RSF - The Off Road Cycling Club

The Adventure Starts Here

2014

“The bicycle is the most civilised conveyance known to man. Other forms of transport grow daily more nightmarish. Only the bicycle remains pure in heart.” — Iris Murdoch, Irish author

 

All content in the journals is copyright either of the RSF or the author or indeed both. It's use without permission will result in a stiff memo. If you would like to use an article or images please contact the general secretary in the first instance

 I was in a pub recently with a friend, and on the next table were some young men arguing - jovially - about why their respective girlfriends/partners called their cars by “silly names”. As the friend f was with was “Robbo” aka “Our man in Wincham” we set about contacting the other members of the elite Ashley RS Section asking if they to had ‘pet’ names for their RS machines?... You’d be amazed at the replies... Let’s start with those present... 1. My good self, JP owns a wonder of Chinese technology - a 1992 Li Yang ATB 550! And let’s not beat around the bush, this bike is the dogs wotsits!
Obviously, we never learn. What was described in Steve Griffith’s article (Vol 57, page 68) as being difficult in 1918 is now quite a severe shock to the cyclist’s system. My wife and I travelled in hope towards Skye in mid September last year. The weather was terrible, with the few cyclists we saw, attempting to keep upright in the very strong wind and rain. The small sign at Shiel Bridge stated that the Kylerhea to Glenelg ferry was not running due to the high winds, so the campsite at Morlich was our overnight stop.
The Col des Rochilles is an off-road col in the Mont Thabor region of the Alps some kilometres south-west of the Mont Thabor summit itself. This region is just on the border with Italy where the Frejus tunnel exits at Bardonecchia. Alternatively you can think of it as some kilometres east of 1’Alpe d’Huez and les Deux Alpes. Ride 1 - Circular route around the Rochers de la Grande Pare [Map IGN 3435ET or 3535OT, this being in the area of overlap of the two maps.] This ride starts at the bottom of the north side of the Col du Galibier
Standing outside the Yarn Market Hotel in Dunster on Saturday morning watching the hustle and bustle of serious “rough-stuffers” prepare for battle was making me extremely nervous. I had agreed to this under sufferance -1 had a mountain bike without a Brooks saddle, and a rucksack instead of a Carradice Longflap, and I most certainly lacked experience in serious off-roading. I even got the terminology wrong, as I discovered after several confused looks whenever I mentioned “going off-road”.
For a while Uncle Geoff had been droning on about wanting a ubiquitous bicycle that he could use anytime, anyplace. One that he could pop down to the shops on, cycle to the pub on, pop round to see his lady friend on and even do a spot off rough stuff on! He had looked at one of those trendy 3 speed hub gear bikes for about £500, when JP mentioned that he might get something better at the annual cycle jumble at the Manchester Velodrome. At the mention of this Ivan “the not so terrible’s” ears pricked up, the club ride was cancelled, and off they went!
Following our al fresco lunch we had to drop down to the loch-side again, it was here that Eddie lost his cycle over a thirty-foot drop whilst pushing along the narrow path. It took the four of us around fifteen minutes to recover the cycle and luggage; there was some damage we had to attend to, one of the pannier clips had broken, this was strapped back on with a toe clip strap, there was also a bent and misaligned chain stay, we had to re-centre the rear wheel to this new geometry. The rear wheel itself was also damaged, but this could wait for now.

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