At Birdwell Wheelers' first of three 15 mile time trials at Thurnscoe, Trevor Mayne annihilated the rest of the field with another superb ride. His time of 36.32 was over 2 minutes faster than the nearest competitor, James Allen, and bodes well for his build up to the 12 hour time trial later this month.

On the preceding weekend, John Woodhouse rode the 'South then North' 600km audax. He travelled from Derby to Huntingdon then back to Alfreton for the first 300km, then rode north to Selby, returning to Derby via Gainsborough. He has now qualified for the Paris-Brest-Paris audax in July.

Veteran roadman Dave Scargill continues to build his racing form managing 3rd place at Tysoe road race at Warwick on Sunday. Halfway through the hilly 60 mile course, Scargill broke from the main group with four others and stayed away to contest the final sprint. This creditable result follows his 10th place in the National Championships and leaves him in 5th place in the national Percy Stellard trophy.

In the North Midlands Road Race League, hard-working Joe Woodhouse sprinted to 5th place in foul conditions on Thursday evening at Harworth. Darren Gill and Alan Bullock also rode well finishing 12th and 19th respectively.

Birdwell Wheelers' Trevor Mayne produced a superb ride at the club hilly timetrial at Brierly Common on Tuesday evening. His time of 36.49 was a course record for the 14 mile route beating second placed James Allen by 50 seconds. Mayne now leads the hilly competition standings and hopes to perform equally well at Stainborough hill climb later in the year.

Two days earlier Mayne and Allen joined Craig Wilson, Dave Scargill and Joe Woodhouse in riding the 'Etape du Dales' challenge covering 110 miles of the Yorkshire Dales' most arduous climbs. Luckily the weather was kind and Wilson, Allen and Mayne recorded a Gold standard time of 6 hours 25 mins placing in the top 15 of over 700 riders. Scargill and Woodhouse achieved the highly creditable Silver standard returning under 8 hours.

Alan Bullock, Darren Gill and Richard Oxley competed at the North Midlands Road Race meeting at Laughton on Thursday. As usual the wheelers were highly active trying to escape the peleton with Gill riding well to finish in the first 20 riders whilst Bullock and Oxley finished in the main bunch. Bullock recovered sufficiently to ride the Veteran Time Trial Association 30 mile event at Hatfield Woodhouse on Saturday and managed a respectable 11th place recording a time of 1h17m16s in blustery conditions.

The Birdwell Wheelers' 5 mile timetrial at Thurgoland was run for the fourth and last time this year in near perfect conditions on Tuesday evening. Consequently, James Allen rode to a personal best (PB) winning time of 12.18 beating the under-par Trevor Mayne by 15 seconds. Darren Gill also capitalised with a 3rd place PB ride of 13.05 whilst Claire Crossland was 3rd on handicap with her own PB. However, Roger Holmes still leads the series points competition going into next week's 14 mile hilly timetrial at Brierley Common.

Last weekend, endurance man John Woodhouse continued to prepare and qualify for the Paris-Brest-Paris Audax riding the mammoth North and Wolds 400km Audax. Starting from Alfreton, Woodhouse rode through the wet evening and night via Boothferry, Helmsley, Pickering and Gainsborough to record a time of 18 hours. The following day was spent recovering in bed only managing the energy to force down a few of his favourite recovery drinks of ice-cold Guiness.

Meanwhile, Christine Minto returned to competition following a 3 year layoff at the Tricycle Association 10 Mile timetrial near Howden. Riding with Alison Purser of Lincoln Wheelers, the pair used their combined 132 years of experience to record a superb time of 28.29 which is an age record. Experiencing the thrill of competition again means Minto is likely to return to racing later this year.

Strong crosswinds on Tuesday evening for the Birdwell Wheelers third 5 mile timetrial at Thurgoland persuaded the 20 competitors to sacrifice their more aerodynamic low profile bikes for more stable road racers. Times suffered but James Allen still managed a winning time under 13 mins (12.59) whilst Dave Cutts, Darren Gill and Roger Holmes were 1st, 2nd and 3rd on handicap.

Dave Scargill travelled to Kent on Sunday for the 4th round of the Percy Stellard Trophy. Competing over 6 laps of a 9 mile circuit, the aggressive Scargill attacked and rode alone for 3 laps before being caught by the chasing bunch of 40 riders. Impressively, he managed to recover and join 3 other riders in a break on the last lap and finish 3rd in an uphill finish.

The North Midlands Road Race League began last Thursday with Tony Wright, Darren Gill, Richard Oxley, Joe Woodhouse and Alan Bullock representing Birdwell Wheelers in the handicapped race at Laughton. Woodhouse and Oxley attacked alone from the gun only to be brought back by the chasing groups for a mass sprint finish. Chaos ensued when a crash occurred in the final 100 meters causing all the Wheelers riders to lose momentum. However, all were happy to finish in one piece.

