Sorting out summer job at the paint factory; DNF in the Norlond Combine '50'; a massed start race, riding for London University, did not end well!; University exams; WLCA '100', off course while on track for a personal best.
1170 miles
Wed June 1st 38 miles Up to town again via Kensington and home via Trimite’s [paint factory] at Uxbridge to fix up my summer job. I am starting on Monday week at the same rates as last year [£6 a week!].
Thurs June 2nd 14 miles Over to the West London Cycling Association committee meeting at Southall in the evening. Made arrangements for the upcoming ‘30’ and the next ‘100’. Got home quite early.
Fri June 3rd 32 miles Cycled to college in warm and cloudy conditions, but with a strong east wind. It rained again in the evening and I did not go out training.
Sun June 5th 95 miles Up at 5.15 a.m., meeting Brian Major at 5.50. We rode in the Norlond Combine ‘50’ but I did not finish. Brian did a 2.19 showing that it was quite hard. In the afternoon we went over to Slough track. It was very hot. Brian Huggins did quite well, only losing the sprint to Dave Handley by a whisker.
Mon June 6th 42 miles Rode up to college today and then up to the club rooms in the evening. Another warm day.
Tues June 7th 40 miles Rain in the morning but very warm and close. Went training in the evening with the two Brians (Huggins and Major) and Tony Standing, out through Beaconsfield and Maidenhead. It was very enjoyable.
Wed June 8th 46 miles Cycled to town, and then timed the junior ‘10’ in the evening. Dave Adams did a 26.01.
Thurs June 9th 38 miles Out training in the evening with the boys through Slough, Windsor and Staines. Very windy.
Fri June 10th 36 miles Up to town again by bike – continuing to be warm. We had a meeting of the London University Cycling Club in the evening at Wooburn Square to discuss the British Universities’ Massed Start Championships this weekend.
Sat June 11th 78 miles After lunch I rode up to London to meet the boys [Stan Hart, John Richardson and K. Parsloe]. We then rode up the A 10 to Cambridge – a super ride up. We found our digs in Cambridge and got our bikes ready for the race.
CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY C.R.C.
presents on
SUNDAY, JUNE 12th, 1955
the
BRITISH UNIVERSITIES
R.R. CHAMPIONSHIPS
(75 miles under B.U.C.U. Rules)
and the
MAY WEEK ROAD RACE
(100 miles under B.L.R.C. Rules)
Start:-Trumpington Rd., Cambridge. (opposite Ley’s School).
Finish:- Chaucer Road, Cambridge
Event Organiser:
B. Cox, St. Catharine\'s College, Cambridge, to whom any complaint regarding the conduct of the competitors or the organisation should be made in writing.
PROGRAMME SIXPENCE
BRITISH UNIVERSITIES R.R. CHAMPIONSHIP
Start: 10.30 am. Finish: (approx.) 1.45 p.m.
|
Cambridge University (Light blue, yellow, brown) |
Manchester University (Maroon, white bands) |
|
Leeds University. (Blue, black, gold) |
Nottingham University (Yellow, green star) |
|
London University. (Blue) |
Sheffield University (Blue, white band). |
|
Swansea University College |
|
Event Headquarters:- Cambridge University Hare & Hounds Club Rooms, Granta Place (off Mill Lane), Cambridge.
All machines must be examined by at least half an hour before the start of each event.
---oOo---
You will have noticed that the Universities’ Road Race was held under ‘B.U.C.U rules’ - whatever they were. The accompanying May Week Road Race was under B.L.R.C. rules. Since massed start racing on the open road was not sanctioned by the N.C.U. in 1955, I suspect that the Universities’ race was also under B.L.R.C. regulations. It was a good thing that Stan Boyes never got to hear of this, or I would have been drummed out of the Northwood Wheelers!
Sun June 12th 83 miles I started in the British Universities’ massed start championship, but at 8 miles was involved in a pile-up and then packed [some idiots touched wheels just in front of me, and down we all came!]. John Richardson came in second and Stan Hart was 11th despite a puncture. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, even though it was so brief and shall certainly have another bash at massed start racing in the future. It was wet and windy all last night and all today, so we had a hard ride home, especially with two buckled wheels, one punctured tub and a mashed thigh!
Mon June 13th 24 miles Started work at Trimite’s today and shall now have a daily (basic) mileage of 14 miles. Up to the club in the evening. I feel very sore after yesterday’s crash.
Wed June 15th 18 miles Went round to Brian Major’s house in the evening to get a blank entry form for the British Universities’ ‘100’. [I never seemed to have entered for that event, however]. It has become quite hot.
Thurs June 16th 38 miles Out training in the evening with the boys, after a day’s examinations in town. We went out along the A 40 to Beaconsfield and then left through Farnham Royal to Slough and back through Uxbridge. We had a ‘tear up’ with some League boys and nearly tore them off on our 72" fixed wheels (they were on multiple gears in the 90s).
Sat June 18th 12 miles Went to Eastcote early to do some shopping and then up to Gordon Prangley’s in Northwood Hills to take my sprints in [to be trued] and to buy two new tubulars – I really need them! It was warm and sunny in the afternoon and I spent the afternoon helping at a local fête. Out with Brian Huggins and Tony Standing in the evening, by car.
Sun Jun 19th 54 miles Started on the club run to Reigate – but we never got there. It poured with rain all day; we got very wet, cheesed off, and my block started to ‘free-wheel’ in both directions! Roger Bingham is coming round tomorrow night to help me mend it. A horrid day!
Tues June 21st 43 miles Went out training in the evening with the ‘chain gang’ – nowhere in particular.
Thurs June 23rd 45 miles Out training again with the boys, firstly via Colin Turner’s house at West Hyde, and then through the lanes to Chorleywood and Croxley Green. A warm night.
Sat June 25th 53 miles I rode down to the Bath road in the afternoon to compete in the WLCA ‘100’. Had some tea in Reading and stayed in some ‘digs’ in Theale with the Paddington boys. Hot and fine again.
Sun June 26th 148 miles I got up at 4.15 a.m. and started number 17 at 5.17. It was a fast day but I went off course by about nine miles (27 minutes?) with a number of the early starters and finished in 5.14.43 the slowest ‘100’ I have ever done. With the 27 minutes ignored I estimated that I did about a 4.47 (and 2.19 for the first 50 miles) which must have been an improvement if I hadn’t gone off course. This makes it even more exasperating – I do wish they would marshal these events properly. It was very hot indeed [The summer of 1955 was extremely good from now on until the middle of August].
Brian Huggins won [the sprint] at Herne Hill yesterday, and Gambrill and Killick broke competition record this morning for the tandem ‘50’. Vic Gibbons did a 1.57 to win the National ‘50’ championship.
Mon June 27th 24 miles Club night. I took entries for the club ‘50’ and made first arrangements for the marshalling.
Tues June 28th 45 miles Out training in the evening with the boys through the Chalfonts to Chesham and then home through Rickmansworth and Watford. A warm but cloudy night.
Wed June 29th 20 miles Rain. Went over to the South Ruislip club rooms in the evening, then early to bed.
Thurs June 30th 24 miles Held a committee meeting in the evening at |Tony Standing’s house. It was quite good – and finished early! Today I continued with my marathon letter-writing [organising a King’s College expedition to the Cairngorms]. I am going to two parties this weekend, followed by an exam on Monday!
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