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Weather forecast (in as much as it's reliable at four days' distance) seems to be for wet but not particularly cold weather on Saturday, so we may as well stick with our four-points-of-the-compass rotation and head east - Malton / Coneysthorpe - Terrington. Depending on numbers there will be two or three groups. At the risk of wasting breath (but, hell, this is a Clifton ride so here's the Clifton line) (i) remember it's a group ride, and you can ride on your own anytime, (ii) riders spread over the countryside in ones and twos just make us look a mess, (iii) please be sensible about which group you head off in and (iv) remember that even the season-opening road races are still ten weeks away. If the weather's in any way wildly different to expectations we'll reconsider the route on the day. End of chat!

Do you think we could incorporate a lap of the new circuit? Or is that being too ambitious?

Whats the new circuit? I won't be out but would like to know what the circuit is!

Do you mean the Stillington one Martin?

Sharpy, it starts in Sheriff, heads west through Farlington to Stillington, then turn left to head south then left along Moxby Lane (flat 10 circuit) to left at the cricket club and left at the roundabout in Sheriff

Sounds a good little course.

Will try to make it out. Steady group for me. Uncertain if I'll manage to keep up on the hills, but we'll see. Would be up for a tour of the new circuit.

Three sides of the RR circuit adds about the same distance as doing the flat ten circuit so it's a good idea. All the more reason to take the rest of the ride sensibly!

I was using that circuit as a "10" a few years back for the evening TT's before the Sutton circuit was used. It was ok but too many corners and I always had visions of someone opening a car door on a rider in Stillington
The circuit isnt hard enough for a road race - just another big ringer with a hospital visit at the end for someone. Why didnt we stick with the Bulmer circuit only 3 corners to Marshall, less impact in the local villages and riders good enough in this club to get a result there!

There were concerns about the descent of Terrington I think, Paul. I would have liked to use that or Saxton but there were issues with the villagers there.

These seems like a decent alternative. At least it seems a bit hillier than Wheldrake or Bishopwood.

Cheers

Martin

I'd suggested the Sheriff-Stillington circuit as:-
-The NYERRL event is a 4th's only event, and Bulmer's pushing it a bit for that, especially with the descent of Terrington and inexperienced riders
-The bends are no worse really than those through Ganthorpe
-You're as likely to get wiped out by a car door in Terrington as Stillington
-The road surface through Ganthorpe is currently shockingly bad
-Sheriff-Stillington also only has three corners to marshal (one, in both cases, being the Sheriff roundabout) and avoids the two narrow bridges - both taken at high speed and one with priority to oncoming traffic, which causes all sorts of Traffic Management headaches.

I'm using the same circuit for the vets race because frankly I don't want to be sending over-70's up Bulmer Bank (the North Newbald event was worrying enough). Nigel T's organising the BC event, so will leave him to comment on that...

I had a conversation with Fraz at Cycleworks yesterday, and his explanation for lack of Bulmer-Terrington races in recent years was that the circuit was overused, and then everyone simultaneously backed off. The other problem being the immense cost of hiring Sheriff Village Hall (Brandsby Hall being £40 a day).

For my money, the drag through Sheriff *will* tail off a bunch of 4th Cat riders. There were a good dozen (a fifth of the field) who couldn't handle the bridge-junction-bridge scenario at the Bishop Wood 4ths last year - and this climbs higher. Clifton has strengths as a club *and* its riders have strengths - the former being that novices get a good introduction to all forms of riding, including racing.

N.B. We didn't win the Team Trophy in last year's NYERRL just by grabbing 4 top 10's on Yearsley Moor.

Also, if we're using the Sheriff-Stillington circuit for the Vets race, can we somehow use the Stillington - Brandsby - Crayke circuit for the BC club race? Everyone who's complaining about flat racing can go wild on the Muur de Yearsley!

Cheers for the ride today guys. I struggled on them there hills. I hope I didn't hold you back. Toddled off home after sheriff. See you next week.

A pretty reasonable turnout this morning given it was wet and getting wetter; as is traditional about fourteen or so set off in the "brisker" group under (hopefully) Cam's watchful eye, leaving five of us to collect RichT on the way through Stockton, forming the "steadier" group. The ups and downs of the Malton route always make things a touch less tidy than usual but we worked together okay, eventually collecting one of the brisker group stragglers and with Matt (see above) peeling off at Sheriff. We did three-quarters of the Sheriff-Stillington circuit and then back to York. No mishaps / dramas / etc with just over 220W and 18.5mph for the out-of-town chunk.

Steadier group with Phil for me. Pretty tidy riding by all present. It's the first time I've stuck with the group on this route so the winter training must be working...

18.6mph and 215W for the out of town section.