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Along with dr Dave, John c, graham, Kevin n, Neil, rich, Tony, Pete, and James joined the ride out to Thornton le dale via dalby forest. We had a slightly delayed start when Kevin was trying to sort his cadence sensor out. Why not get a fixed gear Kevin so you can spin on the desecents as well on route John c diverted direct to the cafe at ebberston to meet us there whilst the rest did the loop through the forest. There was some new Tarmac along the route but I guess we only can only dream of all roads been like that I suppose it will be only a matter of time before they but stone chipping on it . Standard route out and back but never disappoints even though it's a tried and tested parcour. Talking of surface dressing which we all love having discovered the descent down to Thornton le dale as been done there were drivers flying past us flinging stones up. Yes, l know we were all breaking the 20mph limit but on a bike you don't flick stonesup. I took my wrath out on the drivers behind by riding to the cafe in the middle of the road stopping them overtaking. I got whacked in the face and laterdiscovered a small cut on my face . Enough of whinging about road conditions but despite this an excellent ride with the usual good company and look forward to next week

Was annoyed however at the end of he ride when I'd just gone past exhibition square to find the road shut due to protesters outside the minister. Here I got split from John and Graham because of jobsworth police presence and as a result got to find out who the protesters were. A group of far right neo nazis looking rather menacing. I had to wait from them to be escorted through over lendal bridge before I could proceed. Anyway I finally got home and even finished in warm sunshine

Jon

Pock Pedal for me on Saturday.

A number of the usual Clifton participants were absent and so I rode the first couple of miles with Barbara Davies and then the rest pretty much on my own.

Did play tortoise and hare with a group who were just a bit too fast for me on the flat but I regularly caught when they splintered on the climbs and suffered a few mechanicals.

The Mega, 100 mile, route was changed a bit this year and didn't contain the extra Thixendale loop or the climb before Millington.

The Route was well signposted and the two usual feeding stations most welcome.

I somehow managed to misread the final sign at Pocklington, took a left, and headed back out again by mistake. Garmin said I was still on course, little did I realise I'd actually begun the course again, and was a couple of miles out of town before realising what had happened. So, 104 miles instead of 100 but happy enough with my time.

Thanks to AndyJ and all the people who helped with event.

An error in my estimations meant that the Scotton 130 turned out to be the Scotton 150 - but at least you got more for your money. Congratulations to the 6 finishers - Austen, George, IanH, Steen, AndrewL. All rode very strongly and with much skill on the technical bits. At the end they looked as fresh as when they started... Special mention in dispatches for Austen, the only proper road bike and George on his vintage Stumpjumper MTB.

Thanks to Steen and IanH for navigating - I got totally disorientated on several occasions, to be told by Steen on one occasion that "we're now entering Narnia.."

The ride had definite Paris - Roubiax feel to it, with us plunging into sectors of rough stuff, emerging for a few km of tarmac, then another sector of dirt.... and so on. Saw the area from a totally different perspective.

I've never been able to ride the proper event, but I guess we had it easy - benign conditions and a mid-ride break in the sun at Spa Gardens cafe.

Thanks for the ride guys, a memorable day out.

Rob describes it all really, I really enjoyed the ride having a chance to play at it and look at the scenery as in April you hardly get chance when you are going for a time, got to be down as a must do club ride if we do it again.

Was saying to Steen how good I felt on the latter sections compared to April when he reminded me that we didn't have a good cafe stop in Ripon then, no wonder.

For anyone interested here are the Garmin stats.

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1189539399


Ian H.