Tdf Yorkshire stage 1 over 2 days

Five wheelers (Richard H, Steve, Jason, Brian H and Dave Scales) went up to Leeds to tackle stage 1 of TDF Yorkshire with some of Richard's work colleagues.  Northern prices (5 pints and a burger for £12) were a pleasant surprise.  Less pleasant was the hotel which goes straight into the top 3 of best wheelers hotels ever.  Saturday morning and we loaded our bags into the support van and set off in the dry.  The rain arrived before we reached Leeds outer ring road, as did the first mechanical - derailleur failure going into spokes, so one work colleague resorted to using the spare cyclocross bike (what a support van !!).  Did I mention the rain?  It threw it down for all the time we were cycling....

The route took us first to Skipton (25 miles), with a sharp hill just before we arrived and a good run down into town where we regrouped in a cafe (Bojangles) and Dave was chatted up by a couple of lovely pensioners.  Next we passed some amazing scenery on the way to Kettlewell and Buckden and the first real challenge up to Kidstones.  Turns out the Hertfordshire mountains are nothing compared to the hills (or speed bumps) in Yorkshire.

With that obstacle conquered we had the downhill to Aysgarth where we had planned to stop for lunch.  All was well until the last two miles which turned out to be uphill again, with a waterfall running against us.  The hospitality was superb.  The pub welcomed 13 dripping cyclists and offered to light the fire or get a drying room set up if we were planning to stay for a long time.  Sadly, we had our sandwiches and headed out for the toughest challenge of the day.  Onward to Hawes and up Buttertubs, with several sections > 17%.  It was the third really steep bit that did it for me, although I had stopped for some 'rests' after the other two.  But I had to get off and walk the last bit.  Jason cramped up and for a moment or two couldn't move.  Eventually the blood started circulating again and we rode gently to the waiting group.  Buttertubs is a gift that keeps on giving, but once the presents were all doled out there was  tremendous downhill, or rather it would have been if it was dry.  Needless to say I need new front brake pads as I didn't fancy skidding off at a sharp bend.  From then on in, it was downhill more or less all the way to Grinton, apart from the last half mile (20% anyone?) to the Youth Hostel.  Then it sipped raining and the sun came out while we were freshening up so we could enjoy a beer outside before heading down the hill again on foot this time for dinner in the pub.  

Sunday morning - what a difference.  It was sunny, and warm.  What remained the same was that we had to get up a hill to start off with.  The first two miles took me 17 mins up another couple of sections of 16% gradients.  But then what a downhill.  Straight roads, no potholes, no traffic, 39mph. This is what makes it all worthwhile.  We regrouped and then flew into Masham for coffee, scones and ice cream in the sun.  Best bit for me was the 2 to 3 miles with Brian H drafting behind a tractor and trailer with an enormous bale of hay at 25 mph (Steve was in front of the tractor pacing it for us).

After Masham, there was a fairly dull bit to Ripon, but the wheelers train of Steve, Brian and Dave took on all comers and won.  I got within 10 metres of them but had to concede and fell back (when there was a slight incline).  At Ripon, our marvellous support van driver (Lindsay) lost some brownie points by saying the A61 was too busy and we should go a different route by the back roads. "It's a bit lumpy though."  Famous last words ...  A drag out of Ripon heading west, followed by a 7% down and up and down and up then 20% down and up (with huge potholes on the up).  And then back onto the A61 and into Harrogate and the 10% climb about 1 mile before the end.  Cavendish will need to do better than me on that climb if he is to stand any chance.

A couple of people stopped in Harrogate and I should have eaten something there, because the 15 miles back to Leeds were hard work.  Long up hill drags to Harewood House and beyond which never seemed to end, and then finally Leeds....but we seemed to be in danger of getting lost in the suburbs for a moment before we found the Otley Road and back to the hotel.  Tired but happy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmCMwsAbqi4

France weekend

I got a late pass to go with Steve to join the annual club trip to Caen.  So fri evening to portsmouth and the overnight ferry.  The weather forecast was grim but after a decent sleep on the ferry we parked up at the hotel and got the bikes out. 10 mins after starting the heavens opened and the first hour was pretty grim.  We headed inland direction south west into the wind following a route on the garmin.  We more or less followed it but it was hard to see the screen in the rain. After a short detour we stopped for a coffee and pastry in Bretteville and then headed west in the wind but now it was dry.  Tough riding.  We had a target route but with an option to cut short which we took when we reached the brow of a hill and saw a wall of black heavy brain clouds ahead. So we headed to bayeux and found a cafe in the town centre parked up sat inside and had a beer and lunch while it poured down. 

