Clifton CC

A big thank you to Mark and his gang for organising an excellent Tan Hill audax. The rain held off and there was even a tailwind up Buttertubs and TH.

Helen and I got delayed at the start with mechanicals but managed to link up with Howard, Dave C and Dr Dave for the run back from Leyburn, and a good team effort got us back in time for tea.

Quick plug for Sat 13/9 when I will be leading the "Sunday" run on the Yorkshire Alps where you can get to do TH and Buttertubs in the other direction (plus a couple of extra hills of course).

Made the most of the last Holiday weekend and the weather and went camping in the Lakes.

Camped near Whinlatter so took the Mountain Bikes to the Forest to have a spin round the new Altura Trail. It's only half finished, so I'll reserve full judgement until the remaining 10km is open, but what they've done so far is, frankly, a big disappointment and a missed opportunity. If you're looking for something technical or a big grin factor look elsewhere.

The forecast and mud must have put a lot of visitors off as everywhere was very quiet so we had no trouble finding a campsite even though we hadn't booked.

EDIT: Forgot to mention. Heading up to the Forest on Saturday we passed through Braithwaite and who should be the other side of the wall in the beer garden - Ian H. Think he was doing his annual C2C..presumably a couple of pints of energy drink he was carrying!

Any news from the Mountain Marathon at Dalby? Not many race reports on here recently - were there any bank holiday events?

I'll echo Nick's comments about Tan Hill. Big thankyou to Mark - we should find a way to let him ride his own event next year.

Our "11 hour" group stuck nicely to schedule until Leyburn, from whence that welcome tailwind pushed us back the last 41 miles in just under 2 hours and we transmuted to "10 hour" group. John McD was 3 hours faster than last year (savour that John, there won't be many 3 hour PBs in your carrier!) New recruit Ian did very well on his longest/hardest ride to date. Willy was riding strongly. Anthony from Ilkeston (God's Own Country) did some good turns on the front, particularly up Wensleydale into that rising breeze. It didn't appear hard enough for Mr Hub who hung 20m off the back listening to his iPod for much of the ride (what have you guys been teaching him?) Joined for good stretches by other assorted familiar faces during the day and it was all very friendly. The clear conditions meant the views were simply fabulous - looking left after Sedbusk across Hawes with the 3 Peaks behind, cresting Buttertubs and looking down into Swaledale, across the top of the world at Tan Hill towards the distant E coast. What a day!

Family day out to 'the Chimney' - an old lead mine working in Swaledale - on Sunday, so I left the cycling until Monday. When we got there I was surprised (and little envious) at the number of cyclists around. Gradually clicked that this must be the Tan Hill audax: we were situated off the road over the top from Grinton to Leyburn. Most impressed by a lone Clifton rider charging up the Grinton climb around 3:30, but perhaps even more impressed by the guy in the following group riding a Brompton (!).

I think I'll have to get a taste of it for myself by joining Nick's Alps ride on the 13th.

On Monday set out into the Wolds, bumped into another hardcore Bromptonite (on his way back to Scotland from a cycling holiday in Shropshire) and a load of people visiting historic churches by bike...

I managed to do the the 44 mile (we did about 46 miles with a few wrong turns) Long route of the the Mountain Marathon with Steph, Andy Stanforth and Graham in a time of 6hours 59mins. Both Andy and Graham showed how fit they were especially up the last 1 in 3 hill. I know they could have both shaved at least an hour or two of our eventual finishing time (Andy did last year). I managed to go over the handlebars in spectactular style and was covered in mud near Fylingdales which was near the start, when my front wheel sank a foot and a half into a bog. We did go through three fords later that helped clean the bikes up. I was totally exhausted by the end and had totally worn through both sets of V-brake blocks any further and I wouldn't have had any brakes.

I was thinking you can understand why cycling is mainly a middle class sport. My wife did the 80 mile saturday ride and I did the mountain Marathon this weekend. Cost in consumables:

2 road tyres cut and probably useless. One tube to repair.
2 pairs of v-brake blocks needing replacement. Front rim is looking close to needing to be replaced.

On the commuting bike front, both tyres need replacing on my Dutch bike as they have been cut to ribbons by glass. So I have ordered two Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres. My old road bike needs a new gear cable and freewheel.

Also the locking nut on my mapboard fell off on the mountain Marathon so off down to Barnett's for that.

Where will it end? I think I will by shares in Wiggle!

Fantastic swamp dive over handlebars Geof. One of the muddiest images I have ever seen.

Conditions this year were a lot slower than last so it would be difficult to get a good time.

Hazel and I did the trailquest at Langdale on Monday, on the Tandem. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say alongside the tandem, as many sections of the track were unrideable. There was only one route into the forest which had been churned up by motorbikes.

Langdale forest is used a lot by 4x4 and other motor sport vehicles. Perhaps best avoided as we nearly got run down by some landrovers emerging from a blind track.

We played safe and opted for a miniscule number of points in favour of having a low pressure trundle and getting back on time. This was probably the best strategy as many people were late back and lost most of their points.

Tan Hill was an awsome ride, my fav part of it was the last climb up through the dales past the training range them the downhill bit into leyburn (I was thinking of stopping and taking some pictures as the view was amazing, I'm pretty sure I could see the seaside!!, but I did not want to loose any time so kept going), was very nice that, despite been miles into the day I still maintained a nice constant pace up the hills apart from one bit. Was a good ride, was suffering at the end every muscle in my body was aching but I was still managing to get energy from somewhere to keep it going nicely! All I can say is thank god it was not a headwind on the last 40 miles!!

I'm looking forward to the sunday ride this week, I feel confident I'll be fine at it, it was 150miles back to shipton and I did have enough energy to get home but decided to get my dad to come pick me up, just something as simple as falling over at 0mph not been able to unclip seems to put a downer on the whole thing when you've done 150miles, if it was 20miles in you'd just get up like nothing had happened and be on your way! :\

If I'd have knew I would have fell off and got a lift home I might have stepped up a gear and gone alot faster too, shame would have been nice to blast the last 5 miles.

EDIT: Forgot to mention. Heading up to the Forest on Saturday we passed through Braithwaite and who should be the other side of the wall in the beer garden - Ian H. Think he was doing his annual C2C..presumably a couple of pints of energy drink he was carrying!

Yes Paul it was me drinking a couple of pints of that wonderful Jennings Sneck Lifter (engery drink), on what was the slowest C2C so far, this because we had some mechanical problems and the fact that Dave had not done any training since last years crossing.

It was a great weekend as usual though and we were lucky with the weather over the 3 days.

It was my 9th C2C and Mike's 2nd, Dave's 7th and according to him his last as he feels that he will have to sit on a rubber ring for all the remainder of the week.

Sounds like I missed another good Tan Hill Audax, but still you can't do everything.

Mountain Bike Marathon was awesome (can you tell the pain has now gone???). Rode with Simon W and Wayne (non-member) for most of the event did the 70K in 5hours 40min. Excellent conditions down the back of Flyingdales meant that we dropped a few riders who'd set off before us!! ie it was extremely muddy and we LOVED it!!!
Thanks to Simon for shouting me up the last couple of climbs - wouldn't have made it back without the encouragement.
The route was excellent with plenty of off-road sections to keep us happy - wet feet from wading the fords soon warmed up on the climb into Glaisdale.
Fab day out!