NEWS

Welcome to the Glasgow Wheelers News section. If you have a news item you wish added to the site please email details on to the HERE, fill in your story and add photos if you have them.


News: Sports Nutrition - An Offer from Elaine Lowden
Date: 23/1/12

It's not just your engine but the fuel you put in it! To assist with your pre season preparations for the Wheelers-price of £23.00 I will analyse your diet and provide dietary recommendations based on the results of your 3 day food diary. Recommendations will be specific to our event and your personal goals. There is no weighing of food involved only portion size measures. The consultation will take place online.

Testimonial from Graeme Cockburn: "Having taken advantage of this offer last year I can highly recommend it. I normally binge on food during the close season and put on weight which takes me months into the race season to shift, this winter I refrained and followed Elaine's advice, I am 14lbs lighter this January than I was last January, at the tail end of the race season I was the lightest I had been for years and set two PBs in 10 and 50TTs, results don't lie!"

Anyone interested please contact me by email to discuss further.

News: Charity Ride - Help Gordon
Date: 20/1/12

In an effort to sooth troubled UK-Franco relations, Gordon Russell is taking on a 1000 mile challenge this March to ride between London and Cannes in 6 days. Apart from raising money for charity he will need all the support possible to sample the best the chateaux have to offer. As he says, "sponsor my ass". After this ride it'll need more than sponsoring!!

www.bmycharity.com/sponsormyass

News: Kit Order - An Update from Jason Roberts
Date: 7/11/11

Hi all- This year members can more or less order their own through the Carvalho website. The instructions are as follows. Good luck, and be patient - I have to say it's not the easiest system to navigate - so if you are struggling please let me or Craig know.

Cheers, Jason

1. Go to www.carvalhocustom.com
2. Go to 'club order' tab
3. YOU NEED TO LOGIN TO THE SPECIFIC GLASGOW WHEELERS PAGE FIRST!
On 2nd line down- go to club members login here
The club username is- glasglow (this is not a typo!!)
The club password is- glasglowwheelers
4. You then need to `Register` your details- ie make your own login / password
5. Then re login through same process using your own members login (note you still have to login as above first) and start ordering.
6. ONCE YOU HAVE PLACED YOUR ORDER SEND JAMIE DREVER A CHEQUE FOR THE VALUE OF THE ORDER AND A PRINTOUT OF YOUR ORDER. Payment is needed in advance, no pre-payment no order I am afraid.
7. Once the closing date is reached (19th November 2011) I will place all 'paid orders'


News: Club Hill Climb Champs
Date: 9/10/11

1st David Griffiths 1m 45.69s
2nd Graham Cockburn 1m 52.69s
3rd Kristoff Askness 2m 01.52s
4th Jon Clarke 2m 06.51s
5th Stuart Bailley 2m 16.13s (Visitor)
6th Kallen Kerr 2m 46.94s

News: Off Season Training
Date: 29/9/11
This offseason we are getting back to basics, and by that we mean holding Club runs that put the fun back into riding. So from Sun Oct 9th expect weekly Sunday rides at 10am. These are great opportunities for the less experienced to learn from the seasoned racers about riding technique, cycling in a bunch and just getting to know each other.Expect good numbers, 2-3hr rides, mixed abilities and plenty of social interaction between members. Expect the weather to be.....mixed!

The meeting place will be vary, but it will always be a Sunday at 10am. Details of upcoming rides will be posted on our training page - keep your eyes peeled. And since we're giving you some notice please look out, fit or buy some mud guards - if only to keep your own @rse dry.



News: Club Hill Climb and Club Championships
Date: 25/9/11
Can I remind you that the Club confined hill climb championship is at 10.30 A.M. on Sunday 9th October on the Cult Brae, Blanefield. Entry is on the line. If you are bringing a car please don't park on the Cult Brae Road. There have previously been complaints about this from local residents, after events run by others, have taken place there. Suggested parking is at the Kirk House Inn, nearby.

As per our constitution, available under "downloads" on our website, it is the responsibility of members to claim for club confined championships by next Friday, 30th September. Claims should be made to Andy Underwood, the race secretary, and in the case of the Pat McCabe trophy to Eric Cruikshank. If you are unsure about the qualifying events for this championship, please contact Eric. Claims are not required for the track or hill climb championships which are decided "on the day".

Eric Cruikshank also requires all who have club championship trophies to have these returned to him by the 30th September at the latest, so that engraving can be arranged prior the the presentation diner/dance.

