Easter is here so it’s time for Wellington Wheelers to get on their bikes. Wheelers’ spokesman Charles Biscoe runs through the local cyclists’ diary:
“Sunday 13th April is the date for our first Audax of the year, the name perhaps derived from a Roman root signifying ‘endurance’ in a sporting context. In our case it’s used to signify a long ride – NOT a race. People ride them more in the spirit of an event like the London Marathon, everyone riding to their own limitations with the primary objective to just ‘get round’. These events suit everyone – clubmen, time-trialists, recreational riders, cycle-tourists, ‘born again’ cyclists, young and old, male and female. You’ll see all sorts of machines – bikes, tandems, trikes, recumbents, and occasionally even stranger things …
Typically, our entry is around 50 starters. The routes feature a few fast main roads and lots of quiet, scenic lanes. Some events are quite hilly, some extremely hilly; even the flatter ones usually have one or two challenging climbs.
Although most of our activity is leisure based, we run a series of Time Trials throughout the summer. These are ten mile races against the clock into Taunton and back, starting at the Poole roundabout by the Cades Farm estate. You might have seen us lining up to start on a Wednesday evening when (miraculously) it never rains. At the end of the season we run a hugely popular Hill Climb up Buckland Hill, the reward being masses of food in West Buckland Village Hall afterwards.
For the not-so-accomplished riders who may be starting out in club riding we have a series of Starter Sessions running on Saturday afternoons. These groups meet at the Sports Centre and get introduced to bike maintenance, gentle rides and eventually (we hope) participation in our Wednesday evening rides through the summer.
Every Sunday morning we have a club ride, generally in two or three groups depending on the speed and distance riders want to go. The groups meet at the same cafe for coffee, tea and cakes before returning by lunchtime. On Tuesdays there’s a regular ride over varying distances – details are on our website wellingtonwheelers.co.uk, or ‘like’ our Facebook page for updates and ad hoc events.
We also have a full social life in the club, including a great skittles evening and an Easter Egg Hunt.
Feel free to join. You’ll find a warm welcome at a thriving, active club – and NO ONE GETS LEFT BEHIND!”
This year the Tour de France opens on 5 July with 3 stages from Leeds to London so interest in cycling both for leisure and as a sport is likely to attract more followers than ever.