Club Run 2/6

[Andrew G]

'Twas good to be back. My first club run for ages, 5 weeks due to TTs, a Race, a holiday, an accident, and that CR was taking photos so 6 weeks since a proper CR! Great to see all the cool young things again basking in the sun.

Went in the 19/21s with the usual suspects, and Adam recovering from his crash so 2 of us had some form of bandage on today.

Good solid run out, we picked up Grahame at Reigate golf course who had dropped back from the training group. Was an experienced well organised group so no problems and most people did a decent turn up front with some rotation Monty would be proud of.

After Partridge we turned off to do the long thru & off. We split in to 2 groups so that they could work as a smaller more cohesive unit. Apart from the odd ease and reform after roundabouts we flowed through pretty smoothly, rolling along at a nice steady quick pace.

The sprint was strange. Grahame and Mark did long pulls which strung things out, then round the last bend Adam jumped off and I followed but he had a small gap so comfortably beat me in to 2nd. We were both only half way down our cassettes though so less of a sprint and more just cycling a bit quicker. 20.9mph av to the cafe.

Back via Box. The training group guys had nipped off but were tantalisingly ahead in sight so Steve and I tried to bridge the gap. Just as we put in our effort they must have picked up, there was no way we were going to catch them so we pulled over to wait for everyone else. Steve and I then did a lot of the pulling with some help from Dom and Mark.

When we turned left after Newdigate I had mis-remembered the road and had it in my mind that it was a fairly short drag before the big 17% drop. I did a big pull on the front stringing it out only to discover the drop was further than I remembered. My legs started screaming at me but having started I thought I may as well carry on.

The right turn on to the lumpy road to Box was when the legs really got fed up. Dragged my carcass along the road and up Box Hill stageringly slowly. For the dive off the top I listened to my legs and head and didn't try to hold on to the fast train, and had an enjoyable ride back with Graham (t'other one), Jonathan and a chap on a Roberts whose name I can't remember.

Arrived home knackered but happy, Palace on Tuesday to get my legs ripped off again. See you next week.

Cheers,

Andrew.

[mlocke]

I came, I saw, my bike broke so I went and spent some money

Oh well there's always next week

[Stu Merckx Man]

[quote] My legs started screaming at me but having started I thought I may as well carry on.

[Grahame]

On the ride down my overnight ambition to ride out with the 19s was shattered by legs made of finest balsa wood - the result of 3 hard (for me) days in a row - Beastway on Wednesday and the hilly commute home Thursday and Friday.

So, would it be the 17s or 18s?

The call came for the 19s and I only just resisted moving towards my bike. 18s were called and before I could come to a rational decision, I was on the saddle, in the boxed area and ready for the off.

Anyway, we had a pretty disciplined ride down (Monty and 2 VCs keeping things under control, and a fairly calm group) with everybody doing their turn and no mishaps. We opted for the shorter T&O - Oh bum, I'd forgotten about the ride between Rusper and the dual carriageway. That hurt!

Anyway, the T&O went pretty well, except for a slight breakdown due to the volume of cars around the mini roundabouts. A few people had started to miss their turns and even dropped off the rear of the group, so the 12 that had left Coulsdon were now 6, but we knew where everybody else was, so that's OK.

The rotation started again after the final roundabout and held up until Monty called the sprint (after the blind bend). I was second wheel on the inside, and Sam came past on my right then seemed to slow when level with the lead wheel. It was go now or be boxed in. This was about 100m before I usually like to hit the front, but needs must... Anyway, I called "coming through the middle" and they parted (If it'd been me at the front, I'd have called back "No you're not" and closed the gap) letting me through. When I looked back I'd formed a decent gap but decided to keep the effort going to near the line, passing the sign in first place

The usual bacon baguette and 2 teas helped me recover a bit and I had a (rare) full day pass, so I fell for the Box Hill trap.

Monty had promised a steady ride to the bottom of Box, so we sat at the front of our group and let people go off the front if they wanted - the training group did just that, followed by the remnants of the 19s, but they never got much further than 100m up the road until the junction before the "pre-climb of pain". My freewheeling ability even saw the groups almost merge a couple of times.

