April 2012 - Ythan Cycle Club

The Quarterly Newsletter for Ythan Cycle Club and Ythan QL
www.Ythancc.org.uk
April 2012
Editorial
In this quarter’s edition we look back on the history of Ythan with part two of Graham Gerrard’s
excellent depiction of cycling in the 50s, a guide to Ythan cycling kit through the ages, an extract from
the pages of Vogue (or is it Vague?) and a wee instruction for the lady riders from 1865. In our 25th year
it’s fitting we look back but also look forward. Claire has written a guide for youth cycling and of course
we look forward to Fiona, Lora and Neil all achieving great things in the coming months. With dates set,
we can now look forward to another busy year on the racing front with a full calendar of confined and
open races as well as the odd sportive and very odd triathlon thrown in. We hope everyone has a great
season with Ythan no matter what your personal goals are.
Colin
Committee meeting & AGM
There will be notices of committee meetings posted
on the forum. All club members are welcome to come
along to the committee meetings. Dates for the next
committee meeting are yet to be fixed- keep a look
out on the forum
It is hoped that the blog and
website will soon be linked
seamlessly along with the QL
website.
There was some discussion at
the AGM as to how we could change the website so that it
wasn’t so reliant on one person to update.
Ythan Google Group
Trophies
A great evening at the presentation night at the Buchan
was compered by Andy Duncan who did a super job of his
review of the 2012 racing season. Special mention to Chris
York who won the GB cycling team jersey, but sportingly
gave it to young Laurie Cunningham.
The club started a Google group so that we could manage
our e-mail distribution of news and notices. The
consolation period is over now and it has been decided that
this method of communication was not working as there
were too many glitches within the Google system. It has
now been abandoned and we will revert to using the emailing list. If you have any queries please let Colin know
at [email protected]
2012 subscriptions
Website, blog and forum
If you can’t wait for your quarterly newsletter, there is a
new Ythan blog that has all the latest Ythan CC and Ythan
QL news. If you have anything you want to add to the blog
then contact Colin Allanach. The link to the blog is:
http://www.ythancc.blogspot.com/
If you click on the “follow by e-mail” tag on the page you
will automatically receive an e-mail each time a news item
is added.
Page 1 of 25
The Ythan CC annual subscriptions are now due. If you
haven’t already renewed before the deadline of the end of
January the renewal costs are £20 for adults and £5 for
Juniors & Youths. Please contact our club treasurer
Yvonne Winter for details of how to make payments. Her
E-mail is [email protected]
Coaching corner
Colin and Russ have started their training with
a weekend in Edinburgh. The weekend was
very informative and a good opportunity to
meet others going through the same process.
The assessed sessions were a bit daunting but both Russ
and Colin passed. They hope to complete their course by
the end of April. Chris Soper has also passed through the
first weekend of the level 3 coaching.
Welcome to the following new
members
Lewis Goodlad
My name is Lewis Goodlad and I live in Alford, and am in
S1 in Alford Academy. I have been cycling for ages but
only last summer I got a road bike and started entering
races. I did a lot of miles last summer and have been
doing some training over the winter, and I am looking
forward to
the cycling
season. At
the moment
I have a
Dawes bike
that I have
had
since
last year. I
have been
on a few of
the Sunday
morning runs from Ellon with Ythan which were great, but
my bike broke last time, but it’s all fixed now.
Paul Wilson
I've recently returned to
cycling after many years
away, I dabbled with racing in
the 90s but marriage and three
children soon put paid to that!
However one divorce later &
I find I have a bit of time on
my hands and after recently
hitting the big four-oh I felt
the urge to get fit & get back
on the bike. Unfortunately I
work shifts which means my
weekends are usually spent either working or with my kids
so no Sunday morning runs for me, I'll hopefully get to do
some mid week events though. I'm also involved in
cycling through my work as I have recently taken on
organising volunteers to deliver Bikeability training in
Aberdeen City as well as delivering the training myself, so
no doubt plenty opportunity to get more folk on their bikes
and maybe even joining their local club!"
Page 2 of 25
Barry Ingram
I am 32 years old and currently stay in Balmedie with my
wife Shona. I have been a keen runner for the last 7 or so
years, and about 2 years ago, I bought a cheap road
bike through the cycle to work scheme to do some
duathlons. I found myself enjoying the cycling and the
relaxed nature you can explore new roads with a lot less
effort than running.
Last year my father and I entered a few sportives and
found them a nice change from the 10K's and half
marathons. At the end of last year I decided this years aim
would be to complete a 100 miler, and hence the reason to
join Ythan CC to take part in some Sunday runs.
I have already entered a few sportives for this year, and
basically my aim is to continue to discover new parts of
the
countryside
and
hopefully stay injury free. I
find the the cycling helps
with my running and come
the summer gives me
another reason to get off
that sofa in the evenings. I
may
also still
surprise
myself and take part in
some club time trials later in
the year.
Neil Buchanan
As you will see from my two very different pictures I am
fairly new to cycling. I was born and bred in Aberdeen and
have worked in the Oil Industry since I left school and in
2007 I was offered an overseas position in Trinidad.
Suffice to say my family and I jumped at the opportunity
to try something different. Having not done any exercise
since I was a kid I arrived in Trinidad and continued with a
social lifestyle eventually resulting with me touching 19st
on the scales. On New Year ’s Day 2010 as usual I made a
resolution to get fit. I managed to lose a couple of stone by
dieting, but then some friends encouraged me to join them
on their 5am bike rides and train with them for a charity
triathlon. I got the bug and the rest as they say is history.
Coming back to the North East weather has put a slight
dampener on the cycling over the winter but I am really
looking forward to getting some miles in now that the
weather is improving and the night lights are here.
Also welcome to Joel, Jordan and Michael
Robertson.
2012 Anniversary
As mentioned in the editorial, the club is 25 years old in
2012. An anniversary logo has been designed
incorporating some of the colours used by the club over
the years. There have been some good suggestions for
some special events, including an anniversary run, BBQ
and commissioning a special Ythan CC film (thanks Nick
for that suggestion). Graham Gerrard has written a great
article about the inception of the club and included are a
few press cuttings from the era.
Meet up at the car park behind the supermarket in
Auchterellon. Start time is 6.30 pm so be sure to be early
to get a start number.
Etape Caledonia 2012
There are a few Ythanites that have signed up for the 2012
Etape Caledonia already. The run will go ahead on the 13th
of May 2012. The run is fully booked. No matter what you
think of the costs, there is no doubt that this is a huge
success and a staple of the Scottish cycling calendar.
Coming into its 6th year, on Sunday 13th May 2012, the
now famous cycle challenge will once again be starting
and finishing in beautiful Pitlochry, Scotland and will see
5000 cyclists take on 81 miles of breathtaking traffic-free
roads in the stunning scenery of Highland Perthshire.
2012 Anniversary BBQ
On 23rd June the club intends to hold a social BBQ. At this
point it is intended to hold it at Haddo house- Graham
Parley and Carol Middleton are organising this. Look out
for more details in the near future.
Aberdeen & District Cycling
Association news
At the AGM in November there was a new committee set
up for the ADCA. Isobel Smith, Mike Brown and Sean
Monaghan have all stepped down from their positions with
a new squad in place. Claire has taken on the role of Youth
Development for the district and Peter C has taken on the
role as Secretary.
There is a schedule of regular District meetings being
prepared and the District committee are committed to the
development of cycle sport in the area both for youths and
seniors.
