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As Mr Bixby will be overdosing on Sanatogen tomorrow as mentioned elsewhere and as I believe I have a window of opportunity, I'll put my hand up and volunteer to lead this. Nigel has already expressed a preference for the A168 route. I'm ok with that - its dull as dishwater but I'm sure it will serve its purpose! We can practice a bit of through and off but I would prefer instead of just ripping it up half way through the ride to just do it steady and get used to the principle on a few stretches - A168 and a lap of the Milby circuit - doing it on a circuit is good to get used to the wind coming from different directions. Then after Easingwold see if we can up the pace a bit for the last 45 minutes. No point averaging 21 mph when races are run at 25 mph and won a t 26 mph. See you in the square at 0900.
I'm saying this but I practiced the finer points of through and off with Jon Cocker on the chaingang on Tuesday - and am still trying to get over it!

Blimey that was hard! Despite the promise of sun, with all the races pending only 6 of us were in the square this morning- Paul M, Andy J, Andy W, Martin, John B and me. With that group it was always going to be a hard day, made even harder when the group decision was to do the Malton route rather than the A168!

Pretty much stayed together until Malton, but the drag out into the headwind left just 5 of us by Coneysthorpe. I got shelled out of the group out of Coneysthorpe but they kindly sat up and let me get back on before Terrington, where I promptly got shelled out again!

I chased hard (i.e the group sat up again) and got back on before Sheriff. On the flat 10 we rode in one line (as discussed by Paul last week) with each of us doing a short turn then moving out and dropping back. My contribution mainly involved chewing the bars trying to hang onto Martin's wheel until Sutton. The elastic went at that point so I peeled off and headed back on Wiggy Road leaving the remaining 3 to head over towards Strensall.

Today felt miles harder than Thursday's race! Definitely the best of the training routes for building strength and endurance and despite my now semi-comatose state, I enjoyed it. Thanks to all for a good morning's work (and for sitting up at various points)!

Nigel is skimming some of the detail. we were aleady down to five when I held up the white flag in Terrington. Not been feeling great for a day or two and was thinking of just soft pedalling home. But I still had you in site when we reached the "10" circuit so cut the corner off and rejoined near Sutton. Wish I could do that in races sometimes. Just AndyJ & Martin left by then and we worked well back to Haxby. A hard working group today so well done to all. Maybe the answer on this circuit is to just keep it a bit steadier over the hills and push harder on the flat?

"just keep it a bit steadier over the hills and push harder on the flat"

Yup! (<-- Sanatogen-crazed smile)

This is all a bit of a shock Phil- and I always thought you raced clean!

I really enjoyed today's ride. Always hard doing the Malton route but good training I think.

The loop round the flat 10 was a real eye opener. We seemed to maintain a much faster pace with the front man pulling off and rejoining. Aided by some good calls from Paul we clipped along at as steady 26+ mph for the last part. The strange thing was it felt easier than the usual method. I always find that the hardest part is coming past the man on the inside which obviously isn't needed when you're in one line.

Good stuff guys

It was one of the Spanish doctors on those Saga holidays that put me onto it, Nigel...