Bringing home the Bacon

Puncture at 4 miles - £4.99
Puncture at 29 miles - £4.99
Two inner tubes given to stranded cyclists - £9.88
Ridicule faced at being last up The Devils Chimney - £12 round of drinks
Full English Breakfast by a roaring fire - Priceless
There are some things that money cant buy
But for everything else there are pounds shillings and pence.


Although the weather is still too cold for most people not to be able to turn off their TVs and venture out, the weather has been good for cycling.
Dry with light winds.
So as long as you are wrapped up well there are some miles to be had and I have been trying to get them in.
This Saturday saw the Anglo Mules have their first training ride of the year and it was democratically decided that we should have a challenging climbing route to sort out the Christmas puddings from the salad bowls.
My singular vote was as useful as voting Liberal democrat
I certainly came in the Christmas pudding category having to bully my burden up every incline.
This endeavour caused much merriment with my fellow salad bowls who seemingly had the ability to pedal, laugh and make up fattest jokes - all at the same time.
I was just shattered.
Whether it was the pull of gravity or the fact that I had already cycled the previous 5 days I don't know, but my legs and lungs were fighting to have their say on proceedings.

I had the presence of mind to not raise the issue of my previous weeks toils.
To do so would have been futile and only encourage more ridicule.

At one point it was humorously pointed out that it was in fact a 'good thing' that I had not brought along my Heart Rate Monitor.
The general consensus was that the readings alone could have caused my old ticker to stop.

To make matters worse I got two punctures.
Last year I had none.
In the summer you can almost get away without having tyre leavers. In the winter you need a full wheel brace !!!! applied with glove less hands.
By the time you have finished your hands make perfect beer coolers.

The second puncture came after we had assisted some cyclist up in the wolds who had multiple punctures and had run out of inner tubes. He and his partner were given two of ours.

The net result of this was that my second puncture (Thankfully a slow one) could not be remedied directly.
It meant that every half a mile I had to stop and pump my tyre up.
I had to chuckle to myself as I thought of Johan Bruyneel jumping out of his Radio Shack car and inflating the teams tyres as they rode in the Tour de France.

Despite the Ridicule, the sweat the exhaustion, and despite the mechanical it all seemed incidental when we had our post ride breakfast with some important hydration.
The fact that I had broken through 400 miles for the month of January in our coldest winter also warmed my spirits.

Beer and Toast................................................Why not I ask you ?????

I did not count these calories so don't snitch on me !!!!!

In the bleak mid winter

This time last year I had already completed 500 miles since Christmas day.
This year its a big fat ZERO !!!!!!!

Its not that I don't like cycling in the cold, I just prefer the upright position rather than the ditch, kerb, on coming traffic or snow drift.
All across the UK there must be lots of us annoying the Hell out of family,wives and partners.

Some pubs have recognised this fact

I have just been auditioning for Dr Zhivago and getting FAT

And watching others enjoy the whiteness

There is always next weekend..............

East Yorkshire Classic- National Circuit Race Championship

This weekend I was due to join my best friend Colin and his Fenland Ferrets completing in the London to Cambridge bike ride. Unfortunately he lost his mother this week after an 8 year battle with Cancer, so riding an event was the last thing on our minds. Having lost my own father in the same way, my heart goes out to him.

Instead of travelling down to Cambridge this evening, I decided to swap the televised Tour de France to viewing real life cycling in the form of the next stage of the National Circuit Race Championship being held in my own town of Beverley.

The East Yorkshire Classic weekend of racing once again comes to Beverley incorporating The National Circuit Race Championship this evening, The Big G Cyclosportive tomorrow and The East Yorkshire Classic Premier Calendar Race on Sunday.

Unfortunately entries are closed now for the Big G sportive so I will head out to the North Yorkshire Moors tomorrow for my own cycle challenge.

The evening race is a short circuit around Beverley's Town centre including a traditional cobbled section. Its fast and furious and includes some of the countries premier riders including Olympic Gold Medalist Ed Clancy. They race for 70 minutes and then complete a further five laps.
(Left out in the rain)
For those interested in the history of this event I enclose an extract from the race programme.

