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Driving home from work tonight I got caught up behind the Castleford chaingang near Aberford. A group of maybe 25 riders and going at a tad under 30 mph by my clock.

I was going to just get home and put my feet up in front of the TV, but that made me want to get out for a quick hour.

Hows your training going?

Do they have under-road heating round Aberford?
I pretty much had 2 weeks off after Tan Hill - a combination of excuses rather than physical exhaustion but basically too much eating and drinking to fit in!
I had last week off work so managed a couple of hours on the Sunday after the new year and 3 x 2hr rides in the week - 2 on the mountain bike the other I should have done on the mountain bike such was the ice situation. I have to say the gritting has left a bit to be desired north of York. Steady club ride last Sunday which to be honest was all we could do having run out of ideas about where we could safely go - but good to be out.
Have started doing an hour straight from work this week just to get it out of the way - a logistical challenge as much as a physical one but a nice new front light is showing me the way round Sand Hutton, Claxton and Flaxton but even that was icy tonight. Hoping to manage that maybe 3 nights a week and will go circuit training thursday nights and that will do me through Jan with a 3 - 4hr ride on a Sunday.

Pah- training! For me all I've done is a few MTB rides, until the rear axle sheared in two; obviously because of the immense power I was putting through it.....or because it couldn't stand -13C....or because it wasn't designed for someone of my post xmas body weight.

No it wasn't Aberford, it was Fairburn, I always get those mixed up. They go up and down the old A1 a few times, like much of the old A1 it's quiet and I've seen the gritters going down there so it should be ok.

I'm going to ride with them tomorrow night, I need a few good kickin's now to get me going, and it looks like some very handy riders will be out.

.... and going at a tad under 30 mph by my clock.

Sounds like any thoughts I might have that I'm ever going to be competitive with a number on are entirely fanciful

It depends at which level you aim to be competitive Dr Dave.

I've been out with them in summer and it's usually 3 or 4 big hitters taking turns on the front followed by 25 3rd cats trying to hang on.