The Bugle | Blast 311

Friday 24th November 2017
Electric, Touring & Safety Edition
 

QUOTE OF THE WEEK
 

NOT THE BICYCLIST OF THE WEEK

Philip Hammond, Chancellor the Exchequer and architect of this week's budget. The man who when he was Secretary of State for Transport instructed his department to get rid of cycling as a DfT function. He was reported as saying it was unimportant and trivial.

Philanphropic Phil will already give you £5,000 if you are rich enough to be able to buy an electric car. His budget announced a new £400 million charging infrastructure fund, invest an extra £100 million in Plug-In-Car Grant, and £40 million in charging R&D. All to encourage the more affluent motorist to switch to electric which takes the same road space and makes people as unfit as present. Indeed the subsidies may encouraging more driving and increase congestion.

So much for electric cars. What about electric bikes to get younger people into cycling and keep old people in the saddle? This is what he said:
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That's it. Nilch, nada, nuffin. Well about general cycliing, cycling and health, cycling and obesity?
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I guess that's in line with the governments manifesto which had a whole two lines on cycling: 

"We will continue to support local authorities to expand cycle networks and upgrade facilities for cyclists at railway stations."

Wow, at least they aren't against it - or are they?


 

BICYCLE  OF THE WEEK

I missed last Sunday's Ride as I was road and off-road testing this little beauty. Yep, it's an e-bike, it's a monster with balloon tyres and an unchipped Yamaha engine.

Its heavy, its fugly but it goes like the clappers and is the greatest smirk maker I have ever ridden. Off-road the tyres and suspension maintain a velvet like ride without a twitch to the handlebars as you glide from rut to rut - at a fair lick!

On road there really is little need for any of the twenty gears. Instead it has five power settings:

* eco - [delivers just enough power to balance the bike's extra weight]
* eco + [to maximise distance]
* standard [a bit more power]
* high [power at all costs]

Of course you get nothing if don't pedal and the power delivered is proportional to the power you put into the pedals. Inevitably the temptation to hit 'high' is irristable. Push hard and the experience feels a little like when a pilot lets off the brakes at take-off. Teslas can't get better than this.

Will I be turning up to the Anerley on one? Not unless Mr Hammond relents and gives me a £5,000 grant. The prices are eye-watering but imho its money better spent than on a Nissan Leaf. Full range here: https://www.haibike.com/pl/ES/home

The view from the cockpit:

CLUB TOURING

This year's AGM introduced the post of Touring Secretary and Steve B is now our man with panniers. Here are the Tours currently on offer or being planned for club members:


C2C2C Brittany Tour: 11th to 17th April 2018

An informal unsupported relaxed tour with friends. Around Tuesday pace. We are currently five including TomTom & Stuart from the club. We will be staying in budget hotels overnight. The plan is to take the Portsmouth/St Malo overnight ferry and do this: 

Day 1  St Malo to Ploermel  97.7k +787m   
Day 2  Ploermel to Vannes  89k +565m 
Day 3  Vannes to Carnac  46.7k +365m 
Day 4  Carnac to Loudeac  90.2k +765m  
Day 5  Loudeac to Erquy  75.9k +666m 
Day 6  Erquy to St Malo  77.3k +626m

The route, though not the pace, was inspired by this posting: https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/brittany-tour-2017.226395/

If you are interested in joining us please contact Stuart or reply to this email.


Summer Sportive - Isle of Mull: 3rd to 7th June 2018

We would look to book either an AirBNB property or bunk house/hostel type accommodation for the duration of the stay.
Cycle the sportive on Sunday, day of rest on Monday, another ride of Mull on the Monday with a plan to return to London on the Tuesday/Wednesday. 
Costs to be agreed, once we know numbers, the number of vehicles etc. If you are interested, please let Mark or Steve know soonest as accommodation will be booked up quickly. Or reply to the email.


Rouen (and possibly Paris): September 2018

This is a follow-up to this year's Tour de Bullecourt commemorating the centenary of Club Captain Montague Calder's death in WW1. His brother died in Rouen in September 1918. We are still searching for the exact date. John E thought it would be good to commemorate that too. Though with less battlefields and more countryside.

Hence plans are vague and we are looking for people who may want to join us for a long weekend or even a week. We can then build an intinery to match. Current thoughts are Newhaven/Dieppe ferry. Rouen and then up the Seine to Paris returning by Eurostar. Or go along the coast and take the Caen/Portsmouth ferry back. Or the other way round. With panniers sleeping in budget hotels.

If you are interested in joining us please contact John E or Stuart or reply to this email.

 

DE RULZ OF GROUP CYCLING

Also at the AGM was a long discussion on safety. It starts with us. Here is the Guide Tom published sometime ago. Please refresh yourselves: https://anerleybc.org/group-cycling-de-rulz/

 

CLUB CONTACT CARDS

This are in preparation so we know what to do when lost or if injured. More info soon but this is what they may look like:

RECENT RIDE REPORTS

Saturday Ride 18th November: Five experience the most expensive tea ever at Lamington's in Bletchingly: https://anerleybc.org/saturday-ride-18th-november-2017/

UPCOMING RIDES

Saturday Ride 25th November: 10:00 Shurguard/501 Brighton Road: Off road again, suitable for hybrids with nobbly tyres or MTB. Out via Farthing Downs, the North Downs way, Epsom Downs  to tea stop at Bike Beans Ashtead. Return via Ewell, Banstead with Pub stop the Woodman at Woodmansterne. 31 miles

Sunday Ride 26th November: 9:00 Shurguard/501 Brighton Road: Mark H to Tulleys Farm at Turners Hill and afterwards at the Barley Mow, Tandridge.

Tuesday Ride 28th November: 
'A' Ride [12mph] 09:30 Shurguard/501 Brighton Road: Tom V leads to Tulleys Farm
'B' Ride [10mph] 10:00 Shurguard/501 Brighton Road: Peter R leads to Tulleys Farm

Thursday Ride: 30th November: 10:00 Shurguard/501 Brighton Road: Mark H leads somewhere.

DECEMBER RUNS LISTS

Tuesdays: https://anerleybc.org/tuesdays-runs-list-december-2017/
Sundays: https://anerleybc.org/sunday-runs-list-october-to-december/

 

FINALLY