This Appeared in the 1984 Cycling World magazine.....

 

.....the following year the 100k was added with the event start/finish at the Chelmer CC Club House, this event event became very popular over the years, I rode the 100k a number of times.

But sadly like many of the Essex CTC events that have gone because either nobody is willing to organized them or can`t be bothered too the Windmill Rides is now been taken out of the Essex CTC Events. So now the Windmill Rides will be run by ACME that the Audax Club Mid-Essex Events and starting fro Witham.

Back in the Day before puncture proof Tyres I used......

 .... Mr Tuffy Tape! On my work bike because it wasn`t much fun cycling home after a 12 hour shift in unlit lanes and with the rain lashing down and the Puncture Fairy would make an appearance! Mr Tuffy tape was a thin roll of plastic that sat between the inner tube and tyre.

                                                             

The only drawback I found was after awhile the Mr Tuffy would chafe the inner tube and your end up getting a puncture anyway!

Back in July 2015 I started a Facebook Group called......

 .....Cycling in Essex Plus, the reason I started this group was firstly I was unable to cycle for 18 months following an accident and secondly I couldn't see anything else on Facebook that had cycling News or Events in just Essex!

But after 7 years of posting up to 3 post everyday and spending over 5 hours a day on Facebook mostly on this group I decided to call it a day on 31st January 2023. Gave the members of the group all 560 of them a month notice and as nobody volunteer to take over running it, Cycling in Essex Plus is no more!

I still post occasionally about Cycling News & Events in Essex but in other Groups Facebook groups and spending a lot less time  on Facebook.

This Photo was taken in June 2014 and I used it for the cover Photo for Cycling in Essex Plus

                             

This drawing was done by the late........

 ,,,,Steve Ebdon a member of the Forty Plus CC and the C.T.C.

I can`t remember how many times I`ve ridden over that bridge that spanned the Cripsey Brook and into the the village of Moreton. I still find it a joy cycling through this village though a number of new houses have sprung up over the years! But then that`s like many of our Essex villages these days new housing build everywhere.

One Cottage I always make a point of going past which as a Blue Plaque on the wall in memory of the late Steve Marriott the rock guitarist with the Small Faces and later Humble Pie.  

                                      

When I first started cycling with the Havering CTC Section in the late 80`s Moreton was always on their Runs List on Boxing Day. The reason being was the two pubs in the village had a friendly rivalry going back to 1969 and hundreds of people went along to enjoy it too! A team from the White Hart and the Nags Head had an obstacle race in the main street and of course there was also beer involved in this!

Then it was a race down to Cripsey Brook for the tug-of-war and if you just a spectator you didn`t get too close to the Brook as not only did both  teams end up in the water they push anyone standing to close to water too!

Sadly the Nags Head closed down in 2016 and didn`t reopen again until 2021 with a new name the Dog and Pickle, so we don`t know yet if this Boxing Day event will take place in 2021?

                                                   

                                                   

 

I`ve been a member of Cycling UK since.......

 1980 when it was called the `Cyclists Touring Club` I joined because that`s what I was interested in and eventually that what I did cycle touring for many happy years! Later I became involved in a local CTC Section and the usually committee duties for 20 years, but no longer with that though I do keep in touch with my old club mates.

Six years ago I became a Senior (over 65) member and last year subs were £35.50, this year no Senior membership instead a new Standard individual  of £48, but what a slap in the face for us older that have kept the CTC going for all these years!

Back in the day the CTC had a bimonthly magazine (they still have one but its rubbish now and goes straight into my recycle box) which was always a good read plus a middle pull-out section about the local Sections around the country. 

I think most cyclists join the CTC or Cycling UK for the Third Party Insurance, but as I said before I joined of my interested in cycle touring! But their Insurance did come in handy after my cycling accident so paying the the new memberships subs of £48 is no problem for me just I do think the CTC sorry old habits Cycling UK have lost the plot over the years!

I`m also a member of the British Cycling because of the club I curranty belong to and my subs are £44.

As for renewal my Cycling UK subs I`m still thinking about!     

This was a great shock to me when.......

Dawes decided to end making the Classic Galaxy range of touring cycles which had been a favourite of touring cyclists since introduction in 1971.

