LINLITHGOW SOCIAL: A club run special

The next Linlithgow social will be on Monday 5th September from 8.30pm.

THE VENUE HAS CHANGED TO THE LOUNGE BAR IN THE BLACK BITCH

The social will be themed to allow all interested members to come along and discuss possible routes for weekend club runs. Please come along with any ideas for the club runs, how long? how short? starting time? possible routes? cafe stop? maximum numbers per group? etc etc.

If you ride our Saturday and Sunday rides please come along and help develop this popular club activity.

We are still deciding on a venue so as our usual location may not be large enough to accommodate everyone

Nevertheless, put the dat in your diary.

Sign up if you are going to make it along on our forum

Kingscavil Hill Climb 16th October

West Lothian Clarion have secured a closed road again this year with funding from Visit West Lothian, West Lothian Council and Linlithgow Round Table

We want to build on last year's event, there was a great atmosphere on the climb with spectators cheering on the 70+ field with cow bells, horns and of course bag pipes.

It'll be a great warm up before the National Hill Climb

The event is the last race in the Skinny Tyres Youth series so we are expecting another big turn out form the kids

Like all our events there is equal prizes for both men and women

Please note the closing date for entries for all competitors (youth, junior and senior) is 9th October

Send entries to
Mr Angus Gallie
185 Avontoun Park
Linlithgow
West Lothian
EH49 6QH

More details on the BC website: http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/events/details/50092/Kingscavil-Hill-Climb

Youth entries are just £2 not the advertised £4.
Juniors £4, Seniors £8

Cheques payable to 'West Lothian Clarion'

Youth C and older will race up the main southern climb while the Youth D and E will race up the shorter northern climb

British Cycling License
Riders will need a license to race. If you don't have one already you can buy one on the day. here is the pricing structure:

Senior members
Gold or Silver member: Free
Bronze: £5

Junior members
Gold or Silver: Free
Bronze: £2.50

Youth members (bronze and silver and gold)
Free

Non members
Senior: £10
Junior £5
Youth: £1.50

Call British Cycling for more details: 0161 274 2010

Three Glens Explorer Audax

The club Audax is on again for 2011.

Put the date in your diary now for a pleasant 100 mile run through Fife, Perthshire, Stirlingshire and the Lothians.

The big improvement for this year is that the Audax UK website now offers on-line entry for non-members. Have a look in the calendar at http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/11-412/ 

Distance:164 km
Date:Sunday 25th September 2011
Time:09:30
Starting from:Linlithgow
Fee: £6.00 ( £7.00 when paying via PayPal.)
Closing date: Entries should arrive at least 2 weeks before the event.

Hesitating? Here's what last year's after-ride grub looked like...

Club confined hill climb and freewheel champs

Your sleep pattern is disrupted, it haunts you, teases you, you're waking up in a cold sweat,  you know what's coming...

CLUB CONFINED HILL CLIMB AND FREEWHEEL CHAMPS
Date Saturday 10th September
Start: 9am start
Entry: FREE
Entires on the day? Yes
Location: Kingscavil (open road)

Less than a month to go until the Club Kingscavil Hillclimb Challenge.
This is the club confined event on an open road.

The most feared climb in the Bathgate Alps is available for club members to fulfil their destiny.
And once you have turned yourself inside out on it, there is the Freewheel Champs on the opposite hill... the easiest chance of a win all year!

Volunteers required... email organiser David Dourley david.dourley@hotmail.co.uk

After the event we'll be riding down to Craigies Farm Cafe at a leisurely pace for a cafe stop

West Lothian Clarion Annual General Meeting

Our AGM will be held at the Linlithgow Rose Social Club on Wednesday 14th September at 7.30pm

All club members are expected to be present

Attendance at the AGM is open to all paid-up 2011 members. New applications will be accepted up until half an hour before the start of the AGM but earlier would be preferable - All classes of club membership have full and equal voting rights.

The purposes of the club's AGM are to:

> Consider and approve the minutes of the 2010 AGM
> Consider reports from the club's elected officers, including the club's financial statements
> Elect the club's officers for 2011-2012
> Consider any proposed changes to the club constitution and any other motions proposed by club members

Invitations are requested, by Monday 5th September at the latest for:

> Nominations to the club's eight elected offices (President, Secretary, Treasurer, Club Captain, Race Secretary, Women's Coordinator, Communication's Secretary, Social Secretary)
> Any other motions that any members wish to propose. Please note that a motion is a proposal that a specific action be taken by the club, though there will be plenty of time to discuss any other wider issues of concern to the membership at the end of the AGM.
> Any events to be added to the 2012 Calendar

Please send any items by email only to: secretary@westlothianclarion.co.uk

Join us on our ladies bike ride

Local cycling club, West Lothian Clarion is on a mission to get more women riding bikes.

The Clarion has a thriving women's scene from beginner to track racer but the core club activity is it's group rides.

Debbie Pollard, the women's coordinator says "The best way to meet people and get fitter is to ride a club run, no one gets left behind when we are out in a group and miles zip by as you chat"

The club is organising a women's only taster session on Sunday 4th September. Organiser Michelle Gregory says "The on-road ride will be split into groups of equal ability and will follow the West Lothian's quiet country lanes, there'll also be a cafe stop to refuel and for a blether"

Meet at 10am at the Kirkliston Leisure Centre for a 10:30am departure.

