Club News - February 2025
Many apologies for hoping the weather would improve, no such luck.
QUIZ EVENING
7.30 pm Friday 28th February at The Pound
There will be a light-hearted mix of questions mainly on general knowledge and a bit of cycling stuff. We’re not providing food so it’s only £5 per head – you may win a prize – and we are assured there will be a bar.
Teams of 4 would be great but certainly no more than 6 per team. If you want to come along, let us know via corshamcc@gmail.com with your mobile number asap so we can sort out arrangements and payment details. Thanks to those of you who have already signed up.
Please try to get to The Pound by 7.15pm. This will help us allocate participants who do not have a team and give you plenty of time to get a drink for a prompt start at 7.30pm. (There is another event on at The Pound that evening so early arrival improves your chances of a parking spot if you are driving).
Once we have covered our costs, any remaining funds will be donated to The Wiltshire & Bath Air Ambulance Service which is the Captain’s Charity for 2025.
In this edition:
Dates for Your Diary: Calendar for Away days and other events including: A trip to Belgium; The Challenge Ride; Green Plus Weekend; Possible Bike-packing weekend.
New web-site
New kit: Jerseys and caps
Some local causes to consider
Dates for Your Diary
Provisional Calendar for 2025
Set out below are the events, in addition to the usual route schedule, that we are planning for 2025.
Feb: Quiz Evening (Fri 28 Feb)
May: Long weekend to Belgium 16-18 May (see below)
May: Split ride 1 WSM/Cheddar Gorge (Sun 11 May)
May: Active travel group family ride 18 May (tbc)
June: Challenge weekend (14/15 June); overnight in Taunton (see below)
July: Green+ weekend (5/6 July); two rides from Hereford (see below)
July: Century Challenge (Sun 20 July)
Aug: Flat 200k/120k (green+ oriented) (Sun 17 Aug)
Sept: Bike packing (Sept), Isle of Wight (see below)
Sept: Split ride 2 (Sun 21 Sept)
Dec: Christmas do (date tbc)
Dec: AGM (date tbc)
Long Weekend to Belgium in 16-18 May
Thanks to those of you who have already expressed an interest in this event. This is a new venture aimed at riders from across the club who would like to try something different! Much of Belgium is flat but for those who want more of a challenge there are rides with bergs (steep hills) and cobbles.
This will be over 16-18 May in Oudenaarde. The plan is to leave on Thursday evening, ride on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, returning Sunday evening. Depending on the number and ability of riders, we'll have groups riding green, orange, blue/red routes over the 3 days. It will be great chance to see some of the famous climbs and pave segments in the Spring classics such as Muur van Geraardsbergen and Oude Kwaremont (see picture below).
Riders should arrange their own transport, accommodation and if necessary, bike hire. If you are interested, please get in touch via corshamcc@gmail.com asap.
Challenge Weekend (14/15 June) Corsham - Taunton - Corsham
This is a weekend of long rides and some big hills. In the past riders have been those who typically ride ‘blue’ with some stronger ‘orange’ riders. The day one route involves 127 miles/203km and 6615ft/2005m of ascent and takes us to Taunton. The day two route is 80 miles/128km and 5187ft/1572m of ascent and crosses the Quantocks and the Mendips on the way back to Corsham. If you are interested in riding or being a support driver let us know at corshamcc@gmail.com. We’ll publish further details in the next few days.
Green Plus Away Weekend (5/6 July)
Thanks to those of you who have already expressed interest in this event. Following successful weekends based in Malvern, Bicester and Wells, the fourth Green Plus away weekend will be based in Hereford. As the title suggests these rides are suitable for regular ‘Green+’ riders i.e. rides without long steep hills and at a Green+ pace.
Day one (49.5miles/79.2km with 2354ft/713m of ascent) takes in some of the ‘black and white’ villages of Herefordshire and the market town of Leominster. Day two (29 miles/46.4km with 1438ft/435m of ascent) explores the Wye Valley in and around Hereford. Again, we’ll publish more details in the next few days but if you are interested, contact us at corshamcc@gmail.com.
Bike-packing (September)
As indicated in the last newsletter, if this event is to take place we need a volunteer or volunteers to take on the job of organiser! If you think you are that person please get in touch via corshamcc@gmail.com or speak to a committee member.
New Website
You will have noticed the change to our new website which we think will be more user friendly and easier to access. We’ll revise and update some of the FAQ sections in due course.
New kit
We have some new jerseys on order and, in a new addition, we will have a limited number of CCC caps, in club colours - check out the link here for the design
And finally
Some local causes you might want to support
Tom Price is a local cyclist who had a horrific crash on his bike at the end of 2023 that has left him paralysed. He has made a strong recovery and has a funding effort with the aim of getting a highly customised off-road bike so he can get out and into the wilds. We know some of you have already supported this cause but if you are interested, please check out Tom’s fundraising page here.
The second cause is a request for volunteers. Last year, near Remembrance Day, The Club Chair and The Club Captain were fortunate enough to ride to the church at Holt to see the magnificent poppy display. Others have also been inspired and there is a project being organised by the Peacock WI to have something similar in Corsham. They need volunteers to knit or crochet 10,000 poppies! If you would like to be involved please check out the information here and here.