In 1942 the British League of racing cyclists was formed in order to promote road racing on the open roads. This caused furore amongst the traditionalists.
In Hull in 1951 a group of ‘right minded rebels’ formed Kingston Coureurs a club affiliated to ‘The League’. This caused a stir in the city’s cycling scene and many other clubs refused to speak to Coureurs club members who were considered as traitors, whose actions would kill off cycling.
Kingston Coureurs organised three road races in 1952 – The Swanland Dale RR (which was the first RR to be organised in East Yorkshire) The Butlins RR at Filey and the Danesdyke at Flamborough.
Two members Maurice and Dennis Hunter suggested the club run a 2-day event in 1953, but the committee refused. Not deterred by this they decided to leave and form their own club to run the event.
Jon Clay 1st Pro-Cam Classic 2 day 1997John Tanner 2nd, Wayne Randall 3rd.
So it was, in the winter of 1952 the brothers Hunter and a few other members along with two from Hull Thursday Road Club formed the Alpha Road Club.
At that time a years notice had to be given to run events so none were organised in 1953 however, the following year Alpha Road Club promoted two single day races;- the Tour of the Wolds and the Circuit of the Caves, both with great success.
In 1955 the two events took place again and Maurice Hunter saw his brainchild,- a 2-day road race come to life. Ably assisted by younger brother Dennis, they organised the first Alpha RC 2-day as well.

The event saw a full field with many local riders. Starting in Beverley and taking in a very testing course via Wetwang, Fimber, Malton, Pickering, Rosedale moor, Castleton, and Danby and finished just North of Whitby. Barry Trotter broke away around Danby and finished alone.
On the second day the course took the riders over the North Yorks Moors, taking in Blue bank (1 in 4) Devils Elbow at Saltersgate, Pickering, Seamer, Staxton (1in6), Foxholes, Octon, Sledmere, Wetwang and finished North of Beverley.
During the race a group broke clear including race leader Barry Trotter and, lying 6th Stan Harrison of Kingston Phoenix. Unfortunately Barry punctured, but a very sporting gesture from Stan who gave Barry a wheel saw him on his way, and enabled him to take overall victory in the first Alpha RC 2 day 1955. The event was run on a shoestring, but broke even. It was a great success despite Maurice losing his brother Dennis and two other members on whom he was relying to national service. People as they are today were press ganged into assisting. Stan Harrison’s father supplied his motorbike and with Trevor Wilkinson riding pillion, they laid out the route marking and prime flags.
In 1964 Hull Thursday Road Club took over the organisation of the event, now known as the White Rose GP. The event included Thursdays’ own Bill Holmes, Winner of the 1961 Tour of Britain and Olympic Silver Medallist.
Over the following years many riders who took part were to become the mainstay of the professional cycling scene in the 70’s and 80’s, including Sid Barras, Doug Dailey, and Keith Lambert.

In 1971 the event attracted outside sponsorship from the Zerny dry-cleaning company, a partnership, which lasted until 1976. The route was also changed to an out and back run to Scarborough including the climb of Hackness hairpins.

In 1971 the event saw a field of 60 riders at a time when any field over 40 required government dispensation; this marked the event as one of the highest quality events in the country.
The quality of the ‘Zerny 2-Day’ saw it receive extensive coverage in editorials such as ‘International Cycle Sport’ and in 1976 the race was used as an Olympic selection event and saw the whole of the GB track and road teams taking part.
1977 heralded the arrival of new sponsors – Skeltons Bakery, a company who were to sponsor the event for 18 years until 1994. A new format was also adopted for the ‘Bread Race’, with the race concentrating on the challenging climbs to be found around Bishop Wilton and Garrowby in the Yorkshire Wolds. This race format gave the locals a chance to race on home roads. Notable performances by Mark Robinson of Hull Coureurs who took a stage win in 1983 after breaking away in the first of the 85 miles. Paul Peacock also took a stage in 1994, coming from a bunch sprint; the Cottingham Coureurs man got the better of riders such as Paul Curran, Wayne Randall, and the late Pete Longbottom.

In 1995 the word classic was used in the events name, as it became the ‘Lands Food Classic’ sponsored by Lands Food products until 1997.
In 1997 the event became the Pro-cam Classic.
In 1999 the East Riding of Yorkshire County Council became the events main sponsor and the event became known as the ‘East Riding of Yorkshire Classic’. Although always attracting top riders, from 1999 the starting line up once again began to resemble that of the Zerny era.
In 2000 and 2001 the race formed part of the Premier Calendar series and two top-level riders took the honours – Jon Clay (who took a bronze medal in the Olympic Games team pursuit) and John Tanner, national road race champion, competitor in the Sydney Olympic road race, and overall winner of the Premier Calendar series.
In 2002 after a run of 47 events the event was not held, as an organiser could not be found, to replace long time organiser and original event winner Barry Trotter who stepped down.
In 2002 Andy Cawley and Martin Cockerill decided (were talked into) becoming joint race directors to resurrect the event in 2003. (Watch where your going)

