Clifton CC

For the second week running the Sunday crew got the better of the weather. 9 in the Square and 9 finished together which always feels good... Age range 17 to 71, nice symmetry.

Pretty standard route (in both senses) out through Panel and Bland Hill and Summerbridge to Pateley. After the cafe it was a valley ride to loosen the legs up again before the big grunt up Jordans. Young Pete Hook pushed AndyG (which doesn't happen often). The youngster claimed in The Square to have never been over 50miles, but he obviously knew how to ride - must get that from his father (John). Aparently Pete is the Yorkshire Juniour MTB Downhill champion as well as going upwards well.

Good to see Arnie out again and climbing well also. Dr Dave going nicely. TonyG had missed the Saturday ride and was making up for it by riding each hill today twice. Neil, Steen both looking easy. Simon, newly moved to York from London, wasn't going too shabilly for a Southerner...

After Masham we picked up the tailwind and motored back quite smartly. 98 miles door to door, and supping a cup of tea by 4pm.

Nice ride chaps, see you next week (see other thread)....

My first Sunday 'proper' club run for ages. Thanks to Rob for leading us all round in good order and thanks Sun for putting in an appearance!

Pateley Bridge was also visited by the MTB side of the club this Sunday.
The fun began with a repair of one rider’s hydraulic brakes in the car park. This led to a couple of us wanting to stay behind and work on some more bikes, but the others preferred to ride them so we had to put down the tools (in ten years’ time we could be muttering at the Exhibition Square “the hose is leaking and the voltmeter reads 0.9V, so you’ve no rear disc brake and enough electricity for 10 gear changes” ).

Anyway, Steve W, self, Karen, Ian C and Sarah, Jay and Sarah and Ian and Helen set off around Nidderdale. But if you thought all the torrential rain we had last Saturday was bad, our hearts went out to the Nidderdale residents, as they had suffered this.

Our group rode a 27 mile loop of technical path that took us from the shorelines of Scar House reservoir and Gouthwaite reservoir up to the surrounding peaks. The hilltops gave the satisfaction of seeing both the distance travelled and the pale blue sky shimmering off the dark blue reservoirs.
To finish, we had a nice chat and refuelling at Wilding’s Riverside Tea Room in Pateley Bridge- it would be an ideal café stop for a road ride.

Thanks to Steve W and Ian C for organising a really good day out (and thanks for waiting during the ride).


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Some other news this week. Fans of pro cycling, as well as its governing bodies, might soon learn the truth behind USPS/ Discovery team’s domination of the Tour de France for 7 years.