News: End of Year Dinner Dance 2011 - 4th Nov
Date: 22/9/11
Not content with impending fatherhood, Jon Clarke will also be the daddy of this year's dinner dance. Jon describes the arrangements:

The Wheelers annual dinner will be held on Friday 4th November at the Glasgow Grosvenor Hilton Hotel in the West End. I will send out further details shortly but the dinner (buffet) will start at 7.00 - 7.30pm, there will be a speech from Russell Downing of Team Sky. There will also be the usual prize giving and raffle (please donate prizes if you can) in addition to music (we can choose playlist and control volume!) and our own bar to mingle or catch up with folk, etc.

The cost should be £25 per head depending on numbers - I will confirm this to you in my next email. Please let me know as soon as possible if you plan to attend so that I have an idea of numbers- this will make my life a lot easier over the next few weeks in light of expecting a baby any time soon!! As always, wives, girlfriends, partners, grandparents etc. are all more than welcome.

I hope you can all make it.

News: Tour of the Campsies
Date: 1/9/11
Marshals are still required for the Campsies event which has now attracted a strong field, including favourites Evan Oliphant of Endura Racing and time trialling stalwarts, Iain Grant, Jim Cusick, Alan Thompson and Barry McGurk amongst others. Let race organiser, Jamie Drever know as soon as possible if you are able to provide assistance.

News: Upcoming Dates
Date: 1/9/11
Sunday 9th October at 10.30 A.M. prompt - Club hill climb championships at Cult Brae, Blanefield

Friday 4th November - Annual presentation diner/dance - venue to be advised.

Monday 21st November at 7.30 P.M. prompt - Club AGM at St. Mungo's academy.

News: Equipment Log
Date: 29/8/11
The Club holds a growing inventory of racing stock. This ranges from deep section carbon wheels to time trialling disc wheels. Turbo trainers and rollers are also available for use. A log of this equipment showing both the full range and also the current users is now online. Listed users are considered fully responsible both for the whereabouts of the item and its current condition (unless previously reported as damaged).

News: Rothesay Weekend(Bute Wheelers Host Annual Event)
Date: 1/8/11
Always a good weekend, with lots of hard racing and for those who want it a lot of hard socialising in Bute's various hosteleries. The following is a message from one of the Bute Wheelers event organisers -

Hi All - hope you dont mind this mail shot to promote the Bute Wheelers September Weekend of time-trialling, hill-climbing and road-racing (APR-ing). This year its 17th and 18th Sept (obviously) and hopes to build on the success of recent years. Usual stuff, all abilities, ages, genders. We hope to have a significant junior representation for the hillclimb and possibly a short time trial (tbc)
ALSO To bring to your attention, the 1-lap Novice Road Race event will again be run alongside the familiar APR event (2 laps) on Sunday afternoon. This 1-lap event was given its 1st outing last year, and went well - but the field was bit on the small side. We need a better response this year if it is to remain a fixture, so PLEASE help promote it (Braveheart, clubs, friends, etc.) We know there are lots of riders out there that are coming new/newish to the sport and its intended for them - all ages, genders, etc.

SO we the Bute Wheelers cordially invite you doon the water for this very special weekend, but to make it the success it deserves we need your help to promote it.

Hope to see you then.

Murray

News: Club Track Championships
Date: 9/7/11

Once again Bellahouston's track hosted the Club's annual Track Championship. Without a velodrome in the city the format was 3 specific efforts against the clock - 600m, 1200m and 3200m time trials, each event favouring a different proportion of fast twitch muscle. Graeme Cockburn's choice of aero stead showed how seriously he was taking things.

More impressive was his control on the aero bars around the poorly banked corners (this being the reason individual efforts were chosen for the competition rather than bunch racing). Graeme McBride is already becoming a really promising track sprinter under the tutelage of Tommy Banks and he took the 600m round with a quick 49.15s ride. As the need for endurance increased, Graeme Cockburn showed his pedigree with wins in the 1200 and 3200m events - with the latter win taken with a resounding 21s advantage.
Full Results















News: Graeme Obree Classic
Date: 2/7/11

Graeme Obree turned the world of competitive cycling on its head when he smashed the World Hour Record at at Hamar in September 1993 aboard the bike he hand-build, famously including parts of a washing machine, Old Faithful. His exploits inspired a generation of cyclists and were recreated in the recent movie about his life 'The Flying Scotsman'. Now Obree is launching a cycle sportive event, which will take cyclists over many of the roads which inspired him as a youngster. Entry can be made through Entry Central. Full info at event website graemeobreeclassic.com. This event is organised by Maximise Sport Ltd.

