Saturday Training Ride - despite the cold and wet there was as usual a good turn out for the various Saturday rides. About ten of us set out on the training ride - the conditions were absolutely awful, cold, wet, mud and potholes aplenty. By Helperby one of us had had enough and put up the white flag and turned for home. The rest bravely motored on, working on earning ourselves that real cyclists 1000 mile stare - the kind of look you get when you've spent so much time, cold, wet and in pain that you think any other condition is abnormal. Better still our reward will be, that when you see a group of the Red and Black they're gonna be the men to beat.
For me, from a poor level of fitness, these Saturday rides have brought about a huge improvement - being able to ride above 170BPM aerobic is something I've not been able to do for some years, see you next week whatever the weather.
Weekend Roundup
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Another Saturday training ride in not the greatest conditions, think it was more the water coming up off the road than falling from the sky.
A good workout and fun in a strange way. I always wonder why I get funny looks on the ride through town after such rides but now I see why:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/paperthin/4413383008/
A good workout and fun in a strange way. I always wonder why I get funny looks on the ride through town after such rides but now I see why:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/paperthin/4413383008/
Likewise enjoyed the Saturday training ride, in a very strange way. Two hours forty-five of being sprayed with cr*p, five degrees celcius, and - as mentioned above - a lot of dodging potholes. In fact the term "pothole" doesn't do these beauties justice; these were craters, the sort of things that on a Turkish backroad would have had an armchair dumped in them by now. But a good choice of route by Broomwagon - started flat but with a nice rolling middle bit. Normalised Power bang on 200W and a lap of the Flat 10 circuit at race pace. Still fed up that the Neil White RR was cancelled, but this certainly kept everything ticking over.
I "enjoyed" the Sunday training ride. Things started badly when the race bike I'd rebuilt this week ready for the cancelled Neil White RR decided to produce a flat front tyre from nowhere overnight. I was already late so rather than rush to fix it I brought along the winter commuter instead. Five of us (Muzzy, PaulB, Chris?, Craig Gath (I think) and me) headed out to Acaster, Tadcaster, Collingham, Wetherby and back via Askham Bryan. It was bright but flippin cold, and pretty soon I knew I was going to struggle. Chris and I started to come unstuck on the hills after an hour but a quick stop brought us back together.
From then on it was a matter of gritting teeth and hanging on, but on the flats after Wetherby I started to get my legs back and we had some great pace line riding with Mr Gath calling the shots. When we got back to Acaster he and Paul headed on to do some laps of the airfield while I made my excuses and limped home. About 48miles at 20.5 average to that point I think - and considerably slower afterwards! It was a very hard trip for me, even allowing for the heavy bike, but I'm convinced that if you never grovel in training you will in racing, so on that score it was a good day...
From then on it was a matter of gritting teeth and hanging on, but on the flats after Wetherby I started to get my legs back and we had some great pace line riding with Mr Gath calling the shots. When we got back to Acaster he and Paul headed on to do some laps of the airfield while I made my excuses and limped home. About 48miles at 20.5 average to that point I think - and considerably slower afterwards! It was a very hard trip for me, even allowing for the heavy bike, but I'm convinced that if you never grovel in training you will in racing, so on that score it was a good day...
Well, I'm sure we've had winter clubruns as good as yesterday's, but am not sure when... 9 of us set out (Heather, Nigel, Sean, 2xAndies, Howard (not that one), Richard, Phil and self. Fabulous ride, not a cloud in the sky. Cockayne loop was something special, still some big patches of snow lieing in the hollows and picking out the shape of the moors. Enormous temperature gradient between the sun and the shade.
Thanks to Heather for sharing her 21st Birthday with us.
Am not out on the Sunday ride for the next 3 weeks. Any volunteers to guide the group along? Suggested routes available, or choose yor own.
Thanks to Heather for sharing her 21st Birthday with us.
Am not out on the Sunday ride for the next 3 weeks. Any volunteers to guide the group along? Suggested routes available, or choose yor own.
The H riders went to Leyburn. Both Howards, Dave C, Ian H, Shaun and myself. As has been said it was a challenging morning with full mud face-packs the order of the day. Apart from a slight route 'issue' leading to a half-mile off road muddy track experience we got along swimmingly - Oh, yeah there was the usual 3 puncture tally which seems par for the course at the moment.
A good meal at the Posthorn, then back on the usual route home. 95 miles at almost 19 mph so a good workout - would this suit some of the training ride regulars who wish to work on their endurance miles?
