Q4 2008 - Reading Cycling Club

Anthony Maynard (picture courtesy of Guy Swarbrick)
Oct - Dec

ommittee
Committee
ollowing a minor re-shuffle at September’s AGM, this is your committee:
Here they are again, your trusty committee. If you have a question then there’s
a good chance one of these folk will have the answer.
Position Name Phone
Chairman Adrian Lawson 0118 961 2900
Clothing Stephen Bale 0118 961 2250
Clubruns Steve Thurgood 0118 375 7207
Coach Greg Woodford 0118 926 5307
Cyclo-cross Secretary Stephen Bale 0118 961 2250
General Secretary Roy Booth 0118 926 4540
Membership Ian Richardson 0118 948 4070
Newsletter Editor Dave Ridge 07810 353697
President John Barnes 0118 958 3741
Press Secretary Rod MacFadyen 0118 948 1347
Road Racing John Snead 07979 704302
Social Secretary Lucinda Seymour 07909 987795
Sportives John Hollands 0118 931 3151
Time Trials Steve Ferry 0118 941 2575
Track Adrian Lawson 0118 961 2900
Treasurer Colin Bates 07788 740084
Welfare Officer Roy Booth 0118 926 4540
Women’s Riders’ Rep. Trudi Sammons 0118 979 3221
Editorial
This edition comes soon after the tragic
death of Anthony Maynard, who lost his life
in July when he was struck by a van on the
road from Henley to Bix during a Thursday
evening chain gang. With him at the time
was David Ivory, who was also struck and
injured.
It is a great loss to the club and of course to
his family. Anthony was a very talented rider,
extremely good company, and a good friend
to many members of our club.
On his last journey from his home to the
crematorium he was accompanied by a
large number of club members on what was
easily the most moving bike ride I have ever
experienced.
His family were given strength by that tribute; that Anthony was someone so popular
that so many of his friends chose to pay their last respects to him in that way.
As a club that event has brought a lot of us closer together.
We of course aim to ensure that Anthony didn’t die in vain, and that his memory will live
on within the club. Of particular importance are the club’s plans to organise a sportive
in remembrance of Anthony next year.
Of course we want that event to be a special one, not only to keep Anthony’s memory
alive but in the best possible way. The event will be organised to the highest possible
standard and here comes the appeal. I would like as many people as possible to
pledge support for the sportive. It would be great if every club member did at least one
thing towards the event, from signing up to ride it, to helping with the planning, organisation
and management of the event. A sportive needs a lot of people to do a little bit;
it’s either that or a few people will have to work very hard to make it happen.
This is no ordinary appeal. Please offer whatever help you can.
In the meantime please spare a thought for Dave, Sue and Theresa. Anthony’s passing
has devastated a close family.
Adrian Lawson
Chairman
Reading Cycling Club

On Thursday 3rd July Reading Cycling
Club was dealt its worst ever blow when
it lost one of its finest members. As
news broke and tributes poured in, it
became clear what a popular character
Anthony had been. As cyclists many
of us knew Anthony well, but it was
only with his passing that many of us
learned of his wider interests and vast
popularity.
The club website proved
an extremely useful
avenue for members and
non-members to post
their very fi tting tributes.
With the story being
covered by local and
regional media it was
heart-warming that
messages started to
fi lter in from all over the UK and overseas.
One notable message was from Readingborn
professional Dario Cioni who took
time on a Tour de France rest day to
send the club a message of support and
compassion.
Anthony’s funeral was extremely moving
with huge support from the club and the
local cycling community. It is a day that will
live long in the memory of all who were
there.
Anthony
Maynard
By Adrian Lawson
Anthony Maynard was born on
2nd March 1983 in the Royal
Berkshire Hospital, and he
weighed 9lbs 4oz. He went
to school fi rst at St Dominic’s
in Woodley, then to Waingels
Copse in Woodley where he got
9 GCSEs. He then went on to
Reading College to get an A level
in Geography in his spare time.
Initially he worked at Rockwell
Collins as an inventory assistant.
In 2005 Anthony joined the Rural
Payments Agency as a strategic
planner in the GIS mapping
section.
It was at Rockwell Collins that
Anthony met Dave, his boss, who
had a love of the outdoors, and
with whom he went on several
walking and climbing trips.
This sparked Anthony’s real
interest in indoor climbing, which
Dave and his friends already did.
Anthony’s sister Theresa and
some of her friends also got into
all of this, and the friendly group
met every Tuesday evening
without fail, at the indoor climbing
walls of the Westway Sports
Centre in London.
Anthony was a vegetarian all
his life, and latterly became a
vegan. He came home one day
and announced this to his mum,
and she joined him on this new
healthy lifestyle. They read widely
on how to cope with the stresses
of an extremely active lifestyle on
a vegan diet, and went to great
lengths to source their food.
Music played quite a part in his life,
he was a fan of a broad range of
performers including Amon Tobin, Red
Hot Chilli Peppers, Pearl Jam, Smashing
Pumpkins, Mogwai, and Incubus.
This refl ected his taste in entertainment,
he was not to be found in noisy
nightclubs, nor going to the pub to make
small talk. He enjoyed socialising with a
wide circle of people who were regarded
as close friends.
The Grapes of Wrath is unfi nished but
he read many books on a broad range
of subjects from adventure in the high
mountains, Buddhist teaching, cycling,
especially the big riders, Armstrong,
Pantani, Indurain, and of course The
Rider by Tim Krabbe.
The values and opinions of others
mattered to him, he was known to
apologise for his cyclist colleagues’
behaviour at the scenes of fl are-ups with
errant motorists. He was a long-time
donator to charity, giving to the World
Society for Protection of Animals and
Sustrans as soon as he started to earn
wages. His generosity showed in other
ways too for he gave one of his old
frames to a younger rider.
Anthony also had a dog. From an early
age the Maynard family took on puppies
from the Guide Dogs for the Blind
Association, and they ended up keeping
Drew. More recently they acquired Lucy, a
black and white crossbreed, who Anthony
and his mum Sue used to walk along the
river paths, sharing many happy hours
together.
Expeditions are one thing that defi ned
Anthony. As a young man not too sure of
himself he went to Nepal, to Kathmandu,
with a group of people he had never met
before. He impressed them all with his
drive and maturity, and he came back
home a self confi dent man.
He trekked in the Julien Alps in Slovenia,
extending himself rather more than he
perhaps ought to and, being vegetarian,
had to trek for three days on nuts and
raisins because the only food his friend
carried were dehydrated meals, which
contained meat.
In late August 2007 his dad Dave drove
Anthony and his friend Anita to Stansted
Airport, for his most memorable trip. They
fl ew with their bikes, and all their camping
kit on a bike they named ‘Zoncy’, after the
climb they were to head for. They fl ew to
Ljubljana in Slovenia then rode, crossing
the Dolomites and climbing the mighty
Zoncolan pass.
I saw him shortly after his return, and
he told me about this epic climb, the
approach, the weather, but most of all the
severity of the climb. He was impressed
by the speed of the pros compared to his

