1st Reliability Ride, club AGM and prize giving, Steve Pink sends this report from West Dorset.......
This Sunday saw the first reliability ride of the winter. Weather forgiving there should be 4 rides in total, one each month (Nov/Dec/Jan/Feb) gradually increasing in distance. The first was a gentle 50k taking in the three climbs of Hardy's monument, Goulds hill and the steady drag west out from Piddlehinton Church. 20+ riders turned up and headed straight into a rather 'stiff' headwind and were soon tackling the days biggest climb up and over Hardy's Monument. This first challenge forced the riders into a split and as the first group turn at Portesham, with a now healthy tailwind Chippers started pulling the bunch along at a near 30mph average all the way to the bottom of the next climb. Goulds hill came and went without much trouble (the tailwind was still helping!) and then everyone dropped past Martinstown Cricket club and stared the long flat stretch towards Tincleton. Taking us straight across the lowlands meant plenty of half peddling to try and avoid wet feet and with a good rhythm being set the lead group decided to ignore the planed route and added an extra 5 or so miles just for fun (either that or we all got lost!). Back on track and back into the headwind as everyone headed towards the Piddle valley the pace was starting to be felt in the legs, then the heavens opened with a healthy dose of 'sideways' rain and once the final climb had be negotiated fractures started to appear amongst the first bunch, although the likes of Greg can attribute this to getting himself tied in knots trying to put his waterproof jacket on. The route had one last surprise in store for us, just past the Sun Inn, just a couple of miles from home, the last 'puddle' in the road was too long and too deep and riders shoes were quickly filling up with freezing cold flood water and bottom brackets will need servicing soon! A little over 2 hours and the first riders made it back to the shop and were looking forward to some hot food.
Once everyone had made it back the group headed across the road for a well earned lunch (thanks to Bonjour for fantastic food and great service) and with stomachs again full it was on to the AGM and prizes.
A big thank you must go to our Chairman Stuart Carrington, firstly for keeping the formalities of the AGM as short and sweet as possible, but also for the hard work he has put in this year as our club goes from strength to strength. There were a number of awards recognising both Greg Parker and Paddy Dunn's course record breaking achievements this season (the 5, both 10's, the 25 and the hilly 18 all went) and a handful of club standards too, plus the important recognition of Andrew Preston's achievement of being the first CC Weymouth rider to complete the randonneur series and finish the national 24hr TT setting the first club record for the distance.
The main awards:
Club points champion: Greg Parker
Vets points champion: David Butt
Club Hillclimb champion: Ben Davis
Clubman of the year: Justin Oakley
Ubber randonneur: Andrew Preston
Most improved rider: Steven Pink
The records broken:
21:31 Paddy Dunn P451/10 Club course record
55:37 Paddy Dunn p451/25 All comers course record
42:51 Paddy Dunn P451/18 All comers course record
09:14 Greg Parker P451/5 Club course record
21:48 Greg Parker P459/10 Club course record
335.862 mls Andrew Preston Club record 24 hour TT
And a note to Bryce Dyer (VC St Raphael) who broke the all comers record for the P451/5 with 09:07
Keep up the winter miles and we will see you all again soon for the next RR (that could stand for Reliablity Ride or Road Race depending on who you are!)
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