Heffron Park

DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME:  Saturdays (Except public holiday weekends) - Juniors start at 3pm. Seniors  A, B, C & D grades will start at 4pm.   CAT 4 Racing - Open to all affiliated (licensed) riders.

Assistants required to facilitate racing - See Marshal Roster.  Note:During winter (outside daylight saving time) times are: Juniors start at 1pm. Seniors A, B, C & D grades will start at 2pm.

Track training every Thursday night (unless advertised otherwise).  Open to all affiliated (licensed) riders with a track bike.  All clubs welcome.  Must have a track bike (no road bikes allowed).  Gates open at 6.30pm.  70 lapper all in training starts 7pm.  No traffic.  No lights.  No free wheeling - solid pedaling for an hour and on your way home by 8pm.  Great training session.  Come and join us.

NEW UNIFORM FOR 2008 HAS ARRIVED

(Small & XSmall now in stock !!!)

Click here for more details

RBCC INITIAVE TO ASSIST OUR FEMALE MEMBERS OF THE CLUB

Firstly:  Every Saturday at 3pm Nathan Rollason will take the girls for ride around Heffron Park and will teach basic skills like sitting a wheel, riding in a bunch, pointing out holes, communication with other riders, even how to take a water bottle (bidon) out of it cage and replace if need be.  If any of the girls don't know how to remove a wheel and fix a puncture, Nathan will demonstrate that as well and give you a go at it.  There will be wheels on hand to practice on together with club track pumps and tyre levers, etc.

Secondly:  Rides.  We have put on a couple of "Women Friendly" rides during the week.  The first is Wednesday mornings when the Women friendly bunch will leave from the Randwick Gates of Centennial Park at 5.45am sharp.  The pace will be a lot easier than the 6am bunch and everyone will be waited for and assisted.  So to on the 6am Friday coffee ride, the girls will be looked after during this ride as well.  See Training Rides, for more details.  

I know that everyone will be pleased to know that Jenny McKenna, who was seriously injured in last years Canberra Tour is very much on the improve. Jenny who woke up after many months in a coma, has inspired us all with her tenacity and courage.  Martin Renwick told me on today's Waterfall ride (Sun 10 Feb), that he had visited Jenny in hospital and she told him that she  would love to have people visit her.  Jenny is in Westmead Hospital. So if you know Jenny or even if you are just a fellow cyclist and are in the area, drop in and say hello.  I am sure that it would make her day.

Phyllis Doreen Ellen Gilbert, daughter of Snowy Wilson, passed away peacefully on January 28, 2008.  The club only made contact with Phyllis in the last few years and she was instrumental in providing us with lots of information about her father Snow and filling some of the holes in the club's history books.

Phyllis was a special guest at our Club's 100 year birthday celebration in 2003 and we really appreciated the huge effort that she made in attending all the way from Dangar Island in her frail condition.  Phyllis always managed to sponsor an event at the Snowy Wilson Memorial in her dad's honour.

Phyllis is pictured right when a small number of the Executive met and had lunch with her just across from her home on Dangar Island, on Sunday 19 May 2002 at Brooklyn. 

PHYLLIS was fare welled Friday (February 1, 2008), at 11.30 a.m., in the Chapel of the Mackay Family Crematorium, Pacific Highway,
Palmdale.  She will be sadly missed.
 

One of the longest members of our Cycling Club was Alfred C "Snowy" Wilson who was a member of the club for most of his life, first as a rider and later as coach, handicapper and Secretary.

Snowy pictured left on the bike in 1917.

Australia Day Long Weekend.  Camp dates: Friday the 25th to Monday the 28th of January.

Thanks to Camp organiser Natahan "Rollo" Rollason for organising a fabulous training camp with over 40 people attending the camp. For photos of the action over the 3 days, Click here.
 