pace, and I pointed out that he had his
touring kit on his bike. He freely admitted
that he had left it all at the foot of the
climb, whereas I am sure I would have
claimed to have ridden it with my panniers
on!
After the Dolomites, they made their
planned detour to Innsbruck for Anita’s
fl ight home after two weeks. Anthony then
started his long ride back to England.
During that trip he kept an intermittent
diary, which I have had the privilege of
reading. One entry indicates what a life
changing event this was to be for him:
“After two days on my own I realise how
important my family and friends are.
Always thought I was happier alone, I am
sometimes, but not for days at a time.”
It is as a cyclist that we knew Anthony
and there are countless tales of his
exploits on a bike.
Anthony was a founder member of
Palmer Park Velo, joining at the age
of eight. His fi rst bike was a little blue
Raleigh road bike, and he remained a
member of the Velo until his mid teens,
when temporarily he went off cycling.
He then joined Reading CC at the age of
18, and was a regular on club runs. The
term “doing an Anthony” was coined to
describe someone going off the front and
missing a turning (not to be confused with
“a Maynard moment”, which describes a
catastrophic loss of air without having a
pump, or a tube, or both!).
He tried road racing and although he was
quite good at it, it was not really his thing.
On one occasion he broke away and
crossed the line ahead of the fi eld with his
arms aloft, only to hear the bell ringing for
another lap. His father has actually done
the very same thing! Anthony was heard
to say that the best way to spoil a good
ride was to pin a race number on.
Sportives where Anthony’s greatest love,
and other than club runs, was where I
spent much of my time with him; which of
course wasn’t much! He once started the
Autumn Epic 45 minutes after me, and
caught me with 15 miles to go. He still
had time for a bit of a chat before leaving
me in the pursuit of Nick Crocker.
In 2006 we rode the very fi rst Gran Fondo
Cymru in Bala, when we shared a dorm
in the outdoor centre at Rhos-y-gwaliau.
We had a great time chatting about bikes
and hills and poring over the map on the
wall. I wasn’t on top of my game and set
off early to get a chance to see everyone
in the club come past, which they all did.
Again Anthony had time to come back
and chat before effortlessly moving ahead
to the group that had dropped me.
He was of course a very classy rider, who
had the physical prowess of a competitive
athlete, but who chose to ride sociably,
often pacing back riders, always willing to
help out.
In his diary I also found this: “I have had
a clear mind for the last few days, free
from the trappings, stresses and strains
of normal life. Mind is true, not wavered
by circumstances. Just ride, eat, sleep,
allows mind to be free. Wish I could
always feel like this, hope I have learnt
something.”
I hope Anthony gets a tailwind in Heaven.
Anthony Maynard
1983 - 2008

