The terrible news came through last night that long time CCCC member Doug Garley had been killed after being struck by a car on a training ride in his new home of Ballarat.
Doug, a former European and Australian Professional rider, and his family lived for many years just a few metres from the Packer Park Velodrome, and was an enthusiastic and old school trackie, always ready to help new-comers to the sport with tips and tactics, and single gluing (with shellac!) lessons. Shane Perkins was among the younger riders he took under his wing with great success.
Since relocating to Ballarat, Doug has been heavily involved in the Ballarat Sebastapol Cycling Club’s track program, as well as racing regularly on the road with both Ballarat and the Eureka Veterans. He won the bronze medal in the Master 6 road race at the Australian Masters Championships in Ballarat in 2006.
Our thoughts are with Jenny and his family. Funeral details will be passed on when finalised.
Some years ago, Doug took up the challenge of setting ‘The Hour’ record at Packer Park. Here’s the story in his own words.
The Packer Park Hour
Well, the Club has an hour record for someone to challenge thanks to the instigation of Bill Bowker and the club committee. With Mike Goldie throwing down the gauntlet for someone to break the 40km mark, plus the enthusiasm for all track disciplines of Bill Bowker, Daryl Perkins and Mick Hollingworth.
On Saturday the 10th the sun was out and there was little wind, I said to Bill Bowker we have to do it today particularly while numbers would be down at the track with the holidays and the Bay Series being run during the week. I chose the UCI standard with a conventional bike ie no disc wheels or bar extensions, and with the usual breeze that Carnegie is famous for I chose a 50×15 (90 inch gear) with a 23mm tyre and 170mm cranks (Perko said I should have ridden 172.5). I left my 42cm width bars on, so basically it was my normal pointscore set up.
I had planned to start at 12.30 but we had a bit of fun with the computer on the bike, trying to get one that I could shut the odometer off. I had been up late the night before trying to get it stable. We fitted a new one Bill had purchase (my son Eddy thought it quite amusing three grown men on their hands and knees looking for nuts and screws that had been dropped in the grass).
By the time I was ready to roll it was 1.30 and with people arriving for the afternoon’s racing plus the fear of that famous breeze lifting I had a five lap warm-up. Hayden Mead held me up while Bill counted down and I was away. As I wasn’t warmed up very well and a bit tense I went a bit hard for a few laps at about 45kmh then tried settling into 40/41kmh or close when the the wind blew on a couple of occasions I dropped a bit for a second.
The gear was OK as I could drive it into the wind and keep a cadence. And yes it is true all those old stories you read about the hour and the thoughts that flash through your mind for a moment you think ‘this is madness!! I’m quitting’. You find a rhythm but it’s hard not to ignore the feeling in your lower back from the continual driving and whether you intend to or not you have to get out of the seat for a split second to get the blood down into the groin region which I had to on two occasions.
Things get better when the clock is getting closer and with Daryl Perkins one man crowd encouragement from the trackside I managed to lift considerably for the final laps. The aftermath reminded me of a story that John (Sully) O’Sullivan told me when he attempted the Bendigo track’s hour record and after it he couldn’t sit down or stand still. Well this is true as your glutes are like rocks and are so sore you can’t sit down for a while anyway.
At the end of the day we have a distance of 41.95km. I can’t thank Daryl Perkins enough for the coaching and encouragement, Bill Bowker, Grant Bowker-Bell and Eddy Garley for the time-keeping, lap counting and displaying the time during the hour. Mike Goldie and Bill for the computers, and Peter Homann for supplying the wheels.
The club training program is becoming increasingly professional under Hilton Clarke and Daryl and I thank Hilton for the awesome Monday ergo program and those wicked rev efforts with my road training buddy Shane Perkins.
Doug Garley
Doug Garley 7/7/1955 – 1/5/2012. A true giant of the road taken too soon and sorely missed.
Very very sad. I remember dougy taking me and the bobby greenwood training bunch around every bike track in Melbourne. You never knew where you would end up. He was a fantastic man who i admired very much growing up.
Condolences to his family.
Doug would come to our house at Chadstone in the 70′s in his beautiful gleaming hot FJ Holden called Misty Blue to hang out with my brother Greg, he always had time to chat with a snotty nose kid and go thru my early Holden scrap book. I went onto race at Carnegie and own many FJ Holden’s because I wanted to be like Doug but didn’t come close. In the words of my brother he was a very funny guy and a great bike rider. R.I.P. Garr. Steve O.