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No, the date is not 11th Jan this time, as I said in the original post it is yet to be fixed, and obviously this will have to be done very soon after Christmas.

I was not planning to use Hippy's suggested route, although that is more or less what we did in 1959. What I had in mind was something like this. Hampton, Staines, Chobham, Hogs Back, Hindhead - we have a good route on back roads for this part. From Hindhead to Petersfield I have to recce the route to make allowance for whatever roadworks there may be.
Return by A325 and A30 (because there are street lights after Camberley). We may have to vary this because of weather conditions on the day: e.g. ice on the lanes early in the day.
I don't think it's going to be possible to make an absolute commitment to one particular day, because none of us are going to do this in heavy rain or snow. I think the best way to deal with this is to name one day as a first preference, and then pick some back up dates in case the first day is impossible weatherwise. In 1959 we had tried to go the previous Sunday, but it was so icy we all fell off several times before we gave up; now we are slightly more sensible. Not very much more though.

I think the best way of dealing with this now is for anyone who is keen to come to ring me. My mobile no. is on the personal details section of the forum. I'll be available tonight (monday), before 11pm, up to 10.30 am tomorrow, Christmas eve probably from about 3pm on. Otherwise after Boxing Day.

My diary entry for Sunday January 11th 1959 reports that I went on a clubrun (West Twickenham Road Club) from Hampton to Petersfield - 91 miles. It was very cold, I was a poorly equipped 13 year old and it nearly killed me.

However I have survived so far, and with my enthusiasm untarnished; next month I intend to do a 50th anniversary rerun. I hope to attract some media interest, the story line being: to do long hard ride all that's necessary is the will to do it, plus a bit of knowledge, you don't need to be in the prime of life or to have expensive kit. The first ride was done on fixed, the second one will be.

I have a good photographer lined up (he took the modern Hounslow club run picture in the current issue of Cycling Weekly) I have promises from 3 companions, all strong riders.

I'm looking for two lfgss riders to bring down the average age of the group - it's not essential, but it might look better. I don't want the group to be more than six.

It will be a hard day with an early start, since I'm hoping to be back by nightfall - even in daylight the route is not specially safe. The exact date is yet to be arranged, it won't be the 11th.

If anyone is interested and wants more information, please get in touch.

I'd just like to mention that it's pure coincidence that my old club run photo appeared on the forum shortly before it was published in the current issue of Cycling Weekly. I had almost forgotten that they might use it, and I thought it went well with my BAR proposal.
While on this subject, do forum members read C.W.?

http://www.hounslowanddistrictwheelers.co.uk/

As I'm sure you know, this is my club.

We are not exactly a South London club, but we have become much more 'District' than Hounslow so far as our address list is concerned, with members coming from the West of England on one side, to France on the other. Ideally you need to be able to get to Staines Bridge on Sunday mornings - the use of cars or trains is not unusual.

We are a traditional cycling club with a programme of club and open events. We have a club run every Sunday, Winter and Summer, when we are not promoting races. These are well supported and it is usually necessary to split the run into two groups. There are currently one or two fixed wheel riders on these outings and others have expressed interest, so there is an embryo fixed wheel group within the club.
We are planning a series of Sunday training runs from mid January onwards.
There is also a range of social events.

Our website (see link above) will give a fuller picture of our activities.

The club would welcome interest from lfgss members.

http://www.cheesyking.co.uk/forum/p/clubRun.png

The picture at this address is believed to be a pre war Hounslow clubrun, the date and place are unknown, but there are no variable gears to be seen.
The rider sixth from the left with neatly parted hair and gauntlet gloves is, we think, Albert Derbyshire - the same A.E.G. Derbyshire who, riding for the Calleva R.C., won the British Best All Rounder competition in 1944,1946 & 1947.

This brings me to my modest proposal: that the LFGSS might have a Best All Rounder competition.
That is to say, a season long competition based on performances in different events which are brought together at the end of the year by some means of comparison, perhaps average speed, or possibly by points.

