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Sunday 15th Jan - Medium Ride 9:00am

Martin LMartin L
edited January 2012 in Club runs
It's cold.
It's a rare easterly wind.
Let's take a non-flat route to Essex to keep warm and get the tailwind back?

This jaunt touches Thaxted - home of everyones' favourite craggy antiques dealer, Lovejoy.

64 miles - identical to last week's Grafham ride. So should be back before 1pm.

Happy to lead the way - unless someone has another idea? Nasties welcome to tag on - but I'll be keeping it strictly medium pace - so don't be afraid anyone wanting to step up...

http://www.bikemap.net/route/1383806

Comments

  • James DJames D
    Gloves and boots in the oven getting ready ;)
  • Robbie LRobbie L
    edited January 2012
    Hoping to be there. Top route.
    Bit nippy -3
  • Martin LMartin L
    So about 20 out at 9am. All the steady riders chose to step up to the Medium ride - hats off to I think one or two that hadn't done that before. Everyone rode well.

    An early puncture for Robbie didn't bode well. But that was it - and soon the rolling hills meant the cold didn't seem to cut to the bone any more.

    A bit stop-start trying to keep a wide range of abilities together. But all good. Went past a fully loaded Cambridge CC club run. Geoff disappeared without a word - or maybe I was near the front. The biggest thing to watch with groups this size is communication. A shunt at red lights in Saffron meant Jon might have a sore knee in the morning - nothing too serious.

    A beautiful split at Radwinter for the Fast boys to go on Trahern's favourite Fulborne route for 70 or so and a bit more pace. I went with maybe 13-14 for the original Thaxted route. Saw some serious horse bolting action - Buckaroo stylee. Once back into Herts the group started to fracture - but by now people know where they are. Skelders - I hope the nagging shoulder gets sorted soon!

    We hit the Slip End dash with the tailwind right on our back wheel. Credit to Robbie and MC for hanging on, on fixed, at 28-29mph. But we soon went beyond that and in the end our Phil Keen bagged the sprint - his first he said - then again, he's guilty of mid-week secret training ;-]

    More fair January weather all things considered, 64m @ 16.5mph. Essex have fixed a lot of their roads - smooooth. Later, MC and Jon popped in chez Lawless for a tea and we watched the ebay clock countdown to a Trek frame he was after. I hope your bad luck reversed this afternoon Jon.

    btw - The Pro tour is creaking into life - and on t'telly. Tour Down Under started today on Sky 4 - TV schedule here.
  • geoffggeoffg
    good write up Martin....not without a word....told Steph /Jon and others.....was out for a shorter ride at a steady pace so left at Barley and on to Flint cross/Fowlemere/Meldreth etc and home.....glad everyone had a good ride..probably see people on Wednesday
  • phil kphil k
    thanks to martin for route finding - i always enjoy a bit of essex.......
  • skeldersskelders
    edited January 2012
    Great route Martin... Thanks Vince for pulling me up the odd hill !!!! Legs were totally shot by the time James and I crawled in to Baldock. I think James was in better shape than me though.... I'm broken!!!!
  • strappystrappy
    edited January 2012
    Sorry i could not make this ride sounded like a good one, mind you i kept fit by chasing
    round my 18 month old grandaughter, baby sat friday & saturday night till the small hours
    what a handfull , but a real doll.
    see you all next week
    Strappy.
  • Gavin BGavin B
    Great ride yesterday have been putting off riding with the medium group for a while. Need to work on going up hills faster than i used too, any suggestions?

    Thanks for your patience it was a good day out..

    Gavin
  • James DJames D
    got home with 68.7 miles on the clock. ride time 4 1/2 hours. Much longer than i have done for a while which is good but felt really it during the last 10-15 miles. Was running on fumes by on the run in home as my food and drink ran out with 25 miles to go.....Schoolboy error! Thank goodness for the tailwind and Martins good route planning as i think a headwind between Wallington and Baldock would have caused Tim and I to collapse.

    roll on Portugal ;) in the mean time need to find a few more rides to get back up to strength.
  • skeldersskelders
    edited January 2012
    Thanks also to Gavin for waiting for me!! It seems I can use a new 'excuse'... just got back from the shoulder specialist and its official... I have a friggin broken shoulder with suspected torn tendons! great!

    Ski season over, cycle season... depends on tendons in two weeks time, maybe surgery :-( fingers crossed on the cortisone jab working!

    PS - does cortisone make me ride faster ;-0
  • Gavin BGavin B
    No problem-not good news regarding the shoulder. Cortisone cured my tennis elbow....good luck.
  • VincentVincent
    ha remembered my password at last.
    Martin, many thanks for a perfect ride. Geoff let us know he was off on a different route around Barley.
    I took a more leisurely pace as we entered Sandon and returned with Shefford chap - Gavin perhaps.
    cannot ride this weekend but will try and do the Tuesday circuits, wed cyclocross training or thurs MTB rides in the evenings instead.
    So many options.
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