Clifton CC

Finally after 4 weeks off I decided it was about time I got back on a bike after the accident. Unfortuanately I had to use my winter bike as my Bianchi as being written off. I am awaitng the arrival of my replacement which is a Giant. The trouble is I had a panic attack the other day when I realised there was just 5 weekds before the Etape du Tour and my miliage has dipped alarmingly over the last few weeks. However Im down to do the RonKitching and the White Rose Challenge but that only leaves a couple of weekends to get used to the new bike and iron out any problems. But still I managed 60 miles this weekend albeit flat without any problem in fact I felt quite strong having had a good rest.

Jon

Glad you're back up and running Jon!

The Saturday 'H' group went to Osmotherly via White Horse Bank (route as per Howard's pre-ride posting). 7 riders - Jon C, H, Dave C, John O'D, Shaun, Virginie and myself. Rain held off pretty well and we went at a decent pace. WHB itself was rather slippery - wheelspin aplenty unless you stayed in the saddle.

Nice lunch - as always - at the cafe in Thirsk, then straightforward ride home with Shaun doing his 'bunch-engine' impersonation for a good deal of the way home. Towards the end Jon and Dave C showed the rest of us a clean pair of heels, and Virginie showed her cycling brain on the final run-in, emerging from the shelter of the bunch to motor into town at the head of the - by now - wilting group.

Thanks to all for an exellent day!

Jon G wrote:Finally after 4 weeks off I decided it was about time I got back on a bike after the accident. Unfortuanately I had to use my winter bike as my Bianchi as being written off. I am awaitng the arrival of my replacement which is a Giant. The trouble is I had a panic attack the other day when I realised there was just 5 weekds before the Etape du Tour and my miliage has dipped alarmingly over the last few weeks.

Jon

Glad you're back on the road. Panic not. You've got the base miles in for the distance and if I can do Ventoux on a Giant you can. I'll be watching out for you after the descent from col des abeilles - I've seen the route and we're staying somewhere near there so moral support, tea/coffee and provender could be made available if needed. Might see you for the Ron Kit, if not good luck for etape. Mal

I travelled over to Barton-on-Humber with Muzzy on Saturday to do the Barton Wheelers Midsummer (okay, almost) vets race. It has been lashing down the night before, and most of that morning, but as we drove over the downpours eased off and we arrived to dry roads and breezy but vaguely warm weather. As always, the church hall HQ was awash with old blokes slathering themselves in smelly substances. I got talking to a couple of dog-walkers who were admiring the bikes parked up outside and who were terribly impressed that elderly blokes had such fancy kit. They almost patted me on the head.

While Muzzy went off with the youngsters in the 40-49 mob I joined the 50-59 race; about two laps into it a group of about six cleared off (while I sat gormless on the front of the bunch thinking "I really ought to...") and quickly got a couple of minutes' lead. About four of us then towed the bunch round for the remaining seven laps, being joined by the A/B group for the rather messy sprint for the lower placings. Second in the over-50's sprint gave me an unspectacular 7th overall but - wooohooo - no cramp! First time this year!

I did my first proper chaingang, was abit scary and I was having problems either going too fast at the front or too slow, some parts where too fast but I managed to just hold on where we where going along at 30mph on the flat. It was so fun and I'm going to be doing chaingangs regular in Manchester now and when I get back to York in July I hope to do them too!

I guess it was not a propor chaingang actually as there where parts where we let 2 people sprint off, we all slowed down then in intervals 2 people set off to sprint to catch them, now that was tough, we where in a headwind doing 24mph and I could just see the guy in front pulling away, I managed to keep about a meter behind him and I was relived when we got to the bunch and slowed down.

There was also a break off apparently, I was not taking notice but I was in the front of it apparently.

Was this 15 year old, the day before he managed to do a 19:56 in a 10mile TT

Going to do a nice 70 miles in an hour into the peaks , then back to the flat for some revision!

Some of us headed off to Fort William for the weekend to watch the MTB World Cup.

We went to Laggan on Sat morning for a ride around Wolftrax before joining the crowds at the the Event Village. Aswell as the Downhill, there was 4X and Trials, but no XC, so plenty of good competition to spectate.

Here's a pic of me practicing....

The Saturday morning Intermediate riders tackled Wass Bank on our way to Helmsey, before heading round to Castle Howard and over the A64 so Arthur had a shorter solo ride home.

On Sunday I went to watch the Ryedale GP. Amazing to see how the professionals are just on another level in some cases. Also great to see Kit in the lead for such a long time before cruelly being caught so close to the finish.
Photos from the race are here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/paperthin/ ... 395925718/

Also saw the Sunday run riding out of Hovingham:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/paperthin/3611543755/
and
http://www.flickr.com/photos/paperthin/3612356916/