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I'd hope there are enough people aiming to put a number on their back this year for the training rides to have adequate numbers. Nice though company is, we've had problems in the past both with big groups making their way out of York and with indecisive riders nearly wiping out the bunch during the course of working out which ride they want to be on!

My suggestion - I agree with Muzzy on this - is let's kick off by doing the old training ride route each week (Gally Gap - Malton - Coneysthorpe - Terrington - Sheriff). It's a good ride - by no means flat but usually easy(ish) to keep a group together on it - and with a flat run-in to York we can practice through-and-off on the latter part of it (and could indeed extend the route with a loop of the TT circuit for more of this). If everyone starts getting bored - or if we feel we want to broaden the training to include other stuff, we can identify other routes as the weeks go by.

For those in the "I ticked etc..." camp I'd emphasise that this will be a steady ride - the aim is to work together to get as much tempo (ie above "long steady distance" but below "flat out") work done as we can in three hours so that you've (a) got the rest of the day for family or whatever and (b) can ride/train/whatever the following day without your legs feeling like noodles. Hopefully no-one's got any points to prove since we can all do that once we get to the start-line of a race in April!

Also although hopefully you'll be working too hard to talk when you're taking turns on the front, they shouldn't be too po-faced... (please...)

Is one of these training rides starting this saturday providing the snow that is expected does not cover roads? I hope to come along.

Have been keeping an eye on the Met Office website with increasing dismay. My idea of a training ride is getting swift miles in, safely, not a survival exercise. If the roads are looking iffy on Saturday I'll turn up with an alternative "salted roads" route (which may not be as interesting but should at least ensure avoidance of injury). If we're up to our necks in it, then will post last-minute plans late Fri / early Sat. Anyone desperate for a ride in deep snow is welcome to get out there, but my plans are based upon having both legs each in one piece come early March... (and before anyone tells me to HTFU, I got bought a mug for xmas with it written on the side...)

Please see the main discussion board thread re the planned first training ride - cancelled due to snow/ice/temperature/etc.