Clubrun 2nd Aug

[Keith]

An eventful Club Run, and I don't mean Steve's grand arrival at CSS (9 points for Artistic Impression, but only 3 for Technical Execution).

A rapid pace in the Training Group as far a Newdigate, then there was a lot going on; We were overtaking a hedge cutter, a van appeared ahead who wasn't interested in an giving way, plus a car reversing out on the right. A touch of wheels and Max went down, closely followed by Andy. Max tweaked his back and Andy suffered cuts to knee, thumb plus an impressive looking graze to his shoulder. Both were able to ride on. Hope you both mend soon.

The ACC First Aid kit that's kept at the cafe was put to good use.

Back via Box Hill with Paul H first to the top then back home with Marek and Steve (Torq) via coffee in Reigate.

[Marek]

Was going really well today until the fateful crash, a real shame as the group was honking along at a good old pace even into a viscious headwind. Max has not been out with the club for about a year I reckon, but he was going like a train. Everytime we hit a hill he was killing us with his pace. Really impressive riding so was a great shame that he came down in the touch of wheels incident. I won't dwell on the accident, these things happen and everyone was relatively ok.

Good through and off on the dual carriageway, pace was quite hot and then into the sprint. I got done by the shadow but it was bliming close, if only a few more yards.....

After the cafe managed to persuade a good group to go back to Box Hill. The pace was fast and furious and it was not long until we were down to only about 4 riders in the lead group. Keith decided to go for a quick pee and then dropped his glasses before we reached Box Hill, so after a bit of faffing around the group was now back up to about 12.

We set off and on Box Hill Keith kindly led up the first straight. Onto the second section and Paul H put in a big attack. I was a few wheels back and could not react that quickly, I gradually moved up coming past Keith who then sat on my wheel. As we came up the third section Keith came around me again, then I went past him and said we should try to catch Paul. I put in down a couple of gears and honked along a bit faster. Keith could not hang on and I got caught behind a car, but I think Paul had already taken his foot off the gas as he was a long way ahead.

Ride back was fun with Keith and Steve Shaw (one of my EG training buddies). Steve was dying so Keith and I took it really easy and dragging him along. Stopped for another great coffee and chat in Reigate and then Steve latched onto my wheel and I dragged him back over to Horne where we parted. I reached the London Temple outside EG and still felt pretty good, so decided to get a few more miles in. Went out to Lingfield, Dormansland and then looped back into EG. Went around a couple of housing estates and then ended up at my parents house for another cup of coffee.

145km on the clock when I got in and feel pretty fresh, can't have been trying hard enough. Hope Andy and Max get well soon.

Cheers

Marek....

[Antloony]

Had a real bad day in the saddle today, though not as bad as Andy and Max, Andy's cuts and grazes looked quite sore, hope you both heal quickly guys.

Anyway, 5 am this morning Im up chucking pain killers down my neck due to my legs feeling like they'd been done over by a gorilla using a base ball bat. Should have heeded the worning signs that something wasn't quite right. Got a bit damp going out to CSS but once there dried off. Deceided (rather stupidly) to dive into the the A training group again. Boy I suffered, was hanging onto the back but kept closing down the gaps I'd let get created which was hard work. Finally the elastic broke and I sat up for a breather, legs feeling like jelly.

Next thing I see is the training group pulled up at the side of the rode having a heated discussion with a farmer. Didn't see the accident myself but looked quite nasty judging by Andy's injuries. Heard the farmer bleating on and on and on about how stupid we all are etc. I tried to explain that we are a responsible group of riders, that we have over 100 riders per week out on a club run and in a duty to over road users we split up into several smaller groups to avoid clogging up the roads. I also explained that we are allowed to use the quiter roads and had as much right to cycle on a public road as he had to drive on them, something he seemed not to grasp to easily as he suggested we shouldn't even cycle on quiet back roads I questioned as to the where abouts of his signs warning of hedge cutting in the vacinity but it fell on deaf ears. Having felt I and others put our case accross in a calm and civilised manner we continued on our merry way.

Right, here's where it really did fall apart for me and I lost the ability to pedal. The B training group came past us, I latched onto the back thinking I wasn't upto anymore pain in the A training group. Didn't last to long here either as I did a turn up front before sliiping straight out the back just before Rusper. Least I wasn't alone, Paul had joined me so we had a good chat and an easy ride into the cafe, sharing the sprint honours Couldn't even manage a thru and off today.

Nice long recovery time at the cafe, watched Kieth patch up Andy (did a fine job there sir) before setting off for the return via BH.

