Club run Sat 17th

[Andy S]

Has anyone got any plans for an extended ride on Saturday?

I havn't seen any threads on the forum so just wondered if it was only the standard club run this weekend

[Andrew G]

I know Marek has an extended/different route somewhere down the list of threads, it'll be fast-ish, with hills (talk of KOM points), definately a hard training ride.

I'll be doing normal CR in fixed wheel group / Gentleman's 18s, short-ish cafe stop (tea, bacon sarnie, but probably not too much lingering), Box Hill return to CSS. After that I plan to head back and up Featherbed Lane and then do a nice loop out to Titsey, along Pilgrims Way, up Polhill, and down through Halstead. A number of return options from Green Street Green to arrive back at Coney Hall depending how I feel (one has a short but steep hill on it). Approx 100 miles door to door for me (probably similar for central Croydon start/finish.

I'll be on fixed and going at a steady pace (not fast-slow, up-and-down), anyone who wants to join me on the extension at the end is welcome but obviously is a bit out the way for most people.

P.S. Weather looks fine but cold.

[Andy S]

Cheers Andrew - i'll see who's in Mareks group (thinking of the speed) and make my decission on which route to take.

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

I've got to go to manchester for BC AGM and no George, I'm not riding there

[MJ_1993]

[quote="mrP(Boonen)VT"]I've got to go to manchester for BC AGM and no George, I'm not riding there

[Andrew G]

[quote="Seanieh_Taipei_Posse©"]I need to a micro CR as I have to be home by 12, hmmm. Next weekend.

[MJ_1993]

Isnt it that thing that does that thing to make you live?

[Mike I]

Normal CR; fixed wheel; Gentleman's 18; bacon sandwich?

Suits you Sir! I'll be there.

[Alex P]

On a cold, damp, miserable Saturday morning, 97 brave ACCers and potential ACCers turned up for the CR.. We had a full spread of the groups and was well represented by VC's. Everybody was in full winter gear apart from a young lady who put us all to shame with a "short" pair of shorts...

I was in the second 18 group and as we left off I was thinking that I was a bit under-dressed and in fact I never warmed up. The group was well disciplined but I struggled a bit and turned off early with Jo to get ahead of the queue at the cafe.

Just before we all arrived at the cafe they had just got a large takeaway order so they were not as prepared as they normally are for us and coupled with the numbers that turned up, the queue was very long and took a long time to turn around.

The ride back was steady and uneventfull other than an "off" on a bend in the estate with the concrete road surface but I understand that he is ok

I heard good feedback from the other groups other than one of the 17s was a bit ragged but considering the numbers out it was a good run.

[Marek]

[quote="Alex P"]Everybody was in full winter gear apart from a young lady who put us all to shame with a "short" pair of shorts...

[Andrew G]

Legs felt a bit leaden this morning and wasn't sure I'd do my extension at the end, would have to decide later on.

Went in a Gentleman's 18 which was well organised and a good run out. Back via Box Hill, Mike was also on his fixed wheel today and joined me for a steady run over there so we could demonstrate high speed spinning (17% descent), and suffering (honking up Box Hill). We were joined by Ben, Dan, and Paul D but they were using some new fangled invention, gears I think they were called - not sure they'll catch on.

Box Hill was fine, just had to do it out the saddle and keep treading on the pedals. Off the top and cut through the village rather than stick to the main road. Back to CSS with an 18 average so far.

Decision time - Ben seemed to fancy the extended ride and my legs had woken up now after the slow start (too many beers last night ), so went for it, Dan also joined us.

Average dropped to 17 by the end due to the tough wind conditions out by the downs. There was quite a strong head and cross wind for a long time on the long dragging climb up through the lanes to Titsey.

After Pilgrims Way and Polhill I took us back from Green Street Green along Shire Lane. I must have had a funny turn as this meant turning back in to the head wind for a slight incline (one of those roads that doesn't look like it, but your legs tell you otherwise) with a short but steepish hill at the end. Then dropped down the back lanes to Coney Hall.

Mis-guessed the distance a bit as I only had 93 miles on the clock when I got home rather than the 100 I thought it would end up at, but I wasn't doing another 7 miles just for the sake of it.

A good day despite the weather, and thanks for the company on the Box Hill and extra extension. A bit under 5 1/2 hours club run .

Cheers,

Andrew.

