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West Surrey District Association Officers  1995-96

Editorial

A late breaking piece of news is that Marguerite Statham is no longer dealing with the DA jerseys, Helen Juden has subject to committee approval accepted the responsibility.  Thanks to Marguerite for all her good work and to Helen for volunteering to take on the role.

Which is your favourite museum for bicycles?  Many museums have bicycles ranging from a few machines to whole exhibitions devoted to the subject.  In Lincoln (correct Ed if in error) but there is a national museum of bicycles (at least the last time Ed drove through the city!).  Do you remember rod brakes and solid rubber tyres, what was cycling like when you started, what was your first bicycle?  Do you remember the first long cycle ride you made?  How far did you travel, where did you go?

If you could have any gadget on your bicycle what would it be?

What would you like to see in the Magazine?

Ed apologises for the mix-up, it appears that part of a Mastermind question paper has been accidentally inserted into the editorial........

A HAPPY NEW YEAR to us all!  We have good cause for happiness, too.  The past years have been dreary, dark, and tragic;  but they have gone.  Though the world is still sick, and convalescence may be prolonged, the crisis is over.  Even the most cautious of us must feel that the opening of this first year of peace is an appropriate occasion for thankfulness, celebration, and confident planning.

In their thousands the exiles are returning home.  Families are being reunited.  Friends are together again.  Men and women whose memories of by-gone cycling days helped them to endure the horrors and the boredom of a world at war are once again out on the road.  Dreams are coming true.

It is right that we should rejoice.  It is right that we should wish to forget those nightmare years when man's greatest achievement was destruction.  But our rejoicing and our conscious forgetfulness must be sobered by solemn determination.  Some things must not be forgotten.

What is the future to which we are now looking forward?  Is it the restoration of comforts and delights we used to know, the resumption of pleasures surrendered six years ago?  Do we, as cyclists, think of the coming years only as a period of prosperity for our Club, of more week-end runs and tours for ourselves?  If that is the present limit of our vision of the post-war world it must be extended.

The future will not just "happen."  It will be made - by us - now.  Happiness in the years to come depends on the efforts we make to ensure it;  and our greatest effort must be made towards the achievement of international understanding.  That is not a job to be left to the politicians;  it is a task for cyclists to tackle, and the C.T.C. should give a lead.

International understanding, if it is to be real and permanent, cannot be limited to a section of each national community.  Only when the great masses of the peoples themselves have made friends with their neighbours shall we attain good-natured tolerance and rid ourselves of prejudices and misconceptions.

Every cycle tourist knows the ease with which he makes friends when touring in strange districts.  As a means of promoting real friendliness among the "common peoples" of the world, cycle touring cannot be exaggerated.  Therein lies a great opportunity for us and our Club.

The C.T.C. did much to help and encourage its members to visit foreign lands before the war.  It must now do more.  Those members who have survived the hazards of the recent world catastrophe will expect the greatest cycling club in the world to spread the spirit of the C.T.C. far beyond the boundaries of our own islands.

New Dress

Then, just as we were preparing to go to press with the familiar blue cover again, a supply of paper suitable for the new one arrived.  Unfortunately the change caused a delay in publication;  but if readers like the change, perhaps they will forgive the delay.

And now, for the first time since 1939, we invite the submission of manuscripts, preferably short, and good photographs.  Next month the first step will be taken towards increasing the number of pages.

BYPASSED BY THE GBs

A sunny Good Friday saw our car parked securely in the well positioned and securely guarded parking available at the Dover East ferry terminal (£15 for four days) and the two of us waiting to see what our group of 12 would look like when fully assembled.  The answer was reasonably smart with a mixed bag of nationalities and cycles;  two Kiwis, two Aussies, two MTBs and two tandems.  A gentle pedal into the dock area saw us narrowly avoid being shanghaied by an over enthusiastic loadmaster for a P&O boat ("quick, cycle straight on we're going to be late") who had to have it spelt out that we actually were booked on the 0930hr Sealink ferry.