The ride will last approximately two hours, depending on the pace of the slowest rider.  There will also be an optional ride around the Bathgate hills after the cafe stop.

To find out more and to register please email Debbie on lasses@westlothianclarion.co.uk

Michelle and Brian and Duncan are club 10 TT series Champions

The 2011 10 mile Time Trial series on the Bridgend-Kirkliston course was the third instalment of our season long racing competition and this year's series has been far and away our most successful yet. 65 riders took part  - a 50% increase on the 2010 entries.

In week 4, twenty riders raced - and only once – in torrential rain – did the field drop below 13 riders. Women played a much more significant role this year too, making their series a proper competition and in some weeks making up a third of the field.

Club members really took to the new format which was planned by Steven Fraser, after consulting the membership. He devised a 10 race series with a break after 5 events, with the winner decided by his and her top 7 rides. The 7-rides-for-a-win format created a more exciting series with the top spots contested right up to the last race.

Tom Beattie with help from Grant Craven, Diane Machie and Gordon Bonallo efficiently organised the racing and quickly posted up the results and updated league table after each race. There wasn't any difficulty getting volunteers either this year with members coming forward early to donate their time.

THE RACING
At the mid-way point, last year's silver medalist, John-Michal Howison was in the lead, followed by Grant Craven and a fast improving Iain Elliot, a long way behind was self confessed 'roadie' Brian Mcllelan.

Mandy MacColl was leading the women's race from TT newbie Michelle Gregory. Mandy had broken the women's course record so was favourite to win the series

The new points system meant the series was still up for grabs - anything could change during the remaining 5 races. The series rewards people who race regularly and improve as the season progresses.

In the run in to the final race, five riders were contesting the top three in the men's race. Iain Elliott had chopped off a massive 5 minutes from from his PB, Grant Craven's consistency meant he was second and John Michael's early season form was keeping him in third spot. Brian Mclellan had missed the first few races but was in 4th place with Steven Flemming only 2 points behind.

In the women's race Michele was 2 points ahead of Mandy and Debbie Pollard was closing them down in third.

The last race in the series was the crucial test - Brian and Iain went head to head for the series win. Iain's slower start to the series finally came back to haunt him, Brain's victory was secured with a superb second half to the season. Steve McCaw rode his only race of the series and in so doing knocked out the season's fastest time with a 22.46

Mandy's no-show meant Michelle went on to win the lady's series showing talent for the future, and dark horse Debbie Pollard jumped up to second place.

Two under 18s rode this year  - Duncan Ewing and Keri Greig. Duncan's studies got in the way of his racing but with just three events managed to secure 12th over all and the junior trophy, next year the seniors will have to watch out as he'll be contesting the overall series. 15 year old keri improved in her two events and will be favourite for next year's junior trophy.

All three winners rode the series without tri-bars.


WOMEN'S SERIES RESULTS

Position	Name	Best Time	Total Points
1	M. Gregory	29:47	85
2	D. Pollard	30:41	54
3	M. MacColl	27:36	53
4	D. Cox	30:32	38
5	G. Wilding	29:57	19
6	L. Gow		18
7	S. Greig	35:08	16
8	K. Greig	32:04	14
9	A. McQuillen	35:07	12
10	J. Dominguez	32:01	8
11	L. Rattray	40:21	5
12	A. Roy	33:06	2

MEN's SERIES RESULTS

Position	Name	Best Time	Total  Points
1	B. McLellan	24:49	135
2	I. Elliott	24:09	130
3	G. Craven	26:29	123
4	S. Darling	25:56	121
5	J. Howison	24:51	116
5	S. Fleming	26:30	116
7	C. Duncan	29:51	84
8	A. Gallie	27:03	77
9	J. MacDonald	28:15	73
10	C. McLaughlin	26:37	69
11	T. Beattie	28:15	68
12	D. Ewing	25:50	66
13	J. Hanlin	28:19	60
14	A. McCrimmon	27:33	49
14	H. Williamson	28:27	49
16	S. Bird	28:41	47
17	D. Dourley	26:58	46
17	N. Wilson	27:42	40
19	M. Ewing	25:06	39
19	F. Anderson	24:40	39
21	S. McCaw	22:46	38
22	C. Humphries	26:04	36
23	M. Ball	26:43	35
23	D. Adams	29:08	35
23	N. Heyes	28:07	35
26	G. McKenzie	28:57	32
27	M. Webb	27:40	30
28	G. Horne	28:05	28
29	K. O'Hara	27:50	27
30	S. Bain	30:21	18
30	T. Bauer		18
30	S. Waldron		18
33	C. Geddes	27:51	17
33	I. Drummond	25:49	17
33	A. Baird	26:43	17
36	M. Greig	30:47	16
36	L. Mellor	27:20	16
38	P. Hammond	28:14	15
38	D. Campbell	29:54	15
40	C. Downey	27:28	13
40	M. McCabe	27:28	13
40	J. O'Kane	28:33	13
40	L. Parkinson	28:19	13
44	G. Bonallo	29:48	12
44	D. Middleton	29:01	12
46	R. Hemesley	29:36	11
47	C. Greer	35:24	10
47	N. Greer	35:24	10
49	D. Pettigrew	30:44	9
50	S. Henley	31:35	7
51	B. Mackie	32:56	3
52	D. Hills	33:17	1