So glad you could join us again on a narrative ride through the hustle and bustle of everyday life that’s peppered with gorgeous sunshine and Indian September days in the saddle. Over the next few weeks we will be looking to test out some of the best autumn and winter kit that is on the market for our readers and riders as the nights draw in and the leaves begin to fall. But before then I have more from our local cycling club and the final results of their Club 10 mile TT point’s championship.
The other Sunday was an exciting day for Southport Cycling Club for as well as the youth get together for a group photograph the 125 year old ever popular national cycling magazine ‘Cycling Weekly’ were coming to report on the Southport Cycling Club! Organized by club secretary Ken Beck, Cycling Weekly’s reporter Hannah Bussey together with their photographer Andrew joined the club for their Sunday Club run to the cycle friendly scrummy feeding station at the Twin Lakes Velo Café near Croston. At around 9.30am just short of 60 club members set off to ride in three groups to the cyclists’ café. With its ample cycle parking, good food and fine views the Twin Lakes Velo Café is fast becoming the coffee and cake venue of choice for new and seasoned cyclists alike.
I was lucky enough to be able to join the group that included both Ken and Hannah. Ken had chosen a route that was just a half mile shy of 50 miles from door to door of the clubhouse. To ensure the group was suitably hungry when we arrived at the Twin Lakes Velo Café Ken took us on a 35 miles pre café ride session that showcased Southport’s wonderful seafront before leading us out over the Lancashire Plains to the foothills of the West Pennine Moors. During the ride club chairman and Super Randonneur Alan Taylor kept Hannah and the ride group entertained with his stories of past Southport champions that included Tour of Britain Winner Bill Bradley and five times National Hill climb Champion Jim Henderson together with the club’s and Southport’s proud history of cycling.
After a great lunch at the Twin Lakes Café the club made their way back to their Clubhouse in Victoria Park before bidding farewell to Hannah who had thoroughly enjoyed her ride. She confessed to having never visited Southport before but vowed to return in the future as she found Lord St so
lovely with all the flowered gardens.
I will to let you know when the article about the Southport Club will be coming out in the national Cycling Weekly magazine until then thanks must go to the Southport Club and especially Ken Beck for promoting Southport as a great place to visit and cycle and to all those club riders who came to support the club on the day Chapeau!
Twin Lakes Velo Café: https://www.facebook.com/twinlakesvelocafe/.
Southport Cycling Club Website: http://southportcc.co.uk/
Cycling weekly website: http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/
Heads Up
The final results of the Southport 10 mile TT championship:
Position Name Category Points
1 Peter Leonard V60+ 156
2 David Unsworth Jun 153
3 Robbie Hurst V50+ 134
4 Will White V60+ 111
5 Bill Sedgwick V60+ 102
6 Neil Laing Sen 98
7 Martin Bailey Sen 90
8 Dave Hilton V50+ 85
9 Ian Bailey V50+ 71
10 Greg Rycroft V50+ 70
11 Arthur FindleyV60+ 67
12 Alan Stark V60+ 44
13 Kevan Evans V40+ 40
14 Mike Lloyd V40+ 24
15 Kevin Conway V50+ 23
16 Greg Callaghan V50+ 17
17 Conor McKinnon Juv 12
18 Glen Francis Sen 9
Well done to Pete Leonard for just beating junior rider Dave Unsworth at the last event of the season to win the event overall. During the season there were 189 riders taking part from 44 different
clubs! Thanks also to the marshals and timekeepers without whom this great event couldn’t take place.
Keep peddlin’
If you have any further comments or stories then please drop me Ian a line at Ian462@msn.com