THE CLOCKS going forward last week has marked the start of the summer cycling events promoted by Bronte Wheelers.

This year the summer programme of events, planned over the winter months, have a familiar feel.

Peter Charleton has continued to coach the Kids Club at Oakbank School over the winter and these events will continue over summer on Saturday mornings.

Added to this for the children, the Go- Ride kid club at Marley sports complex in Keighley will start again on Monday evenings from April 13, running from 6.30pm to 7.30pm.

This year they will be every Monday through to September.

These events are aimed at kids from five to 16 who practice skills including riding in a line and as a group, off-road cornering, riding up and down slopes, general fitness and endurance exercises.

These events are getting more popular year-on-year and the Oakbank events on a Saturday morning have remained popular even in the worst of the weather. All are welcome, just turn up with bike, helmet and £1.

If you haven’t got a bike and helmet we have a limited number we can lend out but you will need to give Chris Young a ring on 07940 738362 to check availability. For more information please ring Peter on 01535 643184.

For the competitive riders the time trials are due to start on April 22 at 7pm.

This year there is a slight difference, in that the first event is a 12.5 mile time trial starting from the Grassington Road roundabout at Skipton and following the A65 to Bolton Abbey roundabout and back.

This will be followed by a 23-mile sporting time trial on April 26 starting at 9am at the same roundabout and following a route around Burnsall and Threshfield. We will then revert to the normal course from Kildwick on April 29 at 7.30pm.

Within the series we will again be running the individual league and an interclub league this time including Skipton Cycling Club riders.

June 10 sees the 25-mile time trial which follows the A59 out to Settle and back. This event also doubles as the Bronte Wheelers Championship event for 25 miles. The champion last year was Kevin Hickie.

The Sunday club runs are also taking on a summer feel with best bikes coming out of hibernation and mudguards being taken off to get that extra little bit of speed.

My own best bike keeps getting put back in the garage and the hack bike ridden instead, due to the changeable weather and the road salt which corrodes lightweight alloys still being spread on the roads.

Hopefully the weather will continue to improve and the best bike can come out for the summer as the Sunday rides get a little longer.

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