Must say I felt far better on the way home than on the way there, legs seemed to be working a little better so the day wasn't totally wasted. I even climbed BH better than Ive done before (work that one out then?) Good usual blast towards home with Kieth, Marek and co.

Hopefully will feel a bit more lively tomorrow for Mr sunday ride.

Heres hoping for a better day next sat. will keep at it and battling on.

Cheers

[Sylv]

Our Brighton ride was a bit of an epic too. It was George on his TT bike, Paul and me with TT bars, and Dan with a plain ol’ road bike. Waiting for Paul at CSS it started pouring down, and when George suggested that if he didn’t turn up, we’d just do the clubrun training group, it didn’t seem like such a bad idea. Max arrived, he must have been a bit cold by the time the clubrun started, about 40 minutes later.

Soon Paul turned up and we set off. For my first trial with TT extensions we had a viscious headwind, which belied the aerodynamic advantage. Still we got into a nice through and off groove, taking Paul’s flattest route available, that still had sizeable climbs. Climbing is not great with these bars, and every time I got out of the saddle I had to remember not to bang my knees on the back of the extensions, that were poking behind the stem.

About half of the ride was under various degrees of rain, the worse was on the final stretch of dual carriageway before Brighton, with the headwind the rain felt like hail and we just couldn’t keep our eyes open. We rolled into Brighton’s seafront in just 2h02, but unfortunately lost George, as he’d stopped at a bike shop to get a new tube (and tire it transpired after) as he’d flatted at CSS, we’d rendez-vous’d at the seafront café, but what we hadn’t been banking on was the gay-pride parade, with trailer after trailer rolling on the main avenue, and of course ear-shattering euro-disco music – we couldn’t even get to that café.

So there were Paul, Dan and me, having to walk our bikes such dense was the crowd, in our wet lycra (it was still raining) in the midst of the gay parade, feeling a bit out of place (or were we!). We found solace in a café on the roadside, well there were a couple of annoyingly loud drunk women next to us, and we tried to call George (but he hadn’t his mobile with him), shivering uncontrollably - haven’t been that cold in a while. I ordered a very hot chocolate and held both hands to the glass for a while, then went to hide under the hand-dry machine in the toilets. Was still cold after that.

After some food we set off, the rain had almost subsided and the wind was quite warm, so it wasn’t too bad. I had a puncture within minutes and got cold again, but pumping the tire helped – I had to do it twice as my first tube was dodgy. Two miles later it was down again, so I had to borrow a tube from Dan.
We set off again, turning right and with a tailwind for the first time of the day. It felt good and we got into a good rythm again. With the help of the TT bars and the wind, I could hold 25mph comfortably on the flat, and 30 when pushing it. As the route got hillier Paul was taking less and less turns at the front, starting to suffer a bit. The roads were now almost dry and it looked like it’d barely rained there.

The bits of road that I usually hate – straight, flat, smooth stretches – are the best in that position – you just get into a zone and keep a constant pace –there were some good ones on the way back. I don’t think I’m perfectly adjusted (elbow should make a 90 degree angle, mine is a bit wider) but it was quite comfortable with no neck pain, the upper leg seemed to be doing a bit more work than usual though, a bit of saddle sore at the end but it must be due to the rain.

With about 15 miles to go Paul, who was having a bad second half of the ride, told us he was going to stop for a bit, and to carry on. So it was just me and Dan, on the familiar route of the return clubrun. Approaching Purley the sun came out, we couldn’t believe it, we’d had awful weather all day and this just as we were finishing. We passed CSS at exactly 4h30, so not quite on schedule, but we’d lost a fair bit of time in Brighton and on the way back.

Was pretty knackered at the end, just short of 100 miles, just under 20mph average. George said he’d TT’d his way back solo, and I’m sure his average was a fair bit over that. I thought about going out again as training for the 12h, but only for half a second. Good thing, as the heavens opened worse than ever before as soon as I was showered.

[Steve B]

Oops, yes mm what happened there then . I was trying to do a sharp, tight turn around and..... Oh dear, I seem to be falling to the ground with my right foot still in the pedal . Everyone has done it but I did it in front of 70 fellow Addiscomber's all watching on . To the sound of clapping and laughing I got up to take a bow, thanks guy's, I'm available for weddings and barmitzvars

Took the 'B' training goup, 6 of us, and from the start it looked as if we had the makings of a good club run. Everyone wanted to do their share of the work, we all stayed compact and I was really enjoying the great team work that was going on. It was almost perfect, but we were possibly going a tad fast, may have my fault, sorry guy's . A couple of times when on the front, I pushed a bit too hard, stretching out the group a bit. One time, I'd done my bit and flicked the elbow for someone to come through. I looked behind, there was a gap to Matt. I saw him flicking his elbow too, and speaking to him afterwards, he had imagined the flicking of elbows going all the way to the back like chinese whispers .