News: Summer Club Nights - Malletsheugh Inn
Date: 2/6/11

The club committee have decided that during the summer months we should meet on the third Tuesday of each month at 7.30 in the Malletsheugh. For this month the date shall be the 21st. I have a conflict of interest, since this year I intend being at the Meadowbank track league, also on Tuesdays to support our track riders. So any dry club night I am unlikely to be able to attend.

News: Summer Club Nights - Malletsheugh Inn
Date: 2/6/11

The club committee have decided that during the summer months we should meet on the third Tuesday of each month at 7.30 in the Malletsheugh. For this month the date shall be the 21st. I have a conflict of interest, since this year I intend being at the Meadowbank track league, also on Tuesdays to support our track riders. So any dry club night I am unlikely to be able to attend.

News: Arthur Club Memorial RR - Marshalls Needed!
Date: 2/6/11

The Arthur Campbell memorial road road this year is to be part of Scottish Cycling's Super Six series, and shall comprise an A and B race, starting 5 minutes apart. The races shall be on Saturday 2nd July on the A77 course, and shall be organised by David Lang on behalf of the Club. Can you please get in touch with David ASAP, to indicate your willingness to help out on the day, with marshalling etc.
Full event details - Click Here

News: Ian Walls 10ml TT
Date: 2/6/11

Eric Easson, was to have been running our 10 miles TT, on Saturday 9th July, and similarly requires your help. Following advice by Strathclyde Police there will be a high volume of traffic due to the Tall Ships event and the committee have agreed that rather than cancelling to reschedule the race. Final arrangements still to be made but it is our intention to run at the same time on the following Saturday 16th July.
Full event details - Click Here

News: May Club Night - Malletsheugh
Meet Tuesday 17th May 7pm

Hopefully the summer Club Nights will provide an ideal compromise between those who want to meet up and have a chat and those who want to meet up and let their legs do the talking. Both of these activities are available. The meet coincides with the weekly Tuesday night chaingang which leaves just after 7pm from the carpark at the Malletsheugh Hotel. During the summer we will have our monthly Club nights here with post-ride refreshments available inside the hotel. We plan to have two separate bunches. Firstly there will be the usual Tuesday bunch consisting mainly of racers and experienced riders and secondly a bunch for those wanting to go at a more relaxed pace. This is good for those wanting to rest their legs or if new to cycling learn the ropes with some more experienced riders giving some on-bike coaching advice.

News: Kit Order - An Update from Jason Roberts
Date: 9/5/11

Hi all- This has been a long time in coming so I hope will work ok. As you know the club has wasted money in the past through an inefficient kit ordering system, so time for something different! This year members can more or less order their own through the Carvalho website. The instructions are as follows. Good luck, and be patient - I have to say it's not the easiest system to navigate - so if you are struggling please let me know.

Cheers, Jason

1. Go to www.carvalhocustom.com
2. Go to 'club order' tab
3. On 2nd line down- go to club members login here
The club username is- glasglow (this is not a typo!!)
The club password is- glasglowwheelers
4. You then need to `Register` your details- make your own login / password
5. Then re login through same process using your own members login (note you still have to login as above first) and start ordering.
6. Once the closing date is reached (30th May 2011) I will place all 'paid orders'


News: April/May Races
Date: 27/3/11

Enter early to avoid disappointment! Early season races are always over-subscribed. Organisers are always meant to wait until their stated closing date to assemble all the entries and choose their field up to the agreed maximum start size at that time. Invariably what happens is that an organiser has enough tasks and responsibilties to worry about so the field is selected on a first come first served basis. April races are listed below though you may be too late already - at least enter these races now if you want to stand a chance. If anyone is able to give/wanting a lift please let your team-mates know. The saving on petrol and company are always welcome!



News: March Club Night
Date:21/3/11

Kit-man Jason Roberts will be taking orders for kit at Monday's Club Night. All orders need to be paid for up front this year so please bring your cheque book or readies before placing an order. There will also be a sale of existing stock, including some crazy discounting on old stock. You may well be able to grab a bargain

Club President Billy Bilsland will also be sharing some of his memories of the European peleton from his career with Peugeot and Raleigh in the 60s and 70s. Expect photos, memorabilia and tales of Belgian cobbled classics.