Get off the track right now!!
By Lucinda Seymour
L’Étape du Tour 2008
A day on the route of the Tour de France - By Matt Pritchard
I recently asked Jimmy why he started
cycling and he told me his story:
In 1971 my school was being refurbished
and some of our lessons were held
at the nearby Grammar School and a
cunning teacher came up with an idea
to get students to the classes quicker
- racing between the schools either by
running or cycling. As we had an old
rusty bike at home, I started to cycle as
it was quicker and when a league was
set up with a box of chocolates as the
prize at stake it definitely became worth
making an effort to win.
As we had to cycle between the
schools on the road, the school invited
Musselburgh Cycle Club and the police
to run a cycling proficiency course with
those who passed being invited to spend
a day at the Meadowbank velodrome in
Edinburgh.
The following Saturday I set off on my
newly acquired second hand 23” Philips
Kingfisher blue racing bike bought for me
by my father. He said to allow plenty of
time because there were quite a few hills
en-route and having allowed 1 ½ hours,
it took only 30 minutes. Arriving early
at the track and with no one around, I
decided to get on and have a go. Off I
set lapping myself until I heard someone
shout “What are you doing? Get off the
track right now!” As I came down the
banking and stopped, he said “I am not
shouting at you for being on the track,
but because you are going the wrong
way round!”
The invitation day was great fun with
tuition in the many aspects of cycling and
we were then invited by Musselburgh CC
to take part in their freewheeling down
hill competition the following weekend.
As I later found out, this competition
was always won by a member called
Jimmy Lane because he had no brake
blocks or chain and used to oil his hubs
to make him go faster than anyone else
and being light he could free wheel the
furthest up the following hill. At the end
of the competition, the club held its usual
“drum up”: cooking fish and potatoes
wrapped on a camp fire down by a river.
Why would anyone not want to take up
cycling if this was how you could spend
your weekends?
Being the then only wooden track in
the UK, Meadowbank regularly held
prestigious national events and also
many local events. I joined Musselburgh
Cycle Club and started time trialling (5
and 10 miles) and racing on the track.
At the start, most of my equipment was
either too big or very old so it took a
while to really get going and achieve
results. My first proper bike was a
second hand Flying Scott from Glasgow
and at the end of the first year of track
racing, managed to come second in both
the Junior Track League and Scottish
Schoolboy Championships. The cycling
bug now really took hold.
In 1974, joining the RAF presented an
opportunity to pursue cycling a little more
seriously and to become a part of the
RAF cycling team and following some
pleasing results in various criteriums
and track events in Munster, I began
to dream of becoming a professional
cyclist. But that is another story and a
long way from a 15 year old school boy
caught cycling the wrong way round
Meadowbank velodrome on a road bike
far too big for him.
The alarm went at 3.45am and the
rain on the hotel window signalled
that the weather hadn’t improved
from the day before, a stark contrast
with Friday, when our arrival in the
Pyrenees over the Col du Tourmalet
was greeted with clear blue skies
and stunning views in all directions.
Still, the day had arrived and it was
time to get up, get some food in,
and get on the way to the start in
Pau. My cousin, Peter, and I were
riding “L’Étape du Tour” : stage 10
of this year’s Tour de France from
Pau to Hautacam.
The coach was ready and waiting
for our departure from the Hotel in
Lourdes at 5am, and took us through
the driving rain to the sports hall in
suburban Pau where our bikes had
been stored overnight. We quickly
checked them over then set off through
the dark following my GPS track to the
start about 5 miles away the other side
of Pau. As we approached the start,
we crossed through the police cordon
onto the empty roads which were to
become the race route : a reminder
that this was a special event enjoying
the luxury of closed roads – just as
well, as we were to be sharing them
with about 9000 other riders. And
suddenly there they all were : lined up
in pens of 1000 riders behind the start
gate, waiting nervously for the final few
minutes before the final countdown.
“Cinq, quatre,
trois, deux, un,
…c’est parti!” We
were off, or so
we thought, since
we were in the
third pen of 1000
riders, so had to
wait a further ten,
tense minutes for
the first two pens
to empty before we were allowed to
leave. We said a final good luck to
each other then it was under the start
banner, round a sharp corner and
we were away, at quite a pace but
concentrating intensely so as not to fall
victim to a crash among the massive
crowd of riders jostling to get to the
remaining few spaces of clear road.
The route was to take us south out
of Pau, into the rolling foothills of the
Pyrenees, with 2 major climbs to come
after the first feed station at Lourdes
: the infamous Col du Tourmalet
and the shorter but brutal climb up
to the summit finish of Hautacam
(made famous by Lance Armstrong’s
annihilation of his rivals there in the
2000 Tour de France).

Conscious of the need to pace
ourselves, we maintained a swift but
steady speed out of Pau, trying to
stay among packs of other riders to
conserve energy, but still managing to
average nearly 32 km/h for the first,
flattish section of the ride. Even so,
we were clinging to the right-hand
side of the road as the “trains” of
faster riders rumbled past on the left
on expensive-looking carbon-fibre
rims, darting in and out of the rest of
us. Approaching the first, steep little
climb through a village, two things
made this different from any other ride
I’d ever done. Firstly, the throngs of
cheering spectators (at 9am on a rainy
Sunday morning) made it feel like we
really were riding the Tour de France,
and second, I had never before been
caught in a traffic jam of riders, with the
line of cyclists extending for as far as
the eye could see in both directions.
Onwards through the rolling hills
and drizzle we rolled, cheered on by
shouts of “Allez, Allez” and “Bravo,
les courageux” from the crowds lining
the roads in the villages we passed
though. By now I had lost Peter in the
crowd of riders and arrived at the first
feed station in Lourdes : a total frenzy
of bikes, bananas, bidons (water
bottles) and bodies! A quick refuel
and then on with the next section :
through Bagnères de Bigorre and up
the Campan valley to the feared Col
du Tourmalet.
The chatty camaraderie of the early
sections of the ride soon disappeared,
as the right turn in Sainte-Marie-de-
Campan revealed the true nature of
the task ahead. Despite the mountain
drizzle and mist shrouding the view
ahead, the incline made perfectly clear
what lay ahead, helpfully reinforced by
signs along the way giving the average
gradient over the next kilometre …6%,
7%, occasionally 10% : not too bad,
until you realised that this was going
to go on for over 20 km. And this was
only the first climb.
I soon settled in
to a rhythm and
actually found myself
moving back up
through the field.
Before too long the
familiar avalanche
guards over the
road signalled the
approach to La
Mongie : the ski
resort location of the second feed.
However, the final kilometre or so
before La Mongie took its toll, and by
the time I reached the feed I was more
than ready for some serious refuelling.
Another frantic feed station, this
time with a somewhat less jovial
atmosphere, as around a thousand
riders fought the queues to collect
what they could. I grabbed some water
bottles, quickly made up my bidons
with sachets of energy drink, had a
quick chat with a fellow member of
Reading CC I’d spotted in the crowd,
then I was on my way again, this time
up into the mist and cowbells of the
upper slopes of the Tourmalet. My
GPS counted down the vertical metres
to go : 300 …200 …100 : I was nearly
there. Suddenly, at 2100 metres I was
there on the last bend and crested the
steep rise to the summit only to find
another traffic jam of riders and was
reduced to shuffling through the crowd
to find a spot by the side of the road
(avoiding the perilous drop to the right)
to cram in an energy gel before the
descent.
Now I was on
home ground, as
I’d climbed and
descended the
Tourmalet several
times before on this
side, but it was still
a daunting moment
as I set off on the
first few steep
hairpins as they
literally dropped
away from the summit into the mists
below. 50, 60, 70 km/h …the rush of
the wind grew to a roar and the biting
cold began to freeze my hands as I
shot down the valley to Luz. A sharp
right in the village centre, sharp left,
then a beautiful, sweeping series of
bends down through the Gorges de
Luz allowed some time for on-the-road
refuelling as I crammed in what I could
of my remaining energy bars (which
had lost their appeal after around the
seventh hour of riding!). A few more
kilometres and suddenly I found
myself riding through a huge crowd of
cheering supporters at the finish village
at the base of the final climb. I’d made
it to here within the elimination time
so now all I had to do was the final,
1000-metre climb to Hautacam. All I
had to do…
The climb started gently at first,
undulating through some hamlets for
quite a while before kicking up in steep
little inclines at intervals designed
to sap your remaining energy …
especially when you are fighting for
your space on the road among a still
huge crowd of riders. I stopped about a
third of the way up to catch my breath
and eat what more I could stomach,

