The Newsletter of CTC Wessex Cycling

Summer 2014

PTM Tour Day 2- Chateau at St Sauveur-le-Vicomte

Picture Caption (L to R):Bridport Mayor Maggie Ray, Kevin Humphreys (Sustrans), ClareMarshall (Dorset County Council), George Sartin (Sustrans), Julian Brooks (Friends ofthe Trailway group), Colin James (Chargehand, Dorset Highways), Daryl Chambers(Town Surveyor, Bridport Town Council) and Martin Ray (Bridport Town Council).

The Quarterly Magazine of CTC Wessex Cycling in Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch

Summer 2014

The big news is that construction work started on the Bridport-Bradpole section of theMaiden Newton to Bridport Trailway on 17th March. As planned, this starts from SeaRoad North, runs around the bottom of the Co-op car park then along the top of theflood bank through Happy Island to the wood behind Wellfields Drive in Bradpole,emerging through the existing alleyway. The construction should be complete by earlyMay, and there was a formal ribbon cutting ceremony in mid-May.Bridport mayor Maggie Ray said: “This is great news, especially as a safe route toschool. We'd like to thank Sustrans for all their hard work and persistence.” DarylChambers, Bridport's Town Surveyor added: “This new path will be another link in agreat cycle and walking network around Bridport, and there's more to come.”Many of you will know George Sartin, who has worked on the Trailway project fromits outset. He was delighted that construction work has finally begun: “This couldn'thave happened without the help of the landowners involved between Bridport andBradpole. Travis Perkins, the Co-op and private landowners had all been verysupportive, as have Dorset County Council, West Dorset District Council and BridportTown Council.”As long-term supporters will know, Sustrans' eventual aim is to build a path withlandowner consent all the way from Bridport to Maiden Newton, using the route of thedisused railway wherever possible. A short stretch of Trailway already exists atMaiden Newton, and negotiations are ongoing between Maiden Newton and TollerPorcorum, and Bradpole to Loders.

Any questions/comments: Contact Peter Henshaw(01935) 389357 peterpodd@yahoo.co.uk

Members might remember that the old Wessex DA (the forerunner of CTC WeesexCycling and CTC West Dorset gave money in support of this development.

A bumper issue this time! Our CTC Wessex cyclists have been out there touring . . .and what’s more have stopped to write it up. Keep it up for future issues please!

Keith

Cycle Ink #173 4

Informal Wayfarers Rides to BurleyThis ride happens every Saturday and is completely informal. There is no leader and no back up, butgenerally an experienced cyclist somewhere around. The route is designed for beginners but joinedin by all abilities. Start 08:45 at Waitrose Supermarket, Christchurch every Saturday or 09:00 at TheOak PH, Burton Or make your own way to the Old Farmhouse Tea Rooms, Burley for 10:00

Committee meetings at The Conservative Club, Kinson.Next committee meeting: 20th August 2014 at 19:30

Committee meetings 2014; 22nd Oct (AGM) ; 19th Nov

Secretary: Mike Walsh: 17 Grove Gdns, Southbourne Rd, B’mouth BH8 9JQTEL: (01202) 429985 Email jmichaelwalsh@aol.comEditor: Keith Matthews: 10 Hill View Road, Ferndown, BH22 9QYTEL: (01202) 855001 Email keithjanet@btinternet.com

www.bournemouthctc.org www.wessexctc.org

“CycleInk” is the Newsletter of CTC Wessex Cycling, a Member Group of the Cyclists’ Touring Club. Published fourtimes a year for members. Views expressed are not necessarily those of the club.

Contributions and Photographs: The committee meeting date is the deadline for Newsletter contributions. Contributeby any way you like. Photographs are welcome in any form.

Calendar Dates For 2014Apr 12th Hardboiled 300km Shawn Shaw 01202 685014Apr 13th Dorset Coast 200km Peter Loakes 01305 263272Apr 13th Dorset Coastlet 100km Peter Loakes 01305 263272May 4th Porkers 400km Shawn Shaw 01202 685014May 11th New Forest Challenge 50km John Ward 01590 671205May 11th New Forest Day Out 100km John Ward 01590 671205May 11th New Forest 150km John Ward 01590 671205May 11th New Forest Excursion 200km John Ward 01590 671205May 24th Brimstone 600km Shawn Shaw 01202 685014Jun 28th Devon and Dorset Downs Peter Loakes 01305 263272Aug 10th Dorset Downs 100km Justin Oakley 07968 213833Aug 10th Dorset Downs 150km Justin Oakley 07968 213833Sept 7th New Forest Challenge 50km John Ward 01590 671205Sept 7th New Forest and Coast 100km John Ward 01590 671205Sept 7th New Forest Century 150km John Ward 01590 671205Sept New Forest On/Off Shore 200km John Ward 01590 671205Sept 7th Dorset Dirt 50km offroad Ken Reed 01305 772654Oct 12th The Gridiron 100km John Jackson 01590 683815

5 Cycle Ink #173

The PTM Tour 2014 By Paul RushParticipants:- Michael, Andre, Steve, Jill and PaulReal names have not been used to protect the innocent.29th March: I awoke to a fine sunny day all the bike and kithad been packed the night before. I left the house at 07:15 torendezvous with Andre just outside the Rose & Crown. Agood down hill run to Poole to meet the others at 07:45 atthe entrance to the ferry for Cherbourg. All the team were ingood spirits in anticipation of our adventure ahead. All wentsmoothly boarding and we sat in the dining room discussing

the route over the full English breakfast in anticipation of using up the calories later inthe day. We arrived in Cherbourg at 12:45 GMT and then converted to French timeGMT + 1hr. We all had typed and shrink wrapped maps and instructions from thePTM book along with Garmins set to full alert.None of this prepared us for theself inflicted confusion thatresulted in us getting lost withinthe first mile. Once we hadestablished that differentGarmin routes where beingfollowed and no one was payingattention assuming others knewthe way we got back on course.Overconfidence expelled fullattention now reigned for theentire trip. Once we had got upthe hill out of Cherbourg it waslong straight and wide cyclepaths that followed the old railway line on firm gravel surfaces. We arrived together inSt-Sauveur-le-Vicomte at 19:30 some 57km from home after the compulsory coffeestop in Bricquebec for refuelling. The paths were peppered with primroses tocompliment the French countryside views. Michael had one puncture en-route whichwas to prove a regular feature until a split tyre was established as the eventual culprit.The hotel Auberge-Vieux-Chateau was just that, overlooking a fine medieval structure,this soon paled into insignificance after a good shower followed by 6 huites, porkhock, crème brulee, wine and coffee. Philippe looked after us well and locked the bikesin a garage therefore an early night to satisfy the dropping heads was required to roundoff our first day.

