Clifton CC

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/ ... ather.html

Anywhere more accurate than the Met Office?

I find Metcheck is often nearer the truth, plus they give more supporting information.

Are we all meeting @ 9 and see what happens?

I have held off on posting as had a bout of the winter puking bug at the start of the week so wasn't sure if I'd be up to heading out this weekend. Anyway, I think I should be fine (more or less) and very happy with proposed route given freezing forecast overnight.

I am happy to look after the steadier group again which I think is 9:05am now? I don't want to push myself too hard tomorrow so if I need to drop off, would be great if there was another experienced hand in same group. Although, having said that, I expect that everyone knows their way round this route by now!

Just an idea, maybe we should map out another well-gritted route so we have an alternative to heading to the A168 for the next few months?

I'm sure the Leeds route is well gritted, it's on fairly well used roads that I'd have thought would be well gritted.

Since I don't like unpleasant surprises I'm happy to take a "play it safe" group round the northern route. I'm assuming Will would be happy to take a more adventurous group round the Western route, and Reuben's already posted re the "steadier" group, so it looks all sorted. 9am in the square!

Yeh if anyone wants to go via Leeds I'll lead the way, although most people know it anyway, if there is like only me and a few others I'll just tag a long on the normal route.

Many thanks for keeping me right on my training ride debut today. The actual technical through & off parts etc are much easier than I thought, just need stronger legs! I'll stick at them and hopefully hang on longer. Thanks to Reuben for pacing me back on after crayke only to see me disappear again about 3 miles later! Will hopefully be a more regular participant going forward.
Cheers
Andy

That was quite hard, it felt slower than the last training rides I've being on but actually had a faster average speed, I find at the moment it's like there is extra resistance, felt like a constant gradient all the way around, my chain is grinding on my rear mech hanger due to worn out jockey wheels but can't see that slowing me down??

I guess the other group must have done the full loop, the group I was in went up the A168 and back down it, shortly after a pee stop just outside boroughbridge, it kicked off a bit, I ate my picnic and thought I'd try catch the group that were far in the distance, it appeared very fragmented, about 3 tiny groups then this one with 4 or 5 in the distance, I go to within 2-300 meters but I could not close it, they were knocking on 23-28mph, dunno which way they went at the roundabout, I went left, but turned back and as I got to the roundabout everyone was there.

I got in just under 80 miles, knackered by the end, but legs not siezed up too much post ride, which is good I guess, and only seems to occur after harder rides.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/250142861

Oh and also someone came up with the figure that apparently this cold weather means we have to put 15% more effort for the same speed, so in summer this would equate to 21.5mph average?

After waving all those who looked a bit too keen off on the "brisker" ride, I was left with a reassuringly sensible array of faces (the average age of them being very similar to my own... ). We set off five minutes later, with blue skies making it feel pleasant but frozen roadside puddles always a reminder that it was pretty chilly - 3c on the box when we had a pee stop near Milby.

A thoroughly trouble-free ride - nice and tight riding throughout, a good steady pace with no dawdling and back home with a whisker under sixty miles safely despatched, with the out-of-town bit at 18.8mph and 193W. Thanks, gents!

(Incidentally there was a bit of chat about winter routes - a view voiced by many was that while this route isn't the most thrilling, it really does have major advantages in this sort of weather; wide roads, not much traffic, generally gritted, and with the bad-weather-bail-out of the route we used last week. Suggestions of alternatives on Reuben's separate thread welcome - meantime at least we've got a route that we can do pretty much whatever the weather.)

Hi guys.sorry I didnt make it to the training ride.had bike problems so decided to fix it then head out on my own.for those on strava.take a look at my route.every road was gritted and perfect for a ride.52 solo miles without any problems

I was in the group that was up the road after the pee stop. Started with 3, up to 5 and then down to 4 at the end. Absolutely top job by those involved; very enjoyable after a ridiculously slow and boring ride out!

With a group of 18 I had one turn on the front before our mini group left. one turn in one hour forty minutes. Crazy.

Thanks to those who I rode back in with; didn't catch anyone's name but top effort all around.

nick_n wrote:I was in the group that was up the road after the pee stop. Started with 3, up to 5 and then down to 4 at the end. Absolutely top job by those involved; very enjoyable after a ridiculously slow and boring ride out!

With a group of 18 I had one turn on the front before our mini group left. one turn in one hour forty minutes. Crazy.

Thanks to those who I rode back in with; didn't catch anyone's name but top effort all around.

Which way did you go at the roundabout, was it indeed left? If I knew I'd have kept trying to catch it was fun put painful.

We did exactly the same route out and back, so yes if it's the roundabout I'm thinking of it was a left...

Normalised power of 253 for the last 50 mins, 173 for the ride before that.

Is there really such a thing as too slow this time of year?