Clifton CC

Adept Precision 25 mile time trial for me on saturday afternoon on what seems to be my spiritual home this year the A19. This weeks hidden Hq was in the picturesque village of Swainby.
I have no doubt that given favourable conditions that this course down to the turn at Topcliffe and back could be very fast indeed but this day we seemed to have quite a brisk northish breeze blowing. Understandably the outward leg felt fantastic with me making good use of my newly fitted 53 tooth chainring (in place of a limp wristed 50 tooth item). Anyway I farely shot down to the turn at between 30 to 35 mph and braced myself for what was to come. Yes the return leg was tough and yes the eagerly awaited pb slipped through my clutching fingers when what I believed at the time was cramp struck at around the 20 mile mark. So I pedalled one legged in a very ragged style to struggle over the line in 63:24.
Not quite what I had hoped for but I suppose that when your satisfied with your performance it might be time to pack it in.
My left calf is certainly very sore to the touch today and I am wondering if it might be a small tear in the muscle so just as well I have got next weekend off. Injury always seemed to be a constant companion when I used to run a bit but whilst cycling this is a bit of a first! Fingers crossed its gonna clear up soon!

Tim

Weekend roundup – well done to the Ullswater riders! Darren, I see Robert got you onto the Clifton Old People’s home conversation (must have been a long night!). I can’t remember who originated that one, possibly Muzzy or Rob……but it makes me laugh every time……..Cath reckons we’ll all still be doing club runs together to Bossall church porchway and eating our own butties – our pensions won’t stretch to café stops!

I love Greg’s photos, particularly the early morning sunrise and possibly some of the captions even more!

Well, back to THE Club ride of the weekend (only joking!). Kevin once again took a group of us who were not quite wanting the Cockayne loop mileage and expertly delivered us another 70miler in the Wolds.

Out via Bossall (waved to the church porchway!), then wiggled back to Scrayingham via Pig Lane (even though Julia and Elaine don’t remember the pigs (am I really that old already?). Onwards up Kirkby Underdale where Julia had to take an early dash for home making some wedding excuse……..

The remaining bunch (Pete, Mark KL; Stamford Bridge Mark; Kevin; Elaine; Ben & Neil) headed down to Thixendale, up to Huggate, on to North Dalton, Middleton, Warter & Kilnwick Percy for a well-deserved café stop in Millington.

Ride home was punctured (ho ho) at Stamford Bridge by a piece of glass and much techie discussion was had about weight of pumps, CO2 canisters and I’m sure I was propositioned by Pete who insisted ‘Claire, let me show you mine’ – I was, of course, suitably impressed!

It’s great for me personally to be back riding in the group again. After a layoff the bike of 4 months or so, I’m starting to feel a bit more confident and enjoying the camaraderie of the Club again.

When I used to train seriously as a runner, we always used to say that it took as long a time as your layoff to get back to the same level of fitness and I’d say that it is looking about that same time frame for myself this time round. What’s others experience of this?

Anyway, who enjoyed the Tour? Cadel certainly rode consistently, sensibly & strongly, but you don’t really warm to him as a hero, do you? My heroes were, of course: Voekler, Hushovd, Hoogerland and Voight. But if I had to pick out one highlight, that one, long, powerful, chase of the re-defined Thor Hushovd, in the rainbow jersey, over the Aubisque and into Lourdes for stage victory would beat them all hands down in my world of romance & swashbuckling heroes.


See you on the next Sat Club ride
Claire

Well the last of the intrepid four to report on the epic ullswater ride. I was certainly in qualified company with Rob, Darren and Greg all seasoned long distance riders, so felt a little out of my depth at first but that soon diminished. Am personally glad I finished and didn't hold anyone up. Didn't feel too bad either . The only bad thing was having to get up for work Monday. At least I didn't have to cook dinner on Sunday though, with my Dad picking me up i was able to invite myself round. On my return though managed to have a shower before falling asleep before dinner.

Highlights for me though were scenery, the weather allowing for a superb sunrise, prodominently quiet lanes ( well atleast until we got to Hawes anyway, flippin motorbikes eh!) even the bit I wasnt looking forward to, the night riding wasn't too bad. Certainly my longest ride to date and anyone thinking abou doing next time, if I can do it anyone can. But one thing though it wasnt as hilly as I thought it would be. (Rob don't take that mean you should make the route harder though) . But the true test for me after a club ride is would I do it again and in this case I certainly would.

I would post my Garmin stats but decided early on that the battery wouldnt last for 20 hours so didn't record the stretch between ilkley and kirby longsdale and from masham back to York . Going by the recorded data though which was along the most interesting stretch the stats were

Around 10000ft if climbing, it just goes to show what all those undulations add unto. Av speed about 15mph( great pacing by Rob) and obvious total distance was 240 miles.

Thanks guys for the ride

Jon

By the way Greg like the photos

Jon

After nearly 2 months off doing any serious riding due to some virus thing, I finally felt like throwing my leg over a bike again at the weekend. Sat I took a ride with Gill (all the way) to Howsham for a bit of spectating of a kayak competition. Tea & cakes down by the river. Very civilised. On Sunday I still had some energy left so accepted big Al's invite for a 'pootle' out to Knaresborough for more tea & cake (bit of a theme here). Managed to hang on just, except when we got to anything approaching a hill when my legs switched off. Great to get out again though.