The Bike Bug  500

s it possible to ask RBCC members to pre-register.
There's some concern that we may have
What are the chances?
The email address to send pre-registered names is jwjc2008@googlemail.com
My fellow organisor Michael Lee is monitoring this email address.

 

Friday Evening, 23 Nov was the RBCC 2007 Presentation Night.  A fantastic night was had by all and some REALLY let their hair down.  To see photos, click here.

Congratulations to our RBCC Gold Medalists, Pete Herzig, Adam Conquest, Nathan Rollason and Jules Galli who did Randwick Botany proud in taking out the NSW Elite Men Team Time Trial Title at Calga today (Sunday 28 Oct 2007).  Big thank you also to Joanne Buckton who represented the club as a Commissaire and starter of the event.  Big thanks also to Ross Mackenzie who went up and assisted the boys.  Congrats also to the other team who represented their club, Craig Klement, Rick Jordan, Mark Arnold & Dave Lippman in the Masters 1-4.   Good work guys, I'm sure the whole club is proud of you.  I certainly am.

Click here for photos.

CONGRATULATIONS JOHN & VASINEE BOLES

Congratulations to new parents John & Vasinee Boles.  Vasinee gave birth to their daughter,  Asia Heather Boles, on 1st October 2007.  Asia weighed in at 2.65kgs.  Mother and daughter are doing well.  

Bolsey might be absent from a few training rides in the near future as he

Congratulations to Sean "Higgo" Higgerson for second place in Division one.  Congratulations also to all those RBCC riders who competed in this year's Sydney Goulburn.  Congrats to Pete McDonald in 12th place,  Robbie Cater 24th place (members of the FRF/NSWIS Continental Team.)  Congats to our first non team member, Kris Koke fabulous ride to finish 31st.  Peter Hertzig in 34th and Nathan Rollason (pictured right) who came in 42nd.  Congrats also to Divison 2 finishes, Andrew Riordan in 8th place, Sean O'Neill in 9th, Matty Lucas 21st and Jules Galli 41st.  Congratulations to all who competed

CONGRATULATIONS PETE McDONALD ROBBIE CATER & MATT LUCAS

Congratulations to Matt Lucas (far left), now a Master, who stayed home and took out the Southern Hemisphere Cup at Eastern Creek. 

MAGPIE SOLUTIONS

Further to our Magpie Alert below, I have received several solutions from members which may be of assistance.  Firstly, they generally target single riders so you are pretty safe in a bunch or even 2 abreast. 

One of our members Andrew Swan reports:  "Early this year I stuck a pair of those "goggle" eyes on the back of my helmet to dissuade swooping. These are the ones you stick on toys, with a black "pupil" that can rattle around. I've not been bothered by birds since, in a total 400km of riding! :-)  I had to hunt around for them though, eventually getting them at the craft shop on the top level of Eastgardens for about $2 each."

Ritchie Jenkins has a pair of sunglasses stuck on the back of his helmet which has some degree of success however whilst riding with him the other day, he almost had the lenses pecked out.

Rocky Fortuna has submitted a possible solution.  He reckons you get two large electrical  electrical cable ties and pull them tight through  the top of your helmet so that they stick up in the air.  Rocky reckons the birds will attack the tops of the cables and miss your helmet.  I would give a lot of credence to this last one given that Rocky spends much of a training ride OTA by himself and therefore if anyone is going to be attacked by magpies it would be him.

Maybe a combination of the two with Rocky's cable ties and Andrew's google eyes or you could simply stop like Big Bazza did the other day and try and KO one with your water bottle.  He missed him three times whilst the predator perched and stared at Bazza from the Electric power lines.  For this last method you need to be both a good shot and not too far from home if your thirsty.

