Editorial

Here’s your February Hillclimber as promised. Not much new material, as it comes shortly after the January mini-issue. Most contributors still seem to be in hibernation, but there are some important enclosures with this issue.

First up is the membership renewal. Please include your email address, if you have one, so that I can include you in any short notice news email-shots. Also, we have the agreed event list, AGM minutes and the Vintage/PVT and Classic records listings assiduously compiled by David Childs.

Trawling through our club’s web site, managed very ably by our very own ‘Tigger’, aka Nigel Glover, I found a useful machine checklist and some descriptive notes of some of the hills we visit. I hope that some of our more recent, or maybe just less travelled, members may find the notes an inspiration to visit new hills.

Tony

From the Chair

Well done to Doug Parnell for organising the AGM and dinner. Feedback indicates that all enjoyed it with about 56 members, partners and friends sitting down to dinner. The comedians loosened things up and made for a relaxing and enjoyable evening.

It was good to see Curly at the AGM and dinner, recovering well after his serious road accident. I’m sure it was quite an effort to attend and we were all pleased to see you.

Everyone is hoping for a better year than 2001. There are an awful lot of events and I hope that they will be well supported. At the AGM we considered reducing the number, but no-one wanted to let go of any of them! It was decided to hold Fairoak and Manor Farm on consecutive weekends rather than on the same weekend. We shall see how things go. Please give these events your full support.

Welcome to new committee member Richard Bowker who was elected at the AGM.

Comparing the provisional event list in the January Hillclimber with the fixed list you will notice that we decided not to take up the late September invitation at Prescott, but to accept the Bugatti Owners Club invitation to attend both the single day events at Prescott on Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 June. It is likely that we will accept entries predominantly from the ‘moderns’ for the Saturday hillclimb and predominantly from Vintage/PVT and Classic machines for the Sunday event. Having said that, it is quite possible that there will be spaces for some ‘moderns’ on Sunday and vice versa, so don’t be put off from entering both events if you feel like a full weekend of motor sport. Alternatively, run your modern on Saturday and your ‘ancienne’ on Sunday.

The opportunity to run at Harewood this year is an exciting prospect. I believe it’s one of the longest, if not the longest hill in the UK. An ACU track certificate is required and, by the time you read this, Doug will have carried out a preliminary visit to view the hill from a bike rider’s perspective.

Peter Isaac

Helmets

Remember that 2002 is the last year that kevlar/glass fibre helmets bearing the 1.5mm single wide border stamp will be acceptable. After 1 January 2003 it’s the double border stamped helmets only. Please note that helmets with shells made from polycarbonate bearing the single border had already become non-compliant last year.

I saw some ‘single border’ helmets on sale at the Bristol Classic Bike Show. Don’t be tempted by the reduced prices, the helmets won’t be acceptable for competition use after 31 December.

Dave Wills

ACU Handbook

The 2002 ACU handbooks should be in your possession by now.

Alcohol Burners – please note

Don’t forget the advisory display of an orange Day-Glo disc on the front number plate if you are running on methanol. This is the convention for car events so that, in the event of a crash, it alerts the marshals to the fact that there may be a fire, but that the flames will be less clearly visible than those of a petrol fire. Otherwise you may appear to have a faint blue haze surrounding your body and it may take some time for the marshal to work out that you’re not a Christmas pudding, by which time you may be well and truly toasted, not to mention your precious bike.

Mrs Peak

£25 Special Offer for first timers

This offer is available for 2002 to any rider wishing to enjoy their first competitive meeting with the NHCA. It includes entry to the event, ACU day licence, day membership to NHCA (if not already joined) and a free Hillclimber as a follow-up. It is available for the following events –

¨ Early Hartland

¨ Curborough

¨ Withycombe

¨ Fairoak

¨ Manor Farm

¨ September Wiscombe

¨ End of Season Hartland

Any new competitor may take advantage only once. When returning the entry form, mark it ‘£25 Offer’ and be prepared to complete the one day licence form on the day.

Guidelines for Bike Preparation

For a full list of rules please refer to the A.C.U handbook.

· All sump drain plugs should be lock wired as well as all feed pipes and fuel lines.

· If the machine is fitted with an oil breather, a catch tank/bottle should be used and secured firmly.

· All throttles should be self-closing.

· Any machine fitted with stands, full or side must have them wired up.

· A handlebar/steering stop must be fitted.

· On full lock the rider’s hands must not become trapped.

· Each machine should be fitted with two separate means of braking and each brake should be able to stop the machine on its own.

· Tyres must have a clearly definable tread pattern covering the full width and circumference and must not be slicks.

· All bearings should be in good condition with no excessive play.

· All primary drive trains should be covered giving good external protection.

· Machines must have the engines stroke clearly marked on them. (For noise testing).

· Clutch & brake levers must be ball-ended.

· Road legal machines should have any lights, indicators and clocks taped over.

· All machines must display 3 number boards, sizes and colours as per standing ACU regulations.

· Clothing should be leather and in good condition. Two piece leathers which zip together are acceptable, but one-piece leathers are strongly recommended.

· Helmets should be in good condition with a current A.C.U gold sticker with sturdy well-fixed straps.

· Boots and gloves should be leather and overlap or go under the riding leathers leaving no bare flesh.

· No machine is eligible to race unless it has passed scrutineering.

· The scrutineer’s decision is final.

