Category: Routes and Rides

Section on routes and rides, hope to include maps and pictures.

NorthEnd ride to The IceCream Farm (with a RoadRace thrown in)

Not what I had in mind today as I had planned to do Cliffs CTC ride to Panorama which I was looking forward to. It was scheduled for a 9.30 start so I knew something was amiss when I was the only one there.

As it was the North End were going to watch the finish of the roadrace at Saighton so I tagged along with them.

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As you can see it’s a fine day, this was one of the few times on a North End ride that it was possibble to take a picture. If I was with the CTC I could be off the front and still have time to get a decent frontal shot. Not a chance with these guys, it’s seen as a personal attack.  There is a big difference in riding style and pace. Club riding is the next step for me and it is a totally different level to the CTC rides I have been doing for the last year.

I’ll recap for those that don’t know me or what’s happened over the last year. A year ago I joined the CTC to ride with a group, before that I rode on my own as every Tom Dick and Harry used to pass me. This isn’t as bad as it seems I was out there learning the craft. If your as overweight as I was you need to do the basics first which is getting your basic level of fitness up. I’ll stop now as this needs a separate post of its own rather than a ride post. Riding on your own will give you the chance to get to know yourself possibly for the first time, a chance to explore a few limits and make a couple of mistakes out of everybodies eye.

Back to the ride, Tempo leads off and it is up to the rest to catch up. It’s a more disiplined approach and if you dawdle your not going to be on the ride.

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Dave, I’ve got some pictures of the race finish if you want them.

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With the race over with a mix up over the bell for the final lap it off to the Ice Cream Farm. There were a lot of what are now familiar faces at the Ice Cream Farm. I thought it would have been packed now the kids are on their summer holidays but it wasn’t so.
Seafood bagguette for me and a cold drink.
Really great weather for the ride back to the Eureka.
Not what I expected when I set off for the Eureka but another great day.

Link to MotionBased Player

Link to Google Map of ride

North End Ride to Denbigh

I might as well start at the begining, it was down Resthill and heading out on Route 56 when I got delayed by the cows going down the lane to another field. Spoke to what I guess to be the farmers wife about what time the cows get moved as they were herded into the field.

Out at the Eureka I’m early as I need to get breakfast. I tend not to have a breakfast before a ride out to the cafe. It’s the only time I forgo the Quaker Oat Granola I normally have.

I have no illusions about riding with the North End, I’m being tested to see which group I’ll be riding with. Dave who has commented on here is riding with us and he is racing tommorrow. Big Phill is also with us at least untill the top of Paper Mill Lane. Before that it was my ride across the new bridge and boy was it windy.

Paper Mill Lane is the first climb of the day. Andrew and moi are first up and this is where I have a little dig by going off the front. This was equivalent to lighting the blue touch paper and wakes everyone up. Everyone is out the saddle racing up to the junction.

I’ll fast forward to towards the end of the ride at Loggerheads. I’ve been dropped of the back on the descent from the top of the Bwlch to Loggerheads but on the climb at Cadole I start reeling the group in (they have reformed). Anyway having reeled them in I ride past them in the big ring to boot. There is a loud shout of “Oi !!!” which I laugh off. This really set the cat among the pidgeons and it’s a sprint to the top of the hill. This is where I am weak, the TLI Oulton Park Series proved that. I am at or near my limit on these rides so there is nothing in reserve when I spark off something like this.

Once over the top it was a 44mph ride down to Mold which is where I lost contact with the group as I got caught by a set of red lights and a pelican crossing.

Now back to the ride. Next up was Northop and the lights where a prat in a car decides to give us some verbal abuse. It must be a North End thing but I’m amazed what confidence a tin box gives some of these idiots.

The next bit is familiar as I rode it with Janet and Ray a few weeks ago. Same route up to the A55 and onto Halkyn. Around Pentre Halkyn the bottle cage on the Toy looses a screw while I am taking a drink so I have to stop.  The thing with riding with these guys is the pace, it’s fast, even for me. On some of the climbs I am maxed out at 178 BPM. This is just trying to stay with these guys, some of them aren’t even breaking into a sweat. It’s dripping off me.

