Weekend Roundup - 26th & 27th May

[Darren N]

Now we’re cookin!…Sun!!!

26th May – the first time in 2012 that I was able to get the fingers and knees out! Had to ferret hard in the back of the cupboard to find the suntan lotion. Finally I could focus on improving the freckle count.

After battering my legs over the previous 3 weeks’ in the Pocklington/Wiggy 300/Runswick Bay epics, I could have done with a slow short one. So when all the big boys turned up in the Square and Kev handed me the map to Filey, it was like being in Japan in World War 2 and being handed a pair of pilot goggles by Emperor Hirohito!

So off into the sun we flew. Intermediate sun-soakers included Tony G, Shaun W, Dan, Young Dan, Julian, Peter, Stacey, Catlike Ian and myself.

We had the worst start of all time: First Shaun had to replace a tyre in the Square, then we found ourselves parked on the Minster lawns when Peter double p*******d due to the glass on the road…Catlike was even able to whip home and get his track pump to help. Then a couple of miles down Stockton Lane, Julian p*******d! That was 4 mishaps before we had even got to the A64 overpass…is that a record?! Rather than Filey, we considered changing our lunchtime destination to Stockton on the Forest!

In contrast, the remainder of the day went relatively smoothly. Slogged it out into headwinds on the outbound leg via Settrington Bank, then enjoyed tail & cross winds on the return leg via Sledmere. Filey looked magnificent from the cliff top at lunchtime: blue sky and blue seas! – a world away from the Siberian front at Runswick Bay the week before.

Well done to those who dug deep and hung in there to get back. With my legs feeling sore early, I was no use to anybody ‘til we got past Settrington on the way out. Luckily I felt progressively stronger as the day went on – it was a pleasant change to feel at my best in the last 30 m’s!

Thanks to everyone for a great day, really enjoyed it, especially the sun!!…still proudly counting the extra freckles I gathered today. Let’s hope that Summer lasts longer than a weekend!



D.

[pete p]

First intermediate ride for myself yesterday & what a start to it I had.

As Darren has already mentioned I punctured on glass outside the minster

106miles on the Garmin when I got home & tanlines, Thanks to all for a great ride & your help with the puncture repair (I think it was Tony for donating a tube & Catlike for the track pump)

[Rob]

Definitely a "good to be alive" weekend. Not sure why there were only 4 of us in The Square for the Sunday ride....

Mussy was one of the 4, out for some proper riding after last week's pootle round a few laps of the Bulmer circuit. Even found a road within 20 miles that he's not been on! Nice quiet lanes through Kirkham, Westow, Burythorpe, Warram-le-street and on to Duggleby. Mussy headed for home at Kirby Grindalythe and so the rest of us (Steen, JonG and self) were then able to pick up the speed a bit.

JonG was making up for a few weeks off by riding in from Selby for the start. We rode 2 at the front, one tucked in behind, rotating one notch anticlockwise every 7-8 mins all the way to Brid. Brid was as you'd expect it on a sunny Sunday in May. Lots of pink flesh, much of it wobbling.

Back via Kilham and Langtoft. Bunting and flags all down the main street - how did they know we were coming? Couldn't resist an ice-cream van in Sledmere - though I think Jon thought we were being terribly unprofessional.. he kept glancing round nervously worrying that someone would see us.

Life Hill, Wetwang, Huggate, Millington, home (for us). Jon still had to ride to Selby of course. 104 miles door to door for me and sat in the garden by 4pm. That's what I call making the most of a fantatstic day.

Not out next Sunday - sure you'll all have fun.

[Jon G]

Couldn't resist an ice-cream van in Sledmere - though I think Jon thought we were being terribly unprofessional.. he kept glancing round nervously worrying that someone would see us.

Sorry Rob if it looked like it certainly wasn't intended infact it was a pleasant break in the sun which was welcome at that stage. I estimate I would have run out of fuel 10 miles short if not for the ice cream

Good ride though and on some new roads for me and remarkably quiet ones. Haven't cycled to Brid before so was good to get there and see how it's changed since I was last there. We used to go every Easter bank holiday without fail when I was younger. Certainly my longest ride this year with more climbing then I thought( well according to the garmin any way) just over 130 miles d to d and very much more dehydrated than I was at the start. But I do prefer to ride in weather like that though doesn't everyone? Because I was too surprised not to see a few more faces at the square.

Anyway thanks for the company guys, I'm just glad I'm not in work tomorrow to allow me to recover god knows how the pro do distances like that everyday for 3 weeks in heat similar and footballers moan if they have to play 3 games in week . Anyway sorry for the rant but hey!

Jon

[Broom Wagon]

Roadie’s adventure into MTB land continued this week with round 1 of the Brownbacks cross country race at Lee Quarry, Bacup….which is…dare this Yorkshire man say…..in Lancashire. Upon arriving in blazing sunshine and sussing out the disused quarry over which the race is run I couldn’t help thinking what a pity I hadn’t brought the wife and kids to watch. The kids would have loved it, cliffs to fall off, rocks to throw at each other and even a lake to fall into, just their sort of thing and it would have given them a nice change from their usual weekend past time of tearing the house doors off their hinges and making dints in the walls using their heads.

