Club Run 26 April

[Marek]

Today I did about 3 miles too far, in fact to put it accurately I could not do the last 3 miles home. I had to phone the wife I was on my knees.

Set off at 8am and got to CSS quite early. Watched the riders pouring into the station. Alex called the hilly ride group and it was only Toby, Keith, Sylv and myself. Well we set off and Toby was setting quite a quick pace. This was a bit worrying as I had planned a long ride, but I thought it would be ok. We went over to Box Hill and scaled it in reverse then we went to Dorking and climbed Coldharbour. Keith and I took it easy whereas Sylv and Toby raced up. At the top of the hill Sylv was having a coughing fit and Toby needed to tighten his cleats so we stopped for a minute or so.

Then we descended down towards Ockley, the roads along here are great fun, really good when the weather is like that today. Into Ockley we decided we would hammer it over to the club run route and see if we could get to the cafe to meet the groups.

After Ockley we went to Rusper along the Rusper race circuit route. I like this road so started to put the power down a bit. Think I may have been overcooking it a bit here, but it was fun. Then we went to Charlwood via Partridge Lane. At the top of the final climb I attacked the others to see if I could beat them on the descent to the Charlwood sign. I don't think they realised what I was up to and I took it easy.

After some tea and toast in the cafe we headed off to Ashdown Forest. Well, that was what we were meant to be doing. As we had now lost our group Keith and I decided to go up to Box Hill with the Box group. Dan G gave it some up the hill and I decided that I would let him go, but then thought I would try and chase. I left it too late and he was up and over the top with plenty of room.

Another drink at the top of Box and we regrouped. Then Michelle, Keith and I headed back towards Bletchingly. Keith took us on a very nice hilly ride back to Bletchinley where I stopped again for a coke and some more water in the shop and they headed off home. I sat on a bench in Bletchingly for about 20mins before deciding I better get going. Well I was feeling ok for about 20mins but then at Outwood Windmill it all went pear shaped. I literally could not turn the pedals. I descended down the road and then phoned the wife to ask her to come to the London Temple to pick me up. I kept going and even on the flats I was having to turn my lightest gear.

The wife picked me up and now I am laying here half dead.

Good ride, enjoyed the first part more than the latter part. That was tough and just what I needed. Note to self, a Thai curry for lunch, 4 pints of lager and a kebab for dinner, followed by a head down the toilet moment at 12 o'clock at night is not the best preparation for a long hilly ride.

Cheers

Marek....

[Andrew G]

What great weather. It certainly bought out all the limbs looking for a tan, not to mention everyones posh bikes .

Went in the 19s and it's the first CR I've done in a faster group for ages, having been mouching about when I've been there lately as I've had a TT on the Sunday. Set off and Andy gave a quick heads-up that the group was a tad large, looking round it was bloody huge. We pulled in to Monty's cafe just down the road to split it and just about managed to get it sorted from under the barrage of abuse from the charm school reject .

On to Gatton and I slipped off the back as my legs moaned at being asked to do a faster ride. Off the top and back on though with Ivor who'd also slipped off a bit. After that he legs were back up to speed and felt good all day.

It's been mentioned before that the riding has sometimes been a bit erratic of late and it certainly was today. It was fairly awful at times. A few going off the front a bit, uneven pace, driving up lumps only to ease right off at the brow . Not great really as everyone in the 19s should know how to ride in a group. To my mind the 19s or 20s is no different to the 17s, riding as a fairly discipled group in a smooth manner - it's just done at a faster pace. The smoother the group flows and rotates the easier it is to keep the pace up anyway. Anyone wanting a training group type ride should run a separate group, the B training group I did a few weeks ago which seems to have died on its backside but it's the perfect group for that.

Sorry, moan over but there were others in the group who weren't overly pleased with the way things went at times.

Following a bit of sun worshiping in the garden at the cafe on to the return. Alan and I towed everyone along in the main at a steady 25-27 mph as we both felt good with some sun on our bones . Then the shadow slipped by and on the front and it wound up a bit higher. Steve was flying along and knocking out a pace which just had us all lined out behind him.

From the church it was another full on charge for a very swift return to Coulsdon, where I grabbed a coffee to wait for my Dad before twiddling back home.

Seemed to be high numbers out today and smashing weather, I'd forgotten what the sun looked like. Good luck to everyone riding tomorrows 25, and the marshals have my sympathy as it looks like it might be a damp start - don't forget your thermos .

