by Cam B
Sun Mar 29, 2015 5:35 pm
Well...the daffs are up and the clocks have gone forward so that only means one thing ! The famous Clifton Chain Gang will start on Tuesday... 6.15pm sharp... and will happen every Tuesday thru the Spring and Summer from Whetherby r'bout... where the B1224 meets the ring road. There a little lay bay on the left about 100 metres beyond the r'bout as you head out of York....where people meet. I plan to be out this Tues. We tend not to get huge numbers but that means that you get more turns at the front! As many people know it's a well established route (Tockwith-Cowthorpe-Little Ribston-Deighton and back home) comprising 15 "brisk" miles and then 15 miles thru and off. How fast it is depends who is out. It's generally a collaborative affair in the thru an off (it's akin to working with other riders if you were in a small break in a race) but it's important to be self-sufficient as the group is unlikely to wait if you get dropped or puncture. If you do get dropped don't let it put you off necessarily. Most of us have been dropped (including me!). Granted, it's not everyone's cup of tea and you can race well without ever doing a chaingang but it does help and it's fun! It's probably the first sighting you will get of people's "race faces" and I know it can get a little intense if you're working hard on the bike and trying to hold the wheel....but as always... please respect and be courteous to other road users