Month: February 2010
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New – Monthly XC Ride Away
This is great news, thanks to the ride leader training and some momentum picking up from the weekly night riders the club will be offering a monthly XC ride away! This will me a permanent fixture in the club calendar and will be held in between the Ticker Tape & Dig Days each month. With loads of local and not so local trails and routes to explore we promise to keep things fresh.
Full details will be available on the website, via the news feed, Calendar and also the club Forum where you can discuss the ride or make travel arrangements etc.
Our first ride:
The Gap Route – Brecon Beacons
Distance: 40km
Total Ascent: 1100m
Duration: 5h +
Date: Sunday 21/03/2010
Meeting point: Talybont-on-Usk
Meeting Time: 10am for a 10:30 start(Parking is on the main road it can be busy, especially if the weather is nice!)
The ride is mainly on existing bridleways that cut through the Brecon Beacons. The highlight of the route is riding through the ‘Gap’ between Cribyn and Fan-y-Big at 599m
A route map can be found here: http://www.ridethequantocks.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/gap.pdf
And a description can be found here: http://www.mtb-wales.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=Subjects&file=index&req=viewpage&pageid=31
There is a café at about the halfway point, grid reference: SO055175
Notes:
Unlike trail centres, the tracks were not designed with mountain bikers in mind, and have to be shared with other users.
At some places on the route we will be many miles from civilisation, mobile phones can’t be relied upon.
The highest point on the route is exposed to the full extremes of weather.
• Ensure your bike is in good mechanical order
• Always ride within your ability
• Carry enough food and water for a full day
• Carry your own tools and spares
• Even if its sunny when you set off carry a waterproof and warm jersey
• A personal survival bag or blanket is recommended
• As is small backup lightThe ride is open to anyone over 18, members and non-members alike.
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Club Rules and Constitution
In light of a few recent misunderstandings we’ve made sure that the club rules and constitution are both clearly displayed on our website. So, if you haven’t already, please have a little read… it’s mostly common sense but as with any sports club both documents are important and must be adhered to. Thanks
https://www.blackcanoncollective.co.uk/about/rules-and-constitution/
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Warminster Wobble 2010
After the success of last years inaugural event the team behind the Warminster Wobble are thrilled to be able to offer another weekend of cycling fun.
With three organised rides and lots of attractions there should be something for everyone. Held over the 19th and 20th of June there’ll be a Mountain bike ride in the local woods led by experienced MTB guides, a Road ride down the beautiful Wylye valley and finally a Buggy ride for those with trailers and bike seats with a stop for a picnic.
Check out their website for full details: http://www.warminsterwobble.co.uk/
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Bike Radar Live
Dear Black Canon Collective
We would like to invite you to BikeRadar Live 2010 (see www.bikeradar.com/live). Now in our second year and at a new venue in Kent – we’d like to offer all of your members and colleagues 20% off event tickets.
Please ask your members to use promo code (see the forum for the code) to receive their 20% discount at www.bikeradar.com/live or by phoning 0871 230 1085 before the 28th February 2010.
We’ve got a fantastic array of attractions including cross country mountain bike challenges, Hot Laps for the speed demons, workshops, exhibitions… anyway – I’m sure you’ll acquaint yourself with our website for further info on what will be a fantastic summer weekend of cycling and fun.
Thanks,
Bike Radar Live
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TickerTape + Dig Day dates up now!
After a very hectic first two months for the committee we’re chuffed to be getting back into the swing of things with Dig Days and TickerTapes returning to their rightful places on the BCC events calendar. Check it out to see what’s going on and when… -
Stolen bike – keep an eye out and keep your ride safe
Could everyone please keep an eye out for Marjory’s Specialized Epic WSD which was stolen from her garage on Saturday night.The silver Epic ‘WSD’ is an unusual model and a ladies Medium size, it has a Fox / Specialized brain shock.
The drivetrain is complete XT and only a few months old with little use.
The wheels are early Hope Pro 2 hubs on black Mavic 717 rims with DT black DB spokes (very little use).
The forks are Rockshox Tora, these were the next item Marjory wanted to upgrade so not in as good condition as the rest of the bike.
If you’ve seen or been offered the bike or any of the bits please e mail simon.truelove@blackcanoncollective.co.uk. We will handle any information with complete discretion if needed. Please don’t try to e mail or PM Marjory at the moment as she’s still without internet access.
Here’s another picture from the Specialized website – please note Marjory’s had a completely different spec but the frame is identical.
Thanks for reading.
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The Extra Mile
As most of you will probably know a group of us from the club will be attending the Megavalanche in l’Alpe d’Huez, France this summer. This is a mass downhill race held high up in the Alps competing against hundreds of other riders – sounds like fun!
If that wasn’t enough I thought that it would be a fantastic opportunity to raise money for charity as well. The charity that I – and we as a club – have chosen to raise money for is Re~Cycle who ship unwanted, second-hand bicycles to Africa for the people there to use.
The reason I feel strongly about this is that the work that Re~Cycle does helps to empower people by providing them with transport that is low-cost and easy to maintain, and this gives them the chance to raise themselves out of poverty – all through something as simple as a bicycle.
It goes without saying that all of you reading this love your bikes (maybe a little bit too much!) and the sense of freedom that they can give us, so by competing in the Megavalanche we are using the thing that we get so much enjoyment from to give something back and make a difference to someone’s life. We get to use our bikes for fun but for some people what a bike actually means to them is the difference between spending half a day collecting water going by foot – or – a considerably reduced journey by two wheels. Or it can mean the difference between not going to school – or – being able to go and get an education with all the benefits that entails. I think you get the idea!
So how can you help? Well I have set up a JustGiving page, this is a really easy way to donate money to Re~Cycle and they give a 100% of the money to the charity plus Gift Aid. Please take the time to visit the page and make a donation.
http://www.justgiving.com/megavalanche2010
I’ve set the bar high with a target of £1000! However I think that you will all agree that this is a worthy cause and there should be no limit set on ambition. So dig deep, raid the piggy bank, look behind the sofa for those pounds and pence, make a donation and do something amazing!
Thank you for your support and generosity.
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3 welsh cakes
Saturday morning mini trip to Cwmcarn with Marjory, Andrew & I:
3 x “M” bike checks
Star jumps, a bit of marching drill, some route planning, diet advice, then a family medical history questionnaire.
2 x leisurely laps + 1 x extra lap of the skills area.
3 x punctures – (including a wicked pinch flat by Marjory the downhill diva !)
2 x ham, egg & chips
1 x faggots & peas
3 x welsh cakes – (Burp!)
Good times!
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12/12
Take 1 converted pottery barn in the heart of Wiltshire
Mix in 9 raw, and 3 half baked BCC members ,
add 2 CTC Trail Leader Trainers ,
some home-cooked cakes,
17 ltrs of lush tea / coffee,
14 bikes,
and oodles of mud.
Heat gently with a wood burner, and wait about 60 hrs.
That’s how we made 12 qualified MTB Trail Leaders.
Beans.
