Welcome to the forum
New Season Weekly Wednesday Evening Club 10s starting 1st May 2019
Our Club 10s commence again on Wednesday evenings starting 1st May 2019 for 18 weeks ending 28th August 2019.
As in previous years the trophies on offer (CCA first-claim members only) are as follows:
The course remains the same as last year’s competition, i.e. a circuit starting outside Guilden Morden on the Wrestlingworth-Guilden Morden road, into Guilden Morden and out on New Road through Shingay, left onto “Damnation Alley” just short of Wendy, left onto the B1042 at the “Toll Bar” and on until the Wrestlingworth cross roads, where left to the finish just short of Guilden Morden. In line with the current risk assessment, riders are required to stop, unclip and touch one foot to the ground within 2-5 metres of the junction onto the B1042 before proceeding at that point.
Anyone not adhering to this requirement will be disqualified with no time recorded. Repeat offenders are likely to get a season long ban.
All regular riders please take special note and make others aware.
A change to the course is under consideration for the 2020 season.
Anyone who rode last year will recall that it was sometimes a struggle to get sufficient helpers and we were left scrambling on some nights to put the race on. To avoid a repeat of this situation, regular Handicappers are strongly encouraged to help at least once, and preferably twice. To keep things fair, anyone helping out but wanting to compete in The Handicap will receive an average season’s points award for each week they help out. If you’re feeling sick or tired, used strategically, this can be a way to keep your points ticking over while takings a week off! Ride it, run it!
OK, enough with all the rules. Let’s get racing! Best of luck to everyone!
Questions? Please respond to this post or privately message (PM) Stuart F or Nunnster
Helper? Please sign up below on the linked Doodle poll. FOUR additional helpers required each week.
As in previous years the trophies on offer (CCA first-claim members only) are as follows:
Male, Female, Junior, Vets on standard (using VTTA standard times for 10 miles) - anyone born in 1978 or earlier is eligible (Best of minimum of 4 times to count); andSign on at the Guilden Morden Village Hall from approximately 6.15 p.m.; 7.01 p.m. first starter; ****NEW for 2019/20 season**** FREE to enter for adult and junior CCA Members; £4 for 2nd claim members; £5 non-members; £3 Juniors; £2 Junior 2nd claim members. In view of the change to free entry for CCA members, the previous rule of a free entry to the winner of the previous week's Handicap is no longer relevant for the 2019/20 season, for obvious reasons!
The Northfield Handicap (points-based comp)
The course remains the same as last year’s competition, i.e. a circuit starting outside Guilden Morden on the Wrestlingworth-Guilden Morden road, into Guilden Morden and out on New Road through Shingay, left onto “Damnation Alley” just short of Wendy, left onto the B1042 at the “Toll Bar” and on until the Wrestlingworth cross roads, where left to the finish just short of Guilden Morden. In line with the current risk assessment, riders are required to stop, unclip and touch one foot to the ground within 2-5 metres of the junction onto the B1042 before proceeding at that point.
Anyone not adhering to this requirement will be disqualified with no time recorded. Repeat offenders are likely to get a season long ban.
All regular riders please take special note and make others aware.
A change to the course is under consideration for the 2020 season.
Anyone who rode last year will recall that it was sometimes a struggle to get sufficient helpers and we were left scrambling on some nights to put the race on. To avoid a repeat of this situation, regular Handicappers are strongly encouraged to help at least once, and preferably twice. To keep things fair, anyone helping out but wanting to compete in The Handicap will receive an average season’s points award for each week they help out. If you’re feeling sick or tired, used strategically, this can be a way to keep your points ticking over while takings a week off! Ride it, run it!
OK, enough with all the rules. Let’s get racing! Best of luck to everyone!
Questions? Please respond to this post or privately message (PM) Stuart F or Nunnster
Helper? Please sign up below on the linked Doodle poll. FOUR additional helpers required each week.
Helpers
Comments
I'm not a CCA member but I live near the course and I'd heard you were looking for volunteers to help out.
I can add my name to the Doodle poll, but I'd just need to know when and where I need to be to help.
What time are helpers needed from?