[Stu Merckx Man]

sounded like a good ride marek.

i really wanted to do it, i had carbo loaded and everything! unfortunately i must have got a bit of food poisoning or something, as i was up all night puking....and there was a lot to puke too!

[Sylv]

sheesh, those Poles can't take a drink

[Marek]

It wasn't the drink, I am pretty sure it was the Thai. Stu, you were probably wise staying in, I suffered today and I only puked once, so you may have struggled a bit.

Cheers

Marek...

[Andrew G]

Sounds like you were both following Ivor's pre-SCCU 25 preparation method .

[Roy Green]

Didn't puke at all. In fact, it was an entirely Agreeable ride with the gentlemanly (and a couple of ladies) group, controlled splendidly by Jahn C and John L (the wisdom of age, not like your nutters, Andrew!
What a pleasure to get sun on the old limbs. Mine don't function properly when the mercury's low. So peaceful in the lanes, apart from our merry chatter, and the steady chirping of John L's heart rate monitor (it kept going).
Nice to meet some new guys, including Irish Trevor, and a mate of Marco's, on a '70s vintage bike, who he called Mad Graham.From Marco that's surely something else. Also a first time chap (sorry, forgot name), who said he played golf. Told him I had a friend with handicap 11 (I reckon that's equavalent to beating the Hour for a 25?) Turned out his was 4. Maybe he'll be too busy to join us much in the golfers' high season? So to home, a nice nap, and slight sorrow 'cos Chelsea beat my lifelong tean Man United. Will we make it at the end? - Roy

[kieran]

sorry I missed your ride Marek, i turned up slightly late just to be told you'd just left so I headed off on my own to try and catch you but headed in the wrong direction ! I only guessed this later and was wondering why the shouts as I headed off Anyway I decided to keep going and hopefully intersect with you at box hill area, but it was not to be. So i did box hill, then leith hill, then back up leith hill from the other side, then Ranmore common and Ranmore common once more and then up box hill and home, in just under 5 hours (no cafe stops), a good day out, now nursing my sunburnt arms.

[Ian A4size]

T'was a funny old ride today.
The 18's just never got going untill halfway round.

The 19 group never seemed to get going either, their group was way too big- in hindsight it should have been split at CSS- but with riders just jumping in at the last moment it was soon out of hand. There were riders in that group who seemed to think as it was sunny I can do the 19's like last year- without doing a thing for the last 5 months!

The eversure 18's had to wait and wait.... inching our way up the A23 till it got sorted out in front, this never really happened untill we got to reigate and all groups had a complete stop.
My group was left with about 14 riders, but this got cut down to about 7 in the end, a puncture left a group of 4/6 at the side of the road.
As we started off bad we may as well continue "bad"

Shouts of "ease up" were not really welcome especially as we were doing 16mph at the time! Honestly i have been away TTing for the last 2 weeks and the groups have gone down the pan.

Alan M won our sprint- Adam doesn't count - a 20 year old 2nd cat sandbagger- in a bunch of old men all hurrying back to the cafe toilet

The T and O was at least fairly tidy which to my mind saved the day.

No idea what the average was- it was too ragged to really enjoy the CR for me.

Nice blast back home

[Sarah_M]

I was stuck in with the children and dead envious of you all as I was on my turbo trainer and looking out on such a lovely day

[Snoop Doug]

[quote="Ian MunneryA1size"]Alan M won our sprint- Adam doesn't count - a 20 year old 2nd cat sandbagger- in a bunch of old men all hurrying back to the cafe toilet

[Alan M]

notwithstanding ian's description of my sprinting attempt i was realistic about my chances of taking Adam but quite pleased to stay on his wheel almost to the end. i really enjoyed sat, with reasonable performance and almost 22mph ave back to coulsdon. much can be and has been said about group riding on sats but we need to be realistic about the extent to which we can or should be ultra prescriptive. conditions and groups change and leadership of the group has to flex around the group dynamics. most of all it is important to communicate among the group, keep group sizes manageable and have fun in s mutally supportive but somewhat competetive context. oh what fun we had

[Marky Mark]

Marco, you should of seen the look on your face when you welcomed me back to the cafe in Coulsdon after the CR. You said "well done Marky Mark, good ride and how did you get on?", I looked down at the computer and read on 18.5 average, Well, you nearlly fell of those shorts of yours

I loved that ride on Saturday ALOT, the pace was really good for me and kept me working hard all the way, but not too hard that I couldn't stay with the pack, I think I can put that one down to Graham again the pace-myster. I had a good chat with John the old'n before I set off on the CR and I had decided that the day was going to be a recovery ride after all the hard work I'd put in during the week, Closely followed by Georges sealing comment of "good call Marky Mark, Just put a lick of paint over it". Well that plan was a good one in theory, but the weather and company was fantastic so I could not resist the lure of Box Hill, I could of stayed up there all afternoon enjoying the sun, ice cream and the views.

