Club run 4/08/07

[Nick]

Not there but hope all goes well.

Trying to go out with Another Club/ride ( ) on Sunday that meet 500 yrds from home.....

Let you know how I get on?

[Colin Steadman]

burn him at the stake

[Andrew G]

Good stuff Sean, roll on CBC.

Went with the training group today for the first time. A big old group out in this compared with the half dozen that used to set off up the road.

As you'd expect pace fairly quick from the off but comfortable enough riding in the wheels. First time out with this lot I fully intended to suck wheels all the way round just to try and survive and get used to the speed.

Approaching the Gatton triple I knew I'd be in trouble. I ain't no grimpeur me, and was near/at the back so couldn't employ my usual hill tactic of getting up the front to give me slidding room.

I've never ridden up those little lumps so fast or in the gear I used today, but was out the saddle and turning my little legs as fast as they'd carry me. Not quick enough as the others cleared off up the road as though I was standing still.

Managed to keep them in sight so hooked back on on the way down to Reigate, helped by them freewheeling, me nose down arse up, and a helpful set of traffic lights.

I was starting to feel stronger now and was okay in the bunch. Lost a bit of ground at the back a couple of times and had to dig in as closing even a small gap wasn't easy. Well when I say okay I wouldn't describe it as spinning along having a chat but I wasn't thinking I'd get spat out all the time either.

I decided to cut short and turn off at Partridge, as the pace would get wound up after that and I didn't want to push my luck. About a mile before though I suddenly felt a soft rear end . I wasn't goosing another rider, but had a puncture. I pulled over and Brian pulled over to wait with me and ride in to the cafe.

Nice gentle ride back as far as the climbs to the church. Did my usual little push up here and drive down to the re-group church. Found Adam cleaning something sticky off his leg but he assured us that it was an energy gel. Leaving the church and everyone was happy to sit behind metronomic Mark as he towed us up to Merstham.

About half way up Adam attacked and I got a bit carried away and went after him. Sorry Mark for sitting on your wheel and jumping, bad manners.

Grabbed Adam's wheel and followed him. he attacked again and I couldn't hold so he eased up and then looked back and started goading me.

Charged off the top, a bit with Adam but then he caught a tow from a car and I got caught behind another so we split. Adam was riding well today, pre-op, so should fly when he's had his shoulder fixed.

Excellent CR for me, gave myself a good test.

[Steve B]

Good turn out today, and fantastic weather - about time too

Went with a huge training group, consisting of the usual suspects plus a couple of faces I havn't seen before and a couple of guys 'stepping up' to the group for the first time- nice one Andrew Good to see Tim for the first time in a while.

Pace was a bit casual compared to previous weeks until the steps and then it all kicked off. I felt quite good up there today, for a change and pushed hard but was still a fair way back from the big boys who make it look soooo easy

Being a large group there were lots of guys to launch attacks and these happened almost continually keeping the pace insanely high. I even managed an attack but my legs quickly asked what I was bloody doing so I swifty re found my rightfull place back in the pack

Along the flat section before the drag through the trees, we fell in to a nice thru&off, which was good, but as soon as the road started to rise, and the likes of George etc started attacking, my heart rate went in to the red and I went backwards. Rob was also finding it a bit tough, which was the first time I'd ever seen him struggle. We stayed together and plodded our way to the dual carriageway where the others were waiting.

