BUCS 10 Success for CUCC!

Posted on 17th April 201718th April 2017

On Saturday the 9th April it was the BUCS 10 Mile Time Trial Championships, held just outside Oxford. The format of the racing, a time trial, sees each competitor try and lay down the fastest time they can around the 10 mile course. On top of this, the Team medals would be awarded on the combined times of the fastest 3 from each University.

In the Men’s Competition 48 Universities were represented and 7 Cambridge riders qualified – fewer than the year before. The Women had 4 qualify for their event, but bad luck (and shoulder dislocations!) lead to just 2 taking the start. With only one rider seeded, both men and women were regarded as outsiders for the titles- one person from a Scottish University even forecasting that Cambridge ‘would go off a bit of a cliff’ this year and stood no chance- laying down a bit of a challenge!

WOMEN’S CAPTIAN JESS TAKES THE START

With one rider put off every minute it would be 3 hours before all the times were in, making for an anxious wait to see how riders compared. Soon, however, it began to show that the Cambridge Men were doing pretty well! The fastest time crawled slowly downwards throughout the course of the afternoon, until it came to a halt with Cambridge’s Oliver Mytton setting a new fastest time of 20:23 with 110 people still to go. This ended up standing unchallenged for over half an hour- despite some seeded people coming and going, the person coming closest was Fresher Ali Golby, 9 seconds back in his first showing for Cambridge.Continue reading→

Lee Valley Velodrome Trip 17.3.17!

Posted on 19th March 201719th March 2017

Raring to go!

As Lent term drew to a close, 14 intrepid CUCC adventurers wobbled onto to the boards at Lee Valley Velodrome in London, many for the their first time. After a seamless train journey, we arrived in plenty of time to watch the riders in the session before us riding around the track, and to check out the bankings which reach an impressive 42 degrees!

Luke, Toby and Matt fighting vertigo

Now it was time to don the lycra and walk down the Corridor of Champions to collect our noble steeds, the hire bikes. We also had to restrain Tom and Arnav from jumping onto the mini pump-track that was set up in the track centre.

Pre-session photo

Whilst Arnav, Tom and Jess (who have ridden track before) had a great time diving up and down the track and generally messing around, the nine beginners had a pep-talk from our lovely coach, Ricky. After a bit of time rolling around the Côte D’Azur to get used the to fixed gears, they were all up on to the boars and within half an hour, everyone was riding up around the blue line (half way up the track)!

Lining up for the Team Pursuit – Team 1

It is almost inevitable when riding on the track for the first time that you will momentarily forget to pedal, but of course the gear will keep going and so you’ll get thrown forward. If you’re unlucky this will result in a trip over the handlebars, otherwise you just get a small heart-stopping moment which is enough to stop you from doing the same ever again. Thankfully no-one took a trip over the handlebars in this session, however Rob came closest with his rear wheel hopping a good half-metre – kudos for holding that one up Rob!

Team pursuit – Team 2

After some through-and-off drills that inevitably got gradually faster and faster, we were split into three teams to end with a small team-pursuit competition. The race was eight laps and the time was taken from the last person to cross the line. Team One, comprising Tom, Luke, Matt and Rachel, came third. Team Three, comprising Rob, Ben, John and Jess came second, and the clear winners were Team Two, comprising Holly, Becca, Arnav, Toby and Johnny.

Team pursuit – Team 3

All in all, everyone thoroughly enjoyed the trip and are all keen to go back for more – even those who said “it’s just going round in circles, innit” (most notably, a certain Yorkshireman).

Post-session smiles!

CUCC’s next trip to Lee Valley will be at the end of the Easter term for those that are gunning for BUCS Track. Until then, don’t forget to pedal!

‘Safety First’ policy for CUCC members on public transport

Sophie Thornhill MBE Talk and Q&A

Posted on 14th March 201714th March 2017

On Thursday 9th March, Sophie Thornhill MBE very kindly made the long trek down to Cambridge from her home and British Cycling base in Manchester. After a series of train delays, Sophie arrived at Churchill at 7.30pm on the dot and so jumped straight on stage with CUCC Women’s Captain, Jess Atkinson, to talk to the gathering of cycling fans about her golden cycling career.