2012 Confined series dates
The dates for the Tuesday evening confined Time trials
have been announced. These have been scheduled to
avoid clashing with any open evening TTs. The dates are:
17th April – 10m TT
1st May – 10 m TT
15th May – 15 m TT
29th May – 10 m TT
12th June – 25m TT
26th June – 10 m TT
10th July – 15m TT
24th July -10m TT
7th August -10m TT
21st August – 10m TT
4th September – 10m TT
Page 3 of 25
Fiona’s update from training with the
BC squad in Manchester
At the squad training camp in
Majorca Fiona's childhood dreams
came true by being awarded the Blue
Peter Badge (above). Blue Peter
were filming her Team mate while
on Training Camp the other day and
all were presented with The Blue
Peter Badge!
Ythan at the movies
Nick Thom’s brother, Sam, is a professional filmmaker
and he has kindly offered to create a short film of the
Ythan CC & Ythan QL activities throughout the year. So
get your slap on, pretend you’re not hurting on the hills
and wear that Ythan kit with pride, you never know where
Sam might be filming next. (Here’s a clue – there’s an
Ythan TT with a short sharp, steep hill on it. R_x_ _n.)
Ythan QL junior squad
.
Building Upon the Success
of 2011.
We hope in 2012 to build upon our successes of 2011 and
to drive the club forwards. In 2011 we had 9 regular
members attending our sessions already the new season
has seen has seen new members come along and finally we
have seen quines joining in too so we are now officially
Ythan QL not just Ythan L!
We would like to welcome to the QL
Teah Murdoch
age 6
By June this year Russ Craig and Colin Allanach will be
Louanna
Murdoch
ageand
7 Chris Soper is working
qualified level 2 coaches
BaileyhisBuchan
6 our Regional Development
towards
level 3. Peterage
Clark
Officer
working hard age
behind
DylanisPower
8 the scenes of the QL to
organise
a
level
1
Assistant
certificate for the
Eilidh Craig
ageCoaching
7
region. Currently Bill Bavidge – Joel’s Dad- has signed
up for this and either Karl
or I will do this course too.
Any other parents of QL
that are interested in this
please let me know and I
could register your interest.
For more details of this
qualification please go to
http://www.britishcycling.o
rg.uk/coaching/article/coast
_Level_1_certificate_newLevel-1-Certificate-inCoaching-Cycling--0
2012 has seen the development of an Aberdeen District
Youth Racing Team, the best riders that show a
commitment to racing and training racing from each of the
District clubs have been chosen to form a team to enter
team events. The District team have been entered in the
Youth Tour of Scotland in Perth on the Easter Weekend.
Congratulations to Andrew Brown and Stephen Brown of
Granite City Racing Team and Zak Loney and Joel
Robertson of Ythan Cycle Club who are representing the
District in the Youth Tour. We wish you luck and a great
weekend racing.
The racing schedule for the weekend is as follows
Friday 6 April AM Individual Time Trial
1.8km
PM
Team Time Trial
4.5km
Sat 7 April PM Stage 2 Road Race
75km
Sun 8 April AM Stage 3 Road Race
50km
It would have been great to have entered an Ythan Team
but maybe it’s something we should aim for in 2013.
Ythan QL entered a team into the Musselburgh 3 up Time
Trial and congratulations to Craig Ward, Joel Robertson
Page 4 of 25
and Zak Loney for the first Youth team finishing the 24.3
mile course in a respectable 1:10:01 in windy conditions.
We are pleased again to be running the Youth races,
Cyclefest Crit on 27 May 2012 and Ellon Crit on 26
August 2012. We are looking forward to seeing some QL
riders on the winner’s podium again across the whole of
the age ranges.
Zak Joel and Craig collecting their prize
money for 1st Youth A team at
Musselburgh
There are lots of opportunities to race and anyone
interested in getting more involved in racing just needs to
ask any of the coaches for advice or just see Karl, myself
or Zak as we can give you for hand tips on what to do.
Thanks Claire
BC membership
The membership lasts for a full year and provides various
benefits. If you are interested in competition the minimum
level of membership you should look at is Silver (even if
you are competing in the confined TTs). The level of
personal insurance is also very good and even if you aren’t
racing it is worth the membership just for the insurance
cover.
Discounted membership is available for those that
organise SC events. Just phone up and tell them which
event you are organising when you renew your
membership.
BC membership is free to under 12s
http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/membership/art
icle/memb20110107-Youth-and-Under-12Members-0?dm_i=BM6,G7S5,1UI45D,1BG9I,1
Join a Go-Ride club (Ythan) and get British Cycling
membership
for
FREE
If you join a local Go-ride club, silver membership to
British Cycling is free so there really is no excuse for
missing out on a fantastic pack of cycling goodies!
L'Etape Du Tour, 8 July 2012
Results of the first local race of the season, The
Presentation 18 mile TT
by Bob Hill
I have entered for this event with Mike Giles and Mike
Harper. It is in the Alps, Starting at Albertville going over
three rather large mountains at a total distance of 140kms.
We booked it up through Sports Tours International and
there are still places available if anyone is interested. We
booked our flights separately with British Airways flying
into Lyon. We go out on Friday 6 July and return on
Sunday 15 July but you can just go out with Sports Tours
for their three night package returning on Monday 9 July.
Chippy still wanted
Is anyone good at woodwork? We are considering building
our own three piece podium for our events. The podium
would consist of three boxes which fit inside each other
for storage - 1st place, 2nd place & 3rd place
Club runs
The Summer club runs now start at 9am
Race News
(that’s 9
o’clock in the morning!) at the Ellon
swimming
pool every Sunday morning. We will endeavour to
have a fast group and a slower group for each Sunday but
it depends who turns up and prevailing weather conditions.
Check forum for updates.
Club run rota
The Club run rota for the next three months has to be filled
in. Can you have a look at the rota attached to the
newsletter and see if you can lead some of the runs on the
dates. Please e-mail [email protected] with the
dates you can manage.