then pressed on for the
final few kilometres.
“Come on, come on”,
I told myself. At last,
there in the mist was
the Flamme Rouge :
the banner signalling
one kilometre to go. A
few final gasps up the
last bend or two and
suddenly I was there. I
had done it. I had completed L’Étape!
169 km and 3500 m of climbing. I was
just a shade under 9 hours at 8 hours
and 52 minutes, but for now I didn’t
care : I had done it. All I could think for
now was the fact that I was starving
hungry and very, very cold. As the
rotten weather had robbed us of the
views of Friday, there was precious
little to do at the top except to chat
elatedly to other riders I recognised,
and to send a few text messages
home, but soon I realised that the
bitterly cold descent that awaited could
only be done after waiting in the queue
of 3-400 riders. Seconds before my
turn arrived, I looked across at the
finish line and there was Peter : he’d
made it too, an amazing achievement
for someone who’d only taken up road
cycling 9 months before! I shouted
across to him and his face lit up as we
realised we’d both finished, but we’d
have to leave the celebrations to later.
My turn in the queue now approached,
so I set off on the descent, hands
gripping the handlebars and barely
able to operate the brakes, shivering
enough to make the steering difficult,
but totally, utterly happy, that I had
achieved one of my life’s ambitions :
to ride a mountain stage of the Tour de
France.
Calendar
The nights are drawing in, so the club calendar is starting to look a little thin and the
winter activities aren’t quite as varied as during the summer, but don’t let that put you
off!
The calendar overleaf will help you keep track of what’s coming along in future months.
All the club’s own events and promotions are included as far ahead as details are
known, and these are colour-coded for ease of reference.
Club Runs
• Leaders are always needed – contact Steve Thurgood if you want to lead.
• Please check the website for latest listings to see which runs need leaders.
• New Rider Runs: These take place on the last Sunday of each month and go to the
same destination as the medium run.
• On a regular basis - and as café stops allow - fast & medium runs will be scheduled
for the same destination.
Palmer Park
By this time in the year it’s usually road bike sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays
evenings until springtime. Show up from 20:15hrs and for a mere £3.20 you can pedal
around to your heart’s content. Check for closures around Christmas and New Year.
Palmer Park Sports Stadium, Wokingham Road, Reading, RG6 1LF, Tel 0118 901
5080.
Saturday morning rides
These are also informal with riders meeting at 8.30a.m. outside A.W.Cycles, Henley
Road, Caversham. Distance and pace both depend on who shows up!
Committee meetings
These are held on first Wednesday of each month at the New Hope Centre, York
Road, RG1 8DU at 20:00. All club members are welcome to attend the meetings
and contribute to the running of the club. If you would like more information about
committee activities, please contact Roy Booth.
Annual Dinner/Prize Presentation
This is one important date missing from the calendar. It’s usually around December
time so keep your eyes peeled for further announcements.
2009 Dates
A list of provisional promotions for 2009 is listed. All these events need help from club
members to make them happen. At the AGM the club agreed to develop a system
to make it easier for members to volunteer to assist at events. Stay tuned for further
details, but in the meantime start thinking how and where you may like to help out.

