Topic Title

Well, based on our rotation of our four regular routes, and especially acknowledging that everyone's sap seems to be rising and the plaintive cries of "hills! hills!" can be heard all across York, I guess it's the easterly route to Malton this week. All as per AndyT's posted Garmin route, including the threequarters lap of the Sheriff-Stillington circuit on the return leg. Current forecast suggests more wet'n'windy stuff coming our way over Friday/Saturday so check in here nearer the time just in case it all goes too wild.

As always, at least two groups. I'll put in early pleas to everyone to ride it as a group ride. Few things make us look more like rank amateurs than ones and twos spread all the way between Malton and Terrington. The season approaches - you'll soon have a chance to show how quick you are. Meantime, keep it together!

Yeh Phil keep it together

I shall be 55 next month. Going too fast is not something I should have to worry about.

I think you'll find I know plenty of ways to make us look like rank amateurs

If I ride on this Saturday like I did last Saturday I may demonstrate some of them

See y'all in the square...

Might well be out tomorrow.... Do we know if Buttercrambe is open? There is a way around it but it adds a few miles on...

I think we had 9 or so in the steadier group. The weather made conditions difficult with a strong tailwind out to Malton then a real grind back into the headwind.

19.2mph & 201W (239W NP) for the out of town bit.

Andy

If that route was designed to avoid flooding at Buttercrambe, it didn't work! Spent too much mental-energy panicking over the flooding on unfamiliar roads through Bossall etc. and then got wiped out when the head-wind struck. I think I did my least ever breaking coming down Terrington Bank and decided to plough on straight to Strensall/Huntington/York. Still, if the aim was making my legs hurt, I achieved it!

Well, with the way the forecast looked through the week it was never going to be an easy ride, but I suffered horribly - get the tights and overshoes nicely full of chilly water and everything seems to grind to a halt for me. The steady group worked pretty well under the circumstances - it was simply hard to pace it with the variable effects of the strong winds. It all worked well when needed though - especially the grind out of Malton and (most of) the lap of the Sheriff-Stillington circuit. I nearly threw up over the top of the final bump before Malton, slipped out the back after Terrington and had to do some very firm pressure in a very big gear out of Terrington Bank to get back on. 50-odd miles on a challenging morning - 18.8mph and 225W (NP) according to my box o' tricks. Thanks to all!

Off in the brisker group for me, I think there was 8 of us as we rolled out of York. Good brisk pace over to Malton, generally keeping it together. JohnS suffering tubeless puncture meant regular stops for air and I think we dropped him and Martin at some point neat Terrington (sorry).

On wards to sheriff hutton and the new course we continued to make good progress, with Andy and Wayne heading off as we turned left onto the Flat 10 course (backwards).

Then there was 4, good solid riding throughout despite the wind, not sure on the stats as although we stopped a few times my Garmin has decided not to reflect this so I make it 20mph for the out of town bit.

Cheers

Sharpy

The second group seem to get it together pretty quickly on Sat.A decent pace and a steady wind meant a tough ride but as a rule we kept it going nicely.I personally think we should do this and the Castle Howard route more often,the standard of fitness i have seen since coming back on the rides is pretty good and means if we are sensible on the rises it does not have to be everywhere building up as we progress and as alot of the racers know most races are won or the break goes on the climbs .I know we need to mix it up so i might be talking rot and dont mind being wrong.What do others think Timj

Forgot to say Buttercrambe was open!

Well I found Saturday tough this week. Felt okay on the way out, but with the strong tailwind we seemed to be setting a ferocious pace. Realised I had a slow in my front at Malton and decided to limp on. By the time we got to Terrington I decided I needed a more permanent fix and shouted to the others to go on. Changing tubeless tyres is a real pain though so I put some more air in by which time Phil's group had just passed. Marty and Andy hung back for me and we chased back. By the time we got to York my legs were cooked. Don't know whether it was the wind or just the tough Malton course but I ached badly!

Jury's still out on tubeless. I didn't have to change the tyre but the puncture didn't seal properly. As such I managed to limp home, but don't think I saved anything against a quick change. After adding some new sealant back at home the tyre did eventually seal. What I don't know is whether I've picked up any punctures that just sealed and I've never known about them. Still I'll persevere.

Not sure i like the idea of Malton more often as its my least favourite route (buts that just because its the hardest. Which exactly your point Tim. I get exactly what you're saying! The key to me seems to be not taking the climbs at full bore. Easier said than done sometimes. Anyway we'll soon be into laps of Bishopwood won't we Season's drawings near.

"I personally think we should do this and the Castle Howard route more often, the standard of fitness i have seen since coming back on the rides is pretty good and means if we are sensible on the rises it does not have to be everywhere building up as we progress and as a lot of the racers know most races are won or the break goes on the climbs .I know we need to mix it up so i might be talking rot and don't mind being wrong. What do others think?"

A good question by Tim - I'll put in my two-pennuth.

I reckon as the season gets nearer we should all be doing more stuff that's closer to what we'll be doing in races - it's moving from what Joe Friel calls "Base" to the "Build" - which needs to be less general / more specific. The question though is how we fit in that more specific training and what goes where in the weekly plan. My own view is that the training ride should continue to focus on stuff that relies on a group - so close, increasingly faster riding; minimising effort as a group (as Muzzy pointed out last week, we've been lazy about this), through and off, etc. I do think hard intervals should be part of training now, but I personally reckon they're best done on your own. As John says, the important thing is going right at your own limit. With a group - unless everyone in it is of equal ability (which even with two or three groups we're not) everyone ends up all over the place, or half the group sits there soft tapping to keep it together. Do intervals - do 'em on the turbo or do 'em on your own up hills.

My suggestion for the Saturday rides (and it's open to alternative proposals) is that we do one more full 360 degree rotation of the four winter routes, and then do a few weeks of pre-season fast laps at some of the local circuits (Bishopwood / Escrick / Sheriff-Stillingfleet / Kelsall) to nudge the speed in a group up from 20/21mph to 25/26mph. If you're doing the right stuff on your own (and especially the powermeter users have no excuses!) then you'll be ready for the commencement of hostilities.

Any thoughts?

Fair enough point Phil.

As a gatecrashing triathlete I am generally happy to go with the flow on the training ride, usually bowing out around April when my race season starts. What I have found, however, is that there seems to be a huge leap from the usual routes taken at a reasonable pace straight into eye-bulging laps of the race circuits. As Phil has suggested it would be good to have some progression perhaps with an hour of a usual route then some laps at a higher effort being conscious of the need to build speed, and not go full bore from the first session?

Will