Weekend round-up 23rd/24th April.

[PeteT]

Another K-ride for me as it was for at least another 14 riders.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/81048483

The classic combination of Heat + Hills meant I was suffering by the time I got home - but the views of the moors in the sun was well worth it.

Two stats recorded by the Garmin that surprised me this time - (1) Just how hot it got and (2) Just how fast you can go down Terrington Bank!

If only going up the hills was that easy!

Regards to all...

Pete

[Allan]

Max Bike Cadence: 228 rpm WOW!!!!!

[like my bike]

Joined the group riding the Thixendale “Spirograph” lead by Rob, great ride, The Challenge was to ride all 6 climbs out of Thixendale without making a U-turnshort which we managed. Thixendale Cafe stop sure helped.

Thanks for the company

Basic stats

91.4 miles

Average speed 17 mph

Climbing 1,681 metre

More Garmin stats

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/81288520

[Darren N]

After 3 weeks fighting off the deadly superbug virus, man flu, I realised my condition might be a tad underdone. On Saturday, I decided to throw myself into the Intermediates’ washing machine to see how I’d tumble out. Four of us (John C, Tony G, Howard and myself) cruised out of the Square on Saturday in gorgeous weather – window down, right elbow out the window and music on full blast. The BBC weather forecast stated bright sunshine all day for the York area, …so you can imagine how we felt when we found ourselves standing under a tree a couple of miles above Masham in teeming rain, having a completely rational debate about which one of us should carry the blame for the fact that it was pi**ing down!

After descending into the Masham market Square in the rain to reassess things, it suddenly started fining up again (British weather eh), so we decided to stick to the plan and forge a route towards Lofthouse and How Stean Gorge. Unhappily, the recent movement in the global tectonic plates has not made this route any flatter since I last trekked this path in the Grimpeur last year – it really does present some serious nastiness. Anyway, we abseiled off this slope into the How Stean Gorge café and enjoyed a nice refuel in the sun.

Tony and Howard then took up the Jens Voigt duties on the front and motored us back through Pateley Bridge, Summer Bridge and Knaresborough in seriously quick fashion. I was doing a semi-decent job of hanging on to this exhilarating ride when, within sight of the finish line, I did a ‘Devon Loch’. My condition gave out and I was hammered by leg cramps. I was only a few miles from home so I unshackled the boys from their harnesses and let them have their heads while I soft-shoed home the last couple of clicks on the small ring, which was quite therapeutic actually. I genuinely would like to thank John, Tony and Howard for looking out for me all day knowing I was returning from a bit of a setback, they really demonstrated some great Club spirit, thanks heaps. I was very glad to have a tough 90-odd miles on some seriously lumpy roads in the bank at the end of the day.



D.

[Jon G]

Decided to do the Thixendale Spirograph Club Run as detailed below

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/81394226

I think if you squint the map does resemble somesort of spirograph sketch

I really enjoyed the ride and thanks to Rob for leading it once again and the rest of the guys for waiting at the tops of all the hills including all the 'bonus hills' . Felt pretty good for the most part despite what it may have looked like and even managed to hang on after the final climb on the ride back into York even with Tony G and Paul M doing most of the work at the front.

It as to go down in my top 10 of favortite club runs with clifton without wanting to sound too mushy and would hope it was added to the Saturday or Sunday Club run list. It obviously helps when the weather is good as it shows off the Wolds superbly.

Thanks for the Ride

Jon

[bernard turgoose]

Well Dave I Anson & myself decided that we would also have an attempt at this new innovation - but as Dave hadn't ridden his bike for over 4 weeks, we decided to have car assist to Skirpenbeck, leaving only the hilly bits for us to ride
We hit the top of Kirby Underdale at 9.45 & Wharram Percy Wold at 10.15 when Dave realised that he had lost his glasses, so back down he went & yes found them about 50 metres from the bottom.
After which we did a slightly different route by turning right towards Towthorpe Wold before taking another right back down towards Burdale.
On the stretch back to Thixendale, we saw the main grp heading for our previous climb, we then did the Huggate road exit & round via Fridaythorpe for the descent down the Gritts - although I had forgotten the 14% climb before the descent !!
Then at the bottom of our third climb, up Uncleby we saw the main grp again at their cafe stop, after which we more or less stuck to the same route for all but the last climb, when we also had our cafe stop in the village.
For us 61 miles but not sure of the metres climbed - but if anyone can help from their Garmins it would be appreciated.
Bernard

[Jon G]

Hi Bernard

I think I need glasses, I saw Dave but didn't realise it was you with him. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did . As for metres climbed it must have been in the region of 1400-1500 metres for the 6 climbs plus extra bits as my total for the day was 1700m ish.

Jon

[Allan]

A very enjoyable 60 mile non stopper out on the wolds on Friday morning with Rob and Shaun. Bernard joined us for a short while on the route out. Lovely weather and some new roads for me.

