GENERAL MEETING
Enclosed is the Agenda for the General Meeting on 7th September at 19 Tower Street, Ipswich. Why don't you come along and have a say on the issues to be decided and have a cup and chat afterwards.

ICA LEAGUE
The season finished on 12th August with the conclusion of the six Wolsey run 10s on the Henley circuit.
Thank you to all members who helped at these in various capacities, some at all the events and another when they were available.
Despite our marshalling duties the club had five members competing in the series compiling a total of 14 rides. Of the 94 riders who competed in the competition which is run on a points basis Dave Higgins finished 24th and 6th in the 50+ age group with 9 counting rides, John Williamson was 54th with three rides, Olive Forsbrook 74th with two and Mark Hammond and Paul Martin 81st and 82nd from one ride. Full results are on the Wolsey website.

MEMBER'S NEWS
q On 9th August Mick Pepper joined several hundred riders at Glemham Hall, Suffolk to ride the 35 or 60 mile Bike Events " Suffolk Coast Bike Ride." Mick chose the 60 mile version which took a northerly clockwise course via Peasenhall, Wrentham, Southwold and Snape on a hot sunny day with very light wind.
q Of the choice of three distances available in the CTC Suffolk run Audaxes from Mildenhall on 29th August Colin Kindred and Mick were among the approximately 150 who rode the 108km (68mile) version. The course was a clockwise route SW from Mildenhall to the control at Acton with the longer hilly, second half going west to Clare before turning north to take in Stradishall and the notorious "wall of Dalham". The very strong west wind featured considerably in the ride making the second part particularly tough.

RACING NEWS
The season is now slowing down with our riders competing in nine events this month which netted three awards in TT's saw one Club record broken and uniquely, a Fastest of the Year equalled.

EASTERN COUNTIES CA 10 - (E2/10) - 8th AUGUST
Excellent conditions that all the riders had been waiting for materialized at Six Mile Bottom on the A11 and which produced a very even ride for the event reserved for the slowest entrants. John Coles led our contingent with 23.28 just four seconds short of his three year best but which was a new FotY by 29 seconds and gained him his VTTA std medal. Then followed a close packed group of Jim Stow 24.16, Barry Lee 24.32 and Ged Coles 24.49 taking six seconds of his PB. John Parkes missed out when he managed to knock off his prescription sunglasses on the slip road to the turn and retraced to retrieve them before recording 27.11.

ANGLIA VELO 10 - B10/3) - 9TH AUGUST
Conditions were not quite as good next morning further up the A11 at Attleborough as by then a NE breeze was getting up off the sea. John Tovell regained his spot as team leader when he narrowly missed a 25mph ride with 24.03 but which did win him the 70+ age group award. Mark Pearce was not far behind with 24.17 but was close pressed by John C 24.22 while brother Ged recorded 25.02 and Colin Clarke 27.44. Ted Saunderson riding his first event for several weeks after doing damage to his knee returned 25.50.

VTTA (EAST ANGLIAN GROUP) 10 - (E2/10) - 15TH AUGUST
A very strong afternoon wind on the A11 from Six Mile Bottom saw riders taking at least five minutes longer to reach the turn before a flying return which some completed in eight minutes. John P having a much better ride than a week ago returned 27.06 while Ged recorded 27.15, with this duo being 50% of the club entrants on the day.

SPOCO SC (SPOCO SE) 22.5 - (E18/6B) - 19TH AUGUST
Still on his quest for SPOCO points Colin C rode the Wednesday afternoon event on a four lap course from East Hanningfield in very hot and windy conditions and recorded 1.13.29.

TEAM SANJAN DESIGN 10 -(F2A/10) - 22ND AUGUST
A headwind to the turn on the A428 between Cambridge and St Neots did not appear to provide the expected tail wind back to Hardwick probably because of the long the drags on the course. Our duo of John C and John T returned 24.37 and 24.54 respectively.

SHAFTESBURY CC CRITS - 22ND AUGUST
John P tested the new Hog Hill circuit in the LVRC event which was included in the day of racing. However it was again bad luck for John because with a mile to go , being well placed and feeling good he punctured, but nevertheless achieved 12th place because some riders had been lapped.

LVRC CHAMP ROAD RACE - 23RD AUGUST
Ged travelled to Farnham, Hants to ride the National Championship Road Race, where riding in the 70 -74 age group in the five lap 42 mile event Ged suffered cramp during the last lap which caused him to stop and he eventually finished in 5th place in the age group.