News: Club Training Camp - Largs March 12-13th
Date:14/3/11

Oblivious to forecasts and the white carpets of snow that early risers awoke to on Saturday morning, 15 Wheelers made the trip down to Largs for the annual early season training camp. Quartered at sportscotland's Inverclyde training complex we were all suitably inspired by the portraited pantheon of Scottish greats that lined the corridor walls. Though not enough to leave the warm cafe.

The weather was really foul, overnight snow changing to wind blown sleet which fell on Ayrshire roads already full of surface water. Approaching 1pm and with rain now being only a heavy drizzle two groups left, an A and a B. Riding the 'A' races, a quintet of Graeme Neagle, Tommy Murray, David Griffiths, Jamie Drever and Nicky Cronin completed a short, sharp 2hr hilly ride, taking in the Healey Brae, the Dalry Moor climb. With Fairlie born-and-breed Nicky navigating we were led to a succession of tough climbs. Graeme climbed really well but David G looked most impressive considering he was riding a steel behemoth dating from the 70s though nicely updated with a silver-skewered Mavic Kysirium at the front. The B group consisted of a number of newer riders who once properly clothed (arm and knee warmers hadn't left Glasgow!) joined in well with a ride south which then double backed to Largs. After defrosting and organising kit drying an afternoon in front of the TV watching Paris-Nice was well called for before a few well earned refreshments in the hosteleries of Largs.

Sunday was a milder day though some light rain persisted. Davie Lang's B group took the ferry from Gourock over to Dunoon where they met Wheelers legend Jamie McGahan for a guided 4hr tour of Dunoon. A great ride we hear. Meanwhile on the mainland, Nicky guided the A riders on a suffer-fest through snow and hills. The ride started from Gourock and continued to Port Glasgow and the ascent of the Clune. Onto Kilmacolm and then Lochwinnoch and Kilbirnie before a long climb up the Dalry Moor Road, though the opposite direction from the previous day. An unrelenting road, the single-track climb takes a long time to reach the top before hurtling down a twisty 1 in 4 descent to the Largs road. From there we turned north to Largs and the Brisbane Glen Road (or old Largs road) towards Greenock. I had never been up there before. A truly epic climb that I hadn't even heard of - I wasn't thanking you at the time but that ascent in the wind and snow (pictured) is one for the scrapbook. Wild moor, small lochans were all that could be seen before we began the wild vertical drop into Greenock. My brakes were used so much I wasn't surprised at the burning smell being created. It was only at the bottom that Nicky told me it was the smell of the Tate & Lyfle sugar plant. Back to Gourock wet and cold from the descent we changed and had a well earned lunch. Not a weekend we'll forget quickly! Thanks to David Lang for organising accommodation and arrangements.

Additional Report (by Tim Drysdale)
The Dunoon trip kicked off with a gentle ride from Largs to Gourock (well it was definitely gentle in my car). The ferry was nice and warm which was a definite plus in the wintry weather. Once over the water we met up with cycling legend Jamie McGaghan who was our guide for the day. We rode north on fairly empty roads, past stunning loch-side scenery. Every now and again the sun poked out, making the snowy surrounds spectacular. Riding up front with Jamie for a bit gave an opportunity to ask lots of questions about race tactics, and find out a little more about the British cycling scene in the 80s. A detour for a hill climb before the cafe stop was a welcome chance to dig in a bit. The downhill was too tempting to waste on a sedate descent so I jumped out of the group. Further down I eased up expecting a possible flea in my ear for breaking up the group. This let the keener descenders catch up. Kallen demonstrated his latest advance in aero styling to good effect. He claims to use trucks on dual carriageways for practice! Club Captain David had been getting in plenty of hard and fast solo efforts by popping back and forth between the group and our newest convert to cycling who we had to let struggle on himself as our pace was a wee bit fast for him. This obviously got David in the mood to dig in even more on the way home - the rain was off finally and it was a race training weekend afterall. Kallen and I eventually realised what was going on and decided to join in. Before we knew it, there was a breakaway led by Jamie and David. Kallen dropped his chain, depriving him of useful race practice. I hung in with Jamie and David and did a few fairly solid turns at the front before going a bit cross eyed and deciding to let myself get dropped whilst I still had some energy to finish the ride. They soon disappeared into the distance, working well together. I carried on alone back to the coast. A good ride from Gabi and Ian saw them catch me just before the ferry, although my spies tell me Gabi did most of the work! Watch out ladies! The rest were soon in and it was goodbye to Jamie and hello to dry clothes for the trip back. It's definitely going to be worth a trip back later in the season. Many thanks to Jamie for taking the time to come out and inspire a bunch of keen rookie racers, and to David for sheparding us along.