30th March: We all had a satisfying fuel loading breakfast and were on the road by09:30, photos in front the Chateau and back on the PTM trail. All went well until afterthe lunch stop in Carentan when the signage became a little confusing. The Garminsindicated 100m to the left for the PTM, Andre and I ignored this advice and followedthe PTM signage indicating ‘Walkers’ which eventually turned into a rough stonetrack, having total disregard for going in the wrong direction we hammered on. The

Cycle Ink #173 6

others had the good sense to backtrack as the footpath became rough and continued onthe Garmin route to enjoy a better surface around to Pellerin and the actual PTM.Andre and I rejoined the cycle PTM a little further on and raced along the very twistingroute through the salt marshes to Jean-de-Daye hoping to meet up with the others.We did not meet up with the others (although we covered a longer route) so continuedon to St-Lo as this was the only location we had not booked an overnight stay andneeded time to investigate the options. The cycle track to St-Lo winds itself along andfollows the spectacular river La Vire. We enquired in the boulangerie directions for ahotel other than the Mercure in the town centre, our limited appreciation of the Frenchspoken word sent us around the town and up a steep hill – no hotels were sighted andwe arrived back down in the town. A quick call to Michael who happened from aprevious visit to know that the Mercure hotel was the same chain as the Ibis budget wewere seeking. The Reception staff at the Mercure were prepared and gave us a streetmap of the town with other hotel locations. Back up the same hill and on further wethen booked in to the Ibis. The others arrived a little later after experiencing two morepunctures and a split tyre to Michael’s rear wheel. The next door building was a steakhouse which served us well for dinner. It was decided that the following morningMichael and I would go to Decathlon (a bike shop) just down the hill whilst the otherswould proceed on to Sourdeval. Another early night after some 55miles, we all felt bynow that riding on the tracks instead of the road was much harder won miles than weanticipated.

31st March: Up at 08:00 to the patter of rain on the window, and a very nice helpyourself breakfast(how do we eat somuch!) Michaeland I left the hotelat 09:00 in fullwaterproof gearand set off downthe hill toDecathlon. Michaelpurchased a tyre, afolding tyre, tubesand a gilet Ipurchased a pair ofgloves and a niceblue colour frenchcycling shortsleeve shirt. We only went in for a tyre! (bike porn works!!). We left the shop at 10:00and decided to stick to the road, the trade in effort is road + hills or track + flat (thechoice is yours).We rejoined the trail at Les Roches-de-Ham and on to coffee at Tessy-Sur-Vire. Wewere a little late and the restaurant was filling up with trades people for lunch, itcertainly looked the place to eat a good French lunch, however our purist instinctsdrove us on. We remained on the trail until Pont-Farcy then returned to the road into

7 Cycle Ink #173

The Loire

Vire. We had escapedthe rain and were nowstripped down to shortsand short sleeves inbright sunshine, welocated a boulangerieand tucked into baguettewith cheese and bacon+pain au chocolat + themost delicious citrus tartdecorated with a lemonslice (this is the life!)Up the hill out of Vireand rejoined the trailwith a good surface intoSourdeval the trailpassed through some fine straight trees decorated with Mistletoe as we enjoyed some53miles for the day. We arrived at 16:45 with the others arriving a little later. Davidand Teresa Hobbs accommodated us well with a room in the old mill and a gitealongside which was originally the engine house. We were entertained by their bordercollie rescue dog before we sat down to a grand home cooked meal consisting of beefstew with lashings of potatoes and vegetables followed by apple tart and ice cream.There was a little whingeing from the others in the group sharing the gite duringdinner, as I had inadvertently used most of the hot water blissfully unaware that itwould not re-heat before they arrived. Unfortunately the system was on a night storagetariff and would not re-heat until 12 o’clock that night, what could I say to placatethem as they sat down to dinner with a ruddy glow after a cold bath, ‘it is reputed to begood for you’ was not received with the usual bon-accord! The location of the propertywas low down by a river which also made for a damp atmosphere inside and out unlessa fire was going. Our spirits were lifted in the morning by a superb help yourselfbreakfast with fantastic boiled eggs sat around the huge ornate wood burner stove.

1st April: We thanked our English and Polish host and set off down the trail at 09:30.We were all bowling along the beautiful trail 10k from Mortain when my free wheelfell apart sprinkling bearings and pawls along the track and ceasing my forwardmomentum. I must say it had lasted well for 40yrs Was the date relevant in thisoccurrence? We removed the rear wheel and noted the cogs flapping around thespindle like a harlot’s bracelet from which we deduced that it was not repairable.There was some discussion as to whether I should be left in the wilderness for usingthe hot water the previous night, fortunately they took pity on my plight. It did in factevolve into a great team effort, Steve extracted a length of bailing twine from a farmersgate to use as a tow line, Andre towed, Michael went ahead to raise the ‘no traffic’barriers crossing the trails at each road crossing, Jill directed any traffic at the roadcrossings and Steve assisted the tow at the uphill bits by cycling alongside and pushingme with one arm, then dropping back to close the barriers behind us. In this slick

Cycle Ink #173 8

fashion we achieved an uninterrupted tandem ride into Mortain, I must say there isnothing as self effacing as being towed on a cycle unable to propel one’s self in thenatural way of things.Michael went ahead to enquire as to a cycle shop in the town. We could not believe ourluck that just outside Mortain (back up the hill which we had coasted down) was themost fantastically equipped cycle workshop which also ran a cycle race team withsponsored car! The mechanic located a 6 speed CW that fitted to replace the original 5speed (I think he was more used to cassettes!) In very quick time we were back on theroad so we walked across the road to celebrate our good fortune with a cup of coffee,Andre’s legs were mighty relieved and so took additional sustenance by an addedCalvados. We again set off only to find that the existing chain was too wide or tooworn (In the excitement of repair we all forgot the adage ‘new cogs/new chain’) Ireturned with Andre to the bike shop (I think he really wanted to ensure that he wouldnot have to tow me to St Malo) where my team mechanic fitted a new chain in minutes(eat your heart out Sky team) and we caught up with the Pelaton on the trail just beforethe lunch stop in St-Hilaire-du-Harcouet. PHEW!What a relief for thebike to be workingagain! After a goodlunch from theboulangerie hot pizzaand yet more tarts(Steve favoured abright pink number) agood afternoon washad rolling along thecoast road into Ardevon some 67km for the day’s run. After a shower we heard sheepoutside the window for some time, upon opening the window blinds hundreds of sheepwere seen being herded down the road by two sheep dogs followed by two shepherdson quad bikes, an amazing sight. The local delicacy of the area on the dinner menu waslamb, which was amazing supplemented with some good wine.

