Club News & Events
Club Rides
Club rides have evolved to meet the members’ needs. If you want a different sort of ride, feel free to use the forum to get support and start riding. The club welcomes new ideas and aims to encourage riding in all forms. Our regular organised rides schedule consists of:-
Tuesday Road Rides (all year)
Start 7.30pm, meet outside Walkers Cycling Shop. Aimed at stronger riders who can keep a good pace for 2 hours (20 - 30+ miles) in close co-operative pack riding. Average speed is approx 16.5 mph for a flat ride and 15 mph for a hilly one. Expect to have to concentrate to maintain a tight formation and maximise ride efficiency. Riders will not be dropped but you should be willing to ride to your limit if required. Multiple groups are formed when numbers require it, try to ride with those you think will be at your level. Be prepared to drop back a group if you cannot stay with your group chosen at the start.
Wednesday Road Rides (all year - weather permitting)
Start 7.30pm, meet outside Walkers Cycling Shop. Aimed at riders of all abilities who want a more relaxed ride and who can take advantage of the chance to learn or practice group riding techniques during a more sociable ride. If a coach is riding, some organised exercises may be included. Distance is 20 - 30 miles depending on group and the weather. Stops are included to allow the group to reform after hills or sprints. Average speed is approx 12 -14 mph with stops.
Wednesday MTB Rides (all year - never mind the weather - even volcanic ash clouds can't stop us!)
Start 7.30pm, various locations - check forum for details. Duration 1.5 - 2hrs typically. For mountain bikers of all abilities. No rider will be left alone at the back. Group regularly stops to reform after fast or hilly sections. Try to have your bike in good condition to avoid unnecessary mechanical stops. Know how to change a puncture, but help is always at hand. Thank drivers or pedestrians who give way to you and close gates behind the group. Be nice to the leader, they are the only one not lost (hopefully!).
Saturday Road Ride (all year)
Start 10.00am, meet outside Walkers Cycling Shop. Aimed at riders of all abilities who want a more socially orientated ride (with some hard stuff thrown in!). Distance 20 - 50 miles depending on various factors. Bring money for scones or lunch.
Things to do on the road:
1. Try to stay in the pack and concentrate hard to take draft.
2. Take your turn at the front - only if you feel up to it.
3. If the pace is too high for you, even when drafting well, let the other riders know before you drop to the back.
4. When pace setting, try to keep it even and within the ability of all the riders.
5. Allow the pack to reform after a hill or sprint.
Things not to do:
1. Do not ride away from the pack. Always give draft if feeling strong.
2. Do not fail to take draft and then slow the ride down.
It goes without saying that helmets are compulsory on all club rides. Check the Club Forum for details of each week's rides.
Conditions - MTB, Road & Cyclo-cross RidesAll fitness levels are catered for but riders must be over 18 years of age (or under 18 and accompanied by an adult) and be competent cyclists.
Please come dresssed appropriately for the weather conditions and with your bike in good working order. Riders must wear a helmet and be self-sufficient carrying at least one spare tube, tyre levers, inflator, a mobile phone, personal ID (preferably with details of any medical conditions and regular medication) and contact details. Please Note: good lights are required on all evening rides. It is recommended that riders also carry an emergency light set (front & rear LED), tube patching kit and a mini-tool for minor repairs.
Irvine Cyclocross - December 5th 2010
The club's third running of its SCX Series cyclocross race at
Irvine Beach Park will be the Scottish Championships for 2010. The 2009
event was run off in great weather with numbers up on the previous year
and on a course that marked its card as a National Championship venue.
Riders start on the beach at Irvine and the course has a Belgian
feel to it with the stretch of sand that has to be covered each lap.
Cyclocross is a great spectator sports the riders can be seen for a
large proportion of each lap.
In 2009 Kenta Gallagher put in a storming ride that belied his
junior ranking to finish first in a field that included many seasoned
senior 'cross competitors. We expect another cracking race this year
with the added spice that a national championship adds to an event.
Full 2009 results from all categories available on an MS Excel file
(XLS format).