A straightforward crossing and then out along the coast towards Dunkirk before turning at Oye Plage into the lanes which are numerous and quiet in this region.  Lunch proved to be a problem since many village cafes were closed for Good Friday so emergency rations were eaten by a wayside waterway with our new Kiwi friends Christine and Malcolm.  The remainder of our party contented themselves with drinks in a nearby bar but we all remained fairly hungry until the bar at Audruicq which served excellent hot chocolate and had the benefit of a patisserie across the road.  The bar also featured a French version of "Pistol, Bardolph and Nim" who were in an advanced state of jolliness which positively blossomed when they realised we were English and not German.  Toasts were exchanged and we were regaled by Pistol's tales of his riding the Paris Roubaix cyclotourist raid many years ago when he had been considerably thinner in the waist!  Only as we were about to leave did we notice the tame, uncaged jackdaw which wandered round the beer taps and which had clearly been noting all our indiscretions.  It gave us a stern look as we departed, wafted on our way by alcoholic "bonne routes" from the barside trio.

The countryside becomes more interesting after Audruicq (this means hilly!) and the climb to the ruined chapel of St Louis perched above Louches gave a good view of the coast whence we had come and also of the new TGV track which runs up to the French side of the tunnel.  On queue a high speed train complete with flashing roof light shot across the scenery heading towards the tunnel portals at Sangatte.  A rapid descent into the pretty valley of the river Hem and the once walled village of Tournehem sur la Hem saw a fairly tired party push into a headwind on the D217 to Bonningues les Ardres and our base for the weekend.

The sprint for the high iron gates of the Manoir at Bonningues saw me lose narrowly to a fine piece of tactical sprinting by Joan Robinson, our leader and organiser of the trip.  Unlike my sprinting, Le Manoir did not disappoint and we were greeted by a friend of the owners who opened up the spacious garage (carriage store?) for bicycle storage before showing us into the house.  Le Manoir was built in the 18th century as a Napoleonic country gentleman's residence, architecturally it is a classic of the style of its period and has been sympathetically restored with great care to retain as much of the original interior decoration as possible.  It is featured in an English "coffee table" glossy book, "The French Woman's Kitchen" by Caroline Williams for those interested in period tilework.  The bedrooms are on the grand scale with all mod cons.  More importantly the owner Madame Christiane Dupont is enthusiastic to see more English cyclists visit.  In spite of her advert in the CTC magazine we were the first English cyclists to have booked.

As co-translator (Mde Dupont does not speak English) I'm afraid I rather overdid the explanation of how English cyclists eat enormous quantities of food at breakfast.  Next morning saw our party sit down to Mde Dupont's usual fare of hot croissants, pain au chocolate with home made jams, coffee, tea and chocolate plus two baguettes each!  To our credit we did not leave very much but the first few miles were not particularly comfortable.  Mde Dupont had kindly agreed to book our evening meals for us and ferry us by car to the chosen restaurant and collect us after dinner.  Our first evening saw us enjoy a substantial meal at a Ferme Auberge about 10km down the valley after which our dining chairs were placed in the back of the farmer's pig van so that we could all be ferried back to bed together.  An interesting ride to say the least!  The two remaining evening meals were both at a local house in Bonningues where Mde Dupont's friend managed to serve us all a superb dinner whilst her husband egged us on to drink as much wine as we could!  Surprisingly the bill for each of our evening meals including drinks came to a remarkably cheap 80Fr per person.  Bed and breakfast at Le Manoir was an amazingly cost effective 220Fr per couple especially since this included evening "taxis" and on the occasion of my birthday Mde Dupont treated the whole group to drinks before we proceeded to further aperitifs at our dinner venue.

Our first full day's ride saw us cross the hills into St Omer to visit the Easter market and then explore the amazing marshlands behind the town, the Clan Marais, which are a maze of small canals not unlike the English fens.  Later in the day after a forest picnic we rode to visit the ship lift at Fontinnettes which has now been replaced on the Neufosse Canal by a modern super lock but is maintained as a unique piece of industrial archaeology with a small and interesting museum.  Our second day's tour visited the pottery town of Desvres and climbed into the attractive forest and hill country behind the town (Mont Hulin 206m).  The long run down from the top towards Bayenghem on the D202 is strongly recommended and perfect for a pedal free extended group natter.