2nd April: After our last look at Mont-St-Michel we said goodbye to other PTMtravellers and set off at 09:00for an easy run of 34milesinto St Malo. We did stopregardless of distance, for theusual pit stop at a fineCharcuterie and once againsat in a typical French squarewatching the world go by.The hotel Quic-en-Groine(not pronounced ‘kick in the****) was a great spot withinthe Citadel. After a walkaround the town and putting

9 Cycle Ink #173

the world to rights in a local bar we all met up for dinner at a chosen restaurant,unfortunately it was closed so we went to a nearby bar for dinner. My French was notimproving as my expected small starter of ‘Terrine of sardines’ turned out to be tinnedsardines on toast upon a huge pile of green salad (we live and learn!)

3rd April: At 05.15hrs to the sound of birdsong we set off without breakfast for theshort ride in the rain to the ferry port. The hotel manager operated the garage door byphone to let us gain access to the bikes, much to our relief. We then stood in the coldwind and rain for about and hour (where were the facilities for cyclists!) until boardingthe Condor fast-cat. Revived by hot tea and pain au chocolat we arrived in Jersey.Andre and I decided despite the force 6 westerly wind and heavy rain to go for a ride.We headed west from St Helier. Not the best of ideas but we felt like the ‘Tour deFrance’ on a rest day. After some 37km into the wind and rain and up some very steephills we decided to return to the others located happily in the café in the Old Marketand ate some very nice lasagne. We should know better at our age to go out in suchconditions! Very wet we again stood about in the cold wet carpark before boarding theCondor fast-cat where we changed and dried out. A nice flat crossing to Weymouthallowed us to eat plenty for the short ride to the Weymouth train station. Andre and Isaid a sad farewell to the others and caught the train to Wareham. We had a brisk ridein the rain again, but it did not matter as we were soon home in Lytchett Matravers.Upon reflection it was a great six days cycling in good company with many adventuresto elaborate to our friends and family in the weeks ahead. The enjoyment ofexperiencing the greater family of cycling and the incredible courtesy of Frenchmotorists was an immense pleasure to be recommended.

Pail

Cycle Ink #173 10

Enigmas All Around Us By Shawn Shaw“As we bicycle the lanes and byways we see all manner of things to raiseour curiosity and we promise ourselves to find out more, and sometimeswe actually do!”

ROADSIDE STONES:The first wayside marker is passed by the Wayfarerson the outskirts of Burley each Saturday. Carved onone side ‘To Ringwood’ and then:‘Reƒt and be thankful’ underneath. Onthe opposite face is inscribed ‘ToCrow’. The face between bears thewording:Celebrating the Treaty of Amiens(signed on that day and so ending 9 years of warwith Napoleon) the stone is witness to the heartfeltrelief and public rejoicing of the time. Thomas Eyreof Burley Manor is credited with the placement ofthis stone and others in and around Burley. In thetreaty Spain secures Minorca and cedes Trinidad to

Britain: Britain gains Ceylon from the Batavian Republic: Britain retrocedesall conquered French Colonies to France complete with the internationallycondemned practice of slavery. The Treaty provided respite, a hiatus, enablingBritain to prepare for further military actions with Napoleonic France. PEACEended 16th May 1803 and is dubbed, by some historians, the Phoney Peace.The second marker is passed monthly on Mike’s Saturday Morning 60 toMoreton. Down Yearlings Drove, up Brock Hill on past Throop Clump atopthe ridge twixt Piddle and Frome stands another wayside marker.

On the west face of the stone are the Broad Arrowand WD indicating ‘Military’. Bought on 16 Feb1899 to be a rifle range from the Frampton estatefor £4,300 the stone marks the NW limit of the1,000+ acre parcel, and, the start of BovingtonGarrison. Wrapped over the top and down the frontface of the stone the weather worn inscriptionreads:

THE CORRECT POSITION FOR THISSTONE IS 25 FEET DISTANT IN ADIRECTION 20° WEST OF NORTH

←

PEACEReƒtored

27th March1802

11 Cycle Ink #173

Niki and the Inters passed our third marker onSunday Feb 2nd this year. The stone stands atthe roadside after Rockborne on the first risetoward Coombe Bissett. Informative, we aretold that we are 22 miles from Poole Gate.Poole Gate once stood where Town GateBridge now passes over the railway as aplaque built into the bridge pier attests. Fromthe Gate Towngate Lane, converged withMarket St and High St at the seating area closeto Halfords. Site of a Civil War battle theTowne Gate was demolished by order ofCharles II after the restoration but remains amain access point into the ‘Old Town’ area ofPoole.Also, six miles from Cranborne: having riddendirectly it is more than that! Follow back downthe hill and the modern road turns left alongthe valley to Rockborne. The road of the

marker does not; it runs on across Toyd Down to Tidpit Cross. A B.O.A.T.,unmettled & rough, further stones mark the Salisbury / Poole Gate coach road.Most are complete but bear the wear of time, some have been broken.Beside the mettled road from Tidpit into Cranborne the 2mile marker stone hasbeen painted white, the letters in black, and stands where the woods enwrap theroad.These stones have all stood intact through many generations; weather worn,less conspicuous, their job done and overlooked now, if not forgotten. Oncethe labourer cutting back the vegetation to allow sight of the information didthe job by hand and little was the damage occasioned. Mechanised hedgecutting methods (for speed and efficiency no doubt) have not been so mindfulof the wayside markers.Will the Peace stone be there in another 200 yrs? Or the others? Will theycontinue to remind us from whence we come and guide our way ahead?Is there more to tell?Citation for further reading:www.Britannica.comwww.newforestexplorersguide.co.ukFrom Rifle Range to Garrison by G E Lanning (1970)History of Poole by H P Smith (1958)Colour snaps: 2014 © Shawn Shaw Shawn

Cycle Ink #173 12

For the last year or so theThursday Rouleurs have beenholding a car assisted ride,usually once a quarter. The aim isto get ourselves further afield andexplore more. Chief route-findersfor these rides are Dave Langleyand John Jackson. Because it’s aquestion of new terrain, we aimto reconnoitre the route some 3weeks beforehand.Our latest ride started at Bishop’sWaltham and took a clockwiseroute through Cheriton,Alresford, Farringdon, Selborne,Petersfield and returning alongthe Meon Valley. Lots ofclimbing for the most part,followed by a glorious downhillfinish for the last 5 miles or so.All done in the most gloriouscycling weather. The nine of us -Dave Langley, Adrian Hobbs,Judy Gordon, Paul Rush,Michael Woodhall, JohnJackson, Mike (all the way fromWimborne) and Jo Gordon, andDenis Eveleigh.Coffee was in Alresford at the

Courtyard Tea Rooms which is highly recommended. Lunch was at the Trooper Inn,Froxfield, just above Petersfield. Our tea stop was in a delightfully hidden café in WestMeon, just behind the village shop. One of the highlights of the day was to meet upwith John Hayter, Maggie Ross and Peter Rattue - they had ridden all the way fromBournemouth, eventually clocking up 120 miles on the day.On the reconnaissance ride some 3 weeks ago, ridden in some of the wettest conditionsever, we stopped at this café and were given such a warm welcome on a cold day bythe young lady owner that Denis Eveleigh completely lost his heart to her. The onlydownside of our ride on Thursday was that it was not the lady but her equallywelcoming sister who was was there to serve us. Ah well, you can’t haveeverything!

