Clifton CC

Joined the Sat Club Ride at 10am, with only 6 of us pedalling out of the square, whilst many of our comrades were keeping their powder dry for Sunday's Reliability.

Kevin, Dan, Mike, DaveB & Andy charged off down Stockton Lane, leaving me gasping off the back & soon dismissing the warmth and cosiness of my 'Cycling Plus face buff' in favour of being able to breathe & try a bit harder! A combination of that and the guys easing off the pace, let me get my nose onto the back of the group, with a realisation that today was going to be good for the legs!

Day of 2 halves weather-wise - glorious crisp blue sky morning, our skirt over Howsham, Leavening, Langton & Settrington showed the Wolds off to thier best. A puncture for Dan between Langton and Settrington, reminded us of the temperature and the need to keep us all moving so that we didn't freeze to the spot!

Then after our lunch & the warmth of the Malton Tea Room's open fire, we felt the first snowflakes on our faces on the road between Malton and Coneysthorpe.

Then began the race against time!! To get back to York before the snow started to accumulate.

Mission accomplished! Just! Some good group riding, thanks for the company, see you next week, Claire.

It was a shame the snow came this week, was looking forward to my first proper road ride of the year, the reliability ride. We went Ice spiker mountain biking around Castle Howard instead. Excellent fun and do-able but a massive workout of core (all that balancing to try and stay on) and legs (resistance training - the snow was pretty deep). Managed 20 miles but a bit bruised this morning!

Joined Bernard, Dave I and Jeff B for a ride down the Selby bike path on nobblies. Hard work, but great fun riding along in plumes of powder. Good day for wildlife spotting. Switched to the lanes at Stillingfleet then through Riccall and King Rudding Lane to Skipwith Common - which was just beautiful in the snowy sunshine. Switched to the lanes then for the ride back to York. Just over 4 hours of Joule burning, immeasurable more fun than the turbo, and, if I'm honest, I didn't mind missing the Reliability in the end.... yes it *was* a blast!

I read the weather forecast in the paper on Saturday and it warned of dangerous conditions for pedestrians and motorists on Sunday. Ah ha..ok for cyclists then. I got myself ready for the reliability but couldn't help being relieved when it was cancelled; I'd have done it, but in truth I don't have the fitness at the moment, so it would have been a long hard slog.