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'Cycling Weekly' Club run

Posted: 24 Oct 2016 09:38
by WorcsPhil
Hi all,

Cycling Weekly has been in touch to say:

"...I’m a freelance journalist and I’ve been asked by Cycling Weekly to drop you a line about the possibility of featuring Beacon RCC in our regular ‘Ride With’ feature. We try to organise these on a weekday, rather than the weekend club ride, so hopefully it’s feasible to gather together a cross-section of members of the club to ride a regular circuit during the week?"

Our view is we should do this, and I'm keen to present Beacon in a good light. If this is done midweek, this excludes a number of people (although we see on Strava that a lot of people seem to have a lot of free time!), so watch this space. I'm aware that not everyone loves 'Cycling Weekly' and how they have publicised Beacon run events in the past, but here's a chance to get some positive messaging from them...

This is likely to go ahead in the next 6 weeks, and we'll run it as a leisurely B or C speed run perhaps to Evesham. I'll post below further details soon, but be good to get the good 'cross-section' of riders referred to above, i.e. some diversity, and I'll get things rolling by representing the ginger community of Britain.

Phil

Posted: 24 Oct 2016 11:40
by Philip Whiteman
Great news.

Depending upon availability, I will try make the ride.

We probably need to do this ASAP to avoid icy mornings. It would be embarrassing for a journalist to arrive and find no participants.

Posted: 24 Oct 2016 11:58
by Ed Moss

Posted: 24 Oct 2016 12:01
by AlanW
Count me in :lol:

Posted: 24 Oct 2016 12:05
by dweben
Given enough notice I might be around...

Posted: 24 Oct 2016 12:20
by Andy Terry
Ed Moss wrote:Don't worry

It'll be like this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84SD8Wc ... l=gsian187
spot on :)

and featuring obligatory photo of Raphael's bread pudding

Posted: 24 Oct 2016 13:58
by deero83
If you can give me enough notice of the date, I can try and book a day's annual leave

Posted: 24 Oct 2016 14:00
by Colin G
A photo opportunity! Borrow a better bike, pull your stomach in and give it your best winning smile on the day everyone.

If I'm about I'm in.

Posted: 24 Oct 2016 15:20
by Nicks_77
I'd be happy to be in on this aswell with some notice.

Posted: 24 Oct 2016 21:04
by Ian
Hi Phil, count me in if given enough notice; could book a days leave.

Regards

Posted: 24 Oct 2016 21:04
by neilo
As above :D

Posted: 25 Oct 2016 06:49
by JessRJ
That's a good excuse for a day off work!

Posted: 25 Oct 2016 11:40
by WorcsPhil
I've now spoken to the 'Cycling Weekly' journalist (Dave Nash), and we're all good to go on Wednesday 9th November. If weather is terrible that day, we will try again on Friday 11th November as a reserve day.

This one-off midweek run will leave from the Black Horse at 09:15 (meet at 09:00) to Raphaels at Evesham...Dave will cycle the whole way with us, with the photographer driving on ahead for some action (or bread pudding) shots. This is the likely route, although happy to hear of easier alternatives...
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/17345026

There will be 3-4 shortish interviews with riders on what the club is to them as well as general chit-chat. Be good if Lord Whiteman could propose a weighty café discussion topic as usual. I particularly like the ones on Chinese philosophy.

This is not an A, B or C ride, we will all ride together at a social pace, but if bigger than 15 riders, we will split into two groups in true guideline fashion.

Let's try to get a good cross-section of people along.

Posted: 25 Oct 2016 12:56
by Philip Whiteman
WorcsPhil wrote: Be good if Lord Whiteman could propose a weighty café discussion topic as usual. I particularly like the ones on Chinese philosophy.
In true Cycling Weekly narrative we address Chinese philosophy, the thought of Chinese culture, from earliest times to the present. The keynote in Chinese philosophy is humanism: man and his society have occupied, if not monopolized, the attention of Chinese philosophers throughout the ages. Ethical and political discussions have overshadowed any metaphysical speculation. It must quickly be added, however, that this humanism does not imply any indifference to a supreme power or to Nature. Instead, the general conclusion represented in Chinese philosophy is that of the unity of man and heaven. This spirit of synthesis has characterized the entire history of Chinese philosophy.