Rouleurs Car Assisted Ride By Michael Woodhall. . . Thursday 15th May

Michael

13 Cycle Ink #173

The weather forecast persuaded us that it was a good dayfor embarking on Shawn Shaw's Dorset Delight run as aPermanent 200km Audax.We had a clear blue sky all day for the ride which startsin Poole and goes via the Tarrant villages up toShaftesbury. The John Peel Cafe's lovely baconsandwich replenished our stores to continue on our way.All the villages we passed through were colourful withspring flowers and the sunshine had brought out thegardeners. The hedgerows sported masses of celandine,wild daffodils, violets in blue and white, primroses and Germander speedwell.

The birdsong competed with the churchbells it being a Sunday.We reached Stalbridge at lunchtime andstopped at Dike's, a traditional store thathas been running for years, for a cuppaand then faced the hilly part of the ride.The good thing about hills (I hear yousay are there any good things!) are theviews afforded of the green valleys andthe little villages – very picturesque. Ialso enjoyed the fields of sheep withtiny new born lambs.

The longest part of the ride is then onto Dorchester through some reallybeautiful villages with lovely old houses to admire and take the mind off thestraining leg muscles. Funnily enough the section from Grimstone up to thelast roundabout before Dorchester had a solitary motorist shouting out of thecar window at us- this is the third time on this particular piece of road this hashappened – and not the same motorist!Mike had been looking forward, since we last did this ride in July 2013, to thewarm chocolate fudge cake in The Royal Oak in Dorchester but was a littledisappointed that my apple crumble tasted better.The last leg is back to Poole on such familiar territory that it seems easy andrelaxing.Dorset is such a lovely county and this ride takes in so many pretty, quaint andbeautiful areas no wonder it is called the Dorset Delight. Must not telltoo many people though else they will all want to come here.

A Delightful Day By Jo Gordon

Germander Speedwell

Jo

Cycle Ink #173 14

The Magnificent Obsession By Big BobWhen this short series of articles (not shortenough I hear someone growling) was firstcommissioned for our beloved C.T.C.Bournemouth Newsletter the only stipulationmade was that a concentration should be placedon the cultural and motivational drives of ourchosen pastime; in other words, the mentalaspects of the Bikies life. Nowhere is this mademore manifest than in the differing approachesto the game exhibited by various Clubmen andClubwomen and this is as it should be, butthere is one class of rider who always movesme more than any other.They come in all shapes and sizes and indeed can be of any age although usually inorder to have garnered the requisite life experience they are from middle age upwards.They are, in the main, quiet people often seen seated in distant Café’s with bikeoutside, given to long periods of absence from the local scene and reappearing withsun tanned skin, battered saddlebags and well worn bikes. I refer of course to the rareobsessives among our great family of Cyclists.Their lives are not coloured by a love of Cycling, they are Cycling! Their motivation inrising from their beds is the bike and the lonely road into the hills and distant places.Although enjoying the society of fellow bikies and good natured banter whenencountered they do not actively seek it and sometimes it is only their raised handwhen passing that acknowledges your presence. Their knowledge of obscure far flungwatering holes is extensive and when encouraged a vast experience of tiny villages,remote lanes and passes climbed is revealed. Among the general herd they are the oneswhose head will kick up and hear the siren call beckoning them over the horizon, whilewe ordinaries are reaching for the next slice of café cake and after a period ofrestlessness they will be gone until satisfied.I remember a while ago standing excitedly behind a security barrier in France with agroup of fellow Cyclists watching the start of a Tour de France individual prologuewhen I saw such a one. In my head the uproar around me died as I recognized briefly aface in the crowd on the opposite side of the road behind a further security barrier. Theyears rolled away and I remembered sharing a pot of tea with him one morning in aYouth Hostel in Kent, at the time when they were really hostels, while he was en routereturning from France after weeks spent wandering in some European mountain chainor other. What travels he must have had in the intervening years.The crowds were dense and by the time the road could be crossed with a movingthrong we had moved apart. So we never did meet up and I will never know, whichleaves a strange ache.The rest of that stay in France with my companions was a merry one with good ridingand good roads but occasionally on that trip I would wonder where that face in the

15 Cycle Ink #173

crowd was heading and what strange byways were rolling under his wheels. He was,no doubt, as my favourite Irish Poet would say As mad as the mist and snow, but whata madness and what a life to live. Lets all remember to rise above the humdrum andtake a slice of that life occasionally.Enough of these vapourings I hear you cry what news of Le Hotel du Velo SportifCyclists Retirement Manor and I would agree. It must be some four years ago nowwhen, rejected among men, I pedaled up its curving tree lined driveway to join a likeminded group of Cycling nuts and realized I was home. Therefore I was especiallypleased when at a house committee meeting recently our President Terry proposed a“Great Birds On Bikes Day” to spread the joy of country pedaling to the ladies of thearea and the uniqueness of the Manors services.The suggestion was enthusiastically received by all around the table and I’m sure if wehad stuck to the original proposition a great day would have been enjoyed, indeed, agood number of ladies signed up for the day from the surrounding villages.About two weeks before the off a representation was made to the effect that it waswrong to isolate specific genders and that men also should be included. This wasreasonable so therefore the ride was to become “The Great Birds And Blokes On BikesDay” Two days later a further request was received from a charming gentleman as towhy the exclusion of the vibrant local gay scene? It was at this point that the HouseCommittee seemed to lose interest and it was suggested that maybe I should be giventhe singular honour of organizing and running the ride on my own.This was confusing as I am normally entrusted with nothing but this did not dampenthe sense of pride I felt at their sudden show of trust in me with much patting of myback and sudden bursts of hilarity. So now MY ride had become The Great Birds,Blokes, And Gays On Bikes Day.To celebrate my promotion I pedaled down to the village pub that evening and stood atthe bar with a pint of our glorious local brew “ The Dogs Knackers” clutched firmly inhand. Within minutes I felt the overwhelming presence of “ Bonzo” towering by theside of me. “ Bonzo” stands some 6ft 3ins tall and must be almost as wide across theshoulders not counting the hair and is our local contract agricultural tractor driver andnot to be trifled with. “Bonzo” is also a full on, all bells ringing, up front throbbingtransvestite and to have “Bonzo” chatting by your side in the bar wearing full women’smakeup, black tights and ra-ra skirt is a life changing experience.“Ere Bob, what’s this bike ride then, all right if I have a go with a few mates?”“Of course Bonzo”, I hesitantly croaked back. “I’m sure your little group will bring acertain élan to our petite jour ferie.”“Petty jor bloody what?” Bonzo’s brow darkened. “If you’re taking the piss a mouthfulof handbag can soon be arranged.”“No,no, I assure you Bonzo, I merely meant your distinctive presence would add to theday”.Backing out of the bar with a sickly smile I grabbed the bike and set off for the manoralmost colliding with Miss Featherton who was in the process of shutting up our localcharity shop. Miss Featherton also runs our village charity “ Sunny Little Helpers”.

