HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1978-08-24, Page 13Cycling still fun at 61
BY JIM tiAGARTY
Riding a bike is just
hike riding a bike: once
you've learned how, you
never forget.
Beth Haydon gave up
cycling in 1938 and didn't
rediscover it until five
years ago, when he was
56 years old.
But now his interest in
all aspects of bike riding
is greater than it ever had
been in his younger days
and to his surprise, he's
lost none of his ability at
the sport.
A member of the
London Cycling Club, Mr.
Haydon has brought
home awards over the
past couple of years for
his showings in com-
petitive cycling meets,
which.. is no small ac-
complishment for a man
of 61.
_ _— A _._natiue _af_ E ng.land-.....
Mr. Haydon left bike
racing behind 40 years
ago when the respon-
sibilities of job and
family cut into the time
he'd liked to have devoted
to it. But it all started
again one day on his job
at Dearborn Steel Tubing
in Goderich when one of
his fellow workers told
him about the new bike
he'd just bought.
Th -at conversation
sparked tlig_idea in Mr.
Haydon's mind that it
maybe wasn't too late to
begin riding again. He
went shopping for a racer
in Toronto and came
home with a $100 model.
It was a cheap bike, but
enough money tospend
until he could be sure he
still wanted to ride and
race.
A couple of years ago,
after he'd joined the,
London club and was
becoming more 'en-
thusiastic, Mr. Haydon
sold his bike back to the
Toronto store for $60 and
came-a+a�ay wath a_$400 -
racer. That bike now
would cost close to $600
and while it's a good one,
is far from the most
expensive on the market.
"You find you can pay
a phenomenal amount of
Goderich Township
rec council report
The usual busy but
intere.sting monthly
meeting of the recreation
council met in
Holmesville on Wed-
nesday August 16 with the
_..._.-_. •following members- in
attendance, Doug Yeo,
Hazel McCreath, Bev
Orr, Alice Porter,
Marilyn Forbes, Joe
Fritzley, Grant Stirling,
Audrey Middleton.
A new appointment to
the recreation board is
expected at the next
township council meeting
to fill the vacancy by the
recent resignation of Art
Bell.
After a'' slow beginning
in the summer swimming
pi ;am offered by
Go' rich township at
Vanastra, at the last hour
almost, the registrations
poured in to the total of 49
young swimmers. The 10
day training program,
which included a bus ride
to and from proved to be
very successful.
The dance committee
reported that the
secretary should send a
letter to the White Car-
nation .manager in-
dicating that the already
scheduled dances for this
fall and winter will be
fund raising events for
• the new athletic field thus
al -lowing the White
Carnation to advertise
the said dances. They will
be held in November,
January and March.
The total paid up sof-
tball members this year
totalled 118. A small grant"
from Wintario was sought
and received for softball
equipment totalling
$355,00.
An invitational letter
was received to attend
the Lake Huron
Recreation Zone Con-
ference in Goderich this
fall. Further plans to
attend will be discussed
at the September
meeting.
Seale complaints were
received that the town-
ship picnic, held in July
was poorly advertised. It
was held at the newly
developed lake park at
the end of Black Point
Road off Highway 21 a
beautiful and ideal
location for the township
residents 'to visit at any
time.
The number of picnic
tables there has
decreased due to some
unthinking thieves.
Money made from the
township ladies quilt
raffle was used"to buy the
tables originally.
Engraved pens with the
inscription "Goderich
township" have been
ordered for mementoes of
aplireciati,ort„•,.-,.ta.. the
• volunteer coaches of the
softball programme.
Bev Orr reported that,
weather permitting, a
wi'nc1;-up wiener roast
with awards prfsentation
will be held befpre school
star'tS for the softball
tea its.
Grant Stirling,
chairman of. the parks
corriihittee and ' deputy
redveOf the toW1 ship
reported that -progress on
the new athletic field has
been halted temporarily
to allow proper and
careful procedures on a
new exciting windfall.
He then -presented the
first plan of the new
proposed Goderich
township community
centre which is ten-
tatively planned for
erection in Holmesville.
The parks committee
promises that the sports
field will definitely be
ready by next year.
A fall programme for
the township recreation
was discussed. Dancing
(round dance, club and
public.. dances) is already
, arranged. It was decided.
to offer 2 eight week
programs for the fall and
winter. The following
courses. were suggested:
cross country skiing,
volleyball, oil painting,
yoga, floor hockey,
crafts, weaving, chair
caning and ceramics.
Anyone interested in
these or if they have any
other suggestions please
phone the secretary
Hazel McCreath 524-7436.
If enough interest is
shown the recreation
committee will en-
deavour to arrange for
classes.
