Club Run Today

[Marek]

Excellent club run today, mainly because I was feeling great, cold crisp weather and the sun shining, cannot beat it.

Went out with the middle group today and we kept a sensible pace throughout the whole ride with everyone managing to stay on throughout the ride.

The slower group had a puncture and also Mr Munnery had to go home and put on a new tyre as he had a big 'ole in the one he was riding. I don't know why he didn't just use the spare tyre he carries around his middle.

I enjoyed the ride into the headwind around the back of Ifield, mainly because I was not on the front.

In the run up to the sprint I sat on the front and wound up the pace as much as I could into the headwind. As the sign came in sight I put in a bit of a dig and managed to create enough of a gap on the rider behind me which then meant the rest of the group had to go round this rider and then ride into the wind to get back onto my wheel. Thankfully I managed to hold them off and took the sprint without sprinting, cool.

Lots of talk in the cafe about the past reliability rides and the training races that people have been taking part in at Eastway. Gavin was talking about the Majorca trip coming up which sounds fun.

Rode back to East Grinstead on my own via the main roads, blimey it was windy today.

See you soon.

Cheers

Marek....

[Gavin]

I was struggling today not sure why but I think a few more turbo sessions are required.

What really worries me is that I saw AJ and his new bike. It looks the business so he is now the favourite in the AJ vs Gavin Box hill challenge 2006.

Only time will tell if it is a 3rd cat bike though ........

Cheers

G

[Nick]

I felt the full force of the wind on the way out from the cafe today I stayed on or around the front all the time until the church climb when I was passed by almost everyone if not eveyone . After the regroup I sat on the back of the group as my legs had gone due to the earlier excersice riding into the wind. But once I reached the top of the Mertsham drag i found a new lease of life in my legs and put all that I had into catching as many as possible. I managed it very well indeed and I went passed Monty on his "OLD" trusty stead and thanks to his shout of encouragement I carried on until we came upto the traffic. I then took it easy and sat behind a few riders that caught me up and followed them through to Croydon from there on in, i was on my expect that BLOODY Headwind. But had a very good work out looking forward to collecting the Turbo Trainer from Adam soon then maybe I'll keep up on those hills.......

[Ian A4size]

Well it was windy on the front today and it was really good to ride out with the General Pathfinder even if only for a short time as i ended up ripping a hole in the rear tyre that was beyond fixing as i had used up my last tyre boot on a previous ride.
Luckily i was only about 3 miles from home so i freewheeled on a very under inflated tyre and got home - a quick tyre change and back out on the road, it was too nice to stay home so i took the quick route to the cafe- i worked really hard on my own against the wind and was shafted by the time i got to the cafe.
Yes Marek i know it looks like i carry a spare , but this year i have actually tried to do something about it - cutting out a lot of booze, i cant drink much- come along to any of the socials and see the jibbering idiot that i am , however i am better at the hills than i was previously as i have put a few miles in this year and can honestly say its the first year i have actually done some consistant training, having signed up for the dales ride i need to be a bit more focussed, who knows what i can do with a few pounds off .

[Alan M]

After ending upsidedown in the ditch I had the wind blown out of my sails for the rest of the ride and on the way home. Thanks to Monty and others for taking care of me. I got home somewhat battered but still unbowed. Nevertheless, what with a cold and cough, some bruises and a bit of whiplash I think that I will take tomorrow as a rest day and save myself for mallorca. Hey ho!

[Ian A4size]

Poor you Alan, you did look a sorry state- no one knows quite what to say in those circumstances- and as the person involved you dont want fussing up either, still a day off the bike may mean your cold goes away a bit quicker- i guess you will start to feel "unfit" as you have only done about 300 miles this week

[Yohan]

..yes it was a good ride today, in terms of sunshine...but roades still a bit wet in places for comfort........hope the bruises aint too bad Alan, put some 'witch doctor' on it...works like magic.....that also applies to the 2 others who were equally unfortunate on that bend.

Seems it was only me, Jim, Robbie and another ACC rider (sorry dont know ur name) to brave box hill, with less people the infamous headwind which was too evident today made it all the bit harder......an the fact that Jim fogot to mention until almost home that he was training for the Triathalon, it was a bit of a punishing ride....but good training none the less.

Great numbers today on the CR, always a pleasure to see!

Yo.

[kieran]

hi Yohan, I was the other rider. It was a good ride to box hill, not too fast so had some energy to try and catch Jim on the hill but failed (almost did it!). Good ride back afterwards but the headwind had me killed by the time I got home, still great fun, managed just under 70 miles so was happy with that.

[Tamar Collis]

Well done to all those who braved the club run and reliability this weekend. I was in the Midlands with my mate Sue...the intention being to ride Kenilworth to Chesterfield to say happy birthday to her mum. But icy roads and a bitter headwind meant that after four miserable hours on panniered mtbs we'd only reached Burton....and the hills were still to come in the latter half of the ride.

So we let the train take the strain and sat defrosting, giggling like kids who've just snuck past their teachers to avoid a particularly nasty cross-country run.

We'd only ridden 50 of the intended 100 miles by the time we reached Sue's mum's but I really didn't care.

Sunday was much more enjoyable, doing a 40 mile round trip on canal paths and old railways from my mum's to Rother Valley and back. Nice to see the chavs out getting some fresh air even if their dogs were a bit out of control. My mum ran into one and had a near miss with another.

[siwickm]

Hit a chav or a dog?

[Tamar Collis]

Chav's dog. Told her to aim for chav next time.

[Jim B]

Finally made my first club run of the year and it was nice to catch up with people again. Adopted the Al Queda look against the cold with just my eyes showing at times. I'm not jealous of people off to Majorca at all!!!!

The interest in a longer ride back was underwhelming to say the least but Robbie, Yohan, Keiran and I had a nice ride back via Box Hill. No doubt some were saving themselves for the reliability ride yesterday.

[Toks]

[quote]...but this year i have actually tried to do something about it - cutting out a lot of booze, i cant drink much- come along to any of the socials and see the jibbering idiot that i am , however i am better at the hills than i was previously as i have put a few miles in this year and can honestly say its the first year i have actually done some consistant training...,

[Nick]

Ian those same Skinny Guy/s That may mock our spare tyre's, soon duck behind us Broader Real Men when the wind starts blowing......and they weave all over the road as they have no weight to stop the drift. They tuck in and have a free ride.

Nick....Another large built sex god!

[Marek]

Come on guys you must admit that I probably make up the weight in my height considering I am 6ft 5ins.


cheers

Lanky Marek....