BLAZINGSADDLES
THEHOUGHTONCCNEWSLETTER
News(January,February2017)
KnoxtoReturn?
ClubTrikerecordholderNoelKnoxisrumouredtobemakingacomebackfor
2017
Whenaskedaboutridingtheclubsopen10eventNoelsaiditwastoosoonbut
theclubevening10’swereapossibility
Club Runs
The new club run schedule kicks off on 5th March and continues throughout the
summer. There is a distinct shortage of Ride Leaders to allow us to deliver a full
programme. Club Run Secretary, Steve Roberts would like to hear from any
member who is willing to lead a ride, medium or long. Email Steve:
[email protected]
Paris Roubaix club run/party.
Social Secretary, Peter Reed is trying to finalise the list of members wanting to
attend the above on Sunday 9th April. A morning club run (optional) followed by a
Buffet Lunch at the rugby club, 1.00pm. with two screens showing the Paris
Roubaix cobbled classic live. Cost of buffet is £5.00pp, kids free. Email Peter on
[email protected] or book a place any Friday evening at the clubnight.
Mile Eater Competition.
The response has so far been underwhelming, with only 12 members taking part.
Surely we can do better, you can still submit January mileage and Februarys’ by
emailing [email protected]
Club kit orders
Eddie McGourley has placed a new order for club kit, which will be due for
delivery at the end of April, it will include some stock items as well as members
orders. Eddie has a limited amount of stock on hand in the way of jerseys, bib
tights and shorts and a gilet. Email Eddie : [email protected] or
see him at the club.
Open 10 mile time trial
Our opening TT of the year takes place on Sunday 23 April on the Bowburn
course. As this is an open event any members wishing to ride should enter via the
CTT on line entry system. https://www.cyclingtimetrials.org.uk/find-events .
Entries close Tuesday April 11th. If you have a query email organiser Steve
Homer, [email protected].
Steve also requires volunteers to marshal etc; so if you can help please let him
know.
Also if you are new to Time Trialling, there is a useful guide for beginners which
has a link from the “Events” page of the club website.
Club History
The club history, 1932-1987, has now been posted on the club website, with a link
on the home page, interesting reading.
Coaching Sessions
Coaching sessions will start again at Hetton on Tuesday 11th April. The last Turbo
session at Kepier Hall will be Wednesday 29th March.
Further dates for your diary.
May 7th Circuit races at Hetton
May 10th First event in Club 10m TT series
June 25th Open 25m TT Ponteland
July 23rd Open Reliability Trial, Lanchester/Killhope
October 8th Open Cyclo Cross , Hetton
October 15th Open Hill Climb, Quarrington Hill.
60Secondinterview
Name:DeaconHopps
Age?66
Palmares:(Placingsinfirstsix)
1968
3/JTouroftheReservoir5th
3/JNewcastleChevotRR5th
3/JHoughtonRR4th
3/JHoughtonRR5th
1970
1/2/3HoughtonBankHolRR5th
1/2/3Autumn2dayRRstage26th,overall8th.
1971
1/2/3TeessidedivisionalChampsRR6th
1/2/3BorderMilkRace,Scotland5th.
1/2/3VCStellaRRScotland,2nd
1/2/3HamsterleyRR5th.
1972
1/2/3QuarringtonHillRR6th
1/2/3TeessideDivisionalChamps4th.
1973
1/2/3KibblesworthRR,1st
1976
2/3/JPlevinCriterium,BrittanyFrance6th
2/3/JStHerninRR,BrittanyFrance,5th.
1977
2/3LazRRBrittanyFrance2nd
2/3TregourezRR,BrittanyFrance3rd
2/3PlevinCriterium,BrittanyFrance1st
2/3KergloffRR,BrittanyFrance,5th
2/3MeslanRR,BrittanyFrance,6th
1978
2/3GouarecRR,BrittanyFrance4th
2/3PlounevezelRR,BrittanyFrance4th
2/3PlevinCriterium,BrittanyFrance1st
HowlonghaveyoubeeninHCC/Howlongridingabike:17yearsinHCC,
cyclingsinceage4,joinedHCCwhenaged15.
Favouritebike/Bikeyou’dreallylike:Anycarbonfibrecyclocrossbike,asit
canbeusedanywheredependingontyres,eg;ridingupaTdFcolorpottering
onadisusedrailwaytrack.