My friend who has my old Bianchi has promised to come out on the next CR, that's another Newbie then!

Good ride all round. Legs were still tired Monday morning.

Fingers crossed for the weather on Tuesday night for Palace. Hope to see a large croud of Agreeables up there. Is anybody taking coffee and cake???????????????????

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

[quote]Fingers crossed for the weather on Tuesday night for Palace. Hope to see a large croud of Agreeables up there. Is anybody taking coffee and cake???????????????????

[mlocke]

Afternoon All

The weather now isn't quite so good as on Saturday so my new found tan (well sunburn really) is looking a little out of place amongst the drizzle

I was in the much talked about 19's and was probably one of those responsible for upping the paces slightly - this is my take on the events.

After shortly leaving Andy came to the front with word we had a voluminous (don't know if this is a word but it sounds good) bunch which was spread as far as the eye could see down the dual carriageway. The call was made by Mr Green to pull into the cafe at the side of the road so that it could be split. Within seconds of unclipping my foot there were bellows of 'get off my car park, get in the lay-by'. With him screaming in our ears the first bunch quickly sped off telling the others to wait and form another group.

Once we got going again the pace was brisk but reasonable with the tempo being maintained by Graham O and Andrew G on the front. We were soon at the Reigate steps where I thought I would test the legs and lungs. This evidently seems to have caused something of a complaint amongst some members of our group and for this I apologise.

In my defence however this is something that many other people do each week and indeed I try when I am able to do so and nothing has been said previously. I find that by testing myself here I get a decent gauge as to how I am going to perform for the rest of the ride. As for slowing down at the top I thought this was what was supposed to happen?? People go at there own pace on the hills and regroup at the top?

After the steps the group was all back together through the village except for a couple who got through a set of lights due to the traffic. By the time we were in the lanes we were all back together again and the pace again was reasonably comfortable and I was feeling OK.

Later on in the ride Ivor was starting to feel the pace a little and the group slowed to allow him to get back on - Andrew who was TT'ing the day after took the shortcut with Ivor back to the cafe. The rest of us carried on to the DC for the T&O.

At this point we had 19.3 avg for the ride so far so pretty much 'what was said on the tin'.

I enjoyed the T&O - it was reasonably smooth and lifted the average pace when we got to the cafe to 20mph

There wasn't much of a sprint (which would have probably been won by Dan anyway) as we caught the back of another group.

After the cafe decided the weather was too nice for the short ride home and decided on Box Hill

Once Marek and Keith decided to join us the pace really picked up and I was dropped by them and Sylv & Dan just before the traffic lights at the bridge.

I have struggled to get into a rhythm on BH recently and have been doing it in times like 7m 30s and 8m 30s so I decided to really try today.

Fortunately for me I had Sylv right in front of me who was setting a steady, but strong pace I could just maintain. Coming to the second hairpin we got onto the back of Keiths wheel and once round the bend Sylv disappeared up the road at the sort of speed I would struggle to maintain on a flat road. With my carrot gone the pace did drop slightly but I dug deep to get to the top in 6m 43 secs. The quickest since I have been recording it on my GPS computer.

In case anyone is interested the bottom of box hill is at about 229ft and the top is around 580ft so about 250ft of climbing for about 1.2-1.3 miles.

I measure this from turn onto the road to the point where you turn left into the car park or right to the cafe.

Shortly after leaving Box Hill I got a puncture and Jeff kindly gave me a compressed air thingy. I have never used one of these before and I though it was great!! Thanks very much - beats knackering myself out trying to pump it up

Jeff & myself then 2upped it all the way back at a decent speed I thought until the point where I had to hang a left for my final climbed before home.


Home to CSS - 15mph
CSS to Cafe - 20mph
Cafe to home - 19.1mph

In the end I got home with an avg speed for the whole ride of 19.1 for 61 miles and 4,700 ft climbing

My fastest club run overall