1 ETTLES, PETER SANDY W. CYCLES V 00:41:35
2 RIIS, CARLOS SHETLAND WHEELERS V 00:42:25
3 DUNCAN, COLIN YTHAN CC V 00:43:20
4 ROBERTSON, KEITH GRANITE CITY V 00:43:23
5 FINLAYSON, CALLUM FORRES CC S 00:43:34
6 RAIKKONEN, VELI-MATTI GRANITE CITY 00:43:41
7 BROWN, ROBERT GRANITE CITY S 00:44:07
8 DUNCAN, BRIAN GRANITE CITY S 00:44:36
9 QUINN, GREG DTCC V 00:44:41
10 SPALDING, MIKE DTCC V 00:45:11
11 DURHAM, STEVE DTCC S 00:45:16
12 WARWICK, DUNCAN DTCC V 00:45:18
13 NETTLETON, KEITH DTCC V 00:45:22
14 LACKIE, KEVIN ELGIN CYCLING CLUB V 00:45:24
15 MCDOUGALL, EWAN ELGIN CYCLING CLUB S
00:45:32
16 BROWN, IAN DTCC V 00:45:34
17 SKENE, NORMAN GRANITE CITY V 00:45:54
18 WILLIAMS, HYWELL DTCC 00:45:56
19 WHITEHEAD, DAN BALLATER X S 00:46:04
20 MCLEAN, CHRISTINE SHETLAND WHEELERS FV
00:46:05 1st Lady
21 MCGILL, ALI DTCC 00:46:28
22 DUNCAN, ANDY YTHAN CC S 00:47:24
23 ALLAN, PHIL GRANITE CITY V 00:47:29
24 WARD, CRAIG YTHAN CC YM 00:47:32 1st Youth
25 SCOTT-KIDDIE, ALASTAIR DTCC V 00:47:45
26 COWIE, CALUM DTCC V 00:47:58
27 GRANT, IAN DTCC V 00:48:08
28 STEWART, DEREK DTCC V 00:48:18
29 CARPENTER, NEIL FORRES CC V 00:48:22
30 MOSGROVE, NEIL PERTH UNITED CC S 00:48:34
31 SCHIRRER, LAURENT DTCC V 00:48:35
32 GRANT, MALCOLM YTHAN CC S 00:48:41
33 LONEY, ZAK YTHAN CC YM 00:48:55
34 MURRAY, EWAN DTCC 00:49:00
35 RUSSELL, GARRY RAF CC S 00:49:04
36 HEADY, MARK ACTIV CYCLES V 00:49:29
37 ROBERTSON, JOEL YTHAN CC YM 00:49:31
38 ROBERTSON, PETER FORRES CC V 00:49:44
39 HUSTON, JOHN DTCC S 00:50:08
40 ALLANACH,COLIN YTHAN CC V 00:50:17
41 NESS, ROY ABERDEEN WHEELERS S 00:51:03
42 BROWN, STEPHEN GRANITE CITY YM 00:51:16
43 CLARK, ROSS UNATTACHED S 00:51:35
44 COWIE, DOUG FORRES CC V 00:51:36
45 WHITEHEAD, CLAIRE BALLATER X S 00:51:45
46 MCGRAW, ROBERT DTCC V 00:51:48
47 WALTON, STEPHEN DTCC V 00:51:51
48 LENEHAN, TOBY DTCC V 00:52:12
49 PIRIE, SANDY DTCC V 00:52:16
50 THOM, NICK YTHAN CC V 00:52:19
51 ROBERTSON, MICHAEL YTHAN CC V 00:52:25
52 GRANT, GEORGE FORRES CC V 00:53:07
53 HUNTER, JOHN ABERDEEN WHEELERS S 00:53:39
54 ABEL, CONAN ABERDEEN WHEELERS S 00:53:49
55 POSE, JEAN-BAPTISTE DTCC S 00:55:00
56 GOURLAY, BRIAN DTCC V 00:55:04
57 YOUNG, MALCOLM DTCC V 00:55:06
58 FORSYTH, PETER FORRES CC V 00:55:39
59 FEE, JOSEPH DTCC S 00:56:16
60 SCOTT, PAUL YTHAN CC V 00:56:52
61 CLARK, CHANTEL SANDY W. CYCLES F 00:57:47
62 DARGIE, DOUGAL ANGUS BIKE CHAIN V 01:00:21
63 TREE, KEN DTCC V 01:05:11
CARPENTER, JAKE FORRES CC YM DNF
BROWN, ANDREW GRANITE CITY YM DNF
STROMBERG, SIMON DTCC DNF
Page 5 of 25
Mountain bike runs
All,
After a clear out of the garage, the road bikes have been
hidden away in the loft as they haven't turned a pedal in
anger in the past 12 months or so (last race was the 2 up in
August last year)
However the mountain bike has been getting big licks and
as such once the confined series has finished does anyone
want to join me for fun and frolics in the woodies?
Lights will obviously be needed soon but I've been rotating
around Kirkhill, Pitfichie, Scolty etc the past wee while
and I'm wanting to keep it going.
I'll be out and will post something on the forum every
week (all going well) once the marathon is out of the way
it'll be Sunday mornings as well but I'll probably try and
alternate it with a road ride - if the boss lets me out.
Russ
Readers’ Bikes
In this edition Russ Craig talks about his love affair with a
quine called Klein.
2003 Klein Q Carbon Race – The Eternal Second
Raymond Poulidor got nicknamed ‘the eternal second’ and
so far (although realistically I can’t see me ‘racing’ this
bike again) so has this bike. APRs, RRs I’ve got this bike
so far but not far enough, closest was down in Girvan at
the support race (see picture below – if only I’d been on
the drops!) my speediest years so far have got it to a
handful of seconds just not the elusive first place. I’m not
blaming the bike in any way, ‘cause I think this bike is
ace.
Although nearly 10
years old this is and
will probably still
stay my favourite
bike. I bought the
bike from Alpine in
April 2003. Alpine
used to do regular
open days at Kirkhill
where you could take one of their demo bikes out for a
spin and it was here in the mid to late nineties that I first
sat astride a Klein and since then I had to have my own.
In 2003 the original bike was a mix of Shimano 105 and
Ultegra groupsets, Bontrager (another hero – if anyone has
a Bontrager Privateer S frame please let me know – I’ll
happily sell Eilidh and Rhuraidh for it) wheels and
finishing kit. Now its full 9-speed Ultegra, with Campag
wheels and Deda bars, stem and seat post.
Page 6 of 25
This bike has, in my opinion, the best paint job you will
see on a road bike, and I don’t even know what colour it is.
From one angle it’s purple and from another its green.
Apart from the design of his mountain bikes this is what I
think sets Klein apart from the rest. (have a look at the
Kleins on www.Mombat.org)
The bike has taken me on road races round Scotland,
Lands End to John O’Groats and a couple of trips to the
euro Sportives. One trip that stands out is one of the jollys
to Italy for the GF Campagnolo. Building the bike up in
the hotel car park I noticed that the cable adjuster mounted
on the frame was damaged. Perhaps
this one of the downsides of the
clean lines from internal cable
routing but these adjusters stick out
awkwardly and have broken easily.
Anyway I was having trouble setting
the gears up so had to find a bike
shop. The only shop was tiny but
full of character – an old leathery
mechanic took the bike up onto the stand and started
pulling the cable out to change the adjuster – remember I
said the bike has internal cable routing well there is (was)
a plastic liner that acted as a guide to get the cable through
the frame and unbeknownst to me this got pulled clean out
with the cable. With the adjuster replaced the job for
changing the cable was next.
Bearing in mind I was a Scot with no Italian on an
American Bike with Japanese gear wizardry it was a
struggle getting this far. When we’d realised that the liner
was on the floor of the workshop and the cable had to go
through the down tube he started laughing. Then he got his
mates in from outside to have a laugh. Turns out they
thought this was hilarious, why put the cables inside the
frame? I had the last laugh though when I asked for an old
wheel magnet (Hey Mario hava you gotta wheeleelo
magneto?) and with the frame being aluminium and the
cable being steel managed to guide the cable down the
tube and out. Cue back slaps and more hilarity at my
stupid American bike with fat tubes, so much so that I got
the adjuster and the time in the work shop for free.
I know it’s only some Aluminium tubes and bits of carbon
fibre but I’ve done miles and miles and miles on this bike
and enjoyed every
minute. I’ve yet to see
another and when its
time to stop riding its
going up on the wall.
Russ
New kit supplier.
See the special notes for ordering the new kit at the end of
the newsletter. Next deadline for ordering new kit is the
30th April 2012 so get your orders in to Andy quickly. The
new kit looks ace, well done to Andy for another cracker.
