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My crystal ball's currently iced up, so predicting Saturday's conditions isn't easy. At the moment it's still pretty 'orrible out there but if the rumoured thaw turns up on Friday then it could be all systems go - Metcheck is forecasting something ridiculous like 5 degrees for Saturday morning so we can all break out the summer jerseys. I'm suggesting (i) tentatively pencilling in the Wetherby/Boroughbridge route, 9am start, since that's largely on main-ish roads (and can be adjusted to suit conditions) and (ii) check back on here on Friday to confirm arrangements. Then we'll see if anyone can still balance after a fortnight on the turbo

Won't be able to join you this week due to not being able to shift a bad case of the lurgy off my chest, don't think I'd be doing myself or the group any favours if I ventured out this weekend

Not sure on my attendance this week - not being an owner of a turbo trainer I think I will have lost a bit of fitness. Have been in the gym but it's not quite the same...

Reaquainted myself with my hybrid last weekend - not really a MTB - in fact not at all - (it has road tyres) but rode it down to the stables. Fine until I got to the cycle track - took me an hour to do 4 miles! Good fun to start with - totally exhausting by the end of the day.

Also I haven't quite sorted the mudguard issue out yet & with all that slush I suspect they will be needed!

Still - if I can find a mudguard solution & some extra weetabix, perhaps I'll be there.

Okay... en route to meetings in Harrogate this morning I drove a chunk of the proposed route and it was all clear of snow/ice, so assuming tonight is relatively mild as forecast, it's game on for tomorrow. For any of you having a "Should I Stay Or Should I Go" moment, I'd point to the forecast for more snow next week - this could be a brief window of opportunity for a few steady miles so get out there. See you all at nine, and let's keep it steady.

I won't be out I'm afraid - family stuff to do.

should be there

Looking forward to only second road ride in a fortnight but punctured on way to Square this morning. Arrived at Square about 9.20 and head in Wetherby direction with little hope of catching group. Roads seemed not too bad but complacency and/or a balance impairment relating to excessive turbo use led me to falling off in Tockwith sliding on my backside for what seemed like half the lengh of the main street. No serious injuries to self or bike though. As I was inspecting a bike, I heard someone say "Are you alright...?" Assuming the question was directed to me I was about to reply when I realised this bloke had spotted an elderly woman who had fallen over in the the middle of the road - presumably on the same patch of ice that had seen for me. She was in a bit of bad way and passed out momentarily but we manged to get her to the pavement. By this time a few villagers had come to help and ambulance called -which arrived about 25 mins later. By this time the woman had regained consciousness and seemed in good spirits. Hope she is alright.
Feeling little rattled by my own tumble I decided for the boring but safe option of getting a few miles in up and down the Wetherby Road.
Anyway hope everyone had a good ride and there were no "fallers."

The rather crisp temperatures kept the turnout at the square to a manageable eight this morning. We headed down the salty-tasting road to Wetherby and as we turned north towards Boroughbridge Howard and I were chatting about how it was, well, sort of warm. Halfway up the A168 the road was closed due to a major, and presumably ice-related car accident, which was a bit of reminder that the conditions weren't to be underestimated. Via a quick detour onwards to Boroughbridge, and then a slightly nervous stint from there to Easingwold before nicely gritted roads for the return leg. Good riding by all, no mishaps and three hours at eighteen-point-something mph and 190W.

We'll see what the promised renewed freeze looks like before getting wild about the joys of the open road, but it was nice to be out there for a change...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-yo ... e-11976850

RIP