Training ride, Saturday 1st
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Rode into work this moring 15 miles from Selby to York up the a19. It was cold -4.8 if the tech is to be belived! But once I was going it was fine, the road was frosty at the edges but felt safe enough.
Just need to take it easy around corners tomorrow and give each other plenty of room, especially on roads that may not see the gritter as often as we would like!
Just need to take it easy around corners tomorrow and give each other plenty of room, especially on roads that may not see the gritter as often as we would like!
Okay, suggested strategy:- northerly route up to Boroughbridge, doing the first leg straight out to Wetherby along the main road (same as many times last winter...). Straight through Boroughbridge and up to Kirby Hill, then back down the A168 and re-trace our steps. Not picturesque or exciting but gets three hours ridden in relative safety (hopefully!). I'll be in the square for nine and if Tim doesn't make it down from Easingwold I'll take the "steady" group and will send the slightly quicker group off first (please can one or two of you just make sure you know the route I've suggested!) Game on...
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Broom Wagon
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Turned up just as the first group were leaving at 9. From those present I'd guess we were the brisker group! A steady run out along Wetherby Road and onto the A168 where the steadiness continued! A couple of the roundabouts on the A168 were icy which confirmed our decision to stick to the main roads.
Once we turned at Kirby Hill we had the wind behind us all the way back to Wetherby and then a cross tail on Wetherby Road. As a result the speed ramped up- 26mph plus for much of the A168 return and not much less on Wetherby Rd. As a result I was seeing stars by the top of the rise before Long Marston. Just started to recover when I hit a manhole cover in Long Marston and my bars twisted under with the impact
Never saw the group after that as I had to stop to sort them, still at least I was nearly back in York and a steady run back saw me total 60 miles at an average of 19mph. A bit faster than ideal at this stage but I really enjoyed the ride, some really good group work all the way round. Looking forward to more of the same next week!
Once we turned at Kirby Hill we had the wind behind us all the way back to Wetherby and then a cross tail on Wetherby Road. As a result the speed ramped up- 26mph plus for much of the A168 return and not much less on Wetherby Rd. As a result I was seeing stars by the top of the rise before Long Marston. Just started to recover when I hit a manhole cover in Long Marston and my bars twisted under with the impact
Never saw the group after that as I had to stop to sort them, still at least I was nearly back in York and a steady run back saw me total 60 miles at an average of 19mph. A bit faster than ideal at this stage but I really enjoyed the ride, some really good group work all the way round. Looking forward to more of the same next week!
Meanwhile... ...the steadier group set off a few minutes later on the same route. Blue skies and a chill north-westerly but far more pleasant than we'd expected. Like the first group, we did a synchronised sideways slide onto the A168 (initially put down to ice but - given the strong smell of diesel was probably oil on the road) and had a steady ride up to Boroughbridge. The driving, though! Was it some Festival of Stupidity today? Berk Of The Day award went to a bloke who pulled his 4X4 out from a turn on the right and then stopped right in front of us, but there were plenty of other contenders.
At Boroughbridge we had a brief flirtation with the road to Helperby but - after fording the first full-road-width flood - turned back, did the Kirby Hill loop, and then the rather wonderful wind-assisted southerly leg of the A168. Half the group carried on when we had a puncture near Walshford, and the remaining five of us did a brisk team TT back to York.
We were certainly steadier than the less-steady group; my box of tricks makes it bang on 18mph and 190W for the out-of-town bit, which will do nicely.
Generally good tight riding but a few points probably worth emphasising (and I heard Tim verbally emphasising a few of 'em on the ride):-
-Try to keep effort steady and let speed sort itself out; accelerating up hills just makes everything ragged. Likewise keep pedalling on downhills - freewheeling's just a waste of training time...
-Related to the above... ...if you're on the front and someone shouts "keep it steady" or "knock one off" then please just keep it steady or knock one off - don't stop pedalling or clap the brakes on or anything, otherwise everyone, to be blunt, goes up your chuff and accidents happen. As it did.
End of chat, as the legendary Kevin would say.
At Boroughbridge we had a brief flirtation with the road to Helperby but - after fording the first full-road-width flood - turned back, did the Kirby Hill loop, and then the rather wonderful wind-assisted southerly leg of the A168. Half the group carried on when we had a puncture near Walshford, and the remaining five of us did a brisk team TT back to York.
We were certainly steadier than the less-steady group; my box of tricks makes it bang on 18mph and 190W for the out-of-town bit, which will do nicely.
Generally good tight riding but a few points probably worth emphasising (and I heard Tim verbally emphasising a few of 'em on the ride):-
-Try to keep effort steady and let speed sort itself out; accelerating up hills just makes everything ragged. Likewise keep pedalling on downhills - freewheeling's just a waste of training time...
-Related to the above... ...if you're on the front and someone shouts "keep it steady" or "knock one off" then please just keep it steady or knock one off - don't stop pedalling or clap the brakes on or anything, otherwise everyone, to be blunt, goes up your chuff and accidents happen. As it did.
End of chat, as the legendary Kevin would say.
Had a good ride today in the steadier group. Not as cold as yesterday thankfully but a brisk wind kept us all working hard on the way out. Thanks Tim for shouting up and keeping us all working together. It was a fairly tidy group ride and the effort levels seemed reasonably even.
Bit of scary moment for everyone on the diesel covered roundabout...it certainly woke us all up anyway
It was a bit more of a workout on the way back with only 5 of us (after the puncture) and i think Damian and Richard did a little more than their fair share of the work on those last couple of miles on the Wetherby road....thanks guys, my legs were cooked!
Bit of scary moment for everyone on the diesel covered roundabout...it certainly woke us all up anyway
It was a bit more of a workout on the way back with only 5 of us (after the puncture) and i think Damian and Richard did a little more than their fair share of the work on those last couple of miles on the Wetherby road....thanks guys, my legs were cooked!
Massive fail from me today as I got to York in the car to realise I had left my cycling shoes in Selby. So I left Fiona to head off and headed home in a huff.
Went out on my own after leaving the car with Fiona and head on the Southerly route, which was not ideal, lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and the some more flooding.
Cold and wet feet, even more miserable then in the morning but got it done!
Not sure when I will next make a training ride, busy next weekend and then off to sunny Spain.
Went out on my own after leaving the car with Fiona and head on the Southerly route, which was not ideal, lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and the some more flooding.
Cold and wet feet, even more miserable then in the morning but got it done!
Not sure when I will next make a training ride, busy next weekend and then off to sunny Spain.