Our sad depart from the Le Manoir had us riding into a strong headwind back towards the coast and through some reasonably hilly countryside.  A local even stopped his car to photograph our group as we powered up to the summit of Le Ventu (186m) on the D191.  An Easter Monday lunch was taken amongst many other local families at Wissant.  Wissant is also notable as the port where Thomas a Beckett embarked for England in the certain knowledge that he was heading for his doom at Canterbury.  More serious climbing followed in the wheel marks of the Tour as we cycled out from Escalles (Indurain's name is still painted on the road near the final hairpin).  Just off the top of Cap Blanc Nez is the site that Bleriot used for take off on his successful flight.  He would not have ventured forth in the gale we were now enjoying and the smooth road and reasonable descent saw the group spin down towards Calais at over 40mph.  The Greenings' tandem topped out at 48mph!

In spite of the strong winds we had a remarkably smooth return to Dover where sad au revoirs were said and agreement reached that we should return to Mde Dupont's in 96.  In the meantime if any of our Havant friends are planning a cross channel ride do try and visit Le Manoir.  Madame Dupont, Le Manoir, 16 Route de Licques, Bonningues les Ardres, 62890 Tournehem sur la Hem.  Tel  21.35.60.91.

Put Yourself in the Yellow Jersey in 1996!

WEST SURREY DISTRICT ASSOCIATION  MID-WEEK WAYFARERS' POINTS  1994/5

BOB CROSBY, ALAN HOLBROOK, PHIL HAMPTON, HELEN JUDEN, ROBERT TUDGLEY, BENTLEY COOK, WILLIAM COOK, JANE COOK, STEVE PEARSON, TOM SCHINDLER, BILL WELLINGS, SANTI, JONATHON BRIDGE, TOM FISH, DOROTHY FRANCKSEN, MARION HOULTON, RAY YOUNG, CHRISSY, JACK RAPLEY AND NOEL YATES.

THE TOTAL NUMBER OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE OUT OVER THE YEAR WAS 57

THE SMALLEST NUMBER WAS ON FEB.1st -- 5     THE LARGEST NO. WAS FEB.8th -- 23

THE AVERAGE OUT EACH WEEK WAS -- 14

CONGRATULATIONS TO HARRY STATHAM ON WINNING THE 'GEORGE ALESBURY' TANKARD AND TO ROY RICHARDSON ON COMING SECOND IN SPITE OF A SPELL IN HOSPITAL

MIDWEEK WAYFARERS SURVEY

On a good many questions there has been consensus and in one case unanimity - nobody wanted longer coffee stops!  In other areas there has been a clear majority in one direction or the other;  in other cases you have been more evenly divided.  We (the troika) will try to interpret your wishes in a way that protects minorities.  This is essential if we are to avoid stresses and strains, which might damage the very fine club spirit now existing.

As far as coffee stops are concerned (see table attached) a pretty good consensus exists.  There are one or two outright rejects - for example few people are interested in Godalming, and Dinton Pastures only scrapes in as a possible once a year visit, but that of course is all it ever was.  Yorktown gets a thumbs down.  Wheelers, West Horsley and Newlands Corner are not really applicable for Wednesday runs.

You included some well thought out suggestions, which we mention below with comments:-

1)  Some starts are very close such as MN and LRA and MG and WCG and we could economise by cutting out one or other.  We are not quite convinced of the need for this.

2)  We should introduce some starts that are further afield such as Pirbright Green, Frimley Green or Ash Station and perhaps CTC GHQ.

3)  One member questions the need for coffee stops on train assisted runs.  At least one troika member agrees with this so lets run it up the flag and see who salutes.

We turn now to the survey itself.  The actual statistics are given overleaf but some specific comments may be in order.

1)  The ratio of B's to A's is about one to two, which is about as expected.

