Who are you and tell us a little about yourself?

Chair of Beeston CC, father to Katie (4) & Harry (2), husband of Carina (xx) - but not necessarily in that order (honest darling).  Poor struggling Mental Health student, allegedly mature at 35 and working in the same field to keep the wolf from the door.

What’s your motivation to get on your bike?

I love bikes.  Have spent the last few years building a fleet of bikes in the shed but never riding, joined Beeston last year and have now sold most of them but have actually started to turn pedals in anger!  The 4 stone and 6 inches (WAIST) I have grown since hitting 30 have been a bit of a driving force too.

What brought you into cycling?

I started riding casually with a group of mates in school at around 13, then joined Cleveland Wheelers and began to race some time trials, road & track working Saturdays and weekends in various bike shops to fund the habit.  Mountain bikes found their way to the UK and despite initially scoffing at the clunky beasts after loaning a bike to do a race (in which I was coming 3rd until forgetting to turn a corner 1 mile from home and time trialling 10 miles before the track ended and a main road started – future echoes of Mr Pugh?) I was hooked.  The 700c’s pretty much fell by the wayside then apart from the odd run out, and eventually the mountain bike was nicked and I bought a car with the insurance money and that was it – sex, drugs and rock & roll for the next decade and a half until Beeston saved me…

What are your short, medium and long term cycling goals?

1. Drop a pound (stone) or 2 (3)

2. Beeston CC 100 mile Challenge Ride

3. To still want to ride a bike after doing 2.

Do you have any strengths / weaknesses on the bike?

My strength is that I am the best cyclist in the world (theoretically).  My weakness is that that I am an outrageous liar.

What was your first bike?

Not really a bike, but a huge wheeled, sold tyred trike my Granny got for me.  There are pictures, I will hunt one down.

And what is your favourite bike that you have owned?

Specialized Team Stumpjumper from around ‘92.  Tange Prestige, full Suntour XC Pro with WTB GreaseGuard throughout, thumbshifters, self energising canti’s, not a whiff of suspension, light as a feather and a thing of beauty to behold.  R.I.P my sweet, taken from me out of the garage by some dirty Boro scumbag and probably sold for nothing.

What bike/s do you currently own?

Complete bikes include:

Marin Nail Trail with old XT & LX group and child seat (Katie’s bike).  Nice bike, looks like junk.

Massi Trax ATB with Fox RLC 80’s, XT drivetrain & XTR brakeset.  Lively hardtail, needs more use!

Graham Weigh cross frame just built up with CAMPAG (and proud!).  Sturdy winter bike that will be pressed into action for cross racing next season.  If anyone knows where I can find some old school Campagnolo cantilevers I will be forever indebted – running Shimano now and it ruins it!

Planet X SL Pro Carbon Ultegra.  My Christmas present to myself to get over the loss of so many bikes to eBay – as yet unridden, can’t get it dirty!

If money where no object what bike would you buy?

You mean what bikes?  Every purpose needs a different bike, where do I start…

What disciplines of our sport and to what degree do you participate in? (i.e. road / mtb /cross)

Have dabbled in just about everything at one time or another.  Never done a sportive, but currently trying to build up the road miles in preparation for my first century in 2 decades.  Would like to get out more on the MTB.

What’s your funniest moment/thing you’ve seen whilst on a bike?

Myself somersaulting down Rosedale Chimney in North Yorkshire after going to watch a stage of the Kellogg’s Tour.  I had taken a directional arrow after the race had gone past and was trying to tape it to my frame whilst going downhill at 30mph.  If anyone out there  is ever tempted to put your hand under your down tube very close to a wheel spinning at that speed my advice is don’t.  Had a tough ride home over the moors with only one hand because the other was broken – agony at the time but hilarious now.  ‘Int hindsight great!

Do you have any favourite rides?

Many from the North East but nothing down here in the Deep South really.  Show me yours.

Have you achieved any significant rides?

Several placings in the NEMBA series and other off road races ‘oop North, a few junior 10 results and a bronze medal from the World Junior Championships.  Although that was just an exhibition event on the track (I tell everyone about the medal but often forget the exhibition bit – ssshhhh)

Describe your ideal ride.

Any ride that feels good.  You know the one’s, the one’s where everyone else  is looking like they have just gone 10 rounds with Tyson moments after doing an ironman and you are sprinting for every signpost in sight feeling fresh as a daisy.

What is your favourite bit of kit?

Who thought up these questions???  So much to choose from…  My new Shimano shoes feel great, I really like the carbon/Ti quick release on my Planet X, XT thumbies have never failed me and of course the Beeston witer kit is fantastic but it has to be my old Fagor jersey.  Watch out Liam, don’t take yours off anywhere near me or it might go walkies…

Where is your favourite café?

Not cycling related at all, I would never go anywhere near it in lycra and I wouldn’t dream of leaving a bike outside but it has to be the Porthole Cafe in Middlesbrough.  Best greasy spoon ever.  Suggits in Great Ayton was always popular, but we normally chose pubs to stop at (soft drinks only) and the most welcome sight was always The Lion Inn on Blakey Ridge. 

What do you do when it rains?

Think about the lower rolling resistance of my tyres in the wet.  I don’t mind the rain, when you are dressed for it, just keep the wind away.

Do the walk, talk, gear freak or fashion victim?

I talk the talk, I know a fair bit about gear from the late 20^th century and hope to walk the walk this time next year but I have never ever been called a fashion victim.  Come on, I’ve just built a bike with Campag and my favourite bike was bedecked with Suntour.

What wouldn’t we know about you just by looking at you?

I won a bronze at the World Junior Championships…  Oh no, tried that.  My clothes are from Steve Joughin, my bike is from Ian Cammish and Malcolm Elliot once blew snot on my shoe in Newcastle.  A cycling pedigree if there ever was one.  Ask me more secrets at the next social…

What activities could Beeston CC do that would be of interest to you?

The silent majority need to find our voice and get this racing lot pushed down the pecking order.   This is a club for everyone, but the way the site runs (at the moment…) it is dominated by the high mileage speed freaks.  This is no way a criticism of them, they are using the facilities offered to their best advantage and more power to their elbow, but believe it or not they are the minority.  Most of us out there want to start out a bit smaller and we need to let everyone else know by blogging our rides and telling the world.  Our 30ish mile weekend group is steadily growing, and with the ice age receding lets get out there and do what we all want to do, ride our bikes.

And then go to the pub and talk about riding our bikes

Is there anything else about you that you would care to share?

Is there anything left to say, I feel spent!

I am pretty new to all this Chairman lark and my take on the role is that I am here to try and ensure that the club meets the needs of its members.  So to rewind one question – What activities could Beeston CC do that would be of interest to you?  Or your other half?  Or your child?  We have plenty in the pipeline – just stick ‘dates’ in the search box and see what pops up – but if you feel there is something we are missing let us know, either post a blog or email me on charlie@beeston.cc . I know it’s a cliché but it’s true, it is your club, what do you want to happen?

And don’t forget the most important thing - mine’s a lager.