October Newsletter

October Newsletter


Hi Folks

October is here and we will soon be turning the clocks back on the 30th.
The Starting time will also change for the Sunday rides from 9:30am to 10:00am.

The Club's AGM is on the 1st November at 8:15pm details will follow via email.

We are currently looking into getting a new Web Site and details will follow shortly.

The Christmas Lunch
It is that time of year again - the Cycling UK North Birmingham annual “Christmas Lunch” will be held on Saturday 26 November at 12.30 at the Wishaw Golf Club in Bulls Lane, Wishaw.
They provide us with an excellent 3 course Christmas themed lunch.
The cost is only £14 per head as our Club subsidises this event for us.

Please confirm to Ros Llewellyn if you wish to attend. Partners are very welcome too.
Cheques should be made out to CTC North Birmingham and payment made by 16 November when we are required to confirm numbers.

Ros Llewellyn contact details are:- rosllewellyn@virginmedia.com

(Ros is out most Sarurdays to collect cheques and John will accept them too on Tuesday and Thursday each week)

Sunday C rides.
If you are a “C” rider and wish to join a ride please check with Sue Jinks on 0121 323 2944

Ride Leaders.
If you're not and would like to become a Ride Leader please get in touch and we will
sort out some assistance for you.
What group could you help/assist with leading ie day or days, duration, Speed.

Committee.
We currently are looking for a replacement Saturday rides co-ordinator.
Geoff Howle has organised the Saturday fast rides for almost 10 years, and joined the Committee in 2011 as the Saturday Day Rides representative. He now feels it is time to pass the reigns onto another member of the club, in order that they may develop the rides going forward.

Sally Wheelwright has volunteered to join the team as the new Social Secretary as Mary is standing down from many years service.

Thanks to Mary & Geoff, enjoy your cycling wherever that takes you.

Remember for other sources of Club News and info
The Club Forum pages are found (HERE)
The Club Facebook pages are found (HERE)




Brittany Cycling Trip 8th-15th August 2016 (Mike Fowler)

Over the past two or three years I have thought deeply of going on the North Birmingham Brittany Cycling Trip so when Mary Evans sent out an email (September 2015) saying that Ian Bolton was planning to lead another trip in 2016 I decided that this would be the year to join him.

Thirteen cyclists, nine North Birmingham lads with four from Walsall, booked the trip which was to be from 8th to 15th August, a little later than usual. On looking at the list of names I realised that I would be the lantern rouge of the group as most of the others were regular Thursday ‘Group B’ riders some being quite a bit faster than me..

Monday 8th August duly arrived, I took my ‘wrapped up bike’ and luggage in the car to Ian’s house in Wylde Green. I took the car home had some lunch and returned back to Ian’s, via two buses, in time to join the rest of the party loading bikes and luggage onto the trailer that was towed behind a minibus that had seats for eighteen.

Our host, driver, chef and bon viveur for the week was Clifford Williams a former tenant farmer from Tiverton, Devon. He was accompanied by Jenny, a former teacher, his assistant for the week. Clifford had formed his company ‘Brittany Breaks’ after buying Moulin Conan near Morlaix in North West Brittany.

The journey down to Plymouth to catch the overnight ferry to Roscoff went well. The crossing was smooth but unfortunately all the cabins were taken so we spent the night in reclining seats or stretched out on some suitable flat surface. The journey from the port to Guerlesquin, the local town, took three quarters of an hour. Clifford called into the bakers to purchase our breakfast of croissants and baguettes. Then off we went on the last part of our outward journey through the local village of Plougras and on to Moulin Conan our home for the week.

Moulin Conan consisted of a stone built farmhouse with a huge open plan ground floor which is used as a shared living space during the day. There is a good size kitchen, with a large dining area and sunken lounge on the ground floor with four twin bedrooms with two bathrooms for guests above. Also part of the farmhouse was the ‘bridal suite’ which had a separate entrance around the back of the farmhouse. A short distance from the Farmhouse was the two bedroom converted Mill House. In its basement was the mill. On the ground floor was an open plan living room and kitchenette along with a shower room and toilet. Above were the two bedrooms a twin and a triple. Moulin Conan is set in seven acres of attractive grounds through which the River Guic curls its way through woodland where a wide variety of wildlife is to be found.

After unloading our bikes and luggage from the trailer, the party quickly sorted out rooms and roommates. Whilst we had breakfast Clifford prepared our packed lunches which consisted of a filled half baguette along with fruit and local biscuits. After changing into our Lycra we were ready to roll out on our first ride. The first route that Ian planned was a circuit of the local area which introduced us to the very undulating terrain of this part of Brittany that was to become more familiar each day.

We were blessed with excellent weather for the whole week so were able to do six very good but exceptionally hilly rides. Before breakfast each day Ian planned the rides based on his previous experiences. Three of our rides took us to a different part of the North Brittany coast where on a couple of occasions up to four guys took a dip in the sea. The non-coastal rides took us into the nearby Armorica Regional National Park. The first was to Huelgoat on Market Day. We arrived just before lunch and some of the guys bought half a chicken from the rotisserie to supplement their baguettes. There were two types of chicken available, white and black. This was nothing to do with the colour of the chickens but to how they were reared. The more expensive ‘black’ chickens were free range. Another non-coastal ride was to almost the highest point in Brittany where we experienced beautiful vistas in all directions plus exceedingly long and in my case slow ascents with very rapid descents.

Whilst we were out on our rides Clifford planned and prepared our dinner. We would start with an aperitif which was often drunk outside in the warm evening air. We would then sit at a table for fifteen to enjoy a four course meal of starter, main course, dessert followed by a wondrous cheese board all washed down by beer or wine of your choice. The food that Clifford served was plentiful, very tasty, extremely good and typical of the Brittany Region.

Our week in Brittany came to end and our return home went without incident. Looking back after two months I have fond memories of the camaraderie of the group, stopping for coffee and pastries on our way out in the mornings, discovering what filling Clifford had put in our daily baguettes, finding a café for a beer in the afternoon and calling in at the bar near the end of rides.

The whole trip exceeded my expectations. Many thanks to Ian Bolton for organising the whole trip and for planning and leading the rides. Thanks to Stewart Davies and Paul Beebee who looked out for me when I was lagging behind the peleton. Thanks to Jenny who kept things running smoothly in the house and most of all to Clifford for his brilliant catering and his great sense of humour.

Mike Fowler 28-09-2016