It gets a bit lumpy around Tremeirchion but the scenery in this neck of the woods is fantastic. We have a run in to Denbigh and then it was a climb up and around the castle. It’s been heavy going up to now and the lunch stop is scheduled in for the Cafe by the river at Ruthin. Looks like beans on toast all round. The  problem in this neck of the woods is water or any form of liquid. I’ve emptied my bottle and it needs a refill.

After the Cafe stop at Ruthin there is only one way back today, straight up the Bwlch. I get shelled off the back on the run up to it and it is quite steep at around 10% on the hairpin bits. Then it is on to the main climb which I didn’t feel too bad on, this was because I’d reeled in Dave and passed him before the bend that leads up to the summit. It’s then a fast run down to Loggerheads where it gets strung out a bit.

Which is where we started, me passing the club captain on the climb before a 44mph run into Mold where I got stuck at the lights. I called in to see Keith at Eureka sports before meeting up with them back at the Eureka.

The ride home was through Puddington, Burton, Denhall Lane, Neston and Parkgate and back up RestHill for another great day out.

83 miles. 4700 ft of climbing 5200 calories burnt Avg speed 16mph with a max of 44mph.

Link to Google Map of Ride

North End ride to Llandegla Mountain Bike Centre

This was my first ride out with the North End, it started off with me following Dave at 25 mph to catchup with the others heading out to Woodbank. It was down to the Dee cyclepath and along that to Saltney Ferry footbridge. Just past Bretton one of the group picks up a puncture which slows things down a bit.

Now this is my first time out with the North end so I don’t know what the pace is going to be. The first test is when we turn off the Mold Road for a 5% climb up to the A55 footbridge. Climbs like this blow groups apart and I move off the front on this one. There is a comment about a drug test at the end of it as I am in my Discovery Channel kit.

For me this is my natural pace for a hill like this. At the gate it’s a wait for the group to reform. Another climb and then we cross the A55 and head for Pennyfford. The group reforms again but splits as most of it is going to the cafe at Ceffyn y Bedd. Dave, Mark, AN other and moi split off on a more direct route as the cafe closes at midday.

Once there Dave, Mark and I turn off up the Ffrwd Road. I’ve been down this road and it’s a blast, climbing it is a different matter. Dave gives me some instructions about waiting at the cross roads which I thought was a bit premature but proved to be the case. It’s not called the steps or staircase for nothing. Parts of this climb are steep, around 15%, it’s do-able in the middle ring. This had me maxxed out at 177 BPM on the Garmin HRM. Mark had dropped me on this climb as he is a natural climber. I’d clawed some of it back but the gap went out again. Contador I am not, YET.

We turned off for the Mountain Bike Centre even tho it is not signed. When we got there it was packed. You only have to look at the bike racks to see that there is some serious money here. By the looks of it we are the only ones that have arrived by our own power. It’s a pity that this stretch of road needs resurfacing otherwise it’s more suited to a 4X4 on the route we took.

I ended up having a piece of cake and a cup of tea, Dave and Mark ordered toast. What arrived was a two doorsteps per plate, then another two plates arrived. Once this was over it was time to head back to the Eureka. It’s a fast descent from the centre. There is one short climb that registers 16% on the Garmin Edge 305 but other than that it’s all downhill. The whole ride is at a quicker pace than what I’ve been doing for the last year. This is just what I need at the moment. The routes maybe not as scenic as some but it’s early days yet.

Had a few look at the new bars on The Toy , once I have sorted the lever height they will be perfect. There is even a moulding to rest your thumbs on when on the top. Superb.

Link to Google Map of Ride

TLI Oulton Park Road Race 03 Jul 07

Now this is the third and final TLI Oulton Park Road Race for this year. I’ve done the first two with mixed results if a result is finishing in the group. If competing and doing your best is a result then I’ve had the best results of my life over the last month or so.