We made phone contact with the touring party and realised they weren't due for an hour or two but we just sat and chatted while waiting.  The guys turned up enjoyed an omlette and s beer and then we all set off towards arromanches and later back to Ouistreham. The return was a turbo wind assisted blast hitting over 30

5th club tt cole green

Tuesday evening, new wheels fixed in place but a slight tingle in my throat. I arrived at cole green to find that the start time was being moved forward by 15 mins as Welwyn wheelers also thought they had a time trial booked. So I had a 2 min warm up and took my place as no 13. Was a bit breezy but I was able to use my tri bars this time.  My first lap was ok but it was hard work going up the a414 into the breeze.  And I slowed down on the next two laps ending up with a time of just over 31 mins. That was ok but I was a little disappointed as I am only breaking 30 mins on good conditions. 

https://www.strava.com/activities/138235810

4th club TT - cole green

Tuesday evening turned out to be a nice evening - warm and minimal wind. My plan was not to go into the top gears but to keep down a gear and try to go at a higher cadence, in order to match the performance of the restricted gear TT when I did well. And to be honest, it worked. I tried to use the bars as much as possible and at the end of lap 1 I was on target for a sub 30 performance. Lap 2 was slower and Lap 3 was consistent with lap 2, and I got 29:16. Good time for me but should it have been faster? Maybe. I need to work out how to stay down on the bars and push harder at the same time. Maybe next week.


http://www.strava.com/activities/135546972

Broken spokes

Got some people to do the med/fast ride at a pace I could cope with yesterday.  HW route B - a nice sunny day.  Tony, Paul H and Paul S went off ahead as they were a bit too fast so I rode with dean, Richard f, Graeme and a new person, Neil. As usual I seemed to be struggling on the hills but I caught up on the flat bits and we were going well until disaster struck. A couple of miles south of takely I didn't stop fast enough when Richard f shouted car and I slowly went into the back of him. No injuries cos we were almost stopped but my spokes met his pedals and the pedals won. After a few mins deliberation the group rode with me to takely before they set off again at pace and I limped to stansted to the Starbucks near the mid- stay car park where I was picked up by Montse and family who drove out to rescue me. Fortunately I had bought new wheels the week before but hadn't put them on, so I was mightily relieved as I was intending to change them and discard the old ones anyway!!

https://www.strava.com/activities/137266330

https://www.strava.com/activities/137266303

Recovery ride

Bank holiday Easter Monday turned out to be a glorious day, so going on the bike was irrestible. I had rested yesterday as I was shattered after the 200km ride on Saturday. I topped up the front tyre send set off only for it to blow on Scott's road. So I walked back up th hill and decided to change the tyre after 3 blows in the last days. That took longer than normal but I still decided to go out with the thought of doing a shorter ride on my mind. In the end although my legs were aching I reached dowsetts lane feeling pretty good and as for once the wind wasn't against me I flew up the hill. And I decided to carry on so off I went east past st Edmunds and down to Dane end.   All was going well until I pretty much ground to a halt on sacombe hill.  I recovered at the top, flew back to the old A10 and home going up Hoe lane for a change. 

https://www.strava.com/activities/132609638

Easter weekend

Family are away:

Thurs 17th my birthday. So I did a 20 mile circuit after work including sacombe hill.  There was quite a breeze from the west which meant hard work going up dowsetts lane. Was supposed to be easier going up sacombe hill but my times didn't reflect this.  Felt quite good going up wades I'll to thundridge for a change 

https://www.strava.com/activities/131221691

Good Friday 

There was a club easy ride to wandon end. Was colder than I thought and I didn't warm up with the gentle pace but it was good company and a fantastic bacon sandwich at the golf club. On the way home we started going a bit faster and then at Welwyn myself and john mac stretched our legs all the way to Hertford. Great.

https://www.strava.com/activities/131476247

Double Dutch audax.

An early start as graham picked me at 6;20 am for the drive to Huntingdon. We set off at a reasonable pace in a group with Peter.  Then I punctured after 5 or 6 miles.  Turns out there was some flint in my tyres from the previous day's ride.  My co2 cylinder didn't work too well either leaving me a soft tyre. Alex caught us up having started late and he rode with graham and I for most of the ride. Heading northeast towards March we rode into the wind. Stopped in March for pork pie and a coke and then onwards north east directly into the wind.  Alex led the way and despite his best efforts to shelter us and not push the pace I found myself hanging on for dear life in places.  Some nod from hitchin nomads joined the hw peleton as did another bloke for a while.  The nomad couldn't match Alex's pace and fell back first. Then I dropped and finally Alex and graham waited for me at the next junction. The other bloke rode on but our reformed hw peleton of three took him later and left him behind.  We rode into kings Lynn which looks a pretty town.  More food and a ferry ride across the river gave me an opportunity to pump up my front tyre better.  After the ferry my garmin got confused and decided to keep finding the shortes route back to Huntingdon instead of following the route. So lots of beeping and basically ignoring the directions on the garmin meant we followed the paper instructions and made some headway as the wind was behind us for a while.  After a ride along a cycle path sections my tyre blew again. Must have been a pinch puncture after riding 30 miles on a soft tyre.  Back riding again we made good progress riding through the bleak exposed lanes in the wash.  Finally we turned south and had a break from fighting the wind.  It was a good spell to spalding and beyond riding alongside the river welland occasionally into the wind and mainly with it behind us.  At thorney, graham suggested a cup of coffee which I needed.  Alex headed off to meet his family as he didnt need the break. Graham and I were refreshed from the sit down and did well on the last 25 miles of fairly dull road but we did encounter some small climbs back to Huntingdon and home just after 6 pm. We had done 8:08 hours of cycling but it had taken 9:43 hours of real time. Graham drove us home and I enjoyed a take away curry as I was too tired to cook!

https://www.strava.com/activities/131961457