Notes to riders:

1. Mobile phone contact on day of all rides: 07776 292252
2. Please ride with full mudguards if at all possible (otherwise ride at the back in the rain)
3. Rides will leave Staines Bridge at 9.15, unless otherwise stated
4. We live in litigious times: it is imperative you have 3rd party indemnity
5. Hounslow & District Wheelers recommend the wearing of cycle helmets

If you wish to enter any of these events you will need to send a Cycling Time Trials entry form to the race organiser. You can download a copy from the CTT website.

Road Races

Other

Hounslow and District Wheelers Club Events 2011
(2010) (2009) (2008) (2007) (2006) (2005) (2004)

Time Trials

Enter on the line except where indicated.

^* Please enter in advance for these events, if possible, by emailing your name, age and recent time (if any). Entries are also taken on the line.

Notes:

• Hounslow & District Wheelers strongly recommend the use of a rear flashing LED for all evening events.
• There are no races on 2nd June and 7th July because of the Surrey League handicap road races on the same night.
• Click on the winner’s name to see the full results for an event.
• Click on the course code to see a description of the course.
• Please note that I typically don’t receive a copy of the results until the week following an event so it’s unlikely they’ll be posted here before then.

Latest News and Race Reports (2010, 2009)

Click on a news item’s headline to view the full story.

Tuesday 16th August
Time Trialling Report #8

Chris Lovibond’s latest report on recent time trial action.

Tuesday 2nd August
Time Trialling Report #7

Chris Lovibond’s latest report on recent time trial action.

Tuesday 19th July
Time Trialling Report #6

Chris Lovibond’s latest report on recent time trial action.

Tuesday 5th July
Time Trialling Report #5

Chris Lovibond’s latest report on recent time trial action.

Sunday 26th June
Midsummer Cup 25 mile Time Trial

Paul Holdsworth wins this year’s Midsummer Cup 25.

Tuesday 14th June
Time Trialling Report #4

Chris Lovibond’s latest report on recent time trial action.

Sunday 29th May
Hounslow & District Wheelers 100 mile Time Trial

Adam Topham (High Wycombe) won the 2011 Hounslow 100 in only his third race at the distance.

Saturday 14th May
Hounslow & District Wheelers 10 mile Time Trial

Pete Tadros (InGear-Quickvit RT) continues his excellent season with a victory at the Hounslow 10.

Tuesday 10th May
Time Trialling Report #3

Chris Lovibond’s latest report on recent time trial action.

Friday 22nd April
Good Friday 25 mile Time Trial

Nic Stagg narrowly beats Paul Holdsworth to win an epic edition of the Good Friday 25.

Tuesday 12th April
Time Trialling Report #2

A second report of club riders’ performances at the weekend.

Tuesday 5th April
Time Trialling Report #1

A report of club riders’ performances at the weekend.

Sunday 20th March
Peter Young Memorial Road Race

Pete Williams wins the 85 mile Peter Young Memorial Road Race as the Motorpoint Pro Cycling Team dominate.

So you go out cycling on your own quite a lot, you’re getting a bit fitter and you really enjoy it but you’re fed up with being on your own on the same old route, you’d like to go further, faster and get even fitter.

You see a group of cyclists cruising along looking happy and relaxed and you wonder if you have what it takes to ride with a club. Are you fit enough? Have you got the right gear? Could you ride in a group? How far do they go? And many more questions. This document is an attempt to answer all those questions and more…

1. Where do Hounslow & District Wheelers ride?

We are based to the West of London around the Staines area and we cycle within 60 miles of Staines in an arc between Dorking in the south and Amersham in the North. Our members mainly live in West London, Middlesex, Surrey and Berkshire.

2. When do you ride?

We have Club Runs from Staines Bridge at 9.15am on most Sundays all year round. These are split into ability groups and are of about 50-60 miles with a café stop, getting back to Staines at about 2pm. In the summer we have an evening training ride starting from Bishop’s Gate, Windsor Great Park at 6-6.30. In the winter after Christmas we have also have a Sunday training ride of 70-90 miles without a café stop. Details of all these rides are on the website.

3. Do I need to be a member to ride?

No, not initially, but we require you to join after a few rides with us if you wish to continue riding and also to join British Cycling or CTC for public liability insurance purposes.

4. I am under 18, do you have junior members?

Yes we do and juniors are most welcome. We do not have a special group for juniors, however, so you will need to be able to ride the mileages and at the sort of speed mentioned elsewhere in this FAQ. If you are well under 18 and are just starting we can recommend clubs that specialise in introducing children to cycling on closed circuits.

5. I’ve never ridden in a group before, does that matter?

We ride fairly closely in pairs on Club runs; this can be a bit daunting if you have never done it before. If you are new to group riding, start off at the back so that you can see how it is done and gain confidence. The Club issues a guide for those new to group riding which is available by contacting the Club Secretary via the website and asking for the “Group Riding” document.

