Clifton CC

This was a weekend of contrasting rides for me with the only common theme being the really crap weather in both!
I had a window of opportunity on Saturday to do the Saturday training ride - my first for some time. 62 miles at 21mph door to door which is probably what I'd do a 40mile Tuesday chaingang at on a lightbike in mid summer in shorts. It was good but the constant pace and rolling terrain was tying me in knots over the second half. A bit more variety would have suited me but these things are always a compromise and it was still an excellant ride. I dont think the wheels actually stopped turning once we were out of York and everyone in the first group was able to contribute.
The contrast was the Sunday mtb ride from Hole of Horcum around the swamps of the North Yorkshire Moors which myself & Cath rode today. I'm a total mtb novice save for a couple of rides during the snows around the bridleways of Strensall and Haxby I've never done anything like this. However thankfully the mud was so deep and soft I was never likely to do myself any damage! It was a social ride but definately the hardest and most intense riding I've done this year and a few muscle groups previously undiscovered got a good workout. Thanks to all who put the time in to organising this and looking after everyone on the day, who were strangely still smiling at the end.

Well done Steph for organising the MTB ride yesterday - and keep everyone's (well most people's) spirits up in such poor conditions. Well done also to the novices. This was certainly not an easy introduction to off-roading because of the conditions so if you coped with this the warm, dry, summer rides we do will be a welcome relief.

I felt really guilty that my nice easy - introduction to mtb - ride became a tough and technically quite challenging epic. But everyone seemed to take it in their stride and I was very impressed by the roady bunch and the new comers too. Thanks for smiling to the end in what can only be described as crap conditions. On the bright side, any future mtb ride you come on will be very pleasant in comparison

I actually liked the ride in a weird kind of way. Maybe I'll do the same one in the summer so we can look at the views we were supposed to be seeing and zoom over the moors instead of being knee deep in bog all day!

It was apparent from the start that the weather was not going to be kind to us!

It was quite boggy..

Which made cycling quite tricky!

While echoing all the thanks to the ride organisers - just to add that the cafe in Goatland cheerfully welcomed ca. 25 filthy and smelly cyclists and put out extra heaters for us. Without that hour of comfort in the middle of the ride..... well, I don't know. So if you're passing that way, give them some custom!

Loved the ride - it was a blast!

Oh, and don't tell The Hub that we covered 21 miles in 4 hours (5, if you include the cafe).

It was an excellent ride, I very much enjoyed all the mud
Huge thanks Steph for organising it, and to Simon for leading the slower ride.

H

P.s. I second Robs "give the cafe some custom" comment. They'd literally (she was still holding the mop) just finished cleaning that back room after the first group left and the second group turned up and covered it in water and mud all over again

Thanks Steph,lousy weather but a great day. Love the pic!!!

Just another blast round the Wicklow mountains for me this weekend with the Bray Wheelers. Nice route that has us along the coast road before we headed west to the hills. 55miles in a little over 3 hrs so a good work out overall.

Looks like the roadies had fun on the MTB ride from Horcum, will have to dust of my own Hardtail and get out to enjoy the countryside

Bit late in the week, but I joined Simons group at the Hole of Horum on Sunday - great fun! Thanks to Steph & Simon for organising.