CTC Grampian
Aberdeen cycling forum
Aberdeen has a cycling pressure group who lobby MPs
and the council for better cycling facilities in and around
Aberdeen. They recently did a lot of work around the
National Cycling week and even organised a film night
with Graeme Obree in attendance last year. They send out
a regular e-mail newsletter, so if you are interested in what
they are proposing, please sign up for the newsletter at:
http://www.aberdeencycleforum.org.uk/
They have requested that any Ythan members who would
like to get involved can come along to their monthly
meetings. Perhaps some of our city members would like to
act as liaison? Any volunteers?
Andrew Cooper
All of you who were at last years AGM will remember
Andrew Cooper who gave an excellent presentation on
“living with Leukaemia” Andrew has just received some
great news – in his words:
Extract from Andew's Facebook:Well folks, After three years and five weeks of
chemotherapy for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, I have
finally been given the 'All Clear'. Had my last treatment
and successful results back today which has been a long
time coming! A massive Thank You to everyone who has
supported me throughout these years especially my mates,
my family, and of course Zoe Middleton for having to put
up with all my ***t! A big thanks also to FriendsofAnchor
Aberdeen for the continued support when in Ward 16 &
the Haematology Clinic. It certainly has put everything
into perspective and I can now fully get on with my life.
Page 7 of 25
Those nice people at The Cyclists
Touring Club Grampian wrote
some nice things about us in their
newsletter so it’s only proper that
we reciprocate. They are all very nice people and have a
very interesting newsletter which gets plagiarised fairly
regularly by the editor of this publication. The CTC
Grampian organise cycle runs throughout the area and
have a huge list of upcoming runs on their website. One
day over the summer we may join them for a run or two
and discuss how to grow a beard or how to survive for 300
miles on nothing but two tea bags, a boiled sweet and
various road kill delicacies picked up a long the way ;-)
http://www.ctcgrampian.org.uk/
Haddo House
The club are beginning to discuss cycling access to the
Haddo grounds and the provision of a track for leisure
cycling, some off road training and hopefully the
occasional MTB or Cyclocross race.
The club met with representatives form Haddo and they
had a tour of the area being developed for the mountain
bike track. The next step is that Haddo are applying for
funding for the track. Watch this space.
Another takeover bid
Following last years aborted takeover of Ythan by Apple
computers a second hostile takeover has been announced
on the UCI stock exchange. Rupert Murdoch, owner of
News International has made a counterbid for Ythan.
News International who already have a minor cycling
involvement through Sky are keen to increase their
association with the sport, and recognising Ythan’s own
ambitious membership, would fuse well with their own
cycling aspirations were enthusiastic to capture the NE
club. The sticking point, apart from the £34M deal,
appears to be the naming of the new club. Yvonne Winter,
Ythan’s Financial CEO said “the figures Sky are quoting
are interesting, but there will be no negotiation over
naming rights. Ythan CC will not be changing to Skythan
CC”
Rupert Murdoch was distraught. He allegedly was heard to
say, “The deal would have been great for us, - not only
would we secure the best wee club in Scotland, but getting
our hands on the membership spreadsheet would have
allowed us a new set of phone numbers we could hack
into”
A counter bid by Craig Whyte, owner of Rangers FC and
all round good bloke, based upon selling all of Ythan’s
memberships for the next 160 years was met with
sniggering and derision from the Ythan committee.
Cyclefest update
The first meeting for the 2012 Cyclefest 2012 was held.
The date for the weekend of the Alford festival of cycling
is the 26th and 27th May.
On the 26th May there is a Sportive run by Sandy Lindsay
of Deeside Thistle.
On Sunday, 27th May, Ythan are organising youth races on
the track very much like the very successful Grampian
GPs. “The Clan” cycle display team will be back. Graeme
Obree is set for an appearance. The Veteran CC will be
there again with their impressive display of vintage cycles
and also a penny farthing race. Peter Clark is putting
together the schedule of races for the Sunday
The weekend will be sponsored by
Senergy.
A great day out for anyone interested in
bikes
100 mile TTs
At a recent Committee meeting, the merits of 100mile TTs
were questioned. There are two of these in the District
calendar and they take a lot of organising and a lot of
marshalling for only a limited number of competitors.
They may have gone out of fashion but there is no denying
the supreme commitment in trying to stay in a TT position
for 100 miles.
Bob Hill wrote after the meeting:
“Re the discussion we had on wed evening about who did
100mile TT's I remembered yesterday (while out on my
bike, but not for 100 mile) that we won the ADCA
100mile championship many years ago - about 1996. The
team was Malcolm Cooper, Conrad Whitson and myself
beating Deeside Thistle, Aberdeen Wheelers, GS Corsa
and whoever was in existence at that time. There was also
one year I was grateful there was a second '100' as my
chain parted at 75 miles in the first one of the season so I
had to do the second (to get on the ADCA and Scottish
BAR). Changed days!!
Just thought you might like to know that. Cheers Bob”
Cyclefest sportive
Grampian Transport Museum Cyclefest
Sportive http://www.deeside.org/cyclefest.html
Saturday 26 May 2012
After last year's success the Cyclefest Sportive is back. The
event is run in conjunction with Grampian Transport
Museum, Alford, offering three distances, 25 miles,
100kms and 100 miles. With beautiful scenery and
challenging routes what better way to spend your
Saturday?
The routes are over some of Scotland’s highest passes
with spectacular views.
KING OF THE MOUNTAINS
Starting and finishing in Alford, in the foothills of the
Cairngorms, the 100 mile route will take riders over the
Suie, Cabrach, Lecht and Gairnsheil before returning via
Queen’s View and Cushnie.
The 100 km route also starts and finishes in Alford with
riders experiencing the second half of the 100 mile route.
APR Organiser found
Peter Clark has kindly stepped in to organise the Ythan
APR following the departure of John Hunter. Peter is
down to organise three of this years events for Ythan.
Page 8 of 25
The 25 mile event misses out the highest roads but is
equally scenic and also starts and finishes in Alford.
Billed as one of the toughest sportives (100 mile distance)
in the country it is worth doing if only for the breathtaking views.
The routes will be well signed with food stops along the
way. This is a non-profit event with any surplus income
being used for third world projects
(www.kidsaction.org.uk).
We welcome all entrants. For more information on the
available routes and how to enter; check out the Cyclefest
http://www.deeside.org/cyclefest.html
Aberdeenshire Sports Council. Colin also won an
achievement award at the Sports Council annual awards.
Sandy Lindsay
Ythan press releases
Norman in Oz
(Note from Ed – I didn’t write this – Thanks to everyone
who voted for me and for Malcolm who wrote the nice
stuff to the Sports Council)
Malcom Grant has taken on the role of Ythan CC Press
officer. He has already put in a few closed season reports.
Expect to see more over the coming months. If you have
something you would like to be put into the local
newspapers please contact Malcolm at:
[email protected]
Ythan Olympians
Holiday Snaps - Norman currently in Perth Oz
Photo of Norman having completed a 85km cycle in
30 degrees at the ripe old age of 76
Ronald Brown trophy.
We are very pleased to announce that Colin Allanach has
been awarded the Aberdeen District Trophy for 2011
called the "Ronald Brown Trophy". The trophy is awarded
annually to a member of any club affiliated to the District,
who, in the opinion of the Committee has made the most
effective contribution in the interest of cycling and cyclists
during the year. Colin received many nominations, and I
am sure you will all join with me in congratulating Colin;
it is well deserved, for all the work he does at the Club,
and for the setting up of the Youth/ Junior promotions at
our club and throughout the District and beyond.
