Well the first day of our annual Club Championships AND Family Fun Day is almost upon us! This Saturday, 27th September, sees the Time Trial and the Skills categories of the Club Championships kick things off. Please do read the following information very carefully, especially if you are attending the early session, as it clearly lays out everything you need to know regarding how the day will be run and what Members can expect.
A Recap: So What is Club Champs All About?
This is all about testing your cycling prowess in 5 categories, specifically Skills, Time Trials, Road Races, Mountain Biking and Track. You will be competing for the much-coveted Club Champs accolade and jersey for your respective age group, as well as some fantastic prizes; all of which will be announced at our Xmas party on the 20th December!
I’m New to the Club – May I Enter?
Absolutely! This is open to ALL members, irrespective of how long you’ve been with us, and we would encourage you all to take part. If you are a recent inductee still trying us out, you are also welcome to join in but to be eligible for points you must please bring your membership forms to Asti before sign on.
How Do You Determine Who is Club Champ?
At the end of the Club Champs events, we will collate and add up the points gained per member. The Club Champions will be determined by whoever has the most points in 4 out of 5 of the categories – so at a minimum you should enter at least 4 of the events to up your chances of winning! In total, there will be 12 Club Champions [6 boys and 6 girls] for each age category from U6 to U16. However, it is not compulsory if you don’t want to compete, and not all categories have to be entered if you do wish to join in.
What if I Can’t Make All the Events?
As we said, we are taking the best of 4, so if you enter 4 events, you are in the running. If you can only make 3 events, or 2, or 1 – you may not necessarily win, but Club Champs is a great opportunity to try things out anyway so we’d still encourage you to go for it. Plus, you get points for entering! It is important to note that if you miss an event, you cannot make it up another time. So if you miss this weekend’s Skills, or any others coming up, you don’t get another chance. However, there is an exception for the Time Trial category – if you cannot do it this weekend, you may take part on the 11th October, with the following rules/ caveats:
- The Club Champs TT on the 11th will be done during the early session so you will have to be signed on and ready to ride by 8.25am sharp!
- If you do the Club Champs TT on the 27th September, you may not re-do this on the 11th October – you only get one go.
So What is the Plan for This Weekend Then?
First and foremost it is important to remember this is an ALL DAY AFFAIR as we are combining Family Fun Day AND round 1 of the Club Champs. We have a full day of activities planned to ensure everyone gets a go, and everyone has a great day.
Here is our anticipated schedule and running order (subject to change!):
| Start | End | Age Group | Club Championship Activity |
| 08:00 | 08:15 | All – Early Birds | Sign On – Early session Time Trial (TT). Only the 1st 30 riders will be able to have a go early. |
| 08:30 | 09:20 | All | Early session Time Trial (10 laps) – see **note below |
| 09:00 | 09:30 | All – Normal Birds | Sign On – Normal session. Everyone else. |
| 09:30 | 10:00 | All | Group warm-up, all categories, all ages |
| 10:10 | 11:00 | U10/U8/U6 | Remaining U6/U8/U10 Time Trial – 2 laps |
| 11:15 | 13:15 | All | U16/U14/U12 Skills competition, 2 stations |
| U6/U8/U10 Skills, 2 stations | |||
| 13:30 | 14:30 | U14/U16 | Remaining U14/U16 Time Trial – 10 Laps |
| 14:45 | 15:45 | U12 | Remaining U12 Time Trial – 5 Laps |
**For those U10, 1st 2 laps count; for U12’s first 5 laps count; U14/U16 all 10 laps count.
Help! I Don’t Understand the Age Group System!
Here’s a breakdown we hope will make sense:
- U6: Normally Blue, born 2008 and 2009
- U8: Normally Green, born 2006 and 2007
- U10: Normally Red, born 2004 and 2005
- U12: Normally Orange, born 2002 and 2003
- U14: Normally Yellow, born 2000 and 2001
- U16: Normally White, born 1998 and 1999
How Will Sign On Work on Saturday?
Riders who wish to do their Time Trial during the early session will have to ensure they bring along their sign on money as you will not be doing your usual early sign on. We will guide you through the steps on Saturday, but some important points to note regarding sign on for everyone:
- Early sign on will run from 8am – 8.15am – DON’T BE LATE.
- Only the first 30 riders will get to do their TT early, so make sure you are on time.
- You will sign on in the clubhouse and will pay your sign on fee when you sign on.
- You will receive a number that you will keep for the entire day.
- You will not need to sign on again at 9am.
- Normal sign on will commence again at 9am – 9.9.30am – if you are late, you will not be able to take part so please be on time!
Will I Get Bored in Between Events – How Are You Going to Keep Me Entertained?
Well, considering this Saturday is also Family Fun Day, our Social Secretary Mark Devlin (read all about him in Who’s Who Corner), has a set of activities planned that will ensure NO-ONE utters the horrid “B” word! First and foremost, there will be a MTB skills (not to be confused with the main Skills Club Champ event!) and jump course set up behind the clubhouse for those of you who dare to give it a go. For those of you who fancy something a little less outdoorsy, and want to measure your power output, we’ll have a Watt bike in the classroom. Of course, there can be no fun without parachute games, tug of war, sack races and egg & spoon races, so these will be going on too! And finally, if you want to give your judging coaches a giggle, we’ll have face painting and tattoos (the removable non-painful type, obviously!) for those of you who wish to do your Club Champs events in colour!
Sounds Like I’m Going to Need Much Energy – Will I Be Able to Buy Food?
Yup! The canteen will be open as normal with the usual fare; and of course Jeff’s famous BBQ will be up and running and serving bacon, sausage and normal burgers for £1 only! However it will be a long day, so you may also want to bring a picnic along as well – especially if you are vegetarian and unable to enjoy the BBQ!
What Bike Should I Bring – I’m Confused?
Bring any bike you are comfortable on – if you have two bikes and wish to do the Time Trial on one and Skills on another, that is entirely up to you. You may also wish to bring your mountain bike to try out the MTB course. Please remember that if you do bring extra bikes, you need to make sure the one/s you aren’t using are securely locked – it is a public park after all so please do bear this in mind. If you want to hire a bike for the day, you may do so – but this will be on a first come first served basis – so make sure you are on time to avoid disappointment!
It Sounds Like It Will Be a Busy Day – Do You Need Help?
Yes please Parents! We need volunteers to help the Coaches set up the skills courses, judging and recording and also help with similar jobs in the Time trials as well. Club Champs is an excellent place to learn to judge, so if you would like to help us out on Saturday, even if it is just when your child is taking part in a specific event, it will really make a difference. Please let us know ASAP via reply to this email of your availability and we’ll put you down as a helper. If you’re not sure of your availability yet, don’t worry – when you turn up on Saturday, simply speak with the coaches as there will undoubtedly be loads to do!
We realise this is a lot of information, but hope it all makes sense and helps. Parents, please ensure all Members are aware of the plan for the day. If you have any questions regarding the above, do email us