Favouriterider:EstebanChaves,(Orica-Scott)
Favouritefood:Dairyfreefruitcrumble,followedbydarkchocolate.
Favouritedrink:Coldbeer.
Bestmomentonabike:Lappingthefieldin1978,towinPlevin,givinga
speechonthepodiumandflowersfromthebeautyqueen.Abriefmomentof
celebritystatus.
Worstmomentonthebike:Teesside4daystagerace,infirstyearasasenior,
mixingitwithsomeofGB’sbestriders.Wasstillatschoolandbarelystartedto
shave.15thoveralloutof60after3stagesovernorthyorksmoors.Onthelast
stage(flat)got‘bonk’10milesfromthefinishandlost30minsand10places
overall.Grovelledtothefinishwhereparentshadcometowatchforthefirst
time.
Favouritetrainingride:Outalongthenearbycanaltowpath,whereIlivein
Brittanyandbackviathedisusedrailwaytrack.
FavouriteCafé:Brittany,railwaymuseumcaféatGuiscriffandintheNorth
East,Hownesgillbunkhousecafé.
Whodidyouliketoridewithever:PeterChisman,whowasHCC’smost
accomplishedrider,whorodefortheGBteamintheTourdeFranceandwon
the1963TourofBritain(MilkRace)andastageintheTourdeL’Avenir
(amateurversionofTdF)aswellasmultipleotherraces.Healsorodeasa
professional.IwasresignedtohangingontohisbackwheelaslongasIcould.
ASailorandhisBike
KenRutherford
InmylastNewsLettercontributionItalkedabouttravelingbyrail
withabikewhilebasedinScotlandandahairraising
accommodationexperience.ThistimeIthoughtI'dwriteabouthow
lifewasasaRNracingcyclistbasedinthesouthofEngland.
Thefirstbigdifferenceaboutbeingbasedinthesouthwasyoufound
yourselfamongstotherNavy&Marinecyclists,whichmeantyou
couldtrain,raceandtraveltoeventsasateam.AsIhadsaidinthe
previousnewsletter,mostinter-serviceeventswereheldinthe
Midlandsandsoutherncounties.BeingbasedinPortsmouthmeant
everythingwasmuchcloserathand.So,inshort,theracingscene
wasmuchbetterandmoreorganised.
ThroughoutmostofmynavydaysIonlyeverhadonebike,there
neverbeingthespaceonashipforanymore.Ijokinglycalleditmy
'Number4Bike',asinforcommuting,fortouringandforracing.For
everythingreally.Irarelywentanywherewithoutit,consequently,
whenIwenthomeonleaveitcamewithme.
ThefirsttimeItraveledfromPortsmouthtoNewcastlebyrailwas
quiteaventure.TheSouthernRailsystemwasnormallyverybusy
aroundlunchtimeonFridays,whenweekendleavewouldbegin.The
firstpartwasprettystraightforward,asallSouthernRailtrainshada
goodsvanconnected.Allyouhadtodowaswheelyourbikeonto
thegoodsvanandsecureitwithinthecagedarea,findthenearest
seatintheadjoiningcarriageandoffyoujollywellgo.
OnreachingWaterloostation,there'stheslowprocessofuntangling
thebikefromalltheotherbikesandbitsandpiecesthathadbeen
addedtothegoodsvanatthevariousstopsalongtheway.Ionce
foundmybikewithanotherbikesecuredtoitwithabiglockand
chain!Theowneroftheotherbikewasveryapologetic,notrealising
whathehaddone.ItwasagoodjobIdidnotwanttoleavethetrain
beforereachingWaterloo,whichwouldhavebeenabitofa
problem.
SettingoutonabiketoridethroughthebusystreetsofLondonfor
thefirsttimewasabitofdauntingtask.IhadstudiedanAtoZroute
mapofLondonandknewthegeneraldirectiontohead.Basically,
crosstheThamesviaWaterlooBridge,turnright,thenlookforaleft
leadingontoKingsCrossRoad.MostofthetimeIgotitrightbut
thereweretheoddoccasionswhenIwouldgooffcourseendup
havingtocycleupabackallyinordertogetbackontrack.Ihavea
goodsenseofdirectionandwouldsomehowalwaysemergeonthe
rightroad.
