Post by imcdonnell on Feb 6, 2018 15:43:26 GMT
Muddy Monsters Event - 04 Dec 2020
Last email for this week I promise!
The Muddy Monsters event on the 12th is now confirmed. Details are a little sketchy and entry has to be made in advance because of the current restrictions. The organisers are also concerned that they will get swamped with entries from Central League etc. riders who are missing out on those events this season. The series has always been intended for less experienced riders so they may well turn away riders who they think are too experienced.
As a result entries have to be made directly to the organiser by email. We have attached the poster they issued last night which includes the email address to apply for entry.
We don't know if there is an Under 16 series this season - the poster says all ages but last season there were few if any entries for that age group so they may decide not to stage it.
Sorry we don't have any more details but we wanted to get this out as quickly as possible.
Good luck!
Peter and Brian
Muddy Monsters Event - 02 Dec 2020
Sorry about the non-committal title to this email but we wanted to keep you as up to date as we can.
The Government issued guidelines last night regarding sports activity and as a result Bedford Council has confirmed that their parks are open again for groups such as us.
British Cycling are a bit slower off the mark and their website is promising an update soon. We expect this to mean that we are OK to resume because Bedford has confirmed that organised groups of up to 30 can meet in coaching sessions such as ours and this is the same number as before the second lockdown.
We are therefore planning to meet on Saturday at 9am as usual. In the unlikely event that British Cycling say we can't run sessions we will let you know so please check your emails just in case.
The Ashwell Muddy Monsters race is also waiting for confirmation from British Cycling but this is a little more complicated because it is a race rather than an organised coaching event. They have confirmed that the intention is that the races will take place in the afternoon of December 12th but are unable to give any more detail until the event has been approved.
Our intention is that our last session for 2020 will be on December 19th. Obviously we can't hold our traditional ride along the cycle route and visit to Danish Camp so it will be a normal session. We realise however that not all of you will be able to attend because of the proximity to Christmas. If you can let us know whether you are going to join us on that date it would be appreciated.
One thing we can be sure of this weekend is that it is going to be cold so bear that in mind - gloves are essential!
(Probably) see you Saturday
Peter and Brian
Go-Ride Update 05 Nov 2020
British Cycling issued guidelines about the new lockdown rules last night so we thought it would be useful to pass them on.
You can continue to ride during the next four weeks but the following applies:
• Only ride alone, with those in your household/support bubble, or with one person from another household. If you are riding with a person from another household, you must only ever ride as a pair. For example, two riders from the same household cannot ride in a group of three with a person from another household, unless all are part of the same support bubble.
• Stay two metres apart from anybody not from your household/support bubble.
• If you are experiencing any coronavirus symptoms, are self-isolating, are sharing a household /support bubble with somebody with symptoms, or have been told to self-isolate after being contacted by NHS Test and Trace, you should stay at home.
• There are no restrictions on how far or how often you can ride, however we recommend that you stay within your ability level and prepare accordingly, especially if you are riding alone.
• For essential journeys, the Government is encouraging people to cycle or walk where possible.
Peter and Brian
Go-Ride Update 05 Nov 2020
I'm sure you've seen the debate that has been taking place regarding the rules relating to "grassroots sport" following the announcement about the new lockdown at the weekend.
Although British Cycling hasn't issued an update to its guidelines yet, Bedford Council has written to all of the users of their facilities (including us) to say that only 1:1 activities will be permitted from tomorrow.
We will therefore not be able to meet until December 5th at the earliest. The Muddy Monsters race due to take place on November 21st has been cancelled.
We'll be in touch again as soon as we have any updates, in the meantime stay safe.
Peter and Brian
Muddy Monsters Event - 16 Feb 19
Thanks again to everyone who has offered to help us next Saturday for our race. Looks like February is shaping up to be mild and dry so it might just be a Monsters race.
The main things that we need to do on the day are setting the course up, registering riders, keeping an eye on the riders' safety when on the course, counting laps so that we know who has won(!) and then taking everything down again.
The biggest task is to set the course up, this involves putting stakes out to mark the route and, where appropriate, attaching tape.
We have to get this done by the time the first riders start to arrive at 9:30 to register so the plan is to start laying everything out at 8:30. If you are able to help with this then can you aim to arrive at 8:15 so that we can carry the stakes from the car park.
I have asked the park to arrange for the overspill car park to be opened, I'll confirm that they are going to do this and let you all know during the week. The overspill car park is on the left hand side shortly after you pass under the height barrier on the entrance to the park.
There are some specific tasks that we need to do and I have allocated people to do this, hope you don't mind if you are/aren't on the list below. I know some of you have done these things before so I have asked you to do it again!
Registration - Sian/Selina/Sarah
Getting riders to the start/starting the race - Sam/Peter
Lap counting/Rider number recording/lap counter - Calvin/Danny/Will
Spare rider for the Madison - Jake
I'm not getting off as lightly as it might appear, I will record all the results and work out who has won each race etc. I'll also organise the madison pairings.
We will allocate places for us to have marshals around the course, the idea is to make sure riders are OK if they stop, replace any tape that may get damaged.
Once we have finished then if as many people as possible can collect stakes and take tape down then we should be able to be cleared up quickly.
See you Saturday (and this afternoon at Ashwell)
Sam and Brian
Muddy Monsters Return - 9 Feb 2019
The last four Muddy Monsters races take up the next few weeks so there will be no session this weekend. Instead racing is taking place at St Albans, details of the venue and racing can be found at the following link:
www.britishcycling.org.uk/events/details/190055/Muddy-Monsters-Various-Cyclo-Cross-Go-Ride-Racing
The first race is at 10:00am so registration is open from 9:30.