This is the second consecutive year that an Ythan member
has been awarded the Trophy. Malcolm Grant was
awarded it in 2010 for the Grampian Grand Prix, and his
success in encouraging the Youth/ Juniors to participate in
that event.
Page 9 of 25
As Fiona , Lora and Neil gear up for the selection process
for the Olympics two ythanites will be making their mark
on the 2012 games. Yvonne Winter will be marshalling at
the cycling events while Junior member Blaire
McClymont has been chosen to be one of the Olympic
torch bearers.
Next Newsletter
If you have any suggestions for improving the
newsletter or have any articles for inclusion in the next
newsletter, due out at the start of January 2011, then
send
them
to
Colin
Allanach
–
[email protected]
2012 Ythan CC Kit
The proofs for the 2012 Ythan CC kit have come through. Once again Andy has come up with a cracking design. The
drawings below are for the short sleeve top, shorts and skinsuit.
We are ordering the kit from a company called Champion
Systems. Note Impsports will not be supplying this kit so do not
use their on-line ordering system and expect to get this kit.
We aim to get all orders out by the
end of APRIL so please place
your order for kit through Andy at
mailto:[email protected]
Please note no orders can be taken after the deadline so get your orders in quickly.
It will be at least six months before another order is placed with Champion.
All orders will have to be paid up front in April, no money, no order
http://champ-sys.co.uk/custom/cycling/size-chart
Check for your sizes on this link. NOTE - the sizing is very accurate and consistent.
Andy found the shorts leg grippers are quite nippy and tight, so allow for this if you have big thighs.
'Race Cut' jerseys are very short in the body and nippy under the arms but are a great snug fit. Just make sure you
choose your size wisely, as we can't have too many 'spares' in stock for mis-sizing.
There are quite a few people with the kit now so if you want to know sizes ask one of the guys and I’m sure they will
let you try a top on.
There is a reasonable mix of shapes and sizes amongst that lot, which may assist in your choices.
Have a look over the champion systems website
http://champ-sys.co.uk/ to see the full range of kit available.
Page 10 of 25
Ythan cc PRICE LIST 2012
Short Sleeve Jersey ** (3/4 or Full Zip) £39
Long Sleeve Jersey** (non fleece backed, short sleeve jersey fabric) (Full Zip) £47
(**Both Available in, ‘Club Cut’ – standard fit size, or ‘Race Cut’ – tight fit size)
Long Sleeve Jersey ‘Tech Fleece Jacket’ (fleece backed fabric, like previous IMPSPORT type) (Full Zip)
£63
Windstopper ‘Thermoshield’ Winter Jacket £87
‘Windguard’ Gilet £39
‘Windguard’ Wind (shell) Jacket £44
Fleece Bib Tights (no chamois) £71
Bibshorts (‘performance’ standard chamois) £50
Bibshorts (‘endurance’ thicker chamois) £58
Short Sleeve Skinsuit (‘performance’ standard chamois) £76
Short Sleeve Skinsuit (‘endurance’ thicker chamois) £83
Long Sleeve Skinsuit (‘performance’ standard chamois) £80
Long Sleeve Skinsuit (‘endurance’ thicker chamois) £87
Caps £8 each
Lycra Overshoes/Oversocks £16 per pair
OTHER GARMENTS AVAILABLE – PRICES ON REQUEST
A rear shot of the new Ythan kit as Andy heads of towards a hedge at the Presentation TT
Page 11 of 25
CYCLING IN THE 1950’S Part 2- by Graham Gerrard
Part 2.When I was 13, I asked my cousin who was a year younger than myself
and who lived in Peterhead, if he fancied a touring holiday round part of
Scotland staying at Youth Hostels. I put forward the idea to my parents, who
completely disapproved as we were too young. I nagged and nagged them, until
they eventually agreed provided we were prepared for it, all hostels prebooked, and we had bank accounts for our spending money. We joined the
Youth Hostel Association, got the obligatory cotton sleeping bag that hostellers
slept in under the blankets, and studied the youth hostel map of Scotland to
plan our route. The route we chose was Stoneywood – Fochabers – invernessLoch Ness- Loch Lochy- Glen Nevis- Oban- Killin- Crianlarich- PerthStoneywood.
We thought the route from Inverness to the Loch Ness Youth hostel was too short, so for day 4 we
extended the route, and went by Glen Moriston, and back to Invergarry by Loch Garry. This 34 mile
detour was over a single track up the Glen, and we saw very few vehicles, as few families had cars in the
mid-1950s. The following day was on to the Glen Nevis Youth Hostel, with time for a look around Fort
William, and an evening ride up the glen. The hostel had a lot of mountaineers staying there of course,
but we met with some cyclists who were going round Scotland in more or less the same route that we
were.
The following day was to Oban, but in those days there was not a road bridge, only a railway bridge at
Ballachulich. The road round Loch Leven was 16 miles, but some cyclists used the wooden pathway
running alongside the track on the bridge, to shorten the journey as there were few trains, and they went
very slowly across the bridge. We were good, of course, and went round the road. At Oban, we decided
to buy our Mums a small present. We managed to get very small ornamental coloured glass animals that
they wrapped for us. We managed to squeeze them into our bags, and in fact got them back home safely –
my Mum kept them all her life. For our evening meal we had been eating fish and chips from the chipper
if we were in a town, or tinned corned beef if we stayed at a remote hostel. In our travels round Oban we
came across a butchers, and there in the window we saw one our favourite foods – mealy puddings. We
went in to the butchers and bought them, but as we cycled to the hostel, we found out that neither of us
knew how to cook them. So, it was back to the butchers to get instructions.
From Oban it was quite a climb up to Crianlarich, and despite our energy meal of corned beef and mealy
puddings, we were pretty tired when we got to the Hostel. When we went to register with the Warden, he
had no booking for us, and he was fully booked for that evening. Then when we checked the booking
form we realised we had booked the next youth hostel for that evening instead, and would have to
continue our journey on to the Killin Youth Hostel, and come back the next night to Crianlarich. We were
even more tired by the time we had ridden the extra 14 miles to Killin.
The next day was lashing heavy rain continuously, with a very strong westerly wind, coming from the
Killin direction. We had to put on our Oilskins and get going. The oilskins were strapped on to the top of
the bag by two straps. Once you got them off, and unfolded, you pulled them
over your head, and did up the buttons at the neck. You then mounted the bike,
and put your thumbs into two loops that had been sewn into the cape. When you
sat on the bike with your hands on the handlebar hoods, the cape was over the
handlebars at the front, and just behind your bum on the saddle. There were two
problems with the cape, one was changing gear, as the lever was on the down
tube, and the other was paragliding if there was a cross wind. We really
struggled the 14 miles back to Killin, and arrived at lunch time. Hostels did not
officially open until 4.00, but the warden took pity on us and let us in. We had to
Page 12 of 25
put all the gear we had been wearing into the drying room.
On the next day the weather was fantastic, and it was a great downhill run to Perth, especially the descent
to Lochearnhead. At Perth we met up with some other cyclists that we had met at previous hostels, and
the following day a small group left the Perth Hostel heading North. All the others had disappeared to get
to their homes before we reached Aberdeen. We had a big welcome when we arrived at Stoneywood, and
I proudly presented my Mum with her present of glass animal that was still intact much to everyone’s
amazement.
Grand Tour No. 2.
