Lomond Roads Cycling Club
Encyclopedia
Lomond Roads Cycling Club is a cycling club
based in Clydebank
, Scotland
. The club was founded in 1933. Their current clubroom is in the Double L Centre, Jowitt Avenue, Clydebank.
, but they also organise and participate in some mountain biking
events. They invite anyone to their organised weekly social road rides, starting from Kilbowie Roundabout at the junction of Kilbowie Road, and the A82. The club location in Clydebank allows a large variety of runs varying in distance and terrain. From the short runs such as Balloch
to the north, and Gourock
to the south west, they can range up to the long and demanding runs such as Crianlarich
, Ardrossan
or Tighnabruaich
.
Until 2008, some members had complained that the club social ride had been too long and/or intense. This was largely due to the fact most of the club members were enthusiastic racers, and used the club runs as their main training facility. This was discouraging new members from joining the club. However, until then, they did not have a sufficient number of beginner riders to justify organising separate runs.
But with a recent increase in popularity of cycling, and increase in new riders, it became possible to introduce a novice run from 2009. This run is normally a lot shorter than the main group's run, with a general rule of this run is that it will be taken at the pace of the least fit rider, so that no-one will be dropped. As the previous novice riders have become fitter, and more novices have joined, they have now introduced an Intermediate run from 2010, for those who feel fitter than novices.
West Ferry: From the West Ferry railway bridge, along the A8 to Port Glasgow, then back again.
Luss: From the lay-by on the A82 above Luss, to the Arden roundabout, then back again.
As well as internal club events, members have represented the club at a national level, competing in events ranging from local 10 mile time trials to the Bealach Mor
cyclosportive and the Fred Whitton Challenge
.
They don't currently organise open events, but have previously organised the Westwind 10 mile time trial, using the West Ferry course described above. They also organised a road race around the Coulport peninsula, which started and finished just outside Garelochhead, on top of the Whistlefield hill. From 2005, it was named the "Hugh Dornan Memorial Road Race" in honour of the popular club member. This was part of Scottish Cycling
's Grand Prix Series, then Division 1 Road Race Series, before Scottish Cycling launched the Super-6 series. The last time it was run was on 18 March 2007.
Fred Whitton Challenge 2009
Icebreaker Team Time Trial 2010
Bealach Mor 2010
Cycling club
A cycling club is a society for cyclists. It can be local or national, general or specialised. The Cyclists' Touring Club, CTC) in the United Kingdom is a national association; i-Team and are internet clubs; the Tricycle Association, Tandem Club and the Veterans Time Trial Association, for those...
based in Clydebank
Clydebank
Clydebank is a town in West Dunbartonshire, in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. Situated on the north bank of the River Clyde, Clydebank borders Dumbarton, the town with which it was combined to form West Dunbartonshire, as well as the town of Milngavie in East Dunbartonshire, and the Yoker and...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. The club was founded in 1933. Their current clubroom is in the Double L Centre, Jowitt Avenue, Clydebank.
Team colours
From its foundation, the club colours were a yellow and brown combination. They were changed however, in 2003, to yellow and blue. These colours remain to the present day. Before the change of team colours, the last yellow/brown combination consisted of a mainly yellow jersey, with a 1 inch brown band on each sleeve. The shorts were black, with large straight yellow panels on the sides. Later versions of this kit often had the club name printed in large bold lettering on the back of the jerseys and sides of the shorts. The stylised club logo, consisting of a winged wheel was also dropped from the new yellow/blue design, replaced by 4 joined squares, containing the club initials - LRCC.Sponsorship
The club was previously sponsored by The Cruin bar and restaurant, but is currently sponsored by Andrews Garage Services Ltd.Social rides
The club's main activity is road cyclingRoad cycling
Road cycling is the most widespread form of cycling. It includes recreational, racing, and utility cycling. Road cyclists are generally expected to obey the same rules and laws as other vehicle drivers or riders and may also be vehicular cyclists....