For those of you who are new to Muddy Monsters there are 5 age groups - Under 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 and each group consists of two races, one short, one longer. Times and distances are determined by the organising club but none are long and all are appropriate to the age group.
The final race is a relay in which the slowest rider in the youngest age group is teamed up with the fastest in the oldest age group, then the 2nd slowest with the 2nd fastest and so on. This race is purely for fun and has proved to be very enjoyable for riders and spectators alike.
Entry is £4 payable at registration and the whole event lasts for a couple of hours.
If you need help with anything on the day, we'll be there to assist and make sure everyone is in the right place at the right time.
We will send details of where we will be looking for assistance with our own race this weekend.
For those of you who have places at the velodrome in Derby reserved I will send a consent form separately after this email. Assuming the session goes ahead - I will know on Friday - you will need to take a copy of the form with you and give it to the staff when you sign in to receive your bike etc.
See you Saturday
Sam, Peter and Brian
Track and CX Update
You might want to sit down before you start reading this, there's quite a lot to get through this week!
First up is that we will be riding at the Priory as usual on Saturday 2nd Feb, 9am at the totem next to the car park. Sam will be taking a group out on the road - last Saturday the riders experienced 6 punctures between them! Fortunately the sixth happened as they returned to the car park because they only had 5 spare tubes.
Can we ask that all riders taking part in these rides bring at least one spare tube with them, if they have pumps and tyre levers then they will also be useful.
Saturday will be our last session for a few weeks as the Muddy Monsters season starts again on February 9th. A reminder that the races and venues are as follows:
•9th Feb - St Albans, Marlborough Sports Club, AL1 2EF. 10:00am start
•16th Feb - Ashwell Grass Track, off Station Road, SG7 5LT 1:30pm start
•23rd Feb - our race at the Priory, 10:00am start
•2nd Mar - Welwyn, Gosling Sports Park, AL8 6XE. 10:00am start
Please note that the Ashwell race starts at 1:30pm. For all races entry is £4 payable on the day and registration opens half an hour before the start time.
If you haven't raced before and want to know what it is all about please ask one of us on Saturday and we'll explain. Suffice to say that all of our riders enjoy the races and they are a great entry level event.
Thanks to all of you who have offered to help us on the 23rd, we'll give you more details nearer the time.
We have reserved places at the velodrome in Derby for those of you who have asked us to. We have 8 riders and the venue needs 12 to stage the session so they are optimistic that it will go ahead. If anyone else is interested let me know.
The coaches at Derby will confirm whether the session is on by Friday 8th February and I will let you all know. They have said that it may be possible to stage a Beds Road session and include parents - this will only happen if there are less than 12 riders and is subject to the coach on the day agreeing but if any parents are interested in riding then let me know.
All riders will need to complete a consent form and take it with them, I will email copies to all the participating riders. The track will provide helmets, shoes and bikes but you should all take gloves/mitts.
You will need to make your own way there and back and should aim to arrive at 12:15 so that you can get your equipment sorted and maximise the time spent riding.
For the avoidance of doubt I have registered the following people:
•Amelie
•Cecilia
•Alexander
•Jake
•Lewis
•Georgia
•Benjamin
•George
I have paid for everyone so if you are unable to go please let me know, I'll hound you for the money once the session is confirmed!
See you Saturday
Sam and Brian
Priory Marina on Saturday 26th Jan
Last weekend's Central League races were perhaps the most competitive of the season. The location meant that riders from some of the biggest clubs in the Midlands were competing so Cecilia, Jake, Thomas and Sophie all put in good performances against strong opposition.
This weekend we will continue our sessions aimed at the Muddy Monsters races and will meet at the totem next to the car park at Priory as usual at 9am.
We're awaiting confirmation from the velodrome at Derby, they are proving difficult to get details from, but as soon as I hear whether they are able to run a session I will let you know.
See you Saturday
Sam, Peter and Brian
Winter on its Way?
The weather is likely to be cold this Saturday so please make sure you come dressed appropriately - gloves are essential.
We'll be meeting at the Priory at 9am as usual.
We're supporting the local Council's Just Turn Up campaign at the moment to try and encourage youngsters to enjoy cycling amongst other sports. As well as our session they are promoting a beginners and a family session at Jubilee Park this Saturday at 11am and midday respectively. If you have friends who may be interested they can find the details at bit.ly/bbcbike
We haven't had many takers for the velodrome in Derby in February but I will see if there are sufficient for them to run a course and let you know.
Finally for now, Amelie is looking to sell her Frog bike - it's a size 62. If you are interested then either speak to Selina (Amelie's Mom) or let me know and I will pass your details on.
See you Saturday.
Sam, Peter and Brian
Happy New Year!
Hope you all had a good Christmas and managed to get some cycling on over the holiday period. Looking forward to seeing all the new bikes this weekend!
There are four weeks of coaching sessions before the recommencement of the Muddy Monsters series on February 9th.
A reminder too that there are still two Central CX League races to be held this season, the first is on January 20th in Lutterworth.
Our race is on February 23rd and in order for it to be a success we will need help in setting up the course, registering riders and marshalling.
Some people have already indicated that they will be able to help - thanks to all of you - if you haven't put your name forward but are willing to assist could you either reply to this email or let one of us know please.
As a guide, we will start the course set up at around 8am and expect to be finished by midday.
Our winter/spring sessions start this Saturday at the Priory Marina at 9am.