Date Event Details Leader/
Orgainser
OCTOBER
Distance/
Speed
Course/
Location
Sun 05 Oct Club Run BEACONS BOTTOM - Studley Green GC Fast Market Place 09:00
Sun 05 Oct Club Run BRIGHTWELL CUM SOTWELL - RootOne GC Medium Market Place 09:00
Sun 12 Oct Club Run THAME - The Coffee House (50+) Fast Market Place 09:00
Sun 12 Oct Club Run FLEET - Redfields GC Medium Market Place 09:00
Sun 19 Oct Club Run HARWELL - Q Gardens Tea Room Fast Market Place 09:00
Sun 19 Oct Club Run NUNEHAM COURTNAY - Nottcutts GC Medium Market Place 09:00
Sun 26 Oct Club Run BENSON - Waterfront Café Fast Market Place 09:00
Sun 26 Oct Club Run BENSON - Waterfront Café Medium Market Place 09:00
Sun 26 Oct Club Run BENSON - Waterfront Café New riders Market Place 09:00
Wed 29 Oct Meeting Committee Meeting Roy Booth - New Hope Centre 20:00
NOVEMBER
Sun 02 Nov Club Run WEST WYCOMBE - Flowerlands GC Fast Market Place 09:00
Sun 02 Nov Club Run WEST WYCOMBE - Flowerlands GC Medium Market Place 09:00
Mon 03 Nov Coaching Meet the Coach Greg Woodford - Palmer Park
(in the bar)
Sun 09 Nov Club Run FARNHAM ROYAL - GC, The Orangery or Burnham Wyevale Fast Market Place 09:00
Sun 09 Nov Club Run THATCHAM - Wyevale GC Medium Market Place 09:00
Sun 16 Nov Club Run THATCHAM - Wyevale GC Fast Market Place 09:00
Sun 16 Nov Club Run FARNHAM ROYAL - GC, The Orangery or Burnham Wyevale Medium Market Place 09:00
Sun 23 Nov CycloCross Bill Higson Memorial Cyclo Cross Brian Bingham varies Prospect Park varies
Sun 23 Nov Club Run FLEET - Redfields GC Fast Market Place 09:00
Sun 23 Nov Club Run HERMITAGE - Hillier GC Cafe Medium Market Place 09:00
Wed 26 Nov Meeting Committee Meeting Roy Booth - New Hope Centre 20:00
Sun 30 Nov Club Run CHILTON - Wyevale GC Fast Market Place 09:00
Sun 30 Nov Club Run CHILTON - Wyevale GC Medium Market Place 09:00
Sun 30 Nov Club Run CHILTON - Wyevale GC New riders Market Place 09:00
DECEMBER
Sun 07 Dec Club Run MARLOW - Wyevale GC Medium Market Place 09:00
Sun 14 Dec Club Run CHINNOR - GC Fast Market Place 09:00
Sun 14 Dec Club Run BEACONS BOTTOM - Studley Green GC Medium Market Place 09:00
Wed 17 Dec Meeting Committee Meeting Roy Booth - New Hope Centre 20:00
Sun 21 Dec Club Run BRIGHTWELL CUM SOTWELL - RootOne GC Fast Market Place 09:00
Sun 21 Dec Club Run CHINNOR - GC Medium Market Place 09:00
Sun 28 Dec Club Run NUNEHAM COURTNAY - Nottcutts GC Fast Market Place 09:00
Sun 28 Dec Club Run NUNEHAM COURTNAY - Nottcutts GC Medium Market Place 09:00
Start
19:00
2008 (provisional listing)
March Club Run Reliability Trial Steve Thurgood Thames Valley Park
April Road Race Reading C.C./A.W.Cycles Spring Road Races Colin Bates Woodcote
June Open TT Reading CC Open '50', Aldermaston Barry Quick 50 H50/1a
July Sportive Details to be announced
August Open TT Clive Pugh Memorial '25', Aldermaston 25 H1/25
September Open TT Colin Roberts Memorial '10', Aldermaston Rod MacFadyen 10 H10/1
Oct/Sept Open TT Open Hill Climb, Streatley Hill 1 HHC005
Oct/Sept Road Race Reading CC / League of Veteran Racing Cyclists Road
Races
Fred Hale Stoke Row
November CycloCross Bill Higson Memorial Cyclo Cross Prospect Park

TyneTrialling
By Mark Pardoe
2008 was never going to be a great
season for me. After my successes in
2006 motivation during 2007 was not
what it should have been and although
I did some decent rides, the drive to
compete was overshadowed by my
impending move away from Reading to
the frozen wastelands of Newcastle. At
least, that’s the picture I was painting
myself. Little did I expect to be rushing
out to buy sun cream and using an
umbrella as a parasol, but in May that’s
how things were and it wasn’t all bad.
Being able to finish work at five and be
on the beach at six has its perks!
I was no stranger to the North East. Born
in Newcastle in 1967 it’s ironic that I now
commute to work along Elswick Road,
which is where I was born.
It would be easy to write about the
wonderful scenery, swooping roads and
relatively traffic-free environment here,
but what you need to hear about is my
less than spectacular performance in the
Tyneside Vagabonds Cycling Club 25-
mile Time Trial Championship. The club
is based to the north of where I’m living
in a small town called Ponteland. It may
be a village - officially - but there is more
than one pub and it has a Sainsbury’s so I
reckon it’s more of a town. Also, it is home
to Anna’s Café, which is where several
local cycling clubs meet before going out
for club runs. I’m told that Anna moved
here during the war and has run the café
solo since then. She has a reputation for
chastising cyclists who sit outside on her
tables without making a purchase. Quite
right too, I don’t begrudge my 68 pence
for a quarter of wine gums.
So, I’d been putting off getting back into
racing because I knew I was out of shape
and hadn’t been training. However, in the
back of my mind I knew that whenever
people told
me that’s
why they
weren’t
doing any
racing, I’d say “Racing
is the best form of training!” Easily
said when you’ve been training steadily
through the winter at Palmer Park and out
every Sunday on the club run.
Still, the secretary of the Tyneside
Vagabonds encouraged me to come out
for a ride with them one Sunday and it
was a good introduction to club cycling
again. There we were, sitting in a café
at Felton to avoid the scorching sun,
knocking back cups of tea to wash down
the beans on toast topped with egg.
Outside it was in the high twenties and
the day felt like one of those from our
French cycling holidays where a leisurely
lunch would be followed by a steady ride
back to camp. I guess the pace was in
line with the RCC medium group so I was
hanging on fine and it was a sociable
outing rather than a training session.
You’ll notice that I haven’t got to the 25-
mile time trial yet...
Okay - I got my bike ready. That was
another thing I’d been putting off. I left
work early. In the sky there were dark
clouds brooding and a wind stirring
about. Not the best looking evening. It’s
a 25 minute ride from my house to the
rendezvous point. It was the usual scene
of a club TT, people milling around the car
park, some warming up, some chatting
about the weekend’s races. I’d not ridden
the course before but I knew that it was a
simple out and back race with a dead turn
after about 13 miles at Kirkwhelpington.
The dark clouds continued to loom and as
my start time of 19:22 approached heavy
spots of rain began to drop. It wasn’t
especially cold so I stuck to my skin suit
and just kept riding up and down the
adjoining lane to keep warm. My minute
man looked fit enough but appeared old
enough to be my Grandpa so I decided
he’d be a good target to catch. Off I
started and clicked up through the gears
along the rolling A696 heading north.
All was going okay up to the turn. I had
caught Mr Bell, number 21, just before
the turn. Checking my watch I saw that I
was on about 32 minutes so any chance
of getting under the hour was pretty much
out of the window. Or was it? The steady
climb on the outward leg meant that the
return was mostly downhill and there
seemed to be a bit of a tailwind. My legs
were doing okay so I lifted the pace and
reeled in some more riders. I began to
wonder whether I would get under the
hour. Harry Walker had recently posted a
54 on the same course and that was on a
windy evening.
Digging deeper I raced on but soon
became aware of a rider coming past
me. Number 21! Oh dear...had I gone to
sleep? Increase the pressure. Overtake
him. Bye-bye.
What’s this? Mr Bell again? Damn!
Increase the pressure. Overtake him.
Bye-bye.
You guessed it. He came past again.
And then some young whipper-snapper
smoothly passed by.
My legs were not responding. My arms
started tingling and all of a sudden
I realised that with five miles to go
something was not right. I was cooked.
Call it “the bonk” or whatever you like,
I’d run out of energy in a 25 mile time
trial. I had enough brain power to recall
Arthur Satterley’s famous pit-stop during
a ‘25’ on the A4 to buy food a garage.
At the time I couldn’t comprehend how
anyone could get into that state. I’d
learnt the hard way. Towards the end I
had to sit up and ride with my arms out
on the “drops” to keep my balance. By
the time I passed the chequered board
I was a gibbering wreck and just kept
thinking “Food, food, food”. Back at the
HQ, Roger the secretary handed me an
energy bar. It didn’t touch the sides. What
was that enticing aroma I could smell?
Mmmm...a chip shop lurked around the
back of the car park in a small precinct. I
click-clacked in wearing my TT outfit and
manfully ordered a large bag of chips.
Within minutes I was human again. Mr
Bell had a grin on his face because he’d
set a personal best of 1:02:50. In the
last five miles he’d managed to get his
whole minute back and put a further two
seconds into me. My final time, if you
can’t be bothered to work it out from that,
was 1:02:52.
Since that event I’m happy to report that
I’ve raced again without bonking. It was
only 10 miles though, and guess who was
my minute man? And yes, I did catch him
this time and stay away. I’ve not been
out cycling as much as I should but there
have been things to do with the house
and work has been keeping me busy.
Some friends have visited already and I
think they’d agree that it’s not all grim up
north!