, but they also organise and participate in some mountain biking
Mountain biking
Mountain biking is a sport which consists of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, using specially adapted mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain.Mountain biking can...
events. They invite anyone to their organised weekly social road rides, starting from Kilbowie Roundabout at the junction of Kilbowie Road, and the A82. The club location in Clydebank allows a large variety of runs varying in distance and terrain. From the short runs such as Balloch
Balloch
- Places :* Balloch, Highland, Scotland, , is a residential village located 4 miles east of the city of Inverness, Scotland.* Balloch, New Hampshire, United States...
to the north, and Gourock
Gourock
Gourock is a town falling within the Inverclyde council area and formerly forming a burgh of the historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. It has in the past functioned as a seaside resort on the Firth of Clyde...
to the south west, they can range up to the long and demanding runs such as Crianlarich
Crianlarich
Crianlarich is a village in the Stirling district and registration county of Perthshire, Scotland, about six miles north-east of the head of Loch Lomond...
, Ardrossan
Ardrossan
Ardrossan is a town on the North Ayrshire coast in south-western Scotland. The name "Ardrossan" describes its physical position — 'ard' from the Gaelic àird meaning headland, 'ros' a promontory and the diminutive suffix '-an' - headland of the little promontory...
or Tighnabruaich
Tighnabruaich
Tighnabruaich is a village on the Kyles of Bute in Argyll and Bute, Scotland.Tighnabruaich is part of Argyll's Secret Coast, just an hour and a half west of Glasgow, and is nestled along the east coast of Loch Fyne and stretching into the beautiful Kyles of Bute.Tighnabruaich is popular for...
.
Until 2008, some members had complained that the club social ride had been too long and/or intense. This was largely due to the fact most of the club members were enthusiastic racers, and used the club runs as their main training facility. This was discouraging new members from joining the club. However, until then, they did not have a sufficient number of beginner riders to justify organising separate runs.
But with a recent increase in popularity of cycling, and increase in new riders, it became possible to introduce a novice run from 2009. This run is normally a lot shorter than the main group's run, with a general rule of this run is that it will be taken at the pace of the least fit rider, so that no-one will be dropped. As the previous novice riders have become fitter, and more novices have joined, they have now introduced an Intermediate run from 2010, for those who feel fitter than novices.
Racing
The club currently organises the following events for its own members.- 10 Mile TT - This is a time trail event that is taken place over a distance of 10 miles. The 2 courses used for this are;
West Ferry: From the West Ferry railway bridge, along the A8 to Port Glasgow, then back again.
Luss: From the lay-by on the A82 above Luss, to the Arden roundabout, then back again.
- 25 Mile TT - This is a time trail event that is taken place over a distance of 25 miles. The course used for this is by Loch LomondLoch LomondLoch Lomond is a freshwater Scottish loch, lying on the Highland Boundary Fault. It is the largest lake in Great Britain by surface area. The lake contains many islands, including Inchmurrin, the largest fresh-water island in the British Isles, although the lake itself is smaller than many Irish...
, from shortly before Tarbet, to the Arden Roundabout, then back to finish at the start. - Medium Gear - This is a time trial event where the competitors gear size is restricted. The course used for this is the same as the 25 Mile TT
- Hilly TT - This is a time trial event which takes competitors from the lay-by just after Arden Roundabout at Loch Lomond, over the old M.O.D Road towards GarelochheadGarelochheadGarelochhead is a small village on the Gare Loch in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It is the nearest village to the HMNB Clyde naval base.Garelochhead lies at the head of the Gare Loch, 7 miles northwest of Helensburgh. Loch Lomond is a few miles to the east, and Loch Long to the west...
, to turn at the roundabout and retrace their route to finish at the top of the hill.
