Feedback Kent Reliability Trial 22nd January

[Gavin]

Good ride today met AJ (yes AJ) at 7am at East Croydon. We headed out and met Dave Lombari at west wickham. I got quite cold on the way to crockenhill and no wonder it was baltic and there was thick fog. Saw Jon Hemming and Marek at the HQ. Marek shot off and that left Dave, Jon (bothe doing the 60 miles) and myself and AJ doing the 30 miles. Aj and I managed to hold on to them for a couple of miles. Aj and I plodded along at a sedate pace until I asked him what he had put down on his score card. He put 2.5 hours which meant we had to blast the last 20km at race speed with AJ taking full advantage of the term 'drafting'.....

Good day role on next week its the hills........

Cheers

G

[Jon H]

As Gavin said, we started off together but split up fairly soon. Dave & I rode together with a guy from the promoting club Bexley CC, then I got carried away and dropped them on a long climb. In my enthusiasm I managed to miss the first checkpoint and a turn-off, so made an unplanned excursion into Tonbridge. Found my way back on route and met Dave again at the second checkpoint. By this time I was getting concerned about getting round in the 4 hours I had put down and needed to get a shift on. Dave had allowed himself a more generous 5 hours, so dropped off the pace. Anyway, I stayed on the right route for the remainder, and finished in about 3hrs 50 I think. Dave finished just as I was leaving the HQ, I guess about 15 mins after me. 90 miles done by the time I got home.

[Marek]

Brilliant ride today, started off a bit chilly but Max and I soon warmed up on the first climb by going up it at 95% heart rate.

We rode together for the whole ride, caught up with one ACC rider who was going pretty well, don't know his name but he did the club run yesterday and was still going at a fair pace today fair play.

We lost the ACCer just before one killer climb just off the A25 after Godstone. Blimey that was a tough climb, thankfully they had a checkpoint at the top which gave us a chance to get our breath back.

With about 10 miles to go we got caught up by four guys who were kicking ass and they knew the way, which is one of the reasons Max and I were going slow because we had to keep stopping to look at my deteriorating map, I must bring a plastic wallet next time to put it in. Will save me from trying to decipher whether my fingers have rubbed away an L or an R.

We sat on the wheels of these guys to the finish which was excellent as they really did boot it so we got around in three and a half hours, well inside our planned four hours.

Hope to make it out next week, think I may have to cycle to the start though as the misses wants the car, eeek.

Cheers

Marek....

[David Lombari]

A good day.

Rode out with Ajay and Gavin. It's tough to get out of bed at 6.45 on a cold country morning but it's worth it to breath the fresh, crisp air and to see some great views of the Kent countryside blanketed in frost and rolling fog.

Wanted to do a good steady long ride to judge my current level of (un)fitness and was pleasantly surprised. Didn't want to just do the 30 miler, but didn't want to lash the 60 and blow, so put myself down for 5 hrs.

A good, generally flat course that was puntuated by the odd climb, particularly Gangers Hill. Got back in 4hrs 05mins, which is why I rushed past you John, wanted to see if I could get under 4hrs.

Had done 100 miles in 6.5 hrs by the time I got home to a well desrved cold bath.

[ajay khandelwal]

It has often been unfairly alleged do more talking than riding nowadays so I was pleasantly surprised with myself when I found myself at EC station at 7am on a cold Sunday morning. Here was a chance to finally shake out the last vestiges of winter indolence and show I was committed to getting fit and fast on my bike again. Perfect timing from Gavin - 7am departure - picking up DL at 7.20 at WW. It was a really stunningly beautiful ride down - the fields were covered in frost and fog - making it feel like we were cycling through a Graham Watson poster of the Pyreenees (and not perpindicular to the M25.) We looked like cycling zombies covered in mist.

Reached the impasse at the start point, as they were only taking exact money for entries, and turned down my £20 note (muttering that cyclists were too rich nowadays). Luckily DL bailed me out. Well done to those riders who set off on the sixty mile ride - quite an achievement this time of year. Gavin and I completed the slightly more lazy 30 miler (I had to get back for a house viewing - and I think Gavin had some sort of anniversary to get back to !). John and David set of at an impressive no nonsense pace - and JH was looking particular silky on his bike with a nicely tucked in position. We let them go (on this occassion at least). We made good progress to the first check point, or so we thought, until two octagenarians on trikes pulled up, and sped past. We never saw them again, so I reckon they finished ahead of us!

