hoping to have a spare room ready by then in case of emergencies...still putting in ceiling and insulating walls.....mobile home supplied with basic essentials..chocolate digestives,ginger nuts, tea, coffee, milk,sugar, bottled water..... weather looking promising...see you about 10.30 - 11.00am. Watch the cameras and average speed sections from before Catterick to Scotch Corner. Beware average speed cameras before Eltisley now 40mph. Good stop half way at Blythe services. With stop will be nearer 4 hours. Ride starts 11.30 to 12 noon if all here and settled. Cafe at Brough after 30 miles do a good egg,beans,bacon and toast. Pint at Tan Hill Pub 15 miles later (if you want) then down to Arkengarthdale and over the Stang. Nice little leg stretcher :-)
Easy Mark..A1, Scotch Corner A66 West, 13.5 miles left to Bowes, Left at small roundabout to Gilmonby, over bridge, keep to left. Road forkes at top Right to Sleightholme Left to The Rigg...take the left and 1 mile later you can't miss us.
How many getting here for Friday ride and who else coming late Friday?
I'm trying for Friday morning and the Friday ride. Then put me tent up! Think I may bring a few beers if it's s trek to the pub... play cards in the caravan!
Thought we'd go into BC and get Indian or Italian. Since I'm going to get mullered on rides without drinking am happy to drive. Morrisons have a great selection of beers so suggest we drop in on Friday evening rather than you lugging beer up here.
Gotta say.... that was one of the best cycling weekends. Perfect accommodation for a bunch of cyclists, with challenging terrain and routes planned by Geoff. Friday and Saturday were tough rides including long climbs up The Stang and Tan Hill. MC found it more challenging than he anticipated being on Geoff's winter training bike after his rear mech failed on his carbon Madone - but we found it entertaining watching him struggle to push himself through the last few miles. Both rides around 2000 metres climbing. Sunday was meant to be the flat easy ride.... still climbed more metres that the whole of the GD100!
thanks geoff for being such a great host, planning the fantastic rides, transport to the pub and for MC's "back up" bike!!!
Cheers Robbie for "organising" - looking forward to the next one!!
If you have the chance to get along to any of the other weekends then do it!! great scenery, beautiful countryside, traffic free lanes, real climbs, stunning views, welcoming cafes.....what more could you want!
Thanks guys. My pleasure and great to have your company. Certainly makes the rides more fun to be able to ride with you rather than just myself. We were blessed with fine weather which made the routes almost perfect. Just in case anyone out there thinks I kept up with them...I didn't. They were all very kind and patient. In my defence I was riding a bike twice the weight of theirs ( apart from Marks :-) ). This will change once I have my new one but not till July/August. I hope the next 4 months will help me close the gap. Good to see Shaun back on a bike having rediscovered his cycling mojo. The more the merrier...see you next trip.
o.k. guys...Thanks for the input...not everyone replied but clearly won't be a group ride in May...all good for me as I get 2 months to slightly close the gap on you youngsters :-) I'll go and ride the next 3 routes and pop them up here for you to load... I have two routes planned already...1 long rolling and hillier than down south and 1 challenging and medium length. I have the routes from Martyn albeit he will make some changes before we go...so will try and match up total climbing and distance. June won't be too hard, but July will be 3 long tough days so be prepared...August will be seriously challenging so bear in mind thet this will still only represent half of the total loading we get on Paris Nice. Hope this sounds o.k. but get in touch if concerned.
well yesterday was a great day for a ride..short sleeved top and sun tan lotion. Decided to ride Junes Day 2 route 80 miles and 7700 feet of climbing. All completed in 6hrs of riding plus lunch and comfort breaks of about 1hr in total. I make that just over 13mph average which is ok for me at this time of year. Felt good after so that augers well. Looking to get my average up to 15's by the end of August so the long days in France aren't TOO long.
We need to do a long ride Friday and Saturday with an easier ride on Sunday so was wondering if people can get up late Thursday for an early start on Friday. If we do a long ride Sunday then people are going to be too tired to drive back safely on Sunday.
We certainly need to do 3 long rides July/August so please think about arrangements for those two sets of dates. We need to start 9-9.30 at the latest. Would appreciate your thoughts on this. Cheers Guys
Geoff - I'm planning on joining the June training weekend. I'm up for making these weekends as beasting as possible but happy to let good sense (of others) prevail here. Can be flexible with travel and driving back on Sunday will not be a problem (although I'll have to arrange light duties at work for the Mon!).
We're close to longest day so suggest we can start slightly later to allow folk to travel on the Friday morning?
Looking forward to catching you at the Thai Basil on Saturday.
thanks Jeremy...all good points and will wait on other thoughts before posting final set of rides. Given your comments I guess we could keep this day 2 ride for Sunday. I have a flattish 95 miler which I would like to slot in so lets see how others feel. Cheers G
Hi Geoff I'd probably prefer to come up early Friday morning (and not have to set off at 4am to be ready for 9am!). I don't think it's going to matter too much that our Friday rides are slightly shorter than our Saturday/Sunday rides, in the grand scale of things. I'll defer to the group consensus, though...
I can't do either date unfortunately - helping out with the Grand Prix on Sunday 14th and have a London concert on Sat 6th.