Sophie Thornhill and Jess Atkinson

Sophie began by explaining how she was born with Oculocutaneous Albinism, a condition that affects pigment in her skin and eyes, and has caused her vision to be limited to about 8% of what the average person can see. She recounted stories of many a hairy moment when riding solo bikes as a child, before being given the opportunity to ride as a stoker (on the back) of a tandem in her early teens. Since then she hasn’t looked back, and now at the age of 21 she has one Paralympic Title, seven World Titles, two Commonwealth Titles, eleven National Titles and let’s not forget the MBE!Continue reading→

Lea Valley CC E1/25b including new club record

Posted on 13th March 201713th March 2017

Despite the promised wet weather, several members enjoyed warm and dry conditions on the E1/25b on Sunday, promoted by Lea Valley CC. A quick glance through the start sheet showed a large Oxford contingent entered, and since public urination is frowned upon a strong showing was needed to mark our territory.

The gently rolling 25 mile course along single carriageway unfortunately starts at the south end, but a short train ride brought us to the HQ at Lea Valley CC’s cycling hut: a taste of the cycling club scene of the ‘50s. Continue reading→

Cuppers 2017

Posted on 12th March 201713th March 2017

Atkinson and Dickson triumph, Jesus best college.

1st Woman-Jess Atkinson (Churchill)
1st Man- Seb Dickson (Corpus)
1st Town Bike- Dan Eatough (Corpus)
College Winners- Jesus

On the 4^th March, 57 cyclists and 1 unicyclist lined up to see just which is the best college at Cycling.(perhaps surprisingly, it isn’t Girton) With some very fast times laid down already in the season so far by people new and old, it was going to be an interesting race!Continue reading→

Varsity XC 2017

Posted on 27th February 20179th March 2017

by Tom Simpson

The victorious Men’s Team

The 2017 edition of Varsity XC took off with another early morning. We gathered in Catz car park in the dark to pile eleven bikes into the back of our hired transporter and arrange ourselves between the three additional cars. To everyone’s surprise, Official Supporter Jali Packer put in a heroic effort to make it to Catz for 6:15 am after his Women’s Varsity Netball Dinner the night before, pillow still in hand. Once at Crowthorne Woods in Berkshire, the venue once again, we met with Rob Walker and Tom Wade – making the Cambridge team up to a huge fourteen men and three women!Continue reading→

North Road Hard Riders Report

Posted on 27th February 201727th February 2017

Report by Race Captain, John Mulvey

Ed Lee-Six, Hal Bradbury, Seb Dickson and myself showed our lack of knobbly-tyred inclinations and on the same date as the Varsity MTB race headed down to north London to ride the early season classic that is the North Road Hardriders.

Whilst the weather was kind this year, road works meant the hilly course was shortened to 22 miles. Seb placed 6th in 53.15, 2 mins down on winner Lloyd Chapman, with Hal 8th, myself 10th and Ed in 42nd. CUCC missed out on the team prize only because someone (cough Seb cough) is not racing in light blue colours, so an encouraging result considering so many of us were away racing against Oxford.

Seb Receives his cheque for £50

Full race report available here: https://www.cyclingtimetrials.org.uk/race-report/14538

Results

6th – Seb Dickson – 53:15
8th – Harold Bradbury – 54:04
10th – John Mulvey – 54:39
42nd – Ed Lee-Six – 1:02:59

Ely Hardriders Report

Posted on 27th February 201727th February 2017

Nine CUCC riders braved the cold, wet and even slightly snowy conditions to compete in the traditional, season opening Ely Hardriders Time Trial.

The cold weather, strong breeze and wet conditions meant that no super quick times would be posted, and many decided that the aero gains of a skinsuit and carbon wheels would be better traded for some warmer clothes and effective braking! Continue reading→

Tom and Toby’s Hog Hill Diary (Episode 1)

Posted on 5th February 201727th February 2017

For the last two weekends running Toby and I have been heading down to Hog Hill to work on our crit racing skillz in the Cat 4 only Saturday race series. The ‘chopperfest’ description is unwarranted, although both our crashes at training camp have landed us firmly in the chopper camp (I’m speaking on your behalf here, Toby). Anyway, to simplify our report we decided to split it into a nice and simple ‘what went well’ and ‘what we can do better’. So here goes: Continue reading→

London to Cambridge – TRIBE/Brother Cycles/RLR RIDE

Posted on 29th January 201727th February 2017

The day began with the sun still tucked up in bed, a fact which would make the cycle through London just that little bit more interesting. We boarded the 6:15 train to Kings Cross still half asleep, but excited about the day ahead none the less, wondering how many people would turn up for the ride, who on Earth RLR were, and most importantly, how many free Tribe bars we would get! On the train journey Kaitlynn swapped out the stock saddle on her bike for a better one, which she would then carry all the way back to Cambridge!

Continue reading→