley. It was then re-erected in a corner of the Cycle Show in Earls Court. I believe that this is the same track at Newport. I could be wrong about the Newport location but that is as I understand the sit...
by Les Ladbury
01 Feb 2018 10:04
Forum: Club News & Events
Topic: Velodrome
Replies: 57
Views: 43741

Re: Velodrome

Tim and anyone who thinks that spending a vast sum of money funding the Commonwealth Games is a good idea. Birmingham is broke, skint, borasic they have no money, the cupboard is bare. What else can I say. I have a condition which after extensive and expensive tests at The Priory I was referred to a...
by Les Ladbury
23 Jan 2018 14:30
Forum: Club News & Events
Topic: Velodrome
Replies: 57
Views: 43741

Re: Velodrome

Pete, You've said it all there. I think that the UK has 3 UCI standard velodromes, why spend money which the country can not afford on another vanity project. When Anne and I go to the ROH Covent Garden we travel down by a morning train and catch an early evening train back. An evening performance r...
by Les Ladbury
21 Jan 2018 10:41
Forum: Club Runs
Topic: Club runs - 21st January
Replies: 19
Views: 13799

Re: Club runs - 21st January

The irony is that I've spent my entire life being largely undeterred by snow, continuing to ride on my ordinary winter road bike. Nowadays I have a bike with studded 34mm tyres and 30mm mudguard clearances... but fear I've reached too fragile an age to take any chances. George My knowledge of Latin ...
by Les Ladbury
15 Jan 2018 16:00
Forum: Club News & Events
Topic: Velodrome
Replies: 57
Views: 43741

Re: Velodrome

The bid was made with London as the venue for track cycling not Birmingham. [/quote] Another con !!!!!!!!!!!! The host city is Birmingham. For those who don't understand it's B I R M I N G H A M not L O N D O N. I've always been opposed to things like the Olympic games but the Commonwealth Games are...
by Les Ladbury
05 Dec 2017 16:46
Forum: Club News & Events
Topic: Jeff Gould
Replies: 8
Views: 7690

Re: Jeff Gould

I have many memories of Jeff and Jean in the early '60s. One of which is spending a wet Saturday afternoon in their flat in Stoke Newington listening to Richard Burton's "Under Milk Wood". Jeff introduced me to the work of Dylan Thomas and that is only one reason to have fond memories of the Beacon ...
by Les Ladbury
23 Nov 2017 12:24
Forum: Club Runs
Topic: Club run ideas for 2018
Replies: 10
Views: 10091

Re: Club run ideas for 2017

Alan,
Why not in February. The A38 will be much quieter than in mid-summer and it's what we did 50/60 years ago.
by Les Ladbury
24 Oct 2017 18:46
Forum: Cafe Stop
Topic: Belgium campsite and accommodation recommendations
Replies: 8
Views: 6828

Re: Belgium campsite and accommodation recommendations

the last rights😁 ................last rites surely. ( At my age one gets rather pedantic about such things)

I can recommend a camp site at Baale Nassau.

I clearly remember staying there, well fairly clearly due to the large quantity of genever consumed. It was in 1969.
by Les Ladbury
26 Sep 2017 18:22
Forum: Audaxes & Cyclosportives
Topic: Velo Birmingham Closed Road Sportive
Replies: 52
Views: 96332

Re: Velo Birmingham Closed Road Sportive

Pete,

I thought that I was the only one in the world, nay the universe who thought this.

Totally agree
by Les Ladbury
14 Sep 2017 18:32
Forum: Time Trials
Topic: hill climbchampionship Sat 17th Sept RESULTS
Replies: 9
Views: 7421

Re: hill climbchampionship Sat 17th Sept

Alan You have forgotten the two most important club championships namely the Conker Championship and the Penny Putting Championship. I can understand a certain amount of confusion regarding the Penny Putting, do the regulations state whether it had to be old pennies or these new fangled new pence. F...
by Les Ladbury
08 Sep 2017 14:33
Forum: Audaxes & Cyclosportives
Topic: Velo Birmingham Closed Road Sportive
Replies: 52
Views: 96332

Re: Velo Birmingham Closed Road Sportive

I've just looked at the list of road closures in Worcestershire which are published in this weeks freebie newspaper. The whole thing is going to be a PR disaster as far as cycling is concerned.
by Les Ladbury
08 Sep 2017 07:21
Forum: Audaxes & Cyclosportives
Topic: Velo Birmingham Closed Road Sportive
Replies: 52
Views: 96332

Re: Velo Birmingham Closed Road Sportive

Am I missing something ?
Why pay a hundred quid to ride roads on a Sunday when one can cycle the very same roads the previous day for nothing and spend the money saved on a rather good lunch ?
by Les Ladbury
07 Jul 2017 18:36
Forum: Pro Racing
Topic: Tour SPOILER
Replies: 14
Views: 14478