As a new year warm up, Sam has offered to take our older riders on a ride around the club TT course. It's about 11 miles long and is on the road so we will have to limit the number of riders taking part and will also set a minimum age limit of 13.
Please be aware that this is only for riders who are experienced in riding on the road and that it is not an official coached session so participation is entirely at your own risk and is not covered by our insurance. Sorry to sound alarmist but hope you can appreciate that we have to make this clear.
This won't affect the normal coaching session that we will run at the Priory itself.
In the last few months some of our riders have taken part in coaching sessions at the indoor velodrome in Derby. Riding on a velodrome is great fun and the coaches at Derby are very good - feedback from our riders has been very positive.
They are staging a session on February 21st which is half term in some parts of the country but, I understand, not necessarily all of Bedford. However the organisers have indicated that they would be willing to put on an extra session on February 15th from 1-3pm if there is sufficient interest.
The minimum age is 9 and bikes are provided, there is a charge of £20 for the session. If you are interested in taking part let me know and we will try and arrange for a session to be held.
We will probably have to move quickly if we are able to get anything booked so if you can let me know by the weekend that will give us the best chance to arrange anything.
Think that's probably enough for now, see you Saturday
Sam, Peter and Brian
12 Dec - Merry Christmas
Another good weekend for our riders at the latest cyclo cross event at Hillingdon with Jake and Cecilia finishing second and third respectively whilst Thomas again rode well to record a top ten finish.
This Saturday is our last ride of the year and tradition dictates that we meet at Danish Camp to ride along Route 51 before returning to the cafe where drinks and a (giant) cookie are waiting for all of the riders.
We'll have some prizes for the best festively decorated bike and/or rider so get the tinsel and flashing lights off the tree and we'd love to see as many parents on their bikes as possible. Nobody gets left behind, although some of the quicker riders may not wait for their parents.
We'll meet at Danish Camp at 9am and aim to get back for refreshments at around 10:15. If you are not riding then you are welcome to join us in the cafe. For those of you aren't sure, the address for Danish Camp is Chapel Lane, Willington, MK44 3QG.
Think that's all you need to know, look forward to seeing you all on Saturday and if you can't make it then best wishes for a Happy Christmas and we'll see you in 2019.
Sam, Peter and Brian
6 Dec - Final Priory Session of 2018
A belated congratulations to Jake, Cecilia and Sophie for their rides at Swanbourne the week before last, Jake came 2nd in his race which was his best ever finish.
Last weekend Thomas and Cecilia both competed in the Eastern and Central Regional Championships. Cecilia came 4th and Thomas 13th - well done both.
In the 3rd Muddy Monsters event Will again won both his races, Cecilia came second and there were good performances from James, Amelie, Delphi, Rebel, Harry, Thomas, Sophie and Alexander.
This Saturday we will be at the Priory for our last coaching session before our family ride and then Christmas.
See you at the totem at 9am
Sam, Peter and Brian
28 Nov - Coaching Returns!
There are no published results yet for the Central or Muddy Monsters events held over the weekend and I'm not going to trust my memory and list the riders at Hitchin. As soon as I receive the details I will share them.
In the meantime we are back to coaching this weekend and will be meeting at the Priory (we've shelved our plan to go to Box End for now).
Plan is to meet at the totem at 9am as usual and after a warm-up and some riding in the field area, we are going to take Route 51 and do some gear changing work on the bridge over the main road. If you aren't familiar with Route 51 then it is part of the National Cycle Network so is off-road, mostly on tarmac or dirt tracks and except for the very occasional car going to park near the entrance to the Priory, it is traffic-free.
The route runs alongside the park so we will be returning to the totem by 10:30 ish as normal.
December 15th is our last session before Xmas and we will stick with tradition and ride along Route 51 from Danish Camp, plan will be to arrange for all the riders to have cakes/cookies/drinks on us at the cafe in Danish Camp at the finish. Parents are welcome/encouraged to ride with us so it would be good to see as many of you as possible.
It helps if we have an idea of the numbers of riders that will be joining us so if you can let us know either by replying to this email or speaking to one of us on Saturday it would be appreciated. We'll let you have more details nearer the time but it is a 9am start and we are usually back at Danish Camp by around 10:15 for our well-earned drink.
See you Saturday
Sam, Peter and Brian
21 Nov - More Cyclo-Cross Racing
We had riders competing in two events this weekend, the Central League race at MK Bowl and the second round of the Muddy Monsters league at Welwyn.
At Milton Keynes Cecilia was third in her race and Jake maintained his consistent form this season with an 8th place. Following his strong performance at Ashwell the week before Alexander stepped up to the tougher Central League event and put in another good performance.
Results from the Muddy Monsters event haven't been published yet (or at least if they have I can't find them) but Will recorded a clean sweep, winning both his age group races and then teaming up with Amelie to win the Madison. Jack and Delphi both finished third in their races and Adam, James and Rebel all survived the mud to record good performances. Special mention to James as his chain got stuck in the first race but he had the presence of mind to run a third of the course pushing his bike!
This weekend racing takes pace on Saturday and Sunday with the Muddy Monsters event at Hitchin on Saturday and the Central League the following day at Swanbourne School in Buckinghamshire.
Details of the former can be found here:
www.britishcycling.org.uk/events/details/190105/Muddy-Monsters-on-the-Butts
and the Central race details are here
www.britishcycling.org.uk/events/details/185292/JCA---Equipe-Velo-Cross/Central-Cyclo-Cross-League-Round-10
After this weekend there are no more Saturday races until the New Year so we will have three coaching sessions before we break for Christmas - the last one being on the 15th December when we will have our traditional family ride. Details to follow next week.