I brought my Galaxy in 1980 when I first got into touring in those days they were manufacture in Birmingham! Unlike these days parts came from abroad and they are just assembly here.

I did some great touring on this bike until I gave it away to a neighbour in 1992 and have regretted doing that ever since!

                               

 

I finally got the Handlebars on the.......

Claud Butler Dalesman change from drops to straight bars, didn`t do the job myself or take the bike to a shop instead I had this guy come to me.

I was very pleased with the job done on my Dalesman by James Young, in fact I had him check over my other two cycles.

Had a 20mile spin out on it and apart from my normal aches & Pains when cycling these days it felt okay but will probably need a longer ride out on it.

I always find it amazing especially during the winter months that road........

Cyclists don`t use full length mudguards, I can only think they must enjoy cleaning their bikes and themselves a lot! I have full length SKS mudguards on all year round and would be lost without them.

I only take these mudguards off when in the past I`ve been on a Rough Stuff event, Rough Stuff is what cyclists these days call Off Road. Also back in the days gone by on club ride if you had no mudguards or even a rear mud flap and the roads were wet and mucky you had to ride at the back of a group.

 Normal size rear mud flaps have been around for years like the one above which I use today on all my bikes. But on club rides back in the day a lot of us made our own extra long mud flaps out of old large detergents bottles like the one below.

But these days you can now buy extra long mud flaps from a number of companies like this one from a London company called RAW at  http://rawmudflap.uk/about/

So with full length mudguards and mud flaps and even extra long mud flaps  there`s really no excuse these days for winter club riders getting themselves or their club mates covered in muck from the roads!    

I can remember as a 13 year old getting a.........

Raleigh bike for Christmas (second-hand of course) money was tight in those days! Sometime later I got one of those Lucas mileage meters with its annoying click-click-click everytime the front wheel went round. It didn`t stay on the bike very long!

Then when I started cycling again in 1979 and got into touring in 1980 I got one these.

Then of course when Cyclomputes came in I went for the Cateeye ones, and still used them today, the Echo-7 and the Beta-2.

 Don`t think I will ever change to all those new thingymajig that nearly all cyclists seem to have nowadays.
I`ve always kept a record of my day ride mileage but sadly these have now been lost, and it was only in 2006 that I started save my yearly mileage again.  So when I came across this club I thought if only I had kept a record of all my rides!
                                                    http://www.300k-cc.co.uk
I don`t know any of the current cyclist on the list but I do remember Doug Brunwin on the `Roll of Honour` list. Rode with Doug in the early 90`s when I rode with the Forty plus CC.

Here we go again the clocks have gone back so darker evenings and......

...I really can`t understand why some cyclists feel the need to ride without lights?

I always have lights on my cycles all year round, I don`t like cycling at night anymore but you never know when you may need them. A puncture or any other problem can stop you from reaching your destination before the lights fades. I used battery Cateye lights, the front has 2 modes flash -constant while the rear has 3 modes rapid-flash-constant. They are cheap and the battery life is okay, the front takes 2 AA and the rear takes 2 AAA.

I also have Pedal Reflectors that are cheap to buy and easy to fixed onto your pedals.

Also have a light on my helment, but I`ve only used it once when I got caught out in some thick fog during a morning ride, it wasn`t foggy when I left home.I once set off on a lovely sunny morning and few hours later found myself in darkness in a nasty thunder storm sure needed my lights then.

Looking at other Cycle CLubs Blogs and Facebook & Twitter......

...I`ve always wonder why so many have to do selfie? Is it because they feel left out of the Photo? Or they need to prove they were there too? Or they just like see their own face!
To me most selfie look rather ridiculous anyway with the taker head/face stuck in front like that.
Another thing that get me is why some cyclists have to take pictures of there food? Don`t they eat when they are at home? To me there`s much more interesting things to photo in our countryside and towns than a all day breakfast or a slice of cake!

                                          Snape Quayside, Suffolk August 28th 1990

                                               Cley Mill, Norflok 24th March 1989

As you see I don`t need to do selfie, even though I mostly cycle alone.

Hmmm I don`t know who wrote this or where ....

I got it from but it makes me smile.

