Saturday, early morning hill club run

[siwickm]

Am intending to meet up with Luke, David F, Daren and Ian for a early morning club run on Saturday. We are intending to leave CSS at 8.00am and be back by 1pm. We are not going to stop for coffee, unless we are really desperate.

Hoping to take in a fair few hills, including Whitedown, so if you are up for a early morning hilly session then please come along, the more the merrier.

Cheers

Marek....

[DavidKennett]

You don't fancy the Ladies Mile in the afternoon?

[siwickm]

Unfortunately cannot get out this weekend to race, anyway the route I am planning makes the ladies mile look like a sinch.

[Ian A4size]

You can bet your life we will be stopping matey! Have you ever been on a ride with me and not stopped for a pee??!!!! Its only a rumour and you can quash it if you like , but rumour has it that you and darren have had your bladders removed and are now wearing the "bag"

[stefr]

I hope to join you guys early saturday but have to take the car into the garage by CSS at 8.00 sharp. How punctually will you leave? Any chance of waiting until 10 past?

[Marek]

Should not be a problem waiting till 8.10am, we will probably be waiting for Ian to go for a pee in the bushes as he has such a poor bladder problem.

Cheers

Marek....

[stefr]

Thanks - I'll be in the area from about 5 to 8 so if I can't make ten past, I can let you know

[Ian A4size]

I am thinking of taking the saddle off and fitting a commode!

[Marek]

There were a total of 6 of us who braved the early morning and left CSS just after 8.00am. Luke, Daren, Simon H (aka Thunder thighs), Ian (I need a pee) Munnery, Stef and myself.

We made our way over to Chipstead and did one of the hills leading up from Chipstead valley road, and then back down the other side, call it a warm up. We then did box hill from the Chipstead side, then went over to Cold Harbour, and much to the relief of Ian we stopped at the bottom to allow him to go for a leak. This is when some old geezer on a clapped out racer went flying past us while we chatted at the bottom. This was like waving a red flag at a bull for Luke who chased him down on Coldharbour to make himself feel better.

We then made our way over to Ockley and did Tanshurst (14%), the narrow gravelly track, really should do on a mountain bike. This one always seems to have water running down it, and because of the gravel the tyres slip as you get to the steep parts, excellent fun.

From here we went over to Cranleigh, we got a little bit lost (well I did) but then eventually found ourselves on the right way towards Shere, which includes the Cranleigh Hill 21% of pure heaven, well thats what it looked like watching Daren and Luke floating up it. I think I heard a few moans from Ian and Stef at this point.

We then cycled into Shere which included a few hills to get to it, and then down the A25 for the pleasure of Whitedown. The good ole 18%er just what you need after the earlier pleasures.

It was then down to the old favourite Box Hill for the zig zag pleasure. In fact after the earlier hills it was a breeze and we blasted up it, Luke even had enough left to sprint to the line at the top.

Stopped for a pleasurable cuppa and a bit of treacle tart and then homeward bound back through Chipstead. Daren got a puncture in Tadworth (apparently third of the week, but considering he had already covered about 300miles in the week not too much of a surprise), which took him ages to repair, even with the advice of 5 other riders standing around him telling how it should be done it took a long time.

Cheers to all for coming along, think the route was pretty good even if I do say so myself, maybe the next weekend that we are not racing we can do something like this again. I walked back in the door at just after 1pm so got a gold star from the misses and all.

Marek....

[Daren L]

It's hard to concentrate on a job when your'e getting advice from a man who almost wrote his bike off with a plastic bag .

[Marek]

It was a newspaper, god knows what would have happened if it was a plastic bag!!!

[stefr]

Yes - it was a great route with some pretty hard climbing (for me, anyway!). I didn't quite make the 18% & 21% stretches and will be returning today to search for bits of my innards which fell out as I groaned up the slope . Next time, I aim to be a little quicker, though not by much. My thanks to all for waiting and making this a top ride.

[Will]

I think I saw you lot [url=http://www.streetmap.co.uk/newmap.srf?x=514785&y=150555&z=3&sv=514500,150500&st=4&ar=Y&mapp=newmap.srf&searchp=newsearch.srf&dn=798]here[/url], near the church by Ranmore Common.

I was going the other way in a group of 10 mountain bikers.

We were heading off to do Abba Zabba, and Blind Terror 1 & 2 (mtb trails ).

[Marek]

Will, that was us that you saw, we had just done Whitedown and were making our way over to Box Hill, you must have been with the group of lazy looking mountain bikers sitting on their butts just after the church.

[Ian A4size]

I saw a large group of mtb'ers just about there, all of you said hi as well.
T'was a great ride for me 70 miles door to door, plenty of great climbs and an equal amount of descents, I said to simon on the way down to shere " us big blokes suffer up the hills and going down is pretty hairy too, the lithe 10 stoners stop quite quickly, unfortunately the 13 and 15 stoners amongst us happen to oversail the stop line somewhat. I am more used to my hope minis which actually work!
Really enjoyed myself, even the hills, some sort of pain pleasure at getting up 'em.I would love do the ride fairly reg.