The 2nd of Birdwell Wheelers' 5 mile timetrial series took place on Tuesday evening at Thurgoland. A field of 21 riders fought against the brisk easterly sidewind with Trevor Mayne returning to record the fastest time of 12.25 beating James Allen by 1 second. However, Junior Richard Oxley continues to improve and leads the evening series points competition after 2 rounds. Mayne was also fastest of the Birdwell Wheelers at the North Midlands Cycling Federation Pooled Clubs 25 mile timetrial on Saturday with a time of 1 hour 11 seconds. Tony Wright also rode well finishing in 1 hour 5 minutes and 56 seconds.

Roadman Craig Wilson competed over a 110km rolling course at Tamworth on Sunday in a race with numerous breaks causing the average speed to reach 25mph. Despite feeling competitive, Wilson missed the key escapees but managed to finish strongly with the following pack.

Also during the weekend, John Woodhouse took part in the 'Everybody Rides to Skeggy' 300km Audax ride. He cycled from Alfreton to Skegness and back fighting a significant headwind on the outward journey. However, the tail wind for the final 100km eased tired legs and Woodhouse was satisfied to complete the course in a time of 12 hours and 40 minutes.

Birdwell Wheelers' first time trial of the season drew a field of 25 riders keen to test their early season fitness on the 5 mile course at Thurgoland on Tuesday night. A brisk tail wind on the outward leg inspired confidence until the turn at Hoylandswaine roundabout from where the speeds reduced significantly. Nevertheless, some fast times were recorded with James Allen finishing fastest in 12.30 whilst Dave Oxley and Joe Woodhouse achieved 1st and 2nd respectively on handicap.

On the preceding Sunday Craig Wilson raced in the Pete Gannon Memorial Road Race at Kippax near Leeds. In a frenetic race characterised by numerous escape attempts and subsequent chases, Wilson worked hard to maintain his composure. Mid-race he attempted to bridge a gap to the eventual winning group but eventually had to admit defeat leaving nothing in his legs for the final sprint.

Meanwhile Dave Scargill rode the Calverdon Road Race in Warwickshire. Forming the 2nd round of the National Percy Stellard Trophy, the race attracted a high class field to the demanding 40 mile course. The presence of so many potential winners led to a cagey race and Scargill found that his moves were continually marked. So despite feeling strong he could not escape and finished with the main bunch.

On Saturday Thurlstone's Trevor Mayne rode the Birdwell Wheeler's 25 mile timetrial at Hatfield Woodhouse. With an impressive early season performance Mayne recorded a time of 58.59 finishing 13th out of 56 competitors. Tony Wright also competed but suffered bad luck on the start line when his gear cable snapped. He rode with limited capacity but still recorded a respectable time a few minutes over the elusive hour mark.

Craig Wilson entered the Dave McKay Memorial road race near Beverley on Sunday. He managed to escape in a break half way through the 60 mile race only to be brought back by a strong field. Another group of seven escaped in the final 10 miles including Julian Ramsbottom and managed to stay away to the finish with Ramsbottom taking the honours. Wilson fought for second place in the bunch sprint to place 9th overall and a very respectable, point scoring performance.

Meanwhile, Dave Scargill Competed in the 45 mile Mercury Road Race at Bishops Wood near Selby. The warm and still conditions along with the flat course meant a fast and furious race which Scargill tried to split with attacks on several occasions. The peleton marked his moves however and Scargill battled it out in the bunch finish.

Joe Woodhouse raced in the Bourne Valley Wheelers event at Stamford and, feeling strong, attacked the peleton and established a 3 minute gap with five other riders. Unfortunately, a group of horses in the road put an end to the group's lead but Woodhouse still felt strong enough to compete in the final sprint just missing out on the points.

Veteran roadman Dave Scargill entered his first race of the season on Sunday. The 'Saffordshire Oatcake Road Race' represented the first of ten rounds of the national 'Percy Stellard Trophy' in which Scargill has achieved 3rd and 5th place in previous seasons. The race involved 5 laps of a 12mile circuit and the pace was frenetic from start to finish. Scargill found this early race tough but dug in and was pleased to finish with the front bunch. Like others in the club, these early races are form builders for Scargill as he aims to achieve an overall top 3 finish again this season.

Meanwhile, Dan Small entered a short criterium race in Preston and, feeling the benefits from some hard training, felt able to compete in the final bunch sprint when the moment came. Small jumped away with 400meters to go but was blocked in by a small group of riders. Unfortunately he was powerless as the more expereinced riders found the gaps to pass him in the final run in.

Birdwell Wheeler's Joe Woodhouse (of Stocksbridge) took part in his first race of the year at the Bridlington CC road race at Burton Fleming. In the hilly race he battled to keep pace with the peleton. The strong easterly wind made the going extremely tough and made finishing in the points a step too far for Joe at this stage of the season but he has used it to build form in the hope of peaking around June.