Good luck to all of you who are racing this weekend, hope to see most of you at some point.
Sam, Peter and Brian
14 Nov - Muddy Monsters Round 2
So now you should all understand the Madison!!
Great to see so many of you racing on Saturday, well done for surviving the rain and wind.
A special mention to Adam, James and Katya who were all competing in their first cyclo-cross races, hopefully they enjoyed them enough to come back for more.
We had a number of podium finishes - Thomas and Cecilia both won their events, Cecilia's endurance race was one of the best of the day as she held off a strong late challenge, whilst Thomas dominated from start to finish.
Sophie and Amelie both finished second in their races whilst Delphi, William and Jack all came third. Most aggressive rider of the day had to be Alexander who was racing against much older riders and came fourth overall. Rebel was lapped shortly before the finish of his race but insisted on completing the entire duration of the race and rode on for another lap.
Amongst the mayhem, I think Cecilia and Thomas also finished 2nd and 3rd in the Madison race.
This Saturday we are back to a 10:00am start, this time at Welwyn. Registration is at 9:30 and the format is the same.
The event is at the Gosling Sports Park in Welwyn, AL8 6XE, details are at www.britishcycling.org.uk/events/details/190360/R2-Muddy-Monsters-Herts-&-Beds
See you Saturday
Sam, Peter and Brian
08 Nov 2018 - CX Everywhere
(email from Sam, Brian and Peter)
It is the busiest part of the cyclo-cross season right now - we have riders competing in the Central League and this weekend the Muddy Monsters series starts.
Cecilia, Thomas, Emily, Jake and Sophie have all competed in the last two Central League races at Leighton Buzzard and Dunstable. Cecilia has recorded a couple of second place finishes and Thomas and Jake have both been placed 6th and 5th in the two races.
This Saturday afternoon (don't forget it's an afternoon start) Muddy Monsters begins at Ashwell. Racing starts at 1:30pm with registration at 1pm
The format is similar to previous years in that there is a short time trial followed by a longer race. There are races for each of the age groups. The new element to the event is a Madison race.
Don't worry, for those of you who are familiar with the Madison, there are no hand slings or riding endlessly round in circles but instead this is a relay race in which the fastest rider in the oldest age group is teamed up with the slowest in the youngest group. The second fastest older rider makes a duo with the second slowest younger rider and so on.
I'm sure it will all become clear on Saturday.
For the purpose of event series points then the Madison is treated as a separate event from the first two races so that we should end up with overall winners in the individual events by age and the same in the Madison.
If none of that makes sense ask me on Saturday and I'll try and explain it again!
Details of the event on Saturday can be found here:
www.britishcycling.org.uk/events/details/189644/Muddy-Monsters-Herts-and-Beds-Round-1
The course is at Small Gains Lane, Off Station Road, Ashwell, SG7 5LT.
If you've not been before then look for the Ashwell CC or similar banner that is usually placed at the entrance. You will drive up what appears to be a farm track for a couple of hundred yards and the venue is on the left hand side.
If you are not sure on the day my mobile number is 07939 199268 - best tip is to follow the car in front with the bikes on the back/roof!!
Finally , for those of you who are not sure what to expect, then Duncan has posted a video of the Leighton Buzzard event on YouTube - see if you can spot our riders.
youtu.be/KYE2ranh2iQ
See you ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON (last reminder of the time)
Sam, Peter and Brian
25 Oct 18 - Weekend Off!
(email from Sam, Brian and Peter)
There is no session this weekend (27 Oct) as it’s the school half term.
We’ll be back on November 3rd after which we have 3 consecutive weeks of Muddy Monsters races. In order that we can support all of our riders at these events it’s likely that we won’t run coaching sessions on these weeks.
Details of the races are now listed on the British Cycling website in the Events section – please note that the first one is being held at 1:30pm – we’ll remind you again nearer the time.
The full list of events is as follows:
10th Nov, 1:30pm – Ashwell Grass Track, Off Station Rd, SG7 5LT
17th Nov, 10:00am – Welwyn, Gosling Sports Park, AL8 6XE
24th Nov, 10:00am – Hitchin, Butts Close, SG5 1HA
9th Feb, 10:00am – St Albans, Marlborough Sports Club, AL1 2EF
16th Feb, 1:30pm - Ashwell Grass Track, Off Station Rd, SG7 5LT
23rd Feb, 10am – Bedford, Priory Marina, MK41 9DJ
2nd Mar, 10:00am - Welwyn, Gosling Sports Park, AL8 6XE
Enjoy the rest of half term!
Sam, Peter and Brian
18 Oct 2018 - Date for your Diaries
(as emailed by Sam, Peter and Brian)
Dates are now starting to be uploaded to the British Cycling website for the Muddy Monsters series. The first race is at Ashwell on November 10th - please be aware that it starts at 1:30pm, sign on is at 1:00pm.
There are races on the 17th and 24th and we'll keep you posted as information and other dates are confirmed but full details can be found here:
www.britishcycling.org.uk/events/?series_id=614
For those of you who have not raced before this is a great way to have a go at a cyclo-cross race. The events are friendly and cater for riders of all abilities so we would recommend that you try one and see how you get on.
Races are held in age-groups - Under 8's/10's/12's/14's and 16's and there are 3 races per age group per event. The first race is a sprint followed by a longer endurance race and then a handicap which is just a fun race in which riders set off at intervals depending roughly on their performance in the previous races.
