Club Run 03/11/07

[Alex P]

What can I say but 104 out!

The day started out as being promising, great weather, no racing, no special events so I was thinking that it might be big but not that big.

No takers for the training ride so a fair few on the 20mph run. The 18mpg group is now the biggest attended group of the whole club run turned out to be a bit of a beast to manage and ended up with three groups with the first being a reasonible number but we had around 40 on the second group which I split into 2.

For some reason more by chance that design we arrived at the cafe in relay so it never felt overwhelmed by the numbers other than the cake running out quickly but Renate had a smile on her face.

The ride back was well disciplined with a good split of numbers for Box Hill, all in all a classic ride.

[MJ_1993]

i couldnt come

[Stu Merckx Man]

i was planning to do huws extended ride so decided to go with the '20s'

i was feeling good today and was happy to sit on the front.

it was really steady the whole way round, but a good pace.

we got to newdigate and i hadnt come off the front apart from a 20 second spell at the beggining, so i decided to challenge myself to stick it out to the through and off. i got to ride next to lots of people in the group because of this. i found myself riding next to a couple of new riders from gemini cc.

they seamed pretty good and i think i have persuaded them to come and try the training group next week. they seamed to like the idea ... i dont think they quite know what ive persuaded them to do but im sure they will be fine.

we got the the duel carriage way with an average of 21.9! everyone seamed ok with the pace though. and i had made it the whole way on the front

through and off was good at first but then started to fizzle out towards the end. i think 2 or 3 people were starting to suffer and didnt want to be on the front and people were 3 men across. jim B fixed this pretty sharpish by putting the hammer down at the front which forced everyone back into 1 single line.

the sprint was pretty good. i went early but the 2 new guys got straight onto my wheel. i managed to ride one off but the other was on me like glue. then 50m before the line hal popped out and took the win.

the average speed to the cafe was 22.7 !!! . thats what the training group used to be like, and i expect some people in the group never thought they could do a training group type ride. its great to see how much people have been improving.

when i got to the cafe i was too tired for an extended ride i needed an extended sit down!

went back via box hill with a nice big group. we kept it pretty speedy the whole way round.

nice day out in some lovely summer weather.

cheers stu

[MJ_1993]

thats one way to convince people they are ready to move up groups

[Ian A4size]

18mph is the new black, and the choice of the discerning ACC winter rider.

There must have been about 60 who stepped up to the plate this morning, so we split into a few groups- i think.
I was in the first wave- with the iron fisted chanceller (sp) Grahame, and about a dozen others.
A puncture casualty early on saw Huw at the roadside, dunno what tyres he is on but advoid them like the plague ( unless they are contis).
You can now see why he carries his time trial bike about now, no punctures at all- but his PB times are sh1t!

Enuff banter now,

a fairly workman- like group it was as well- all doing turns on the front, the 2/3 min rotation seems to work quite well at this level- some of the riders doing a bit longer.
You only seem to have about 3 pulls and you are at the cafe.

A couple of times we got out of line and the chancellor(sp) waved his fist
(or clunked it) and we were soon bristol fashion.

On the run out to lambs green we were rudely accosted by a following 18mph group - who were either speeding recklessly, or had the run of the lights.

Clang went the hammer, much louder than the clunk and I think Keith went off the front like a rocket, Andy, Rob T and I quickly on the wheel trying to get a gap.
The Shadow and Grahame were left trailing - we sportingly left Keith on the front pulling us along at some 25mph and when he finally pulled over to let us thru , we slowed as well- why?
This enabled the sprinters to get back on- Keith kicked hard again, from a long way out and all the group came piling thru- ha but they all blew up
The final sprint was won by the Shadow with Andy 2nd and Keith 3rd.
Me- i gently cruised passed the dying group at about 700 watts and took a well deserved 4th

A great buzz in the cafe, they coped really well.
A super fast ride back - well we had to keep Alex's avg up- so 22/23 mph it was then.
Going home we employed the same 2/3 min rotation and we absolutely flew home- loads of people doing a bit and bit.
All this and sunshine too.

[Jim B]

2761 calories burnt!!
Rob C and I followed Huw's idea of a long steady ride and carried on from the cafe back down to Newdigate then over to Worth Abbey and Lingfield.
Longest ride I'd done for ages and just shows the difference of an extra hour or two with no breaks. Didn't follow any set route but did find some roads we'd never done before along the way.
I've done nothing but eat since I got in! Fantastic

[Keith]

A different club run for me today. Planned to do the extra mileage ride with Huw, so departed CSS with one of the 18mph groups.