Thanks
Simon
Delighted to hear you're both willing to help out. Assuming that you'll have your own mode of transport (either bicycle or car) it would be helpful to have you at the Guilden Morden village hall at 6.30 p.m. please. Then we can discuss and agree where to place you on the circuit and send you off.
The Gold Standard headcount to run the 10 is 5, which is 2 time keepers, 1 marshal at the start and someone at the tricky Toll Bar turn - where we have the foot down rule - and a pusher off. If we have enough numbers, additional marshals can be positioned at the Wrestlingworth crossroads turn, the turn into New Road at Guilden Morden and the turn into Damnation Alley near Wendy. But these are not essential, though very welcome to those riding the course for the first time!
If you take a look at the Doodle poll you'll see where we need more "bodies". Stuart F and I will be two of the necessary 5, though as the season continues, I'm sure that one or other of us would appreciate a week off to compete ourselves :-) So if you check the Forum and the Doodle poll you'll see where we need bodies. The first event of the season is Wednesday 1st May, so you'll see that we have two bodies already so would appreciate an extra one please.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Bertie
OK, I drove the course tonight to check it out. Here are a few pointers.
Best to ride with a rear light, especially if there is cloud cover.
There are no major issues at any of the turns. The abomination that was the surface at the Wrestlingworth turn is now as smooth as a baby's proverbial - reet nice! Do remember that the course risk assessment requires that you unclip and "foot down" at the Toll Bar turning before proceeding.
One thing for Newbies unfamiliar with the course: take care at the right-hand bend into Guilden Morden immediately after the start. It begins gradually, but then tightens and can catch you out if you're not careful. Best have a look at it at near race pace before the adrenaline kicks in and you experience what we all have at some time or other! :-)
New Road has a few more wrinkles and little fissures along the racing line than I remember and there is a fairly obvious collection of small pot holes about 1 mile from the New Road turn that have been marked out in yellow spray paint for later repair.
On Damnation Alley there is a shallow pot hole about half way up about the size of a large dinner plate. You probably won't have a problem even if you do roll through it - it might give you a jolt - but it could worsen over the season.
The B1042 as far as the rise at Tadlow is excellent, but from the foot of the climb to the top of the false flat, there is a series of poor road surface "furniture": a large crack, a few small pot holes and a short length of what looks like road surface that has shifted under a heavy load and left a wide rut with an edge where some of the surface is breaking up: take care!
From this range, the weather for our first race of the season looks coolish (14 degrees) with an Westerly breeze and a slight risk of a shower.
Game on! Look forward to seeing you next week.
If anyone is considering trying the TT but is unsure. Dont worry about it. You dont need a TT bike, you dont need aero bars or skin suit (although they will make you faster). Come down for 6:30, pay a few quid, warm up, get to the start line and give it your all for 10 miles. The fitness and time gains you make during the season are noticeable and you will enjoy it.
Im happy to help out and marshall when needed. Also happy to push off and go at the end.
There isnt much information on the main CCA website and events calendar with regards to Club 10. Might be worth adding something on there about start times, prices etc. Maybe get some photos this year to put on there. Got a nice site that doesnt get used.
I found the shoe and left it in the lobby area to the village hall. I'll Private Message you with some possibilities.
Confirming my report of poor quality road surface on the rise through Tadlow, the Cambridge County Council website is showing works in the week commencing Friday 14th June to Thursday 20th June on the Tadlow to Wreslingworth cross roads section of the B1042 road, with top dressing shown for a stretch further along the road nearer the Croydon Hill/Toll Bar turn of our course.
The link to the Cambridge County Council site is here, though you may have to change the settings to "3 months" to see further ahead than dates in May.
Obviously this is disappointing but unavoidable and we'll just have to see how it all plays out. With your safety uppermost, obviously chippings can be pretty tricky for grip; and punctures can be a problem too, so there may be a few weeks when the TT can't operate. We'll keep an eye on this and advise on cancellations etc. in due course. But why not think about doing the Inter Clubs instead if we can't ride our own course?!
And a pragmatic way of looking at it so far as the Season-long competitions is concerned is to get those times in! So we look forward to seeing you all for your FREE ride starting next week! :-)