Re: Tour SPOILER

My error I should have said sprint stage. Dave, Track sprinting is rather different to road sprinting. I'll give you a clue $$$$$$$$ $£££££££££££££££££ €€€€€€€€€€€ As for playing right up to the rules, Is there anyone out there who doesn't do just that when filling in there income tax return. :D :D ...
by Les Ladbury
06 Jul 2017 13:36
Forum: Pro Racing
Topic: Tour SPOILER
Replies: 14
Views: 14478

Re: Tour SPOILER

I'm watching today stage on the tele and I understand that the lawyers have now got involved. The claim is that it was a "racing incident". My arse it was. Tim, As far as penalising Arnaud Demare. Arnaud is FRENCH. His team is FRENCH. It's the Tour de FRANCE. The stage was in FRANCE. FRANCE hasn't h...
by Les Ladbury
06 Jul 2017 12:37
Forum: Pro Racing
Topic: Tour SPOILER
Replies: 14
Views: 14478

Re: Tour SPOILER

There's no doubt in my mind that Peter Sagan should have been thrown off le Tour. He would have known where Cav was and that one way of stopping him coming through was to come down on him and to stick his elbow out. I have great respect for PS as a rider but in just about every other respect I find ...
by Les Ladbury
01 Jul 2017 06:22
Forum: Pro Racing
Topic: TdF Early Predictions?
Replies: 9
Views: 11286

Re: TdF Early Predictions?

Pete,
Without being political after what's been happening in the world over the last few weeks and months you could be right on all counts !!!!!
:D :D :D :D :D :D
by Les Ladbury
15 Jun 2017 09:20
Forum: Cafe Stop
Topic: Clent Incident 14/06/2017 -
Replies: 9
Views: 7137

Re: Clent Incident 14/06/2017 -

Philip,
I agree absolutely with you the only problem is that nothing is done until some poor innocent sod is killed.
by Les Ladbury
15 Jun 2017 09:15
Forum: Cafe Stop
Topic: Clent Incident 14/06/2017 -
Replies: 9
Views: 7137

Re: Clent Incident 14/06/2017 -

Why am I not surprised at this. From long experience there are two types of vehicles that I always try to avoid. 1/ Black Range Rovers particularly if they have darken windows. 2/ 30 something women in large BMWs. As I have said I have found that there is a fair chance that the person behind the whe...
by Les Ladbury
05 Jun 2017 20:10
Forum: Cafe Stop
Topic: Graham Webb 1944-2017
Replies: 3
Views: 4822

Re: Graham Webb 1944-2017

Another Graham Webb anecdote. It involves another Webb, Tony this time. At this point I will say that Tony can tell the story much better than I but the gist of it is the time that Tony signed on at a race in Belgium or Holland. This was shortly after GW had become world road champion. After appendi...
by Les Ladbury
04 Jun 2017 14:14
Forum: Cafe Stop
Topic: Graham Webb 1944-2017
Replies: 3
Views: 4822

Re: Graham Webb 1944-2017

Sad news indeed. I have many memories of Graham but one stands out. It was the Ivy Wheelers "30" many years ago. GW was my minute man and as we waited to start I said to Graham "When I catch you I don't want you hanging on to my back wheel" :lol: To which he replied "You'll not XXXXXXX catch me" Do ...
by Les Ladbury
17 Apr 2017 18:50
Forum: Club News & Events
Topic: Beacon Little Mountain Time Trial
Replies: 29
Views: 18471

Dave,

I have obtained permission from senior management to go out on Sunday next so I am available for marshalling duties at the LMTT.

Can you let me know where and when please.

I do hope that you have a last minute rush of volunteers and therefore are not so reliant on the aged and infirm.
by Les Ladbury
08 Apr 2017 09:24
Forum: Time Trials
Topic: K8 10T
Replies: 5
Views: 5495

The road was 'improved', some years ago,to make it safer, with hatchings in places preventing overtaking. I used to marshal some events there, and i think the consensus was that the improvements had actually made itmore dangerous for time'trialling. A far cry from the 1950's when the A449 was a sin...
by Les Ladbury
14 Mar 2017 07:47
Forum: Beacon Road / Track / CycloCross Racing
Topic: Road/circuit race reports 2017
Replies: 79
Views: 80277

What's the course like?

Dave,
I was there a couple of years ago photographing a CX event. The road circuit is based on a WW2 airfield and like most airfields is not known for hills on the runways.
Should be fine for an ageing sprinter !!!!
by Les Ladbury
04 Mar 2017 18:45
Forum: Pro Racing
Topic: Jess Varnish
Replies: 0
Views: 5587

Jess Varnish

In view of the fact that British Cycling and Team Sky are right up to their necks in the smelly stuff, wouldn't it be a good PR exercise to reinstate Jess Varnish into the development programme ?
by Les Ladbury
15 Feb 2017 09:27
Forum: Beacon Road / Track / CycloCross Racing
Topic: Blast from the past
Replies: 6
Views: 4705