It's highly unlikely I'll be able to get to Durham as have only 3 days holiday left after pre-booked family holidays and week for Paris Nice itself - and not including half-terms, 50th birthday and Christmas!
That rules out any Friday ride and as indicated above, would mean setting off on a Saturday from Herts at 4am to be ready for 9am ride.
I'll have to make do with any hills nearer home, Chilterns, Cotswolds, although appreciate this is not ideal preparation for France and isn't riding with you guys.
Comments
weather looking promising...see you about 10.30 - 11.00am. Watch the cameras and average speed sections from before Catterick to Scotch Corner. Beware average speed cameras before Eltisley now 40mph. Good stop half way at Blythe services. With stop will be nearer 4 hours.
Ride starts 11.30 to 12 noon if all here and settled. Cafe at Brough after 30 miles do a good egg,beans,bacon and toast. Pint at Tan Hill Pub 15 miles later (if you want) then down to Arkengarthdale and over the Stang. Nice little leg stretcher :-)
I will be bringing some lights and a bike lock for a trundle to the local pub in the evening
Easy Mark..A1, Scotch Corner A66 West, 13.5 miles left to Bowes, Left at small roundabout to Gilmonby, over bridge, keep to left. Road forkes at top Right to Sleightholme Left to The Rigg...take the left and 1 mile later you can't miss us.
How many getting here for Friday ride and who else coming late Friday?
One here. I'll stick a few more up later. That terrain is fierce! Well done chaps.
All in all... awesome. Cheers teamsters.
Thanks for your generous hospitality, Geoff.
Same again soon.
Here are the stats from my Garmin
Friday - 91Km, 1869m of climbing
Saturday - 130km, 2422m of climbing
Sunday - 52km, 621m of climbing
Tired legs and a bit of a sun tan, what more could you want?
thanks geoff for being such a great host, planning the fantastic rides, transport to the pub and for MC's "back up" bike!!!
Cheers Robbie for "organising" - looking forward to the next one!!
If you have the chance to get along to any of the other weekends then do it!! great scenery, beautiful countryside, traffic free lanes, real climbs, stunning views, welcoming cafes.....what more could you want!
We were blessed with fine weather which made the routes almost perfect. Just in case anyone out there thinks I kept up with them...I didn't. They were all very kind and patient. In my defence I was riding a bike twice the weight of theirs ( apart from Marks :-) ). This will change once I have my new one but not till July/August. I hope the next 4 months will help me close the gap.
Good to see Shaun back on a bike having rediscovered his cycling mojo.
The more the merrier...see you next trip.
I'll go and ride the next 3 routes and pop them up here for you to load...
I have two routes planned already...1 long rolling and hillier than down south and 1 challenging and medium length.
I have the routes from Martyn albeit he will make some changes before we go...so will try and match up total climbing and distance. June won't be too hard, but July will be 3 long tough days so be prepared...August will be seriously challenging so bear in mind thet this will still only represent half of the total loading we get on Paris Nice.
Hope this sounds o.k. but get in touch if concerned.
12-15 June
24-26 July
21-23 Aug
Bring it on!
Decided to ride Junes Day 2 route 80 miles and 7700 feet of climbing. All completed in 6hrs of riding plus lunch and comfort breaks of about 1hr in total. I make that just over 13mph average which is ok for me at this time of year. Felt good after so that augers well. Looking to get my average up to 15's by the end of August so the long days in France aren't TOO long.
You will like this one http://www.mapmyfitness.com/routes/view/702631415
We need to do a long ride Friday and Saturday with an easier ride on Sunday so was wondering if people can get up late Thursday for an early start on Friday.
If we do a long ride Sunday then people are going to be too tired to drive back safely on Sunday.
We certainly need to do 3 long rides July/August so please think about arrangements for those two sets of dates. We need to start 9-9.30 at the latest.
Would appreciate your thoughts on this.
Cheers Guys
We're close to longest day so suggest we can start slightly later to allow folk to travel on the Friday morning?
Looking forward to catching you at the Thai Basil on Saturday.
Cheers
G
You can have a lift up with me, can pick you up after collecting Jane, would be probably about 1115. Can get 3 bikes on the roof rack.
I have also replied to your email.
I'd probably prefer to come up early Friday morning (and not have to set off at 4am to be ready for 9am!). I don't think it's going to matter too much that our Friday rides are slightly shorter than our Saturday/Sunday rides, in the grand scale of things.
I'll defer to the group consensus, though...
12-15 June
24-26 July
21-23 Aug
Just spoken to Geoff. Because of the Letchworth grand Prix racing on the 14th June...
Should we move the training weekend to the 5th June?
Personally both work for me. Comments please...
It's highly unlikely I'll be able to get to Durham as have only 3 days holiday left after pre-booked family holidays and week for Paris Nice itself - and not including half-terms, 50th birthday and Christmas!
That rules out any Friday ride and as indicated above, would mean setting off on a Saturday from Herts at 4am to be ready for 9am ride.
I'll have to make do with any hills nearer home, Chilterns, Cotswolds, although appreciate this is not ideal preparation for France and isn't riding with you guys.
John
I've entered the Tour of Cambridgeshire Sportive on 7th June but would be prepared to miss this for a trip to Geoff's.
Or go on the 19 -21 June. This date allows for riders to do the Cambridge event on the 5th.