As well as internal club events, members have represented the club at a national level, competing in events ranging from local 10 mile time trials to the Bealach Mor
Bealach na Ba
Bealach na Bà is a historic pass through the mountains of the Applecross peninsula, in Wester Ross in the Scottish Highlands—and the name of a famous twisting, single-track mountain road through the pass and mountains....
cyclosportive and the Fred Whitton Challenge
Fred Whitton Challenge
The Fred Whitton Challenge is a charity cyclosportive event held annually in the English Lake District, in aid of the MacMillan Nurses and the Dave Rayner Fund. It is held in memory of Fred Whitton, racing secretary of the Lakes Road Club, who died of cancer at the age of 50 in 1998...
.
They don't currently organise open events, but have previously organised the Westwind 10 mile time trial, using the West Ferry course described above. They also organised a road race around the Coulport peninsula, which started and finished just outside Garelochhead, on top of the Whistlefield hill. From 2005, it was named the "Hugh Dornan Memorial Road Race" in honour of the popular club member. This was part of Scottish Cycling
Scottish Cycling
Scottish Cycling, legally the Scottish Cyclists' Union , is the national governing body for bicycle racing in Scotland.Scottish Cycling is at Caledonia House, South Gyle, Edinburgh...
's Grand Prix Series, then Division 1 Road Race Series, before Scottish Cycling launched the Super-6 series. The last time it was run was on 18 March 2007.
National results
Bealach Mor 2009| Overall Position | Rider | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 18 | Tom MacDonald | 04:56:02 |
| 37 | Paul Gareze | 05:10:48 |
| 73 | Fraser MacBeath | 05:28:44 |
| 77 | Gordon Dick | 05:30:11 |
| 83 | Allan Ross | 05:31:02 |
| 121 | Richard Burchmore | 05:49:13 |
| 142 | Stuart Whitelaw | 05:55:07 |
| 204 | Thomas Skeith | 06:18:26 |
| 216 | James Byrne | 06:23:09 |
| 228 | Raymond McGregor | 06:29:21 |
| DNF | David Smith |
Fred Whitton Challenge 2009
| Overall Position | Rider | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 103 | Tom McDonald | 06:56 |
| 294 | Paul Gareze | 07:40 |
| 353 | David Monro | 07:51 |
| 428 | Gordon Dick | 08:06 |
| 522 | Iain McKay | 08:23 |
| 547 | Richard Burchmore | 08:27 |
Icebreaker Team Time Trial 2010
| Overall Position | Rider | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | Gordon Dick & Paul Gareze | 0:28:47 |
| 17 | Jack Walker & David Munro | 0:30:22 |
Bealach Mor 2010
| Overall Position | Rider | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 27 | Fraser MacBeath | 04:47:40 |
| 28 | Paul Gareze | 04:47:52 |
| 40 | David Monro | 04:58:50 |
| 47 | Tom MacDonald | 05:04:03 |
| 67 | Richard Burchmore | 05:16:01 |
| 76 | Gordon Dick | 05:20:24 |
| 80 | Iain McKay | 05:22:25 |
| 81 | Stuart Whitelaw | 05:24:41 |
| 104 | Allan Ross | 05:30:48 |
| 119 | Ian Stuart | 05:34:31 |
| 235 | Steven Jolly | 06:19:05 |
| 271 | Raymond McGregor | 06:34:30 |
| 290 | Simon Minshull | 06:46:14 |
| 291 | Ronnie McFarlane | 06:46:46 |
Notable members
The trade unionist Stewart Crawford was an enthusiastic cyclist, and a member of Lomond Roads for a period, before retiring from the sport following a couple of bad accidents.See also
- List of cycling clubs in Scotland
- Clydebank Sports Category
- GarelochheadGarelochheadGarelochhead is a small village on the Gare Loch in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It is the nearest village to the HMNB Clyde naval base.Garelochhead lies at the head of the Gare Loch, 7 miles northwest of Helensburgh. Loch Lomond is a few miles to the east, and Loch Long to the west...