Clifton CC

I'll kick this one off again as I'm back home recovering from today's Barton Wheelers vets race - an Aussie Pursuit with age groups going off in reverse order. The Clifton presence was substantial with Dave Cook off in the E group 3 minutes after the lone 70+ rider, Andy and I off in the C group 3 minutes later and race newcomers Howard and Richard in the A group a further 3 minutes adrift. Full marks to both of the latter pair for gutsy rides; this circuit's always hard work and especially with a stiff westerly - they both did well.

Early season events are always nice as opportunities to catch up with people you never see over the winter. Unloading the bike from the car I was hailed by Ian Holohan - local TLI and vets regular. I last saw Ian at a vets race last spring; he'd had an appalling injury when someone in a passing van had lobbed a rock at him - it bounced and took half his knee off. What I discovered today was that his bad luck hadn't ended there - he'd just about got his form back when a white van pulled out in front of him on a training ride and he went over the roof. Sometime later, here he was, back out with a number on his back. Now there's persistance.

The C group had a number of worryingly fast blokes in it. One of them had memorably ridden everyone off his wheel - Cancellara-style - a couple of years back in this event. We set off at pretty desperate pace with three or four doing most of the work and the rest of us taking turns when we could. After four laps of trying to keep close behind the "engine" I made the fatal mistake of getting stuck behind someone conking out on one of the climbs, and I was off the back. 35 minutes at a touch under 300W. Eeek! The conker and I did a swift two-up until the faster of the A's and B's caught us, and finished with them.

Back at the race HQ I asked one of the blokes who'd been driving our group along whether they'd managed to win it. "Naaaah. The old blokes still had more than two minutes at the end - if the race had been twice the distance we might have done it..." For me it was 1hr 17mins at 279W. No envelope with a fiver. No glory (though we did get cheered by locals watching the race). But great fun. Next!

Oi, less about conkers on climbs - nothing wrong with conking out on climbs.

Saturday training ride for me. With the big hitters away racing and looking like little interest on the forum, I anticipated being billy no mates. I needn't have worried as eleven people turned up and they were all the sort that it does my ego no harm whatsoever to think I'm capable of riding with - though we weakened our hard men (and woman) credentials by agreeing to do the South route as we'd be heading out into the wind with it blowing us home. Real cyclists ride out with the wind behind them and back with it against to make it tougher (so I'm told anyway).

Tight formation allowed us to make good progress into a stiff breeze in open countryside, only fly in the ointmen being the potholes managing to give one of our number two punctures.

By North Duffield we decided to split into two groups for the way back. The lead group insisting on calling themselves the slow group (not the description most people would use). That left me with the faster group. Looking round at their determined faces and steely eyes I knew I was going to have to use all my craftyness to ride with this group. At least some had mudguards and winter types of bike, so that would help me as I was on my summer bike.

Opportunity for craftyness soon came when we made a sneaky short cut through Escrick allowing us to come out ahead of the Jess/Nick group.

I found myself with Shaun and Will, obviously I was outclassed by youth and ability with these two, all I had was old man guile to help me: a few seconds less on the front and a mile or so slower when it was my turn to go through - I think I got away with it

Thanks for the ride everyone.

40 plus miles (with a bigger hill) and a club ride (early bath though).

i-pack looked fit, fast, feisty and Filey focussed in the square. K team were a joy to join.

Great to be riding in company for the first time in ages.

Inbetweeners ride to Filey for me, could have been carnage in that wind but it was a good ride, toasted teacake, good company and a full day in the saddle. Some heroic riding by several riders, well done guys.

Someone got cramp and before you could say "healing hands" Steph was off the bike and sticking her thumbs in, I'm not convinced she knows what she's doing though.

Can someone explain how Rob can break a titanium frame and big Tony is still riding the same Ti frame I last was him riding.

hi all
My weekend racing took me to the Pete Gannon in Kippax.A bit of a gamble as it was a 234 cat race on a hilly circuit so my expectations were limited .Set off ok and as the race progressed got into a rythmn until about 30 miles in and the front exploded up the climb. Found myself in the wrong place and got spat out at the top as the wind saw to putting a gap in the wheels and there was no way back.By no means was i the first so i probably did what i thought.Carried on for a while then stopped to watch the race.Hard circuit.Sounds like vets race was fun

Broom Wagon wrote: That left me with the faster group.

I'm sorry did you say 'faster group'? I think what you actually mean is 'shorter distance'

Broom Wagon wrote:
Opportunity for craftyness soon came when we made a sneaky short cut through Escrick allowing us to come out ahead of the Jess/Nick group.

.

As I said; You are only cheating yourself you know.


Good training ride for me, as mentioned no one wanted hills (boo!) so we went South. A bit stilted with the puncture & the group was splitting up a bit after Howden so since I know the route, I elected to go on ahead with a smaller group- though we weren't about to get caught - we managed a very brisk 3up right into Escrick (nice work guys!) at which point Broomwagon's cheat was unveiled as his group popped out further up the road & we all caught up together

Got a bit split up again on the turn off the A19, but a fast paced ride home through Stillingfleet saw the group back together in Fulford, just before the rain shower. 50 odd miles at about 19.6mph. Not a bad morning's work.

