Weekend Roundup 14th & 15th April

[Darren N]

I really enjoyed my first Scotton today. The Scotton is a double-whammy point generator, providing points for both MTB and Road challenge series and it truly was a great event. There were heaps of Cliftonites in the Staveley village hall car park for the flag-fall.

I only had the choice of my MTB so it was a bit of a concern when I turned up to find the vast majority of riders were on cross bikes or road bikes with wider tyres. I signed up to leave the Hall in Group 2 but then learnt that all the mountain bikes were in Group 4, so I decided to wait. I spent the entire day with Phil H, Virginie and Mal. Phil, Ginie & I were on hard tail MTB’s and Mal was on a road bike with broader tyres. We all had a sensational time, the pace was solid enough to give us a great work-out and sweep up the tail-end of groups ahead of us however we were never going to be fast enough to catch the cross-bike racers. We were lucky enough to remain puncture-free and even managed to avoid the showers, which seemed to be falling all around us towards the end of the ride. My sincere thanks go to my three partners for a very enjoyable day.

The Scotton is a unique ride. The off-road sections throw the road-racers off their normal game and yet the sandy and muddy tracks are not really technical enough to provide a big advantage to the mountain bikers. I think if anyone wants to post a serious time, they would need to choose a road or cross bike. However if you wish to enjoy a great ride without trashing your road wheels on rocks, holes and muddy gutters, an MTB is the way to go. I’m really glad I didn’t put my road bike through the treatment I gave my MTB today.

Congratulations to Dave I’a and all those involved for putting on a faultless show today. The village hall was buzzing after the ride. I really enjoy catching up with all the other Cliftonites on events such as these. I trashed my official time by waiting for Group 4 at the start and then chatting too much at the end before officially checking in, but my day was not about times, it was about sheer enjoyment!



D.

[Broom Wagon]

Um.....I'd always assumed you could only claim the points either towards your road challenge or your MTB.

[Karl M]

Also did the Scotton 100. The map, route instructions and signage were great, but this rider wasn’t.
I started 21 minutes after everyone else had set off, having lost the way to the HQ. Given that I’d already struggled to find one village, the HQ staff should have asked if it was sensible to begin an event that required finding another 23 of them. Instead, they cheerily noted “so with 21 minutes deducted from your final time, you could still win it”.

Well, after an hour of not passing anyone (hopes of winning now fading, a little bit), I was relieved to see humanity in the form of the man himself Dave I’an and Mark walking past (the opposite way, not overtaking). They encouragingly said “there’s a group only 2 minutes up the road, so you should catch them”.
I never did.

You see the trouble was my map reading ability, which reminded of a Morecamble and Wise joke in that I was “taking all the correct turnings, but not necessarily in the right order”. So villages were visited that shouldn’t have been: Dalton, Crakehill, Wormald Green, Markington (twice).

Eventually arrived late into HQ and stopped the cycling computer: total time 6hrs, cycling time 5hrs 15mins… the 45 minutes time difference was spent standing still, rotating the map.
Enjoyed all 122 kilometres and roll on next year’s event.
(Hats off to those who did it on an MTB).

[YorkCycleworks]

A massive thankyou to all Dave's team at Clifton CC For another fantastic Scotton 100. Well done from all the lads at York Cycleworks

[barberj]

I really enjoyed the Scotton this year. I always find it a tough event as you are just going so fast for so long without a let up. I can be a real killer at the end with the final hill viewable for quite a while before you go up it. The sandy section was not to bad and its great to really throw yourself down some of the bridleways. I managed to overtake some people multiple times on these, but could not compete on the road sections on my MTB. As usual I went off too fast but managed to not blow up half way round like I usually do. I finally managed to get under 4 hours too (3:59) I am one off a set of six mugs now.

[alistairs]

Was determined to have a slower ride this week but Kevin's look of scorn had me into scampering off at the back of the intermediate group of about 9 to Masham. Good run marred by heavy rain early on that caused rooster tails full of mud that got in the eyes and between the teeth.

An interesting case of man and machine in perfect harmony. So when I blew up so did my bike. (Bottom bracket bearing had failed: later inspection I discovered that some of the ball bearings had turned somehow square). Add this to the catalog of school boy mistakes I made and its a wonder I got home at all.

