Clifton CC

Tim and I headed down (in convoy, as it happened) to lovely Braithwell for the Richard Hoyland Memorial 3rds & 4ths RR on Sunday. Perfect weather apart from a stiff headwind along the third and final leg of the triangular circuit. Unfortunately things were less than perfect in the immediate Bixby environs, with a stinking cold making it a rather messy affair.

A pair got away early on, so the race settled into the usual rather uncooperative stop-start pattern, with no-one quite getting clear, but the pace being high enough to pull the break back by six laps to go. At this point I perked up a bit and got myself near the front in case anyone else tried getting clear, but it wasn't to be - various splits in the bunch quickly got closed back up. Result was a right-across-the-road mass run-in to the finish, which featured someone's front wheel exploding when things clearly got a bit too tight. I was behind that, and never quite found a safe route through to the front, ending up in my traditional "about fifteenth". But given my state of health it could've been worse. Tim had a strong-looking ride, with a puposeful stint on the front mid-race, and local lad Paul Bennett (now riding for Chevin but entered - presumably months ago - as Clifton, so some reflected glory there) got himself third - and enough points to shift up to second cat. Congrats!

A few clifton riders got a mention in Bike Radar for their performances in the Scarborough 10.

http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/w ... hips-27634

Wainman wins Scarborough 10

Hull’s Joel Wainman (Team Swift) proved a convincing winner of the Scarborough Paragon CC 10-mile event on the V415 course in East Yorkshire, pushing Planet X rival Nigel Haigh into second spot by 1:15 over the Wold Newton to Burton Fleming course.

He also took a share of the team prize alongside Matthew Lunn and Derek Roe, who were sixth and 12th respectively, while Roe was also the top veteran on standard with a plus of 4:26 and received the Ray Flinton Memorial Trophy.

The promoting club’s Lewis Scott was awarded the John Leadley Memorial Trophy as fastest Scarborough Paragon youngster with 27:07, while team-mate Matthew Graves clocked 33:10 for second.

Also enjoying some good performances was Clifton CC (York), whose 16-year-old Oliver Dixon was top junior with 25:19 and tenth overall, while his team-mates Jessica Bacon and Claire Gilmartin was first and second in the women’s category.

Q. What could be a harder day in the saddle than the Fred Whitton Challenge at 112m and 12,500ft climbing?

A. Try the Kielder 100. At 107miles and 12,000 feet of climbing all off road it's not for the weak and this year only half the c700 field of riders finished it. The route starts at Kielder Forest and winds its way over moor, through forest and around trail centre into Scotland and back.

Luckily we've got 3 strong riders who all competed in, and finished, this year's event on Saturday. Simon, despite 'tripping over his shoelaces' at 30mph half way round rode the rest in pain and finished. Paul Scott did it in 10 hours and came in around 50th overall. And Gill, adding to the girls' growing list of podium finishes this year, finished 2nd Lady Vet.

Well done all! Fantastic efforts.

Oh and just to finish off, Paul met us at Hamsterley yesterday on his way home, and led a big group of us round on a Club run there.

Wow, just checked out Chris C’s link…well done to Oliver, Jess and Claire for getting a mention on the same news page as Wiggo, Thomas, Pooley, Houvenaghel et al…worth keeping a screen shot of that!! Big well done also to the Kielder crowd, I’m sure it was my recent rides with two of you that toughened you up for the event!

