Does anyone know when 2006 events will be published? 

Will there be a Manchester or Courbrough race in 06? 

Will Darly Moor be on a diffrent day to York?

Thank you

Hi Lee

I am putting together next years events and will have a better idea after the committee meeting in 2 weeks time. Then it will be published and updated as events get confirmed.

Cheers

Sherri

I'd guess Neil is also being head_hunted for Pedal car racing too.

Neil....Are you going to do a 24 ?.....have you done one before?

Twed

Never done a 24 hr before but 6.5 days and 3050 miles of 40 min rotations might be adequate practice

which 24 are you thinking of?

Richard Thoday wrote: which 24 are you thinking of?

It's a pedal car event in Swansea in June next year.

Several of us have already volunteered...

Sounds like good fun.

June 24th / 25th.

Teams of 6 allowed.

jes@gcre wrote: Teams of 6 allowed.

We'll behave this time.

Honest.

I wonder if we wait until it gets dark...

SherriD wrote: Hi Lee I am putting together next years events and will have a better idea after the committee meeting in 2 weeks time. Then it will be published and updated as events get confirmed. Cheers Sherri

Any idea on when we will see this. It would be nice to start planning which BHPC races we can get to.

Neil

Only 2 race dates to be confirmed the rest are concrete! The format will vary for each event based on the type of circuit - this will be published in the next magazine along with start times etc. Pete Cox and Anna Jenkins have offered to run social tours on some of the weekends before the racing so as I get more info you will hear it first.

Book your diaries now and see you at the races in 2006.

9th April - Castle Combe with BPCC
30th April - Hayes/Hillingdon
14th May - Eastway
*20-21st May - CycleVision - Holland
4th June - Darley Moor
17th June - Reading (from 1230)
*23-24th June - York Rally
1st July - Preston (bound to be a BBQ . . .)
2nd July - Lancaster
16th July - Hayes/Hillingdon
*5-11th August - Worlds France (be there or somewhere else!)
??August To be confirmed - Welwyn Velodrome
10th September - Curborough
30th September - Reading (from 1230)
??October To be confirmed - Newport Velodrome
??AGM

No Milton Keynes this year

I suppose no one knows who will be running it yet.

Dates for Cheshire/N.Wales Social rRdes are here http://www.bhpc.org.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=284&PN=1 - http://www.bhpc.org.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=284&PN= 1  and as follows:

Sat Feb 4th off season winter warmer. 50km or so with a pub lunch.  

Sunday 2nd April Early Season Fitness Challenge: nearly 100km loop round the Horseshoe Pass (in reverse) then down through Llangollen on to the flatland along the side of the Dee.

Sat 3rd June Summer Fun: 100km run over the fast and level Cheshire plain. Ice Cream Farm elevensies, Canalside pub lunch stop. This would make a good weekend combined with Darley Moor which is at least in the same region of the country.

All rides will start at the Eureka Cafe at 10 am. If you want to stop over, let me know and I can figure out who we can put up or where the best places to camp or B&B are.

If you intend to come on these, give me a call so I can get maps ready, and have ideas of numbers to book lunches.

Thank you for the dates, I will block those dates in my calander before my dad enters some DF race on the same day.

Anyone fancy a social ride around East Yorkshire/north lincolnshire?  Maybe starting from Humber BR?

I'm very surprised to see Milton Keynes excluded from the 2006 events schedule as I had been led to believe it was on for August 26th to the extent that a firm booking with the venue has been made. It now seems an unconfirmed event at Welyn may be in the last part of August and I have had no notification that MK is excluded.

Since MK is a centrally placed circuit that is very cheap to use (£50 for the day) why has it been shoved aside when 2 other tracks are being used twice. I know Reading is more expensive for just a half day having organised there myself and I suspect Hillingdon is more than 50 quid for the day. In times of dwindling club funds, dwindling members and increasing costs is this the right way to be headed? Surely we should be saving money where possible and even using MK more than once on the different circuit formats available (I can think of 7) so as not to repeat.

I must say as a willing volunteer to organise it and others I am very disappointed in the treatment received here.