Anyway, the two groups split on the "pre-climb of pain" only to be forced to regroup at the roadworks outside Rykers.

I opted for a steady climb up the zigzags (like I had a choice) setting off at the back and picking off a few targets on the way, and towing 3 non Addiscombited most of the way up who, when they passed me didn't even have the decency (or maybe the breath ) to thank me - most un-agreeable. By the "top", I was pretty well done in, and not looking forward to the extra climb up to the proper top. The rough road on the way back down was pretty horrible too.

Then, to add insult to injury, I didn't have the legs to accelerate onto the peloton that formed just after the junction with the main road, so formed a "Grupetto" with Andrew G and a few others, struggling over the camel humps to the roundabout.

The run down to the railway bridge allowed me to recover enough to do a George impression on the final climb before the drop into Chipstead valley - clicking up a gear, roaring and getting a jump on the group. I just got to the top before the lactic screams from my legs became unbearable, and enjoyed a cruise back into Coulsden for a very welcome sit down and a Cafe Latte.

On the way back into Croydon I just managed to avoid being squashed into the kerb by a person in a cage (I won't call him a driver) who seemed to think it was better to swerve into the bike lane than brake to avoid the car in fron which was turning right. Paul (on the Pearson) and I had "A full and frank exchange of views" with the cage-dweller covering his attitude and mental capacity.

Got home and collapsed on the sofa in front of the train-spotting (time trial) stage of the Giro, waking only for food and frequent top ups of the water glass.

In summary - a good day

[Sylv]

Great ride in the training group - five of us after Graham stopped to tighten his cleat ( ), with George myself and Polish Andrew on his new bike taking it in turns to instill the pace - we managed 23 to the café and I had 21.5 when I got home (before going out again for an hour of special Dragon training ). Lovely day.

[Yohan]

..yes sean...him and Adam had bandages on, looking like the walking wounded!

..didnt stop Adam winning the sprint tho..I think he just wanted to create a false sense of security ..good win tho, an fine second by Andrew too.

had a pretty good ride out myself today on my road back to fitness 20.9 ave to cafe, i was pretty pleased by that considering it was only my 4th ride this year, 4th in the sprint, so no complaints from me.

I'll prob be the only one to say it, but a bit to hot for me today, i sweated buckets ...but i'd take this over wet/windy anyday.

cheers
Yohan

[Sylv]

A year's worth of EPO Sean?

[Sylv]

I mean in the suitcase

[George]

Training group today 6 of us stuck it out to the cafe.

I led out towards Merstham ginding out a hard pace.

Brian has really upped his pace and is getting into the training group lifestyle.

Shadow is making a move towards endurance with a few good efforts of the front, surely this is gonna affect his speedgame

polish Andrew is a man to watch with his brand new Bianchi Racing bike the only way is up.

and Sylv is MR Consistant always there up the front doing tons of workload

I decided not to go quite so mad as last week on the run out today but we didn't hang around.

Up the Rusper drag Sylv's pace had forced me and him to brake away into Rusper after sprinting for the line at Rusper sign I asked Sylv "shall we blast it alone to the cafe?" he replied "lets wait"

tidy through and off to the dual carridgeway and along Charlwood lane 800m to go the shadow didn't come through for his turn, I took this as a sign that the sprint was about to begin.

I was on the front so just slowly wound it up a little and could keep a check on the others position through my legs.

round the last bend I sprinted for the line but Sylv couldn't quite make it through on the inside and the shadow wasn't there either

Box hill later a group of 5 of us got ahead and started up the ascent relaxed, then Sylv started racing so I stuck on his wheel and we wound our way alone to the top passing numerouse other riders

The best bit was when we took one guy on the last 2nd straight either side of him in a whirlwind flash

we waited for Monty's group to apear then the shadow came up first absolutely flying but he was well fecked at the top

[quote="seanieh.ThePengeAvenger©"][quote]Went in the 19/21s with the usual suspects, and Adam recovering from his crash so 2 of us had some form of bandage on today.