· Scrutineering will end at 9 30am prompt unless otherwise stated in the regs.

….and now, some of the hills at which we compete

Hartland Quay, North Devon

516 yards long, rising 260 feet varying between 10 and 20 feet in width. The surface is very old machine laid tarmac and is pretty bumpy.

The Hill starts with a hairpin left up a very steep slope, a straight, a 90 degree left, a sweeping left, a steep straight, a hard left, a couple of wriggles and a bumpy finish.

Fairoak Farm, Honiton, Devon

700 yards long and approximately 12 ft wide of machine laid tarmac.

The Hill starts with a hard right on a slight down hill, followed by a gradual left over a bridge, a "straight" followed by a right and then a left uphill, the straight to the finish follows.

Wiscombe Park, Honiton, Devon

1100 yards long of excellent machine laid tarmac and is situated in the grounds of a Manor House.

The Hill starts with a short straight to a 90 left, followed by a long straight to "The Gate", a right hander. This is followed by the "Esses", a left, right, left, followed by a straight to the "Sawbench" a 90 right, a long straight then leads to "Martini" a 120 degree left hander to the finish.

Manor Farm, Charmouth, Dorset

502 yards long of good tarmac.

The Hill starts with a 120-degree right, followed by a short straight to a sweeping left and then a hard right under a bridge. On the exit to the bridge there is a sharp but sweeping right hander and then a straight to a 90 right to the finish.

Wadebridge, Royal Cornwall Showground

Several courses are laid out on the access roads in the Showground, they consist of lefts and rights in different combinations. The surface is machine laid tarmac.

Tregrehan, St Austell, Cornwall

The machine laid tarmac starts with a medium straight into a sweeping left uphill to a long right into a short straight to a 90 left to the finish.

Prescott, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire

This is the home ground of the Bugatti Owners Club and has a very good tarmac surface.

A straight start is followed by a sweeping left, a hairpin right called Ettore’s, up to a hairpin left named Pardon, through some Esses to a hard left uphill to a hard right into the finish.

Gurston Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire

The well known hill starts with a long downhill straight to a gentle left hander (depending on how fast you are going!) along a straight into a hairpin right uphill leading to a left and onto the long uphill finish straight. The surface is excellent tarmac.

Bryn Bach Park, near Tredegar, Glamorgan

The Hill is a well tarmaced road situated in a landscaped ex slag heap, and consists of a long straight slightly downhill to a 90 right, a straight up to a hard right, leading to a left, right and then a left to the finish.

Baitings Dam, Ripponden, West Yorkshire

A splendid hill, A real "Hill Climb" as you may have guessed, this is the access road to the dam. A really good surface with the hill as follows.

From the start, it's a steep climb to the first hairpin, then the second hairpin, then the third hairpin past the paddock and then a longish straight to a 90 degree right hander to the finish, this is a real riders hill with power not really being an issue.

New Magazine

Tony Madgwick writes to tell us about a new magazine by the people who do Trail Bike Monthly called Supermoto Magazine. The editor’s page mentions hill climbs. We could supply some material to the mag and it could be a bit of window for the club. Tigger??

VMCC Sprint Section dates

These were also supplied by Tony Madgwick and may be of interest. He believes that day membership of the VMCC will be available for NHCA entrants.

Eelmoor (Aldershot) Sun 26 May 2002. (To be confirmed) 1/8 straight + separate twisty. Entry sec Juan Manzano, 31 Turners Avenue, Tenterden, Kent, TN30 6QL. (SAE please)

Kemble (Nr. Cirencester) Sun 30 June 2002. 1/4 Twisty. (Not a mega twisty, more of an almost-straight with couple of kinks). Entry sec Andy Forward, 3 Longhurst Cottages, Westfield Common, Woking, Surrey, GU22 9NS (SAE please)

Eelmoor (Aldershot) Sun 11 Aug 2002. (To be confirmed) 1/8 straight + separate twisty. Entry sec Juan Manzano, as above. (SAE please)

Brighton Sat 14 Sept 2002 (limited entry by invitation)

Bristol Classic Bike Show - 9/10th February 2002

Doug Parnell and a merry band of folk held a display of machines at this event. There was great public interest in the NHCA and numerous leaflets and membership application forms were distributed.

‘Hillclimber’ dates for 2002

The next Hillclimbers are scheduled as follows –

Copy by 10 May for publication by 20 May

Copy by 10 July for publication by 20 July

Copy by 10 October for publication by 20 October

Please try to make an effort to contribute. Articles and other contributions may be sent by ordinary post, email or just dictated over the telephone. Nothing is too small for inclusion.

Tony

Adverts

CR500 Piston/rings +2mm. New £80.

Weslake 360 degree crank. Std, unused £300.

Box section swinging arm, fits Featherbed/Manx, aluminium. £50. Central oil tank, Manx, aluminium £50. Norvil floating front disc £60.

Suzuki T5500 engine, direct crankcase induction by reed valves, extra transfer ports. Yamaha twinshock frame and swinging arm to take above engine. £300.

Yamaha LC250 head/barrel, pistons/reeds £50.

Pair 16 inch Astralite wheels, wet tyres. £100.

All above from John Woods. Tel. 0113 252 4308 – home.

THE HILLCLIMBER

Editor: Tony Quinn, 3 Chard Close, Nailsea, Bristol, BS48 4QA