Club run 2.2.08

[mlocke]

Where are all the reports from the peeps??

Was going to do the alternate with Andrew today but have been feeling rough so decided to do my usual and do the CR with the 18's.

I think there were quite a few quick lads in the group today and it was a good steady ride till we hit ice a few miles from the cafe.

4 or 5 went down really hard (Pete's helmet shattered into pieces) so we decided to go another way and everyone from that point took it easy.

From the cafe four of us got a small lead on the bunch and managed to dtay away till the cafe but I personally found it quite hard work.

From the church I was inspired by Monty's speech which went something like "Every man for himslef from this point". I decided to test my legs and got a reasonable gap before my solo was ended by an ill timed red light. Form this point it pretty much stayed together with Phil flying down Merstham dragging a few of us behind and with me in total agony.

Back to the cafe for a quick cup of tea the home.

Thanks for the ride guys - maybe see you next week if I don't decide to do the Sunday reliability ride.

Mark

[Andrew G]

Ouch hope everybody's okay. What make is the helmet? When I came off and cracked my Giro I just had to return it with a letter to explain the accident and a cheque for £20. Got a brand new one by return of post under the crash replacement scheme, and as it was a £90 helmet was well happy.

[carl f]

Sorry to hear about spill,hope everyone is ok?
andrew after my crash at chertsey last year,i tried the crash replacement with giro but got no response,do you have a phone number?

[Will]

Am also sorry to hear about the falls and hope everyone is ok

I did give you guys a thought as I cycled into the centre of town from Putney this morning around 9am and was surprised to come across 4 large patches of ice on the urban roads

[Andrew G]

Details are [url=http://www.ultimatepursuits.co.uk/giro/]here.[/url] I have the pneumo which it says is a £40 fee so I don't know if they have changed since I got mine, or this is out of date, but the address to return to is the same.

[carl f]

Thanks for that, for some reason before i was given an e-mail for an address in Ireland,that i don't think exists.....

[Phil L]

[quote]Pete's helmet shattered into pieces

[Sylv]

Changed my mind twice this morning about which ride to get on, thought about going with Andrew but it was already a big, varied group, then the 19s, but in the end had to do my new bike justice by riding it above the speed limit at 190bpm ... yet it was going to be the infamous training group .

THis was Paul H, Stu, me and Paul T - who peeled off at Reigate, well that's what he said he would do, but we had dropped him well before getting there Paul H was beeing extra careful and seeing ice where there wasn't, I think he even stuck both feet out whilst riding through a mini-patch - at no angle at all

Don't know if it was the absence of George and Marek, but the speed felt more even today, there were no big attacks just smooth equal taking of turns at the front. It was fast alright, I had 22mph dead at the café which included my warm-up ride to CSS. We did the "peel off" method on the carriageway, which worked well, too well it seemed for Stu who insisted on doing 45 to 60 seconds at the front instead of the agreed 30.

Onto the lanes and I got tempted to draft behind a car again, looking back I had a 50m gap but eased off as I knew Stu wouldn't make the mistake of letting me go alone a second time . Then we got stuck behind a stopped bus, Paul and I had the time to overtake him before he set off, but Stu got stuck behind it, I was going to wait for him but Paul had other plans so we kept going - well at least it meant Stu had an easy ride to Charlwood, as the bus was right behind Paul and I all the way - I actually thought Stu might be able to pass it and us to the line, but in the end it was just Paul and me, taking turns until the finishing straight, I had taken my last turn and kept going until the sprint, Paul was not far behind but I made Thor proud by bagging the sprint on his bike.

Box Hill return, a group of about 8 set off and we soon split, leaving again Stu Paul and myself. Smooth and fast again, sometimes Paul would come up front but Stu would then accelerate refusing to let him past, oh this bodes well for the racing season . We caught Kieran on the first set of bumps who'd set off on his own, I thought I might keep him company as I wasn't looking forward to Box Hill - what with Stu emptying his water bottle as we approached the dreaded roundabout ...

Paul said something about needing a dump, but even had he been serious Stu wasn't intent on stopping before the top. My own intention was to suck wheels all the way up, but Stu suddenly let me pass and started playing mind games with Paul by slowing down. Not amused, I kept going with a gap but they were soon back, after the second hairpin I decided I'd have my bif of fun by slowing down too, and waiting for attacks.