It’s Racing Jim ... but not as
we know it!
By Dean Bond
After a hard week at work back in
April, I was looking forward to a
trip out on the bike for the Sunday
club run. However, the comfort
and warmth of my bed that Sunday
morning got the better of me and I
remained horizontal for a little too
long. Disappointed at missing the
club run, I was still determined to
get out on the bike that day but what
was I going to do and where was I
going to go?
Whilst still shovelling down the muesli
I had a thought of killing two birds with
one stone. Why not go to Hillingdon
race circuit close to Junction 3 of M4
near Hayes and get in some extra race
training whilst clocking up some much
needed miles? After all, Hillingdon
should be quiet and empty on a Sunday
morning. It would make a nice change
from the pack of 50+ riders I normally
saw on a Tuesday night packed into
this narrow country park closed circuit
or so I thought...
I arrived at the circuit to find the
entrance road filled with parked cars
and people walking round with cycling
helmets on. At first I was disappointed
that I did not have the circuit to myself
but then I checked out the machinery
they were preparing to ride and I had
to pinch myself that I wasn’t still in bed
dreaming the whole situation. By the
time I got onto the circuit to start my
warm-up laps I could see I’d be sharing
the circuit with a mix of some very
serious individuals and some taking
it all as a bit of fun but they were all
preparing to race what can best be
described as their machines!
It turned out to be a meeting of the
British Human Powered Club. Their
website describes that any vehicle
powered by human means with some
form or streamlining or fairing can be
classed as a Human Powered Vehicle.
The club organises events around the
country that are predominately landbased
using the machines I saw but
they also organise sea and air events
too! I would strongly recommend
checking out the ‘photo gallery’ section
of their website if only to wonder at the
varying types of machinery out there.
On the day the most recognisable
machines were some folding
Bromptons and plenty of recumbent
bikes and also recumbent trikes. But
here the world as I knew it ended as
following this was a procession of twowheeled
machines, some recumbent
and some not, that had differing forms
of what can only best be described as
aerodynamic packages to aid the rider’s
ability to go faster. The aerodynamic
materials used ranged from the familiar
carbon fibre we see all too often on
our racing bikes but also fibreglass,
wood, polystyrene and tarpaulin! The
serious ones had obviously spent many
an hour designing and building their
high-tech racers. Those resembling a
recumbent were kitted out with time
trial disc wheels or tri and quad spoke
wheels and the frame was considerably
lowered compared to a normal
recumbent to give a ground clearance
of an inch or two and an ingenious
chain guard that enabled the chain to
run the length of the machine to power
the rear wheel without getting in the
rider’s way. These turned out to be the
fastest machines of the day clocking
up to 33mph average for the 40 minute
races.
Next up were where the rider was
totally encased in a fibreglass shell over
a recumbent with just a flap controlled
by wires to open and allow the rider
to put their legs on the ground when
stationary. These machines resembled
rather large versions of a bullet