We enjoyed the first tour, so a year later we planned another cycling/hostelling tour. We changed the rote
completely to cover the southern area of Scotland that we had not seen in the first tour. The route was
Stoneywood – Dundee – Loch Lomond – Troon – Peebles – Edinburgh – Dundee – Stoneywood.
It was the same arrangement as before with the rendezvous, and we set off on a beautiful sunny Saturday
for Dundee. The sun was shining, and there was quite a breeze, but it was really warm cycling. So we
decided to take advantage of the weather, and took our tops off to get a suntan. However, the sun and the
wind had been a lot stronger than we thought, and by evening in the Dundee Hostel we were itching on
our arms and backs. By the time we got to our bunk beds in the dormitory we were in agony. The Youth
Hostel cotton sleeping bag sheet was not designed for such a contingency. The youth hostel pillow fitted
into a pocket under the bottom sheet, and although the bag opened at one side, the other side was as one,
so you could not get the sheet and the blankets turned down and off the burned skin. It took ages, to
eventually get some sleep that night. Worse was to come at 4.00 that morning.
Graham Gerrard
26th December 2011.
Next. The rest of Grand Tour No.2 , Joining a cycle club in Aberdeen
Page 13 of 25
Aberdeen District 2012 Diary
It’s time to start planning those epic rides and working out a training schedule so you peak at just the right time. Please
note the most of the dates below are provisional and will be ratified over the next few months. Full year planner for the
district will be published in the near future- check websites for latest dates. Dates in Yellow are Ythan events. If you don’t
want to race then why not consider helping out?
o
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Page 14 of 25
1st April – DT 10 mile TT
15th April – Spring Bunny 25 mile TT
22nd April – Ythan Hilly 20 TT
5th May – Neish / Low 25 mile TT
13th May –Etape Caledonia
13th May - Scottish Nat 25m TT Westferry
20th May – Ythan APR
24th May – DT Road race – evening 1
26th May – Cycefest and Deeside Thistle sportive
27th May – Cyclefest Crit races and fun cycling day
2nd June – Cairngorm Sportive
3rd June – Fitnut 50 mile TT
10th June – ADCA Road race
10th June - Scottish Nat 50m TT Fife
17th June – Ian Brodie 10 mile TT
20th June – Massie Shield 25 mile TT
28th June AW Road race – Evening 2
1st July – Scottish Nat 25mTT Blairdrummond
8th July - Furneaux 100m TT
4th July – Old School TT
15th July – Great Inverurie Bike Ride
22nd July – Bob Souter 10 mile TT
26th July – GCRT Road race- evening 3
9th August – YCC Road race – evening 4
12th August – Coffee pot 50 mile TT
19th August – Glegg Trophy 25 mile TT
26th August – Ellon crit races
2nd September – 100 mile TT
15th September – Hill climb
16th September – 10 Mile TT
30th September – District TT championships
Page 15 of 25
A List of Don’ts for Women on Bicycles Circa 1895
by Maria Popova
“Don’t ask, ‘What do you think of my bloomers?’” We’ve already seen how the bicycle
emancipated women, but it wasn’t exactly a smooth ride. The following list of 41 don’ts for female cyclists was
published in 1895 in the newspaper New York World by an author of unknown gender. Equal parts amusing
and appalling, the list is the best (or worst, depending on you look at it) thing since the Victorian map of
woman’s heart.
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Don’t be a fright.
Don’t faint on the road.
Don’t wear a man’s cap.
Don’t wear tight garters.
Don’t forget your toolbag
Don’t attempt a “century.”
Don’t coast. It is dangerous.
Don’t boast of your long rides.
Don’t criticize people’s “legs.”
Don’t wear loud hued leggings.
Don’t cultivate a “bicycle face.”
Don’t refuse assistance up a hill.
Don’t wear clothes that don’t fit.
Don’t neglect a “light’s out” cry.
Don’t wear jewelry while on a tour.
Don’t race. Leave that to the scorchers.
Don’t wear laced boots. They are tiresome.
Don’t imagine everybody is looking at you.
Don’t go to church in your bicycle costume.
Don’t wear a garden party hat with bloomers.
Don’t contest the right of way with cable cars.
Don’t chew gum. Exercise your jaws in private.
Don’t wear white kid gloves. Silk is the thing.
Don’t ask, “What do you think of my bloomers?”
Don’t use bicycle slang. Leave that to the boys.
Don’t go out after dark without a male escort.
Don’t without a needle, thread and thimble.
Don’t try to have every article of your attire “match.”
Don’t let your golden hair be hanging down your back.
Don’t allow dear little Fido to accompany you
Don’t scratch a match on the seat of your bloomers.
Don’t discuss bloomers with every man you know.
Don’t appear in public until you have learned to ride well.
Don’t overdo things. Let cycling be a recreation, not a labor.
Don’t ignore the laws of the road because you are a woman.
Don’t try to ride in your brother’s clothes “to see how it feels.”
Don’t scream if you meet a cow. If she sees you first, she will run.
Don’t cultivate everything that is up to date because yon ride a wheel.
Don’t emulate your brother’s attitude if he rides parallel with the ground.
Don’t undertake a long ride if you are not confident of performing it easily.
Don’t appear to be up on “records” and “record smashing.” That is sporty
Page 16 of 25
Fa fa fa fashion – Ythan style
There is no accounting for taste, and Ythan kits through the years have not
exactly been slaves to fashion. As you already know this is our 25th
anniversary year so it’s a good time to take a nostalgic look at what Ythanites
have been made to wear for the sake of club over the years. The club was set
up in 1987 and began racing in 1988. A racing kit was required and using
various design consultants a “gold” top with a black Y (to represent the Y in
Ythan) was decided on.
It wasn’t long before the black Y became a brownish Y after a few washes. It
appears that this kit is now extinct and no examples of it are left in distribution
as all members seem to have consigned these to be used as dusters or chain
cleaners.
In 1990 the club decided to revamp the kit and settled on a light blue top with a yellow luminous patch
and a pink stripe. The thoughts at the time were that it was a nice bright design and the yellow patch
would help motorists see the cyclists. Unfortunately the yellow patch was on
the left hand side which would always be closest to the pavement while
cycling – at least when cycling in the UK. It would be OK for the continent
The other issue with this kit was the shoulders. The way the kit was produced
meant that the shoulders were always sticking up, making the cyclist look like
an extra from Thunderbirds! Time for another change.
In 1995 the club decide to flirt with some kit
sponsorship. The New Inn was approached and
a sum agreed for an initial two year
sponsorship deal. A new kit was designed
using a darker blue and there was an attempt to use the same yellow with
pink band but have a “fade” effect. When the kits actually arrived the pink
band had now turned into a red, pink, orange, purple band with little spots
all over it. It must be said that this kit polarised the club – you either loved
it or hated it. In the end the sponsorship deal ended after two years and the
cash raised from having the sponsor only really covered the cost of set up of the
kit and gave members a £10 discount on their first top. So in 1997 the kit was
revised to drop the New Inn logo. This kit remained in place until 2006 and was
supplied by TAL (now Endura). In recent years I have heard of people who left
the club rather than race in these colours. A bit extreme but as mentioned
before, you either loved it or hated it.
By 2006 the number of people who hated it had risen
considerably. Andy Duncan took on the task of
designing a new kit. A number of designs were submitted to a vote by the
membership. A blue kit with black panelling was voted for as the most popular
option and Impsport were chosen as the suppliers. This
kit has proven to be very popular and has been
modified a few times to update and “freshen up” the
design.