We then got into a bit of thru&off, but again we all started to flag a bit with the pace, but this was good, we were suppose to, afterall it was a training group

As we passed the 'A' group, Ant jumped in to our group, and later, we all joined up together to do the DC thru&off. Matt and Graham seemed to miss the boat from the start and were hanging off the back as Marek & co were stonking along at the front . I looked back and realised they couldn't get on. I thought it a bit unfair to leave them as we'd had such a good run down so far, so me and Rob hung back and made a good foursome for a nice little thru&off of our own. On the hill to the traffic lights, Matt and Graham dropped back a touch and the group ahead got slightly held up. I could sense Matt saying saying "go on Steve, go and do it for the 'B' group" , so me and Rob went balls out to get on the back. Problem was, the group ahead hadn't got held up enough and the gap was big, but I decided to try and bridge it. It took me untill the roundabout to get on, my legs were killing . I sat into recover and by the time we got to the 'plane spotters straight' I felt better. Marek seemed to be holding back maybe a bit too far, but there was no way I was going past him for him to get on my wheel. I tusted in him, surely he knows what he's doing Around the right hander it all started to take off. There were still 8 or 9 riders in the mix, maybe more, this was brilliant, a proper bunch sprint, but I was behind Marek and nearly on the other side of the road. If a car had come the otherway, I was out of the running, but it didn't and I made my move round the outside. Jonathan had gone earlier than me and had 5m. Everyone was now at full tilt, but I had my head down, concentrating on putting as much power down as possible. Damn, I wasn't catching Jon very quickly and time was running. I could also feel Marek breathing down my neck. I dug right to the depths of the power barrel and forced my legs to keep going, although they didn't really want to. I made it past Jon but the line was still a good few metres away and the noise of Marek wheels was louder and louder. Finally I crossed the line with a huge half wheel lead . Great sprint . Oh I wasn't going to write about the sprints anymore was I. Sod it, I enjoy too much

Ride back was nice and steady and I had a good chat with Mark L. All came together for the blast up Merstham, where Kieran dragged us up a good part of it. I came round to take over trying to put a few yards in to everyone, but it didn't happen and I looked round to see half a dozen guy's on my wheel . The pace was mega and stayed that way, all the way to Coulsdon, with everyone doing their share of the grafting - superb stuff guy's

Steve

Well done to the guy's who tried the 4 hour Brighton and back ride. Shame you didn't quite make it, sounds like you had miserable weather. Maybe more of us can give it a crack later on in the year

[Graham O]

Well. I haven't been doing too many of these club runs this year. I have generally noticed 2 things..

1) everyone else has got faster
2) I have got slower

Thats enough of that. I am hoping to get out more regularly on a Saturday so hopefully I will start to catch up. I am also going out Tues and Thurs to try to accelerate the process...

Thanks to all for the ride...It was good fun....

[Andy E]

Well i've had more enjoyable club runs.. Shame because up until Newdigate we were storming along in the training group, then Max touched a wheel and went down and I was right behind him and had no chance of getting out the way. Thankfully we were both alright apart from the usual road rash and bumps and bruises. Thanks to Keith for patching me up at the cafe, you'd make a great nurse

Back in the J4F group Mrs Andy E (Tak) had a great ride out to the cafe despite blowing a tyre about a mile or so after leaving CSS Thanks to Tim and co for helping her patch it up, she really enjoyed the ride. She started to flag a bit on the way home though, she hasn't been on a bike for a few months so didn't have the legs. She extends her thanks and will hopefully be out again

[Andy E]

Haha, that would be a pretty extreme way to try and pick someone up, although i can see how the blood and burn cream would be an aphrodisiac

[EdO]

Great write ups already so all I wanted to say was I certainly enjoyed Saturday especially on my new bike.

The attacks in training group B led by Steve B were good fun, joining the training group A for the through and off then going for the line too early only to be swallowed up by everyone like a surfer under a massive wave was another learning experience.
The ride back to the church upping the work rate and finally the tussle for superiority up the mersham drag was great. Hopefully can do it all again next week.


Cheers

Ed.

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

[quote="Sylv"]Our Brighton ride was a bit of an epic too. (fixed by moderator Grahame)

[Amy]

I was about to reply to the J4F post to say that it didn't seem to be a good weekend for riding when I thought, 'there's all the other groups, they probably did OK...'.

My only regret is missing Steve 'Snakehips' spectacular arrival at CSS