On the last event I was shelled off the back due to a lack of experience and once off the back it can’t be regained.  More than one has told me how competitive the Vets are, I think it it a mixture of race experience and years of just being at a fitness level I didn’t know existed.

For this week I’ve had a wheel upgrade to unbranded carbon rims and tubular tyres.They are not Zipp,s Hedd,s or Corimas  but most of this like weightloss is in the mind. I know now that I am fighting the law of diminishing returns, the only thing limiting my performance these days is me.

I’d been lining up for this event for a week and the weather forecast was mxed. I’d spent a day trying to get cork brake pads for the carbon rims with no result. This had worn me out before I’d even started. Anyway I’d signed on in good time and spent some time circulating the wet carpark.

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This is moi talking to Chris who is about to flag us off. The funny thing is Chris was talking to me me about this website, he’d found it on a Google search.  TLI Oulton Park I think. The thing was we were talking about helping someone else maybe with a spinning class. I’m really glad when events like this happen as I don’t actively seek to publish (other than this blog) what I’ve acheived. Just being able to take the line is an acheivment for me.

And so to the event. Chris gave us good warning about the standing water at Old Hall and with that we set off down Deer Leap. Unlike last time I was taking my time letting others take it up this week. Just like the other week there were loads of bunnies running for cover as the leaders came through.

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Mixed results with the pictures this week, there are a lot of blurred ones as the camera prefers to focus on stationary objects like the Bennetts hoarding on the armco.

Now I know where I went wrong last week and I’m not going to make the same mistake week. There were times when I was tempted to go off the front as things slow up on various parts of the lap like Island bend to Lakeside. You are into a headwind here and no one wants to lead out here. At least I don’t this time, it was this part of the track that has been my undoing once too often.

The reason is the sprint up Dentons with things easing off slightly on the Avenue. Things picking up again as we head for the line. Now it was all about hanging on with the bunch tonight and not getting dropped again. I’d settled into things OK this week and once I’d realised that for me it was all about the climb up Dentons, where I was weak, at least it was giving me the opportunity to stay on the back.

I’d spoken with one of  The Sunlight guys and he passed comments about not wanting to be further back than this, looking back there was only one other rider behind us. That focused the mind but at least I hadn’t done anything stupid like go off the front this week. Last week I’d gone from the front to the back on Dentons and then dropped by Druids.

Link to Google map of Race 

http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/invitation/dashboard.mb?episodePk.pkValue=3200883

Lap
 Time Distance Max Spd Hr max/ave      Caden  Energy
1 06:53 2.68 34  149 161 83 216
2 06:38 2.66 33.3 153 171 83 204
3 06:36 2.66 32.4 161 170 88 214
4 06:24 2.67 34.9 160 171 89 203
5 06:29 2.67 35.8 157 167 92 205
6 06:37 2.66 36.5 152 163 89 210
7 06:30 2.67 35.6 153 162 87 205
8 06:46 2.67 36.5 149 167 87 212
9 06:28 2.67 37.1 153 158 90 199
10 06:25 2.65 34.7 153 170 85 201

From the above data you should be able to gather that the last two laps were fast but my lap four was the fastest of the race. The last lap coming out at only 1 second over that shows I wasn’t blown at the end. Yes I’ve finished with the group this week but lets not forget I was riding out of my age group so respect is due.

Coming out of Shell hairpin and going along Lakeside the guy in front of me has a spoke break with a loud ping. He wasn’t aware of what was up at at the time but you could see the wheel was out of true. I’ve been warned off Mavics with alloy spokes and sure enough this was a Mavic Ksyrium letting go.

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There are plenty of blurred shots of the pack going over the finish line so I won’t waste bandwidth putting the pictures up here.

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I forgot to mention that I am riding Barry Sheene,s lucky number 7. It’s all about the last two laps as things hot up. On the 9th lap I’m consious about not loosing places on Dentons again but coming out of the saddle like most around me doesn’t feel right on these new bars. This time I get chance to here the bell as we cross the line for the final lap. This time up Dentons I’m at least holding position and after that I’m actually picking up a place or two. Dentons has taken a bit too much out of nearly half the field and it starts to thin out on the run up from Old Hall to the finish line.  I pull another few places back but no one is counting except me.