This matter will be of interest to the Cycling Weekly readership, so it is more than likely that our intellectually stimulating discussion will form an important part of their editorial.

Posted: 25 Oct 2016 16:32
by Dave Cox
Great I'm up for this and can add a few pointers about hydraulic societies and the rise of bureaucracy in China

Posted: 25 Oct 2016 16:39
by NeilL
Gutted, China is my weakest subject!

Also can’t make the 9th due to work commitments but if it changes to the 11th I’m in

Posted: 25 Oct 2016 22:43
by JessRJ
I'm an expert on Chinese philosophy but can't make either of those dates unfortunately...if by any chance it moves to the following week I'm in!

Posted: 25 Oct 2016 23:32
by Tim
Great stuff. Shouldn't we take them around the little mountain route or Sunrise or snowdrop to help promote those events? Especially as they've failed to mention us in their reports on little mountain for two years running! Could we get Richard Bussell to join the ride too? If he's still a second claim member? Would be good to have National Hill Climb Champion 2016 there :-)

Also any way we could help get some women and as many members as possible under 50 to join in the fun?! No offence intended to anyone honest!! I just always see this feature and wonder if there are any women or people that aren't retired that cycle? Now I know it's shot mid week that explains the age thing.

Can we get them to serve duck and pancakes at the café?

Posted: 26 Oct 2016 08:41
by Les Ladbury
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 article of interest to it's readers again not necessarily in promoting the Beacon RCC.

So how to make the most advantage of this opportunity.

I think that if someone will produce a fact sheet about the club not dwelling to much on the history but on how progressive and forward thinking the committee and officers are.
Having said that mention that David Duffield and Steve Jones plus others are/were members. Is Graham Webb a member? If so an ex world champion is surely worth mentioning.

This is a great opportunity to promote the club which could be useful if ever the club were to seek sponsorship of either the club as a whole or an individual event.

I don't really think that a discussion on Chinese culture, however clever, is a fat lot of use.

These are just some thoughts on how to capitalise on the proposal to the advantage of the club.

Posted: 26 Oct 2016 10:28
by Yosser
Some good ideas here. Fact sheet seems sensible and allows journalist to take away for later use as reference mat'l. I don't think that the Chinese discussion is meant to be that serious Les. (I think discussing the 4% universe would be appropriate tho!)

Posted: 26 Oct 2016 11:25
by Les Ladbury
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!!!

Posted: 26 Oct 2016 12:22
by deero83
Can't do either date - gutted!

Posted: 26 Oct 2016 12:37
by Philip Whiteman
Cleared the diary and I will be attending. This will enable repeated mentions to CW about why they should join the Kidderminster Killer and how 300km club runs to the Brecons are now the norm.

PS> The Sunrise and Snowdrop Express will be sold out within the next few weeks.

Posted: 26 Oct 2016 14:02
by Les Ladbury
Gab it!!!

I missed a letter out there which isn't surprising as I am often accused of talking through my RRRRs

Posted: 26 Oct 2016 17:35
by keith
Should be able to take one of my owed days !

But all Cafe chat is the same probably in all clubs

1 how I would have kept up with the pace if I had noticed my brakes were rubbing

2 how £800 for wheels is not excessive but £3 for a bacon sarnie is

3 Footie

Posted: 26 Oct 2016 20:32
by Ian
Hi Phil, can book both days just in case, so good to go.

Posted: 27 Oct 2016 20:07
by Nicks_77
I'm in!

Posted: 28 Oct 2016 08:07
by Andy W
Count me in on either of these dates

Posted: 28 Oct 2016 08:39
by Tim
Hope to make just about got enough AL left but will have to see what work I've got on at the time. Thanks for the organising.