Just what form it would take is entirely for you to discuss, but I suggest it should cover at least three different events so as to justify the 'all rounder' name.
As an old style, unreconstructed time triallist I would naturally favour a time trial competition, perhaps based on rides at 25, 50 and 100 miles ( although two 10's and a 25 would be possible). This would have the advantage that the races are already out there, organised for you, just waiting to be entered; and after the actual riding it is simple to compare the figures and decide the winner.
However other formulae must be possible - 1 lap of Herne Hill (or 100 laps), 1 Lap of Richmond Park, plus Bow to Bayswater and back (or London - Oxford and return). If you go away from rides where time is the main consideration to events where finishing order is the criterion, you will have to establish some sort of points system, and comparison between different events becomes more difficult. Of course I do realise that nothing really compares with the excitment of being first over the finishing line; the time triallist is forced to enjoy his successes in a more abstract way.

I've said enough for now, and I leave this for anyone who thinks the idea is worth discussing, but if you enjoyed the photo, remember the only name we know is the man who won the BBAR.

http://picasaweb.google.com/darranmessem/HounslowHillClimb#
Link to picture gallery for event.

There were three fixed wheel machines present at the Hounslow hill climb, but sadly they all belonged to spectators. A pity because the relatively even gradient of this climb makes it suitable for single gears.
For the record, the winner was Wouter Sybrandy in 1 minute 36.1 secs, with Simon Wroxley second in 2-18.1. There were 14 competitors including 4 'privates'.

In the photos Wouter is seen in nos. 11, 12 (catching his 'minutewoman' about 600 yards from the start) 14 & 45. Simon is photo no.8.

A last chance for 2008 to turn a pedal in anger with the Hounslow is this Sunday's Hill Climb (9th November).

The climb is Wooburn Hill, an unclassified road going south east from Wooburn Green village - Go through Beaconsfield on the A40, turn left onto B4440 (well that's the no. on my 1974 map) and it's the first on the left. Sign on at the top of the hill, first man off 10.45 am. Tea at Odd's Farm Cafe after the event.

The course is about half a mile - it's a hard climb, but the map does not show it as steeper than 1 in 7, and I'd guess it to be about 1 in 8 at its steepest. At a very rough guess I'd say a gear of about 55 - 60" would suit an ambitious climber.

Entries can be taken on the line, but you'll need to arrive in reasonable time (say 10.30). Anyone thinking of coming might do well to take a note of my mobile no., which can be found on the forum profile 'about me'.

The Tro Bro Leon (try Google) claims to be a junior version of the Paris-Roubaix. It was run on the 20th April this year with a sportive ride the day before. This event included a 'retro' section and I'd say any single gear bike should count as retro for this purpose. The race course is based on Lannilis (French area code 29) in the West of Brittany, the sportive had two variations 96k and 48k.

I only know about this because I was doing a week's riding in Brittany last April and read about it in the local paper - unfortunately I was due home before the ride took place, but I am considering the possibility of riding in 2009. There is no information about next year's event on the web site as yet, but I could try to email the organisers if others are interested.

I had not considered riding on single gear up to now, but I'm sure a group of say four to six doing bit & bit could do a respectable ride. It seems to me that riding on single gears gives a group a different rhythm - faster in some places, e.g. long steady climbs, but slower in others - fast descents being an obvious example. So the trick would be to stick together and ignore the others; I think for anyone other than a true campionissimo to ride this sort of event on single gear on their own would be pretty hopeless.

I haven't made up my mind about next year. I see it as quite a big undertaking, and one which I might do with my clubmates on gears. But I might be persuaded otherwise.

If others are keen, but have a problem with the language I would be prepared to try to help, although my written French is not great, and I'm rubbish at speaking it.

There is a club called 'The Bedfordshire Roads CC'. I don't know a great deal about them, but they are CTT affiliated, and I have ridden events promoted by them. If I lived in Bedford I would certainly give them a try.

There is a map and description of the course on the Hounslow & District Wheelers web site. Go to the club events page and click on HCC001. The next club 25 on the course will be Good Friday next year, but you are invited to the club hill climb (same page)

You are right to say it looks painful, but these pictures were all taken near the top of Hawthorn Hill - the hardest climb. Dave French (yellow top in photo) proved that in spite of the hills it is possible to do a competitive ride on this course on fixed.

