Clifton CC

Weather forecast of cool/cloudy on the coast so I persuaded the small band in the Square that we should head West in search of the sun. Select group of IanK, DarrenN, Zach, Alan and Gill (Hattie Jakes).

Opted for the classic route around Bolton Abbey. Masses of cyclists out - all shapes and sizes. Great to see, but a few hairy moments and near head-ons as we traveled up Wharfedale. Lunch outside the cafe in the sun and then homeward via The Strid and Fan Carl. Had planned on keeping to the high ground on the return, but Ian and Zach sailed past the right turn onto Duck St, and it took me most of the descent into Pateley to catch them. Forced us onto the much lumpeir route out of Nidderdale through Darley, Birstwith and Clapham. Still, by this stage the sun was shining nicely and the world looked good.

102 miles door to door and back home just after 4-30. Smashing ride, thanks for the company.

With no races this week opted for a training couple of hours on sat afternoon with a fair amount of hill work around Amp and Wass but with the Sun shining it felt pretty good to be out.Sun took the Aklam Mast route then Thixendale and thr to Fimber.Up the road to the Birdsall Junction and perfect tarmac Have not been that way before and it was great .The valley in Thixendale takes some beating all the way to Fimber.Missed out Malton going to Kirkham and then to Bossall and home via Sherriff.Great ride with 75 miles on the computer.cheers

A great day today! We’d been discussing beforehand the temperature forecasts for the day ahead: West of York 18 degrees C, Scarborough 11 degrees C! Rob turned up and suggested we bin the cold day in Scarborough and head west to Bolton Abbey in search of some rays. What a great decision as it turned out - the sun burnt through by lunchtime and the remainder of the day was spent in warm, sunny conditions.

As Rob said, we sat outside the Bolton Abbey café in glorious sunshine. It got a bit warmer in the big hills on the way back – the landscape through Appletreewick, the back of Greenhow and Pateley Bridge was majestic. There was a fair bit of climbing too – about 5,500 feet’s worth.

Triathlete Gill (G or J?) was on her first Sunday Club run and managed it brilliantly, despite her attempts to play down her abilities. Allan also did well considering he’s still getting his strength back. Zac is a big triathlete who cuts a huge hole in the wind, not a bad wheel to find into the breeze. I arrived home with 99.98 miles on the clock, had to ride 3 doors up to sneak over the ton! Thanks to everyone for a very enjoyable day – really glad we headed west rather than east.

It’s east next week though: Spurn Head - barrier time 7.30am. Get the carbs in, it's a longy but a goody!

D.

An ambitious trip up Wass Bank for the 8.45 ride, started off great.

18 riders set out from the square in fantastic sunshine.

Tony took us on a detour around some great lanes out of Coxwold, then up the bank we went.

Just after the climb my troubles started when I dropped my back wheel into a large pothole, resulting in a pinch-flat.

After fitting a dud tube, I put in my spare spare and we were back on the road. That is until the next rest stop. By the time I'd realised I'd picked up another puncture the group were all out of earshot. Apart from Howard who kindly lent me a rather fancy extra light tube. Five other guys hung back, so we had a group of six for the last leg in from Brandsby. We made it all the way back to Flaxton before I picked up a large rusty nail and my fourth rear tube change of the day (thanks to Dave for that tube).

We finally rolled back into York an hour later than expected at 1.00 o'clock. Big thanks for the support. It was a great ride, despite all the mechs. You'll be pleased to hear that I made it back to my house with no other incidents



If anyone wants to suggest a route for next week, and shout left and right at the appropriate times, let me know, or post on the forum.

Likewise made the most of the sunshine. Out with my daughter on her Gazelle on Saturday for a very lazy meander round the backroads; outwards via treats from Haxby Bakery and bacon sarnies at Sutton Park, and back along the cycle track onto the riverside. Blue skies and wildflowers everywhere, and rather pink arms thanks to four or five hours under increasingly blue skies. Saturday by contrast was an hour of sprints followed by the usual training ride west route - more or less car-free despite the Horse Trials but only because it was mid day - the volume of AA signage suggested they were expecting plenty of traffic. Legs now aching (but not as painful as my daughter reckoned her a**e was after Saturday's ride... )

I headed to Wales for the Dragon Ride yesterday - 130 miles and over 2 miles of vertical ascent - it starts at Port Talbot and winds north into the heart of the Brecon Beacons through some really beautiful areas. The weather was glorious, 25 degrees and blue skies, which made hydration top priority and was very difficult to actually consume the amount of fluid and food required for 8 hours in those conditions and over that terrain. I was really sick of sugar by the end of it.