It wasn't until 2/3rds of the way up the long straight that Stu put a "devastating" attack (his words at the top) that I tried to counter but just couldn't, I kind of gave up but Paul came past so I kept his wheel and had the small consolation of not finishing last today. Paul blamed his poor performance on the sprint run work he'd done this week, but reassured us he was gaining 1% wattage per week.

Good blast back to base as always, like a few times before today, I did try to drop the boys but just couldn't, they were just stuck to my wheel like chewing gum. Brian N kept us with us from the top of Box, Stu dropped his chain exiting the posh houses backstreet, and even though we waited for him he didn't rejoin. Maybe he bonked yet again and is still trying to feed off mushrooms and berries


I took the liberty of a few gratuitous stabs, it's always the best bits for me when I read the reports so I hope the involved won't mind

[Stu Merckx Man]

EDIT= i didnt realise sylv had posted before. wow they read like mirrors! great minds....

just sylv, paul H, paul T and myself up for a training group ride today.

paul T was going to go with us until reigate, although he only made it to the M23 split bit i think

it was fairly pacey up the reigate steps. although it pains me to say it, paul H is definately getting stronger, he did his first turn up the reigate steps since about november

we kept it fairly brisk through the lanes, managed to avoid any spills on the ice. we didnt go full bore, like the last few weeks, and we didnt attack eachother, so it was very flowing, with all of us sharing the work and riding strong.

for the through and off we dicided to do 30 seconds on the front, then pulling to the side, and so on and so forth. impressively the speed stuck between 29-34 mph, apart from at the round abouts. i dont know if this is faster than when we do the normal through and off, anyone know?

sylv won the sprint on his new bike, but only because i was stuck behind a bus, no not paul, but a proper one.

went back the box hill way, pretty soon it was just paul sylv and myself again. we all rode strongly , sharing the work well, and keeping the ride flowing.

as i had missed out on the sprint i wanted to make box hill mine, but i wanted to do it with some honour, so i made sure i led along the duel carriage all the way to the bottom of box hill, giving paul and sylv the rest i new they would need

at the bottom i pulled aside and sylv came through. still on the first straight, paul decided to start playing games and let go of sylvs wheel giving him a 30m gap...im not sure why though i quickely bridged it towing paul along with me, and then took a turn up the next straight. i went fairly hard, to warm my legs up for my impending attack . at the 2nd hairpin i pulled aside, and sylv came through again. i thought it would be paul, but he was playing cadel evans and just following sylvs (levi leipheimer) and my (alberto contador) wheels. it became clear sylv wanted the double today, and he didnt go very hard on the front, only 12-13mph.
i needed a plan, so i pulled aside and waved paul to take sylvs wheel, pretending i was cooked. as we approached the half way mark of the last straight i slowly clicked up my gears hoping paul and sylv wouldnt hear. then i pulled to the other side of the road and attacked contador stylie . predictably evans sat on leipheimers wheel
i got on the drops, but stayed in the saddle and cained it as hard as i could. i looked at the speedo and i was doing 22mph, but it didnt seem to be enough, as leipheimer was looking like was going to get onto my wheel. i was about to give up, but i noticed leipheimer was dangleing about 5m back and evans 20m back, not quite able to get onto my wheel, so i held the pace for another 20 seconds or so at 20mph but it was crippleing me. thankfully i managed to shake leipheimer off, and i rode through the wooded bit at a more modest pace, and then sprinted up the last slope to consolidate my win by about 100m. was that good enough for you ajay?

we cained it back towards kingswood, but my chain came off on the hill before chipstead, and got stuck, so i had to go the rest of the way on my own, but it was nice to be able to go easy, as i was cooked!

stu

[Marek]

Sounds like you had fun, I had a lay in and then spent the rest of the day wishing I had got up early as the weather was great. In some ways I am happy I did not go as I would probably have hit the ice due to having to leave at 8am to get to CSS. Hopefully be out next week. Hope no one got too badly banged up in the ice dancing.

Cheers

Marek....

[Joanna]

Club run of two halves for me today. woke up and saw the clear sky then looked at the temperature gauge 0.8 Degrees c, well I know my lungs won’t work when the air is below 0 but the sun was shining and the thermometer was not showing minus so off I went. Not too bad on the way down to CSS, quick chat with Carole and Robyn and the 17 group was called. Made sure I told Grahame not to wait if I dropped off. I would just wait for the next group and we were away. or rather they were away. I struggled from the start HR = too high, air too cold, lungs refusing to deal with the cold air in.