News: Club Training Camp - Largs March 12-13th
Date:1/3/11

The Club has booked accommodation at sportscotland's National Centre Inverclyde in Largs for an early season training camp on Sat March 12th and Sun 13th. There are a number of great routes in the area and the option (weather permitting) of catching a quick ferry over to Dunoon for some quiet roads with spectacular scenery. Club legend Jamie McGahan also stays there! Accommodation is £25 per person for the Saturday night, the Club will however subsidise places for students or juniors who will only pay £10. A number of members will be leaving by car from the Morrisons carpark at Anniesland on Saturday morning aiming to reach Largs mid-morning to begin a training ride. We have booked enough space for 25 members.

News: Tour of the North Squad 2011
Date:1/3/11

The Club is once more planning on sending a team over to this year's Tour of the North stage race in Northern Ireland. Always a fast, tough event it is consistently brilliantly organised with sponsor P&O covering ferry costs for riders and their vehicles. Four days racing around County Down and Antrim await riders who hold at least a 3rd cat license. If you want to be considered for selection contact Club Captain David Lang.

News: Club Subs now due
Date:28/2/11

Membership fees are now due for all renewing Club membership under 65yrs old. For adults the fee is £20, students £10 and youths/juniors £1. Please forward payment to Club Treasurer, Jamie Drever. to get your name off the hit list. More importantly if you are planning to race this year, your license will not be passed by Secretary Tommy Banks until these are paid - you have been warned!

News: Club Kit Orders Being Taken
Date:28/2/11

Any requests for kit should be forwarded to Equipment Secretary Jason Roberts who is collating figures for an order. This year's order is strictly based on requests. We do not intend to hold any stock of kit due to this historically being an excellent way of losing precious Club funds. Present kit levels are can be seen in the following link - Click here to see kit in stock.

News: Club Hill Climb - Grant Defends Title
Date:24/10/10

With falling leaves and Mother Mature winding down any thoughts of autumnal inactivity were put aside by the Wheelers who competed in the Club's annual Hill Climb Champs at Cults Brae, Blanefield. Many were resurrecting race legs from storage while others had been competing in the recent round of regional hill climbs or even international competition! There was no doubt however that it was no easy task to pick a winner. Amongst the contenders were Kristoff, silver medallist in the Scottish championships and winner of the WOSCA competition earlier in October. David Griffiths had also performed strongly in these competitions, with a 2nd place at Kingscavill last Sunday. Grant Stevenson was the defending champion and despite being short on competitive hill climbing practice had the form from training for and competing in Le Criterium de Levallois in Paris the previous weekend. Robbie Hassan and Jason Roberts also fell into this category. Darkhorses emerged in the forms of Andy Underwood and Jon Clarke who have finished their seasons strongly with good results at the Trossachs and other hill competitions. In short the field for the Club's own competition was probably stronger than these regional events!
FULL REPORT & PHOTOS

News: Club Dinner Dance (by Craig Dick)
Date:22/10/10

It's quite difficult to believe that it's been a year already since the Wheelers last dinner, it felt like yesterday that I was being poured out the taxi on the way home from a fantastic night at Hughenden Rugby Club, and I was hoping this would be a similar event.

As is customary proceedings got under way late, the food was excellent in my opinion, and the bar affordable - the perfect recipe. Guest of honour Jamie McGahan gave a superb speech, with a good deal of honesty thrown in, and took a few questions from the floor before his good lady upstaged him somewhat by giving a robust public show of support for him and his domestic commitment. I've never seen a speaker made speechless in quite this fashion before and if Jamie can offer any of the lads advice on how to achieve this state of bliss in our own homes we'll be delighted to hear it.

MC Jamie Drever handled the hecklers well and while some of us were expecting Debbie McGhee to be handing the trophies over Eric was more than capable of filling that spot, although he needs to work on his make up for next year. The winners were well deserved, even my McCabe rival Jon Clarke. Of particular significance was the John McCamley trophy for the fastest 10 mile TT of the year, a sad loss to the club and the cycling community in general John's trophy was won by Kristoff in a superb time and will be a benchmark for future aspirants - a fitting tribute, we hope.