On Saturday, the intermediate ride, comprising John C, Pete K, Jon G, Simon, Tony and myself headed North across the Moors to Danby. After clearing my red wine cloudiness on Bulmer, we cruised through some nice new lanes for me on the outward leg, particularly between Barton-Le-Street and Great Edstone and then from Appleton-Le-Moors through Cropton to Rosedale, where we couldn’t prevent our eyes being drawn to the awesome sight of Chimney Bank lurking across the valley on the left. Strangely, no-one was tempted to have a bit of a play on it before lunch so we maintained our northwards compass bearing. The climb out of Rosedale through Low Bell End to the top of the Moors was a real heart thumper but it was a hoot dodging sheep on the fly down Little Fryup after having suffered going up it in the reverse direction of the Ron Kitching a couple of months ago. The biggest challenge we faced on the day was finding the motivation to extract ourselves from our lunchtime sunbathing session outside the Danby Moors Visitor Centre. We were then rudely awakened by the equivalent of a ‘slap in the face with a dead fish’ treatment dished out by the 4 mile climb out of Danby through Castleton and up the ridge on the way to the top of Blakey. At this point we decided to do some route management for the return leg, diverting through Hutton Le Hole and Amotherby, as we had a couple of blokes returning from holidays and crash injuries and wanted to make sure we got everyone back to York together. It was a beautiful day on the Moors and another century-maker on the dial as well, which had us all acknowledging the cheering York crowd with our bats in the air. Thanks to everyone for a great day.



D.

PS. I’m currently reading a book called ‘No Way Down’ by Graham Bowley which describes the tragic events on K2, the world’s 2nd highest mountain, in August 2008. A Norwegian climber described his three iron rules of mountaineering as follows:
1. Get home. 2. Stay friends. 3. Reach your goal. In that order. It struck me that these exact list of rules apply to virtually every Clifton activity that I can think of.

As a new club member this weekend was my first chance to get out in the club colours so I went mad and did the Scarborough Paragon 10 on Saturday and the first round of the Yorkshire points cyclocross in Keighley on Sunday. Two whole new ways to suffer on a bike! I met several Clifton members at the TT and enjoyed the event and being part of the club. I think I was the only Clifton rider at the cyclocross but this was great fun (though also very tough) and I'd encourage others to come along to future events. Unfortunately I can't make it to the next one which is in Northallerton. Will try and join a weekend ride soon.

There are photos from the cycloX on Flickr at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hanglebads ... 765508527/

Cheers, Nick

Since it dosen't finish at my garage I thought I would share my Kielder 100 stats, it felt like the longest 100 miles in the world! Never again........ well not untill the next time any way

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/47658701

Congrats to Paul and Gill who also conquered the Kielder

Simon

Went to the trouble of pre entering The Super Saturday road race in BC North East region. As the start sheet never arrived and the organiser had missed a previous email, a phone call on the morning confirmed I was in. As BC NE website had no up to date or relevant information on it I got directions which was basically just turn right in Ponteland. Got there and did that, found warning signs and direction arrows in place which I followed expecting to find the signing on as there was no hq. Only when I'd followed the signs back to Ponteland did I find out they were for a time trial starting at the same time! 220 miles about 40 quid wasted and 5 hours missing from my life and not a pedal turned. Moral of the story - never enter alone and always take the organisers phone number with you.
Disappointing in that there were several nearer competitive options available this weekend. But with nothing else entered now I may have to go back for one and enter on the line as I would hate to finish the season like that.
However BC NE's loss by my non appearance was Clifton Sunday club runs loss as I pedalled into the square. It was bright and breezy at best and bloody windy and chilly at worst. Rob O, Andy G, just reacclimatising after a holiday visit to Death Valley and Bernard who joined us for most of the way there and all of the way back. Destination was Driffield - a no nonsense, no stress ride and Rob was spot on with his 80 mile prediction. 17mph ave speed for the anoraks. The garden centre cafe there is the worlds cheapest.
A tail wind home and back for 3pm - what more could you ask for.

I went on a no heroics ride in the Wolds, averaged about 17mph. Got home, shower, changed, nice cup of tea and a quick look to see what's going on - on the forum, only to find Rob's description of what was planned for the Sunday ride was just the same. B***er, could have done just the ride wanted without having to be billy no mates.

I too wandered the wild and windy wolds in "billy no mates" mode, sadly letting the side down with a slovenly 16 mph.