Sunday Clubrun for me. 8 in The Square, which for Mother's Day is quite a lot. Made great progress to Thornton le Dale for early cafe. Paul carried on to do some proper training. Left self, TonyG, Scottish Jon, Andy, Cooky, Mr Tri and Huby Chris to carry on out through Dalby. Brilliant run through there - great scenery, lovely tarmac, mellow motorists. Langdale End then back up Troutsdale, which was even more of a grovel than usual with the headwind.

Made good progress back with some great team spirit to look after those of us that were wilting. Good to keep a steady effort, rather than steady pace - to keep the weaker riders in the wheels. Steady effort involves taking it easy on the climbs, but keep working when you get to the top.

Won't be out for the next two Sundays. Heather is out next week and I guess she'll cook up a treat of a route!

Jess, age and wisdom will always triumph over youth and beauty

Perhaps we could do the East route next week, the lumpy one. You can get your own back (unless I know the odd short cut ).

This weekend was surprising in a nice way. After last week's epic, I decided to have an easy time of household chores, with nae but a quick 10 on the bike. The 10 was the B1222 out to Stillingfleet and back, which I haven't done in ages. Still, I couldn't quite believe it when I got back and found I'd wiped over 2 minutes off my previous PB, and all this on 28mm GP 4 Season tyres! Did my new tribars really make that much difference or am I just fitter than I thought?

Went to Filey with the intermediates on Sat, but we didn't get fish n chips or go down to the beach or anything! Very odd

The cycling was good though!

Great ride out to Filey on Saturday with some good company. Only my 2nd 100 miler of the year which was made tougher by the westerly we had against us on the way back. Shout out to Darren, Sean and Tony G for doing sterling work on the front to get us back to York.

Sorry to hear that Aussie Darren had to pull out at Settrington, hope your feeling better

Saturday was Kevin's ride which as Mal says is always a joy to be on. 50 miles or so to the cafe in Malton via Kirby Underdale and Wharram le Street. The sky looked a bit dark over the Wolds at one stage but we managed to avoid any showers. Well done to Nicola on her first club ride and good luck with the charity ride from Huddersfield to Brighton.
http://www.keepitup.org.uk/

On Sunday I joined Heather, Chris, Jon and Daniel Cocker at Bishop Auckland for the first round in the Open TT series. A good but challenging course. My legs certainly felt the hills on the second lap! The event was very well organised and marshalled and they even coped with a road closure on the fast return leg by putting in a chicane. Results and photos here http://www.bishopaucklandcyclingclub.co.uk/?p=430

I did, as Phil details above, the Barton LVRC Pursuit Race on Saturday.

The pace from the off was fast, as it usually is in a pursuit race, and I was going ok until near the end of the second lap when I lost touch with the group on one of the climbs. I carried on for the complete race tagging on to one of the other groups for a while before finally doing the last lap with a stragler from the C group.

Although being dropped, I felt fairly good so looking for a better result next time.

Set off on Sunday to do part of Rob's ride as a leg loosener, but ended up doing the whole ride, couldn't resist the route through Dalby Forest. Great ride and company.

I was another one on the intermediate express train to Filey. With a nice breeze behind us for a large proportion of the way there, it took less than 2 and a half hours to reach the cafe; I think we averaged around 19mph.

Enjoyed my toastie and chips sat out in the wind on the cliff top as we prepared ourselves for the headwind on the return leg.

The journey back was a more steady pace but that certainly didn't mean it wasn't hard work, quite the opposite. The strength of some really showed as a small number did a great job of towing the rest of us along and at one point we were lined out in a few small groups, but there seemed to be no sheltering away from that wind.

After a while the wind died down a bit and we rode at a nice pace back into town in good time. I got back home by half 5 with heavy legs after about 110 miles in the legs, my longest ever ride. Looking forward to next weeks already. Thanks all.

Andrew M

Well, I didn’t win any prizes for intelligence on Saturday – first time I’ve ever bailed out mid-ride. I picked up a chest bug late last week but thought I could grunt my way through it on the Inters’ ride to Filey. I kidded myself that everything was fine when in fact there was a major blockage in the fuel line. With each mile I was feeling worse and by the time we hit Settrington Bank, I was in more trouble than the early explorers. When I finally piped up to Tony that I was feeling a bit rough, he gave me the tip that I’d better not get any further out of York or I’d never make it home! 4 hours and 40 miles later I wobbled into my driveway. A vet would have “done the right thing” and put me down. I’ve been incubating the bug quite nicely ever since, waking up on Sunday with lungs as raw as a burnt koala’s backside after a bushfire. Anyway, it was my stupid fault, shouldn’t have ignored the signals. I won’t be forgetting that lesson in a hurry. Really glad everyone else got something out of the day.

D.