Topic Title

Well, spring is sprung, clearly my sap's rising and I'm therefore suggesting we go wild and break free from the usual four routes. A something-for-everyone route - in fact based on the route of the first training ride I did with the club back when I was a lad of, ooooo.... ...43.

York - Stockton - Buttercrambe and then right and up to the Acklam radio mast. Left and through Leavening to Galley Gap, then right/left and through Westow and up Kirkham Bank. Left and right (with great care) over the A64 then Thornton le Clay and onwards to Sheriff, followed by (I'd suggest) two laps of the flat ten circuit and home. Slight change to protocol in that we re-group at the top of the big hills, so people can hit them hard if they want and we'll all still be together for the final flat stuff. Forecast is for sunny and warm (by recent standards) so the mountain goats can just top up their tans during any waiting time.

Does that sound okay? 09:00 Grand Depart as always!

Dont do it Phil. The reason we stopped using that circuit was the problem of getting over the A64 - it just takes one person to mistime it descending in the fast lane! The alternative is what you describe and then just go right at the top of Gally Gap and just pick up the Malton / Terrington circuit. Just pick it up from the bottom of Terrington bank with just one lap of the ten circuit.
In fact two groups could set off at the same time and the slower could just carry on up the Buttercrambe road to Gally Gap without the detour and then the fast group could try and catch them on the run in? What goes round comes round! We used to take the first left at the bottom of the Acklam climb through Leppington (I think) - a couple of shorter climbs instead of one big one. Is that what you had in mind?

Told you I was going wild. I bow to Muzzy's greater experience in these matters, although I always reckoned that junction looked worse than it is. We've used both of the routes mentioned in the past on the approach to Leavening - the one through Leppington's nice and lumpy and the one up to the mast gives maximum climbing. Decide at the time. Could do the suggested two groups - see how many show up. My main aim is to keep the group(s) together though rather than the usual spreading of riders halfway across the county!

Sorry Phil. There was no blood so I didn't realise you'd banged your head last Saturday

Won't be out, taking daughter to station at 10 for her Uni return. Pity, I like the plan. Have a good one...

Sorry I won't be out either.

Nutcracker round 2 and I've finally realised that a hard Saturday training ride is not the best preparation for a race on the Sunday!

Have a good ride and hopefully see you all next week.

John

I like the idea of another lumpy ride as an alternative to Malton. Racing this week so won't be out.

Looking forward to reading the review on Sunday!

Martin

I'll be out.

I'll not be out - Nutcracker for me on Sunday, but given the route proposed for the training ride, it would have been too hard for me anyway.

Thanks for the ride today guys. Its the longest Ive stayed with you. Im sure this was largely down to you going easy on me up the Hills - Cheers for that, was really appreciated.

One of these days I'll master the art of the Uphill, at the moment I'm more of a descent man!

Unfortunately I had nothing left going into that head wind on the flat 10. Had you in my sights until Sof but sloped off after that back to Haxby. Possibly see you again next week.

Not sure whether it was tomorrow's Derek Smith vets race or The Threat Of Hills which kept numbers down on such a b****y gorgeous day, but it was a select group of regulars Tim, RichT, Liam plus me, joined by Matt and newcomer young Jacob, which rolled out this morning. A tweaked version of the easterly route with extra wiggles through Leppington and Westow (and some seriously agricultural road surfaces) before Malton and the turn back into a previously-unnoticed stiff south-westerly. A bit of regrouping at the tops of climbs saw us still all together after a couple of hours, and Matt's high-speed descent of Terrington Bank pulled back the minor deficit from the climb through the village in fine style. He wasn't the only one who suffered on the flat, and there were just three of us still together for the final run-in to town. Good riding by all though - 19.2mph and 240W for the out-of-town two hours thirty, so not hanging around.

Volunteers to sort out next Saturday please? Will be in carpet slipper mode in preparation for the Wakefield vets race on Sunday.

Volunteers to sort out next Saturday please?

Looks like I'll be back in York next weekend, so I'll take it on - will post up details later in the week, unless anyone else has a route preference?