Weekend round-up, 29th/30th

PhilBixby · Post by **PhilBixby** » Sun Sep 30, 2012 9:25 am

I'll kick this off early to avoid any "missing weekend roundup trauma" this week. Out on the Kev ride again under another Saturday blue sky. Breezy, but helpfully the lumps and bumps of the hills between here and Helmsley provide a fair bit of shelter. Another lovely route and - after we split into two groups just prior to Bulmer - ably marshalled and steered by Jon C. Good cake, good company and back by half three.

Incidentally a few people have been asking about how these rides compare with the Saturday training rides. I'd say the couple I've been on this year have been towards the full-on end of the K-ride spectrum, but Normalised Power figures are similar to those for the first few training rides of last winter. The difference is in the type of rides; the training rides are flatter and faster (3-4mph faster average) and are very much about steady non-stop effort. Plus of course, there's no cake.

Karl M · Post by **Karl M** » Sun Sep 30, 2012 3:38 pm

Hoping for a steadier pace instead of the Intermediates, the K ride proved to be an eye-opener.

Because one rider wore a 'League of Vet Racing Cyclists' jersey (he’ll drop me on the hills), another had an SRM powermeter and another with carbon aero wheels. Serious cyclists!
To cap it all we had an ex-international rower (‘rowing’s all in the legs’) and a Stephen Roche look-a-like with us.

In such illustrious company, you get a little confused as to your place in the group. So when one of us had a puncture, I gave him my wheel, pushed him up the road and repaired his tyre like a good domestique would.

An enjoyable 65 miles in 4 hrs with Ian H, David, Graeme, John C, Phil B, Andy T, Ian K? and 2 others.
Cheers John for leading.

Melly · Post by **Melly** » Sun Sep 30, 2012 4:10 pm

First Kevin "K" ride for me after joining around June this year, and really enjoyed the experience and the company, just over 73 miles for me, under 4 1/2 hrs and 3500' of climbing, my mate Phill had almost 90 miles on having ridden up from Brayton near Selby so loaded up the roof bars and his bike as he had to be back, he too expressed what a pleasant ride it was and thanks the club for the welcome he was given. Hope to be there for the next month or so of Saturdays until Phil B's training rides begin and the long trudge towards my 2nd season of racing restarts. Thanks to all for yesterday and Cheers John for leading us around roads i didnt know existed

Simon

Tullio · Post by **Tullio** » Mon Oct 01, 2012 7:30 am

This weekend was the MTBers annual 2 day tour. This year 14 of us took to hills on the South Pennines (Bronte Country) on the borders of West Yorkshire and Lancashire.

The plan was to do the Mary Towneley Loop over 2 days plus add in an extra loop over to Haworth, making a figure of 8.

We started Friday with an overnight in Hebden Bridge Hostel before setting off clockwise on the loop. Before the top of the first hill we had our first incident when Gill's freehub gave up. After a quick trailside dismantle it was clear the springs were no more and it looked like the end of Gill's weekend but a quick scoot back to the LBS in Hebden Bridge found some brilliant customer service as they dismantled it and fixed it whilst we waited. Gill and I then had a blast along the road to catch them up at exactly the point Jez's tyre blew out. With no spare, but after a bit of '1st Aid', we got him mobile enough to freewheel to the nearest town to see if he could find a spare. Again it looked like his ride was over.

The riding was superb, rocky descents, cobbled tracks, hilly and with marvellous views in some late summer sun. Only the occasional boggy section gave any clues to the recent rain. We eventually made our final descent, just before dusk, into Haworth to find the excellent old YHA, hot showers and a pub for food and recovery drink. Jez even appeared, sporting a new tyre, having found a friendly MTB mechanic in a pub who supplied and fitted it then gave him a lift back onto the moors. With only a hand drawn map and a sense of direction he'd somehow found his way.

Yesterday was grey and full of drizzle but a shorter day. Similar superb tracks though and a great pub for lunch on the Pennine way with a welcome roaring fire to dry out. By 3pm we were descending the cobbles back into Hebden Bridge and the cars.

Final stats; 14 started, 14 finished, c70miles, 4500m climbing, who knows how many Watts.

MarkA · Post by **MarkA** » Mon Oct 01, 2012 7:59 pm

MTB trip sounds great.

We have a couple of members who i think would not choose to publicise their achievements - hope they are not too embarrassed if i take the liberty of adding to this thread.

1. In same year as competed in National Road Race Heather took part in 3 peaks this past weekend. Finished "quids in" due to prizes. Nigel reports she was "flying" and he stood no chance of keeping up - and that was with fresh legs, Heather having ridden for 5 hours. Awful conditions too!

2. Nathan improved his Junior record in Brid Hill Climb Sunday. And then topped off in the afternoon with sterling ride in Scarborough event. Chatting at end of HC realised people have no idea of list of events he has ridden this year. And the variety too. Tri this coming weekend then another HC ......

Congratulations to both of them.

MA

MarkA · Post by **MarkA** » Mon Oct 01, 2012 8:03 pm

Conditions at 3 Peaks.

Take a look at first photo here.

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/gallerie ... -2012.html

Melly · Post by **Melly** » Mon Oct 01, 2012 9:32 pm

Very well done Heather & Nathan a top notch achievement, keep up the good work, makes my personal limitations of not setting of in the rain very very poor. Personal note:- Can do better

paulM · Post by **paulM** » Thu Oct 04, 2012 10:36 pm

After the previous week, this weeks roundup reads very badly. That is with exception of Tullios post & Heathers efforts which do put the rest of us to shame. I'm sure the conditions just spurred her on more.
Come on guys sort yourselves out - if you raced this year or plan to race the K ride simply is not for you. Give the poor guy a break - check out the Weekly Update and someone plan a ride to somewhere else before the day - it really is not that difficult. I'm serious - you need to keep Kevins numbers down to a manageable level on the ride and in the cafe to ensure the people who are going to get the most benefit get just that.