Our resolve crumbled a bit from then on - although Gavin put a good effort in on 1:8 climb on Mote Road. It was only when he threatened to name and shame me on ACC forum for failing to get within my elected time that we had to get going. (I hadn't realised that if you don't get within your elected time you dont get a certificate and done get the point for club!).

It was a great ride from thereon in, and we got into the zone and I remembered what it is like to ride a bike fast - and the joys of a good draft! I was saving myself for a sprint to get the club points ! At one point towards Pilgrims way a squirrel appeared - we were going at 30 kph and leaped through Gavin's bike! I was sure it was going to get the chop in his front mech and we were going down. After that we speed up a bit more and made it in 2.30.

You guys did the right thing to cycle back, as there were engineering works at the local train stations , meaning we had to cycle to Swanley to get a train home.

All in all a great day.

[Toks]

[quote]We made good progress to the first check point, or so we thought, until two octagenarians on trikes pulled up, and sped past.

[adrian]

[quote="Marek"]We rode together for the whole ride, caught up with one ACC rider who was going pretty well, don't know his name but he did the club run yesterday and was still going at a fair pace today fair play.

We lost the ACCer just before one killer climb just off the A25 after Godstone. Blimey that was a tough climb, thankfully they had a checkpoint at the top which gave us a chance to get our breath back.
[/quote]

I can reveal that I was that mystery rider.

Enjoyed the ride a lot, despite spending 90% of the ride on my own, which put me in mind of The Loneliness Of The Long-Distance Runner. I could at least console myself that (as far as I knew) I didn't have several beatings, a cold shower and dismal food awaiting me when I got home.

Slight disbelief as the alarm went yesterday at 6.30. Still, after the great ride the day before, on which I'd felt uncharacteristically strong, felt ready for anything. The trouble I had keeping up with an ACC'er (not sure whether Max or Marek) in the car on the M25 on the way there was to be repeated ten-fold on the ride itself!

Wasn't sure what to expect, so took it reasonably easy to start with so that I wouldn't regret the previous day's efforts and besmirch the club's good name. Found the course was largely what you'd call 'rolling'. My only real discomfort came when I realised we were in the vicinity of Toy's Hill, but luckily we skirted round that one. As for Ganger Hill, even Huw might have questioned its parentage but as M says, at least we got a rest at the top of that. All in all, I was pretty happy to be out there, inhaling the freezing air, taking in the bucolic vistas and generally feeling grateful to be enjoying rude health.

Somewhat diffidently, had put myself down for 4.30, but got in inside 3:45.

Looking forward to more of these - heard from a moustachioed policeman from Old Ports (rewarding himself post-race with a cigar - well, who doesn't?) that the Catford ride was off. Legs are pinging a bit today but with about 115 hilly miles banked over the weekend, feel pretty pleased with myself.

(Will now pronounce briefly elsewhere on Saturday's ride)

[Toks]

[quote]We rode together for the whole ride, caught up with one ACC rider who was going pretty well, don't know his name but he did the club run yesterday and was still going at a fair pace today fair play

I can reveal that I was that mystery rider.

[adrian]

Cheers, Toks.

By the way, you seem to have more luck than I do with the quote thing. Where am I going wrong? I stuck the [quote] [/quote] bits either side of the quote, but nothing seems to have happened...

[adrian]

[quote="marco"]youve probably got a tick in the box that says "disable BBcode in this post"

[David Lombari]

Anyone doing Sunday's ride? I can't see anything about it being called off. It starts at Knockholt at 9am, so closer and earlier than last week's (so I can have a lay-in till 7am).

[Jon H]

Yes, I'm planning on doing the Catford ride unless the weather's really bad or sub zero.

[adrian]

It was either this weekend's or the next one that had apparently been called off. Something to do with the hall they were running it from being double-booked - and preference having been given to the vicar.

This is all hearsay, of course - worth checking first in any case.

Really annoyingly, I won't be out this weekend - I've b*ggered my knee banging it on a corner of a desk at work.