The climbs were superb, the signature climbs of Black Mountain, Rhigos and Bwlch are all about 3.5 miles at a constant 6% ish but there was were also a few 20%-ers peppered in to the route to test the legs. Most of the roads were two-lane jobs and in quite good condition so the descents over that route were very fast, had to over-take a car (carefully) on one of them!

Quite a lot of crashes which surprised me given this is a sportive but didn't see many after the hills got going in earnest. Although have read on BBC that one rider did get air lifted to hospital due to a tyre blow out after crossing a cattle grid at the bottom of the fastest descent.

About 4,000 riders in all which meant there was always a group to ride with, even after 130 miles. There were a lot of locals cheering us along the route which really added to the atmosphere, particularly at the sight-seeing car parks close to the top of the big climbs. This is the hardest ride I have done and I expect it is in a similar league to Fred Whitton, Etapes du Dales etc. I would recommend it for anyone who is considering it but you need to be quick off the mark as it sells out in about 1 hour.

reubenbarrett wrote:

Quite a lot of crashes which surprised me given this is a sportive but didn't see many after the hills got going in earnest. Although have read on BBC that one rider did get air lifted to hospital due to a tyre blow out after crossing a cattle grid at the bottom of the fastest descent.

This is why I ride everywhere on tubular tyres now.

"This is why I ride everywhere on tubular tyres now."

Darren, I know they're safer but do you carry a spare tubular tyre in case you get a flat?

Ian H

Hi Ian

I carry a spare in the bottle cage or under the saddle, if I need two bottles on the bike. I also carry a can of pit stop in my pocket. Not need either since October, and I've done a few miles since then

I wouldn't go back to clinchers now if you paid me to ride them, they're crap.

Have just started riding Tubeless. So far impressive - fast and comfortable. Hopefully will find they are as self-sealing as the promo blurb suggests......

I did the York-Langholm-York 600 on my lonesome, a week after everyone else. That was tough! Big respect to Ian, Danny and Steen for doing it last week, it's not an easy event. Going over the Pennines at Alston in the afternoon sunshine was pretty glorious, but by the time I to doing the lumpy Scottish bit at night, I'd had enough of hills. The 14% climb just before Snod's Edge at 380km was particularly evil!

It wasn't all hills though - there were plenty of flat bits to get in some fast miles and it would have been easier if I'd had somewhere to sleep and get fed, like everyone else got on the main ride. Someone else to ride with would also have been nice - shame I couldn't make last weekend.

According to the organiser, "It's chalked in for next year, and , I have found a hall for a proper control with tlc + zzz @ 215 and 315 K." It's a good, challenging route, so anyone feeling particularly deranged should consider giving it a go.

Quotes of the weekend:

"Oh my God!" - a biker in Middleton in Teesdale, on learning that I was riding to York. I didn't tell her the rest of the story, the poor dear might have had a heart attack.

"Yes, there were some elderly gentlemen in here last Saturday, they looked like they'd been riding as long as Forrest Gump on his running thing." - the cashier in Brampton. "Elderly gentleman who looks like Forrest Gump" sounds to me like a perfect description of an average Audaxer.

P.S. See you's all on Hannah's social this Friday. It'll be a good game to see how many people I fail to recognise when they're not wearing lycra

Finally got my '54 Carpenter on the road last Saturday and made it to the Square for a test ride with the K group.

Thanks to everyone on the ride for being so patient. The bike rides very well although I didn't heed Kevin's words as I approached Wass Bank and took it like a bull at a gate leaving me out of steam within sight of the summit! I know what to do next time (received and understood Kevin!)

Kevin as always was very helpful and generous with his comments and advice making the whole ride very enjoyable and providing me with the chance to iron out a few problems with the bike.

After a few more rides I think it will be ready for my ride from London to Paris 17th-20th July (Getting to Paris to see the end of le Tour) then the big one in Italy. L'eroica 205km on bianchi strada 6 October. I will have no forearms left and my hands will have cramped due to the lack of brakes on my '54

See you all out again the next time I can make it to the Square on a Saturday.