Hello there.  Saw a piece about you in Cycling Weekly yesterday and thought I'd drop you a line as an ex-LSCC rider.  My name is Richard Hare, and I was at Loughborough from 1983 to 1987 doing Ergonomics.  I was in Telford in my first year, Whitworth the second, then in a house in Durham road (behind the Durham Arms) for the next two. A cyclists house - three of us and ten bikes!

I was variously chairman, secretary and treasurer of the cycling club over the years. When I joined the club budget was about £300, and was only for getting to BSSF events. We put in an audacious budget for the next year of £1800, and got it! From then it was free club clothing, travel, entry fees and racing tubs. Happy days!  A couple of us rode the track nationals at Leicester and bought ourselves some lovely Clement silks!  Seventh in the Madison, by the way.

Do you still have your Wednesday afternoon rides?  We had this nasty regime of doing a 20 mile team time trial on the Six Hills A46 - before Easter on restricted gears (too any trackies in the club!). Worked though!  Then home over the Forest.  Did you know we organised the 1985 BSSF RR Champs around the Forest, then finishing down Nanpantan and in Epinal Way. Gruesome. Our lad Pete Bonfield won it from Steve Marchant. I think won the 10 and 50 that year too.  Personally my best was a 5th in the RR in 1986, plus usually in the winning team. I can't remember losing a team prize ever!  Since leaving I kept racing until 1997. I got my 1st cat licence just after leaving and an Elite in 1996. I won the BCF Aspirants series in 1994.  I started racing again this year to get the lard down. They gave me a 4th cat licence, which I thought was funny but current work commitments mean I only ride weekends so it's about right. I won the Harlow 3/J in April but it's been all downhill since then! I think the only other old boy still racing is Steve Howells in the Corinium. I rode 6 Tour of Irelands (Ras) with him. He's now done 12! Madness.

Since leaving I've worked mainly in IT, mostly programming but recently I've become the IT Manager of Earls Court & Olympia exhibition centres .

Anyway, I'd be quite interested in any functions that might take place.  I've only been back once, but I hear the place has changed dramatically since my day.

Good idea writing in Cycling weekly. I look forward to any response.

Richard Hare