Tyre Changing Competition

How about this for up to the minute reporting for your Megaphone; a report of last week's tyre changing competition.

As always the competition was not viewed with great relish by most of the members who no doubt like myself are rather wary of displaying publicly their lack of skill in accomplishing such a minor feat as changing a tyre. Despite the dears of certain contestants the contest involved removing the tyre and inner tube from the wheel rim and then replacing the said items. Probably quite fortunately we did not insist on the tyre being blown up after each changing operation. I say fortunately as more than one contestant was seen to push the tube back into the tyre with his tyre levers!

Fourteen members of the club entered the competition, although three of those later withdrew their entries, presumably because of the closeness of the competition. As always in such competitions no-one wanted to start the ball rolling as it were. Usually the excuse given was that they didn't want to make a fool of themselves, though a certain member who ought to remain nameless (he rides a Laverda) excused himself on the grounds that he was so good that his amazingly good time would deter all other contestants. Needless to say he didn't win nor did he even come second!

In fact Mr Freestone senior (or Les as he is more usually known) won the contest with an overall time of 3min 20secs. This was but seven seconds better than the second place man, the usual victor of such competitions, Mick Ayriss.

Yours truly started the competition and I though I had safely secured the evening's worst time with a time of 7min 15secs. However such privilege was not to be mine as Alan Horne came along and put up the slowest time of the night at, wait for it: 8min 20secs.

The excuse I composed for my worst time was that as the first contestant I had the unenviable task of loosening up the tyre on its rim. Anyway, that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

What's your excuse Alan? Perhaps you could write that long promised article on it. But seriously though, thanks to everyone for taking part and making it a rather good evening and yah-boo to all those too proud to make a fool of themselves in front of their friends.

DBD