Huw hadn't properly fixed his puncture (Ian, they were Michelin ProRace) as he flatted again. Offered to ride with him once he had fixed it but he thought it may take a while to finally sort it so I headed out again. Stopped and doubled back when I saw a tool kit on the side of the road, then finally joined up with the next 18's.

Pace was good all the way to Newdigate then suddenly these "18s" riders turned into "20s". Obviously I didn't rise to the bait.

This brought us up to another group who from about 3 miles from Charlwood seemed reluctant to be on the front. What the hell, thought I'd raise the pace a little. Eventually pulled aside but only one guy reluctantly came through. The whole thing was heading for a 20 man lunge for the line. I didn't fancy risking possible carnage so went early but my heart wasn't in it and Steve & Chris came through on the last straight. Well done Chris, think you got it on the line?

Still no sign of Huw at the cafe, and nobody else ther seemed interested in the extra winter mileage, so went out by myself rather than tea & cakes. Seems an odd decision now I'm typing! Good social ride back, before peeling off in Redhill.

[Andrew G]

[quote]and we were soon bristol fashion

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

[quote]104 on the CR

[huw williams]

Appologies chaps - I thought something was amiss when a relatively new tyre punctured twice in quick succession on dry roads - closer examination revealed my ancient and heavily over-used DT Swiss rims coming apart at the seams leaving a nice serated edge at the join. Ah well - they've given me great service on every ride/bike Ive been on for almost 3 years

Went home and changed the wheel in a temper.

Now I know from experience that going out riding in a mood of vindictive retribution is never a good idea cos something stupid usually happens but somebody had to pay. Namely me! So I went round the wednesday night hilly route in an act of self flagellation. Twice. The first time up Chalkpits I was feeling less sorry for myself, the second time I was on my knees.

Anyone done two laps round there? That's the last time I will...

[Michelle]

Arf! Am feeling the burn with you Huw.

Not only did I recently bunny hop a Surrey manhole, pop my rear rim, and have to limp tentatively home (25 km) in September sometime but...

The day before the Brighton CR, did our hill circuit - but twice. Well, didn't do the whole thing twice but when I got to the top of each hill I turned round and went back up it again.

Keith devised this route last year training for the Polka Dot Sportive (held in the Peaks in June).

It consists of up Tandridge Hill, cross the A25 then up Chalkpit Lane, right at the top , meet the roundabout, don't go down Titsey Hill but go left and join the road going along the ridge. Real fast descent (Clarks Lane), hang a left after a sharp right hand bend tp pick up Pilgrims Way, cross the A22 still on Pilgrims way, go up the three short sharp hills below Knockholt ( one is Sundrige, one is Hogtrough and the middle one is a 25% pig called Brastead Hill), then whip down over the M25 to Brastead, go right then 1st left up Brastead Chart (LOVELY HILL- esp on the new bike), descend half of Toys Hill then sharp right cut through and pick up the hill that takes you up to the Chartwell entrance. After Chartwell left at the T Stop sign, up that rise, down the fantastic long fast descent, turn right which puts you halfway up Crockham Hill (mind the bluddy cars) then peg it for home (ie Oxted) alongside the golf course.

Anyway, if you managed to follow all that, you will be knackered and in need of a chocolate milk.

No wonder my back gave out and I got dropped (AND ABANDONED) on the Brighton CR.

[MJ_1993]

[quote="Michelle"] I recently bunny hop a Surrey manhole

[MJ_1993]

[quote="Michelle"] I recently bunny hop a Surrey manhole

[Michelle]

Sometimes one has to bunny hop, it is unavoidable - or risk buckling you wheel or forcing someone off their bike.

I think I must have been a courier in a previous life.

No I wasn't right chuffed, watching other slowly disppearing over the horizon with me unable to push cos my back was killing me so much.

I did end up teaming up with someone, can't remember their name though, and we took lots of turns through Ifield trying to find the right route back. Eventually I peeled off home and I think the poor bloke had to brave the A25 on a weekend afternoon.

[Andrew G]

Nice sounding route Michelle. In my neck of the woods but I tend to avoid doing all those hills in one go.

Pilgrims Way from the Clarks Lane side is one of my favourite roads, best done early on a crisp winter morning, the surroundings are at their best then.