So for racing, the kit has changed very little since 2006. To keep the
membership satiated with their requirements for new kit, Andy has also
designed a few one off limited edition kits that can be used for social rides and
Page 17 of 25
for non BC races. The first one was introduced in 2009. This kit was a white version of the existing kit
replacing the blue main body with white. This was the first of the kits known affectionately as the “Ythan
away kit”
In 2010 the blue kit was updated slightly with
to help give the kit a slimmer look. The YCC
the top and the website address was
white side panels introduced
logo added to the sleeves of
incorporated into the design.
Impsports had been the suppliers for this kit
and an on-line ordering
system where members could order individual
items (at a premium cost)
was seen as one of the benefits of using
Impsport. It meant the club
didn’t have to carry a stock of kit. However,
quality issues including
varying kit sizing, quality of chamois and
differing shades of the
Ythan blue, dogged these kits from Impsport.
In 2011 Impsport increased
the size of their logo and turned it red without informing the club. To many members this was the last
straw and an alternative supplier was sought.
In 2011 the limited edition “away” kit took a professional view on design, with logos of well known
cycling equipment suppliers adorning the kit. As a bit of fun the slogan “Ythan as in python” was
included as a nod to the fact that
many outside the North East of
Scotland don’t know how to
pronounce Ythan. It was decided to
try a new supplier for the kit as the
club was well and truly fed up with
the service from Impsport. Champion
systems were chosen as this kit
supplier.
This kit seems to be good quality,
the sizing appears to be accurate and
so it was decided to use Champion for the official kit.
As mentioned, 2012 is the club’s 25th anniversary and Andy has designed a new kit. At the end of
November 2011 the designs of the new kit were shown to the committee, and with a few minor tweaks
the new design was sent off to Champion systems to be converted into working drawings. The new design
incorporates the Ythan QL logo and the 25th anniversary logo. The kit colours haven’t changed
significantly so it is still OK to use the old Impsport kit. We have just received the first batch of the new
kit and so far everyone is delighted with it.
Page 18 of 25
A ‘Rough Guide’ to getting into Youth Racing.
This document is an introduction to racing and we hope you feel that you’d like to have a go!
Youth circuit races are clear of traffic and are a good way of introducing yourself to the art of
road racing in safer conditions. The organisation of these events is very good under British
Cycling guidance. They are fun and exciting events run by cycling clubs themselves.
If you would like to enter a circuit race, it is simple to do, but the first time can be confusing; so here’s a quick guide:
Find out which events you’d like to enter. These listed below with dates, locations and anything special to note about the event
are just the Ythan CC organised events but there are races all over Scotland and the UK if you’re really keen.
Work out which age category you fall into by looking at the table below. It is based on your age on the First of January of the
year of the event, so if you are 10 or 11 you are in the U12 category, if you are 12, 13 you are U14 etc.
Category
Youth A
Youth B
Youth C
Youth D
Youth E
Age group
Under 16
Under 14
Under 12
Under 10
Under 8
Born in
1996 or 1997
1998 or 1999
2000 or 2001
2002 or 2003
2004 or later
If you want to race regularly you can get British Cycling membership and a Race Licence. Because Ythan QL is Go-Ride
club, Silver membership to British Cycling is free for the first year and you get a free pack of cycling goodies! Please view the
information at the British Cycling website http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/membership/article/mem-thehub. You can also
join by calling the British Cycling membership team on 0161 274 2010.Alternatively ask Colin, Claire or Carol for a BC
membership form if you are a new member to BC.
If you think that you may only try out one or two events then you can get a day licence you will also need to fill out a parental
consent form for each race meeting. A day licence costs £1.50 for non members of BC.
Gear restrictions
Young riders have not yet fully developed their muscular-skeletal strength and 'pushing' too high a gear can cause problems
with development of the body. The main purpose of the youth gear restriction is to help the young rider develop a good pedal
cadence and to avoid injury. For these reasons British Cycling has rules about the gearing on Youth bikes which must be
followed in competition, in training at a regional school of racing and preferably at club level.
The gear restrictions are:
Category
Gear Road and track
YOUTH A
YOUTH B
YOUTH C
YOUTH D
YOUTH E
6.93 metres
6.45 metres
6.05 metres
5.40 metres
5.10 metres.
What this basically means is the distance travelled in metres per crank revolution. If you are serious about racing you may
wish to buy the right gears for your bike instead of blocking off gears. That way you will be able to use all the gears on your
bike instead of having ones you cannot use. To restrict your gears you can 'lock out' the rear dérailleur by using the limit screw
so you cannot change into the 13/12 or you can have a junior cassette made up that has a 14t sprocket as the smallest tooth. As
always, if you are a club member, speak to a coach for advice and help with this. Having the wrong gearing may lead to
disqualification, so it's worth getting your bike set up correctly.
Page 19 of 25
There are loads of combinations of gears that will get the right roll out above but here’s a table to help you chose what gears to
use.
Standard Sprint Rim with normal road tubular
tyre
SPROCKET SIZE
Chain
Ring
Size
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
6.94
6.41
5.95
5.55
5.21
4.90
4.63
4.38
4.16
3.97
3.79
3.62
3.47
3.33
3.20
7.12
6.57
6.10
5.69
5.34
5.02
4.75
4.50
4.27
4.07
3.88
3.71
3.56
3.42
3.29
7.30
6.74
6.25
5.84
5.47
5.15
4.86
4.61
4.38
4.17
3.98
3.81
3.65
3.50
3.37
7.47
6.90
6.41
5.98
5.61
5.28
4.98
4.72
4.48
4.27
4.08
3.90
3.74
3.59
3.45
7.65
7.06
6.56
6.12
5.74
5.40
5.10
4.83
4.59
4.37
4.17
3.99
3.83
3.67
3.53
7.83
7.23
6.71
6.26
5.87
5.53
5.22
4.95
4.70
4.47
4.27
4.09
3.92
3.76
3.61
8.01
7.39
6.86
6.41
6.01
5.65
5.34
5.06
4.80
4.58
4.37
4.18
4.00
3.84
3.70
8.19
7.56
7.02
6.55
6.14
5.78
5.46
5.17
4.91
4.68
4.47
4.27
4.09
3.93
3.78
8.36
7.72
7.17
6.69
6.27
5.90
5.58
5.28
5.02
4.78
4.56
4.36
4.18
4.01
3.86
8.54
7.89
7.32
6.83
6.41
6.03
5.69
5.40
5.13
4.88
4.66
4.46
4.27
4.10
3.94
8.72
8.05
7.47
6.98
6.54
6.16
5.81
5.51
5.23
4.98
4.76
4.55
4.36
4.19
4.02
8.90
8.21
7.63
7.12
6.67
6.28
5.93
5.62
5.34
5.08
4.85
4.64
4.45
4.27
4.11
9.08
8.38
7.78
7.26
6.81
6.41
6.05
5.73
5.45
5.19
4.95
4.74
4.54
4.36
4.19
9.25
8.54
7.93
7.40
6.94
6.53
6.17
5.84
5.55
5.29
5.05
4.83
4.63
4.44
4.27
9.43
8.71
8.08
7.55
7.07
6.66
6.29
5.96
5.66
5.39
5.14
4.92
4.72
4.53
4.35
9.61
8.87
8.24
7.69
7.21
6.78
6.41
6.07
5.77
5.49
5.24
5.01
4.80
4.61
4.44
9.79
9.03
8.39
7.83
7.34
6.91
6.53
6.18
5.87
5.59
5.34
5.11
4.89
4.70
4.52
9.97
9.20
8.54
7.97
7.47
7.03
6.64
6.29
5.98
5.69
5.44
5.20
4.98
4.78
4.60
If you want practical advice about gears just ask Karl at any training session or through the Forum and he’ll gladly advise.
