Cycling: Rhodes on track with school circuit scheme
Clayton Hall Business and Language College, in Newcastle, which already runs a cycle-to-school scheme in partnership with mountain bike club Team Goldtec, is to build an off-road circuit within its grounds.
If all goes to plan, the circuit should be completed in the summer.
The school has acquired £1,300 of funding from the Newcastle Community and Learning Partnership, as well as another £2,500 from the Big Lottery Fund.
Clayton Hall is hoping to persuade at least 10 per cent of the school's intake – about 100 pupils – to begin cycling to school.
Goldtec's Kevin Clowes is designing the quarter-mile circuit in conjunction with Clayton PE master Rob Rhodes.
Rhodes, pictured right, said: "It is important to get pupils cycling to school and this is another boost for us.
"We are trying to get cycling to become part of our National Curriculum, and having a designated circuit on our grounds is another step forward for the school.
"We want to engage pupils in cycling and this new trail will hopefully help us to achieve just that."
The college has already bought 10 mountain bikes and built cycle shelters for pupils riding to its grounds, while Clowes is planning to hold cycle maintenance classes on the campus.
He said: "The partnership with the college is an exciting development and hopefully it will encourage youngsters into taking up the sport.
"I am also hoping to take some pupils up to the mountain bike circuit at Park Hall.
"So far we have not had any pupils coming on our Tuesday evening novice rides.
"But this new trail may encourage them to join us when the lighter nights come."
THE youngsters of Lyme RC/Swinnerton Cycles have started 2010 where they left off in 2009.
They achieved success in the ACT Youth Track League at Manchester Velodrome.
Alex Webb, aged 14, won the nine-lap points race with six points, while Paige Milward was third in the six-lap keirin and second in the devil race.
ONE local club was not bothered by the recent cold snap.
Newcastle Tri Club, which was formed by former world pursuit champion Yvonne McGregor, top coach Ken Matheson and Potteries Marathon winner Julia Myatt, simply left their bikes at home to concentrate on their two remaining disciplines.
The Tri Club's 116 members compete in a wide range of events, not just triathlon.
Others include duathlon, cross-country, road running, time trialling, mountain biking and long distance cycling.
And to keep in shape they have been doing their running training at St John Fisher School in Newcastle and swimming at both Fenton Manor and Newcastle's pool.
CONGLETON Cycling Club hold the first of their annual reliability trials over 49 miles on Sunday, starting from Congleton Rugby Club in Park Street at 9.30am.
The club meets every Thursday at 8.30pm at the rugby club.
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