Phil

Please note that this is my personal opinion, and not that of the committee.

I can say that there was a long and intensive discussion about the events for 2006, and I feel that Sherri has done a great job.

I will say that I don't like Milton Keynes at all. It is badly designed - G*d forbid anone who comes off in the top corner between the gate posts - either hit one of two fences or end up in the bushes. It has a poor surface (equal measures of gravel, leaves and dog s**t). It has open access to the public. It has dogs roaming free without any consideration from their owners (in fact, on the occasion that I am remembering, the dogs were nicer than their owners - I don't like personal abuse ...). In plain, no matter how many marshalls you put over it, it is dangerous and unpleasant to race there. There are also no easily accessible changing or toilet facilities.

I suggested Hillingdon twice for the simple reason that it is also easy to get to, has ample space, has no problem with crowd control, is a clean, well designed circuit, and is a sensible replacement to doing Eastway twice.

I was not lead to believe that Milton Keynes had been booked at the committee meeting. Indeed, with a new Race Director appointed at the AGM, then changes to the whole calendar were likely.

In terms of finance, the race fees are separate from other issues in the club - the racing has always been and will continue to be self funding. The committee spent quite a while looking at the sums from last year, and costings from these affected decisions about the locations of this year's events. We also do not have a problem with race attendance - that has been much more constant that membership.

I'm not sure what "treatment here" you allude to. If you feel that you have been mistreated, please can I suggest you email or otherwise contact someone on the committee and we can take this on from there.

Rob,

Are you mixing up your tracks?......or have I been to a different Hillingdon?  The track with dog walkers on the back straight & kids with stabilisers, where teenagers with M-bikes want to get on the track whilst a race is in progress.

Facilities ......hmmm ....portocabin loos ......no changing.

MK has a clubhouse with toilets and showers (granted, not so clean last time)

Don't get me wrong I have no axe to grind here .....I just think you gave MK a undeserved write-up here. We rarely race in plush facilities.

AlanGoodman[/QUOTE wrote: It's a pedal car event in Swansea in June next year. Several of us have already volunteered... Sounds like good fun.

It's a pedal car event in Swansea in June next year.

Several of us have already volunteered...

Sounds like good fun.

[/QUOTE]

You need to seriously talk to me about what this type of event entails and how to survive it

Twed wrote: You need to seriously talk to me about what this type of event entails and how to survive it

I'll take you up on that!

The only other 24 hour event I've done was the 3 Peaks Challenge back in 1998... Seemed like a good idea in the pub a few months before!!

Regarding Milton Keynes, I didn't race there in 2005 but my bruvver said that the track layout used was better than in previous years, which as Rob says was horrible. Even the 2005 circuit apparently had a dangerous corner with a tree waiting for anybody who ran wide... In 2004 Carolyn Lowing had a fairly nasty crash right in front of me after just clipping some of the mud at the side of the track. There were also dogs on the track and a chap trimming the hedges during my race!

Twed is right about the facilities though. No worse than most places, and better than Hillingdon.

Alan

HA! Bruvver must have been typing ath the same time as me...

It's a twin thing...

Confirmation that Welwyn is on 20th August 2006.

The change in venues for 2006 was based on feedback from quite a number of members and also available dates including fitting in the international events. Some events are on Saturdays, others Sundays. Remember it is only your best events that count . . .

I am willing to accept comments and suggestions for the 2007 season. However, under no circumstances have I intentionally meant to upset Phil or any other organisers. You folk are like gold dust (this isn't meaningless platitude). Phil, I will give you a call offline when I am home.

Hope you don't have too much snow.

Twed wrote: You need to seriously talk to me about what this type of event entails and how to survive it

Nah, the other year a 12 year old girl did it solo in the rain and covered over 79 miles.

Neil

antony wrote: Twed wrote: You need to seriously talk to me about what this type of event entails and how to survive it Just keep smiling. Whatever the weather.

And the only preparation you need is to practice your underwater welding skills.

