So, the Vuelta has started which officially means that we're getting to the 'arse end' of the summer, so what better way to celebrate the last dying rays of the warm sun but to get out on your bike, before we all have to display registration plates, have MOT's and pay road tax, because bikes should pay road tax!! (...according to Grant Shapps and the Daily Mail)
...ooh, a little bit of politics there....but until that time, thanks as usual to the club run leaders at the weekend, namely Mick 'LEL' Stanford, for leading a guided BC ride, Cedric on an unfortunately solo ride to Wellesbourne International Airport, Ewan Ross, who led an excellent and sociable B-ride to some small lanes in the Wyre Forest, James Bendle for an A-ride Beacon Burst and Dave Cole for a tremendous 100 in 8 hours ride.
Congrats to the racers (Kyle and James) last weekend and for all the TT'ers on last Wednesdays 10mile TT Championships...and a big well done to Simon Dighton and Celia Brown for taking home the trophies (figuratively speaking, as the trophies aren't handed out till awards night!)
We had an good discussion on the ethics of volunteering on the B-ride and would love to understand people's barriers to leading or volunteering more widely...as such, we will be asking for views by sending round a short survey later this week via the message board and via email to all members. It will take you 3mins to complete it, so please don't conform to the suspicion that regular volunteers will complete it and the 'don't botherers' won't bother! We're nothing if not optimistic that the beauty of the human spirit will prevail....
You may have seen that we have the opportunity to organise a cross event this December in Walsall arboretum, which compliments an academy cross training the day before...this is a tremendous way to bring cross to a more urban area, and widen it's appeal, but again it will succeed or fail depending on our own efforts. Please take a moment to read the final post in Ade Ravenscroft's thread below, but it will need someone to grasp this and take it forward...is that you? Look in the mirror now and say is that me?.. get in touch if you can help...I'll certainly be there marshalling or setting up the course and if I can do it, then so can others.
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Don't forget that cycling is supposed to be fun, despite the rather stern sub-text of this update, but I'm still trying to shake the feeling that my pet ostrich didn't make the most of our trip to the beach on Saturday.
Keep happy and watch out for the survey
Phil