For all those doing secret miles by yourself or in pairs, be advised that the Magpies are nesting and are particularly aggressive this year.  You are pretty safe in a bunch but a single rider is like a red flag to a bull.  There are a pair working at the top of Torrington Road Maroubra.  There are a pair working at Heffron Park that nearly tore a guys remote control plane to pieces last week and getting hit by the propellor, whilst it drew blood, did not deter them.  There is one, possibly two along the stretch from Duffy's corner on Bunnerong Road to the Gaol and a nasty one at the Container terminals.  Ritchie Jenkins has had some success with a pair of sunglasses turned backward.  I did read an American report that said you can get rid of them completely by pasting a face on the top of your helmet from a magazine or the like.  Don't know if you want to go that far however I can tell you from personal experience that the one at Torrington Road ruined one of my helmets last year when he stuck his beak right in causing 5 big holes through the polystyrene shell.  If he had gone about 30 mm lower he would have been into the side of my head!!

Congratulations to Tanya Newton who won a Silver Medal in the Womens NSW Road Championships at Kurrajong on 19 August 2007.  See full results here.

Photo ©: Brad Hooker/www.cyclingimagesonline.com

2007 Snowy Wilson Memorial cancelled

The 2007 Snow Wilson Memorial which was scheduled to be held on 8 September 2007 at Heffron Park has been cancelled.  When only 6 riders had entered within 6 days of the closing date, the Randwick Botany Executive received a clear message that riders had little interest in this Open and we were unfortunately left with no other option but to cancel the Open.   We apologise to the six riders who had actually entered.  The date will now revert back to a normal club racing day.

In his Aug report Mike Tomalaris, RBCC Club Patron gives his thoughts post Tour and pulls no punches on the "Shock Jocks"back home in Australia trying to heap discredit on our beloved sport.

Full story click here.

If you are in, or planning to go to Victoria in October then why not support thisworthy event.  Full details here.

HEFFRON PARK IMPROVEMENT

I would like to thank Randwick Council and especially the Randwick Council Sports Committee for confirmation at last night's meeting (15 August), that requested fencing alongside the soccer fields (in the vicinity of the public toilets) has been approved and will be erected in a couple of weeks.  Hopefully no more soccer balls under wheels and/or soccer players running out in front of cyclists.

As soon as he gets a new bike he will be back out there.  He is having a hard time choosing between an Argon18, BH or a Colnago.

Luke has been awarded the Male Under 17 Cyclist of the year for 2006.  From all your clubmates, Luke, well done and keep up the good work.  Left Luke receives his award from Cycling NSW President Kerry Ruffles.

It is my great pleasure to introduce to you Randwick Botany Cyling Clubs' new Club Patron, although to the vast majority of you I'm sure that he needs no introduction.  We have remained rivited to our seats over the years as we have watched Michael Tomalaris bring the Tour de France and other major cycling events into our homes via the SBS coverage.  We all know of his obvious passion for the sport of cycling but what is not common knowledge about Michael, is that he is also a rider, and in fact one of our club mates being a fully affiliated member of the Randwick Botany Cycling Club.  Well without stealing any more of Tomo's thunder I will hand it over to him for the first installment of our Patron's page.

RBCC SALUTES PARIS-ROUBAIX WINNER STUART O'GRADY

POTENTIAL NEW MEMBER TO THE CLUB
Harrison Lucas, son of Matthew and Lara Lucas was welcomed into the world about about 2.30pm on Sunday 18 March 2007.  Lara and Harrison both doing well.

photo courtesy Ernie Smith Photography

Our previous offsite housed guestbook was plagued with Spam and other nasties, so I have introduced a new one which is housed on the RBCC domain.  It has a few new bells and buzzers like ability to upload photos and leave smileys etc.  Why don't give it a try. Click on the bottom button (left) on the vertical menu or if that's too much trouble, click here.

On Sunday 4 February Adam competed in the ATTA 25km Individual Time Trial at Calga and is now the new record holder in that event having shaved 30seconds off his previous time and completing the distance in 33 minutes and 38 seconds, an average speed of 44.6kph.  Adam now holds the 25km and 43km course records and has indicated that he still has more in the tank.  Congratulations Adam.