Cycle Ink #173 16

“Ah Bob”. She chirped. “Just the man, don’t forget the Sunny Little Helpers will be onyour wonderful bike day”. I smiled weakly.Back at the manor I tried to ignore the queasy feeling in my stomach and recapped.The ride pre-publicity handouts would now have to read, The Great Birds, Blokes,Gays, Bonzo’s Tranvestites and Sunny Little Helpers Bike Day. It hardly tripped offthe tongue!That evening in the dining hall I asked if anyone would care to ride back-marker on theday to help keep Bonzo etc in order. There was a stony silence as everyone stared attheir empty plates and coffee cups.Later I grabbed a mug of cocoa from the servery and made my way up to bed with arising tide of apprehension about the whole thing. Oh, and by the way, I forgot tomention on the house answer-phone the County Vegetarian Society and our localUKIP pressure group had also expressed a keen interest in participating for thepublicity. At this rate the publicity banner will be longer than the bloody ride!So now I had “ The Great Birds, Blokes, Gays, Bonzo’s Travestites, Sunny LittleHelpers, County Vegetarian Society and UKIP Bike DayOH LETS FORGET IT !!! Ride with as much harmony as possible.

Big Bob

Many will have heard how I came off my bike on Thursday 24th April, during aGroup ride to Swanage, but I thought the circumstances might be of wider interest.I was descending through Studland village en-route to Sandbanks Ferry in thecompany of the Courtneys , Bob Frew and Eric. We were well spaced out andapproaching 20 mph. The next thing I knew I was on the deck and only dimlyconscious of those around me. The ambulance appeared to arrive in a very shortspace of time and I was carted off to A & E Poole Hospital. The usual checks werecarried out and nothing serious found, so I was released into the care of Bob Frew.That was the easy bit – the pain came later.The sun was shining at the time and the road was slightly damp in places from aprevious shower. I have no recollection of hitting a pothole, stone or swerving toavoid anything. The presence of two metal manhole covers and some uneven tarmacin the vicinity have been mentioned. The resident with whom Bob Frew left my bikesaid I was the second cyclist to have come off at that spot in as many days. The bikesustained only minor damage with the stem twisted round and scrapes on the brakelevers . My new helmet,however, only purchased two days before, was smashed witha chunk torn out of the side. My cycle computer records a maximum speed of 48mph– is this the speed I hit the ground? I consider myself very lucky, as without thehelmet I might been in a far more serious state.Needless to say I am very grateful l to all those who assisted me andenquired about me during my recovery.

It Could Happen to You. . . or perhaps it already has. By Jim McDonald

Jim

17 Cycle Ink #173

Right to Ride Report - May By Paul M. TurnerEvents :The Quay Cycle Celebration, Thursday 24th July 7to 10pm Fun, free event where you can try the trickcycles and crazy bikes, browse around a wide rangeof cycle stalls, have your say on where new cyclelanes should be built in Poole and get your bikehealth-checked for free with a Dr Bike session.Momentum Cycle Challenge, 8th to 28thSeptember. Workplaces compete for the highestproportion of employees cycling during the challengeperiod. Register your workplace www.lovetoride.net/momentumPOOLE :Tatnam Road & St Margaret’s Road - Give Way road junctions are tobe installed as these have been known to cause difficulties for cyclistswhen vehicles protrude over the lines into the cycle lane. Parts ofWimborne Road are due for repairs to the surface, and the roadmarkings between Garland and Serpentine will then be reviewed afterthose works.

Wimborne Rd & Dorchester Road – this area is very controversialWimborne Road southbound: there is the change in lanes from 3 to 2and the provision of a new section of cycle lane and ASL (AdvancedStop Line) with feed in lane but removing widened central hatchingDorchester Road approach: remove proposed ASL’s and associatedfeed-in lanes.Wimborne Road northbound: retains proposed ASL without feed-inlane for the time beingVicarage Road approach: the benefit to cyclists being able to filter tothe front of the queue here is worthwhile, and the revised layout would

Cycle Ink #173 18

only lose stacking capacity for only approx. 3 cars - an issue at peaktime only. The plans are below but have been modified as shown:

BOURNEMOUTH:Castle Lane West - As part of Bournemouth Borough Council’scommitment to making travel in and around Bournemouth easier, saferand more attractive, we will be carrying out major improvements onCastle Lane West between Broadway roundabout and Yeomansroundabout. Recognized as a key commuter route for those travelling tomajor employment sites and schools in Bournemouth, theseimprovements will benefit those who already travel to work and school

19 Cycle Ink #173

by bike, bus and walking, and will help encourage others to travel moresustainably.As part of these major improvements we will:

• Improve road safety for all commuters• Create high quality walking and cycling routes which separate

cyclists from traffic and provide them with priority at side roads• Improve journey times for cyclists by using innovative

technology including a cycle bypass to help cyclists travellingthrough the East Way junction

• Enhance the area by de-cluttering and removing existingphysical and visual barriers along pavements

• Provide faster and safer crossing facilities for pedestrians andcyclists

• Improve bus passenger waiting areasBournemouth was labelled the second most dangerous place forcyclists outside of London. Police statistics for the past five yearsshow cyclists between January 2008 and December 2012 hit ninepedestrians and none of these incidents occurred in pedestrian areas.In the same period, 638 cyclists were hit by vehicles last year.Bournemouth Square - CYCLING restrictions are to be lifted inBournemouth in the hope of making the town more bike-friendly.Cyclists will be allowed to ride through Bournemouth Square andacross Pier Approach for a 12- month trial period, to try and combat thetown’s reputation as a dangerous place for cyclists. The council’stransport chief Cllr Michael Filer has appealed to cyclists to actresponsibly to ensure the initiative is a success and has promised tostop the trial if there are accidents.Pokesdown to Iford Bridge – There are proposals to install Armadillosto separate motorised traffic and cycles!

