Clifton CC

Lots of rides going on this weekend. Always good to read about them on the forum.

I took the mtb for a spin on Friday around the new trail at Cwmcarn with my little brother as guide. A great couple of hours of single track with the sun shafting low through the trees. My first mtb ride since August and it always takes me a couple of hours to find the rhythm. It was bit like a game of flappy birds with all these little up and downs.

7 in the Square this morning for the first Sunday Clubrun of the year. Andy, Eric, Jonathon, Mussy, Broomy, new recruit Jack and self. Frosty and sunny. Lots of haw frost on the roads, but all rideable. Birdsall Brow saw Broomy doing his usual "you go on without me" piece. Your bit's at 1-52 Broomy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXvR6yxUVSw

The open fire was blazing in Millington cafe and it was hard to leave, but a simple ride back in saw us home at about 1-15 with just 56miles on the clock. It will be a slightly longer ride next week (!), but I plan to keep things sensible for a few weeks now. We'll start to make the rides a little more challenging when spring is round the corner. This makes the next few weeks a good time to give the Sunday gang a test ride......

This seems all too familiar

https://lh3.ggpht.com/fwDusTsb6iYPEbdao ... rqWwQ=s114

Sounds like the “K” Ride on Saturday was a bit of a scouting party for Sunday’s Clubrun.

Seven of us (Kevin, Bernard, Dave I, Barbara (from Harrogate), Nick, Mr Burton Esq and myself) set off from the Square and our group soon grew to ten when John C, who’d experienced a zip malfunction somewhere en route, was paced up to us by the chasing Intermediate pack and Kevin put in a quick burst of pace at the front to bridge the gap to Dawn and Steve, who’d gone on ahead.

Weather was pretty favourable and the pace just about right for the first Club ride of the New Year. I’d conveniently avoided any hills whatsoever on my solo rides over the Christmas period, so the first couple of climbs were a nice test for me and my (t)rusty old triple.

The Cafe stop at Millington felt slightly further than normal and the roaring fire most welcome as we’d gotten a bit chilly on the blast through Millington Pastures. Pot of tea and scrambled egg on toast was the menu option of choice with an accompanying slither of bakewell just to ease the post-Christmas sugar crave.

Reluctantly, we left the warmth of the cafe and set off on a direct route back to York through Stamford Bridge. Creature of habit, I turned left at the junction to Warthill when the rest of the bunch turned right and so I had a solo 10 miles or so back to the house.

About 60 miles in total and the first Club ride I’d ever attempted in the winter months.