The Irish Veteran Cyclists Association Blog

CHAIN GANG / News

Stephen Fennell R.I.P.

It is with great sadness that we have learned of the sudden death of our friend and colleague, Stephen Fennell.  Stephen was a long-time member of Dublin Wheelers and of the IVCA.  He was our Race Director in 2015 and always dealt with the demands of the job in a calm and measured way.

Our thoughts are with his family at this sad time.  Along with them, we will miss Stephen badly.

Funeral Arrangements are as follows:

Reposing at Rock’s Funeral Home, Swords, on Thursday evening (23rd Feb) from 4 o’c. to 6 o’c.  Removal on Friday morning to St. Finian’s Church, River Valley, arriving for 10 o’c. Mass, followed by funeral to St. Fintan’s Cemetery, Sutton.  Further details available here.

 

stephen-fennell

News

North Dublin Tour, Sunday 12th Feb

Round 2 of the Dick O’Brien Leisure League takes place on Sunday 12th February, starting from Eurocycles, Airside Shopping Centre, Swords at 10.00am sharp. 

The tour will head for Ratoath, through Curragha to the Ashbourne Road.  A right turn at Kentstown Cross brings the cyclists straight through Duleek to join the Old Belfast Road at Julianstown.

There will be a short tea stop at Apple Green on the lefthand side of the road before heading home through Stamullen and Balscadden.  The outward journey is mostly flat and there is a relatively easy climb over  Balscadden on the way home.  The distance is 85km.

It would be great to see a good turn-out again for this event following the very successful first touring event in January.

To get to Eurocycles go straight down Airside and take right turn at Airside Ford, then first left and left again (for location, click here).

General News / News

Leisure League – Round 1 report

The first round of the 2017 Dick O’Brien Leisure League took place on Sunday 15th. January.  It was great to see a good turn-out for this event, with 18 IVCA members taking part.  Jimmy Murphy’s report of the tour is below.  The next round of the League will take place on Sunday, 12th February, starting from Swords.  Further details will be posted on the website shortly.

[gview file=”https://theivca.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Jan-Tour-Report.pdf”]

General News / News

IVCA seeking new women members

Women are very welcome to join the IVCA from the year of their 35th birthday onwards (if you are 35 at any stage of the year, you can join straight away!).  The IVCA has been in existence for over 50 years and has huge experience in touring and race organisation: the races are well organised and are run on established circuits.

Some of the benefits of joining the IVCA include:

  • an all-inclusive insurance cover for any cycling event – which also includes your daily commute;
  • entry to all leisure and (depending on membership option selected) competitive cycling events;
  • free entry to the Wicklow 200 for Leisure Members; and
  • no additional race fees for racing and TT members.

For those who cannot take time out on Sundays, Time Trials are run on Saturdays just after 9 am. The distance of the Saturday Time Trials is generally 10 miles.

Road Races are run according to ‘ability standard’ at a time of day which suits women with families. All Sunday events start just after 9 am and are finished by 11.30 am.  Tuesday evening races are run at 7.15 pm and are over by 8.30 pm.

The IVCA also caters for Leisure riders, with a League programme running throughout the year.

Women are welcome to join at any stage of the season.

For more information, please contact Ciara Kinch on ciaraskinch@gmail.com with any queries.

News

East Kildare Tour, 15th January 2017

The 1st Round of the 2017 Leisure League will take place on Sunday 15th January.

The event will start at 10.00am, departing from Wheelworx Bike & Triathlon Store, Unit 48, Fonthill Retail Park, Lucan, Co. Dublin. There is plenty of parking available on site.

The distance will be approx 75km with a tea stop planned for Clane.

For Wheelworx location map click here: http://www.wheelworx.ie/opening-hours

For a route map of the tour, which follows the same course as 2016, click here: http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/954625837

CHAIN GANG

Application Form: Leisure/Touring members

This Application Form is for those wishing to join the IVCA to participate in Touring/Leisure cycle events.

[gview file=”https://theivca.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/2017-Application-Form-Non-Competitive.pdf”]

CHAIN GANG

Membership Application Form: Racing members

This is the Application Form for members wishing to join the IVCA as a Racing member for 2017.  For first-time applicants for racing membership, a separate form, also on this website, must initially be completed.

[gview file=”https://theivca.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/2017-Application-Form-Racing.pdf”]

CHAIN GANG

Application Form: New Racing members

This form should be completed by anyone wishing to join the IVCA as a Racing member in 2017.  It is additional to the standard Racing membership form.

[gview file=”https://theivca.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/New-Racing-Member-Application-form-20171.pdf”]

CHAIN GANG

IVCA Awards event next Saturday

A reminder that the annual IVCA Awards and Prize presentation takes place this coming Saturday, 3rd December in The Grasshopper Inn, Clonee, commencing at 2.30 pm.

The Awards will be preceded by a short EGM to consider and vote on a new Constitution for the Association.  The new Constitution preserves the original objectives of the IVCA, but addresses some procedural matters to reflect the way the organisation operates in practice.  Papers for the EGM were posted to all members a few weeks ago.

A list of prize winners for 2016 will be circulated by e-mail to members, but all are welcome to the Awards event.  Light refreshments will be served.

 

News

Wise Mr. Brennan takes the Joe Hoare event

Long-time supporter of the IVCA’s Leisure League, Seamus Brennan, took the silverware in the Joe Hoare Reliability Trial on Sunday, 9th October.

Riders were asked to nominate their estimated completion time for a 38 mile route that started from the Grasshopper Inn in Clonee and travelled through Dunboyne, Batterstown, Scurloughstown, Summerhill and back to Clonee via Dunboyne.  All computers and watches were put away for the duration of the event, except for the timekeeper’s.

When Jimmy Murphy and Eamonn Newton both completed the route 8 minutes faster than their estimated time, it looked like the trophy would have to be shared for the next year.  But the wily and experienced Seamus Brennan coasted in just 3 minutes down on his forecasted time to win the event.

In the overall Dick O’Brien Leisure League, Tony Pearson and Philip Brogan had the same number of overall points starting out the day, so it was down to the rider closest to his estimated time to lift the overall League title for 2016.  In the event, Philip was closer to his estimated time than Tony and so takes the Leisure League for this year.

Well done to both Seamus and Philip and thanks to all who made the League such an enjoyable event by organising different events throughout the year.