We have agreed a date for our own race - this will be held at the Priory on Saturday February 23rd. We can't organise and stage the event on our own but are reliant on parents, friends and so on to help us out so we will be asking for people to offer their assistance on the day. More about this in the coming weeks and months.
In the meantime, we'll see you at the Priory at 9am this Saturday.
Sam, Peter and Brian
But before we get to that we had some riders competing again last week at the Central CX league.
Big congratulations go to Cecilia who came 2nd in her race whilst Jake, Thomas, Emily, Alexander and Sophie also recorded good results.
We'll be at the Priory on Saturday from 9am so hope to see you there.
Dates for the Muddy Monsters races have been issued. We are still trying to arrange a date for ours, it's proving to be frustrating but we will persevere - the most likely date is sometime early in the New Year.
The dates that are confirmed are:
November 10th - Ashwell
Nov 17th - Welwyn
Nov 24th - Hitchin
Feb 9th - St Albans
Feb 16th - Ashwell
March 2nd - Welwyn
More details to follow as we get them.
See you Saturday
Sam, Peter and Brian
4 Oct 2018 - More Cyclo Cross
(as emailed by Sam, Peter and Brian)
Congratulations to Jake and Cecilia who finished 7th and 4th respectively in their CentralCX races last weekend.
We should also give a mention to Ella Ruggles and Ewan Grady who had good rides for their clubs.
We'll be back at the Priory on Saturday, meet at the totem at 9am as usual.
We're trying to agree a date for the Muddy Monsters race - 3 races have been pencilled in so far by other clubs and we are in touch with our British Cycling Go Ride coach and the Council. We'll keep you posted
Sam, Peter and Brian
25 Sep 2018 - Priory Marina This Saturday
(as emailed by Sam, Peter and Brian)
We had seven riders in action at Campbell Park in the Central CX League event this Saturday.
Well done to Emily, Cecilia, Thomas, Alexander, Jake, Sophie and Harry.
Next week's race is on Sunday at Prologis in Glendon, near Kettering
We're continuing our focus on CX skills this Saturday and will be meeting at the Priory Marina again, a chance to fine tune if you are racing on Sunday!
See you Saturday
Sam, Peter and Brian
20 Sep 2018 - Racing and Coaching
(as emailed out by Sam, Brian and Peter)
You're spoilt for choice again this weekend with another cyclo-cross race in Milton Keynes whilst for those not racing we will be meeting at Priory Marina.
Well done to those that raced at he Bowl on Saturday; Emily made her debut in the Under 8 race whilst Cecilia was third in the Under 10 event. Thomas came well inside the top half of the field in the Under 12 boys and Jake recorded his best finish to date in the Under 14's, whisper it but he beat one of the club's road race team members in the process!
Not to be outdone by her brother and sister, Sophie came 6th in the Under 14 girls' race.
For those of you racing this Saturday, don't forget that the event takes place at Campbell Park, a chance to ride at the venue for the World Cup race a few years ago.
If you're not racing then we'll see you at the totem in Priory Marina for a 9am start, returning at 10:30 as usual. For those of you receiving this email for the first time, the totem is between the main car park and the cafe, reply to this email if you want any further details.
Discussions have started again for this year's Muddy Monsters series and we hope to stage our own event this year - weather and cross country running permitting! We'll keep you posted as dates are agreed.
Good luck to those of you racing, see the rest of you on Saturday
Sam, Peter and Brian
02 Sep 2018 - Hope You Had a Good Summer
(as emailed out by Sam, Brian and Peter)
Not quite all over yet but the summer holiday is due to finish any day now so it must be cyclo-cross season soon!
Thanks to the Tour of Britain and the Vuelta cycling is all over the TV at the moment, don't forget that our latest Tour de France winner will be riding the streets of London next Sunday - worth going to see.
Meanwhile we'll be starting another season by riding at Priory Marina on Saturday. We'll be in the usual place by the totem for a 9am start. There are some new people receiving this email so if you have any questions just reply to this email.
Over the course of the next few weeks there are three CX races being held in Milton Keynes, two at the Bowl and one at Campbell Park - the latter was the venue for a World Cup race a couple of years ago.
Dates for these races are on the Central League website and if there sufficient riders planning on competing then we will be attending all of these. If you haven't raced before then come along to the first race and see how you enjoy it.
The dates for the MK races are as follows:
Sept 15th - The Bowl
Sept 22nd - Campbell Park
Oct 6th - The Bowl
Nov 17th - The Bowl
As in the last few years the cost of attending sessions will be £3 for the first child in a family and £2 for each subsequent child. Again, for any new riders you just need a bike in good working order and a helmet.
Its a bit early for planning the Muddy Monsters races but we will be talking to the other clubs so will keep you posted as to the races for this season - they usually start in December.
Looking forward to seeing you Saturday.
Sam, Peter and Brian
21 Jul 19 - Danish Camp on Saturday
(as emailed out by Sam, Brian and Peter)
It's the start of the summer holidays and British riders are first and second in the Tour de France - must be time for our end of season ride at Danish Camp.
For those of you who have not ridden from here before, the address is:Chapel Lane, Willington, MK44 3QG
We'll meet in the car park adjacent to the restaurant at 9am and ride along the cycle route, returning to the restaurant at 10:30. Parents are welcome to come along with us, we will be checking that those of you who own a bike have brought it with you!
Plan is to ride as far as we can, we'll split into groups so that everyone can ride at their own pace - nobody will get left behind (Go Ride member or parent!).
