Clifton CC Discussion Board

A place to talk about anything! Want to find someone to ride with? Get help on mending things? Organise lifts?

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by PhilBixby Tue Mar 28, 2006 8:50 pm
Anyone got space in a car for a lift up on Sunday? Steve's not feeling fit to race, so we're a car down.

I just checked the National Rail website and was amazed to see a 9:23 service that gets to Northallerton at 9:53; cool! However on further inspection it turns out to be a bus... ...will check if they take bikes, but meantime if anyone's got space, I'd appreciate taking up some of it!

by Dave B Wed Mar 29, 2006 8:06 am
Phil,

As a rule bikes (except Bromptons and other folding types) aren't allowed on replacement bus services during rail engineering work.
I agree though - the train is definitely a good option for getting to races at or near Northallerton from York; did so once for the Hambleton RC 'cross at the local leisure centre and it was a doddle (the journey, that is - the race itself was a killer), with no objections from the guard about a mucky bike on the way home!

Dave

by PhilBixby Wed Mar 29, 2006 10:01 am
Thanks for the info. Presumably if I bag the bike there'd be no problem tho? Just like a (big) suitcase then...

by PhilBixby Sun Apr 02, 2006 5:20 pm
Well.. ..how was it for everyone? The organisers asked for feedback, as it was a new circuit and a new event - I'll bundle any comments on the organisation/circuit/safety into an email to 'em.

by charlie Mon Apr 03, 2006 10:24 am
Overall, thought the race was good, although would be better on a really hot day in july or august!
Maybe a few more marshalls on some of the bends stopping cars driving at us would be good.
Although the finish suited me, would it have been better being on part of the lap?
Great HQ and thanks to the leisure centre for putting up with all those muddy cyclists!
Also, great prize list.

by like my bike Mon Apr 03, 2006 12:55 pm
Like Charlie, the worst part of the race was the weather otherwise pretty good, maybe a prime or two to split the group. The finish could have been on the circuit. Who was our top placed rider.

Thanks again to the guy who took me back to HQ soaking wet through after I'd punctured.

A J

by Rob Tue Apr 04, 2006 10:04 am
But how did you ALL actually get on? Any glory?

by PhilBixby Tue Apr 04, 2006 10:30 am
Kit got 7th
Charlie made a bold dash off the front about half a mile from the finish which *nearly* worked and got 12th
Paul and I finished in the bunch having decided the sprint looked just too nervous - and indeed there was a pile-up in front of us. Mark Mattison entered on the line and finished in the bunch too.
Andy was going well until he got forced into a huge pothole and punctured on the last-but-one lap.
Steve didn't ride.
Colin.. ..er, Colin? Whattappened?

by Rob Tue Apr 04, 2006 11:00 am
Well done Guys! :D
by fatsprinter Tue Apr 04, 2006 12:29 pm
Got thoroughly wet and miserable. Got dropped after a few swerving incidents with cars, by own fault for being too far back in the bunch. Durrr. Chased for a lap and held bunch for half a lap to about 200m but then they pulled away. Got with a group of about 12 who worked together to chase. Got wet and misearable and feet freezing as I had no overshoes. To think it had been sunny in York. Pulled out with a couple of laps to go and high tailed it home to watch finish of De Ronde van Vlaanderen.

Have not speed in my legs at all. Need some.

De tijd gaat snel, gebruik hem wel!
Schaarf!!
by fatsprinter Tue Apr 04, 2006 12:45 pm
As for the course. A little tight on the circuit with traffic. The bunch seemed very large and would be better to limit it to 60 (which it may have been - it just seemed bigger) and was a bit dodgy on the bends in the wet with on coming traffic. However, course would be good in the dry and would suit a small working group to break away and therefore encourage racing. HQ good, organisation ok, just a few more marshall as Charlie says. Finish off the circuits are always disconcerting as I'm sure you bike learns to turn left and could forget at the end after 2 hard hours of racing. So a finish on the circuit would be good.

An extra lap would be nice as well. I'm a rattly old diesel and need a couple of laps to get warmed up and get going. It's what you get for being old and asthmatic. No rain would be nice too.

Otherwise, a good course and with a few tweeks would be a great course. Not too hilly but challenging enough for fat gits like me.

Bon

De tijd gaat snel, gebruik hem wel!
Schaarf!!

by PhilBixby Wed Apr 05, 2006 11:33 am
Thanks for the comments folks, I'll just add my two-pennuth and will copy/paste/email to Hambleton organisers.

I think it was VERY unfortunate that they took such a large entry (there were at least 80 starters, largely due to a wrong address for entries being publicised) and got such bad weather. It felt seriously scarey on the fast, winding downhill/downwind bit of the circuit where there was lots of standing, muddy water. I spoke to a few riders after the finish and nobody could see where they were going; it was all a case of follow what you could see of the wheel in front and hope for the best. In better weather it would be safer I guess.

I felt having the finish off the circuit was daft. Admittedly it gave a wider road for it but - and again the weather made it worse - there was an extended is-it-round-this-bend-or-the-next-bend bout of nervousness on that last leg. There were places on the circuit that would have worked just as well, and riders would have been much more familiar with the run-in.

Showers at the sports centre were MUCH needed (and you could grow potatoes in 'em after we'd finished) but having the prizegiving in a chilly corridor was a shame.
by paulM Thu Apr 06, 2006 10:16 pm
I found the course a bit featureless - nothing on it to split the field - once we'd lost the fat sprinters on the 1st lap we were down to about 40 riders which stuck together to the finish with nothing to split the field. Plus finishing off the circuit in the middle of nowhere is a bad idea because noone knows the run-in. Personally I would prefer a hillier circuit with an uphill finish.
However two guys managed to stay away and I thought it was a fast race so no complaints except that now I have a bad cold from exposure caused by putting bike back in car in pouring rain!

by PhilBixby Tue Apr 11, 2006 10:40 am
Response from the race organiser:-

thanks for your feedback,youv given me a few things to think about for next years race.the race was organised after the road race calender dates were set.the two dates available 2 me were either 2nd april or mid july. . .as i get married on 29th july i only really had 1 option.unfortunatly this led to running the race at a time of year with unsettled weather.i will be trying to get the race later on in the next year.the weather on the day was unfortunate,which seems to be the main cause of complaint.there is nothing i or anybody else could do about the rain. the race field will be restricted next year,as it was this year.the confusion caused by the printing of the wrong adress made me open up the field to riders that enterd at the wrong adress.hopefully the bcf will print the right adress next year.i understand the concerns about the finish and will look at having the finish on the circuit,and possibly adding another lap or 2.i was very disapionted with the levell of help i received from the leisure center staff,and what they charged.i will be looking at alternatives nxt year.you are the only people to criticise the ammount of marshalls out helping,all the other feedback i have received have praised me for getting so many people to help out in what turned out to be attrocious conditions.i have personally thanked there assistance on the day in helping to make the race very safe for the riders.u will also have noticed we had a motobike marshall who added to make it safe for the riders.it was only the rain that made it difficult.as i mentioned,i am in no position to alter the weather.it will be wise to enter early next year as i will be restricting the no of riders.if you dont get a ride you could allways come and marshall ?

regards steve middleton

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