PaulRight to Ride Representative Bournemouth & Poole

Cycle Ink #173 20

MINUTES FOR COMMITTEE MEETING 'CTC WESSEX CYCLING'Wednesday 21st May 2014 19.30

1. PRESENT – Mike Walsh, Jo Gordon, Keith Matthews, Paul Turner (acting Chair)2. APOLOGIES – Bob and Joan Courtney, Stephen Gray, John Jackson, Ralph Huckle, Terry Walsh, Julian James, JimMcDonald.3. MATTERS ARISING – none from previous minutes4. TREASURERS REPORT – £2.500 in the bank. £200 was received back from the National Office5. NEWSLETTER – Keith has sufficient contributions at the moment.6. RIGHT TO RIDE – Paul’s report will be published in the newsletter – a great deal going on7. RUNS LEADERS REPORTS -Thursday Potterers rides during February attracted minimal attendance due to poor weather, but since then have beenwell supported and on occasion exceed 20 in number, which necessitates splitting the ride into at least two groups onthe road. It is noticeable that some stronger riders tend to migrate to the Potterers, when presumably the start point orcoffee stop is more to their liking, but unfortunately the pace is not. This tends to further split the group over somedistance, with odd riders in-between . This situation is more prevalent on the run out to coffee and is unhelpful to thedesignated rides leaders, does not set a good example to newcomers and is contrary to the good name and publicimage of the CTC. The approval of the Committee is sought for members to be reminded of the Group Code of Conduct,in the preamble to the Group’s web page.Breakdown of rides attendance to date :-Mar 6 Start/ Coffee 13 Lunch 6 Apr 3 Start/ Coffee ? Lunch ?Mar 13 22 15 Apr 10 Start/ Coffee ? Lunch ?Mar 20 28 13 Apr 17 8 9Mar 27 14 9 Apr 24 20 ?May 1 9 5 May 8 Aborted due to bad weatherA joint group meet with the Rouleurs on 9th Sept. and a car assisted ride on 11th. Sept. Is proposed in the nextprogramme. Jim McDonald 8.5.14Thursday Rouleurs Runs Leaders Report for period from February to May 2014Summary numbers: average = 8, maximum = 12, total different riders=25.Ride leaders: different leaders=4, rides without pre-allocated leader=4.General Observations: Numbers increased slightly over this period as weather slowly improved and a few bravestalwarts continue to turn up for even the wettest of rides. Continued difficulty getting ride leaders and the same 3 peopleare still leading 2-3 rides each. Car Assist:- Two car-assisted rides during this period; the first in March from Wilton toUpavon and Westbury returning via the Wylie Valley and the second last week from Bishops Waltham to Alresford andPetersfield returning via West Meon and Beacon Hill. 5 people rode the first one and 9 the second one and both seemedto be enjoyed by all participants.Sunday Rouleurs Runs Leaders Report for period from February to May 2014Summary numbers: average = 4, maximum = 9 (last Sunday), total different riders=12.General Observations: Majority of riders return home after coffee. Small number sometimes go on to meet Inters atlunch time but don't always meet up due to timing and choice of lunch stop location.Gridiron Online EntriesCurrently 113 compared with 122 at this time last year. Entries started to come in faster around this time last year with150 by end May and 235 by end June. Dave LangleyDawdlersDespite the recent inclement weather the Dawdlers have had runs to join every week – some were cancelled when wesaw the weather forecast and others cut short when we got too wet and the only place to go was home. We are luckythat we get enough different leaders to make the rides nicely varied and numbers are holding up well. We had had a fe.We also have our annual picnic planned, this year on Christchurch Quay, again to which everyone is invited (and ofcourse significant others are included!) Jeanette KingSaturday Bun RunBuns Runs – very good: Wessex Series Randonee:- Hardboiled 300 went well; Porkers 400 - pleasing; Shawn ShawPHSG GroupThe Heart Group rides continue to be popular although we ran out of Sundays in April to hold our monthly meeting.Easter took one and the BHF ride took another. We would have done the BHF instead, but the weather was pretty direso we scratched anyway. Regular attendance each month now is about 10 people, we are getting new ones and olderone are becoming less frequent. Keith Matthews8. GRIDIRON UPDATE: John Jackson was not present but please see Dave Langleys report in the Rouleurs section

21 Cycle Ink #173

9. ANY OTHER BUSINESSPaul Turner commented that even though he had sent contribrutions to the groups Facebook set up by Kathy andKevin Moore they did not seem to appear – Keith will discuss this with Kathy and see if the moderation can be takenoff so this can be active for the whole group. Easier and quicker access could lead to more interest for the group.Keith said the membership records are coming through monthly now and any new members since the last emailingwould get a free newsletter.Keith is to add any local rides to the monthly lists to make it easier to see if there are any Audax etcrides that any one may be interested in.10. DATE OF NEXT COMMITTEE MEETING – Wednesday 20th August 7.30 Kinson Conservative ClubThe meeting closed at 20.20

Saturday 17th May saw 30 volunteers enjoying lunch at The Old Farmhouse, Burleyin recognition of the contribution they make to the success of our Gridiron 100. It alsoprovides the opportunity for the volunteers from the different controls to compare theirexperiences. As usual Peter Cutler and staff provided a great meal.Last year I inaugurated an awardfor the volunteer who goes theextra mile, whose performancestands out from the rest – tomake the award cycling themed Inamed them the ‘Gridiron 100Super-Domestique’. This yearthere were many candidates:Denis Eveleigh for acting as mydeputy on the day in my enforcedabsence; Jo Gordon fororganising the volunteers as wellas booking the riders out in themorning and back in theafternoon; Jim McDonald forferrying the injured to hospital; John Hayter, Terry Walsh. No, let me stop there, everyone of the volunteers – some year after year – deserve a special mention. It would nothappen without them! But nobody disagreed with my choice for Super-Domestiquethis year. He helped develop and subsequently transform the on-line entry system aswell as running the Colbury Control for a number of years. He is also one of the nicestmen you could wish to meet and someone who always looks to help. This year’sGridiron 100 Super-Domestique is Dave Langley.Don’t forget this year’s event is on Sunday 12th October. There is a new route and weare back at Boldre War Memorial Hall but this time we are using it as the secondcontrol. Entry is on-line only and limited to 1,000 riders, there will be no ‘on the day’entries so go to our CTC Wessex Cycling website and make yourentry in plenty of time. Good weather is forecast for this year!