Sunday was the 1st Nutcracker XC race at Gandale near Richmond. By the time I arrived, Chris H had already raced and managed to finish the race without a rear brake. Four Clifton riders turned out for the vets race - Steve R, Chris C, John S and myself.
The race started with a 50m uphill grind bottlenecking into the steepest decent of the course straight onto an uphill singletrack. I stayed at the back hoping to avoid any carnage but it was nearly 5 minutes before the backlog of riders cleared this and it was possible to get past the stragglers and get going. Next time I will just get stuck in from the start to try to avoid this. It was a tough and technical course but every minute of it was thoroughly enjoyable and I am quite happy with 70th out of 113.

[Broom Wagon]

Just watched a cheesy video on Youtube called worst cycling crashes ever!. It was just like my MTB race in the Nutcracker series, yes all of them - except for the crashes with dogs, there were no dogs in my crashes.... or photographers - fortunately there were no photographers to crash into.

[Tullio]

18 MTBers (+ some guest appearances) headed to the Lakes for the weekend staying at a residential centre just outside Kendal.

We had fabulous weather all weekend and great food thanks to the group 'Chefs'.

Thursday Gill rode there. Friday Simon led a big ride badged as 'some of the best downhill in the World'. Unfortunately, in his sleepy state before the ride, he picked up the wrong guide book marked '10 best scrambles in the Lakes'. I never knew it was possible to carry a MTB for 15 miles over such terrain

Saturday the group split to do various MTBing, walking and kayaking - whilst Wayne had a rest day doing a 20m fell run followed by a 40m ride around the Lakes on a fixie

Sunday saw 2 rides; 1 doing most of the Fred Whitton route in prep for 2 weeks and another did a big day out on the MTBs.

Monday was time for home with some leaving early, some hanging around for another day of MTBing and I rode back to York.

Great weekend and thanks to Lisa and all the cooks for organising.

[StephF]

The mtb weekend in the Lakes was really really good. It seemed like at least a weeks holiday as it was so varied!

We did the mtb ride from Simons scrambling book Friday. Saturday I was a guide for the Saddle Skedaddle Ambleside weekend, a most excellent guided mtb trip. Sunday we did the Fred Whitton minus the Honister & Newlands loop, 4th time up Hardknott and Wrynose, still not a foot down although the pressure to succeed increases every time! Monday we did the Borrowdale Bash mtb ride, it still gets the number 1 spot in my top 10 mtb rides ever.

Thanks to Lisa for organising and to everyone who helped cook and who led rides. It was a top weekend.

[Rob]

Thanks to all those who supported the Spirograph ride on Sunday. There were 10 in The Square, plus the Dave and Bernard splinter group.

I think everyone enjoyed themselves - great weather, quiet lanes, beautiful countryside. Steep climbs, very narrow lanes and surfaces which went from the sublime to the ridiculous, mean that the GPS stats don't really do the effort justice. To my mind it was just worthy of a 2 pointer.

[paulM]

Thixendale ride for me and the first Sunday ride I've completed with the group this year as I usually push on home because I'm too tight to pay for the cafe. But as the Thixendale version of Poundland in the church hall is more of a social service I didnt need to disturb the moths too much although it was a very welcome rest in the sun!
I normally struggle to find my way in and out of Thixendale on the right road just doing it once, so Sunday was always going to be a voyage of discovery. There weren't herds of wilderbeasts but a couple of new roads and some lambs and calves that were definitely discovering a whole new world.
I wouldnt say this was a hilly ride but Birdsall Brow was simply an intermediate uphill interuption on the way back to Thixendale again! Even so I had 95 miles on the clock d to d so Rob was spot on with his prediction and was just short of a 17 mph average.
Thanks to Rob for organising and for the good company guys.

[m-k-lewis@msn.com]

K-ride for me as well. A glorious day with the group around the Bransdale loop. This was the first time I had done anti-clockwise. I am not sure which is harder? Clockwise is a long-drag which tires the legs for the couple of short sharp shocks to come after Cockayne. Anti-clockwise is a couple of short sharp shocks, followed by a couple of long sharp shocks? You pays your money, you takes your choice.

I brought a neighbour (Neil) with me and he was full of praise for how inclusive Clifton is and how he was made to feel so welcome - something I have also found to be very true - so thanks to all for that.

We split off from the group after the Helmsley cafe stop to take the scenic route back via Aldwark bridge - we need to get those steady miles in before the day C2C.

All in all a very hot 100 miles. Neil's longest ride yet.

Thanks to Kevin for the post-cafe route suggestion which worked well and thanks to all for the company.

Mark

[HannahW]

I second that last comment, Cockayne loop is thee most beautiful ride I've done so far. Clocked up 90miles by the time I'd got home.

MASSIVE thanks to Cath, Kev and Mum for the encouragement and company