[Ian A4size]

A huge turn-out today , despite the weather men getting it completely wrong .
With a few people joining en-route there must have been the magic ton again, the cafe was certainly groaning under the strain.
A quick chat with "iron fist "and it was all sorted at the station- a "tin" ride was on, i don't know how many were in the 18 scrum, but they were well split up into 10/12 groups.
I led out a bunch of riders all capable of 20+ mph in the summer, who are doing the sensible thing and taking it a tad easier in the colder months(OK Tokster- you and me outside -NOW!)
Finbar Green was astride his lovely fixed and Caspar had a rather fetching blouse on- or at least that was what it looked like, sort of low cut and white .
We stuck together fairly well, even allowing finbar to open his legs and storm up the 3 humps ( ok enough double entendres)

Just as we came ( oops )to leigh, we decided to go straight on, fcuk that was slippery, loadsa mud on the road- if it was icy i think we would have all been off.
Anyone remember the ride out about 4 years ago- just before the bridge at leigh? There must have been 30/40 riders off on the ice!
A good pace with everyone working for about 2/3 mins rotation made for a nice vibe.

BTW, we lost a rider, just after the 3 humps ,Phil. He indicated he was going to turn right, i did not know he had a puncture, we were moving fairly fast by then-25+.
Does anyone want to express an opinion as to what a group should do?
Miles from home -i say stop, CR with following broomwagon, summer stop and bask, winter? It turned out he had a bit of a problem, as he had punctured last week and not replaced the tube, tube and patches this week were wet- but luckily another rider following on lent him a tube.
Please send your opinions on a blank signed cheque to........

Some how we lost Caspar and Nigel ( I know a lovely couple ), we did wait for a few minutes at lambs green, but no show.
Paul B took the sprint honours today, i was second after getting boxed in, dopping back 3 riders to find a way thru.
A tin ride it was as well.
A quick exit from the cafe saw an early group go back via redhill. Messrs Aladdin and Thermos-AKA "the vacuum twins" set off at a blistering pace, dragging all and sundry in their very considerable wake. Absolutely no watts were required for most of the peloton, and as Huw said in a previous post " these guys have a combined BMI of treble figures, before the point".
I had a rather heated chat with a guy/winker (misprint) who was on the phone whilst driving, he was very apologetic at the time, tho when he went passed- wound the window down and questioned my parenthood, then asked if i wanted a nescafe!
Unfortunately for him the lights changed and i caught him up, not so brave then, didnt want to leave his tin box and discuss anything at all.
Very nearly a new max HR to catch him up!
Grahame had a similar incident with a driver just outside the cafe.

He came over ready to have a go at him, then saw about 30 cyclists sitting there, he gave some sad spiel(sp) about paying road tax, to which Grahame said- I have 3 cars i pay road tax for- and rock star "looky likey" complete with naff headband got in his box and drove off, tail firmly between cheeks.
All in all a great ride out today.
Well done to andrew for poking up with all my "fixie" jokes.


Nuff said

[Grahame]

I was feeling a little under the weather this morning, struggling to get the muscles warmed up, but sweating buckets (over dressed) on the way to Coulsden. I hoped my slow(ish) pace was due to a slight headwind

Met up with the usuals, discussed what groups to take with Ian - we both felt an 18s group was about right, so were the first to show when this was called. "Strangely" we were followed by 18 other volunteers. Surely they didn't all want to hide behind us (everybody else's dream team for into a headwind)? We split to two groups, Ian took the first 10 or 11 with him, and Alex and I the rest.

On the run out, I was shocked to see "The Shadow" next to me for the second week in a row - Either I'm riding above myself, or he's taking it easy for a few weeks. Things got a little ragged through Reigate, but a few "words of encouragement" got it back to shipshape. Several muddy sections added to the fun - it was like mountainbiking on slick tyres at one point.

I wasn't the only one struggling - Alex confirmed that the Colnago is worth a couple of miles an hour at one point. I found myself on the front through the woods and up the climb to Rusper - I paid for this with a lung-jettisoning coughing fit on the descent to the lanes extension. We'd called "no sprint" earlier due to the state of the roads and size of group (we'd swept up a few puncture repairers on the way) and I was glad we stuck to this resolution when we came round the last bend before the finish line to see a couple of horses coming our way. Even AJC coming past the group didn't provoke a reaction.

Got to the Cafe with an average of bang on 18mph .

The ride home was also pretty disciplined, though I lost touch on the way up to the church and again up the Merstham drag. Cruised home to finish with my usual metric century club run and an average speed for the day of just over 18mph. Not bad for a "weakday".

[quote]Anyone remember the ride out about 4 years ago- just before the bridge at leigh? There must have been 30/40 riders off on the ice!

[quote="Ian MunneryA1size"]I led out a bunch of riders all capable of 20+ mph in the summer, who are doing the sensible thing and taking it a tad easier in the colder months(OK Tokster- you and me outside -NOW!)