OnthatfirstoccasionhavingreachedKingsCross,Ihadtoqueue
withmybikeinordertogetontotheplatform.WhilewaitingIwas
approachedbyaStationMaster,whotoldmethatIwouldnotbe
allowedonthetrainwiththebike.Ipleadedwithhim,explainingI
wasasailorgoinghomeonleaveafterbeingawayformonths(which
wasthetruth).HetookpityonmeandtoldmeifIcoveredmybike
withsomethingI'dbeallowedaccessontothetrain.BeforeIcould
askwhereI'dfindsomethingsuitable,hepointedtoacargoload
area,suggestingthatImightfindsomeemptycardboardboxes.
Therewereplentytochoosefrom.Iflattenedabigbox,getting
strangelooksfrompassingporters,asIjumpedandkickedthebox
intoshape.Oncedone,Iremovedthewheelsfrommybike,secured
themtoeithersideoftheframewithtoeclipstrapsandroughly
wrappedthebikeinthecardboard.Ipresentedmyselfwithbike,
nowdisguisedasbox,totheticketinspectorattheplatformgate,he
glancedattheStationMaster,whowasstandingcloseby,thenodof
approvalwasgivenandIwaswavedthrough.Thewholeexperience
couldhavebeentakenfromatelevisionsitcom.ButIrealisedhow
fortunateI'dbeenanddecideditwastoocloseforcomforttotry
again.
WhileonleaveImadeabikebagusingabigpieceofPVC,whichIcut
tosize,doubledoverandsewedupthetwosides.Iunpickedalong
zipfromanoldtentandstitcheditalongtheopentopofthebag.
Thebikeandbothwheelsfittedinsidethebagveryneatly.Ifinished
thejoboffbyattachingalengthofcarseatbelt,whichIusedas
carryingstrap.Thefinishedarticlefoldedupintoasmallrucksack.
ThejobwasagoodoneandIwasneverstoppedagainfrom
boardingatrainwithmybikeinthebag.
OvertheyearsIcycledacrossLondonmanytimes,duringwhichI
onlyhadacoupleofencounterswith
othercommuters.Onewhiletakingalongsweepingrightturn,ona
widebutbusysectionofroad.Aguyridingamopedcameuponthe
outsideofme.Welockedtogetherandwaltzedaroundthecorner
likewewerejoinedatthehip,beforebreakingawaywhentheroad
straightenedout.Ithinkitshookusbothupabit.Theother
incidentoccurredwhenthisgirlsteppedoutinfrontofme,Ihardly
hadtimetoreactandbumpedintoherwithmyfrontwheel.Ithink
shewasshockedmorethanhurt.Iapologisedtoherandshe
apologisedtome.Shewasaprettygirlandtheexchangeof
apologiescouldhavegoneonalotlonger...butIhadatraintocatch.
Itwasherfaultanyway.
AsIsaidinthebeginning,Iwenteverywherewithmybike.Maybe
nexttimeI'llwriteaboutbeingchasedbywildanimalsinKenya,or
dodgingtheblackholesofCalcutta.Imayevenrecallthebeautyof
cyclinginNewZealand?
CommitteeMattersJanuary2017
WearepursuingtheladiesonlyBreezeormixedleisurerides.
Wehavefinalisedourprogrammeofevents,cyclingandsocialfor
2017,seebeginningofNewsletterandpostedontheclubwebsite.
WeareaimingtorestarttheclubrunprogrammeinMarchandwill
belookingformorevolunteerrideleaderstosupportit.
Thereareadministrativeissueswiththewebsitedomainname
www.houghtoncc.comthatifwecannotresolve,wemayhaveto
changetoa.co.ukdomain.Update,thishasbeenresolvedandwe
willcontinuetousethe.comdomain.
Wearealsolookingtoseehowbesttokeepmembers informed,visa-visthecompetingmediumsofWebsiteandfacebook.
Update:AllHCCfacebookpostsarenowabletobeviewedby
clickingonthelink:“VIEWALLFACEBOOKPOSTS”atthebottomof
theHomePage,evenifyouarenotregisteredwithfacebook.
CarlHackles
Presssecretary
[email protected]