Thru&off was stonkingly fast due to the large numbers and the nice tailwind Paul tried his breakaway up the hill before the lights but the lights went red on him Back together and the pace was still high. Before the first right bend, George and Paul made a break for it - how unusual - but with a lot of fast guys back in the chasing group, this didn't last long. Towards the final right bend I found myself on Tims wheel, which was perfect but didn't hold out much hope of beating him as he is sooo quick. There were still half a dozen guys infront of Tim but he breezed past and I followed. There was no time to sit on his wheel though as we were near the left kink. We started sprinting at the same time and I pulled alongside. Neck and neck, flat out, still neck and neck, no one giving an inch, but somehow I managed to find that tiny bit extra and just pipped it. A brilliant sprint

Back via Box hill at the same insane pace. The climb up was just as hard as ever before, but I felt quite good and held off a few of the others, although I did have a 30m lead at the bottom

All in all another brilliant day on the bike

Steve

[Toks]

Only the second club run this year glorious weather and lots of extemely agreeable chapies out. After some detailed umming and aghrring I decided on the 19's which featured newbie Sean. H , Ian, Mark, Owen, Paul on Pearson and Nick Wilson - including others there were about 14 in the group...Oh deary me! perhaps the sun got to our heads or something cause up until Reigate the group dynamic was frankly non existent.

"This is rubbish", "what's going on?" etc were just some of the derisory comments about the lack of group cohesion. Ian later summed it up as it being "after the lord mayors show". Anyway a bit of communication eventually smoothed out the problems and it turned out to be a great ride. It was pretty much through and off most of the way once we hit the lanes proper so by the time we got to the dual carriage way the T&O was effortless.

Chaos theory eventually kicked in of course and Owen made the first tentative jump with the Charlwood sign about 5k's away. I'm not sure if we reeled him or he blew a gasket but he was soon back with us. With about 3-4k's to go I got on the front and put a steadish 25mph lead out on the table for anyone who wanted to test out they're Neuromuscular Power for the C-sign bragging rights. Looking back behind I think there were about four on my wheel. All bets were on Owen the Jamican Sprint King and Adam 'Petacci-Boy' C. Once again Owen was premature and with approx 150metres to go Adam did a perfectly choreographed bouncy number and took it comfortably. I'm sure he looked back and winked at us at one point. I continued to roll on and took the best of the rest prize. I didn't hang around for the food business unfortuanately but got going imediately with Tim and Robbie. A good day on the bike. Ride time, 5 hours on the nose. Av speed 17mph:D

[quote="seanieh.Piano_Condor©"][quote] I'm sure he looked back and winked at us at one point.

[huw williams]

Excellent urnout again today and great weather for a change.

10 out in the 20's group which was just that til Monty's caf about 500 yards outside CSS. They were ripping through Merstham at 27 so I thought "If you want a tear up we'll have a tear up." leathered it up the three humps with Adam and dropped everyone. Behaved down the other side and regrouped for a couple of high speed attacks through the lanes past the golf course. Sat up for a steady run to Newdigate then attacked again on that little climb and that was it - hammer down all the way to the dual carriageway.

As usual it split up on the hills around Partridge, some riders going backwards quicker than Caisse D'Epargne in the Alps. Picked up a couple of guys spilled out of the training group and three of us attacked and got away up the hill before the re-group for T & O. Nice and tidy around 26mph all the way - just missed out on the sprint when my big lead-out guy ran out of gas with 20 to go???. 21 and a bit average to the caf.

Been wrecked all week so the decision to go over Box with the training group was optimistic at best. Great ride though, we averaged 24 all the way to the right turn at the foot of the first climb, with Hal, George, Sylv, Polish Andrew and Paul H mixing it up at the front. George blew up, then I blew up, then Brian blew up - there were more blow ups than that time the baloon factory blew up, so Box Hill was miserable.

Aoden took the climbers jersey (I think, I couldn't see round two hairpins and a long straight which is how far back I was :-0 ). Nice sit down in the sun on Box hill waiting for the other groups to arrive allowing us to recover for the usual mayhem down chipstead valley - and it was mayhem, 25-30 all the way down in pursuit of Sylv who somehow got a gap. Coffee and cakes at Regalinos. Three hours on the couch with two dinners, then a short hop over to Wimbledon to say happy 40th to the Shadow - he might be officially past it but he can still ride a bike.