The meeting adjourned
until September 20 at 8:30
p.m.—by Audrey Mid-
dleton
rimummismi
money for a bike if yo
have the physique t
warrant it or th
monetary stupidity
.._
spend it," says . M
Haydon. He estimates th
most expensive bik
available to cost ove
$2,000.
With all the expense
bikes generally aren't o
the quality they wer
years ago, in Mr
Haydon's estimation. Bu
technological im
provements have helpe
to bring better bikes ont
the market. He enjoy
keeping up with the lates
innovations in bike
building, and i
especially interested i
an English racer that ha
recently been developed
It weighs only 13 pounds
considerably less tha
the average 30-poun
._
�_....-.._
Mr. Haydon's main
cycling interest is in
competition, but he
claims the touring side is
"alive and kicking."
'Touring is very popular
in Europe where cyclists
regularly saddle up for
200 to 400 mile jaunts on
their bikes. The sport is
catching on in Canada as
well, and Mr. Haydon
says the London Cycling
,Club has tours every
weekend from spring to
fall with routes up to 70
miles long.
Mr. Haydon is- one of
the older members of'the
club and when he com-
petes, it's in the
"veteran" category for
people 35 years old - and
up.
When he took up
cycling again,_ Mr.
Haydon had no intention
of competing. And he
hadn't given any thought
to joining a club. "J was.
visiting a cycle shop in
London," he recalls "and
in a rash moment, I
-mentioned to the fellow
there that I'd kind of like
to try riding again."
The shop -owner gave
Mr. Haydon the name of
the Londgn club and now,
three years later, he
travels to the city twice a
week to take part in the
club's activities. He likes
the , friendliness of the
people and enjoys
meeting new acquain-
tances who share a
common interest.
Mt. Haydon is hopeful
that cycling will catch on
in this country. The in-
terest generated by the
racers at the recent
Commonwealth Games
could help the sport,
which up to now has been
pretty well a" man's
domain. There aren't that
many women cyclists
around yet, but the
London club does have
some husband and wife
teams that go on the
u tours.
o Two years ago, Mr.
e Haydon surprised
to himself with a third place
r. finish in a club com-
e petition. in London. He's
e proud of the trophy he
✓ was given from that race
and feels good because
, the first and second place -
f finishers were men 10
e years younger than
. himself. His first -place
t showing in a race last
year doesn't interest him
d quite as much because
o some of the better'
s cyclists didn't compete
t that day.
- Cycling is not usually a
s dangerous activity. It can
n have its rough moments
s however, especially when
. the track is the open high-
, way. Motorists are not
n always considerate of
d cyclists and can even be
very -menacing.
Three weeks ago, Mr.
Haydon was hit by a car
on the highway near
Dungannon. He hasn't
been on the track since
then. With a broken
collarbone, he's ef-
fectively out of the races
for this year.
"The average motorist
falls over backward to
give you more than
enough room, but you do
get the odd idiot," says
Mr. Haydon. Cycling on
the streets in town is a
dead loss he says, but it's
usually not too bad on the
highway.
Five nights a w k, e
rides 24 miles 'Shut/ of
Goderich, north on High-
way 21 r to- Carlow and -_
Auburn and then back to
town. He's had his share
of close shaves and
"weird experiences" on
the road but until his
accident, had survived
without' incident.
"On one occasion, I
looked around and there
was an enormous tran-
sport bearing down on
me," he recalls. "I'd lay
money that if I didn't get
out of the way, he would
have run -me down."
Age is not a drawback-.,,
to the avid cyclist. Some
veterans in England are
still competitive in their'
middle and late 60s. One
man still wins races at
the ageof73.
Though there are many
more bikes around
Goderich now than when
Mr. Haydon moved to
town 15 years ago, many
people don't participate
in the sport at all, which
he finds a shame.
One of the greatest
things about it besides the
benefit --to physical fit-
ness, is the fact that
people can give up
cycling for many years,
and get back into it in a
short time.
Mr.. Haydon is proof of
that.
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I
GODER:ICH STONAL-STAR, THURSDAY, AUGUST 34,1878 --PAGE 13
Beth Haydon; 148 Warren Street, Goderich, gave up cycling back in his
native England in 1938. Now, at the age of 61, he's rediscovered his interest
in competitive racing and as a member of a London cycling club, has
brought home awards from a couple of meets. (Photo by Jim Hagarty)
ts
AiLStt champs
All star players from
the Huron Central Ladies
softball league battled it
out in their annual all-
star game last Friday
night in Clinton.
Girls from three
Goderich teams, the
Elevators, the Superstars
and Joe's Girls downed
players from three
Clinton teams and a
Lucknow team, 10 - 6.
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