What was also apparent from the trophy giving and the meal was a sense of the club having a bit of a race related community, both in the testers department and the road racers. This is in no small measure due to the new arrivals this year - I think everyone got faster this year thanks to the Tuesday night sessions that were largely set up by Rab Wardell, and were 'bossed' by the Glasgow Wheelers in general. I personally think this is what being in the club should be about - getting on your bike and riding it in fun and in anger, or indeed agony as was often the case with your clubmates . It is how relationships are formed and where friendships start. The donwnside to all of this of course is that you get dragged out by your new friends to a club you've never heard of until 4am, lose your keys and end up having to use your mobile phone as a torch to locate the spare set planked somewhere in the neighbour's garden.

FULL REPORT & PHOTOS

News: Club Invited to Prestigous Criterium Levallois
Date:2/10/10

Hosted by the all conquering Velo Club Levallois (VCL)this is the 14th edition of this international circuit race held in the Parisian borough of Levallois on October 17th. Over their 117 year history the palmares for VCL boast 11 Tours de France, 151 French titles and 12 World Champions. Pas mal I hear you say! We are of course more than pleased with Robert Millar's polka dots amongst our own members' history but it is difficult to think of a domestic comparison to VCL's rich, successful history.

The course is a simple one. A 1.8km rectangular circuit will be completed 60 times to give a race distance of 108km. The organiser's intention is to have representation from each of the five continents. We are honoured to represent the Continent Caledonia and will take to the start line with elite riders from around the globe. Last year's average speed of 28mph gives an indication of the break-neck speed of the race. Provisional team - Robbie Hassan, Rab Wardell, Dave Smith, Jason Roberts, Grant Stevenson. Bonne chance...
Further info at www.criterium-levallois.com

News: Club Dinner Dance 2010 - Fri 22nd Oct
Date:24/9/10

Tickets are now available for this year's event. Those with names being engraved on the old trophies have had to face stiff internal opposition to earn their prize. We are delighted to announce that this year's Guest of Honour is our own Jamie McGaghan, past Scotland rider and winner of Ireland's infamous Ras. We can expect an illuminating speech from one of the peleton's hard men turned English teacher! Apart from the prize presentation, 3 course a la carte cuisine and Hughenden's fine range of beveridges we can offer you live music by four piece Isis - a favourite on the Glasgow scene.



The usual raffle will be taking place so make sure you bring along a suitable prize. Festivities kick off at 7pm for 7:30 at Hughenden Sports Ground, just off Hyndland Road in the west end. Tickets cost £25 and are available from Jamie & Alix Drever and need to be purchased in advance.

News: Club Hillclimb Champs 2010 - Sun 24th Oct, Cuil Brae, Strathblane 10am
Date:24/9/10
Date:12/9/10

Even John McCririck hasn't a clue. Well we knew that anyway but we mean on setting the odds for the Club's Hill Climb Champs. In one of the most interesting competitions for years it's difficult to pick a favourite. Can Grant Stevenson (pictured at this year's Tour of the North, left) equal last year's performance and be top grimpeur or will another young gun beat him to the top. Robbie Hassan, Kristoff Aksnes, Dougie Young, Rab Wardell and Dave Smith must all fancy there chances. Jason Roberts will also be in fine form after riding in the Criterium Lavallois in Paris the previous week. But the dark horse and surprise of the show may be the Club's new track signing. Under the tutelage of Tommy Banks, Jonathan Cosh is tipped to be the 'next big thing' in Scottish sprinting and may light the afterburners on the Cuil Brae. The quality of this field is probably better than many WOSCA Hill Climb champs!

News: Tour of the Campsies Report
Basked in sunshine on a slightly breezy day, the Campsies couldn't have looked more inviting. For those tackling the slopes of the Crow Road the invitation was maybe less welcoming than initial appearances suggested. Coming just a mile after the start the Crow Road climb gives no easy start with probably the steepest section being after the Golf Club entrance. For some the climb is a chance to show off climbing skills, for others an obstacle to tackle before putting down the power on more familiar flat terrain.

With a number of competing events over the weekend a field of 45 entrants was still impressive at this time in the season however better calendar planning would definitely ensure this event gets the larger entry it deserves. Defending Campsies victor from 2009, Arthur Doyle unfortunately had to withdraw his entry due to work committments. Despite this there was huge competition between the top favourites with the pundit hard pushed to determine the odds.
READ MORE!

News: Dougie Returns from Belgian Adventure
Date:10/9/10
Veloresults's Ed Hood recently caught up with our own Dougie Young, following his return from a busy spell of racing in Belgium. Here's his thoughts on cobbles, Euro pop and raw sausages.