Once we return, refreshments for our younger riders are on us - the owner of the restaurant has asked us to order from the kiosk - the terrace that we have used in the past is being used this Saturday but as the weather looks good we'll probably be better off outside.
See you Saturday
Sam, Peter and Brian
12 Jul 2018 - Last But One Session
(as emailed out by Sam, Peter and Brian)
Our last session before the summer break at the Priory is this Saturday - meet at 9am at the totem.
If you are planning on joining us the following weekend but haven't let us know yet can you drop me an email please.
See you Saturday
Sam, Peter and Brian
13th Jun 2018 - Back By Popular Request
(as emailed out by Same, Brian and Peter)
Back By Popular Request
Seems like everyone particularly enjoyed the session at Chicksands a few weeks ago so we'll be back there this Saturday to make the most of the climbs and descents.
Strictly speaking it's Rowney Warren woods that we will be riding in, the car park is on Sandy Lane - SG17 5QB. We'll plan to get on our way at 9:00am and return as near to 10:30am as our speed and knowledge of the routes through the woods allow.
Parents are welcome to ride with us. We may split into a couple of groups depending on the age range of the riders (excluding parents) to ensure that nobody gets left behind or held up but we will meet at various stages as one group.
See you Saturday
Sam, Peter and Brian
7th Jun 2018 - Priory Marina on Saturday
(As emailed out)
Just to prove that we can ride at the same place two weeks running we'll be at the Priory Marina again on Saturday.
You know the drill, meet at the totem for a 9am start, back again at 10:30.
See you Saturday
Sam, Peter and Brian
17th May 2018 - Rowney Warren on Saturday
(As emailed out)
Some of you may know this as Chicksands but on Saturday we will be riding in the woods at Rowney Warren. For those of you who have not been before this is not the bike park but the woods where there are trails for cyclists.
Cyclo-cross or mountain bikes will be fine and we will be picking some hill climbs, descents and trails to ride around. We haven't ridden here for some time but it is great fun as well as an opportunity to improve your bike handling skills
If parents want to bring their bikes and ride with us they are welcome.
Times are as usual (9am start - 10:30am finish) and we will be meeting in the car park on Sandy Lane, the postcode is SG17 5QB.
The following link should take you to the map: Map
See you Saturday
Sam, Peter and Brian
10th May 2018 - New Venue and GDPR
(As emailed out)
We're going to meet at the Beds Road Club House this Saturday, the address is Southill Road, Cardington MK44 3SX. This is a new venue for us as a group but we want to try out the routes around Cardington as they offer us a few more opportunities to do some group riding and there are some small climbs to keep your heart rates up! We won't be riding on roads, the route is off-road.
For those of you who have not been before the clubhouse is a small building on the right hand side of the road as you leave Cardington. There is no car park so please be conscious of access to houses etc. for local residents if you park on the roadside.
Timings are the usual 9:00 start and 10:30 finish.
I'm sure most of you have been receiving correspondence over the last few weeks from organisations that hold your personal data. New regulations come into force on May 25th which, amongst other things, require organisations holding personal data to be able to show that they have a justification for doing so.
We hold contact and other data for all of our riders and we also have a list of email contacts which you are on - otherwise you wouldn't be getting this email. To ensure that the information we have complies with the regulations we are going to be doing 2 things over the course of the next couple of weeks:
Firstly, we will ask everyone to complete a new parental consent form. Apologies if you have done this recently but we need to be sure that the details we have for you and our riders are accurate.
Secondly, if you receive this email but do not have a son/daughter who rides with us then we need you to reply to this email to confirm that you are happy for us to hold your email address and continue to contact you. If we do not receive this confirmation by May 25th we will remove you from the list.
If we don't see you before the 25th and you do have a rider then please confirm that you want to receive emails by replying to this one.
Thanks for your help
See you Saturday
Sam, Peter and Brian
2nd May 2018 - Muddy Monsters and a Bank Holiday Weekend
Well done to all our riders who raced at Hitchin last weekend, some great races on a new course.
Jake and Cecilia both won their races and there were podium places for Amelie, Delphi (on her race debut), Thomas, Sophie and Ella. Jack rode strongly in the Under 14 race and finish of the day saw Rebel, Thomas and Sophie all turn into the finish straight together before Thomas just won the sprint finish.
On Saturday we are going to meet at the totem and ride out along Route 51 so that we can put a few miles in and practice some group riding.
See you Saturday
Sam, Peter and Brian
26th April 2018 - "Not Too" Muddy Monsters
This weekend could see the driest, warmest course on record.
It's the Hitchin race, details can be found on their website - hitchinnomads.cc/
This race doesn't count towards the season totals, it is just a one-off but the timings and format are the same as always.
We've also received details of some races that are taking place in the half-term holiday which some of you may be interested in. They're being held at Wembley Park on the day of the Tour Series professional criterium and details can be found here:
www.britishcycling.org.uk/events/details/179026/Youth-Races-at-Wembley-Tour-Series
They are intended for Youth riders so there will be separate Girls and Boys U14/U16 races and then an U12/U10 race which looks as though it is for boys and girls.
See you Saturday
Sam, Peter and Brian
18th April 2018 - Muddy Monsters Returns
Well, sort of....
Hitchin are going to stage the round that they had to cancel because of the snow earlier this year. The races will not count towards the overall series, they are just a one-off, but they are being staged on Saturday April 28th.
There are not many opportunities to race in the summer so we will not hold a coaching session that day but hope that as many of you as possible are able to compete.
Details of the event can be found at hitchinnomads.cc/
In the meantime, we'll see you this Saturday at 9:00am by the totem as usual.