Cleaning the bike afterwards was a major undertaking - might as well have done a cross-race. Any more of this and I'll be getting a Karcher!
A good meal at the Posthorn, then back on the usual route home. 95 miles at almost 19 mph so a good workout - would this suit some of the training ride regulars who wish to work on their endurance miles?
Cleaning the bike afterwards was a major undertaking - might as well have done a cross-race. Any more of this and I'll be getting a Karcher!
Me and Paul Scott entered our first Open 5 Adventure race at Sedbergh on Sunday. This is 5 hours of orienteering by MTB and running. Its the first time we have done one of these and we(me) managed a number of navigational cock- ups especially on the MTB side right at the start. For example we agreed beforehand that there was no way we would go on a bridleway through a particular wood on the map as it looked a bad route (a stream and lots of those contour lines). Having agreed not to do it, we then did go that way and found it even worse that the map suggested (totally unrideable). Still it was good fun and as I have only been running for 3 weeks 10K of off road running was not bad (after 40K of cycling). Hopefully I should be able to keep up with Paul better on the running side next time! Our score of 385 was rather disappointing considering the effort involved! Paul also managed to do what looked like a good karate head-but onto his map board as he went over the handlebars. Mine broke later due to vibration cracks.
Just to say well done to Jeff on doing the Open 5 in the first place....I think he was in because he didn't say no, not that he'd actually said yes to Paul. I'm pleased that he's put "next time" in his tale - always a good sign!
It was an awesome event and Jeff and Paul were lucky enough to have their first race in gorgeous weather. I might make them my lucky charms as I had an excellent result and it's the only event of the series where the weather has been kind.
Next one is in Wales on Bank Holiday Monday. Hope to see you there!
It was an awesome event and Jeff and Paul were lucky enough to have their first race in gorgeous weather. I might make them my lucky charms as I had an excellent result and it's the only event of the series where the weather has been kind.
Next one is in Wales on Bank Holiday Monday. Hope to see you there!
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JonnyMoore
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Another weekend and another Saturday Club ride for me, this time to Pateley Bridge. There was 6 of us including myself, 2 John's, Stuart, Simon and a new face, to me anyway Tom. The only dissapointment was the weather but at least there was no danger of icy roads in the Morning. The conditions were particularly grim up by Brimham Rocks but it did brighten finally approaching York on the return leg.
Am still waiting for the day like everybody else when you can wear a few less layers and perhaps no overshoes. Looking at the forecast for the weekend it suggests 11C on Sunday, blimey!! Roll on Spring
Jon
Am still waiting for the day like everybody else when you can wear a few less layers and perhaps no overshoes. Looking at the forecast for the weekend it suggests 11C on Sunday, blimey!! Roll on Spring
Jon
"A good meal at the Posthorn, then back on the usual route home. 95 miles at almost 19 mph so a good workout - would this suit some of the training ride regulars who wish to work on their endurance miles?"
I thought that was what we were doing Dave - 60+ miles in 3 hours?
I'd rather we had training ride regulars doing regular training rides - I'm trying to draw more riders in to do just that not divert them to do other things. I've checked the handbook but couldn't see any 95 mile races with an hours lunchstop but there are a few around 60 miles without one!
Sundays training ride was great. A lovely dry and calm day - 10 degs warmer and it would have been perfect! When we left Tom at Acaster crossroads myself and Craig just worked through and off back into York. But I had over 60 miles on the clock when I got home and for much of the ride we had been really shifting.
Tom - thanks for making the effort to turn up. Stick at it & you will have a cycling career filled with pain & disappointment but with occasional successes which will make it all seem worthwhile. But they will be achieved on the back of rides like this!
I thought that was what we were doing Dave - 60+ miles in 3 hours?
I'd rather we had training ride regulars doing regular training rides - I'm trying to draw more riders in to do just that not divert them to do other things. I've checked the handbook but couldn't see any 95 mile races with an hours lunchstop but there are a few around 60 miles without one!
Sundays training ride was great. A lovely dry and calm day - 10 degs warmer and it would have been perfect! When we left Tom at Acaster crossroads myself and Craig just worked through and off back into York. But I had over 60 miles on the clock when I got home and for much of the ride we had been really shifting.
Tom - thanks for making the effort to turn up. Stick at it & you will have a cycling career filled with pain & disappointment but with occasional successes which will make it all seem worthwhile. But they will be achieved on the back of rides like this!