I managed to stay with the group until we crossed the motorway entry then dropped back, no problem, I would get up the 3 bumps on my own, then join the following 17 group once it levelled out, but no, Sean and co came past before the bumps so I was on my own . I kept going looking back for Monty’s group but in the end had to wait at the Leigh turn as I wasn’t sure which way they would go and didn’t want to do the whole ride on my own. The rest was better, good to have people to chat even if I was a bit breathless and we all managed the ice ok. I turned off with Alex Nick and Nick at Partridge .

After the tea stop I was expecting to take the slow group back, but the air had warmed up and i was fine. I managed to keep up with the front group (despite Super AJ’s attempts to escape),all the way back to Woodhatch and though I dropped back on the hill up by the church was really pleased with the ride back. Nice to be out. though roll on Mallorca, where I won’t have to worry about cold air.

Joanna

[Ian A4size]

A fairly strong 18's group out today, it was made even better with the inclusion of super Ajay- who after much umming and aahhhing decided not to go on the J4f, and decided to come and do some work(?) in my group.
I dont know how monty arranges the weather each week- but he is doing a mighty fine job tho'.
I led out up the drag to the motorway, two tight lines as soon as poss, taking fairly rapid turns on the front, no more than 2 mins total- it was quite windy up the front.
We went passed a few ice patches along the way, these were well called out and caused no problem, a few riders were flying today, Phil l being one- he looks like he has lost a few kilos- alas it looks like i found them .
I think it was a fairly well balanced group, luckily for most tho we managed to keep Rob T off the front on the drag up to partridge/rusper bit, he did however come to the front just as we started going up the hill, showing great bravery ol' fat nav got on his wheel , well i was pushing nearly 600w (wake up finbar) and he just rode away from me in the end!
we hit a spot of ice in the lanes just after lambs green, a few riders went downfairly hard, Peter, Case(sp), and i think it was Andy.i was fairly lucky as i was just to the right of them and managed to stay upright, we were going 20mph plus at that point.
A few sore heads tonight for sure, as they went down so quick they didn't have a chance to save themselves. A quick thinking rider went to the beginning of the lane to warn other following groups to watch out.
A group decision to backtrack and go up the nearest lane, and seemingly climb for ages to bring us back into partridge lane, then the cafe.
What a row it was in there as well.
Soops had just finished a rather splendid 5 course brekkie, and was now raring to go- after his "unfortunate" mechanical had left him off the back off the group
We were really shifting on the way home, even monty!, freed from the shackles of the 16's- he shared the workload with soops, Brian R and myself- we quicly caught up with the training group and dropped them ( ok thats a lie)- but we did catch the other group in front!
Joanna worked hard on the way home, and we sat up to take it easy on the church climb and used it as a cool down.
In, bathed and changed- out the door by 1 and up to GB's to get a few "necessary" items- it seemed there were ACC members all over the place, still trying to get home after their 10th cafe stop (are you listening Andrew) were Monty, John Cz, Soops, notorious late riser Huw Williams.
And theres more, dirty stopouts Sean, john C and Sam C- Andy (moaning about the cafe stop on the kent ride) Sylv looked like he had bought the shop, Soops made it into GB's and rushed into the mechanic- complaining of a "rubbing back brake .
2 hour kip on the sofa when i got back home.

Luvvly!

[PeteS]

Feeling pretty sore today, headache, shoulder pain plus all the usual suspects! I very nearly didn't wear a helmet yesterday, it was so cold that I considered just a woolly hat, thank goodness I didn't. I've already had a fractured skull and burst eardrum years ago when my old style helmet just disintegrated when it hit the tarmac and the prospect of another session of hospital and dizziness for months would not appeal! I think that without a helmet I would have been seriously injured. Mark, who was just behind me, said that my first point of impact was my head. The helmet shattered and that could have been my skull. Without the added hazard of ice, riding in a group is always a slightly unknown quantity with some inexperienced riders and guys not used to being in a bunch, the prospect for a crash can't ever be discounted and I for one wil never consider going without my head protection again.

[quote="Sean"]but I'll do Box Hill on the way back

[Ian A4size]

Aaaahh Mr Green has finally surfaced, obviously he has had a few black sheep (snigger).

Let me tell you young man that 600w is a fair old rate! (especially when old, bald and fat).

Just ask any technical like minded soul like toks/adam/huw/rich/rob.

Looks like you led out a good ride yesterday- long may it continue.

Bloody luddites- bring on the jethro!