Newsletter March 2022

Start of the TT Season

The Charlbury Open Oxonian CC, 36 mile time trial.

This is the first TT of the year. It was the two-lap race. We had a very small turnout of 30 compared to a very large turn out last year, but well done to everyone who took part! John Mulvey, James Pittard and Simon Smith were the top 3, with times below 1hr 41mins on the course. Anne Warren was the fastest woman with a time of 1hr 46.20mins.

The next event is 27th March Brill Hill Sunday Event. This is always a cold event up on the hill so remember to dress for Autumn.

Ten Top TT Tips

  • Warm Up – Try to have a good warm up before you are due to start. Don’t overdo it though. Aim to be at the time keeper / pusher offer a couple of minutes before you are due to start.
  • Don’t start too fast – It’s easy to get carried away, aim for consistency through the ride.
  • Rhythm – Settle into a rhythm and concentrate on maintaining it – be stubborn!
  • Gauge Your Effort – Pacing is everything
  • Starting Effort – Start in a gear which is not too small or too large – you should be able to get up to speed quickly without being overgeared.
  • Get Aero – Even without any aero equipment, try to get used to riding on the drops or with hands on the lever hoods with flat forearms. Wear tighter fitting clothing with less wrinkles and creases. Take unnecessary things off your bike such as water bottles, pumps etc
  • Plan Ahead – Look at the weather forecast and work out were the wind will be coming from. Forewarned is forearmed. Check out the course beforehand and think about how you will approach the ride.
  • Make sure your tyres are pumped to the recommended pressures & take any unnecessary bits off your bike, like saddle bag, water bottles etc.
  • Be Alert – Especially at the turn and if other traffic enters and departs the road you are riding on. Evening time trials are great, but watch out for those motorists in a rush getting home from work.
  • Stay Safe – Keep left, unless overtaking and keep your head up at all times. It’s also worth being a bit more alert if you are riding on tri bars, you will need an extra couple of seconds to sit up and apply the brakes, should you need to.

Reminder for all Time Trialists. CTT regulations now require that you use working front and rear lights in all events!

Botley Bikers Need Your Help

The Botley Bikers is a group of volunteers, operating food, and toiletry deliveries to the homeless and vulnerably housed in Oxford City Centre. We operate under the Food for Charities umbrella, please go to the website.

We currently run-on Sundays and every other Tuesday, but a recent consultation in conjunction with the Oxford Hub identified a need for more. Therefore, we are looking to increase our volunteer pool with a view to starting deliveries on Thursday afternoons.

Please do get in touch if you have any questions and thank you in advance for spreading the word!

Cyclists sports massage

If you need a Sports Massage, have a chat to Witney Sports Massage this is run by Alex Dowbor-Musnicki. He holds a Level 5 BTEC in Soft Tissue Therapy, is ISRM registered and a member of the Sports Massage Association. He has been helping athletes achieve higher performance for five years now.

Witney Sports Massage is based in Witney, on West End road, and prioritises Covid safety by wearing masks, keeping the equipment thoroughly clean and having a door open to keep the room ventilated, but private. To ensure clients comfort, warm towels are periodically placed on the muscles that are being massaged.

Sports massage useful for:

  • Avoiding injuries before they occur
  • Minimising discomfort before, during and after training or events
  • Keeping chronic or minor injuries from interfering with your training
  • Improving your range of motion
  • Combating fatigue and over training

If you have been struggling to meet your goals, a sports massage might revitalise you. Regular and ad-hoc appointments are available.

Please email or call Alex on 07771 658605 to book a treatment.

Social rides on Saturday

We have a Saturday ride that commences from the square in front of the Red Lion Pub in Eynsham at 9.15am throughout the year. These are led by experienced club members and cover distances of up to 60 miles with a coffee stop at various tried and tested cyclist friendly venues. Typically these will be split into three ability groups depending upon who turns up on the day, with distances and speed adjusted accordingly. So we have a steady group, an intermediate group and the occasional fast group (usually the riders who are into serious training for various competitive events). You can also contact Paul.

Mountain Biking 2022

We are looking to start Sunday Mountain Bike Riders. These will be rides focused on routes around West Oxfordshire and distance will vary between 10 and 15 miles.

If this is something you would like to get involved with you can contact Steve Legge or David Jones.

We propose to start the rides in March as soon as we are out of winter.

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