Neil

Nah, the other year a 12 year old girl did it solo in the rain and covered over 79 miles.[Quote]

Fair play to her .....I did a 6hr when I was fit .....and threw up in the last quarter.....err I just did the maths .....wouldn't it have been quicker walking

Rob,

So you don't like MK - that is clear - but the hazards you have encountered there are just as present at both Hillingdon and Eastway. Rather than misleading people into thinking it is just at MK it must be made clear that they also happen at favoured venues and are likely anywhere that has public access. (For the record I have never personally interfaced with dog-mess at any of them!)

 I have run in BC races at Hillingdon very many times over the years during which I have seen loose dogs, loose pedestrians, non competing cycles and unauthorised motocrossers getting in the way of racers. Also, twice, I have encountered ASBO candidates throwing rocks and other missiles at passing racers - along the back straight and on the far side near where all the buses gather. These areas need to be watched as there is some sort of access about halfway along the backstraight where the little darlings can get in unseen by participants / organisers.

Eastway is barely relevant with its anticipated bulldozing but the backstraight there also often has loose dogs and people. Even, once, encountered a woman pushing a shopping trolley up it as I approached at 30+ mph!

Point is don't make people think MK is unsafe but other places are - cos they aren't much better. Only proper motor racing facities will achieve that. If there is notable "feedback" on a venue it would be a polite to at least discuss it with the organiser rather than unilaterally exclude a regular event without even mentioning it to them. Worse here is I was led to believe it was on so it is booked.

If the committee wants to make secretive unilateral decisions like this perhaps they would like to unilaterally organise all the events as well while the rest of us shut up, pay up, and turn up to race like good little children.

Phil

Thank you for your comments. Please note in my original posting that these were personal opinions. I am not trying to make anyone feel that MK is unsafe and everywhere else is fine - I was looking at specific issues that I have come across at a particular location (and a particular layout, to be even more specific). If you disagree, that's fine - that is your opinion.

At no point during the committee meeting, newly elected at the AGM, do I remember anyone (including the Race Director) saying that MK was organised, booked and going ahead. We discussed all the events, and all made suggestions. Sherri then did a grand job of getting dates and bookings made, as the Race Director is entrusted to do. If you have an issue with this, or the elected committee making 'secretive' decisions, then I suggest you take it up with the Race Director and/or chairman rather than me.

With reference to comments in your last paragraph, spreading the race workload to more than one person is what we started to do last year, and will continue to do this. Last year 16 different people (including yourself) helped organise 12 events. I'm sure that Sherrie would welcome that sort of level of help this year, and I will be offering to help wherever I am needed, as usual. I would encourage anyone else to do the same.

Enough from me. I do not think that I can add anything further to this discussion.

Phil,

I appreciate your annoyance at MK being cancelled after you had booked it. This seems like a communications SNAFU.

However, while many of your points about pedestrians, dogs, youfs, etc are valid MK is a hazardous track. OK so racing is by defination hazardous but we can attempts to manage the risks through having sufficient marshalls and maybe we need to be more allert to the potential issues of people/things encroaching onto the track (including a car at Lancaster!). One thing though that we cannot control are hazards associated with the track itself. In my mind this is the issue with MK, though it's not the only one.

The 03/04 track involved a blind turn through steel gates across a brick cobbled brick bridge with a right of way across it. While the right of way could be managed the risk of serious injury should anyone crash at the point would be high and there is little we can do about it. The 05 course was much better. There was one corner where if you went wide you were into bushes. No while not "safe" this is much better than a brick wall. Now Lincoln had very similar problems. The choice was to run anti-clockwise (where at the esses the runoff was 12 inches of grass and a solid metal fence) or clockwise where there were gateposts on a bend just after the finish. Thankfully we ran clockwise as during the race Andrew was baulked halfway through the esses and ran wide, onto grass and a path, infinately better than the alternative...

While we don't need to go the the extremes of the motor racing environment I do think that we need to look at the risks to the racers at our various tracks. To my mind this is simply examining what someone would hit if they came off in any likely spot. Now for all of us, with the possible exception of the streamliners, this would be less than 10 feet so if you crash you may not even leave the track, but I do feel that we need to give this a little thought.