[Brian Nolan]

George - you just keep getting stronger - you animal !
I was pleased to just hang on to that training ride.. I've only been out once on the bike this week so even though I did not do much work, I was pleased that I didn't get dropped although you, Sylv & Andrew were really winding things up and waited for myself, Toby and The Shadow at one point .. The thru 'n off was a wellcome relief - we were pretty smooth there for a while.. After all your efforts it prob was only right that you took the sprint from Sylv by maybe half a wheel or so.. and you 2 had enough in your tanks to set the fastest time so far on the Box Hill leaderboard
great ride today lads,

cheers,
brian

[Alex P]

For those that ride in the 19 mph group, do you think that there would be any support for a 20mph group. I hear rumours that sometimes the 19mph group pushes it up to 20mph+ average. This would give another step level before the leap to the training group which might be a 'bridge too far' which turn out 22,23+mph.

I welcome comments as I might call out a 20mph group next Sat....

[Graham O]

Bit of a mixed day for me. Cleat came loose on the reigate steps, so had to stop, then on the way back I started to get cramp on box hill. Had a really funny cramp/problem in my shin which worried me a little.

Anyhow..On the upside, I had some pace in places. Just need to get used to going fast again I guess..

Anyhow, hoping to have a go at palace on tuesday, so maybe see some of you there...

Oh..and this will make you laugh. I have broke another seat post clamp. This time though, about 30 mins after tighening the bolt, it decided to make a bid for freedown and shot off the bike. It turns out that the nut was made of brass and stripped..bugger..

[Steve B]

What a lovely day for riding your bike

Felt tired first thing this morning and my legs decided that they definately weren't going with the training group, but once at Coulsdon, I made them. Pah, should have listened to my body.

George led the group of 7 out of Coulsdon and up through Hooley at another ridiculous pace, and I knew then I'd made a mistake. Thoughts of dropping back to the next group kept crossing my mind, especially when we were doing 30mph up the drag through the golf course in Reigate, but I kept telling myself to hang in there. 20mins later and my legs died. As I tailed off Toby and Brian seemed to say " thank god for that", and dropped back with me. We thought we were going to have a nice steady ride to the cafe until we saw George, Sylv and Andrew waiting at the end of the road, damn!

We all managed to stay together until the drag up to rusper, where George and Sylv decided to rip each others legs off, and mine just fell off. . As the others rode off into the distance, I thought that I could do the shorter thru&off and get a 5 min rest while I wait at the layby for the others who would be doing the longer route.
Damn, damn and damn again, they were bloody waiting for me at the top of the hill on the shorter route
However, it was not too bad and the thru&off was quite steady. Coming to the opening where the plane spotters are, I decided to sit at the back of the group and save whatever I had left in my legs, which wasn't a lot as it turned out. Andrew was the sacraficial lamb on the front, and he did a good job, but once the sprint started it was all over for him. George made the first move, Toby followed and I, him. Sylv seemed to get trapped but came like a steam train up the inside at the death. George showed great speed. Toby got to within a bike length but couldn't quite make it. I needed another 50m as I only got into full flow towards the end. George, Sylv, Toby then me, all four of us within two bike lengths. Great sprint

Decided to do box hill today. The fast boys got away straight from the cafe. I found myself, with Andrew G in no mans land, so we waited for the main group. I ended up doing quite a big share on the front and suprisingly my legs didn't feel too bad now , so put everything I had into the climb up box hill. Toby got 20m on me at the turn at the bottom, which gave me someone to chase. By the first hairpin we were side by side. I then played mind games to see how much Toby had left. I got in front, knocked it down 2 sprockets, got out of the saddle and gave a quick burst. Once I heard "Oh b*ll*cks", I knew he was beat. I sat back down, got into a rhythm and tried to keep the same momentum all the way up, which I did but my heart was trying to get out of my chest. The last quarter mile it was at 98% of max

Another good day in the saddle

Steve

[Andrew G]

[quote="Alex P"]For those that ride in the 19 mph group, do you think that there would be any support for a 20mph group. I hear rumours that sometimes the 19mph group pushes it up to 20mph+ average. This would give another step level before the leap to the training group which might be a 'bridge too far' which turn out 22,23+mph.

I welcome comments as I might call out a 20mph group next Sat....