CYCLISTS EMPHASISE SAFETY

North Down Cycling Club launched its drive for membership this week with two nights being allocated to allow existing and new members an opportunity to enrol for 2010. Following the large turnout on Tuesday evening, club chairman Ian Blayney is anticipating another wave of new signings tonight, Thursday 10th. The clubrooms in Park Drive will be open between 7.30 and 9pm but anyone unable to get along can download the necessary application forms from the club website at www.northdowncc.com. New members are reminded that Cycling Ireland have a special introductory rate of only £9 for a year’s membership. This will provide the rider with third party and limited personal injury insurance cover. Anyone wanting to take advantage of this offer needs to bring a photocopy of a driving licence or other evidence of date of birth.

As this year draws to a close the club can look back and take great satisfaction from its successes on a number of fronts, details of which will appear in this column later this month. The big increase in membership and swelling numbers going on club weekend runs has caused North Down’s committee to remind riders of the importance of safe riding practices. While cyclists can do nothing to reduce the increasing volume of motor traffic on our roads, it is possible to minimise risk by adopting simple, sensible habits.

At this time of the year the amount of daylight is restricted and we can expect frequent cloudy, dull and wet weather. It follows, therefore that riders make themselves as visible as possible to other road users, especially motorists approaching from behind. For only a few pounds it is possible to acquire a tail light and some reflective clothing or stickers. With most riders using winter training bikes and wearing several layers of clothing, the priority is getting home safely rather than saving weight or looking stylish.

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“Cycling Club brush up on first aid skills”

The people in it from L-R are: Noel Boyce, John Gordon, Terry Nicoletti, Ken Patterson (British Red Cross), John Hunter (with Annie), Colin Massey, Julie Stevenson and Wilf Redshaw

CYCLING CLUB PLANS FOR RECORD YEAR

Having achieved record levels of membership in 2009, North Down Cycling Club is aiming to top that with an ambitious target of 150 members for 2010. Recruitment begins next week when the clubrooms in Park Drive will be open on two nights, Tuesday 8th and Thursday 10th December. Club registrar Florence Millar will be there from 7.30pm and new and existing members are advised to get down early.

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NORTH DOWN GEARS UP FOR FESTIVE SEASON

With the successful 2009 road season safely confined to the club archives, North Down Cycling Club’s ever expanding membership are now in maintenance mode with the majority of riders content to make do with the weekend club runs. However, those riders wanting to do more have signed up to a midweek programme that will add variety as well as a bit of top end training to their winter routine.

Every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday night the clubrooms are heaving as riders are put through their paces on the club’s recently acquired power trainers. These specially designed machines, unlike the spinning machines found in most gyms, allow the riders to use their own road bikes. Sessions enable the cyclists to monitor their heart rate, speed and power output over a one- hour routine, providing performance data that can be used to plan improvements in fitness.

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Cyclists Support Local Charities

The organisation of a mammoth event such as the Bangor Coastal Challenge Cycle is an all year round affair, but the event organiser, Terry Nicoletti accompanied by Harry Scott from North Down Cycling Club had one of the more pleasant  duties to perform, the presentation of the charity cheques to the Ulster Hospital.  In total a sum of £8,000 was presented to Dr Roy Harper Consultant in Diabetes and Dr Kevin Dynan Consultant in the Stroke Unit.  In fact the following three departments at the Ulster Hospital benefitted from the 2009 Bangor Coastal Challenge Cycle:-  Diabetes, Cardiology and Stroke Units.

Cheque Handover

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I am aware of the considerable interest generated within the club about the ‘proposal’ for a new club kit. As Chairman I welcome healthy debate and trust that all members best interests is the future development of NDCC.

I want to clarify the official Committee position in relation to the proposal and quell any rumours to the contrary.

Following the proposal tabled at the recent AGM regarding proposed changes to the current cycling kit,the new Committee met on Monday 19th Oct to consider how best to take this matter forward. Our position is as follows:

1. The Committee has made no decision in relation to supporting or rejecting this proposal.
2. An EGM will be held on Friday 13 November, 7.30 pm in the clubrooms to allow the proposers to present their options for a new kit. Thereafter, all members will have the opportunity to vote for or against changing kit. Closure of voting will be Friday 20th November.
3. The Committee have not commissioned the design of a new kit. We did raise safety concerns in relation to the colour of the initial proposed new kit. The proposers were advised they may wish to consider a number of more suitable options.
4. The kit options placed on the club website by Glen Armstrong are the proposers options for change. The option for no change remains.I reiterate, the Committee have not taken a view either way and will allow the members to decide.
5.After the EGM, all club members will be asked to vote:

Do you want to change the kit (yes/no)

If so, which option (Option 1, 2, 3)

The majority vote will be carried.
6. The Committee position in relation to sponsorship is that we welcome any company or individual who wishes to support the club. Any sponsor wishing to have their logo printed on the club kit will be subject to a written agreement with the Committee for a period of 3 years. The value of such an agreement will be decided by the Committee.
The term ‘dedicated racing team’ is used, by Glen, on a number of occassions within his posting on the website. This is a term not recognised by the Committee. Every member has equal voting status. It is for the member to decide what racing licence (if any) they decide to take. I know Glen makes no intention of being elitist by using this term but merely uses it to suggest were to support base of this proposal comes from.

Finally, could I ask for all future debate on this subject to be left to the EGM were everyone who has an interest in this matter can have their say. I would hope that no one will become entrenched or devisive over this issue. We all want what is best for the club and I trust the members will support whatever the vote decides.

Hope to see you all at the Club do on 7th Nov, if not before.

Ian Blayney
Chairman NDCC

22nd October 2009

Proposal for a NDCC Dedicated Racing Section Kit

3 proposed options for a NDCC dedicated racing section kit design.

It is proposed that 1 of the 3 options will become the dedicated racing section kit of NDCC. This will be an alternative to the current kit which many racing members who race in open road races now feel it’s time that the dedicated racing section has its own kit on the grounds that the dedicated racing section needs to establish its own identity and that the current kit is too pink dominated and dated for racing.

This kit would be a further boost to previous and future success of NDCC racing members and would build on the new era of last years establishment of the dedicated racing section within NDCC which has been successfully directed by Harry Adams.

The proposed dedicated racing section kit will not show the sponsors logos of Aquatech-ni and Bokhara Bangor as they will cease sponsoring the club as from the start of 2010.

Although it is not stated in the club constitution that the club colours must be pink and black, the proposed dedicated racing section kit designs are supportive to the club history and still include pink and black within each of the proposed options.

It is proposed that 1 of the 3 dedicated racing section kit designs will be introduced in 2010 as the new kit for the dedicated racing section of NDCC.

The proposed dedicated racing section kit design options are seen to be professional looking, forward thinking and appealing to the eye.

I request that a date be set for an EGM from the committee as soon a possible so a presentation and a vote can be made on the proposed dedicated racing section kit to the NDCC club members.

Glenn Armstrong.

web: www.gacreative.net
email: glenn@gacreative.net
mobile: 07799796247