Clifton CC

Westwards? Forecast is that the current gales will blow themselves out tomorrow (fingers crossed) and it'll be chilly but dry.

And... ...we can do a lap of Saxton, since next week's Chevin race has been plucked form the relative cuddliness of Acaster Malbis and shifted there instead!

Blue skies, dry roads, not much wind, not many racing tomorrow - it's got to be a mass participation ride. Nope! Just about ten out on the training ride, we bid farewell to The Two Daves in the square and set off behind a fast-moving Muzzy towards Appleton Roebuck and points west. Not the most well-oiled of rides, especially towards the end, but no lack of speed and we pretty much stuck together over the lumpy bits around Thorner, so can't grumble. Skipped the lap of Saxton since the start sheet for Tuesday says it's back at Appleton Roebuck! Just over 21mph and 243W for the out-of-town bit.

I'll be putting my feet up in preparation for an old blokes ride next Saturday so can someone else get the training ride all fired up please?

Yeah not the best training ride I've been on . A bit sad really that it just seemed to disintegrate after Cawood. You really need to work on the through and off stuff. 5 or 6 riders just dont work in two lines, a dozen maybe - just get it in one line - 20 or 30 secs on the front with every one behind sheltering out of the wind, the front rider gives a flick of the elbow and just pulls off and goes straight to the back and the next just keeps the same pace going - its just so much more efficient. After Stillingfleet there was just 2 of us. I'm 5'6" the other guy was 6'5" but we were doing 24 / 25mph into a headwind doing equal turns and it was a damn site easier than the stuff we were doing round Bishops Wood a few miles earlier! Seriously this is basic stuff and its the difference between being in a winning break and getting caught and its why its not always the strongest riders who get away but the ones who know how to work.
Stuck an extra few miles on after the ride and got home with just about 70 miles on the clock at over 20 mph despite having to get back across York. Watched the Giro on Eurosport whilst having a bite to eat when I got in. Four riders away with 7 minutes on the bunch and the bunch werent hanging about as they were trying to keep warm! But those four were in one line and the front rider just swung off straight to the back after a flick of his elbow.

Sounds like a plan for Saturday then. You out Paul? If so what about doing the northern loop and stringing it out on the A168 under your supervision? I know it's pretty flat as a route but the 168 is perfect for practicing stuff like this- no traffic and pretty straight. If there's loads of us we can maybe split into groups of 6 or so as we hit the 168 then regroup at Boroughbridge. 2 or 3 groups with a minute or so between each will give an incentive to chase and an incentive to stay away...

I have to say you're right. Having followed the break of 5 in yesterday's Cycleworks Elite Race (in a car i should add!) there was only ever 1 line of riders each doing about 20-30 secs on the front and they put 3 minutes into the bunch...

Yeah good luck with that Paul.

You did look a bit strava when I saw you coming through the village. Paul is right of course... one line is the way to go with only a few working.. you can go right on the rev limiter for 50 pedal revs and then you've got time to recover.