ChristmasIdeas
Christmas Ideas
With With Christmas just just around the corner it it is time to start dropping hints to your nearest and
and dearest. Rod MacFadyen dearest. Rod selects MacFadyen his festive selects favourites his festive favourites
Campagnolo Miro corkscrew, £50 Chris King hubshell salt and pepper shakers, $120
The less serious, in my opinion, had all
manor of home-made aero packages
that you could argue made the machine
heavier and less stable than actually
faster and more nimble.
I continued my training around the
outside of the circuit so I did not
impede any of them from their race
preparations and at times it was hard to
focus on overtaking them as I watched
in wonder at how and why some of
these machines were being used.
Eventually, it was time for them to start
racing so I pulled over and watched
the start. I can only describe the scene
as something out of the cartoon series
‘Wacky Races’.
I shouldn’t laugh but at the start of the
race one of the all encased fibreglass
riders lost his balance before getting
any motion and duly fell sideways. It
took three people to release him from
the fibreglass shell and get him going
again by which time the race was
coming up to lap him. It just goes to
show how quick these machines are as
five laps later he was catching up the
stragglers.
While watching the race the guy
next to me was admiring my
Giant TCR and he said “You see
the fellow over there next to the
recumbent? He designed your
bike!” It turned out to be Mike
Burrows who worked for Giant
as a bicycle designer and also
designed Chris Boardman’s
famous Lotus machine.
All pictures published courtesy
of British Human Powered Club
www.bhpc.org.uk
Park Tool Pizza Cutter, £15 Park Tool Toilet Roll Holder, £20
Velo-re belt made from recycled tyre, £30 Tune carbon-fibre coffee cup, !150

Pyrenean Weekender
By Paul Marshall
My son Kevin and I decided to have
a weekend break cycling holiday in
France.
We choose to go to the Pyrenees and
stayed with Nick Green and Mireille
Gourbin who run cycling holidays
through their company Green Bike
Pyrenees.
Arrival –Friday 25th July
We were met at the airport by Mireille
who collected our baggage, we then
cycled to our accommodation at Louvie-
Juzon region. Nick kindly provided us
with a route to the chalet which was
approx 90 Km. With fantastic views and
great roads it was an enjoyable ride.
We arrived safely until I had a problem
with my bike; but fortunately for me
Nick also hires bikes so mine went
back in its bag. Mireille made us very
welcome and even sat down with us to
a lovely French style meal outside in
the garden.
Saturday 26th July
Nick had pre-booked us both into a
cyclosportive ‘La Pierre Jacques’ (all
part of the service) and Mireille drove
us to the start for 8.30am. Kev had
chosen the long route 164km and I took
the easy route 116km.
We both started steadily knowing two
big climbs to conquer for me and three
for Kev.
Halfway up the first climb my legs
began to shake. I have been on hill
climbs before but this was harder than I
thought. At the top it was very cold and
foggy, the French marshals were very
friendly, they couldn’t do enough for
us at the food and drinks stops, it was
more than welcome.
The decent for me was very
challenging, I was very cautious,
although riders were flying past me –
Kamikaze style – I don’t know how they
do it! Kev had long disappeared into the
distance.
On the second climb I settled into a
good rhythm and began to get used to
the pain, made it to the top and back
down again less cautious than the first
attempt. Kev finished strongly and I
was pleased with my effort; a good ride
for both of us.
Afterwards we enjoyed the meal that
was provided for all competitors. What
a day – really great experience. Then
it was back to Louvie-Juzon for a good
night’s sleep
Sunday 27th July
After breakfast we thought we should
make the most of it and do a gentle
recovery ride, so Kev and I rode about
48km enjoying the local scenery, taking
photos and stopping for drinks along
the way. All the locals made us feel very
welcome, it was a very pleasant ride.
In the evening we sat down to another
great meal with Mireille.
Monday 28th July
Mireille took us back to the airport to
catch early plane home.
Find out more at
www.greenbikepyrenees.com and www.lapierrejacques.com