6. What about traffic, I find riding in traffic scary?

Our club runs all use quiet roads in the country as much as possible and the countryside starts a few miles from Staines. You will find riding in a group gives an additional sense of security and you will soon find your confidence growing as you see how others cope with traffic.

7. How fit do I need to be to ride with you?

If you can ride around 40 miles at a reasonable average speed (say 15mph) you should be fit enough for a Club Run. For a training ride you should be able to average 18mph. If you are not sure about your fitness we would be pleased to arrange for a member to ride with you and advise you before trying a Club Run.

8. What happens if I can’t keep up?

If you only struggle on significant hills this won’t be a problem as we always regroup at the top of hills. If you can’t keep up on small hills or the flat then you need to ride more by yourself to improve your fitness. However, if you decide to try a Club Run we wouldn’t leave you behind; we don’t want to put people off club cycling by leaving them behind on a club run. It may be that you do find it all too hard, however all is not lost as there are more gentle alternatives such as the CTC or London Cycling Campaign that we can advise you on. Training rides are much harder and generally won’t wait for you if you get dropped except on steep hills so if you go on a training ride you should be prepared to find your own way home.

9. What should I eat before riding?

It is essential that you eat a proper breakfast before riding – porridge or similar is best and, of course, take water on the ride. On Sunday training rides you should take additional food or an energy drink.

10. What happens if I puncture on a ride?

Put your hand up and shout “puncture” and coast to a suitable place to stop well off the road. The group will wait while you replace the tube, so make sure you have spare tubes, tyre levers and a pump. Help and/or advice will be willingly given if you need it but it’s best if you can carry this out yourself by practising at home as changing tubes can be a dirty business in the wet.

11. What type of bike do I need?

Everyone in the club rides lightweight, dropped handlebar bikes. Most have gears, some ride fixed wheel. A mountain bike with slick tyres is OK but the extra weight may make it a bit harder. In winter we prefer you to have mudguards as riding without can make life very unpleasant for others if it is very wet. Many members have “winter bikes” for this purpose.

12. What about clothing?

We naturally like members to wear club kit; non-members can wear what they like but we recommend proper cycle clothing particularly cycling shorts with proper padding (worn without anything underneath) and closely fitting cycling jerseys. We also recommend cycling shoes with cleats for clip-in pedals. If it looks like rain bring a waterproof that packs up really small.

13. Is there anything I should know about cycling etiquette?

The main thing is to acknowledge other cyclists on the road with a nod or a wave or, if you are overtaking them with a verbal greeting.

14. Do I have to race?

No, we are quite happy for you to just ride Club Runs as many members do. But what we do not want is for you to keep upping the pace of Club Runs because you find them too slow. If you are doing that then you should be racing in a faster group or on the training ride in winter.

15. How do I start racing?

The easy way to start is to try our summer Thursday evening 10 mile time trials, starting near Chertsey, that you can enter on the line. These will give you a good idea of your competitiveness and how much training you need to do. You do not need a racing licence for any time trials run by Hounslow Wheelers or Cycling Time Trials. If you wish to try road racing you will need a BC licence and start as a fourth category or a youth rider and you can then enter any race catering for this category. There is only one category for women. Hounslow Wheelers run a number of road races during the year and there is also the Surrey League and Hillingdon Circuit Series among others available locally. Surrey League races are handicaps so particularly good for beginners.

16. What is the difference between time trials and road racing?

Time trials are individual efforts against the clock over a set distance usually on public roads with riders starting at one minute intervals. In road racing up to 80 or so riders start together and battle it out over a number of laps of a circuit that may or may not be on public roads. Road racing is split up into ability categories and some are handicaps but in time trialling it is the rider against himself, for this reason we recommend that as the first step.

17. What are the different types of cycling you do?

We are a road club and we promote time trials and road races details of which are on the website under open and club events. We also run a 100k Audax ride called “The London Sightseer” that goes through London to the O2 Dome and back. Audax rides have to be completed within a minimum and maximum time, usually between 10 and 18 mph average.

18. I thought the Olympics was great. Do you do Track cycling?

We are not directly involved but our members have raced at Newport, Palmer Park Reading and Herne Hill velodromes. All these do sessions for inexperienced riders. We are watching with interest the plans for a velodrome at Hillingdon that would be much nearer for us and, of course, the Olympic Velodrome.

19. Do you do off-road?

Not officially, but off road rides are organised by members mainly in the winter.

20. What about the social scene?

We meet every Tuesday evening at Staines Sailing Club for a Club social evening. We also have barbeques, quiz evenings, family rides, a club camp and trips to the Tour de France and other continental races and Mallorca (with bikes) and an excellent annual Club Dinner and prize giving.

21. I want to join, what do I do?

Come along and ride with us for a few Sundays and if you like it complete a membership form from the web and send it with a cheque for £25 (juniors £12) for your annual subscription to the Secretary. Members are elected at Committee Meetings that take place every month. You can also join as a social member for £10 a year.