I included the other two pictures because I thought they made an interesting contrast. The young rider was taking part in his first competitive event, the rider in the white top is Jeff Marshall whose first race was over half a century ago. Jeff started his career with the legendary Calleva Road Club(disbanded 1956), and is almost certainly the only ex member still capable of 25+mph rides.

Anyone who is familiar with results of 'important' events may wonder what Wouter Sybrandy is doing in this humble club 25, and if he was there why didn't he win it? Did he stop for a cup of tea half way round? For those who don't see the results I'll just mention that Wouter (we know him as Walter) is an Elite category roadman who has been a sponsored rider with the Sigma Sport team this year, and has had some good results including a stage win in the Surrey League Five Day. His last TT performance was in the British Cycling Time Trial Championship where he came second to Michael Hutchinson.
Answer: Wouter started his career with the Hounslow when he arrived from Holland, and he retains his second claim membership. When I asked him about his ride he told me that he had ridden out to the event from his home in Berkhampstead (a 60 mile round trip) He said he hadn't managed to ride much recently and wanted to get the maximum value out of his Sigma Sport team issue road bike which he was due to hand back the next day. A pretty adequate explanation, I'd say.

here are some photos

From a field of thirty there were three riders on fixed - not too bad on what most would describe as a hilly course.(Sunday 12.10.08)

Of the three, only one took things seriously - David French (Weybridge Wheelers) who recorded 1.3.12. on 86" fixed to take fourth place overall. Fastest was Rob Gilmour with 1.1.02.

These times may sound old fashioned, but the morning was cold and foggy: Rob did 58.47 on the course in May and his form seems to have improved since then, so to be within about two minutes of his time can't be bad. David tells me he has done his best 10 on fixed this year - 22.32 on the Horsham course (G10/57), although he more often uses gears for 25 miles. He was surprised how fast he went on Sunday, while many others, who'd used gears, were disappointed with their speed. If anyone is interested there is a report on the Hounslow web site, forum section. There is a picture of David available, but it won't upload at the moment - I'll try later.

A very long time ago, in the eighties, I rode a reliability trial, which is what 'sportives' were known as then, called 'The Harp Hilly 100' (that was kilometres by the way).

This was held in February and starting near Amersham went over Bison, Ivinghoe Beacon, and Aston Hill. I rode the event three times and for the first attempt I was foolish enough to use a 64" single free - I did get round eventually, but not within the qualifying time, which I did manage once subsequently, on gears. So my answer to Spencerwells question 'has anyone done it before?' is - yes and no.

But I notice Wayfarer says he does** not **plan to do the hardest climbs to start with.

I hope to be at Amersham station on Saturday.

Generally, climbing ability is the first thing to go, but even here it's possible to get a nasty shock.

Just noticed above my post *A Bout de Souffle *a.k.a. Breathless. This is a rubbish translation of the title. I prefer the more literal 'To the last Breath' . That's what it means, and that's what the film is about - just watch it and you'll see what I mean.

Zazie dans le Metro.(1960)

12 year old Zazie is dumped on her uncle by her mum who, as Z. is well aware, is going to spend the weekend with her lover. Uncle is a transsexual nightclub dancer, and Z. wants to know if he is 'hormosessual' (probably not, he has a very cool girlfriend). However her main interest is to go on the Metro, but of course it's 'en greve' (on strike). From a novel by Raymond Queneau written in almost impossible slang french. Not a film that could ever have been made in Hollywood.

Another clubmate story.

A talented rider had accepted the theory that time trials ( where you would expect to push big gears) needed longer cranks that road racing where more modest gears arethe order of the day ( you need a higher rev rate to adjust instantly to changes of speed in the bunch). A bank holiday weekend approached when he had entered two events, a time trial and a road race. Our rider was (and is still) a stickler for immaculate presentation of himself and his bike, so he had dismantled both his time trial and his r.r. bike in order to polish everything up for his big weekend.

He won both races outright.

It was only later that week he noticed he had muddled the cranks and had different lengths on each bike.

He says he hasn't worried too much about crank length since then.

A note on commuting as training.

I know a rider who used to commute from the outer suburbs to inner London daily - over 200 miles per week (this was in the 70' &80's). He certainly did some other training, including chain gangs, some track and heavy duty early season weekend training rides; however the work riding formed the core of his programme. He says, and no one doubts the truth of this, that his lifetime commuting mileage is at least 250,000 miles.

