Clifton CC

Don't usually start things off so here goes.

Quite a few in the square at 10am but I think the groups split more or less equally with 9 going on the Intermediate ride including John C, Stuart, Dave C, Steph, Ian H, Ian, Shaun and Jacque (I think, sorry if that's wrong) and self.

Headed out through Strensall, sheriff Hutton, hovingham, gillamoor over the moors to Rosedale and back through Appleton le moors, great edstone, castle Howard, flaxton. More or less the Ron Kitchibg ride without Blakey and the chimney. A better day than forecast albeit a bit windy with decent company as always. A bit murky over the moors but when the sun came out it was quite warm. A few interesting encounters with the sheep playing chicken with approaching cyclists but thankfully no incidents.

Thanks for ride guys and I just got home before a heavy shower hit whilst putting the bike away.

Jon

I was over at a windswept Burton Fleming with Clifton's squad of elderly gentlefolk on Sunday for the last vets race of the season. The southerly wind made the circuit even harder than usual, with the main climb being taken flat-out and crosswinds or headwinds on the remainder making it a challenge to hang onto wheels in front. All the region's big hitters were there as it forms part of the national points series. Okay, that's all the excuses!

Tim, Muzzy and Cam set off in the A/B race and Andy and I in the C/D group. By the second go up the hill our race split up, and although pretty much everyone got back together again it was a sign of things to come. I was still just about hanging on as I passed the club run contingent at the roadside (thanks folks), but the next go up the hill saw riders being shelled out the back - me included. I got together with two other fellas and we shared the work, coming in a fair few minutes down but at least avoiding the embarrassment of getting caught by the A/B race. I think I was about 18th, due to the attrition rate! Cam did rather better in the young'uns race, though...

As Phil says, hard race made tougher by the wind. Missed the race winning break after end of lap one. Tried to get across with Simon (from Tue chaingang and Giles Pidock). We were then joined by about 6 others. We worked relatively cohesively for a lap and half and made inroads in gaining on lead group, getting within spitting distance when, for some inexplicable reason, everyone decided it was time to have a little rest... We should all hang our heads in shame! Gap gradually widened and we never closed it down again. Our group gradually got whittled down to 4 going into final lap. Giles Pidock effortlessly won the sprint and I came in 12th overall but 5th in the A's so picked up a "brown enevelope with a fiver in it". Overall, reasonably pleased with my efforts as felt strong throughout - at least until final 50 metres (!) but slight nagging irritation that missed early break and that, collectively, we could not reel it back in...
Oh.. and thanks for the shout from the Club run guys....I would have raised a hand to acknowledge but did not have the strength!

I went for a nice relaxing Friday night ride to the coast. The leader Simon's done a good writeup over here so I shan't bore you with my own thoughts.

The Ullswater crew, if they're reading, may appreciate my practicing my power nap skillz

Just 5 of us on the Sunday Clubrun. Fairly fresh old day, but nothing too dramatic weatherwise. 16 year old Jai keen to shred us all each time the road went upwards. Classic route through Kirkham, langton and Kirkby Grindalythe. Came out onto aforementioned RR circuit just behind one of the groups. I advised all that it would be bad form to overtake them so we followed onto Burton Flemming where we watched for 20 mins. Richard was twitching enviously as you all shot past, dodging the interesting parking in the village. Well done to all.

Sandown cafe in Brid for a breath of cooked breakfast then, again the classic route back through Kilham, Langtoft, Thixendale etc. Cross-head wind most of the way and not too taxing (not when you're on the wheel of the great Ian Kent anyway).

Jai was wilting a little at the end - but a great effort for his first tonne! Chapeaux.

R

It was the Cumbrian Sportive for me, a real pleasure in the driving wind and rain! They cut the route short by 10 miles due to the conditions so we never did Hardknott pass- I didn't complain too much as Wrynose into the headwind was bad enough!

In the end 82 miles, loads of hills, 1 p******e and lots of, mainly horizontal, rain.