Veloresults 9th September - Ed Hood From jousting with ‘Kermesse King’ Mario Willems to shelf stacking at Tesco, it’s been a bit of a roller coaster week or two for Glasgow Wheelers’ 20 year-old, Dougie Young. We caught him between shifts to give us tales of a summer spent in a land where cyclists aren’t a nuisance and bike racing doesn’t induce blank stares or shakes of the head.

How does it feel to be back in Glasgow?

"All right, but it took a bit of getting used to, and I miss being able to race whenever I want and the fact that life is much more chilled in Belgium. "Here you can only road race on a Sunday - and riding a bike is part of life for everyone in Belgium."
READ MORE

News: Dougie Off to Belgium
Date:26/6/10
He's been shooting up the climbs in Scotland but Dougie is currently battering the pave in Belgium. Together with some other young promising riders, Dougie has taken the plunge, crossing the North Sea and settling into digs with Callum Gough in Oudenaarde. With a regular diet of kermesses, BBBs (Allan Pieper used to refer to Big Belgium B@st@rds!), cobbles and 30mph this is quite a change for the Wheeler who has regularly featured at the sharp end of the Scottish peleton this season. Last season Dougie spent just over a week racing in Belgium but plans a 9 week stint which should bring his racing onto another level. Follow the progress of both Dougie and other young Scots on the following Braveheart link

News: Dougie Wins Track Champs - Just!


Despite cool, breezy conditions there were some scorching performances from the 13 Wheelers that competed in our Club confined trophy. Engraved with legendary names of Scottish track cycling, including our own Tommy Banks, this was more than just a silver, end of season drinking vessel. Until the velodrome is complete the Club are running this event at Bellahouston's track on a time trial format. Three rounds of events, ranging from 600m to 3200m provide an omnium type event which is designed to produce a winner able to produce a good sprinting effort but also manage a longer pursuit event too. Points were allocated after each round to the top six. Winning the Under 6 category in the 600m was young Donald MacLean, surely a star in the making, especially if he removes his bell and reflectors from his BMX for a more aero position. Showing great power output and natural fast twitching was Peter Smith who led the 600m times until Kristoff and then Dougie bested his earlier time. The longer events changed the rankings slightly, Jamie salvaging some pride in the longer 3200m event after clearly lacking a fast start in the previous two rounds. Many thanks to Eric Cruickshank and Tommy Banks for organising and officiating a good night of racing

News: Obree in great form - let's mouth do the talking!
Date: 24/5/10

After years expressing himself with his legs on the bike, Graeme Obree delivered another candid talk to a hundred strong crowd. After giving an account of his background in cycling featuring a number of amusing anecdotes, Graeme invited questions from the audience. His answers once again revealed a great feature of the man - an ability to look at things differently without accepting the dogma most cyclists and another athletes blindly accept. Not for him scientifically formulated drinks or energy bars but water and marzipan! It's rare for a sportsman to invest so much time thinking about their sport as well as training and competing but Obree is as much a legend for breaking the mould as he is for churning the 60x13. Many in the audience left clutching signed memorablia from the Flying Scotsman himself.

Before proceedings started Graeme presented John and Johan Thayne with their Scottish Cycling Gold Medal of Honour. Earned after decades of generous involvement in the sport, Graeme said a few warm words thanking the Thaynes as a great example of the supporters on which our sport depends.

News: Wheelers Host An Audience With Graeme Obree (24th May)
Venue: Hillhead Secondary, Oakfield Avenue, West End 7-9pm


We are delighted to host a talk with Scottish time trial and track legend Graeme Obree, a former Wheeler himself in the early 90s. Graeme will be talking about a number of areas, his past competitive experiences, future plans and will be happy to answer any questions from the audience. Any of you who attended his talk last year at the Tramway Theatre in Pollokshields will recognise that he is an outstanding speaker able to hold a crowd in the palm of his hand without any sign of speech notes. He was aided last time by the prop of his latest bike, replete with a 60 tooth chainring (it may have been bigger actually).

Proceedings will kick off shortly after 7pm. Refreshments will be on offer afterwards. The Club would like to offer a warm welcome to the general public to attend in addition to Club members. Tickets available at the door for £5 - outstanding value to hear first hand the stories of an amazing man and amazing athlete - just don't let him near your washing machine!!!