2)  There is very strong support for some early starts in Summer.  With sunrise at or before six AM it does seem a pity to waste good cycling time and on the basis of the figures alone we would not hesitate to implement some changes in the New Year.  However there are members who would find it almost impossible because of rush hour traffic, so we merely table the matter for discussion over the coming weeks.

3)  There is powerful (though not unanimous) support for train runs.  This cannot be ignored but we will continue to provide alternative runs for trainophobes.

4)  There is quite a strong pro-picnic party.  We will try to provide one picnic per list, but always bearing in mind that non-picnickers may go to a convenient pub in the vicinity.  This will be a consideration for leaders on the day.

5)  We have already mentioned coffee stops and the time we spend in them..  There is no pronounced opinion that we dawdle too long and it is our view that it would not be possible to lay down firm rules.  We suggest that it is for leaders to exert their powers of leadership and to act as whippers-in (or whippers-out) if sloth seems to be gaining the upper hand.

6)  Quite a few members like the idea of tea stops.  We agree with the member who suggests that these should rather be unscheduled and thus at leader's discretion or by general agreement on the day.

Now a nagging word about road discipline.  We are lucky to belong to the oldest cycle touring club in the world and should perhaps set an example to others by our road behaviour.  Alas it is not so.  Someone who must be nameless stated that, on the contrary we behave more like a disorderly rabble and that if car drivers drove like we ride there would be an exponential rise in fatalities!  We merely quote his view and we ourselves could not possibly comment!

Except perhaps to point out the obvious and that is that the words "car up!" means "Get in!", your life may depend on it.  Also when we ride in big groups of ten or more it makes sense to split into groups of three or four with forty or fifty yards between so that on narrow roads cars can leapfrog their way forward.  Remember that a frustrated driver is a potential lethal weapon and we are the target.  Let's be cyclists, not statistics.  Here endeth the commercial.

Once again thanks for your fine response.  Now that we all know what we all think we have a better chance to plan what we are all going to do together in the future.

Happy cycling in 1996.

With respect,

Your troika.

NOTE

To meet the print deadline we have had to go to press short of one or two questionnaires.  We do not think this will materially affect the analysis, but when they come in we will include them in a revision and republish if there is a significant difference.

ANALYSIS OF SURVEY

COFFEE STOPS (non-train assisted)

We have given the highest scorer (Savill Gardens) 100 points and graded all the others against this.
 

COFFEE STOP	SCORE %
Savill Gardens	100
Dunley Hill Cartlodge	83
Compton Watts Gallery	82
Abinger Hammer	76
Shere Asters	69
Runnymede	66
Farnham Maltings	62
Bocketts Farm	60
Badshott Lea	59
Gomshall	53
Sunninghill L/C	53
Newlands Barn Cafe	53
Wheelers Rest	52
Seale L/C	50
North Camp Colius	50
Old Windsor L/C	49
Cobham	40
Cranleigh Notcutts	40
Dinton Pastures	39
West Horsleigh	27
Leatherhead Thorndyke	26
Yorktown M&S	26
Godalming	15

BENSTEAD CHALLENGE CUP COMPETITION - 1996

The Cup is awarded annually to the West Surrey member who has accumulated the greatest number of points from the specified events.  Besides holding the Cup for one year the winner receives an engraved medal to keep, as does the runner-up.  A separate trophy, the Ladies Benstead Shield, is awarded to the highest placed lady.  The Junior Benstead Cup is awarded to the highest placed Junior (under 18 years at 30th September of the relevant year).  For each of these trophies, should no eligible rider score 100 points or more, the trophy shall not be awarded.

For 1996 the non-competitive events for which points shall be awarded are:
21st April:  50 or 20 mile reliability ride
26th May:  150km Audax
16th June:  200km Audax, 25 - 100 mile clover leaf ride
21st July:  60km Audax roughstuff
18th August:  105km Audax "Tour of the Hills"
8th September:  100 or 75 mile reliability ride
There will also be a night ride event on a date to be announced.