We’ve plenty of experience in Youth A, B and C gearing, how to do roll –outs and where to buy kit from and how to change
gears over.
Entering races
Most youth races can be entered on the day (known as entering on the line). However some are pre entry only via a form that
can be downloaded from BC website. The details of closing dates etc can be found via the event calendar at the BC website.
Races usually have an entry fee (as well as of the race Day Licence if you don’t have a full Licence). Fees are usually around
£5.00 per entrant. This is to ensure that you are properly registered and insured for the event.
Before the race make sure your bike is working well, it’s not a great idea to ride a new bike at a race, use one you are familiar
with. Same goes for shoes/pedals/bars, etc… keep it simple. You can wear any outfit you like but it must not have a
political sign or badge in it and it must be clean and tidy.

On the day, pack:
 Food (Try to eat no later than 1.5-2 hours before your race starts)
 Drinks
 Change of clothing
 Umbrella
 Coat/jacket
 Blanket or chairs for you and your supporters to sit on!
 Cash
 Racing licence (if you have one)
 Bike
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



Helmet (you can’t race without one)
Gloves
Shoes
Spare inner tubes
Arriving at the Race
There are a number of things you need to do on arrival, and the first time it can be a bit
complicated…
• On arrival at the event you will need to sign-on. This is often by the track under a gazebo or in a vehicle or local building,
ask any race official and they’ll point you in the right direction. There may be signs pointing you in the right direction anyway.
• When you sign on you will need to enter your details on the correct sheet for your age group also you’ll probably have to pay
to enter, and you’ll receive a race number which is to be
pinned to the back of your jersey. If you are a Cycling Club member, you specify this on the entry sheet with the name of the
club.
• The details you need to enter are:
 Name
 Address
 Signature (yours or your parent/guardian)
 Whether you are using your racing licence or a day licence
• You may also pay for a day license if you don’t have a valid BC racing license. This is to ensure that you are properly
registered and insured for the event. If you do have a license the organisers will retain your license until after the race, don’t
forget to collect it when you return your number.
• The signing on officials will check your license, or get your parent/guardian to fill out a Parental Consent Form and will take
your cash, then issue the number that you signed against on the sheet.
• When you pin on your number make sure that it the one you signed on for (numbers can get
swapped if you are in a group), that it is pinned on using 4 safety pins at the base of your back over the pockets on your cycling
top. There may be a jersey hung up at sign-on showing any special arrangements (for example if there is a video finish set up,
you may need to wear a smaller number on one shoulder as well). Ask another rider or marshal to check the position if you are
not sure.
• The next thing to do is have your gearing checked. ( Sometimes called ‘roll-out’.) This is usually done before you start, it
may even be done before you are allowed to sign on (they’ll give you a ticket to show you’ve been checked) and sometime
competitors are re-checked after the race. Ask a coach to look at your bike if you’re not sure about this, as the gearing is very
important whilst training as well.
• If you’ve arrived early enough there will be time to ride the course. Have a look for any maps for your age group, as they
may differ, or there may be different numbers of laps or time for each age group. It is definitely worth riding round if you have
time!
• Make sure you know where the start line for your race is and when your race will begin. Listen for announcements about the
next race and keep an eye on the Starters, they will call the next group forward.
• Make sure you are hydrated (drink plenty leading up to the race), and go to the loo before
racing…
• When your race is called, gather near the start and follow the guidance of the marshals/start line coordinator, the previous
race will most likely be still going, so stay clear of the circuit and any exits as directed by the marshals.
• If it’s a cool/wet day (cycle racing is a year-round sport) it’s a good idea to keep warm by wearing your jacket/coat until just
before going to the start line. A parent or coach can come with you to the start, but must not assist you on the course once the
race has started.
• Once the race has started, just enjoy it! The line judges will let you know how many laps to go and when you’ve finished.
Listen to their instructions.
• When it’s finished, gather where instructed until the marshals take you safely off the course and then enjoy the
congratulations of your proud family and fellow riders!
• If you’re still not sure whether you could do a race, just speak with your coaches or another QL member there are lots who
have raced and some in International Races too. There will be loads of familiar faces and support there. Everyone started
somewhere, so just ask and you’ll get help.
Moving on from your First Experiences
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If you are keen on cycle racing and want to do more especially regionally and Nationally then you really need to think about
getting yourself an Ythan Kit. Racing for a club will mean racing in club kit. If you are racing over a few days than the same
kit needs to be worn, so you will need a couple of kits or to wash out daily.
This year we have designed a 25 year Anniversary kit and they can be ordered via our kit guru Andy Duncan.
We are ordering the kit from a company called Champion Systems. Note Impsports will not be supplying this kit so do not use
their on-line ordering system and expect to get this kit.
We aim to get all orders out by the end of January so please place your order for kit through Andy at:
[email protected]
Please note no orders can be taken after the deadline so get your orders in quickly. It will be at least six months before another
order is placed with Champion.
All orders will have to be paid up front, no money, no order.
Sizing http://champ-sys.co.uk/custom/cycling/size-chart
Check for your sizes on this link. NOTE - the sizing is very accurate and consistent. Andy found the shorts leg grippers are
quite nippy and tight, so allow for this if you have big thighs.
'Race Cut' jerseys are very short in the body and nippy under the arms but are a great snug fit. Make sure you choose your size
wisely. Have a look over the champion systems website http://champ-sys.co.uk/ to see the full range of kit available.
Look out for pricing and more details on the Ythan forum at http://www.ythancc.org.uk/phpBB3/viewforum.php?f=9
If you miss this deadline or can’t wait until the next order date then you can still order the old style kit from Impsport. You can
but individual club garments direct, but will be the old style.
Follow the link:
http://www.impsport.com/myclubshop.asp
and then use the password: YtHan1092 to access the Ythan Club Shop on IMPSPORT.
Time Trials
Each year the Ythan confined time trial series starts in mid April and then every second week until early September. The sign
on starts at 18:15 with the first riders setting off at 18:30. You may want to get there early to get a good warm up unless you
are riding into Ellon.
The 10 mile course starts at the Esslemont Circle Co-op and goes out to ½ mile past the Haddo House entrance and back to
Ellon. A handicap system ensures that everyone is “equal” and there are points for those that improve from last season and
throughout this season.
You have to be a club member to take part, we allow one or two taster sessions but after that to take part in a confined (club
only) time trial you must be an Ythan CC or QL member.
There is no age restriction and younger riders may be chaperoned by older club members or family. Club members who
chaperone will also be awarded points for the series. There are trophies to be won for the series too with overall series winner
and best under 16.
There are many open tine trials within Aberdeenshire and Scotland too and you can enter any of these, see the events calendar
on the British Cycling website.
I hope that this will be a good starting point for your cycling experiences but please feel free to ask any club official or ask for
help on the forum.
http://www.ythancc.org.uk/
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Some Ythan news items from the papers in recent months
The item below appeared in the local papers and on the SU website.
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You have to laugh at the caption The Ellon times put on the picture of this article in their 29th March edition:
54th place – impressive LOL
In the same Edition the Ellon Times also ran this:
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