Geoff Booker has issued starting instructions for the International Tricycle Challenge:
THE_TRICYCLE_ASSOCIATION_INTERNATIONAL_CHALLENGE_2013.pdf
RACE_START_SHEETS.pdf Looking forward to seeing you there, whether competing, officiating or supporting.

IMPORTANT MESSAGE. The York Cycle Show Committee regrets that its planned 2013 event on June 22nd/23rd has been cancelled. See CTC website.

A message from the National Captain:
Hi

It's that time of year when we start to think of warm summer eveings and The Mildenhall Rally
see attachment. Mildenhall 2013.doc

Dave

Three riders from last year's event chose to reappear for their chance to prove that Norfolk is NOT flat. Held on a course that climbs and descends the undulations of the A148 in North Norfolk into a strong head-wind. This is followed by a stretch from Hillington to Gayton with the wind on the other cheek before the wind assisted climb of the Massingham Massif and a romp back to Fakenham to complete the first of three circuits. As the trikes started the second lap a light rain cooled our fevered brows but later, once all but the webmaster were starting on their third lap the rain came down with a vengeance, laced with hail. Temperatures plummeted and pot-holes disappeared beneath puddles. Messrs Holland and Badham decided that discretion was the better part of valour and retreated to the changing rooms before the flood of drowned bikies and trikies got there. Meanwhile Chris Hutchinson pressed on to finish in 5:45:37, with Jane Swain (6:21:46) and Ian Mackenzie (6:26:45). Jane scooped the handicap award before she needed thawing out.

Full Result and Photos.

The event was held in conjunction with the CC Bexley open 10. Five minutes before the start they had a massive downpour, and there was also a strong crosswind all afternoon, but the riders just got on with it in true TA style!

The final results will be confirmed once Ken Gardner, the open promoter has produced his.

Commiserations to Richard who missed his ride after a long delay on the motorway.

The 27th 10 Mile Time Trials for the 'Mike Dixie' Trophies on the V718 on
Bank Holiday Monday (06/05/2013) for solo tricycles, tandem tricycles and
tandem bicycles attracted 13 solo riders, two tandem tricycles and five
tandem bicycles. The morning was dry, sunny and warm with a slight breeze
from the south east. Dave Hardy showed that he is getting fit again to win
the Handicap Trophy from Steve E Brown, who also turned in a LTS PB. Joint
scratch men, Geoff Booker and Tim Higgins were actual fastest with LTS PBs.
With the former and the current '10' mile Solo Record Holders, Carl Saint
and Barry Charlton, pairing up on Tandem Tricycle, a fast time was expected,
and 19m. 20s. was posted for a new competition record (subject to
ratification). Congratulations!!

The funeral service will take place at 1.30pm on Thursday 2nd May;

St Georges Church,
504, Broadway,
Chadderton
OL9 9NJ

Followed by burial at 2.30pm at;

Chadderton Cemetery,
Middleton Road,
Chadderton
OL9 0JZ

...have been added to the North West Gallery.

John Arnold (Middleton C.C.) died peacefully on the morning of Sunday, 21st April, at Oldham: the passing of a cycling legend, sportsman and gentleman.

Funeral details at Chadderton will be posted in due course.

Photo of John during the RRA 24 hrs attempt in 1952: 428 1/2 miles

Photo by Peter Barlow

Geoff booker is hoping to find some competition/ company when he rides the next event in the HPVC series, which is forming the Criterium League this year.

This is at Shrewsbury THIS coming Sunday 21st April

Looks to be a good course.

You don’t need to pre-enter, just turn up, sign on and race.

Signing on from 10:00

Racing starts at 11:00

Come and improve your trike handling!

Event 2

21st April
Shrewsbury Sports Village
Sundorne Road,
Shrewsbury SY1 4RQ

bhpc.org.uk/1events.aspx

The 5^th edition of the Bill Finch Memorial 25 was held on Sunday 14^th April. on the Q25/ 8 course starting at Molash. The rains of Saturday were clearing away as we toiled up the hill from the HQ at Chilham to the start. This gave us a 2 mile 'gift' hill to whoosh down, avoiding the odd puddle and a scattering of pot-holes to pass the HQ and join the A28 heading for Canterbury. Turning at 7 miles we then faced the head-wind and the climb up to the second turn at Kennington for the descent, with the odd climb to break up the monotony and finish outside Chilham Castle.
A good result for the visitors from the Eastern Region with Chris Hutchinson winning from Ian Mackenzie and Martin Badham taking first on Handicap, with Peter Holland second.
Notable among the non-starters was Adrian Hills who parked his camper-van in the nearby car-park which he thought was the HQ. The actual HQ being 200 yards away in the village hall, it must be a credit to the lack of noise we made that Adrian didn't realise until too late.

Full Result.
Pictures from the event
Result Sheet: TASE25RESULT20130414.doc
After the event a group of trycyclists rode through the lanes to meet up with some car-borne colleagues for lunch at the Red Lion in Badlesmere. Apart from Peter Holland suffering his second mechanical upset of the day; first his car broke down then, on the club-run, his rear changer gave up the ghost, requiring him to borrow Adrian's trike, we enjoyed a balmy trundle up hill and down dale in glorious sunshine.