See you then
Sam, Peter and Brian
12th April 2018 - Priory Marina on Saturday
This Saturday's session will be at the Priory, hopefully the rain will have stopped by the weekend!
Meet at the Totem at 9am as usual.
See you Saturday
Sam, Peter and Brian
Hope you all had a good Easter, not sure the weather was suitable for riding so we'll try and put that right this weekend.
To start our summer season off (well the sun came out today so we can pretend) we'll meet at the totem next to Priory Marina car park at 9am.
We'll let you have dates and venues where we know them in the next week or so.
See you Saturday
Sam and Brian
14th March 2018 - Update - The Priory on Saturday
I told you that last week's Muddy Monsters finale would live up to the name!!
Well done to all our riders who somehow managed to ride, walk and slide their way through the mud at Welwyn on Saturday.
I'm afraid that the results have not been published again and because I had to leave before the presentations I don't know the final season positions. I will chase the organisers but hopefully those of you who did finish on the season end podiums know who you are and received your medals etc on Saturday.
I'll make sure I share the results when we receive them but in the meantime congratulations to Jake, Harry, Jack, (shoeless) Ella, Amelie, Cecila and Will for finishing each race.
This Saturday will be our last before Easter as all three of us are away on the 24th March. We'll meet by the totem in the main car park at Priory Marina at 9am as usual.
As we've all had enough mud to last us for a few weeks we are going to ride out to the cycle path on Route 51 and we'll be back by 10:30 as usual. Just in case you thought spring has arrived it is forecast to be cold and windy so come prepared!
Our next session will be in 3 weeks time, on April 7th.
By way of advance notice a number of people have suggested that we take part in the Icknield sportive on Sunday April 29th.
Details can be found at icknield-roadclub.org.uk/irc-sportive
There is a 15 mile event which will probably be the best for most of our riders. Entry for Under 16's is free but they must be accompanied by an adult. Please note that neither Sam, Peter nor I can be that adult (unless we are riding with our own kids of course).
We'll sort the details out nearer the date, if you want to ride let us know either at a session or by email and we can ensure we meet and, where practical, ride together.
See you Saturday
Sam, Peter and Brian
8th March 2018 Update - Last Muddy Monsters Race
It's the end of the cyclocross season this Saturday with the final Muddy Monsters race being held at the track at Welwyn. Given the weather over the last couple of weeks I suspect this event is going to live up to its name!
The venue is at Gosling Sports Stadium, Stanborough Road, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, AL8 6XE and you can find out more at:
www.britishcycling.org.uk/events/details/167435/Muddy-Monsters---Round-8#Zk86GPPhj1l0DFS2.99
Races start at 10:00 as usual.
The current standings and results from Ashwell haven't been published still, I will try and get hold of them before Saturday if I can.
See you Saturday
Sam, Peter and Brian
UPDATE: Saturday 3rd March Muddy Monsters Event in Hitchin is CANCELLED.
1st March 2018 update - Another Muddy Monsters Race
We haven't received the results from last week's Muddy Monsters races so can't update you.
In the meantime the races are coming thick and fast now (a bit like the snow) and this Saturday is the turn of Hitchin to stage Round 7.
EDIT - UPDATE: Saturday 3rd March Muddy Monsters Event in Hitchin is CANCELLED.
The race is being held at Butts Close, Hitchin, SG5 1HA and registration starts at the slightly earlier time of 9:15 although the first race is still at 10:00.
I know it's hard to believe at the moment but Easter is not far away and we have been advised of some mountain bike courses that our regional Go Ride coach, Catherine Ruffley is organising. They are being held at Rushmere Country Park near Leighton Buzzard and details can be found via the links below.
6/4/18 morning session- HSBC UK Go-Ride Holiday Coaching Camp - Rushmere Country Park- Beginners 1
6/4/18 afternoon session- HSBC UK Go-Ride Holiday Coaching Camp - Rushmere Country Park- Beginners 2
12/4/18 morning session- HSBC UK Go-Ride Holiday Coaching Camp - Rushmere Country Park- Beginners 3
12/4/18 afternoon session- HSBC UK Go-Ride Holiday Coaching Camp - Rushmere Country Park- Beginners 4
4/4/18 HSBC UK Go-Ride Holiday Coaching Camp- Rushmere Country Park Day 1 - Club and Racing Riders
5/4/18 HSBC UK Go-Ride Holiday Coaching Camp- Rushmere Country Park Day 2 - Club and Racing Riders
9/4/18 HSBC UK Go-Ride Holiday Coaching Camp- Rushmere Country Park Day 3 - Club and Racing Riders
10/4/18 HSBC UK Go-Ride Holiday Coaching Camp- Rushmere Country Park Day 4 - Club and Racing Riders
Just in case these links don't work details can be found here
www.britishcycling.org.uk/events/details/174720/HSBC-UK-Go-Ride-Holiday-Coaching-Camp---Rushmere-Country-Park---Beginners-1
On the landing page there is another link to "View other events promoted by this organiser" which will show all the sessions.
Finally, one of the members of Beds Road has been in touch to let us know that he has an Isla Luath cyclo cross bike for sale, it's a size 24. By way of reference this is the same type of bike that Alexander rides. If you are interested let me know and I'll put you in touch.
See you Saturday
Sam, Peter and Brian
20th Feb 2018 update - Muddy Monsters Round 6 - Saturday 24th Feb 2018
It's back to Muddy Monsters action on Saturday with another visit to the grass track at Ashwell.
