CR 8th March

[Andrew G]

I'd said I'd take a B Training Group today the reverse route of the CR. At CSS it was a bit vague what was happening so we set off as a 19's / B Training Group, but it was more of a training group type ride than a normal 19s.

Those present : Toby "The Horse" (steady Ian! 'tis due to his height and strength), Andy (Bianchi), Mark "Lockey", Ant, Paul D, Paul B, Neil, Kasper, and we were also joined by Paul H on Chipstead Valley Rd.

We set off and soon picked up to a strong pace driving in to the wind, throwing in quick rotations so we could all pull it along pretty fast and then get off the front before dying. Paul D was on the front as we hit the first climb just before Kingswood but was in way too higher gear and suddenly shot backwards, meanwhile Mark stormed up the climb flying off the front. As we joined up again round the corner Paul had vanished but then reappeared in front of us a minute later , sneaky shortcut he knows there.

Along the top road to Box hill we were hammering along with pretty much a good rolling thru n' off, but Paul B was slipping off the back, we eased to let him back on but then he started dropping again when we picked the pace up again. We stopped at the top of Box for a quite tete a tete and Paul said he was having a bad day so not to worry when he dropped off next time.

Down Box and then along the dual carriageway in to a really strong head wind, left and on to the main road where we needed to go right. We were greeted by a no right turn sign but nipped across the road so we could carry on as planned. Worth noting this for other groups who go this way round the CR, I don't think it's a problem you may just need to dismount and nip over.

Left and up the steepish hill, we split a bit on here as everyone did there own thing be that twiddle or power up it, but then regrouped again on the descent before picking up the thru n' off again. This next section is a bit of a roller with a couple of little lumps and a drag or two, just think how quick you normally bowl along it going the other way and you'll realise it ain't flat.

Kasper and Paul D were struggling to hold wheels by now and they both dropped off as we got to Newdigate. I know we said we wouldn't scatter people all over the countryside but as they were together they'd be able to ride in together and cut up Partridge if they wanted.

It was only as we went through Newdigate that it struck me that going this way you still pick up the normal CR route with a reasonable part of it still left, and all the draggy sections to come . Still sore legs or not we continued our fast pace and either thru n' off or lined out with the leader flicking off as and when their legs told them to.

The next victims were Mark and Ant who both slipped off simultaneously as we approached Partridge and the climb up to Rusper. Again as it was so near the cafe and they were together we carried on, it was only as we dropped down the big hill that Ant suddenly came flying back , he must have picked up a little something in Rusper we'll have to test him .

We cut back by Lambs Green and passed a 17s group here before tearing off on the final run in to the cafe. The only dodgy bit of the ride for me was approaching the sprint I was sitting at the back and just starting to wind up a fairly big gear when a couple in front eased up and spread across the lane, I had to ease up and when they went again I was in to big a gear after slowing to get going again. Please can people keep going that close to the sprint, if you're stuck on the front just go for it rather than ease up as people are picking up their pace and it'll keep it safer, it's only a CR sprint.

All in an excellent ride out, very hard and I thought a good training ride. I'd strongly recommend going out to the cafe this way to all the other groups from time to time as it mixes things up a bit. You still get to the cafe for a chat but I think it helps spread the arrival a little bit, slower groups should set off from CSS as one of the earlier leavers as it is a bit of a longer ride out. It's really nice to change things about too and ride the different roads, they are completely different riding this way to coming back via Box Hill.

Came back via Redhill but my bike was at the back so by the time I'd rescued it and set off the first group was way off down the road . Hey ho, head down and TT up to them then. Blimey this was tough, Grahame was on the front of the group tapping out a quick pace as I kept looking at my speedo and even though I managed to hold it between 24 and 27mph it still took me until the right turn across the main A road to tag on the back for some much needed shelter and rest.

A really enjoyable CR, though one of the toughest for me, and Andy (Bianchi) and Toby definitely need to race this season as they are very strong.

[Antloony]

[quote="Andrew G"]The next victims were Mark and Ant who both slipped off simultaneously as we approached Partridge and the climb up to Rusper. Again as it was so near the cafe and they were together we carried on, it was only as we dropped down the big hill that Ant suddenly came flying back , he must have picked up a little something in Rusper we'll have to test him .

[mlocke]

Well arrived at CSS quite late but just in tme to be sheparded into the B training ride with Mr Green & Co by Monty.

Hadn't been feeling too sprighly on the way so decided to test the legs on the first short hill. After that it took me about 15 minutes to recover and I glad for the pace settling down waiting for people to get back on the back.

After that it was all pretty much as Andrew said with some fast through and offing (maintaining a steady pace of up to 30mph) where possible through most of the course and people getting away a bit on the hills. One point worth noting was neils bike handling skills on the first Box hill hairpin when he nearly lost it!!

I got dropped where you have the option to turn left at the cafe but decided to carry on and do the long run in.

Same as Andrew I got left behind a bit at the cafe as the main group shot off up the road. Andrew was about 2-300 metres ahead of me all the way whilst I was trying to get on the back. Like Andrew I was motoring at no less than 25mph but it took until the turn for me to get on the back by which time I was well and truly cooked.

