The Bugle | Blast 425

Friday 14th February 2020
Valentine Edition

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer do,
I’m half crazy, all for the love of you,
It won’t be a stylish marriage,
I haven’t got a carriage,
But you’ll look sweet, up on the seat
Of a bicycle built for two!
[Harry Dacre, 1892]

BICYCLIST OF THE WEEK

It has to be Gordon Valentine, if only because his blogpost this week is entitled "Some cyclists that make me, hot and sweaty". His choice may not be yours ...

BICYCLE OF THE WEEK

A tandem for gentlemen who also prefer gentlemen or think they know the proper place for a lady. Other combinations are now available.

Is there any other way two people can get so close coupled in complete and energetic physical harmony publicly without distrubing the neighbours?

Chater-Lea was, according to Wikipedia, in business from 1890 to 1987 but relaunched in 2017 with this beautifully classic C-L pedal. Yours, or your Valentine's for only £250 at https://www.chaterlea.com/

SCORE DRAW ON CYCLE INFRASTRUCTURE THIS WEEK

HS2 gets the Go-ahead. Bad news for cyclists? The newer and faster the carriage stock the smaller provision of bike places. Take your bets that even two per carriage will be provided. Why give bicycle space away for free when business folk can be soaked for saving 20 minutes to get to Birmingham but maybe more than that to get to Old Oak Common station.

Worse still - while there may be the ocasional bridge for the Union Canal - HS2 has already designed out most of the provision for walkers to cross the line apart from busy road - slicing apart long chunks of our most wonderful cycling counties.

Pressure to cut further to stop the project balloning past £100bn will mean even less croosings.: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/bike-blog/2019/feb/01/scrapped-hs2-bike-path-could-have-reaped-five-times-more-than-hs2-itself

And then Boris Johnson goes and breaks his Manifesto pledge ...

You heard it right - instead of his promise TO SPEND EVEN LESS on cycling infrastructure - Boris last week pledged £1bn for cycling and walking routes across England if he can get it passed a passing Chancellor of the Exchequer - WHOOPEE!

OK we have had his promises before - but during his Mayorship of London cycling did do well. The same man, Andrew Gilligan, is tasked with delivering so there can be genuine hop not only that it be spent, but even more importantly, spent well.

GO GILLIGAN, GO ...
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/feb/12/1bn-pledged-for-cycling-and-walking-routes-across-england-boris-johnson

RIDE REPORTS

Saturday 8th February Relaxed: Des goes a day early to High Elms ahead of Storm Clara: https://anerleybc.org/the-lull-before-the-storm/

UPCOMING RIDES + AWARDS

Dennis the Menace's windy weekend means NO CLUB RIDES SATURDAY OR SUNDAY. Hopefully Purley URC roof will stay on for the Club Gong Show & Dinner Saturday night.

If you have booked - The meal will start 7.30pm but please
do arrive early for a nice social. Don't forget booze and something for the raffle.

Tuesday 18th February: Shurguard/501 Brighton Road
Rides to Edenbridge GC.
Speedies: 10.00: Leader George <<<< NB Later Start
Steadies: 10:00: Leader John D
Relaxed: 10:00: Leader Peter R
George has posted a couple of GPXs:
Outward: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/31837357
Return: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/31837398

Thursday 20th February Meet Shurguard at 10:00 am.
Speedy: tba

ADVANCE NOTICE

Sunday 2nd August 2020: Mark would like the long and fast to put this Ashtead Velo Rebel 101 ride into their diaries:

100 mile ride starting & finishing at Coffee Active Ashtead.There are a couple of groups ranging in speed from 18mph ave to 13mph ave. Mark will lead our group. Cost will be a donation of £20 plus riders will need to buy a ride jersey. There will be at least 2 stops. You need to be able to ride about 14mph ave. You can also buy breakfast at the start.If riders want a place can they email Mark.

FINALLY: LONG LOVE NOT LOST

This will be Jack White, 86, and wife Pamela, 84 sixty-fouth Valentine Day. They have been riding with each other and cementing their relationshipthat starteing with a 1953 meet of the South Buckinghamshire Cycling Club. Jack, who still rides an average of 1,000 miles on his indoor turbo trainer over the winter said:

"I’m a very competitive cyclist but Pam prefers the touring and the social side of cycling. I’ve taken part in over 800 time-trials and have ridden over 250,000 miles since I took up the sport. Pam has marshalled time trials in the past and also made the cakes and teas. We both get different things out of being on a bike.”

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/health-fitness/body/happy-healthy-marriage-meet-couple-have-cycling-together-64/

Happy Valentine's Day