Entries close for the International Tricycle Challenge on April 27^th.
Some people may have been having difficulty downloading an entry form from the Trykit website, Geoff has passed on a Word document that should be downloadable from here. ITC 2013 ENTRY FORM.doc

Mark Silver contributes a report on his exploits in the HPVC event at Hillingdon:
I rode the Minet Park event at Hillingdon on 7th April, where I was the only conventional tricycle rider in attendance. There sure were a lot of other tricycles around, but they were all reclining machines of varying designs and degrees of enclosure.
In the 45 minute race (slower section), I was the fastest machine on three wheels, but my just under 20mph average speed holds no comparison to those of the following race (faster section) which followed. The whole promotion was held in the warmth of what seemed like the first Sunday of Spring, in good spirits and in a friendly atmosphere.
If nothing else, my 18 odd laps did make me refine and improve my technique for taking right hand curves at speed, so much so I might even be safe to enter the criterium at the worlds!

Mark

Meanwhile I have received an email from Tony Gray inviting tricycle entrants to the Grass Track event that he is organising at The Cherwell School, Oxford OX27 7EE on 30th June. Racing will take part between 10am and 5pm. Sadly this event has been announced a bit too late to include it in the Criterium League Calendar, but we suggest that anyone interested in competing contacts Steve Avery to register their interest. More Details.

The traditional contest for the Ed Green Trophy, awarded to fastest trike on handicap, was held at Nelson Wheeler's Circuit of the Dales. Geoff Booker was the fastest both on scratch and handicap, followed by Ian Mackenzie and Malcolm Waters.

Down in the Eastern region, the 25 re-scheduled from a fortnight earlier due to inclement weather, basked in spring sunshine. Five of the original entrants were able to ride, Marcus Hopkins flew round in 1:11:23 taking fastest on scratch and handicap.

Full Results.
Photos from the Eastern 25.

Thirteen riders contest the Bill Finch Memorial 25 on the Q25/ 8 on 14^th April.
Tom Wakefield leads the field at 8:01, culminating in Chris Hutchinson, on scratch.

Complete start sheet: TASEstartsheet20130445.doc.

Apart from articles in the Daily's Mail & Express on Richard's exploits on three wheels, his son Peter has sent in the following clip from the BBC News: www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-22034089. Keep it going Dick!

Once again John Thompson beats the wintry weather to win a Tricycle Association event, moving from the South West to the North West.
Malc Mallister profited from his handicap to return a net time of 20:29 to secure the second medal of the day.

Full Result

Photos from the event.

Dick's son, Peter, has sent out a synopsis of his life, to date, and some photos.
These have been posted in Thames Valley News and Thames Valley Gallery.

Barry, a consistent contributor on the On3Wheels forum has posted the attached footage of tricycle racing on the Isle of Man. YouTube footage.

Barry's comments: My father was a member of Houghton CC and went in a group, along with Tommy Thompson, Peter Winship and Dave Turner. The film quality is very poor, without sound and no attempt was made, to make sense of it, through editing. At some point, various uncles, aunts and even a great grandmother, seem to have managed to have get themselves spliced into the film. But I doubt there exists much other footage, of these races and am confident they offer a very rare glimpse of trike racing on the Isle of Man c. 1961. My father was not 100% sure of the date.

My father is sure there is more film to be found of these events and of he himself, riding Tommy Thompson’s trike. Having searched the cellar, I’m not filled with his confidence and suspect that film has been lost for all time. Here is the few brief minutes, we have so far.

Enjoy!

Shiver me Timbers, but Mick Madgett has called off the TA East 25 tomorrow. He must be getting sensible or old or something.

Anyway I have followed suit with the Lunch at Redgrave.

Nothing definite yet, but Mick is looking at the possibility of running the events (TA, Med Gear and Pre-1980) on Sunday April 7^th and if that happens, Redgrave may be on again on that date.

I will put out a TA East E-News when we know for sure.

Ferg Muir

Sunday April 7^th has since been confimed!

Dick Howard (seen here in conversation with Martin Purser at the Thames Valley Luncheon) is 100 years old today(21st March)!!!

He is the oldest TA Member and a member of the Unity R.C. and Thames Valley Region.
Dick is still riding his tricycle accompanied by his son Peter, we wish many more years in the saddle.

This was reported on 3 Counties Radio this morning and Ferg Muir was contacted to give information on Tricycling. The sound-bite occurs about 2 hours 34 minutes into the broadcast, available on www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p015flkt for the next seven days.

And from t'internet: www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-21877492?SThisFB.

The Criterium League Organiser has issued details of the 2013 Criterium League which will, this year, be run in conjunction with the British Human Power Club. Further details available on The Criterium League page.

The International Tricycle Challenge will take place on 2^nd June at the Fowlmead Cycling Facility and entries close on 27^th April. Camping will be available nearby at Hawthorn Park Caravan Park and early booking is advisable.

For more information, please contact Geoff Booker on 01844 339451 or trykit@tiscali.co.uk.

The Diamond Jubilee of the Thames Valley Region of the TA was celebrated at a lunch in the grand surroundings of Pendley Manor in the Chiltern Hills near Tring. Fifty-eight members and friends gathered to hear Tricycle Association President Norman Fenn propose the toast to the Region. Also on the top table were National Chairman Brenda Jackson and husband George, National Captain Dave Hardy and Mary, National Secretary Richard Bailey, past president Cliff Tremaine and Thames Valley Chairman Bernard Lamb, who welcomed the visitors. Among the guests was Dick Howard who will have his own celebration next month - on his 100th birthday and Martin Purser who kindly provided a magnifying glass to assist older members as they perused his fine display of historic photographs.

More photographs, courtesy of Ferg Muir, in the Thames Valley Gallery. Further submissions would be gratefully received.