Subject to the condition stated below, for each of these events completed within the required time 50 points shall be awarded up to a maximum of 250 points for 5 events completed.  Riders who at the end of the season have not completed 5 events within the specified time shall in addition to 50 points for each event completed within the time be awarded 10 points for each event started but not completed, or not completed within the specified time for up to a maximum of 5 events in total for completed and uncompleted events.
For the 50/20 mile, 25 - 100 mile clover leaf and the 100/75 mile rides the following condition shall apply:
Only one ride at each distance shall count for points although a longer distance may be counted in place of a shorter one.  (Example:  a rider completing the 50 mile ride in April, a 50 mile ride of the clover leaf ride in June and the 100 mile in September will have 2 counting rides, whereas a rider completing the 50 mile ride in April, a 100 mile ride of the clover leaf ride in June and the 100 mile in September will have 3 counting rides, the second 100 counting in place of a 75 mile ride.)

For 1996 the 3 competitive events for which points shall be awarded are the hillclimb, freewheeling and pacejudging, all to be held on 6th October.  For the purposes of calculating numbers of starters these 3 events shall be considered as one event, ie anyone competing in any one of these events shall be deemed, for the purposes of the points calculation detailed below, to have started in all three.  Should the number of starters, calculated in this way be less than 4, points towards the Cup shall not be awarded.  For each of these competitive events the winner shall be awarded 50 points, with points for other placings being awarded on a percentage basis, eg if there are 20 starters the second place shall be awarded 19/20 of the points awarded to the winner ie 47.5, the third place 45 and so on down to 2.5 for the 20th place.  Non finishers shall be considered as equal last and in all cases of equally placed competitors the points awarded shall be the average (arithmetic mean) for the placings concerned, eg if 4 competitors are placed equal 3rd the points awarded shall be the average of those which would have been awarded for 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th places.
Hillclimb and freewheeling:  Riders must enter and complete whichever of these events is run second on the same machine carrying as nearly as practicable the same load as for the first of these events, such load not to exceed that reasonable for a day ride.  "As nearly as practicable" and "reasonable" will be interpreted at the organiser's discretion but implies riders will not be expected to find another lot of sandwiches for the second event if they have eaten those they were carrying on the first event and that bricks in saddlebags will not be permitted.

These events are intended for tourists on touring machines, therefore, with the exception of the 60km roughstuff ride, only riders on machines fitted with full length mudguards can gain points towards the Cup competition.  Tricycles are exempt from this rule, due to the difficulty in fitting mudguards.  Any kind of machine complying with the above (bicycle, tricycle, tandem, recumbent tandem tricycle etc) may be ridden provided that it is propelled solely by human muscular effort (neglecting any incidental assistance from wind or gravity).  Any rider contributing to this effort shall be awarded points in the relevant DA competitions, although competitive events (eg freewheeling) may separate riders into classes in order to ensure fair competition between like machines (solo v solo, tandem v tandem etc).

In order to encourage DA members to organise or marshal events, 10 points shall be awarded for organising or marshalling any one of the 8 events listed above, although points will only be awarded for organising/marshalling or riding a non-competitive event and not both.

Entry fees and conditions of entry shall be as specified in the entry forms for each event.

D.A. badges are awarded to those completing 4 or more of the 8 events listed above.  The hillclimb, freewheeling and pacejudging shall be considered as a single event for the purpose of this calculation and completing it requires completing each of its three parts.  A gold badge shall be awarded for completing 6 events, a silver badge for completing 5 events and a bronze badge for completing 4 events.  ("Gold", "silver" and "bronze" refer approximately to the colour of these badges and not to the material of which they are made.).  Organising or marshalling one event shall count towards these badges in the same way as if the event had been successfully completed, ie a gold badge shall also be awarded for completing 5 events and marshalling or organising one event and similarly for silver and bronze.

Points towards the Benstead Cup competition shall also be awarded from the Sunday Attendance competition, with the winner of the Attendance competition being awarded 100 points and other placings being awarded points on the same percentage basis as described above for the hillclimb etc.  For this calculation only riders who have scored 10 or more points in the Sunday Attendance competition shall be considered.