Gridiron 100 - Volunteers Lunch By John Jackson

John

Cycle Ink #173 22

Le Havre to Paris & Back By Lauren BarberNine days of beautiful views, amazing food, great company… and not forgetting, 293 miles ofcycling! Ever wonder what cycling to Paris would be like If you’re looking for some quality milesat a reasonably leisurely pace, then read away!Before the adventure:Our adventure started from Portsmouth Ferry Terminal. There’s not many times in life when youreally take a step back and think, “yep, the world really is a small place”. Of all the people sat inthe ferry terminal (and I’d say around 30 odd) there sat two other touring cyclists – in white andorange kit. I thought to myself, I recognise that kit, they must be Chippenham Wheelers. Afterlistening to them share some of their past adventures, I suddenly thought, my life needs moreexcitement. What better way to start with a cycle to Paris and back – definitely something noteveryone can say they’ve achieved!To start, the statisticsThere’s nothing worse than having to plan the ins and outs of an adventure, especially if you’regoing by bike. However, fear not… If this trip tickles your fancy, it’s all planned out for you! Notwanting to bore anyone, here’s some quick statistics of the trip.

Day 1: Le Harve – Le NeuborgAfter a thankfully very smooth 8 hours night crossing, we arrived in Le Harve at 8am. I mustmention, I am a person that cannot function without a cuppa tea in the morning. Therefore, tosatisfy my ever growing fuzzy head (lack of caffeine), the first stop was for tea – plus this gaveme the opportunity to steady my nerves before venturing up the Pont de Normandie!Now, you may think this bridge looks like nothing –and when I say that the bridge was only 200 foot ofclimbing, you’d still be thinking that’s nothing.However, throw two pannier bags on the back, add acouple of lorries, vans and cars doing 70 kph pastyou, oh and not forgetting – having to cycle up theopposite side of the road… the wind blasts couldvery easily knock you off your bike. This bridge isnot for the faint hearted, you need fairly good bikehandling skills to negotiate this. However, if you’recrazy enough to enjoy heights – I’ve heard the top of

Activity Start Time Distance Elev. Gain Avg Speed Max Speed Avg. HR Max HR CaloriesLe Havre

-Le NeuborgWed Apr 30

8:14 am 05:07:29 53.98 1320 10.5 30.6 84 163 923

Le Neuborg-Herbeville

Thu May 19:29am 06:09:05 60.26 2206 9.8 32 119 173 1444

Herbeville- Paris

Fri May 210:04am 03:30:41 30.94 850 8.8 28.5 100 148 606

Paris-Pacy sur Eure

Mon May 59:19am 06;32:30 61.7 2463 9.4 33.9 124 174 1407

Pacy sur Eure- Brionne

Tue May 69:46am 04:08:06 40.74 1188 9.9 25.1 119 172 799

Brionne -Le Havre

Wed May 78:55am 04:37:36 45.48 749 9.8 25.2 121 180 954

23 Cycle Ink #173

the bridge provides a wonderfully vast landscape ofthe surrounding villages.After tackling the Pont de Normandie, we decided itwas time for another tea stop. However, I decidedto mix things up a bit this time, and I had a chocolatchaud and croissant (now you can start tounderstand why I need to add some excitement intomy life). Anyway, our journey takes us for throughsome truly breathtaking scenes between Contevilleand Foulbec, past some abstract artwork painted onto the side of a small hideout cabin across from avery small bridge, (in comparison to Pont de Normandie) in to Pont-Audemer for some lunch.Here is where I found a few of my soon to be French getaway castles…Finally, our ride for the day ended with a refreshing Affligem beer in Le Neubourg – and boy-o-boy was that beer well deserved! The hotel for the night was a normal Travelodge style hotel.After not a lot of food, we were desperate for some dinner. Mike was determined that this hotelprovided us with a buffet for dinner, but fortunately it didn’t, as we got to dine in a nearby ‘Tablede Tom’. This restaurant provided us weary travelers with the best service and exceptional foodwe could have wished for (I would definitely recommend this place)!Day 2: Le Neubourg to Herbeville

Opening the curtains that day, the weather looked lessthan favourable… dull and cloudy. But ever anoptimist, we continued on with our journey. From LeNeubourg there’s a lovely 1% inclining cycle path thattakes you 10k down the road to Quittebeuf.They say what goes down, must go up! For me, thetwo highest points in Brosville were one of my mostfavourite parts of the trip. Words can’t describe thefeeling I get when looking down on the small andquaint villages, which are perfectly landscaped – youliterally feel on top of the world!

I like to think my timing is always impeccable…Having already done nearly 60 miles, we were allstarting to tire, but before we could reach our beds forthe night, I decided to throw a spanner in the worksand acquire a puncture half way up a fairly steepincline that lead to our bed and breakfast – 3 slightlytiresome tourists trying to all gather round and fix onepuncture proved a little challenging. But, we knew thatjust round the corner, our beds were waiting for us.This was our bed and breakfast for the night – Louis15th’s country Petit Palace.

