San Fairy Ann Cycle Club

Message from Track Racing Sec Eric LeJeune:

Whilst it is quite OK to enter on the day the cost will be £10. Enter in advance and it's only £5.

Advance entry cheques to Eric at 4, Seaview, Isle of Grain, Rochester ME3 0EW.

No charge for helpers and spectators so bring the family along and make it a social day as well.

Eric is hoping to be able to arrange for drinks and light refreshments to be available - watch this space.

Map of how to get there on the website http://www.sanfairyanncc.co.uk/?pageid=46 and follow the link.

I want to appeal to all club members who are able to get to Herne Hill this Sunday, to turn out in force to support or ride. With the future of this much-loved track hanging in the balance, due to Dulwich Estates eyeing other commercial interests, this may be the last opportunity to ride at this historic venue!
British Cycling, despite protracted talks and redevelopment plans, have only managed to obtain another 1-year lease. Before money can be spent on renovation to the track surface and surrounds, British Cycling have to get a 25-year lease.
Despite that gloomy outlook, I want us all to support Eric on the 30th so that our usual bumper day out will be a memorable one.
In my teen years, and later, I practically lived at the Hill (training and racing - even commentating on bicycle polo tournaments there!). This day became a feature in my programme when I joined the Fairies twenty years ago.
I have seen all the top stars racing at Herne Hill, including the greatest sprinter of all times Reg Harris. I shall miss seeing Dick Naylor this year, and wish him the speediest and full recovery.
Please turn up you Fairies, especially the ladies as you have your own championship.

Regards to all
Pete

Pete Wall wrote:I shall miss seeing Dick Naylor this year, and wish him the speediest and full recovery.

I may be a bit slow here, but what's happened to him?

Hit by a car as a pedestrian - look under the news section of the forum for more info.

I'm down for this one (I think - there haven't been any postal strikes of late have there? ) Look forward to seeing you all there!

Ted & I are with Pete in asking as many riders as possible to support Eric this weekend at 'The Hill', this historic track that has seen so many famous faces on it in its long history. Ted & I lived within a few miles of it when we married in 1956 & like Pete, Ted used it for racing & training, cycling over there with me from our flat near the Oval with his track bike on his shoulders. I watched him in Individual & Team Pursuits, motor-paced events & even one death-defying Tandem=Paced 50 where he was steersman on one of 2 tandems pacing one of several solo riders on the track at the same time! To see the tandems (inc Ted who had nerves of steel) hurtling in to take over the pace made me cover my eyes in terror.

When we joined the SFA in 1973 they held their Annual Track Championship on grass. Ted then suggested they tried the Hill & in 1975 We hired it for all of Aug BH Sunday for £7.50 - now it costs the club £280! We have never missed a year since then apart from one when it shut down temporarily.

Our most memorable moment in those early days for us was seeing the great Fausto Coppi ride there as we were crushed in among every Italian immigrant in London. It was fantastic!

Must stop reminiscing. I hope everyone has a good & safe day on Sunday & we will all think of Dick who has organised & ridden over there many times, whether we are there, or home in Kent.

Pat

I've, at long last, finished building a track bike for the weekend:

TT bars, frame and forks from TT bike
Road bike - chainset & pedals
Fixie - fixed wheel and chain
Bike I sold 3 years ago - narrow dropped handlebars (I kept hold of the bars as I knew they'd become handy some day)
Spare parts box - bar tape & SFACC plugs for TT bars
2 bottles of Leffe - corks made into bar plugs

See you all on Sunday!

edit - that list leaves me short of a front wheel! That has come off the road bike too, but I'll put the TT front on for the day.

Rob,at the risk of teaching you how to suck eggs quick release skewers on wheels are not allowed -I presume you have fitted track nuts to your road wheels.

ronlee wrote:Rob,at the risk of teaching you how to suck eggs quick release skewers on wheels are not allowed -I presume you have fitted track nuts to your road wheels.

I've only got one set of track nuts (on the rear wheel). I was allowed to just tape the skewer last time and was hoping to do that again.

If not, does anyone have a track skewer I could use?

I have just posted this on the News section - Pat


Ronnie, Dick's wife, has just phoned me & has given me up-to-date info re his injuries. He is not out of the woods yet but all the important items are working OK. His spleen was damaged but it has been repaired. They are keeping him sedated (not really a coma) while they work on the various painful injuries he sustained, a deflated lung now OK, broken legs, one arm, facial injuries, broken teeth, 4 damaged vertebrae in lower back.etc. plus the tracheotomy. Like most really fit bikies re able to do in accidents like this, he is holding his own, & was actually able to smile when Andrew his son told him he was borrowing his bike & shoes & having a go on Dick's rollers while over here!

Ronnie has asked me to thank all the many people who have sent cards & messages. She is overwhelmed by the amount of good-will that has come their way.

I will be able to give the Club an up-to-date account of Dick's progress in the next mag out early September. Meanwhile I have told Ronnie that everyone sends their best wishes to Dick.

Pat