Here's a partial list:

Forgot mudguards (as did many of us)
Put glasses away in the rain so eyes got full of grit
Forgot to reset adjuster for front mech so repeatedly dropped the chain. (Thanks Stuart for keeping me rolling while I hooked it up again)
Forgot money for cafe stop (thanks John)
Ate way too many beans at lunch so then felt ill when we got going again
Dropped bottle in peloton (sorry folks)
Put pump on wrong way round so it filled with water
Took a spinaker instead of a tight jacket which annoyingly flapped about
Forgot I wasnt fit enough

Anyway a good ride and thanks to all for all the wheels I caught. My sudden disappearance outside Newton was caused by the BB finally jamming. Limped home with Dr Dave keeping me company as the bike pinged and screeched along.

[Dr Dave]

Same as Alistair, enjoyed ride to Masham although still have some work to do to regain stamina as was running on empty for the last few miles

Glad to hear Alistair got back OK as his BB was making some truly awful noises - you'll be flying along without the added friction next week!

Not out next week but should be there the week after...

[IanH]

Did the Scotton on Sunday it's 2 years since I last did it, set off with the first group again soon realised maybe I should have been more realistic as they started to disappear into the distance on the first off road section, still pushed myself all the way round and was pleased when I got to the end where we were all very well looked after by Dave I'Anson the event organiser and his team of volunteers who even put on a three course choice of food which was most welcome Many thanks to you all for your hard work.

Ian H

[Tim r]

Round one of the open tt series on sunday morning had me up early scraping ice off the windscreen with. it must be said limited enthusiasm for the task in hand. Anyway Bishop Aukland cc hosted this event which cosisted of 2x16 mile laps of quite fantastic cycling country. It was bloody freezing waiting at the start and with the first mile of the course being downhill I was quite pleased when my hands managed to answer the helm when required to brake at the bottom. It probably took about eight miles for my hands to warm up and I could concentrate on the pain in my lungs and legs. Anyway as ever minimal tactics were deployed, just make it hurt as much as you can stand. On the second lap with everything now warmed up and operating reasonably well I caught myself quite enjoying it in a sadistic sort of way.
Talking to some regular competitors over a pork pie back at hq the conditions had been remakably benign with last years event being more typical with the wind making the first mile descent particularly exciting for anyone running deep section wheels (I think I remember Dave c telling me about this)
The record books will show that I managed to get round in just under 1hr 33mins and despite learing that I had it easy this year I think that I had earned that pork pie!

[mal]

I squeezed a last minute (literally) start amidst the Scotton centuria.  I was slotted into Group 4 (a secure arrangement) and once on the road (and off it) tagged along with Darren, Phil and Ginnie.  My choice of bike, wheels and tyres  was far from ideal – road bike, racing wheels and skinny tyres (slick on the back) – but as that combo was the only one to hand any decision was a “no-brainer” - ride that or don’t ride at all.
 
Objectives for the day were: 1) get a start; 2) get a finish; 3) achieve 2 without breaking anything – a) physical or b) mechanical; 4) enjoy it.  I can put great big positive ticks against 1, 2 and 4.  As for 3 – a) I was surprisingly ache free on Monday: b) I’ll find out later – I finally managed to take the bike out of the car on Monday evening and a cursory look at the tyres revealed  more nicks and cuts than a Sweeney Todd shave.
 
To Ginnie, Phil and Darren an enormous thank you.  Your encouragement was much appreciated – as well as your willingness to take the blame if I got in to trouble for being too late home (which I didn’t you’ll be pleased to know).  Phil’s navigating was spot on - I know the roads round there pretty well but I hadn’t a clue where I was most of the time, Darren can be upbeat for England (or should that be Australia) and Ginnie sports a perpetual smile.  You can’t help but be carried along by a combination of those three.   I think we were round in about 4:20ish.  
 
Had to dash off afterward so didn’t get chance to fully thank Dave and the organisers – so thanks to you all; and I missed me mug.  
 

[Rob]

We've been on family holiday on the Scottish West Coast for a week. Nice mix of outdoor activities including solo 2 hour rides and (a much harder) ride across Mull with Siobhan on the back of the tandem. Quiet roads,fantastic scenery, loads of wildlife and pot holes you can abseil in....

Back in time to return to the Sunday clubrun, and, with most of you Scottonising, it was my turn to take Dave Byworth for a ride. Dodged the showers and battled the cold wind up to Troutsdale, then round through Dalby, quick blast o bacon in Thornton-le-Dale then home. Not a day to boast about average speeds, but it was 90 odd miles and we came back rather more rapidly than we went out.

Thix Spirograph next week - can't wait.