ClaireG wrote: When I used to train seriously as a runner, we always used to say that it took as long a time as your layoff to get back to the same level of fitness
Claire

Hope not!!

First club ride for over a year, in fact the last ride I can remember is the Robin Hoods Bay massacre Rob led us on one Sunday. The one when I thought I was going to Whitby but then later discovered that Rob had decided to personally check every hill in North Yorkshire
Anyhow, I joined the intermediate bunch around the Cockayne loop, a personal fav (and probably a fav of most club riders). Good times, the breeze made for some fun on the ups and the sheep made for some fun on the downs.
After only doing 30 / 40 milers this year I was a tad peckish at the cafe so tucked into enough food for three people then promptly rode on the back on the return so as to not cause distress to those behind, if you catch my drift . . . . . . . parp!
Thanks for the company folks.

"Anyway, who enjoyed the Tour? Cadel certainly rode consistently, sensibly & strongly, but you don’t really warm to him as a hero, do you? My heroes were, of course: Voekler, Hushovd, Hoogerland and Voight. But if I had to pick out one highlight, that one, long, powerful, chase of the re-defined Thor Hushovd, in the rainbow jersey, over the Aubisque and into Lourdes for stage victory would beat them all hands down in my world of romance & swashbuckling heroes."

Cant argue with any of that Claire. I thought Evans did a solid ride with both a road and TT stage win, always seemed to be in the right place at the right time and avoided the pile ups and time gaps. The penultimate stage is probably the right time for him to get the jersey as he doesnt seem to handle the pressure too well? I too enjoyed both Hushovds stage wins - he really has become a complete rider - can climb all but the high mountains with the best, you would never expect him to ride off the road on a descent, does a lot of team work and can still produce the goods in a sprint. Cant help thinking there must have been a bunch of deals done with the other teams to allow him to stay in those breaks though? I mean half way through the tour its riders well down on GC going for stage wins who are in the breaks. So it must make their hearts sink when they realise Hushovds in there with them and 2nd place is the best they can hope for! Sorry you may find this hard to believe but I'm not much of a romantic Claire!
Voeckler keeping the yellow jersey on the Galibier stage was the highlight for me. Watching the clock count down as he came up to the line - superb telly - he went so deep but I think it he must have realised then that he didnt have another one of those in him. Great to see someone with so much personality up there - far better than Contador and the brothers..........sorry I've forgotten their names!

I too don't warm to Evans. Won the Tour without winning a single stage? I know it happens but I like to see the winner pick up a stage win or two. I want to see a Tour winner go out and win the Tour rather than just do enough everywhere.

Mind you, I bet everyone on the forum has the same question on their mind, how would Wiggins have done?

Thanks all for the photo compliments. Darren, I trust you've seen Cath's thread? This needs Cliftoniting: I'll supply the pictures if you supply the words, mmmkay?

Broom Wagon wrote:I too don't warm to Evans. Won the Tour without winning a single stage? I know it happens but I like to see the winner pick up a stage win or two. I want to see a Tour winner go out and win the Tour rather than just do enough everywhere.

Mind you, I bet everyone on the forum has the same question on their mind, how would Wiggins have done?

Evans won stage 4! The person who won le Tour without winning a stage was Beefeater Bertie last year. Anyway, my favourite moments of the tour were Andy Schleck's breakaway over the Izoard/Galibier, not just because I've always been a bit of a Schleckie and not just because they named the Izoard after my new bike It was a bold attack and well executed, even if Frank says that the plan had been for a 1-2 with him going when Andy got reeled in! My other favourite moment was Cav's ITV interview after stage 5. He was staring vacantly at a point 1000 yards past the camera and all that 'the gob' could manage at first was a breathless "It was well hard that was, yeah well hard". What does it take to reduce him to that?!

I think Evans rode well this year - he's not got the capacity to attack the way some others do but he was prepared to do a lot of work and showed aggression when he could. I don't warm to him either but it's mainly the memories of his tetchiness a couple of years back when he was accompanied by the oversized minder.

Best bit for me was Hushovd's win at Lourdes. I am of course unashamedly biased in favour of Garmin-Cervelo, and he was riding the new and rather wonderful-looking S5. I'm not sure about Muzzy's conspiracy theory - I just can't imagine the French teams doing deals with Jonathan Vaughters; pretty much the opposite of what they'd think a team boss should be. I was just smiling at the screen when he went over the top of the Aubisque. "Well Sean, two minutes. Can he pull that back?" "Well... ...Oi don't tink it's possible. It's just too much to get back before the finish". I read somewhere he hit 115km/h on the descent. Wonderful stuff.

Blimey I don't even remember him winning stage 4. I'd still have wanted to see him do something like Schleck did on the Izoard to be a worthy Tour winner in my mind.

He he, here's me telling a Tour winner what he should do on a bike.

We were both wrong Broomy. Course Evans didnt win the TT stage - shows how much attention we were paying! I've revised my conspiracy theory though to the rest of the break just been mobile advertising hoardings on the telly for 150km or whatever and no money was exchanged!

PhilBixby wrote:I read somewhere he hit 115km/h on the descent.

He must have b****cks the size of tennis balls

Having done it maybe 10 times I can certainly confirm that it is a great descent with several straight sections that lend themselves to going flat out but 70mph - that's just crazy!