Alan Bullock (of Thurgoland) entered a team timetrial with a friend aiming to go under the hour for 25 miles if possible. Unfortunately, Alan's partner couldn't match his pace sheltering behind and leaving Alan to do the lion's share of the hard work at the front. After a strong first 15 miles, Alan inevitably began to tire in the strong headwind and mechanical problems delayed them even further, but the duo managed to record a respectable 65min 29seconds. Only a handful of others broke the hour barrier and Alan is, as usual, optimistic for future races.

Meanwhile, new club member Dan Small entered his first race at Darley Moor race track. The pace was high with 120 riders all struggling against the brisk wind and tight corners. Again, the points were beyond Dan but he rode hard and was pleased to get some racing experience and quality training under his belt.

Steve Myatt, Richard Cherry and 11 year-old Richard Cherry (Junior) took part in the '3 fields' 108km (67mile) Audax ride near Alfreton on Saturday. The trio completed the hard ride in cold conditions against a fresh easterly wind. Richard Cherry (J) is an avid cyclist and sportsman who, amazingly, has completed his second 60+mile ride this year. He is popular with older club members due to his enthusiasm, politeness and helpfulness. Richard, his dad and Steve are aiming to register for the 'Audax 500' award for completing 5 100km audax rides.

Birdwell Wheeler Trevor Mayne paired up with his brother to compete in the 2-day Polaris Challenge, centred on Glentress in the Scottish Borders. The event involves mountain bike orienteering in forests and hills whilst carrying your overnight camping gear. Despite the perfect conditions for March, the race finished halfway through the first day for the team when Trevor's gear mechanism broke. The couple had to abandon the event when scoring well.

James Allen rode his first race of the year on sunday. The Aire Valley Cycles Road Race followed a route of 42 miles over the hills close to Oxenhope near Keithley. A strong field of 60 riders began to split on the first of 6 laps when the road went upwards. Despite suffering cramps on the fouth lap, James struggled to stay with the remaining 20 riders in the first group. By the end of the race his legs were dead and managed to finish just behind the main bunch of about 15 riders.

John Woodhouse, in training for the Paris-Brest ride in summer took part in the 'Red Rose 200KM (125mile) Audax ride' . The route started from Halifax and went through the Trough of Bowland to Glasson Dock on the west coast (just north of Blackpool) returning over the moors to Halifax. John said the ride was hard and hilly but very scenic with rewarding views. He can feel his fitness improving but has some way to go before he is ready for his 1200km challenge in the summer.

Last week Steve Myatt, on behalf of Birdwell Wheelers, organised their early season 100 km Audax ride from Birdwell to Thorne returning back to Birdwell up the Dearne Valley. This third edition of the ride attracted 63 riders of varying ability and the bright, sunny day assisted all riders to complete the ride. Six riders, including Birdwell Wheelers members James Allen, Trevor Mayne, Richard Oxley, Dave Scargill and Craig Wilson, completed the ride at the maximum speed of 30 km/hour returning to the ride H.Q. at Birdwell Community Centre in 3 hours 20 minutes. Another ride of mention on the day was the completion of the course by the youngest entrant, 11 year old Birdwell Wheeler, Richard Cherry (Junior). The Audax attracted cyclists from as far afield as Leicester, Telford and Glasgow.

Training is picking up now amongst club members, many of whom are getting in to shape for the coming racing season. Several club members completed the Tom Simpson Memorial Ride from Harworth 2 weeks ago. Craig Wilson, Dave Scargill, Joe Woodhouse and I returned in the first 15 or 100 riders following a fast, race-like ride out to Goole averaging 23mph.

John Woodhouse completed the 130 mile, Northwest Passage Audax from Rochdale through Settle, Kirkby Lonsdale across to Lancaster returning over the Longridge Fell to Rochdale in 8 hours 15 Minutes. John has done several 100mile+ rides this year and will be doing more in future months. He is aiming to qualifiy then ride the Paris-Brest 1200km audax ride this summer.

This Sunday 11th March our club is running an 'audax' ride out to Thorne. This is a leisurely 60mile ride with map based directions and a card to get stamped along the way. We expect to have 100+ riders taking part.

Our weekly club time trial series begins on Tuesday 24th April with the 5mile series from thurgoland. 7pm start. This year promises to be really competitive with the absence of previous champion Andy Fish. There will be several equally strong riders competitng and each week will be likely to produce a new winner in an ebb and flow competition.

Many riders will be racing all over the region and country this year. Trevor Mayne (of Thurlstone) will again be competiting in the BBAR (Best British All-rounder) event which involves racing in a 50mile, 100mile and 12 hour timetrial aiming to average over 22mph. Trevor will join Craig Wilson, Dave Scargill and I who aim to get the Gold Standard when we ride in the Etape du Dales, 110mile challenge ride on 20th May in the Yorkshire Dales. We will have to comlete the extremely hilly (and arguably hardest including several 1in4 gradients) sportive ride in under 7 hours.