News: Science In Sport (SiS) Team up with GWCC
Date: 28/04/10

Our lads haven't been lacking power this season and they'll certainly have no excuses now! SiS have agreed to provide discounted products to the Club at below trade cost. With a huge range of gels, energy and recovery drinks, Science In Sport cater for all an athletes needs. Though just announced today by Wheelers HQ we are taking an initial order from Club members. All Club members are entitled to 50% discount from the retail prices listed on the SiS website. Examples of the product range are below with the full range on show at SiS's website.

Email your order to the Club before May 4th and follow up with cash/cheques (payable to Science In Sport) to enjoy this great offer.

Gels	Caffeine Gels	Energy Drinks	Energy Bars	Recovery Drinks

News: Wheelers Track Championships - 26th May
Date: 21/04/10

With the Chris Hoy Velodrome still under construction and Wheelers finding it difficult to head through to the track in the East, the Club has decided to use the Bellahouston track for this year's Club Champs.

These will be held on the evening of Wednesday 26th May with 3 time trial type efforts over 600m,1200m and 3200m - note that you can ride either a road or track bike for this. A minimum of four riders will be required to participate for the Paul Richfield Trophy. Points will be awarded as follows. Six points for first placed rider in each event, down to 1 point for the sixth place rider.

The total points will then be added for all riders over the three events with the highest scoring rider winning the cup. Unfortunately due to the minimal track banking it is not possible to have bunch racing on the concrete track.


News: Just what the Doctor Ordered - Mud, Climbs and Cobbles, by Craig Dick
Date: 03/04/10

The logistics of getting to this event have been fine tuned over the last 3 years and I thought I had them all sorted out, down to sending someone for the bags at the airport while I go and get the car hire sorted out. Unfortunately Ryanair (get the spittoons at the ready) threw a financial spanner in the works when they decided to weigh the bike boxes this year and wanted to charge £20 per kg above 20kg – I shall not reveal the inner turmoil that occurred when the scales touched the 35kg mark. Suffice to say we made it there, and back, avoiding the cost of a new set of wheels for additional carriage charges.

There were 4 of us heading over for this event from Glasgow; Brian Digby, Andy Christie, Torquil MacLeod and myself (I am in the process of recruiting the former 3 for the Wheelers), and I always meet up with Brian Kilbride (St Tiernan’s – Dublin) and an entourage which includes Seamus McDonnell of the Limerick Wheelers.

The time schedule is tight; arrive Friday 1400hrs Charleroi, get car 1500hrs, drive to Brugge 1700hrs , build bike 1800hrs, start sweating as you can’t find the bag with the pedals in it 1805hrs – was it in the jettisoned items that were thrown overboard at the airport, enlist help of smug friend who has his bike already built to find them 1806hrs, consider phoning wife/mother to ask where one would find such items in bike box, consider greetin’ for mother. Breath a sigh of relief as the steed is assembled and you head out the door for the Italian with Ballan’s signed jersey on the wall. With one eye on the weather and the other on the forecast I headed off to bed around 11pm with the prospect of a 6am rise and a can or two of rice pudding for breakfast. Grey skies, but no rain greeted us as the alarm went off and we began the continual process of eating that was to last the rest of the day. I said my farewells to the rest (as they were heading off to Ninove for the 150km route) and headed outside to meet Brian. The scene at the start of the Ronde is fantastic on both the sportive and pro-race day. Crowds meet in the emerging light, there is the familiar cackle of cleats going into pedals, vans are parked around the square as support vehicles for the numerous clubs that ride this event. As usual we headed over to take in a bit of the atmosphere, borrow a track pump, and survey the hardware on display. Even at 7am, 6C with darkening skies, wet roads and 260km to go there were riders with shorts on, clearly feeling the part.
READ MORE



News: Worlds RePlay: Bilsland Recalls 1971, by Edmond Hood
Date: 28/9/09

The 1971 world professional road race championships, Mendrisio, Italy, Eddy Merckx of Belgium wins from Felice Gimondi of Italy; as British magazine, Cycling Weekly said at the time - 'Surely there could not have been many championships as great as this one.' Scotland's Billy Bilsland was there and gives us the story...

For full report and photos download the news document HERE,



News: Billy Bilsland Article, by Edmond Hood
Date: 22/8/09

Edmond Hood once again takes us back nearly 30 years to a rougher time where men were men, recovery drinks were nonexistent, and there was no doubt that you'd race more than 100 days a year. Mr. Hood looks this time to the Scotsman, Billy Bilsland. Haven't heard of him? Read on...

For full report and photos download the news document HERE,