2 March 2010

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STEADY START FOR NORTH DOWN CYCLISTS

A few days ago the Meteorological Office announced that Northern Ireland had just experienced the coldest winter since 1963. Last weekend saw the first road races of the new season, Annaclone on Saturday and Nutt’s Corner on Sunday and the dry but bitterly cold weather was a reminder that the short-sleeved jerseys might remain at the bottom of the drawer for another few weeks. North Down’s racing squad had a steady but encouraging start to the season with the Phoenix GP on Sunday bringing out the best performances of the weekend. .

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23 February 2010

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CYCLISTS FRUSTRATED BY WEATHER

Last week’s optimism about the demise of icy weather has proved to be premature. The final pre-season reliability trial, scheduled for last Sunday by Phoenix CC in Belfast, had to be cancelled when riders awoke to find a layer of snow covering the landscape. The prospects for the coming weekend don’t appear to be much better. The opening race of the season is planned for Annaclone on Saturday, to be followed on Sunday by the Phoenix GP on the Nutt’s Corner circuit. The Met. Office is predicting snow through to the weekend and if the forecast turns out to be accurate both races could well be abandoned. It has been a winter where prolonged cold and icy weather has curtailed the normal preparation riders depend on to get them ready for the early season races.

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16 February 2010

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CYCLISTS READY TO LAUNCH INTO NEW SEASON

As we approach the end of February the lack of spring-like weather has not distracted the competitive riders at North Down Cycling Club from the looming challenge of the first race of the season, now just over a week away. The last weekend of the month offers the possibility of doing two races, the annual season opener at Annaclone on Saturday 26th and the Phoenix GP the following day. The recent spell of cold but mainly dry weather has given riders the chance to get in some long runs, with a few men clocking up 150 miles each weekend, thanks largely to the regular reliability trials, the last of which will take place this coming Sunday, leaving the House of Sport on the Upper Malone Road at 9.30am. As usual there will be two groups, both covering the same 60 mile route.

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2 February 2010

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WEATHER SLOWS CYCLISTS’ PROGRESS

With the 2010 racing season only three weeks away, most cyclists agree that it has been many years since their pre season preparation has been impaired to the extent experienced this winter. North Down Cycling Club’s racing squad have found scant consolation in the knowledge that, while the local roads have been treacherous at times, other parts of the country have been far worse. Long weekend training runs usually involve early starts and there have been a number of occasions when the first 20 miles have been covered at or below freezing point. These sorts of conditions create a dilemma for riders. If they go out on frosty or icy roads they run the risk of a fall and a broken collar bone can take weeks to recover from; if you don’t train for five weeks it can take 10 weeks to get back to your original fitness level and before you know it you have lost half a season. On the other hand if you play safe and stay indoors you will enter the season only partially fit and low in confidence, convinced that every other rider in the peloton is fitter and faster than you.

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26 January 2010

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TECH TALK FOR CYCLISTS

A bicycle is a simple machine in many ways, the basic design of a diamond shaped frame and chain driven transmission not having changed much since the introduction of the safety bicycle in the 19th century. Frame materials have progressed from steel, still dominant in the Eighties, to aluminium, titanium and, more recently, carbon fibre. Lightweight wheels and components can bring a modern road bike’s weight down to a svelte 15 or 16 pounds. Unfortunately the old adage “you pay more for less” proves true today with a top class road bike costing up to five thousand pounds. However, regardless of price and quality they all need to be properly maintained. Modern cars require much less maintenance than they did thirty or forty years ago but the bicycle, by virtue of its major components being continually exposed to the elements, and in Northern Ireland that means wet, muddy, salty roads in winter, needs cleaning and lubrication after almost every ride. .

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19 January 2010

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CYCLISTS PREPARE FOR NEW SEASON

They may not be in a state of panic but, following a prolonged spell of bitterly cold weather and icy roads, North Down’s cyclists have woken up to the fact that the new season of road races begins in little more than a month from now. The Christmas and New Year holiday period normally provides an opportunity to get in some solid endurance work in readiness for the annual programme of reliability trials which get under way at the end of January. This time round, however, the unsafe state of many roads has driven many riders to retreat to the clubrooms or garage at home to put in a few hours on the indoor trainers. Fortuitously, the recent, timely opening of the excellent DW Fitness centre at Bloomfield has provided a further option and a large number of club members have already taken up membership, allowing them access to state-of-the-art spinning machines as well as an enormous range of the latest exercise equipment.

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