Chaingang Report

[Michelle]

Chaingang lite has the potential to be really good.

All we need is few more people.

Jo and Bus turned up, plus me, and a guy Marek brought with him called Gareth. We were chaningang lite. We set off round the Horne circuit which is about 3 miles, and the full fat chaingang gave us about 4 mins grace (full fat were Markek, Stu, Keith, Paul H and Dominic). Gareth, who is very new but very fit, soon got the hang of it and we went hammering round. We started to drop folk about halfway through, there were two left by the back straight, and as I dropped off the back of Bus I informed him that it wasn't thru and off if there was only one of you left.

We then spent the next lap trying to catch up with each other. Towards the end of this lap, the full fat CG came through. I managed to sprint and catch up the back of them for, oh, 2 minutes! I looked at my speedo and I had been doing about 34 kph before, now I was doing 47 and they were pulling away! So I reckon they must have been doing 30 mph! Nuts to that.

After a little breather I tried to salvage something so timed myself round the 3 miles loop. My 2nd club Redhill use this as a 9 mile TT so I know what my splits should be. Happily I was 15 seconds faster than May last year, but 20 seconds slower than August last year.

Caught up with all the rest at the Golf Club. Keith looked very ill! We started slowly home then he picked up a bit and for the last 20 mins we really pegged it!

Thanks to those who made it happen and had the idea for chaingang lite.

It was a great session, with such huge potential to be really good training. All those who chickened out this week, put it in your diary for next week, and we can really make it work. Come on give it a go, what have you got to lose? Nothing. And what have you got to gain - better fitness, better bike skills, stronger legs lungs and hearts and to top it all a nice ride amongst the bluebells!

[Keith]

I forgotten what it's like to ride that hard and fast in a group.

Being part of the team, driving hard on your turn on the front.
Trying not to push too hard on your turn even though the pace is higher than is comfortable.
Tucked up so tight behind the rider in front you're blind to what's more than 5 metres in front of you.
Going so fast and close to the rider in front that you can barely glance at your computer.
When you do look, you realise you heart is way higher than is ought to be.
Realising that you can't do your next turn.
Thinking you can't hang on to the back and you're going to get dropped, but finding the strength from somewhere.
The relief when the 6 laps are cut to 5 due to fading light.
You've given everything in the final straight but find just a bit more for the sprint.

The relief when it's over.

[Antloony]

Sounds like you guys enjoyed it, Im gutted I missed it. I got home early with the idea of chucking my bike in the car and driving down to join in the fun only to get home to an empty drive. Mrs Loony had gone shopping...the only time I can remember the car not being at our house for about 3 years when Ive got in from work. The ironic thing is we sold my car last year and kept hers as we only ever use the one car and thats rarely and mine was a gas guzzler.

I shall make an all out effort to be there next week and Ive already pre-booked the car just in case. I really do feel I will benefit from these chaingangs, sound just like what I need to get some more speed out of my legs.

[mlocke]

How far is this place from Coulsdon?

Is it a quiet / closed road it is done on?

If I can make it, this would be some good training to get the legs up to speed for some more palace racing

Cheers

Locky

[Andrew G]

Quiet roads Mark. It's south of Bletchingley a bit north of East Grinstead.
[url=http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Bones+Ln,+Newchapel&sll=54.162434,-3.647461&sspn=9.102654,20.478516&ie=UTF8&ll=51.170087,-0.072441&spn=0.038048,0.079994&z=14]Map[/url] - It's just left, left, left in a loop, about 3-4 miles I think. PVT did a training thingy there a couple of years ago with Keith K.

Be good to try and get to one or two of these but it's a bit far out for me. Might try the commute/car thingy too Ant.

[Sarah_M]

I'd be up for chaingang lite later on in the summer, when I have a bit more road experience. I have to fit activities aroun OH's opera tours etc though so won't be able to make every week.
What speed did the lite group average? Presumably (hopefully) a bit slower up hills

[Ian A4size]

I really enjoyed the workout!

Sorry Michelle- i sort of got the wrong end of the stick and treated it a bit like a surrey league handicap- next time i will be more disciplined.
The training group certainly looked like they had a good time.

Hopefully more people will come along next time, i think we had about 8/9, so not too bad at short notice.

As the evenings draw out a bit we could start a bit later, or people could just hook in as they arrive, if they dont see anybody about just ride the course in reverse- it takes about 8 mins a lap- or 5 in the TG!

[Rob C]

Will it always be on a Wednesday? It's going to clash with the Pilates...

[Michelle]

Apology not necessary Ian, I was quiet joyful when I asked if we should slow down if we dropped anyone and you said stuff em put more power down. I thought that was especially fierce!

Although thinking about it I reckon we should maybe be a bit more inclusive in future...heh heh heh.

Sarah - I reckon we were doing above 34 kph whatever that is in old money, its loads easier to get the speed up in a group cos you benefit from the drafting.

Don't worry about getting extra sooper dooper road handling skills, Gareth was new and a triathlete and he picked it all up pretty easily. I am sure you would too. What we can't help with, though, is the babysitting.

[Stu Merckx Man]

really enjoyed last night.

if i felt like i did last night at palace i would have blitzed it!

the through and off started off megga fast and my legs were hurting, but in a good way.

dom and paul were starting to suffer big time. dom had to let us go, and paul just hung onto the back.

after a couple of laps it was just me and marek taking pulls on the front, with keith doing the odd strong turn when me and marek had pulled aside. not bad considering he has had 9 weeks off!

marek was going really well last night, must be finding some good form. it was good when he attacked me after a long turn on the front, as it put me in that do or die moment when i knew i had to get onto his wheel or i would be dropped.

i returned the favour to marek, but he always got back onto my wheel.

real good training that was. keith summed it up well!

[Marek]

Glad you enjoyed it Stu, well as you had made the effort to come down to the circuit I thought it was only fair to give you as good a workout as I could. That felt really fast last night, and as you say if only you could feel like that on demand it would be great.

Went out again tonight with Keith, we did a 1hr 20mins out in the hills around EG, was nice and steady, good to get the lactate acid out from last night, well maybe.

Cheers

Marek...

[Snoop Doug]

[quote="Rob C"]Will it always be on a Wednesday? It's going to clash with the Pilates...

[Chris L]

This sounds good, I need to get some training in as opposed to "just" cycling and will try and come this weds and join the lites, only problem is I will be hanging it on the back of my commute home. What time does it finish and will I need lights as I've just swithched to my summer commuter and taken the light thingies off. Chris