FULLARTON Wheelers sent a strong team of adult and youth riders to Rothesay at the weekend for the Cycling Festival organised by Bute Wheelers.

The Festival includes five different events over two days and FWCC were represented in all of them.

The first event is always the notorious Serpentine Hill Climb time trial which rises steeply up 13 switchbacks with an average gradient of 10%.

Two of the club’s youths, and eight adults, tackled the hill with youths Zoe Watters and Conal Davidson finishing fourth and fifth respectively.

The fastest FWCC adult was Sean Barron with a time of 2min27sec.

Next was the 2 Up Time Trial which takes an undulating 20-mile course around Bute.

FWCC had six teams entered with the pairing of Stevie Watters and Derek Skinner winning their category in a time of 54:35. A special mention should also be given to the mother and son team of Fiona and Conal Davidson who completed the circuit in a very respectable 1 hr 07.16.

A cyclo-cross race, which had been made even more challenging, and muddy, by an afternoon downpour ended the first day’s activities. FWCC were represented in the event by their cyclo-cross experts Dave Walker and Catherine Logan.

The second day started with a 10-mile time trial in which the club had nine riders. Gordon Graham, returning from injury, posted the Club’s fastest time of 24: 01 with Derek Skinner picking up his second prize of the event by winning the B Category. Catherine Logan also won her category, and was second woman, with a time of 26:52 and 16-year-old Zoe Watters was fourth woman in 27:22.

The Novice Road Race took place in the afternoon with five FWCC riders.

The club picked up some prizes again with Catherine Logan and Stevie Watters both winning their categories.

Fullarton Wheelers also won the team award for best represented club and they passed on their thanks and congratulations to the organisers of this fantastic event.

Earlier in the week, the club had held one of the concluding Summer League events, the mixed ability 2 up time trial. Eighteen teams, which are paired to try and match abilities across all entries, participated in the seven-mile event which started and finished in Drybridge.

This year’s winners were Jim Ryland and Howie Christie who completed the course in a time of 16:13.