MOUNTAIN BIKE BLUES

I am a brand new mountain bike
My owner`s pride and joy
I`ve chunky tyres and umpteen gears
I am his favourite toy

I`m bright and clean and shiny
My owner`s joy and pride
And every weekend without fail
He takes me for a ride

He loads me on his Volvo drives
Fifty miles and then
He lifts me down to ride three miles
And drives back home again

There`s just one thing that puzzles me
The roads we ride are flat
They say that I`m a mountain bike
A mountain? What is that?

I always greet other cyclists with a morning or afternoon and a friendly wave.....

I also greet horse riders and walkers the same way. Motorist that give me the right of way even if I don`t have it and they don`t have to give it either, they will always get a a thank you and wave from me.
But some cyclists will past me without any acknowledgement whatsoever! Perhaps I`m not riding the latest carbon state of the art cycle or wearing the latest design cycle wear? Or maybe its my Saddlebag or toe-clips, which are old fashion among many cyclists today.

Another thing I find annoying is the way some cyclists will overtake me (most overtake me these days) a bit too close and then whip in front of me, what all that about? There`s a Road Safety Campaign going on at the moment telling motorist to give cyclists at least 1.5 metre clearance when overtaking us, perhaps some cyclists should also be told of this too!

I`ve always regretted giving away my.........

Dawes Galaxy which once again I brought from Rory O`Brien in 1980, I really can`t remember how much I paid for it. But in those days Dawes Cycles were manufacture in Birmingham Eangland, and with every new cycle you got a 22 page owners manual. Which covered everything from riding technique to the derailleur system, also it had your model name and frame number, the Galaxy  number was CJ5823.

The Galaxy was the start of my touring, with Rough Stuff weekend along the Southdown Way, camping weekends in Suffolk & Cambridgeshire. Week long Youth Hostel tours, plus I rode the Galaxy on most club runs.

I can`t remember the year I had it respray black or why black? But the saddlebage in both photo`s is still in use today unlike those every-ready lamps!

I gave the Galaxy away to a neighbour in I think 1992 I didn`t ask anything for it just that he as much enjoyment on it that I had, the neighbour moved away sometime afterwards so I don`t know what happen to it!

I don`t know who wrote this but it always makes me smile....

CTC WEATHER

When Sunday dawns and it`s time to go

The wind gets up and it begins to snow

Through floods and storms we make our way

For the C.T.C this is a normal day.                                             

I joined the Youth Hostel Association in 1985 when......

Essex had four Youth Hostels, they were Colchester, Castle Hedingham, Epping and Saffron Walden, today they have all gone! But it wasn`t just Essex that lost their Hostels it was all over the country that Hostels were disappearing! And because of that I never renewed my membership in 2010.

Colchester seen above was the first to go in 1996, while Castle Hedingham was the last to go in 2008.
I used all of Essex Hostels mostly as a starting point for the start of my tours or coming back from them. Plus long weekend breaks were enjoyed either on my own or with club mates.

The Hostel above looks a bit remote but its only 1 mile along a rough track to Coniston in the Lake District. Coniston Coppermines is a lovely Hostel and I really enjoyed my 3 nights I stayed there, after an 8 day ride to reach it!
But my all time favourite Hostel is or was in Suffolk and called Alpheton and run by a guy called Vic. It was just right for me to have a steady day ride from home to this Hostel and I spent many long weekends here. It was a very simple Hostel, no hot water so you had to boil the kettle up for everything. It alway felt damp inside there even in the middle of a heatwave! But loved going there and was shocked when Vic who wasn`t that old died suddenly and his family sold up and moved away in 2000.

Alpheton Youth Hostel gone but never forgotten by me.

Another change of handlebars but this time on my......

Raleigh XC which I normally used as a winter bike, which I bought in 1990 from Bikechain (another cycle shop which is no longer) in Ardleigh Green, Hornchurch. I say bought, I part exchange it for my Ridgeback which I got for cycling to work in 1989 from Rory O`Brien. Paid £368 plus extra`s like for rear rack and mudguards.

I can`t remember how much extra I paid for the Raleigh, but again I had to have a rear rack put on. Do you like those pink toe-straps?