G. · Post by G. » Fri Oct 05, 2012 1:31 pm

Well done Nathan! Well done Heather!

Well kids, I'm back, having spent the past couple of weeks touring up from Italy via former Yugoslavia, Austria and Germany, to Rotterdam.

I met (read: got overtaken, slipstreamed) these guys near Naples. They spoke about as much English as I did Italian, but invited me in for a coffee once they got the idea I was riding back to England. Their cafe stops last about 30 seconds: a very short espresso drunk standing up. All things considered, I think I prefer our cafe stops!

Note the Clifton 'euro' cap. Mine has now been thoroughly baptised and I've now been mistaken for a German and a Dutchman while wearing it, so I guess it passes the 'euro' test. Get over to the website and buy one today!

Jon G · Post by **Jon G** » Fri Oct 05, 2012 2:27 pm

paulM wrote:Come on guys sort yourselves out - if you raced this year or plan to race the K ride simply is not for you. Give the poor guy a break - check out the Weekly Update and someone plan a ride to somewhere else before the day - it really is not that difficult. I'm serious - you need to keep Kevins numbers down to a manageable level on the ride and in the cafe to ensure the people who are going to get the most benefit get just that

Well said Paul. Every body is entitled to an 'easier' ride but ive noticed on this weeks update that it mentions those who usually do the training rides can sit amongst the wheels on the 'A' ride and enjoy the scenery. I know this sounds like a whinge but the last 'A' ride i was on was an example of very poor social group riding due to the pace. At the end on the day they are meant to be social rides with everybody looking out for each other and not a substitute for training rides. Rant over Sorry!

PhilBixby · Post by **PhilBixby** » Fri Oct 05, 2012 3:37 pm

Hmmm... ...I've made a habit for years now of slotting in to the Kev rides post race season to (as Darren puts it) "hit the re-set button", have always enjoyed them and haven't had any hint from Kevin (a man who can hint pretty clearly) that doing so was problematic. Numbers last week meant one group was too big and so we split shortly after getting outside York with Jon Clarke shepherding us around. The group stuck together fine and we spent much of the ride tucked in behind the mighty Ian Kent - a man with no racing intentions these days (just the LVRC kit which alarmed Karl). Surely riding in a group's about keeping the group together and adjusting pace to fit in?

Jon G · Post by **Jon G** » Fri Oct 05, 2012 4:12 pm

PhilBixby wrote:Hmmm... ...I've made a habit for years now of slotting in to the Kev rides post race season to (as Darren puts it) "hit the re-set button", have always enjoyed them and haven't had any hint from Kevin (a man who can hint pretty clearly) that doing so was problematic. Numbers last week meant one group was too big and so we split shortly after getting outside York with Jon Clarke shepherding us around. The group stuck together fine and we spent much of the ride tucked in behind the mighty Ian Kent - a man with no racing intentions these days (just the LVRC kit which alarmed Karl). Surely riding in a group's about keeping the group together and adjusting pace to fit in?

My point about the pace was that we weren't a group most of the time even on the flat bits!!

Karl M · Post by **Karl M** » Fri Oct 05, 2012 4:19 pm

PhilBixby wrote:Numbers last week meant one group was too big and so we split shortly after getting outside York

It seems that the K rides become really popular for a month in Spring as people warm up/ get fit… and a month in Autumn as people cool down/ re-set.

This week’s club email saying “18+ riders on the K will be split into two groups at the Square” sounds like a useful rule of thumb during these two periods.

Cyan Skymoos · Post by **Cyan Skymoos** » Fri Oct 05, 2012 7:18 pm

I do the occasional social ride, I respectfully spend the ride around the back or if I'm on the front it's at a pace everyone is comfortable with. If we're now saying the racers shouldn't do social rides, we might aswell go off and join one of the many racing teams springing up here, there, and everywhere....it's wonderful you don't even have to pay for your jersey!

The reason I'm in a cycling club is because I enjoy the social rides as much as I enjoy the training rides, I even had a ride with the Wednesday mtbers which was brilliant. I think part of the problem is some guys coming off a racing season don't realise how much fitter they are than the regular K riders, and the ride can get a bit too brisk...just take it easy guys.
The way I see it, if you've paid your subs you can ride with whichever group you fancy on any given weekend.

Melly · Post by **Melly** » Fri Oct 05, 2012 8:27 pm

Thanks Darren for your input, as a new member i was beginning to think i was not welcome on club rides, just because i had done some racing this year. At 45 and having had a bike for just over 2 years, racing in my 2nd year was not something i envisaged when i started riding, but one thing led to another and i have really enjoyed it. Last weekend i rode at the back for the first 10-15 miles, and once the ride spilt i did what i thought was my fair share on the front constantly looking behind to ensure the group was together. I would hate to think I had spoilt some ones only ride of the week by riding ahead but im sure that was not the case. As most of my training has been aimed at races of 20-35 miles, this was my 2nd longest ride of the year after the Evans Harewood ride and i can assure everyone i was GLAD to be home, to be told i should not have been on the ride is a bit of an insult to be honest. Thanks to Kev and every one else who made me welcome on the day, im sure having met Kev that he would be the first one to tell me face to face that this was not the ride for me. Following my appointment in the morning with the Consultant Surgeon to have stitches out and my final test results at Nuffield, I hope be there in the morning for my 3rd longest ride of the year !!