Sunday Attendance Competition for the Bill Inder Trophy
As the results of this competition are required for the calculation of Benstead Cup results it is run on a yearly basis from 1st October to 30th September, ie the 1995 Benstead Cup results will contain scores from the Sunday Attendance competition run from 1st October 1994 to 30th September 1995.  Points are awarded for attendance on Sunday runs and Sunday events which appear on the D.A. runs lists.  For Sunday runs there is one point each for morning start, elevenses, lunch and afternoon tea.  Where adverse weather conditions, mechanical problems and other contingencies unforeseen at the time of compilation of the runs list prevent groups from reaching the destinations stated on the runs list, points may still be awarded to group members for elevenses, lunch or afternoon tea at places other than those given on the runs list.  Individuals not riding with the D.A'.s organised groups may not claim points for attendance at places other than those specified on the runs list.  As some riders may find the distance ridden on the D.A.'s Sunday rides too large if the ride to and from their homes is included, arrival at the start or departure from afternoon tea, or arrival or departure from elevenses or lunch using a motor vehicle to transport the cycle shall not prevent the award of attendance points, providing arrival or departure as appropriate is by cycle.

The winner of the Sunday Attendance competition shall hold the Bill Inder Trophy for one year and the highest placed Junior shall hold the Junior Attendance Trophy for one year, except that a trophy shall not be awarded if no eligible rider has scored at least 40 points.  For Sunday events on the runs list 4 points shall be awarded for completing the event.  Organisers and marshals of D.A. events shall be awarded the same number of points in the Attendance competition as they would have received for successfully completing the event.

In the case of disputes, decision shall initially be by the organiser in the case of D.A. events or the relevant group leader or leaders for Sunday runs.  Riders may appeal against such decisions to the D.A. Committee.  In order to ensure consistency between different organisers or different group leaders the D.A. Committee may also rule on such matters without an appeal having been made.  In either case the decision of the D.A. Committee shall be final.  In the above rules the word "group" shall be taken to include both the DA's formal Sections and its groups.

The above rules were approved by the D.A. Committee on 1st December 1995 and will be applied to the 1996 competition.  Suggestions for changes to these rules, and for new events to be included, from 1997, should be made to the Runs Secretary.

AUDAX AND DATC RIDES

At the time of writing this I have only the Audax calendar for January and February 1996 and have listed those events which some members of the DA rode last year.  These are:  21st Jan  Watership Down 110km from Littleton nr Winchester;  11th Feb  Newbury Downs 105km from Donnington nr Newbury;  17th Feb  Cotswold Corker from Bishops Cleeve nr Cheltenham.  I have not put any events for March on the runs list because there is no space and the only events I know about are the 205, 151 and 110 km rides from Lincoln on 2nd March.  I expect Stuart Downie will be running his Hilly 50km ride from Ryka's at Westhumble on 3rd March and that there will be Audax rides from Marlow later in the month.

When the Audax and DATC calendars appear I shall be asking those I think might be interested which rides they are planning to do.  If you are interested in shared travel arrangements or riding with others from West Surrey DA call me on 01483 233381.  If you prefer to make your own arrangements, I hope I shall see you on some of the rides anyway.

Roger Philo  (Runs Secretary)

WEST SURREY DISTRICT ASSOCIATION - CYCLISTS' TOURING CLUB

BENSTEAD CUP PLACINGS 1995

A Victorian Chestnut Sunday - May 12 1996

This year's celebration of the famous Chestnut Sunday will have additional focus on youth, so pack up a picnic, bring the family and join the many youth groups who will be represented.  The bands and guards of the Sea Cadets and the Scouts will entertain you, providing they can be kept away from the Sedan chair race and the Soap Box event.  Why not arrange your Sunday Club runs to meet up at Bushy Park?  Teddington Road entrance, 12.30pm until 5pm.

For further details, contact Bill or Margaret Squirrel, 01932 343358

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