Clifton CC

....for DrDave - that Scottish Play again.

Barmy conditions (in every sense) for us early starters on Saturday - Muzzy, Andy, Howard, Shaun, Mark and self, all slightly overdressed. Well regimented group headed out through Masham and off up the long, long roller coaster to Jordan's. Kept things together quite well on the climbs and nobody even had to put a foot down at the top. What a view!

A fine feed in Pateley met with Howard's approval, then off up York's Folly
for a Muzzy 39x23 masterclass. Hung back with him in case he snapped himself in two! Then a very pleasant tailwind ride home through Birstwith and Pannel. Back in York, as advertised, just before 4. And Shaun and I both couldn't resist a lap of the block to make it a round 100miles.

Chapeau to all who rode Sunday. Claire's window of opportunity for a ride was the wettest 2 hours of the day! And I saw a few others coming back in around 11 o-clock......

A big contrast in weather between Saturday and Sunday for MTBing too.

There were groups of us at Dalby on both days. I chose the Saturday ride which was a pleasant, warm Autumn day. Lots of sunshine and colours but a little muddy. Sunday couldn't have been more different with the high wind and heavy rain but another brave group of souls did battle with the conditions.

The main event though was the first round of the Open 5 series which was in the lakes near Grizedale on Sunday. Open 5's aren't a full on Adventure Race but a sort of Trailquest and Orienteering Course 'glued together' to make a 5 hour event. Despite the horrible conditions a few riders had a go and still had fun. Deb and Gill came 5th and 6th respectively in the Female Solo Class (Gill was 1st F Vet). Jen Shaw came in 7th in the Mixed Pairs and Wayne Elliott competed in the Male Solo. Next Round is 6th December in the Peaks. Full results here http://www.openadventure.com/results/09 ... index.html

well what a contrast from Saturday to Sunday morning, I did turn up in the square, but with no one else around & only a little rain I decided to head out towards Aldwark & then see what happened. Well I didn't make Beningbrough, after ploughing through ponds along the A!9 it was even worse in Overton with a lake across the road in the middle of the village, so by the time I got to the Sidings with the monsoon coming on strong I decided to head across towards Wigginton & then decide what to do.
With all my wet gear having let me down, "it didn't in last Saturdays rain", I decided to head home to release the flood out of my shoes & save my energy for another day,
Bernard

oh dear Bernard, never mind. Hat's off to you for turning up to lead the club ride.

I had a visit I had to make on Sunday, so only had a 2 hour slot; Robert commenting above that I had the wettest 2 hours of the day makes it sound almost palatable. It was not. A very wet, sodden, gusty and cold ride. If I hadn't not ridden since Monday and that had been only a short one, then I would have knocked it on the head earlier too.

The only time I've experienced cycling in worse persistent rain, gusts & cold is touring on the west coast of Ireland with Robert, but you expect it there!

I think it must have been D2O rain, it was so heavy!

There was, however, a bright moment when I met a deer on the lane at the bottom of Howsham hill and we shared a few (rainy) moments of close eye contact before it skipped off into the woods. So maybe Macbeth was right, 'fair is foul and foul is fair' as the weather didn't feel quite so bad after that distinctive moment.

Aiming to resume 'normal' Saturday riding this w/e,
Claire

My little foul weather note:

Last year at the Clifton dinnerI listened attentively to the talk about visualisation techniques, and having since practiced many times this stood in good stead last Sunday morning.
As result the misery of solitary battles with drenching rain whipped by WSW gales came readily even while still snug in bed, so a positive mindset was achieved and maintained by a visit to Leeds Art Gallery, followed by a brisk walk to Kirkstall Abbey along the Leeds Liverpool canal under by then clearing skies.
It was fun to see the planes coming crabbing into land practically sideways at LeedsBrad due to the still gale force wind. This offered another excellent opportunity visualising how well the passengers would be enjoying their white-knuckle ride!

Having been seriously affected by one of those unsavoury ailments, which ensure the profitability of Andrex et al for the majority of the preceding week I merely partook of a very gentle 20 mile meander (average circa 13mph) in the warm saturday sunshine around my local country lanes. Sadle resilience (lack of), a drained body and Mrs Mal's implicit threats of dire consequences if I went too far precluded anthing more strenous. It was a thoroughly delightful hour and half, and a far cry from the serious soakings and herculean efforts described above.

And then on Sunday the ultimate cycling heresy - a heavy duty Sunday lunch of roast rib of beef, some very decent wine, a log fire and extended periods of sleeping it all off.

Do I now have to justify my lapse to the committee to be allowed to renew my membership - or will the usual donation to the coffers suffice?

"A fine feed in Pateley met with Howard's approval, then off up York's Folly
for a Muzzy 39x23 masterclass. Hung back with him in case he snapped himself in two! Then a very pleasant tailwind ride home through Birstwith and Pannel. Back in York, as advertised, just before 4. And Shaun and I both couldn't resist a lap of the block to make it a round 100miles"

95 miles for me but I wasn't quite the same after that climb, but I'll start making it easier when I have too! Another great Autumnal day.

Congratulations to anyone who ventured out on Sunday morning. I often think it looks worse when you are looking out of the window at it, whereas once you are out you just get on with it when needs must?
The good lady, having narrowly missed Bernard at the square, did 3 solo hours round Yearsley in the worst of it - how good is that!