As always registration is at 9:30 and the races begin at 10:00am. For those of you who haven't been before the address for the venue is:
Ashwell Grass Track, Small Gains Lane, Off Station Road, Ashwell, SG7 5LT
The course is at the end of what appears to be a farm track, there are usually banners at the entrance to reassure you that you are in the right place.
More details are at www.britishcycling.org.uk/events/details/167433/Muddy-Monsters---Round-6
Most of our riders are in contention for podium places at the end of the series and the more races you are able to enter, the greater the chance of getting the best overall result. Let's hope we can continue the good results everyone has achieved so far this season.
See you Saturday
Sam, Peter and Brian
14th Feb 2018 - Priory Marina on Saturday 17th Feb 2018
More good results for our riders at the Muddy Monsters event at St. Albans on Saturday.
Jake and Harry continued their domination of the Under 14 category with Jake's first place in the longer event meaning he took overall victory after Harry won the sprint race. Spare a thought for Ella who has to race the Under 14 boys each time as she is the only entrant in her age group most weeks.
Cecilia came third in the Under 10's race whilst Amelie and William recorded 4th and 5th place finishes respectively.
The number of races counting towards the overall results has been reduced from 5 to 4. At present Cecilia, Ella and Amelie are leading their age groups whilst Alexander is 5th in his.
In the Under 14 boys group Jake, Harry and Rebel respectively currently occupy the first three places.
We'll be meeting at the totem at Priory Marina this Saturday, usual times.
See you Saturday
Sam, Peter and Brian
8th Feb 2018 - St Albans Muddy Monsters on Saturday 10th Feb
It's round 5 of the Muddy Monsters series on Saturday and the race is being hosted by Verulam Cycling Club
Details can be found here:
www.britishcycling.org.uk/events/details/167432/Muddy-Monsters---Round-5
The address of the venue is:
Marlborough Club, , Via Old Oak Off Cottonmill Lane, St Albans, AL1 2EF
As always, sign on is at 9:30 and the races begin at 10:00.
Results have been published for the race at Icknield but unfortunately the organisers didn't record all of the names of the riders so they only have race numbers. I've managed to work out all but one and have asked the organisers to update their records so I am able to confirm those of you who didn't finish in a podium position as follows:
Alexander finished 4th in both races and was also 4th overall.
William was 5th in the sprint and 6th in the longer race so came 5th overall.
Good luck to those of you racing on Saturday
See you Saturday
Sam, Peter and Brian
30th Jan 2018 - Box End on Saturday
Some great performances from our riders at the Icknield Muddy Monsters event on Saturday, official results have not been added to the website yet, we'll let you know as soon as we have them.
What we do know however is that Cecilia and Jake both won their age groups. Cecilia won the sprint race and was second in the endurance event whilst Jake won both of his races, riding especially well in the longer event. Harry finished second behind Jake in both races, he had breathing problems in the endurance race and almost literally rode himself to a standstill, just managing to cross the finish line - a very brave ride.
Ella competed in the same races as Jake and Harry and finished 4th both times, followed by Rebel.
Amelie led the handicap race from the start, finally being overtaken with the finish line in sight to come second.
Alexander and William, riding his first race, both rode well and were not far off podium finishes.
This weekend we will be riding at Box End, for those of you who have not been before, the address is Box End Rd, Kempston MK43 8RQ. We'll meet in the car park at 9:00am and return at 10:30am.
See you Saturday
25th Jan 2018
Unfortunately we've had to cancel our Muddy Monsters race on February 3rd. The Priory Marina is very wet and there is little doubt that 50 riders would do it some considerable damage.
The Council have to consider the needs of other users of the park so have asked us not to stage the event.
It's disappointing but hard to disagree with their view and we want to maintain the good relationship we have with them.
Thanks to those of you who offered to help us run the event.
We will hold a coaching session on the 3rd, probably at Box End, we'll send the details out next week.
In the meantime, hope to see you this Saturday
24th Jan 2018 - Muddy Monsters this Weekend
Round 3 of this year's series is being held this Saturday at Harlington. The address of the venue is:
Harlington Village Hall, Sundon Road, Harlington' LU5 6LS
There is a charge of £4 per rider to compete.
Signing on starts at 9:30am with the races due to start at 10:00am. As in previous events there will be 3 races for each age group - a short time trial, followed by a longer race and then a handicap race in which everyone rides.
There has been some uncertainty amongst all of us about the age groups for the Muddy Monsters races because they differ from other events. For clarification, the criteria are as follows:
Under 8's - born in 2010 or later
Under 10's - born n 2008 or 2009
Under 12's - born in 2006 or 2007
Under 14's - born in 2004 or 2005
Under 16's - born in 2002 or 2003
For those of you who have not raced before this is a great way to start, the events are intended to be fun and are not taken too seriously. We've had some good results in the first two rounds so let's have a good turnout again and build on our success.
Our own race is scheduled to be the following weekend but at the moment it is looking unlikely that it will go ahead. The Council Leisure Dept are concerned that the Priory is very wet this year and we may damage it. Those of you who were there last Saturday will know that the grass got very muddy and after more days of rain, 50 Muddy Monsters riders will make it much worse.
I am going to speak to the Council tomorrow and will let you know the outcome. If there is no race, we will have a normal coaching session.
17th Jan 2018 Priory Again on Saturday
Just a short one this week to remind everyone that we are at the Priory this Saturday, meet at the Totem at 9am as usual.
Also, congratulations to Peter who passed his Level 2 British Cycling training course last week - we are now spoilt for choice with three coaches!!
See you Saturday
Sam, Peter and Brian