Now Get into Cycling as a Youngster

After seeing that guy (Lucien van Impe) in the Polka-Dot jersey in the 1977 Tour de France I was hooked, He punctured on this huge climb (L’Alpe-d-Huez) and had no chance of catching Hennie Kuiper (who went on to win that stage, but apparently he never crossed the line due to being swarmed by the crowd!),

Cycling the next 5 years in brief!

I needed a drop handle bar bike, Jan 1978 and I was so unsure about joining a cycling club, A lad I admired and knew was good on the bike lived just down the road, I went out of my way to chat with him, his dad worked at the cycle shop (Ellis Briggs) and knew my family as my uncle also worked at that shop.

So I got all the information I needed and met up for my first East Bradford CC club run, turning up in trainers and a Green tracksuit (yes green!!!) I just said hello to some of the folks there, I did get some funny looks (it must have been the green ha) though. This run was to Bland Hill and it was the Yorkshire Cycling Federation winter run meet up. I was amazed by how many cyclists were in the EBCC (Members of the band 53/12 Watty, Woody, and Scotty).

Well I could do a full story about that day and how I suffered but still made it, I was so chuffed and getting home I just needed a bath…

My main years with the EBCC was 1978 till 1983 (then joined the RAF). During 1978 I met some great folks and even started out on my first time trial, it was 10 mile distance and was held near Pool near Otley, 5 miles out and 5 back, thing is, I didn’t realise the danger of turning in the road. When I reached the half way mark the road marshal pointed so I turned, it was an empty road - I believe I recorded about 30 mins and was not last - in fact I beat a few others who had the equipment and training etc, some were amazed ha!!! On his return the road marshal give me such a telling off for not looking when I turned, it was only then I understood the danger and never ever carried out road crossing etc without fully looking, thinks Jim.

1978 passed and during the winter my parents got me a lightweight frame. 1979 approached and I decided to enter some school boy road circuit races, I found it well difficult but carried on, I don’t think I managed to finish many races but it certainly did not put me off.

Ok 1979 we can say was a short year?! 1980 started and I felt good, during this time a lot of cyclists and very good cyclists were emerging from Yorkshire and a lot from the Bradford area alone. Again I entered schoolboy road circuit races and faired much better, I would finish most events, In fact in the West Yorkshire Champs held at Shibden Park Halifax I was in the lead group most of the race and at some point was trying to get away on my own, the group pulled it back on the last lap - unsure but I think I ended up 8th, I don’t know who won it but I was pleased with the effort I put in as were folks who watched.

1980 was the year when I left school, I was aged 15 and not in any frame of mind to be ready for the big bad world of working.

I’m actually abit unsure of other results but do remember being in another event at Thorpe Arch trading estate, this had 3 events and in some pretty bad weather, 1st event I was 3rd and 2nd event I think I was in the lead but fell off on a corner with a couple of laps to go, I tried taking it like Barry Sheene! Ha. So I missed the 3rd and still got the scars…

Ok, then we start onto 1981 and again I was buzzing to get on with it, my 1st event was the Bradford cycling clubs 25 mile Time Trial around the Pool Triangle, junior now. I started this event like a train and caught a few riders (riders start at 1 minute intervals), it was over 2 laps with some difficult climbing but I was a very good climber! I believe I finished 4th or 5th with a time of 1:04/05 ish? Unsure who won but I think it was a guy out of the Pennine cycling club (Willy Bell?). This year I got some ok positioning’s in the Junior road races and was accepted into some bigger events, some I finished and some I didn’t. Thing is many of the Professionals from the Bradford area knew I had it in me but it was difficult getting to some of those events, I would usually ride out to those events, sometimes meeting early with my pals and then I would race.

Pulling to a halt on 1981 and moving into 1982, this year was far more built up to and I knew I was going to have good form, I am unsure if I entered the inter-clubs 25 this year? But I do know though not winning Junior events I had started placing ok and started to get accepted into the Peter Buckley Junior national road series, on the junior Tour of the Peak I had mighty fine form and first lap up Axe edge I would say a group of about 20 of us got away, I was in the first 6 or so on that climb and pushing hard. Yes on the descent and up some other climb this group was still together and I was pretty much enjoying it but I had never rode this event before, We were descending fast into a sharp bend and most of the other riders had all shifted into a very low gear but I thought ‘Nope I can manage on the big ring’ so your guessing correct - we shot round this bend and hit a huge steep climb, I rode to a complete halt Arrggghhhh, I should have done the same as I was flying – riding really well. I chased hard but could not get on so packed; I was up there thou… I think future pro Chris Walker won?

During this year my old good friend Dave Rayner had been achieving some amazing results in his last year as a school boy. We trained hard together and often, we decided to enter a Pro-Am 2-up time trial in the Harrogate week of cycling (I love Harrogate for many reasons…), This day we rode to Harrogate and visited all the shows, we also went through some tests that were being developed, these test machines covered a distance of 25 miles, I think my time was about 55 minutes and Daves about 53 minutes. We were told we should expect to do a great ride in the Evening. The evening arrived, this 12.5 mile hilly time trial was based on the Penny-pot lane circuit starting and finishing just outside Harrogate. A memory appears, something went wrong in my test, the guys and myself made some jokes but now it makes sense, was Sarcoidosis in my system even then?

Dave and I decided he can climb better than me so I would drag him along the flat Pennypot Lane and he would drag me up the climbs, dragging as riding so hard that you can barely keep the wheel in front. We lined up side by side and it was counted down and we were off, I set off like a crazed mad man, Dave stayed on my wheel for most of the flat, His words were something like slow down Stu ha ha, As we hit the short descent and turned left to climb up past the Sun Inn Dave flew passed me, I just got his wheel but the descent give me a breather (a note for folks, me and Dave rode 10 gears with a junior high gear of 52/16 (time trials did not have restrictions but we decided too)). Right then we hit the climbing and it was my turn, my turn to say slow down Dave ha ha. Dave stayed on the front all the way up to Prime point and out of the saddle, that is the most my legs ever hurt anywhere anytime on a bike, (thanks Dave my truly missed good friend). We got over prime point, I breathed a bit and went on through to give Dave a rest, this descent is fast and we were spinning our legs big time. A few turns and last climb up to the finish line we past, that was hard.

A friend John G had spent the day with us and looked after our clothes etc, we waited for the result and I think we got joint 7th? A fantastic ride and we were so so full of ourselves as was John and on the way home we called in for fish and chips in Otley, fish and chips after that ha ha. me and Dave were going to make plans for for 2-ups during 1983 but a few things happened, his form went off the Richter scale as being one of the best Juniors in the country and eventually racing abroad and I decided drinking and music was far easier!!!

John ‘G’ comes back to mind, John introduced me to this fantastic instrument called the ‘Guitar’, and all my music is Johns fault…

Just a note on these years, I had some of the best times of my life and miss them, these years had mostly great points, some middle points and a few low points but they kept me mostly away from the folks we need to avoid when young. The high points had to be seeing the Tour de France and touring some of Europe’s countries in 1981 and 1982. Climbing the L’Alpe-du-Huez and experiencing so much.

Hats off to Lance Armstrong, top man.