I was there in plenty of time and checked out the race route, dry and rocky. I was very pleased after the last race a fortnight ago as there was no mud. I’d had enough of mud; I don’t do mud. However, mud does have an advantage over rock in one respect – it’s soft when you fall off as indeed I found out on my recce with a heavy fall on a descent onto a rock bed. Unfortunately it rather dented my confidence and for the first three laps of the race I ended up running sections that were well within my capability of riding. Still thanks to my fall I have a lovely wound and bruise on my backside to impress the missis with, though these days it doesn’t elicit the “oh poor you….there there,” or the “oo aren’t you brave and tough,” that I’d like. Now I tend to get more of a “well if you will do such things, what do you expect….you muppet.”

The start was at the bottom of the hill and we all began to gather. I couldn’t help enjoying the archetypal get orf moi land, act carried out by the young farmer who’d wandered up specially to get upset about the odd cyclist having a quick leak before the race. “This side of’t fence is mine that’s council’s.” Good sheep country I expect and maybe cyclist wee has an extremely caustic effect causing millions in losses for the farming industry. I wonder where the sheep wee, or does it not have the same effect?

The earlier groups were off and it was time for our pep talk in which it was mentioned that some of us were old enough to know better, others follically challenged and others coffin dodgers and it occurred to me that I’m probably all three. The start was up a long rocky climb which I thought was an excellent idea as it would thin out the field so every one wouldn’t be queuing up once we got on the course itself. I was hopeful I might be somewhere towards the middle of the field by the time we reached to summit but somehow I was about at the back – bugger! Still I won’t talk you through the whole race but I had some enjoyable racing and no more falls. I think I need to learn how to do steep rocky climbs though, as there was one section, I failed to ride up but everyone else I was in contention with couldn’t ride it either, so if I’d been able to ride it I think I’d have made up two or three places each a lap.

I don’t know the result yet, but I’m sure I wasn’t last – though I’ve said that before as it seems everyone I pass abandons - so I end up last finisher. I suppose they think when I pass them that if I’m going better than them it’s time to give up.

Still, I enjoyed it immensely and I think I might have a go at the next one, even though it is in…..Lancashire, but at moment as I write this all I can say is…,”ow me bum.”

[paulM]

"Lots of pink flesh, much of it wobbling"

You should have remembered to put some suncream on Rob!

Talking of which I too practically glow in the dark. I spent Saturday on Filey beach with Peter. I can confirm at sea level the temperature was about 10 deg cooler than it was in York so was a bit complacent with the suncream myself although embrocation might have been a better option. Surprised not to see the saturday crowd as saw plenty of other riders on the roads.

What a difference a week makes. Last Sunday at the Divs as I was thinking about leaving on the thermal tights I'd ridden out in & wear them for the race!
As Rob has described today was a good to be alive kind of day and the wolds were at their best. Yes, I think we used a road I'm not familiar with within an hour of York - road being a loose term as there were several that were just potholes surrounded by gravel!
I turn into a frog if I'm out for more than four hours so had to take a right at Kirby G and I too used the Sledmere / Wetwang / Huggate option but without the ice cream van stop. The Millington road was at is best and I was flying along with the tailwind. 68 miles at 18mph and a load of big climbs. May's great when the weathers like this but we've certainly earnt it!

[Rob]

Paul, notice on the other forum that the Castle Howard MTB ride has been switched to Thursday. Let me know if you want a lift.

[Karl M]

The Sunday MTB ride gave Phil H, Jez, Katherine, Chris H, Adam, Ros, Jay, Hannah, Jan and Steve W some nice red arms and legs this morning.

First we rode through Langdale forest and Cropton forest, then lunch, followed by a couple more hours in Dalby forest. There was a big contrast between the forests; Langdale and Cropton gave a sense of true wilderness for pootling through. Whereas Dalby is a ‘manufactured’ route that urges you to go fast.
Like riding on country lanes compared to a B road.

In between the forests, we stepped back into the 1920s to watch an old steam train pull out of Levisham station. Passed a metal detecting club, each member alone in their patch of the field- we should’ve scattered some chain links for their entertainment.
Next, armed with phrases such as “sorry [for any trespassing] but we’re an Olympic national team that’s a little lost” and “we need to keep the sun to our left”, we muddled our way in and out of Dalby forest.
And just as the Camelbak water supplies began to run dry, we arrived back at the car park for some serious chomping on frozen popsicles.

Thanks to Steve W for his organising and to all for the good company.

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The following made a nice change from the roadkill we pass. On a barren forest road on Wednesday evening, a mother deer left this little fella when she saw me coming.

He lay motionless, thinking “I’m perfectly camouflaged with my surroundings”. As I was about to check him for injuries, he suddenly leapt up and ran off to mum with an "eeerrghh"! Guess he liked the warmth of the tarmac.