West London Combine Hill Climb

Congratulations to the winner Rory Atkins (Twickenham CC) who was the only rider to dip under the 2 minute barrier and a great ride also by the Archer RC's Jayne Rendall-Hannan who stormed to victory in the ladies category with a 02:34, in what was her first ever time trial event.

Archer RC cyclo cross 2009 - Transponders!

An innovative Archer RC cyclo cross race on, Sunday, 25 October at Hillingdon Cycle Circuit, (Springfield Road, Hillingdon, UB4 0LT. Off the Uxbridge Road and Hayes by-pass) will utilise transponders. This will provide a tremendous technical back up to the normal judging panel says Andrew Postings, the organiser. With a likely field of over 80 riders with very mixed abilities from novice to expert it is likely that riders may be lappped by the winner up to three or four times. In fact last year only one rider was not lapped. The transponders show each time a rider crosses the line.

Although this set of transponders has been borrowed, future events at all events at the Hillingdon Circuit will have the availability of the system following a successful joint bid to the National Lottery by the Westerley CC, which runs time trials at the circuit, and the London Nordic Ski Club, which runs races with skis on wheels, including a four hour event next Saturday, 17 October. Both have problems in keeping records on lapped competitors and both are full members of the Hillingdon Cycle Circuit Users Group, other members of which will have call on the transponder system as they already do on the existing jointly-owned photo finish system.

As the transponders cost £85 each, BC members will have to leave their licence and non-members something of value as a deposit to guarantee their return. All types of bicycles can be used and mountain bikers are especially welcome.

The Archer RC cyclo cross is the sixth event in the long established London League and the fourth event in the second year of the Central League, and will be on a slightly revised route from last year with new trails having been cut and the main grassed areas having the benefit of being very recently cut. Ideas from the recent Blenheim cyclo cross, where Archer club officials were involved, will be introduced.

All entries will be 'on the line' with the provision of excellent changing rooms with showers, plus plenty of car parking space, in the adjacent Goals Soccer Centre. The full programme is:

Under 10: 11.00 - £1
Under 12: 11.15 - £1
Youth: 11.45 - £5.00
Junior: 13.00 - £7
Sen/Vet/Women: 13.00 - £12

There is a surcharge of £3 for non-BC members except the u-10 and 12s.

2009 Archer Spring and Junior road races

The Archer Spring and Junior road races on Sunday, 19 April, attracted near full fields to the surprise of the organisers who wondered if riders would accept the challenge of the hilly 15 mile lap based on Hughenden Valley village in the Chilterns that would have been used by the now cancelled Premier Calendar Archer GP.

Joint organisers Stuart Benstead, Archer RC and Doug Collins, Twickenham CC, found that riders from 1st down to 4th category wanted to ride on an old fashioned tough road race course and were prepared to take on the famousWhiteleaf hill three times in the 45 mile races, plus Longdown and Hughenden hills, on the basis it is the same for everybody.

The provisional results are here.