West Highland Wheelers – Committee Meeting Tuesday the 7^th of February 2023

Present – Doug Little, Gregor Muir, Mark Clark, Norman Clark, Dave Parfitt, Jacqui Parfitt, Gill Barnes

Apologies – Marian Austin, Lorraine Whelan, Steve Bradley.

Winter League.

• Thanks to Vince and Cammie for organising a great race at Invergarry at the weekend.
• The remaining races in this year’s Winter League are;

– Sunday the 26^th Feb – Barcaldine (run by NACC)

–  Sunday the 19^th of March  – Wolftrax. We still need a main organiser for this. Stewart MacMillan has said that he would be willing to help out but would like someone else to assist/lead. All permissions are done for this race, we just need someone to lay out the course, do the risk assessments and run the race.

-Sunday the 2^nd April – Nevis Range ( including a BBQ and prizegiving) – run by Steve Bradley. This may or may not be an enduro. Spook is going to let us know the feasibility and cost of using the timing as this may have gone up significantly. This is the first weekend of the school holidays and the opening weekend of uplift. There may well also be a number of members away racing at Innerleithen.

• Some research by Andy has shown that the number of racers over each race has remained fairly stable over the past 4 years. It was generally agreed though, that it would be a good idea to do a Facebook poll at the end of this year’s WL to get any ideas on how we might improve things going forward and attract more racers.
• Ben Miller very kindly offered to do a race at Duror if we were unable to get a suitable date at Nevis Range. We are now ok for Nevis Range but would definitely be very happy for Ben to organize a race at Duror next year.

Festival on the 25^th, 26^th and 27^th of March

• Elise has started posting information about the festival and is going to ramp this up in the next week or so when posters and fliers are printed.
• Jacqui is going to contact Elise about her being able to post directly on to our facebook page and the Instagram account that we have just discovered that we have had since 2014!

Time Trials

• Emma and Vince have had an initial discussion about how to change things up a little and hopefully encourage more riders to take part on a regular basis.

Bike Park

• Things are progressing slowly. Work should hopefully start in late March, early April and finish

just in time for the World Championships.

Scottish Cycling Rock up and Ride Project

• Many thanks to Claire Abernethy for all the time and effort that she has put into organising this. The Isla bikes are arriving at the beginning of March and the first lessons will be held at Inverlochy and Lundavra primary schools in the first week of March.

Trail Closures

• Concerns were raised about the current temporary trail closures and whether the Wheelers need to do anything to try to help to ensure the long term future of these trails. Mark reassured us that the Lochaber Trail Association are having a meeting with FLS in the next week to discuss this very issue. High up on the agenda for this will be the need to work together more.
• Mark feels that the best way for the Wheelers to try to help to ensure the long term future of these trails is for more wheelers members to get involved with LTA. They are currently looking for more committee members and their AGM is on Tuesday the 14^th of March.
• The next Trail Association trail dig is on Sunday the 26^th of February. Meeting at 10.00 at the North Face car park at Torlundy and working on Lockdown/Rob’s trail.

Bike and Blether

• Lorraine has set up a specific Bike and Blether facebook page which is linked to the Wheelers page.
• Jacqui confirmed that she will be around on the Saturday and Sunday of the festival to run Bike and Blether rides.
• Jacqui is in the process of signing the club up to the SAMH and be a part of Scotlands mental health charter for physical education and sport . All agreed that the club would be very happy to continue with this process.

Scottish Cycling

• Affiliation has been accepted by Cycling – Claire Abernethy, Robbie Cant and Kenny Forsyth to do their CWPS before kid’s club starts up again at the end of April
• There is a youth development online meeting 21^st Feb from 6-7. Doug has said that he will attend this.
• There is time trial commissaire face to face training on the 25^th of Feb at Forrres – do we have anyone interested?
• It was confirmed that all the required certificates for coaches need to be sent to Marian ( with Gregor copied in) as and when they are acquired/ refreshed.

Wednesday night rides

• Many thanks to Dave for sourcing 4 new night riding lights. These are now in Gregor’s possession for anyone who wishes to borrow them. We currently have one helmet mount and 3 handlebar mounts. Dave is going to get one more handlebar mount.
• Numbers have been low recently but the weather has been fairly horrible. Might be worth doing another introductory night for different levels just after the festival.

AOB

• Many thanks to Simon at Highland First Aid for running a course and getting 8 members qualified/ refreshed. Simon has very kindly offered to do a free first Aid refresher session for all leaders before the start of the next block of Kid’s club sessions. Doug will contact him to confirm this.
• Mark is keen to get 4 candidates together for a British Cycling Level 2 course so that he can finish his British Cycling tutoring process. Mark will contact Claire to chase up potential kid’s club parent candidates. Gill will speak to Claire Beattie to see if she would be interested.
• Doug still needs to organise a  meeting with Vince, Jacqui and Evelyn to discuss the website social media etc.

Next Meeting – Tuesday the 7^th of March at Doug’s house.

Actions;

1. Find an organiser for the Winter League race at Wolftrax. Doug to contact Lance and Leon to see if they would be interested in helping.
2. Jacqui to contact Elise re posting directly on to our facebook page and Instagram.
3. Doug to attend Youth Development Meeting on the 21^st of February.
4. Dave to source one more handlebar mount.
5. Gregor to put an introductory night riding session into the schedule at the beginning of April after the festival.
6. Doug to contact Simon at Highland First Aid re organising a leaders first aid refresher session.
7. Gill to speak to Claire Beattie about possibly doing a level 2 course with Mark.
8. Doug to organise a meeting with Vince, Jacqui and Evelyn to discuss the website, social media etc.