The Beacon Message Board

We managed to get around 30 riders out over the Bank Holiday weekend, with Paul's 200km club run proving very popular with 15 riders starting off and two others chasing to meet up with partial success.

Most clubs seem to operate with just meeting at the allotted up with no leaders pre-determined and it looks as if we're moving that way also. So be it.

However, A-run leaders are stepping up so we have a run of A-run leaders for 3 weeks but no B or C run leaders, so my same message just rolls on. I even bore myself.

Please post here if the leading-mood takes you....it really ain't that much different to just riding at the back, it's exactly the same but riding at the front This weeks rides are:

Full set of leaders now - hoorah!! Thanks everybody...

A: Ludlow - Nick Shenton...meet at 08:00 for 08:15 start
B: Warwick - Mark Connell
C: Wyre Forest - Si Walker

Intro Ride: Avoncroft Museum Café - Led by Dave Cox, supported by Matt Hale. If you're new to cycling or fancy a relaxed ride out to a nearby café, then come along and ride on Beacon's May Intro ride. Meet at 09:00 for the off at 09:15...

I'll take an Intro ride to Avoncroft Museum this Sunday - need a supporter please

Weather permitting (i.e. not raining) I'll lead a C ride to the Wyre Forest cafe, this is a hilly route and so will not be fast. The route can be seen and downloaded below;

After climbing Sheepwalks and Beacon Lane (the first and second lump in the middle of the route) and then the climb out of Arley there is an option for riders to bale out at Bewdley (for the Railway or Riverside Cafes and to return via Stourport) before the climb up to the Wyre Forest cafe (the third and fourth lump). Return also via Stourport and the inevitable Quantry Lane and Dayhouse Bank!

Get your climbing legs on, have a good breakfast and take some 'bonk' food!
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/20847460

(Map updated to included sheepwalks (4.5.17)

A lanterne rouge volunteer would be appreciated.

Your route, Si, doesn't appear to go up Sheepwalks, it goes along Sheepwash ( not a climb ) I can take you all up Sheepwalks as well if you like 😎
I may join you at the junction of Sugar Loaf Lane and Beech Tree Road, guessing you should be there around 10, so keep an eye out for me.

Dave,

I can ride support for the intro ride - hoping to bring my son along. Do you have a route available?

Hi,
I'll lead when Si is on holiday! He seems to be leading a lot... destination TBC.
I'll warn now we will prob get lost. 😬😬

Mark Connell can't get on the message board, but‎ has volunteered to lead the B. Destination TBC.

petemarshall wrote:Your route, Si, doesn't appear to go up Sheepwalks, it goes along Sheepwash ( not a climb ) I can take you all up Sheepwalks as well if you like 😎
I may join you at the junction of Sugar Loaf Lane and Beech Tree Road, guessing you should be there around 10, so keep an eye out for me.

Pete, thanks for that, Ive replotted the route to go up Sheepwalks, note the change in file. See you as suggested.

Hi Matt that's great thanks. Basic route is out on Rea Valley path to Longbridge thru Barnt Green, Tutnall, Dusthouse Lane, a left and a right etc. We can add loops if it's going well. They don't open until 10.30. Bring cafe locks cos you park at the entrance.

Hi Nick, how far is the A run tomorrow?

LeonieB wrote:Hi Nick, how far is the A run tomorrow?

yep, need to know and expected return time?

err, whats the pace like on A runs these days?

I don't need to be back at a specific time but I was just wondering whether I will be able to keep up with these fast legs;)

Tomorrow's A Run to Ludlow will be approx 135km BH to BH. 8:15 Start so we should be back for around 2'ish depending on where you're heading to.

I'm not setting a particular pace but it will be somewhere between A/B club guidelines. Looking at last years ride to Ludlow it was around 25-26km/h so aiming for that.

It's not a race, it's a social Sunday club run so no one will be dropped, at least not on purpose anyhow.

Well attended Intro Ride to Avoncroft - 8 new riders and thx to Matt for supporting

Dave Cox (Leading)
Jake Williams
Alice Hipwell
Tim Jones
Richard Choplon
Patrick McKeon
Beverley Nielsen
Rob Emmerson
Toby Hale
Matthew Hale (Sweeping)

On today's somewhat lumpy A Run to Ludlow were:

Nick Shenton (Leading)
Paul Johnson
Neil Orchard
Neil Lynch
Neil Diamond
Stuart White
Leonie Balter
Ryan Evanson
Joe Warwood
Barry Evans
Josh Stephenson
Dom Walker
Vince Tenant

Nice to see Barry back from Oz

The C riders on today's lumpy route were:

Si Walker (leading)
Elli Bird
Nathan Burton
Laurie Derbyshire
Paul Derbyshire
Sarah Dowden
Huan Dong
Neil Evanson
Graham Gamblin
Colin Hall
Gemma Johnson
Dave Little
Pete Marshall
Adrian McHugh
Andy Wrightson

Mark McConkey (abandoned at Belbroughton on the route out).

Welcome to Elli, on her first Beacon Club ride, thanks to Pete for some assistance with routing, Andy and Dave for lanterne rouge and well done to all for the effort, I expect there may be some sore legs tonight! Its been a great day out with fantastic weather and views across the countryside and the timing on getting to Arley was perfect to see the steam loco pulling to Arley station.

https://goo.gl/photos/jCahAkwDLuiKpLQA6

Thanks Dave, Toby enjoyed himself today - will try and keep working on his endurance to get him out on the C run soon!

Si, thanks for leading today, very much enjoyed the hills in a masochistic sort of way (trying to keep up with you as you scampered up them like a young 'un), and it was indeed a lovely day to be out. Thanks to Colin for the sun cream!

Nicks_77 wrote:On today's somewhat lumpy A Run to Ludlow were:

Nick Shenton (Leading)

Nice to see Barry back from Oz

Thanks, Nick. It was great to see and ride with beacon again. But it was a baptism of fire for me. I was really struggling from Clee hill onwards when the paracetamol I took at Ludlow started to wear off. I returned home to fever and throwing my guts up
. Either I'm going down with something or I got food poisoning from eating what turned out to be 2 year expired gels and power bars!
In hindsight, after a week off the bike travelling and jet lag, perhaps a simple ride round the block might have been a better idea.
With age, wisdom is supposed to come!

Sorry to hear that Barry. This will cheer you up...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dnjnD_Xv-M

Just for the record, the B-riders on Mark Connell's run to Warwick were:

Mark Connell (leading)
Alistair Hey
Martin Vowles
Alan Weaver
Daniel Newns
Phil Gameson
Tim Jarvis