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Tuesday night cross - Letchworth Greenway 23rd Sept @ 7:45pm
Calling all night riders...
Its that time of year again when the nights are starting to draw in, the weather is cooling (or cooled!) and discussions turn to cross and the scary delights of pitch black off road adventures around Letchworth. Bring on the Ronde Van Letchworth, an hour of threshold thrashing around the Letchworth Greenway including single track, slippery off camber turns and more than a fair share of Belgian toothpaste thrown in.
Last year as a group we arranged regular Thursday night rides and the intention is to start these up again, with a couple of tweaks following feedback from last year.
- Rides start on Thursday nights from 18th September - it should be dark enough then....
- NEW we'll have a slightly later start time to allow the Londoners to join us @ 7:45pm meaning we will finish around 9pm
- NEW We'll meet at the 2 Chimneys on Stotfold Road, Letchworth. I have been in touch with them and they offer the best space to park and isotonic recovery beers afterwards.
- Cross or mountain bikes, overshoes, and exceptionally bright lights are recommended - suggest 1000 lumens min to be safe(ish) - see link below
- Rides take place in all weathers, a chance to test your Rule #5 and #9 credentials.
- Do NOT your wear your best Rapha kit, it will get ruined!
- Do NOT ride your best bike, it will get ruined! (the surface is gritty and sandy)
- Do NOT fit mudguards, you will be ridiculed!
- It is NOT a race....
See you all in a few weeks
JRVM
Links below:
Lights on Amazon
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=t6+bike+lights&rh=i:aps,k:t6+bike+lights
2 Chimneys website
http://www.hungryhorse.co.uk/pubs/two-chimneys-letchworth
Its that time of year again when the nights are starting to draw in, the weather is cooling (or cooled!) and discussions turn to cross and the scary delights of pitch black off road adventures around Letchworth. Bring on the Ronde Van Letchworth, an hour of threshold thrashing around the Letchworth Greenway including single track, slippery off camber turns and more than a fair share of Belgian toothpaste thrown in.
Last year as a group we arranged regular Thursday night rides and the intention is to start these up again, with a couple of tweaks following feedback from last year.
- Rides start on Thursday nights from 18th September - it should be dark enough then....
- NEW we'll have a slightly later start time to allow the Londoners to join us @ 7:45pm meaning we will finish around 9pm
- NEW We'll meet at the 2 Chimneys on Stotfold Road, Letchworth. I have been in touch with them and they offer the best space to park and isotonic recovery beers afterwards.
- Cross or mountain bikes, overshoes, and exceptionally bright lights are recommended - suggest 1000 lumens min to be safe(ish) - see link below
- Rides take place in all weathers, a chance to test your Rule #5 and #9 credentials.
- Do NOT your wear your best Rapha kit, it will get ruined!
- Do NOT ride your best bike, it will get ruined! (the surface is gritty and sandy)
- Do NOT fit mudguards, you will be ridiculed!
- It is NOT a race....
See you all in a few weeks
JRVM
Links below:
Lights on Amazon
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=t6+bike+lights&rh=i:aps,k:t6+bike+lights
2 Chimneys website
http://www.hungryhorse.co.uk/pubs/two-chimneys-letchworth
Comments
John
There are a few "improved" sections. The track from Hitchin up to Willian has been resurfaced in places, meaning that the parts that were washed away last winter are looking a bit better. The section from Nortonbury up to the Grange estate is also much smoother than last year when it was mostly churned up by some mystery lorries. The same can't be said for the section by the Letchworth tip - Repairs seem to have involved someone dumping about 2 tonnes of loose gravel on the track. Somewhat sketchy when you hit it at about 25mph!
Getting dark just after 8pm already so we should be ready for our first floodlit outing in the next few weeks.
Just to get into the spirit I tried 3 different refreshment endings - all cider based - fruit cider, pear cider and strong cider. I think that the strong cider definitely had the best recovery benefit - hic!
May need to do another run to try the ales on offer at the 2 chimneys.... All in the interest of research of course!
More updates to follow
JRVM
I'm in, sounds like fun, I will catch up with you on a Thursday over the next couple of weeks. I'm just about to take delivery of my first Cross bike so would be good to break it in.
Cheers
Scott. (Ethan's Dad!)
John
As we are organising U10 youth training on Thursday nights I am going to move the Letchworth Greenway rides to Tuesday nights.
Other details stay the same.
- 7:45 start
- 2 Chmineys Pub car park
See you there
JRVM
Watch this space, should know more later in the week
Jamie
thursday ultimately would be more convenient for me too!
The Cotic Clogger is ready for another winter season.....
John
The late start of 7.45pm is good for me as well as the Thursday date. will keep eye out for the final decision.
regards,
Vincent
Weather is good tomorrow evening, forecast 15c, dry and 7mph wind. Despite the rain over the weekend, the greenway is dry, so should be good for riding
Sunset is at 18:58 so it should be nice and dark by the start of the ride at 19:45. Finish with a pint at about 9pm...
Plan is to meet at the car park of the Two Chimneys Hungry Horse - address below.
Stotfold Road
Letchworth
Hertfordshire
SG6 4JS
United Kingdom
If you are coming along please post so I know who to expect. I can whisper you my mobile number for directions also.
See you tomorrow
JRVM
[Final decision on Tuesdays vs Thursdays for future weeks will be made later in the week once I've spoken with Mark Wyer re youth CX coaching]
David
Dave, I can tell you're mad keen already. Here Come The Belgians.....er, and hopefully the Dutch!!
Just about recovered from the beasting by Nathaniel & Dave - Going well lads. Some of the lanes on the second half are just a blur of dust, blinking red lights in the darkness and the occasional whipping from a low hanging bramble. Quite impressive dismounting from Dave at the narrow gates going round the back of the Jackmans estate - Sven Nys stylee - dropped us all as we squeezed through brushing bars and beer bellies.
My timer said the lap was 58:08, great that we made it under the magic hour as a foursome.
Tuesday nights are confirmed going forwards as I will be coaching on Thursday evenings. Hope to see a few more venture out before the weather turns too cold and wet!
Until next week
JRVM
Thanks for arranging Jamie and see you all for another shoeing next week!
FD
I think it's worth adding for those that are thinking of joining us, we don't always need to go full gas, we will go at the best speed for the group that's riding. We like to push ourselves but no-one gets left behind.
It's one lap of the Letchworth Greenway, just over 13 miles, on a mixture of sustrans gravel track, woodland, tarmac and bridle paths -vast majority is off road. Start at 7.45pm, finish around 8.45pm from the 2 Chimneys, Letchworth.
It's great fun, exhilarating in the dark, with good lights highly recommended.
As Dave says, we push ourselves hard, but no-one is left behind. It's almost like a series of interval training - harder efforts followed by regrouping and then off we go again - with no cars to worry about.
All welcome to join in the fun and keep fit over the winter months.
John