Strathpuffer - January 2010
Report
A total of 19 Walkers Cycling Club members packed up their winter gear and made the (potentially hazardous) trip up the A9 for the now legendary Strathpuffer 24 (the only winter 24 hour race in the world). Neil Walker and Drew Thomson were the advance party, ensuring a prime pit area by arriving a day early, and assisting the organisers with clearing the snow from the race course, with the others arriving on Friday and helping with car park marshalling duties and setting up the Walkers pit area (no mean task when it involves clearing 1 foot of snow off a 15sqm area!)
With the recent thaw, the race course (now largely cleared of snow) had turned into the Somme, 1914, and riders quickly ditched ice tyres (although there were enough icy patches to make the course "interesting") for more suitable treads. Almost all the Walkers CC teams (except the soloists) finished lap 1 in the same big pack and stayed remarkably close over the first 7-8 hours. The BBC Adventure Show lost Dougie Vipond (riding in Walkers CC kit after our support two years ago!) early on, crashing on his 2nd lap and earning a trip to A&E with concussion!
As darkness fell, the tough conditions, mechanical issues (brake pads wearing out mainly) and fatigue began to take their toll, stopping 2 WCC soloists and a Pairs Teams by the 12 hour mark, with the Quad of Gavin and Michael Turnbull, Glyn Phillips and Russell Mowat (although Michael went out for a final glory lap at the end!), and the Mixed Pair of Anna Walker & Steve Lockhart stopping at 15 hours, and Charles Vincent stopping after a valiant 10 laps at the 17 hour mark.
As the night wore on, temperatures dropped, and the now frozen (but grippy) fire roads gave the riders some respite from the mud. The frost made the more technical sections difficult, as each individual rock was now coated in frosty slush! The WCC Mixed Quad of Julie Nimmo, Peter Forsythe, David Belding and Martin Kuhn grabbed the lead in their category, and held onto a slim margin of 10-15 minutes throughout, to take the win with 23 laps, whilst Drew Thomson and Neil Walker (riding for Bionicon Bikes) worked through the night to overhaul two teams to grab 3rd place with 24 laps.
Then the big clean up began, and all 20 Walkers Club members working flat out to dismantle, clean and pack for the long journey home to begin planning for next year.
Pictured right: Neil Walker finishes his final lap.
Walkers CC Results:
Quads
23 Laps - Foursome, Hmmm - 1st Mixed Quads, 14th Overall Quads (Julie Nimmo, David Belding, Martin Kuhn, Peter Forsythe)
14 Laps - Gee Me The Dibber - 54th Male Quads, 63rd Overall Quads (Gavin Turnbull, Michael Turnbull, Glyn Phillips, Russell Mowat)
Pairs
24 Laps - Bionicon UK - 3rd Male Pairs, 3rd Overall Pairs (Drew Thomson, Neil Walker)
12 Laps - The Pixie & The Golden Willow - 4th Mixed Pairs, 25th Overall Pairs (Anna Walker, Steven Lockhart)
10 Laps - Puffer Protagonists - 22nd Male Pairs, 27th Overall Pairs (Gavin Hanna, Stuart McLean)
Solos
10 Laps - Charles Vincent - 16th Male Solo, 19th Overall Solo
7 Laps - Russell Newham - 25th Male Solo, 28th Overall Solo
5 Laps - Fiona Walker - 4th Female Solo, 25th Overall Solo
Relentless 24 - 2009
Watch the Relentless promo video (featuring interviews with Steve and Neil) courtesy of MTB Cut the online Mountainbike TV Channel.
Cyclo-cross Training Rides - Thursdays
From September to December 2010.
Come and have a go! Off-road cycle required - MTB is fine. Cyclocross specific skills and high intensity training (all of which will be useful for roadies and MTBers alike). Rides will
vary from skills training, interval training and just plain bike
riding, depending on the weather and light.
Scottish Cycling/British Cycling Race Calendar
Leisure Cycling Events
For details of sportive and leisure cycling events go to the British Cycling Recreational Events Calendar.
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