CC BRECKLAND 10 - (B10/3) - 31ST AUGUST
A dull but quite warm morning with a wind that blew riders to the turn at Browick produced very good times generally and resulted in some smiling Club faces. John T was smiling with his 23.28 which broke his own Vet Std Club record by 8 seconds with a new plus of 8.47, won him 4th Vet on Std award in the event and equalled John C's FotY time. Bob Quarton followed with a season's best of 23.44 but the Club ride of the day belonged to John P, who having tweaked his new TT bike a bit more, recorded 23.59 to take a massive 1.49 off his PB. This is John's third PB at the distance this year and he has now improved by almost three minutes. Mark Pearce was close to 25mph with a SB of 24.02 followed by John C 24.04 and Ged 25.00 which gave him 6th Vet on Std award and Colin C 27.33 for a two year best.

FASTEST OF THE YEAR TO 31/8/2009
Men
10 John Coles 23.28 ECCA E2/10 8th August
John Tovell 23.28 CC Breckland B10/3 30th August

15 Jim Stow 37.42 EDCA B15/1 2nd July

25 Bob Quarton 59.46 Norwich ABC B25/4 5th July

30 John Tovell 1.23.23 Plomesgate CC B30/9R 13th June

50 Bob Quarton 2.1.29 Shaftesbury CC E2/50C 13th June

100 Bob Quarton 4.9.03 EDCA B100/4 21st June

Women
10 Maureen Nichols 30.17 VTTA F2D/10 30th May

15 Maureen Nichols 43.52(CR) EDCA B15/1 2nd July
25 Maureen Nichols 1.16.58 Wolsey RC B25/50 12th July

30 Maureen Nichols 1.40.23 Plomesgate CC B30/9R 13th June

50 Maureen Nichols 2.39.02 Godric CC B50/18 28th June

DIARY DATES

September
7th Wolsey RC General Meeting.7.30pm..19 Tower St, Ipswich. All members welcome to this open meeting,. Car parking at rear of the building. Refreshments & chat afterwards
20th "Essex 100" - 100 Miles - Chelmsford. - Action Medical Research
26th Shaftesbury CC " Golden Tints" Audaxes 200,160,100 and 50 km
Tim Stout - 01708641965
October
3rd CTC Suffolk " Suffolk Byways" 124km Audax. Blaxhall V.H. 0900
£3.50 Paul Fenton. 1 Tollgate Gardens, Capel St Mary, Ipswich IP9 2HB
Tel 01473 311222
3rd Norwich ABC 10 - Wolsey RC Ladies Trophy event.
11th CTC Suffolk "Roughstuff 25" Butley V H. Dave Dodds 01394 388851
25th Gt Yarmouth CC 50 Mile Reliability Trial - The Plough, Blundeston 0900
November
1st CC Sudbury - Open Hill Climb and District Championship incorporating the Wolsey RC Club Championship at Semer. 1100
14th "Norfolk Nips" 100km Audax, Colney Norwich. £4.00 0900
Keith Harrison 1 Heather Avenue, Hellesdon, Norwich. NR6 6LU
16th Wolsey RC AGM. 19 Tower Street 7.30 p.m

My first race ride.

This month (July) I join the small, but growing band of Wolsey R.C riders who can look back 50 years to the start of their first cycle race. This group now includes, President Olive, Newsletter Editor Mick, Don, Ged, Ted and John T. (If there are any others out there please put your hands up)
In 1959 I was 21 and fit, but not fast, (did I hear "nothing's changed much!") from riding into Ipswich from Felixstowe to work six days a week, plus lots of touring with the C.T.C. But now I was to compete against the riders who had their names in the newspapers and the cycling press, although it was only an evening club event.
Cycle racers and Time Trialists in particular, are avid keepers of records and I see that my first ride was a Suffolk Roads C.C. (sadly now long defunct) evening '10' starting, if my memory does not deceive me, near the Somersham turning on the Sproughton to Claydon road. The turn (in the road of course) was near the Needham Market sign, then retraced back to near the start. There was no A14 then!
I rode on my only machine (a black and light blue Holdsworth 'Cyclone') with the mudguards and saddlebag removed, which I then put back on afterwards to ride back home to Felixstowe. My first time was 26.30 (I wish I could get near that now!) I have no record of the winner, as mine was just a private trial and I knew very little of how such events were run and nothing at all of how to keep records. Therefore I just have a time, month and year and my memory. I had been persuaded to ride by Geoff Mercer, the owner of the 'Lightweight Shop' in Tacket Street, Ipswich, and the hub of all cycle racing in the area. Those who knew him, may be interested to know that he is still hail and hearty at 89 and living in Australia. He rang us last Christmas Day , while drinking tea in shorts on his veranda!
So, have I perhaps opened a few memories and started others to put down the
details about their first race ride? Come on, don't hide under the excuse of "'No one would be interested or I can't write"

Ken Nichols