In his racing career he won (among other things) several national time trial championships and at least one international road race.

I hasten to add that this schedule would have been useless for me: I would have been completely knackered before I got to the start line if I'd tried it.

My friend is now in his seventh decade of life, but he's still out there on his bike - if you happen to meet him don't try to half wheel him unless you're feeling really fit.

One thing I wish I'd known at the start.

It's worth knowning what your resting heart rate is.

Your RHR is a rough guide to fitness. It's another measure like weight. If you know your weight and RHR when you do your best rides, you'll know what you need to get to next season.
A raised RHR can be a indication that it's time to rest rather than go out training: it may mean you are overtired, or that you're ill (viral myocarditis can be fatal to athletes who ignore it).
A typical healthy adult will have an RHR of around 60-70 beats per minute, a racing cyclist will usually be around 45 bpm. Beryl Burton was said to be 37bpm and Big Mig (Indurain) 28 bpm, but he was physically a bit of a freak.
You may need to explain to your doctor why your RHR is low: a clubmate, in hospital after a minor road race crash, woke up to find himself in intensive care surrounded by worried medics who thought he was dying because they'd noticed his RHR was down to 40. He had to explain to them this was perfectly normal for him!
You can check your own rate as follows (you need a clock with a second hand): on waking, before you get out of bed, and certainly before drinking any tea or coffee (stimulants) find your pulse (neck or wrist) and count - probably for 30 secs then x 2. Repeat after a few days to confirm first count wasn't a freak.
If you know your RHR before you start on a training programme it should be a source of encouragement as it decreases, as it will if you're doing it right.
By the way, I'm an unqualified amateur, so bring your own judgement to my advice.

A cycling life often goes something like this: see beautiful bike, desire it, obtain bike, think you can ride fast, make depressing discovery that there are many others who can ride faster and further than you.
At this point you either give up or become interested in training, and this subject will concern you for the rest of your cycling career. Also, the longer you're in this game the more you come to think that fitness is more important than kit; so perhaps this subject should be a sticky thread, or even a 'category' in its own right?

It's undesireable for two reasons:

1. A big gap between the tyre and the frame just doesn't look right. I looks like the frame wasn't designed to take those wheels (it wasn't)
   
2. Long reach brakes are more prone to juddering.
   Braze on cantilevers solve the juddering problem. If you can't get brazing done, an alternative is to use Resilion cantilevers which bolt onto the frame. These are antique, and you won't be able to get the 'split' cables they need, but that doesn't matter because you can use a mafac centre pull type hook and a straddle wire with a solderless nipple on one side. All you've got to do then is to figure out a way of making some suitable brake blocks!
   

Readers of this forum may have noticed that I have a bias in favour of old stuff, but even so I made a point of dumping all my 27 inch wheels some years ago. And I've never regretted that decision.

It is possible (but not desirable) to use 700 wheels in a frame intended for 27's by using long reach brake callipers, or in an extreme case, by brazing cantilever bosses onto the frame.

One of the readers of this forum missed a chance to pick up an easy £25 last Sunday (21.9.08) when the Hounslow fixed wheel prize was won with the rather moderate time of 1.7.32. Anyone interested might look at the CTT website where there is a report.

I know the Hounslow event clashed with Herne Hill and so any of you who expressed an interest in the open 25 are invited to ride the Hounslow Club 25 on 12th October. If you're interested go to the Hounslow & District Wheelers website, club events page and click on the course code (HCC001) for details of the HQ.

This course is hillier than Farnham-Alton, but quite possible on fixed. It would be a good benchmark for anyone wanting to race next year - you should improve next time! There are no prizes for private time trials.

I haven't checked with the railways, but the HQ is not far from Windsor, which is reachable from Waterloo. There's no need to fill in any forms beforehand for this one, but it is possible we might run out of space so you might like to prebook by phoning the mobile no. on the open events page. I recommend arriving by 9 am to sign on.

Remove bottom bracket bearing, turn frame upside down, fill seat tube with vinegar, leave for at least 48 hours. then use other methods mentioned above. The vinegar will attack the crystalline corrosion which is jamming the pin in the frame.

12 hour photos now added