It was still a good day out though

G. wrote:
The Ullswater crew, if they're reading, may appreciate my practicing my power nap skillz

Nice photo Greg. Oh and by the way I didn't know you were due to appear on last Mondays (5th) University Challenge, did anyone else spot him? Shame about the result though

Jon

Managed to fit quite a bit into the couple of laps I rode of the Burton Fleming Vets race I rode. I'm not sure a field of less than 25 riders actually constitutes a race though?
Burton Fleming is a great course - when its not windy - I have some happy memories here and came oh so close to winning a BC race here not that many years ago - you know shoulder to shoulder with the eventual winner, in the break, with a 100 yds to go. That's like the 2nd best feeling in road racing - the best being having your arms in the air crossing the line!
But anyway back to Sunday - in short - forced the first early break which lasted about a mile into the wind, got caught, stayed near the front for a bit, dropped back for a bit but at the wrong part of the circuit and nearly got dropped in a crosswind, needed a few miles to recover and got the wrong side of a split up the climb, saw 33mph flash up on my computer on the flat, did a few half hearted turns on the 2nd lap, started thinking of all the other things I could be doing on a Sunday that were better than this, was handing my number in by the end of lap 2. Fortunatley the organiser didnt want to take my cheque and LVRC membership form and this is now in the bin. Waved at the Sunday club runners heading for Brid & I'm wishing I had taken this option.

It was another sensational day on the Clifton MTB club run, this time at Dalby Forest. I’ve done a few of these MTB club runs this year now; all different, all huge fun! 10 of us turned up at the Visitor Centre car park to be taken on trails I would never have visited by myself; an elaborate mix of red and black routes as well as some old trails rarely used. We lunched at Dixons Hollow where the Kielder stories from the week before flowed thick and fast. I then took a wrong turn on the World Cup course, was lost, and then was found (sounds a bit biblical I know). The fern gully in the section 15 area after the steps was a particular highlight. The sprints through the bomb holes, past the quarry and then over the final sections were done at breakneck speed, my poor hard-tail jalopy rattling along like a trans-Indian commuter train, complete with goats and chickens. I was amazed by the seriously quick speed of the guys through here, particularly Paul S on his super-sized monster tractor! Back in the car park we ran into another of Clifton’s cycling celebs, Lisa B. Big thanks to Richard who led us superbly, and also to Simon later on (despite pre-warning us that he had already broken the ribs of two Cliftonites so far this Summer!).

There’s a bunch of Cliftonites doing the Isle of Man end-to-end this weekend…best of luck to them, particularly on the ferry on the way over if this wind continues to blow! http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe- ... n-14618234

Alternatively, I’m doing the 100km Moors Marathon this weekend, if anyone else is up for some entertainment! http://www.bmbo.org.uk/calendar/details ... ent_id=234



D.

[quote="paulM"]I'm not sure a field of less than 25 riders actually constitutes a race though?


Awww...did you have to say that Paul? Makes my 'plucky' 12th seem much less impressive now!

Shame you did not hang around as it all kicked off in HQ after, when controversy reigned, as Organiser disqualified 2 riders from the EFGs for getting a tow from the ABs breakaway group....A somewhat 'heated debate' ensued!

paulM wrote: I'm not sure a field of less than 25 riders actually constitutes a race though?

You really should venture onto the MTB scene more Paul. You can do a whole race series, come last in most events and still receive a trophy at the end of the series for just turning up

I'm not joking, it's happened this year. Different world.

Look at it another way Cam - the fact that you managed a creditable 12th in a meagre field of 25 on a day like that should make it feel like an achievement and worthy of an envelope? If there had been 60 riding you might well still have finished 12th or even better - it would have changed the race dynamic & felt less like a time trial! I've had loads of placings over the years but I wouldn't necessarily rate these as my best rides - I've had a few long races where I've been hanging on in good company on crappy days which I would rate as better rides? Your comment about the controversy at the hq after the finish I think proves my point - if they had set all the age groups off together everyone would have had a proper race in a decent size field and you just sort the age category stuff out at the end? I struggle with the whole age category concept thing with vets events rather than categorising by ability.

And as for Tullio's comments - I'm still recovering from the mental trauma of my last competitive mtb outing and am still chipping clumps of mud off my bike! And you know I always make it rain!

Agreed... I did not envy Jim (the Organiser) having to sort out the mess afterwards. With few numbers in all categories, with hindsight, it may have have been better to have started everyone off together and allow 'natural selection' based on ability, rather than age, take it's course. As you say, at least we would have felt we were in a 'race' with a sizeable field.