A great day, let's hope the weather returns for Brighton next week

[John the old'un]

Great clubrun with the J4F group. No John C so agreed to organise this group. With Marco in attendance as well there was 11 of us enjoying a nice steady ride. There and back we averaged 13 mph on the nose, exactly as planned. Great ride. Not out next week (got to take the wife on a weekend break) and a 10 the following Saturday, (thats if I get a ride in the event !!) so see you all in three weeks time.

[Sylv]

[quote="huw williams"]the usual mayhem down chipstead valley - and it was mayhem, 25-30 all the way down in pursuit of Sylv who somehow got a gap.

[huw williams]

I always try that too but this week some cars got in the way allowing the slippery Frenchman to slip away

[adrian]

Weirdish club run for me on Saturday. Started out flushed with the joy of a full weekend pass, and found that an excellent-looking group had gathered around Huw under the 20mph banner.

Sadly my contribution to this group lasted all of three minutes - I hit a hole with a clatter than made my rear brake seize up and clamp tight on my rims (ayy). No time to ask the others to stop - doubt if they would have anyway - so that was that. The rest of the groups sailed by as I tried to figure out what had happened.

(Cheers to Marco for stopping to help - nice to meet you finally after about four years )

There then followed a solo time trial as I worked my way back through the groups - some of which seemed to be in complete disarray and were merging in a most mutinous manner. But I was never going to catch Huw's group so resigned myself to a regroup at the caff. Hooked up with Robbie just before the Partridge Lane turnoff, so it wasn't all solitude and misery.

When the 20mph group finally got to the caff, it was clear that nobody had even noticed I'd gone missing

Enjoyed a gentle trundle back, eschewing the Box Hill option - was down for a hilly ride in Kent the next day with Andrew so didn't feel in need of the miles or the pain. Caught a train back from CSS to London Bridge to get bike fixed at OYB - had a very nice beer overlooking HMS Belfast while I waited - I only wish I'd had my catapult with me . So it was definitely a case of all's well that ends well.

[Sylv]

I have to say though, Alan's idea of additional sprints was a good one, but after going all-out for every single climb top my legs felt like jelly by the time we reached the hills before Rusper, and I duly got dropped.

Where were you Alan so that I could pip you to the Newdigate invisible line!

[Brian Robinson]

I'm clearly trying my luck with the training group, 3rd week in a row where I've had a good kicking.

Pace was relatively easy out of CSS (c.f. the week before) until the steps. Managed to hang in up Reigate steps and then on to just after Newdigate. Knew I wasn't going to last up past the golf course as there is only so long you can hold 90% MHR. Fortunately Andrew had a puncture and I felt it was my duty to stop and watch

Went back via Boxhill with the training group and the elastic finally broke on the way into Dorking. Tried to catch group on other side but to no avail and had to spin up Box Hill at 90% MHR. Was knackered on the way back from Box Hill and stayed in the red zone the whole way home trying to hang onto Monty and a few others.....totally cooked!

Can't wait till the next training group though .

Bri

[Wal]

This was my second CR in two weeks, and my second of the year (I’m a fair weather cyclist!). Being a somewhat infrequent CR attendee I don’t know many names, but I’m beginning to recognise a few faces and it was good to see a few sometime MTBers out on the road ride. Anyway, I know this has been said before, but one of the great things about ACC is how you can turn up at a CR as a complete stranger and be made to feel instantly welcome.

Once again I had an absolute blast with the training group, and once again jelly legs for the rest of the day. And for the second Saturday in a row I knew the pain of digging to get onto George’s wheel after an attack and the relief of having achieved it, only for him to attack again half a minute later.

An afternoon engagement meant I had to eschew the Box Hill option, but I had good fun attempting to chase down another rider (sorry, I don’t know the name!) on the run into Redhill and a little sprint duel with the same fellow heading over the Coulsdon bypass.

Looking forward to next week’s CSS to Brighton CR, when I’ll join Marco et al in the J4O group. Should be a hoot!