Of course over the years I`ve made some changes, like replacing the Shimano Biopace (non-round) chainrings, with a normal one. Tell you the truth I never really found it any different!

And so here`s the Raleigh today with its new straight handlebars, which I hope will keep me cycling a bit longer!

On my ride yesterday morning...

I met a cyclist who asked if I was on tour? No I said just out for a short ride to stretch the old legs! What confuse him and it does to many cyclists I meet, is my large saddlebag. I`ve always ridden with a saddlebag unless camping then it would be panniers. When I told this cyclist what I carry in my saddlebag he seemed a bit shocked! As all he carries is a mobile phone and a energy drink, and if he gets a puuncture or anything a phone call to the wife and out she comes with the car to collect him!
I`ve met a few cyclists in my time that never carry spares and I`ve always like a mug stop to help them out if I can, and normally it one of my spare inner tube I give away!
Anyway what`s in my saddlebag, well I always have a waterproof strapped on the top of the saddlebag even in the middle of a heatwave. In my tool pouch which fits nicely in a side pocket: puncture repair kit,3 tyre levers, assortment of spanners & allen keys, small screwdriver, small pilers, small penkife, spoke key, chain link extractor, small tube of oil and spare gear/brake cable.
In other side pocket my wallet, mobile phone, then in the main compartment 2 spare inner tubes, disposable gloves & rag, first aid kit, camera, notebook & pen, spare glasses, and lock. If I`m out all day then a packed lunch even though I may go into a cafe/pub for lunch. But on all my rides I always carry a couple of slices of Soreen Malt loaf, which I find will keep the bonk or hunger knock away.

Its not really a....

Rory O`Brien it started out as a Romany R2 made in England by Revell and distributed by Madison Cycles of London. I saw it advertise in the Freewheel catalogue and thought yes that my new tourer! So I ordered it from Rory O`Brien  with a £30 deposit on it and picked it up on Feb 6th 1987 and paid £500 plus £26 for a Blackburn rear carrier. After many happy miles of touring/club rides I decide to have a respray done and a nice new colour, so back to Rory O`Brien in 1998 to get it done. Six weeks later I went to collect it, there she is said the shop assistant, looking good innit? Where? There he said, oh I said yer got the colour right but it was a Romany now its Rory O`Brien! I knew it was my frame as two years earlier I had knocked my workstand over and it had fell onto the top tube and left a small dent there.
Hmmm, okay sorry about this but its such a lovely frame it should have been one of ours, said the shop assistant, but if you want another respray it will take another 6-8 weeks. I was going on tour in two weeks so I paid the bill and really did mean to go back after my tour, which of course I never did.
Most of my club mates know this story, whilst cyclists I meet on the road and say what lovely looking Rory O`Brien you have there, I just agree with them. But those cyclists that look with knowing eyes that its not what it says on the frame I come clean with them and tell the story. So even if its not really what its says on the frame it given me many happy cycling miles and more to come I hope.

Before:

After:

Today:

My love of cycling...

...really started in 1979 when the local Bus company decide to change its Sunday morning timetable. Meaning that after a 12 hours night shift I had a choice of either walking the 7 miles home or wait for 2 hours for the first Bus. I didn`t fancy either and with no driving license and I still don`t have one I decide to get a Bike! So off to Rory O`Brien Cycle shop in North Street, Romford I went and came out with a Dawes Lightning. Having not ridden a cycle since my teens (about 12 years) I found the 11 miles ride home a bit wobbly at first but got there in the end. The plan was just to cycle into work on my weekend night shifts, but I got the cycling bug and started going out on my days off. I joined the Cyclists Touring Club in August 1980 and still a member today.
The most memorable ride on the Lightning was to Mersea Island, can`t remember what the mileage was though I did have a Huret Cyclometer but never kept a record of my mileage in those days. To reach Mersea Island you have to cross the Strood, which was dry going but coming back the tide had come in, oops! I waited around for awhile but in the end I decide to go for it and learned a lesson that day, seawater and bottom brackets not good! Still I made it home even if there was a strange noise coming from the bottom bracket.
I really can`t remember what happen to the Dawes Lightning must have either sold it or gave it away.