The East Riding Council agreed once again to support the event as main sponsor with a number of local companies offering support as event partners to assist with the budget.
With a dedicated team recruited and in place, the 2003 event became the ‘East Yorkshire Classic’ and was to be a single day event over a 96 mile course. Starting and finishing in Beverley it would be an out and back course with 3 laps of a 14-mile circuit and taking in some of the toughest climbs of the Yorkshire Wolds.
Police permission was granted for a maximum field of 120 riders and prizes for the event were in excess of £2000.2004 and 2005 saw the event included in the premier calendar series, with overall prize lists touching £3000.
After the event in 2005 and good run of three events for the new organisation team, application was submitted for the ‘East Yorkshire Classic’ to be the British National Road Race Championships in 2006.
For more information on the race history please view the full pdf document.

(Olympic Gold Medalist Mr Clancy MBE with a shirt to match his locks) For results and further pictures follow link RESULTS

Beverley and its beligerant Bovines

I have recently realised that since I have started blogging I have never featured my home town Beverley.

Beverley is a market town, civil parish and the county town of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, located between the River Hull and the Westwood.

The town is noted for its main feature the Beverley Minster and architecturally significant religious buildings, as well as the Beverley Racecourse and the market place; the town itself is around 1,300 years old.
The town was originally known as Inderawuda and was founded by Saint John of Beverley during the time of Angle kingdom Northumbria.

After a period of Viking control, it passed to the Saxons, a period during which it gained prominence in terms of religious importance in Great Britain.

It continued to grow especially under the Normans when its trading industry was first established.

A place of pilgrimage through the Middle Ages due to its founder, Beverley eventually became known as a noted wool-trading town.

Beverley was once the 10th largest town in England and among the richest, owing broadly to its connection with founding saint of the town John of Beverley.

However, following the English Reformation, Beverley's regional stature was reduced.
For twenty two years, Beverley was the administrative centre of the local government district of the Borough of Beverley, and is now the East Riding county town.

It is located 8 miles (13 km) north-west of Hull, 10 miles (16 km) east of Market Weighton and 12 miles (19 km) west of Hornsea.

According to the 2001 United Kingdom Census the total population of the urban area of Beverley was 29,110, of whom 17,549 live within the historic parish boundaries.

As well as its Racecourse and markets, Beverley is known in the modern day for hosting various music festivals throughout the year.

In 2007 Beverley was named as the best place to live in the United Kingdom in a study by the Royal Bank of Scotland.

Well that's the formal bit out of the way.

All of my cycling routes start from Beverley.

If you travel anywhere North-East through to South clockwise you cycle on relatively flat roads into the Holderness plain. (this is reserved for days with a hangover, or for fast riding).

From South to North East you are directly into the Yorkshire Wolds and then towards the North Yorkshire Moors. This is big hill country, and my usual route.

This starts with a steady climb over Beverley Westwood. It is a large area of pasture land that permits free grazing through an old anomoly in the law.
As such the roads are shared with cows and bulls, some of which have very big horns. These are nowhere as big as the protrusions belonging to the Texas Longhorn, but with a ton of beast behind them, they make potent weapons. I actually find all horned cattle a little intimidating, especially when I am wearing red.

If I was the neuritic type I would be sure that these four legged creatures have a spy close to my house. Maybe its just coincidence I dont know but as each time I set off up to the Westwood, they all appear by the roadside. Its a bit like crowds lining the route of Alpe de huez in the Tour de France.

Each time I cycle up or down Westwood they are seem fascinated by me and their apparent curiosity brings them up close and personal. So much so that I am able admire the grooves on their horns and look for remnants of ripped Lycra, or cyclist blood.

Their favorite trick seems to be reserved for when I come home.

Whilst cycling at 30 + mph down the steepest section they like to step out in front of me, and stop stationary in the road.If i move to the left, they do, to the right they follow too, like some prearranged choreographed dance sequence.

I wonder are they autograph hunting? believing me to be a cycling bull.

Others like to run along side me like Didi, Le Diable, in the Tour de France.

All in all it makes for some interesting riding.

This Saturday sees a visit from Paddy by twin brother who has been putting in some great fast riding on the Texas Plains. I am looking forward to reacquainting him with some proper hills to see if he can compete for the polka dot jersey.

Sundays blog may just feature some brotherly pain as well as brotherly love, either way I am certain there will be some frivolity