After that the pace was maintained by the bunch and it was a quick ride back to CSS.

My fastest CR ever - and included an average of 19.9 on the way back from the cafe.
Overall pace was about 18.5mph for 54 miles.

[Grahame]

Despite my "monolung" status, and lack of time for a pre-ride coffee at Regelino's (I must learn to leave Bromley before 8:30am) I was informed by il capitain that I was going out with the 18s . Mr Munnery welcomed me onboard with a sneaky "rotate" call on the way out of Coulsden, but that was OK 'cos we kept a fairly rapid rotation with most people contributing thier share of the work on the way out. And I held on fine, until Adam took the "coward's route" out of the sprint by going for a long one, forcing 3 or 4 of us to chase him down despite getting held up by cars (or at least the fear of them) at the last junction. Contributing to this burned my last matches so I cruised into the cafe, winning the important race - the one to the front of the queue .

Good banter, with a steady stream of arrivals stopping the queue ever becoming too long and guaranteeing a steady increase in noise levels and decrease in oxygen levels in the cafe.

I stood up to leave for what I hoped would be a steady paced ride back, only to dawdle outside and find myself on the front of a fairly large group again. Every week I tell myself that I'll just sit in on the way back. Every week it turns out I'm lying . Mark pulled alongside me after about 1km, and it all got a bit fast from there to the church climb.

Another enjoyable ride, and I'm starting to feel a bit stronger. Only about 10kg to lose and I could have a chance of keeping up when gravity starts to go the wrong way.

[Paul on the Pearson]

It was a great ride and one we should do more often. Doing the route in reverse is a lot tougher, I forgot how many long up hill drags there were in between the Box hill and the cafe ! I was pretty anoyed as I'd had a good CR the week before and thought I was going reasonably well so had big plans for this weeks ride but alas it wasnt to be. I remember coming round Mark so he could get my wheel and get back to the group on one of the long uphill drags, Mark then came through and my batterys went dead and that was my lot. Must try harder next week. Performance rating today a measly C+, but I managed to redeem my self with a hard effort from the cafe with a head down all out TT effort to catch the group that had left about 5 mins before.

[Snoop Doug]

[quote="mlocke"]My fastest CR ever - and included an average of 19.9 on the way back from the cafe.
Overall pace was about 18.5mph for 54 miles.

[Sylv]

Sound good Andrew, I think we should try something similar on the other training group, I'm thinking in particular of practising attacks and chases. Say in a group of six or so, one rider towards the back makes a secret sign to the one behind him, three seconds later they both attack really hard and try and relay each other, and the rest of the group has to try and chase them.

Then when (if) they catch up, the chasing group counter attacks, and in turn the previous attackers have to dig extra deep in order not to get dropped.

[Marek]

Sylv, I thought that was what we did every week anyhow

Cheers

Marek....

[Sylv]

Well it's not quite as structured,

[Robh]

[quote="Sylv"]Well it's not quite as structured,

[Sylv]

Yes I'm gonna do uphill intervals when the clocks change, got a couple good ones just down my road

[Andrew G]

[quote="Paul on the Pearson"]It was a great ride and one we should do more often.

[quote="Robh"][quote="Sylv"]Well it's not quite as structured,

[Ian A4size]

Anyhoo, back to the CR report.

I did not realise the group was as big as it was when i looked round after about 10 mins of riding, we must have had about 20 riders onboard. Far too big to keep to keep in check, even tho we had a lot of experienced riders.

The head wind was quite strong as i led out, and it was not too long before "i feel like chicken tonight elbows" bought Grahame thru.

A reasonably quick rotation on the front made sure that everyone did their bit.

We did however have a "mixed bag" of riders and it was by mutual unspoken consent that we waited a while for the slightly weaker riders.

At times it felt we were moving far too slow, but that was the advantage of sitting in!

I can remember Grahame pushing Elliot up the 3 humps- then seeing Elliot absolutely flying later on in the ride.

To be honest it was a fairly mundane ride after the blast of last weeks CR, it never really came to life until we started the bit up to rusper and down to lambs green,

it was here that Mike and myself put the hammer down, i was working me nadgers off, mike calmly came up beside me-asked me for a light- and shot off!

I stuck to his wheel like glue- he owes mw a fiver , and we did our best to put some distance between us and the spriners.

Some poor misguided soul bought Adam back up to us and he shot off up the road at speeds of 15/20 mph.

At the cafe he said it was the first time he had the wind in his face this year!

Anyhoo.... an elite group of 5 cats set off after him and gave good chase, but he won the sprint .

The ride home was a real blast , a tailwind (at last) kept the speed high, poss 23/25mph, nearly everyone did a turn- even Ajay! He bravely took the front for 10secs as we went down hill, bringing his ride avg to 25watts.

Joanna did well digging in with the front riders for most of the way home , even tho she has not ridden for 2 weeks, she even won the sprint in her group.

[Toks]

[quote="Ian MunneryA1size"] [size=150]nearly everyone did a turn- even Ajay! He bravely took the front for 10secs as we went down hill, bringing his ride avg to 25watts[/size].