Cycle Ink #173 24

Day 3: Herbeville to ParisNow, breakfast in France… can I just ask, why do French people love bread and pastries somuch? Every morning we’re confronted with bread, yoghurt, Earl Grey tea and more bread.Why can you never find good old English Breakfast tea and a bowl of cereal? By this time, day3, I was starting to feel quite deprived of my usual 5-7 cups of tea a day… This was no doubtthe hardest part of the whole entire trip for me. And yes, I am going to make a big fuss aboutmy love for English Breakfast tea (now that I’ve been back home for 2 weeks, I will never evertake a cuppa tea for granted again – long live the English Breakfast tea)!!Anyway, back to the article…At last we were fully rested, taking the morning in our stride we settled down to the last leisurely30 miles in to the center of Paris. As we got closer to Paris, I realised Mike was getting fasterand faster, it was though he had truly returned home. I could see the excitement in Mike’s faceas his eyes light up when even mentioning the word Paris. He’s obviously collected so manyfond memories there, it’s really refreshing to see. As we reached the Bois-de-Boulogne, I wasdeveloping some serious hunger pains… It was time to eat and boom- just like that, we hadfound a lovely alfresco pop-up café, and my gosh…. They had English Breakfast tea, and themost amazing croque monsieur (cheese and ham toasty).Our first night in Paris, and you’d think we’d go for a traditional French restaurant… Well you’dbe wrong, to an Italian we went! With the wine flowing, all I could think about was the décor ofthe room. The whole restaurant was covered in posters from films and musicals, very inspiring.The highlight of the night for me was coming across a live playing jazz club. As a real musiclover, any live music and I fall into a sense of escapism, and this place was no exception. Asyou get closer to the music, the deeper into the cave you go, the louder and livelier theatmosphere. The range of the singer was spectacular – I’ve been to a lot of live concerts and hewas by far the best vocalist I’ve heard sing live, and not forgetting the pianist. I am extremelyjealous of any musicians that can improvise on the spot; a skill I have never managed todevelop, even though I’ve tried for several years!The weekend in Paris.The two days you spend in Paris allows you to fully recharge your batteries and get somechores done (washing your cycling kit ready for the next 3 days). Our hotel was an Ibis budget –by with a double bunk, bathroom and shelves, you can even get two bikes in to your room! Thehotel is situated behind the canal – Saint Martin, and luckily the weather was warm all weekend.We found a small café looking on to the canal, where we could enjoy a freshly made roll, chipsand you guessed it – another English Breakfast tea. Followed by a quick afternoon power nap,

we all meet up for an evening by the Sacre Coeur. Ilost count how many steps there are up to the SacreCoeur, but the view you get over Paris is spectacular(just a shame you can’t see the Eiffel Tower).If you go up and round the corner from the SacreCoeur, there’s a great bar with a great selection ofbeers to choose from - a nice aperitif before ourexciting evening we had planned started. We’dmanaged to book a table at ‘Le Lamarck’, a Corsicanstyled restaurant. As you walk in, you’re walking in to

25 Cycle Ink #173

someone’s front room, with about 30 people all squeezed in. The food was of a very home-cooked style, and once again, the wine was flowing. Every meal was cooked to perfectly, thelamb just melted off the bone, and the white fish was soft and drizzled in an amazing pistachiooil. However, the best was yet to come… The restaurant owner had surveyed his diners, andbegan to perform. As soon as he opened his mouth and played the first string on his guitar,everyone knew what was to come – singing, dancing shouting and bobbing along to the one-hitwonders of French, Spanish and English music. I’ve never seen such good audienceparticipation; this place was definitely a night I’ll always remember!The Return JourneyAs our return journey began, I was having a large sense of déjà vu, it’s like I’d be along theseroads before… Oh wait, that’s because I had. Cycling along the same roads from Paris throughto Maule, Septeil, Breval, Pacy-sur-Eure, Jouy-sur-Eure, Brosville, Le Neubourg and in toBrionne adds a completely different perspective of the country side – everything looks sodifferent. Cycling back the way you came has its advantages; it’s easier to spot and recognise ifyou’re on the right road; you’ll subconsciously notice little landmarks along the way.I must mention our last evening meal of the journey. Wereached Brionne after 61 miles, several downpours andnot a lot of food later. I was told we’d be having a smallearly lunch as our dinner for the night was in a class of it’sown. We were welcomed with a warm and friendlyservice. With our bags taken to our rooms for us, the onlything we could do was to slump in to the memory foammattress before having to think about getting ready fordinner. We met for dinner in the piano/bar for a pre-dinneraperitif, naturally I had a gin and tonic, which came on abeautiful silver tray with 3 bite-sized nibbles – a pea mouse, duck parfait and pickled veg. Once Ihad a quick tinkle on the piano, we were shown to our table; which was obviously beautiful laidout. Before our starter, we were given another mushroom mouse, which was deliciouslycreamy! Followed by two starters, the first chicken liver which melted away in the mouth, and agorgeous white fish grilled with a white wine sauce and scattered razor clams. For main, it wasa choice of either a fillet of beef, or sweetbreads (thymus gland near the throat). The desserts,wow – they were certainly a masterpiece. I decided to go for a chocolate surprise – my bowlwas presented to me with a milk and white chocolate dome, where the waiter proceeded to pourover the best home-made crème anglaise I’ve ever tasted. The chocolate so very elegantlymelted away to reveal some amazing poached pears inside. After dessert it’s a French traditionto have a coffee, but our espressos came with more treats – a ‘profitamacaroon’ (not it’s realname, just something I’ve made up - it’s a cross between a macaroon and profiteroles) and arefreshing sorbet of some sort. After polishing off a bottle of 2009 Graves Chateau, I was readyfor bed. I slept like a baby!It’s always nice to end an adventure and look back on all the highs and lows. It’s the beginningof many more adventures, whether on or off the bike. I would like to say a huge thank you toMichael Walsh for organising the whole trip – the leisurely pace allowed me to rejuvenate mybatteries and to really appreciate the beautiful countryside and culture that seems likeworlds apart.

Lauren

Cycle Ink #173 26

The Club is still offering kit at heavily subsidised prices. Quality kit at bargainprices! Take a look at the website under For Sale and check out the order form  tosee what's available.

Go to: www.bournemouthctc.org/clothing.htm to download the sizing chart andorder form. Get your order in while the offer is still on !

CTC WESSEX CLOTHING By Ralph Huckle

OBITUARY - RAY LOWEOur clubmate and lifetime cyclist Ray Lowe of CTCWessex passed away on Thursday 15th May 2014,aged 84, a few weeks after suffering a stroke. He lastrode the Gridiron event when he was 80 and on thatoccasion was accompanied by his grandson. He wasalso a keen gardener and one of my memories is ofhim calling round to the house to enter an event, onlyto get into deep conversation with Janet aboutgardening. He was still gardening up to a few weeksbefore his stroke. Ray’s funeral was held on Monday2nd June, and a large number of his cycling friendswere in attendance, and as requested by Ray’s wife

Sylvia, had turned out in full cycling gear. He was always a cheerfulperson, and will be missed by his many cycling friends. Keith

Gathering at Portesham 1977 © Clive GerrardHow many in the group do you remember? Ray Lowe is in here, can you spot him?

The Lymington bunch at thestart of this year’s Dorset

Coastlet.

A typical scene from the busycheck-in desk on the 200km

“Dorset Coast” 2014

www.onyerbike.co.uk | www.onyerskates.co.uk

>> Over 600 Bikes In Stock.>> MTB | Hybrid | Road | Electric | BMX | Kids.>> 0% Finance Available *Details on Request.>> Open 7 Days a Week.>> Cycle Retailer 20+ Years.>> Cyclescheme.co.uk Approved.

SALES - RENTALS - REPAIRS

Phone: 01202 31585588-90 Charminster RDBournemouth BH88US