Topic Title

What have you all been up to then?

Reports from London/Kent?
Any racing going on?
Any news from the Saturday cafe run?

Heard that Matt got his 2nd Cat licence with that Hudd Star Wh RR result. Well done Matt! His lone break in the ERRRL Aussie Pursuit last Thursday was chased down just 200m from the line.

The clubrun hit the southern Wolds and stayed dry till the last hour. Approaching a T junction just S of Skidby another rider warned us that if we turned L there was a swarm of very angry bees. I was going to suggest we run the gauntlet but Arnie told me that when he was in Singapore a chaingang was attacked by a swarm of hornets and one rider died! - I suggested turning R was the best option! Not a common hazard on a clubrun. Good ride though.

There were a few in the Square for a training ride - how did that go?

The "few" headed out to via Haxby to Farlington then Hovingham, Nunninton & Welburn where I waved goodbye to Nick B & Steve W who were riding back via Kirbymoorside to Amotherby and Castle Howard for a 3 hr ride. So Billy No Mates turned left for Fadmoor & Gillamore with the intention of just looping back to the main road via Hutton Le Hole. However I had a rush of blood and finished up doing Blakey Bank and Blakey Ridge first as Farndale is a road I've not been up for years. So I too came back via Amotherby and Castle Howard and it just started raining as I was coming up Huntington Rd.
78.5 miles in 4hrs 14mins - ave 18.5 mph. That should set me up nicely for the national 12hr time trial .......... so its a pity I'm doing 3 elite road races on consecutive Sundays instead!!
Yes you can tell I was using a bike computer today - I'd put it on to recheck the Tour De Stockton on Forest Prologue course on Saturday afternoon after watching the real thing on ITV4. I managed 12.05 - so not exactly worrying the main contenders or the Lanterne Rouge for that matter - but it was windy and its amazing how much that pump slows you down. Perhaps I really should have entered the 12hr?

paul - i went round myself after work yesterday ( in rain ) and that 12:05 is a pretty good time actually

not saying what i did

i was a little worried our ride was going to turn into a huge epic! i always thought kirbymoorside was only accessable by car! anyway a perfect ride by the time i got in, little over 3 hrs and 61 miles, 19.3 avg, although when we left paul it was about 20.2! and no, my new attempts to stop headaches on long rides didn't work

I took off with the family to see the tour.

A bit of an 'old blokes reunion' of a group of us that rode together in our teens. One now lives just off the route near Maidstone so we camped there Saturday, lit the BBQ and took in the sun. A couple hopped on the train to see the Prologue then we all took off 'en masse' Sunday for a ride to Tenterden where there was a sprint stage.

Sunday was glorious so perfect for a family run. We pitched up 500m from the line, on a green outside a pub in plenty of time to see the Caravanne come through which kept the kids happy filling their pockets with sweets, then the breakaway of 5, then the Peleton. I was slightly disappointed that they weren't tempted to contest the sprint but came through at a leisurely pace, chatting.

Seb was chuffed at a final count of 43 miles on his MTB and the good day was only spoilt by a couple of jobsworths in uniforms. I can't think of another sporting event so good at entertaining such a broad age range, and it's free!

Self and family joined the thousands in Hyde Park on Saturday for the prologue, an absolutely amazing spectacle! Wonderful weather, massive viewing screens on one side and the riders whizzing by on the other. Brad Wiggins was accompanied by a 52 kph moving wall of sound from spectators going round the course. And the Cancellara time was unbelievable!
He even managed to beat my own time of 17 minutes when I cruised earlier round the course at about half ten in the morning on Dawes work bike with two panniers filled with the picnic lunch!
And on the train back up North in the evening nearly everyone was immersed in TdF reads!
Great day!

Fantastic day out in Canterbury yesterday - got there nice & early at 10:30ish and was able to bag a spot only about 130m from the finish line. Good pre-race build-up, not least thanks to the giant TV screen showing all the live stage action before it actually rolled into town. Great finish location as it was on a nice sweeping bend with decent view as a result (helped by being in the first row of the 3- or 4-deep crowd). Publicity people did us all proud with a near-constant supply of free mineral water, best vehicle in the caravan possibly the Seafrance "ferry" complete with working foghorn and driver in full captain's uniform!
Came away with a few souvenirs, including a poster and programme for display at our own TT on Friday (must post these off to Nick S. very soon), plus 2 official TdF water bottles - only one's going on the bike, though, the other's strictly for display to keep all the printing intact for posterity! Also managed a few pictures, which probably won't get processed for a while.
All in all, an excellent time was had - very glad to be there for a possible once-in-a-lifetime occasion!

Dave B

On Sunday, I prepared to ride the Seacroft Wheelers "10" on V514. However, because of roadworks on the A19 and consequent traffic jams, the organisers cancelled the event at the last moment. Instead, I went and rode some intervals for 25 miles with another competitor (Steve Coultish), and managed to get some sort of training out of the morning.

From Kevin:


10 riders set off on the Social ride, 2 Newcomers Dave & Andy , young James & Jon out on their 2nd ride with the Club.

Alan W fresh from his interview in Friday Evenings Press.
Cath, Elaine, Howard Jonathon, & myself, meandered round the lanes -Strensall Sheriff H Brandsby Yearsley for a Tea-stop@Crayke Court-yard Tearooms.(33Miles)

Young James trying for KOM points on most climbs, his new Clifton Jersey obvously inspiring him.

Return across to Barton le Willows, Howsham, Sand Hutton & Warthill
Every one given a briefing on Fridays ClubTour Prologue/Course.

With out any great intent managed to clock 70 miles, & only went as far as Crayke!!!

And on a personal note from me; I passed 5000 miles for the year on the ride into The Square. Gives me a fighting chance of 10,000 for the year... and I've not done that for a very very long time!