Feel the Pain!
As a race organiser you often receive e-mails and phone calls from individuals
requesting early starts, late starts, or they’re chasing their start sheet or they just want
to apologise for not starting the event. You’ve got to pity this chap, you can really feel
his pain – it’s written from the heart
From: _______________________________
Sent: 14 August 2008 21:29
To: MACFADYEN, Rod
Subject: Re: Invitation to enter the Reading Cycling Club
Open ʻ10ʼ
Dear Mr. Macfadyen,
Thank you for the kind invitation to the Time Trial on
September 7th.
Unfortunately my wife opened the e-mail and therefore was
able to advise me that it was our 17th wedding anniversary
on that day and I would of course be spending the day with
her and reminding ourselves of the blissful day 17 years
earlier when we exchanged vows and rings.
So, even though the prospect of a ʻpersonal bestʼ excites
me, it has no such connotations for my lovely wife
who loves cycling like she loves a contagious disease. I
therefore have to decline your generous offer or otherwise
I can expect a carbon-fibre frame to be wrapped around
my head. No respect for a lightweight frame, these girls.
The only bike part she has shown any interest in is a gold
chain but even that was not as she imagined. ʻDisappointmentʼ
is too small a word for her feelings when the longawaited
bike accessory was revealed. I deliberated about
buying a ʻbig ringʼ[I had in mind a 56 tooth] but decided
that would be cruel.
I hope you have a well-attended event which results in
several personal bests for those less brow-beaten than the
sorry correspondent whose plaintive comments you are now
reading.
Yours faithfully,
____________
MembershipMatters
MembershipNews
Reading Cycling Club extends a warm welcome the following new members:
Edward Griffith from Henley-on-Thames.
As a keen amateur, Edward has recently been
introduced to RCC through our association with
AW Cycles.
Edward hopes club riding will enable him to get more
out of cycling.
Stuart Philp from Winnersh.
Peer pressure from RCC member Neil Smith has
driven Stuart back onto a road bike after a 10 year
break. Mountain biking over the past 3-4 years,
Stuart hopes RCC can help to build on his
fitness and eventually into competitive cycling.
Andy Briggs from Shinfield
Having only recently started cycling, Andy found
RCC through a Google search and plans to join
Sunday club runs.
Peter Ridges from Lower Earley
Inspired by his daughter's efforts during a "cycle to
Paris" event in April, Peter returned home after being
her support driver and decided to buy himself a bike.
Riding daily during the week and tackling longer
rides during the weekend, Peter is finding the whole
experience very exciting and is doing a good job
in building up his cycling fitness.
Tim Potter from Winkfield Row
After a chance meeting with Dave Maynard while out
on a walk recently, Tim was deeply saddened to hear
about recent events but at the same time
became inspired to join RCC. No stranger to road
riding, Tim has completed several charity rides over
the past 4 years including the London to Canterbury
sportif.
Daniel Robertson from Reading
Joins after RCC was recommended by an existing
club member. Daniel has previously ridden with a
club during a summer spent in the USA three years
ago and is keen to take up group riding in the UK
with a view to trying out time trials in the future.
Royce Murphy from Binfield
Spotted RCC out on the road and was able to
connect to us through the Internet. Formerly a
member of the CTC, Royce can boast an
impressive portfolio of distance riding including endend,
coast-coast, Transamerica and sportifs. Joining
RCC, he is keen to try his hand at time trialing.
Roger Seymour from Wokingham
Also spotted RCC on the Internet and is new to club
riding. Roger has built a good base fitness through
regular riding over recent months and took part in the
3 counties bike ride. He is keen to take part in
Sunday club runs and obtain advice on training.
Tony Fernandez from Wokingham
Was previously riding with iBike and found RCC
through the Internet. Tony mainly rides to keep fit
which has enabled him to participate in a handful of
sportif events.
Paul Pomfret from Thatcham
An experienced cyclist who has seen competition
through mountain biking and road racing. Paul has
previously been introduced to track riding and is
keen to develop in this discipline while training and
competing with fellow club members.
Robert Birt from Woodley.
Read about RCC activities in a local newspaper and
joins us as a second claim member to Hounslow &
District Wheelers. Robert started out with Clarence
Wheelers and later rode with Hounslow through the
early 60's. He has recently decided to reconnect
with the cycling club scene to benefit from group
riding.
Steve Dowding from Earley
An experienced track rider who was previously a
member of Palmer Park Velo and Farnborough &
Camberley CC. Steve has raced in the local track
league, time trials, crits and MBK. He is keen to ride
for RCC down at the track and participate in time
trials and club runs.
Roy Anderton from Wokingham
Roy heard about RCC through AW-Cycles. He is
keen to be a regular on the club run and ride sportif
events. He would welcome club support on the
topics of fitness and hill climbing.
Ouch!!!

Membership Update
Here’s a snapshot of the membership status at the start of September:
As this is the last Tailwind publication before year end, I have included the membership renewal form on
the next page.
Your membership renewal for 2009 should be completed by the end of February at the very latest.
For your convenience, the form can also be submitted to me by email and payment made by bank
transfer. The electronic version of the form can be found on the RCC Web site at:
http://www.readingcyclingclub.com/docs/2007/200711RenewalForm.doc
You do not need to renew your membership if you joined the club after July 31 st , a 2009 membership
card will be automatically posted to you during early January.
Ian Richardson
RCC Membership,
membership@readingcyclingclub.com
Reading Cycling Club
Membership Renewal
MEMBERSHIP DETAIL (REQUIRED)
I apply for my RCC membership renewal as a:
(Please tick the appropriate box)
Senior (18 and over)…………...…….£18.00
Non-Racing……………………...……£9.00
Second Claim…………………………£9.00
Junior (16 – 17 years old)……………..£9.00
Juvenile (under 16 years old)………….£4.00
Name:
Date: ........................................................................................
Change of Details: (please only provide new information)
Address: ..................................................................................
Postcode: .................................................................................
Telephone: ..............................................................................
Email: ......................................................................................
As a club member I agree, where possible, to help with the
organisation of club activities when asked by other club
members.
(Please tick the activities where you are most keen to help)
Race Marshalling (default for all club members)
Cycle Event Organisation (Type): .....................................
Leading a Club Run (Fast/Med/Soc): .................................
Mentoring Club Members (Topic): ...................................
Social Events (Type): .........................................................
Committee Position (Please name): ..................................
Other (Please name): ........................................................
Please suggest any additional activities you would like
to see supported by RCC:
..........................................................................................
..........................................................................................
CYCLING INFORMATION (VOLUNTARY)
Which club related activities or cycling disciplines did you
participate in last year?
.........................................................................................
.........................................................................................
Please briefly describe your cycling highlights or achievements
during last year’s membership:
.........................................................................................
.........................................................................................
Please briefly describe your cycling goals for the next period of
membership:
.........................................................................................
.........................................................................................
RACING INFORMATION (VOLUNTARY)
Ro oad Racing: BCF Points Gained: .........................................
TT:
BCF License Category: ..................................
10 PB: .................................mins, ..........secs
25 PB: ..............hr, ............mins, ..........secs
50 PB: ..............hr, ............mins, ..........secs
100 PB: ...........hr, ............mins, ..........secs
Best Track, Sportive, Audax or Cyclo-Cross Performance(s):
.........................................................................................
.........................................................................................
FEEDBACK (VOLUNTARY)
What would you like to change about RCC?
.........................................................................................
MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL (REQUIRED)
Please send your completed form, via post or email:
Post to: Ian Richardson, Reading Cycling Club,
4 Balliol Road, Reading, RG4 7DT.
Or Email to: membership@readingcyclingclub.com
Payment can be made via cheque or bank transfer, please
specify your selected payment method:
Cheque; made payable to “Reading Cycling Club”
Bank Transfer; Reading Cycling Club,
The Co-operative Bank, Sort Code: 08-92-99, Account:
65236631
Description / Reference: [Membership No. or Surname]
(Note: membership cards will be posted once payment has been confirmed; your
description / reference will help identify your transaction)

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