Club Run - 5th Dec 09

[Keith]

Nice steady 19's ride this morning, thank-you gentlemen. Not too mad up the hills, not too easy down the other side.

[Paulos Fandangos]

Lovely weather this morning, despite this not the best of club runs for me, infact a lousy Saturday. 2 Punctures, one on the way out and another returning from the cafe, then on my afternoon session got pretty damp, and the garage key is well and truly dead! However good to back on the club run and see some friendly faces along the way. Hopefully better next week...

[Alan M]

Back in 18s after 2 weeks off bike. Goodish and steady ride, nearly 19mph and yes, even steady on the hills Some dispute on sprint honours?? Way back was fine and nice to be riding without rain although quite wet in places. Thanks all.

[Antloony]

Good ride today, just 4 of us rolled out of CSS in what was the B training group. Matt, Serge, Jack the TV star and yours truely. Nice quick pace on the way down. Serge doing a sterling effort of waking everyone in the group up by stirring us on to give it some beans through the trees up to Rusper. Not a fan of this piece of road and was sure I'd get dropped but I hung on in there and was first to the top. Matt got a bit of a gap towards the tun off point past Rusper and despite my loudest efforts to get him back he went for a T&O on his own

Gentle ride back for the most part untill we got to the top of the Merstham where the fireworks started. Steve B put in a huge effort, Mr kennet jumped on his wheel as I jumped on his. We then just took it turns winding up the speed back towards CSS and for the majority had the traffic light gods with us so the pace was kept above 30mph. Great fun Not sure what happened to everyone else as there was just us 3 in the end. I do enjoy that stretch of road though.

Legs felt ok today despite a week of inactivity due to a bad back.

[mark mclaughlin]

Had a quick chat with Steve suggesting an alternate route with the 18’s. Being the 3rd week out on the trot I needed a change of scenery. Took a vote….what no takers!

Bit surprising, so Amy and I took Monty’s 17’s group for the reverse route ride via Box Hill. Must say we had a great ride and met a few riders I never have had the chance to chat to.

Had one puncture on the descent off White Hill which ruined the flow. After a quick change, we were back on course when suddenly, a squirrel ran out at me before Ryke’s Café. For a moment I thought it had scurried under the bike till I looked down to find it attached to my right foot!!
I couldn’t quite believe what I was seeing - it seemed locked in fear. Fortunately or unfortunately, it finally let go. I thought Becky (hope that’s your name?)was going to fall off her bike she was laughing so much. Amy stopped to check if it was still moving and put it out of harm’s way!

The rest of the ride we picked up the pace just in time to get to the Café as everyone was leaving. Monty and I jumped on for a good blast back. Best I’ve felt on the bike for a while, more than I can say about the squirrel….RIP

[Jon H]

[quote="mark mclaughlin"]After a quick change, we were back on course when suddenly, a squirrel ran out at me before Ryke’s Café. For a moment I thought it had scurried under the bike till I looked down to find it attached to my right foot!!

[Amy]

Oh so very funny, Jon - if it wasn't Sean with that one, my next candidate would've been you...

Interesting ride - came out on the light bike for it's last ride before going away for the winter, which gave me a chance to try the new bottle cages (side entry) and the Crud mudguards (front mudguard rubbed just at the front tip which nearly drove me mad, so removed it for rest of ride..).

Got somehow hauled into Mark's alternative ride but it got downgraded from an 18 (thank gawd) to a 17. Still struggling on them blasted hills despite being on the lighter bike Never mind - I'll keep going and see how I'm doing come spring...

Kind of hijacked Mark's ride and took Monty's group via Walton-on-the-Hill to Headley, passing an old CTC friend going the other way, then down Little Switzerland before the suicidal squirrel hit. Apologies to the guy behind me as I nearly caused a pile up stopping to pick the squirrel up - they're not native and by no means on the brink of extinction but it didn't seem nice to let it get runover - and put it at the side of the road.

Ride continued without further incidence apart from a few groans everytime we hit a hill (not from me) only to arrive to find the rest of the club about to leave. I had intended to leave with them but I wanted some more water in my bottle and in the fight to find a place to prop my bike up missed out on the return ride. So I decided to stick around with the Alternativistas who'd arrived just after the main group left and had my usual two teas and a piece of cake (there was some left!) and we all came back on the reverse club run route after going up Mynthurst to Leigh.

I think we picked up the tailenders from the main club run or at least saw them go by as we rejoined the main road before Gatton. I then took the Enigma to its winter resting place after a quick clean

[Andrew G]

I'll be doing an 18/19s-ish effort alternate route to the cafe next week if you fancy it Mark. Not fixed as the big hill descent on it is a bit mad for a spinning gear fixed, done it once and nearly spun my legs off and wore out my brake blocks .

Lucky with the Squirrel, alternative overshoes .

[Dombo]

[quote="Andrew G"]
Lucky with the Squirrel, alternative overshoes .