First Club Run!

[Matt Robbins]

Hi All,

Just want to thank everybody I met on Saturday for making my first Addiscombe club run a really great experience.

Started with Ajay?s 18 group?particular thanks go to him for introducing himself and making sure all us newbies were ok, top bloke! A nice trip to the cafe via Lambs Green (I think!) and then back home via Box Hill and hanging on to the wheels for the final dash back into Coulsdon?great stuff!

Hope to make it along again very soon.

Matt.

[huw williams]

Ajay in the 18 group over Box Hill? Blimey, he must've been training!

[ajay khandelwal]

Matt, you are very welcome, and I hope your ride is the first of many with the addiscombe. You are obviously a strong rider and got into the spirit of the Addiscombe CC very quickly. Too good to be riding around on your own. I'm sure the racing squad will have you signed up in no time!

About the club run: I was idling in the 17 mph group but was dramatically conscripted by monty to lead 18mph group. Destiny! We had three guests who were all strong riders. One had a very rusty bike which made my previous bikes look well maintained ! Paul Tunnel was riding a tandem with Tamar's friend Justin. It went like a rocket with the rest of us tucked in behind it. I had reports that the 18 mph group recorded a speed of 30 kph to the cafe. I told the new guys that we normally stick to the advertised speed but the peloton effect of the tandem made this a special week! I was finished but pretended I was fine, after all I had do a positive PR job for the new guys. Thankfully Mark Mc was providing directions via Lambs Green.

The cafe had Monty's Kitchen Cabinet and review of the CR in 2005 and ideas for the future from the assembled membership. Paul Tunnel also took the chance to promote the upcoming John Smith memorial ride which requires volunteers. A well deserved cheer for Monty for his CR stategies and week in and out efforts.

I compounded my earlier mistakes by returning via box hill and was at one point over taken by member Mark Leedham, who is not exactly a super grimpeur! Chapeau Mark. I found the return section easier, and we had some good attacks. A guy from the SWRC joined in along the Chipstead Valley and we had some attacks from George on his borrowed GB bike. He's a big guy so I could see the bike flexing under him when he got out from under the saddle.

By this time a four of us had a hatched a plan to return to Clapham and watch the closing stages of the Milan Sam Remo. I bonked in Streatham, but my club mates nursed me through it and we got back in time to watch the last 20 km. Great stuff.

Matt: look out for Phil Nash next week and he can sign you up as a full member....and come down to the Belgian Beer Circus for some proper training on Thursday !