OK, OK yes I did forget the link, just being a bit of a drama king, building up suspense. (Note that lack of sexism there?) https://spinwell.wordpress.com/tag/race/page/9/ Dave Dave, I've just found this, brings back memories. I remember racing at Handsworth Park in the 60s. There were also a lot o...
by Les Ladbury
09 Jan 2017 09:12
Forum: Cafe Stop
Topic: Something completely different
Replies: 0
Views: 2115

Something completely different

In view of the fact that the weather forecasting wallahs are predicting the end of civilisation as we know it, from a meteorological perspective that is, there is something which might be of interest to those with an interest in photography. This week Smethwick Photographic Society are holding their...
by Les Ladbury
10 Dec 2016 11:25
Forum: Club News & Events
Topic: Volunteer Deficit - Any advice?
Replies: 8
Views: 5339

My village in France has a fete day every year. It starts around midday with aperitifs in the village hall followed by a 3 hour lunch. At 15:00 everyone decamps to watch the Course Cycliste. For the first few years Anne and I tried to help in any way but we were told that everything was organised an...
by Les Ladbury
26 Oct 2016 14:02
Forum: Club Runs
Topic: 'Cycling Weekly' Club run
Replies: 61
Views: 126950

Gab it!!!

I missed a letter out there which isn't surprising as I am often accused of talking through my RRRRs
by Les Ladbury
26 Oct 2016 11:25
Forum: Club Runs
Topic: 'Cycling Weekly' Club run
Replies: 61
Views: 126950

I don't think that the Chinese discussion is meant to be that serious

Strange as it might seem, Dave, I did actually realise that.

I'm pleased that you feel that I might have made some constructive comments. Good quality free promotion is hard to come by. Gab it!!!
by Les Ladbury
26 Oct 2016 08:41
Forum: Club Runs
Topic: 'Cycling Weekly' Club run
Replies: 61
Views: 126950

Might I make a couple of observations. 1/ A freelance journo is interested in selling an article not necessarily promoting the Beacon RCC The next article he produces could be about breeding canaries or the ethnic diversity on the Isle of Wright. 2/ Cycling magazine is interested in printing an arti...
by Les Ladbury
04 Oct 2016 19:24
Forum: Audaxes & Cyclosportives
Topic: Velo Birmingham Closed Road Sportive
Replies: 52
Views: 96332

Putting aside the Marmite qualities that divides opinion, I thought it would be interesting to examine the process required for the road closures. In summary: - The legislation providing authority to conduct the event is Road Traffic Regulations Act 1984. - Velobirmingham will need to meet the loca...
by Les Ladbury
17 Aug 2016 12:36
Forum: Club Runs
Topic: Club runs - 21st August
Replies: 17
Views: 12566

Following a request yesterday, we will see a return to matters philosophical and intellectual during cafe stop discussions. Phil Richards and club run participants will discuss Renaissance Mathematics . As with so many areas of European thought, mathematics in the Renaissance was a question of reco...
by Les Ladbury
16 Aug 2016 10:03
Forum: Pro Racing
Topic: SPOILER Omnium
Replies: 3
Views: 7192

Re: SPOILER Omnium

So should Cav have been disqualified? I think yes, I thought he would have been, but if yes so should Viviani for identical maneuver into the French guy, who just saw him coming and managed to move. So many laps and the type of racing I'm amazed there aren't more crashes Great race anyway. Cav lost...
by Les Ladbury
07 Aug 2016 13:33
Forum: Pro Racing
Topic: European road championships Nice
Replies: 1
Views: 6217

Re: European road championships Nice

I see the road championships in Nice have been cancelled due to security fears, which where meant to take place next month. Did anyone notice that many/most of the access roads which led on to the TdeF finishing circuit in Paris had a large truck parked cross to prevent vehicular access to the circ...
by Les Ladbury
02 Aug 2016 09:17
Forum: Audaxes & Cyclosportives
Topic: 2016 Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100
Replies: 29
Views: 24188

I'd be interested to know what the organisation was like. After watching the events on the tele I have the distinct impression that the whole thing was the biggest shambles since Lord Cardigan said "follow me chaps, we'll be alright"
by Les Ladbury
01 Aug 2016 14:38
Forum: Audaxes & Cyclosportives
Topic: 2016 Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100
Replies: 29
Views: 24188

James, your observations don't surprise me at all. For the last 2 or 3 years I have been working on a project photographing cyclo-cross events and the level of rudeness and aggression directed at me has been, sadly, unbelievable. These were without exception events in the UK. At one event a youth sa...
by Les Ladbury
15 Jul 2016 10:06
Forum: Beacon Road / Track / CycloCross Racing
Topic: Dave Hughes Road Race successes
Replies: 12
Views: 7003

Many congratulations on your not having having off yet this year
An awesome performance
Your race results aren't bad either

L
by Les Ladbury
07 Jan 2016 17:53
Forum: Cafe Stop
Topic: Unemployed
Replies: 10
Views: 6986

Not unbelievable I'm sorry to say.
Could it be that some are on benefits and have to apply for jobs which they have absolutely no intention of getting because they are quite happy living on state hand-outs?
If they didn't seek employment would they not qualify for their benefit payments?