WITH the end of the road cycling season coming to a close as the final time trials and road races are completed, most competitive riders are making the most of the good weather to keep riding their best bikes on the Sunday runs.

So far in September we have been lucky and have not needed bikes with mudguards, and hopefully this will continue for another couple of months.

The latest club rides have been round Bolton Abbey and Burnsall and returning over the major climb that is Embsay Moor which is 17 per cent gradient in places meaning low gears are a must.

Last week's run was Gargrave, Bank Newton to Hellifield and across to Airton for a café stop and then home. No major climbs involved but still quite lumpy!

These runs will continue through winter, now meeting at the Cliffe Castle roundabout at 9.30am.

There are other group rides meeting in Keighley on both Saturday and Sunday, which comprise a mix of riders from different clubs from the Keighley area.

Some riders will keep the competitive edge sharp, with a couple of Bronte riders travelling across to the velodrome in Manchester to ride on the track.

Track racing requires different skills than road riding. The first thing is to get used to riding a bike that has only one gear and understanding that you cannot stop pedalling and free-wheel as the gear is fixed.

Possibly the most worrying aspect to the novice is that track bikes don’t have brakes. Instead, the bikes are brought to a halt by slowing the pedals down to a stop which stops the rear wheel.

Manchester Velodrome run taster sessions where those who want to go and give it a try can book and hire a track bike.

Bronte Wheelers have in the past organised trips over as a group, and hopefully there will be another session as the dark nights close in.

Those who want to take part in the track league need to attend mandatory training sessions and be assessed before they will be allowed to compete.

The onset of autumn also sees clubs reviewing the year and starting to plan the next. This for Bronte begins with the annual general meeting which this year is on Monday October 20 at Glusburn Institute, Colne Road, Glusburn, starting at 7.30pm.

This is the most important meeting we have. The officers of the club will be elected and decisions will be made on events that the club is organising.

This year we are also debating the club kit design with a proposal put forward for a new design.

It is always interesting to see what the members want from their club, and the AGM also signals the start of our social season.

The Cyclocross season is now well underway and the Bronte Cross was held at Oakbank School on Sunday September 21.

Again this was a well attended event with at least 250 riders taking part across the different categories. The next events can be found at yorkshirecyclocross.com and if you fancy giving it a go for the first time, there is also a new novice category.