Well, anyone how went out on Saturday has my up most respect - what a day!
Expected loads out today as a consequence, but most must have been Xmas shopping or reading their Sports Science books. Just 6 of us in the Square and we set off in two groups. I joined Howard and Muzzy for one of the best rides of the year round Lockton/Levisham. The link below is for Howard who was treating the little bit of unsurfaced track with the utmost respect!
Al agreed to join me today for a gentle ride for my return to the saddle after 7 weeks. 40 or so miles out to Knaresborough for a cuppa, then Farnham, Ouseburn and Benningborough. It felt good to be out again but I was amazed how I was puffing up even the gentlist of inclines. Lots of work to put in over winter I think.
Good to hear you’re back en velo, Paul. Enforced layoffs never easy.
Saturday riders also eager at the square, after being thwarted by the recent icey roads. Helen was there too, doing a good PR job for the Club Dinner in Jan.
Kevin, Howard, Dave C, uni chap (sorry for no name!), Cath, Finley & myself set off in the cold & rain, but definately no icey roads this week. A natural split led to Howard’s group setting a faster pace to Kirkham and Cath, Finley and I taking Kevin’s fractious route also to Kirkham. Cath has had recent colds, plus her Dad in hospital, so cut the ride shorter.
Kevin enlightened Finn and I that: “today was not the weather for a sociable ride, so, let’s ride, kids, ride”! (I guess you had to hear it for the full effect!).
He was right and keeping the speed up just about kept us from suffering frost bite. A great route via Howsham, Barton le Willows, Thornton le Clay, Brandsby, Yearsley, Ampleforth, Oldstead. Unfortunately marred for me by a silly mistake / mishap, hitting a hidden pothole on the mucky descent to Ampleforth and fortunately at low-ish speed, taking a tumble. Luckily nothing worse than a few grazes and in a bit of a shock, my thanks to Finn and Kevin for then nursing the pace steadily to the café. I was a bit quiet & shaken at 1st, but the sweetened hot tea helped revive me.
The rain persisted and I doubt anyone would have blamed us for opting for a fairly direct route back via Coxwold, Easingwold, Tollerton for a 65-70 mile epic. Thanks to Kevin for chaperoning me home, I’m not sure how many more tumbles Kevin’s nerves can take from us – sorry Kevin!
Am a bit (ok, very) stiff & bruised today (not to mention nursing dented pride), but having re-levelled my handlebars – the impact of the pothole and my hands forced the bars to tip down, so I guess it’s not surprising that my wet gloves subsequently parted company with the bars – then intend to be out next week.
Thanks for the ride; those Sunday riders were jammy again with the better weather!
Claire G
My overall grumpy mood after about a fortnight of freezing conditions wasn't exactly lifted by the rise in temperature being accompanied by rain and high winds, nor, indeed, by the 2½ hours doing endurance/tempo pace on the turbo on Saturday. A personal record, and while the time didn't exactly fly by, it wasn't complete torture either (many thanks to cycling.tv and the archived Vuelta). Although reports afterwards from my legs suggested it was! Intervals (and work) yesterday; got a meeting first thing today and then it's out on the genuine Yorkshire roads for the first time for a while....
He, He, thanks for that video clip Rob; the rider's obviously as mad as a box of frogs though! In times of cycling stress I often ask myself the question, "What would Kevin do?" I'm afraid that the answer yesterday was quite often "not be on this cyclo-cross route at all"!
But serious respect to both Rob and Paul for handling the ice and mud with such aplomb; I suspect that they both must be covert mtbers aka creatures from the other side!
I'll remember for a long time having my cleats (SPD-SLs - not exactly ideal for hiking but with a pleasantly surprisingly distinct crampon effect over crusty ice i discovered) cleared of ice by Paul and then being launched up a muddy, steep unmade forest trail with the shouted instruction "don't even think about getting off!" ringing in my ears.
Oh, and I must mention that Rob did this ride on his 68" fixed gear. I recall following him up a hill (tarmaced for once) with my Garmin reporting a gradient of 23, 24 and then 25%. Not pretty. His ascent was a veritable triumph of will over the wrong gear. A few miles later and he's alongside me as we hold a steady 30.1mph (this accuracy level is for the benefit of Willhub!) down a gentle incline, truly inspirational stuff. His example has inspired me to get to grips with my own recently completed fixed bike.
Here's the route (the most northern north easterly spike is me endeavouring to stay on the tarmac until I was caught and turned back by Rob)
A couple of hardy mountain bikers (girls) made it out both days - Jen was leading the Bronte Country ride on Sunday and we decided to brave Saturday too. Two brilliant rides in the West Riding - despite freezing conditions (waterproof socks now on order!). All who missed, missed a treat - a mix of urban bridleways and serious technical mountain biking. The only thing that would have improved it would be some sunshine (and warmth!).
Rob wrote:Well, anyone how went out on Saturday has my up most respect - what a day!
- does "out" include fighting the lighting on the tree in the garden?
If not you'll be pleased to know I ventured forth on Sunday for a 100km trip round Kirby Overblow, Pannal, Spofforth - first time out for a couple of weeks after yet another ailment, and very nice it was too.
Bernard - was it you burning up tarmac into Kirby Overblow from the opposite direction? So fast was the passing I couldn't tell!
Rob wrote:Well, anyone how went out on Saturday has my up most respect - what a day!
- does "out" include fighting the lighting on the tree in the garden?
If not you'll be pleased to know I ventured forth on Sunday for a 100km trip round Kirby Overblow, Pannal, Spofforth - first time out for a couple of weeks after yet another ailment, and very nice it was too.
Bernard - was it you burning up tarmac into Kirby Overblow from the opposite direction? So fast was the passing I couldn't tell!
EasyRiders did the crazy thing on Saturday, thanks to Al Smith, who wanted to ride 'whatever the weather'. We stayed out for 4 hours, finely timed the return to York to avoid terminal hypothermia generally, but especially acute in arms and fingers. Was that me shaking, or the bike, or both?
Don't think I've ever been that cold on a ride, and safely negotiating sudden hazards, like submerged potholes would have been well-nigh impossible underr those conditions.
But 2 1/2 hours on the turbo seems to me modern slavery, shades of the galleys of ancient times. Was anyone wielding the whiop, I wonder.
"But 2 1/2 hours on the turbo seems to me modern slavery, shades of the galleys of ancient times. Was anyone wielding the whip, I wonder."
Only my inner demons. But I still reckon it's the easy option in comparison with heading out into Saturday's foul weather - Kevin, Willy and your respective pelotons - I salute you...