Posted: 28 Oct 2016 21:00
by Dave Cox
I think Charlie Skinner is still our archivist so be ideal person to do the fact sheet perhaps. Its an important part of their reports on well established clubs like Beacon

Posted: 30 Oct 2016 15:32
by petemarshall
Unless Cycling Weekly has undergone a major change in the last decades since I stopped reading it, it isn't going to say anything negative and will be positive about the club whatever you do or say. So I would suggest a group get together and rip the legs off the guy and then get him to pay for the food and drink at the cafe :twisted:
On the positive side it looks like a few newbies on the club runs,.😉

Posted: 03 Nov 2016 21:17
by Tim
Would be great if someone does a factsheet if they could email it to me at timegan2002@hotmail.com

I've arranged a separate interview with UK Sport and their Club Matters website section, hopefully going to happen in December, and would be good to send them an overview on the history of the club and the events we offer each year.

With all this publicity we'd better prepare for a thousand new members in 2017! :shock:

Thanks

Tim

Posted: 03 Nov 2016 21:47
by CakeStop
I've drafted a fact sheet and sent to a few others who may wish to add further detail. I'll send it you next week when it's finalised if that's soon enough for you Tim?

Posted: 03 Nov 2016 22:34
by Tim
Great yes no rush thanks

Posted: 07 Nov 2016 08:22
by AlanW
Its probably to late, but just a thought, could we start the ride a little later to give the traffic chance to clear?

Posted: 07 Nov 2016 11:28
by WorcsPhil
As the weather doesn't look too bad on Wednesday, we are good to go.

Yes, we will push back a little, but only by 15mins, so meet at 09:15 for a 09:30 depart. This will be to Evesham at a social pace...This is NOT an A-ride or B-ride, let's keep together and different people take turns on the front...I'm happy to start things off.

Be good to get a fine turn out of red, white and green, and take this opportunity to catch up with others you haven't spoken to for a while, stories about fireworks, Chinese society or Donald Trump's inevitable march to power will all feature.

See you there

Posted: 07 Nov 2016 12:37
by Tim
What is estimated return time? Thanks

Posted: 07 Nov 2016 12:38
by carolyn
I can make it, I'll wrap up warm brrrrrrr

Posted: 07 Nov 2016 12:41
by WorcsPhil
Tim, probably 2-2:30...depends how much time the discussion on Chinese philosophy takes !

Posted: 07 Nov 2016 12:43
by Tim
Thanks! Maybe see you there but probably won't make it. Is the journalist attending the roller session in the evening? Probably not a good idea!

Posted: 07 Nov 2016 13:09
by AlanW
carolyn wrote:I can make it, I'll wrap up warm brrrrrrr
Oh no, check you personal insurance policies for accident cover!!

Posted: 08 Nov 2016 16:03
by Andy Terry
Is this definitely the route, Phil?

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/17345026

Posted: 08 Nov 2016 17:08
by WorcsPhil
Yes, Andy...apart from the blip around Cofton Park...

Posted: 08 Nov 2016 17:12
by Andy Terry
WorcsPhil wrote:Yes, Andy...apart from the blip around Cofton Park...
Thank Phil. See you at Dusthouse Lane all being well.

Posted: 08 Nov 2016 17:23
by laurence_cooley
I hope it goes well tomorrow. I'll keep my fingers crossed that there's no ice for you (and that there's enough bread pudding to go around).

Posted: 08 Nov 2016 18:31
by dweben
BBC says snow at 8am... rain all night. A touch colder and it's perfect ice weather ;)

Posted: 08 Nov 2016 19:35
by toby
Just copied the route to my navigation device so can do a turn or two.
The weather forecast changes depending on which website I look at but I'm optimistic the nastiness should have cleared by meet time.
See you in the morning!

Posted: 08 Nov 2016 19:43
by Hels147
Anyone got some heated insoles?! Not been on the road bike since the weather changed.... Fear I'm gonna be cold! :shock:

Posted: 08 Nov 2016 19:53
by toby
Hels147 wrote:Anyone got some heated insoles?! Not been on the road bike since the weather changed.... Fear I'm gonna be cold! :shock:
You, Andy and me on a ride together again? The weather is guarenteed to be utterly disgusting now!!

Posted: 08 Nov 2016 20:20
by Andy Terry
toby wrote:
Hels147 wrote:Anyone got some heated insoles?! Not been on the road bike since the weather changed.... Fear I'm gonna be cold! :shock:
You, Andy and me on a ride together again? The weather is guarenteed to be utterly disgusting now!!
Nailed on, I'd say.