Great to finish, great to finish on the same lap, great to finish in the group.

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Now you may wonder why I am having my picture taken with an Audi R8, well the fact is something was going on at Oulton Park on this day and the pit lane was full of them.So much so that we wern’t allowed in the pit lane. There were 18 that I could see and at £82,000 for a base model before extras (and everything is an extra) that equates to £1,476,000 for a base model if that’s what they were.Nice looking car but a bit out of my league.

I bumped in to another Frank from New Brighton CC after this as his lad had won the last event and had been upgraded to the senior group. The group that managed to drop me after a lap!. In fact I bumped in to a fair few that I have come across since taking this up.

It’s been another great evening, thanks to all involved. I’m still on this journey of Discovery (there’s a pun in there). Finally, a year ago I didn’t ride with a group as up untill August I didn’t think I was up to it. A year before that I was trying to drop out of the morbidly obese weightclass. It’s hard to write the last sentence these days as I just want to look forward to the next challenge.

Audax Around Snowdon, O Gwmpas Yr Wyddfa 103km

With most of the country worrying about the weather, I’m pondering whether to use “The Toy” or use the Iceni training/wet weather bike. One look out the window meant it was time to prep the Iceni. Nothing too drastic, just swap the bag, bottles and put the Garmin Edge 305 on the bars. The other important thing is to take the right shoes as the Iceni is fitted with SPD,s.

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This was the better of the two shots as it includes the church.

It’s looking a bit grim driving down the A55 to Bangor but I’d allowed enough time in case I had difficulty find the start. Numbers were nearly 50% down on those that had entered but it didn’t look too bad on the day. Two out of our planned group were no shows but we gained Margaritte. Bangor was busy as we set out and it wan’t until a few mile down the road that I realised I hadn’t pressed start on the Garmin Edge 305. Hence the gap on the google map.

Ray had programmed us in to take the main road and not the cycle way to Carnarvon (english spelling) due to the path being grit. The wet conditions meaning any dirt rapidly becomes grinding paste on the rims. There was plenty of water around as we headed down the hill to Carnarvon and the Castle. I dropped off the back here to get a picture of the Castle as it’s not everyday you ride past historic landmarks like this. Further down the road we arrive at our first control point with a few riders getting their cards signed.

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After the control things get a bit breezy and the speed is cut to 10-11mph. The road is very exposed here and it’s not until we head inland that things ease up.

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Lowrie (in the blue,centre)of Wrexham CTC gets around, last week it was the Cheshire cycleway 100 miler.

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It’s a tad windy after the checkpoint.

The next stop is Tremadog where all the climbers congregate before and after they climb the  the rockfaces across the the the road from the cafe. There is the matter of a 700 ft climb to tackle before you get to it. It also means 700ft of descent too. There is a diversion off the main road that rejoins a bit further on.  Prior to to that I see Nazareth Post Office, or at least it looks like that as we ride past.

Now the Eagle eyed might have gathered that I am a Nazareth fan(the 70,s group)and the urge to photograph the post office was stong , but i was at the back so it didn’t happen. Well not this time at least. AKA Whitebicycle.

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This is after the climb, boy it was bleak. Bleak was waiting at the turn and having to go back down the hill to see if one of the riders was OK.Soft is someone whingeing about having a change of dry clothing after having walked from the Lamberis Pass cafe to the coach  in the carpark.

I might as well talk about the climb as it is the highlight of the ride, not knowing what was coming up it looked harder than what it was. This was only the second long climb I’ve tackled, most have been shorter but maybe a bit steeper. Yes I know, I need to get out more.

The map player on the MotionBased site gives all the details of the climb . There is a section that is steep at the bottom but then it opens out. You can see the viewing point that cuts into the side of the mountain in the distance. That looks steep and who knows what lurks around the bend. As the climb opens up there is a chance to got up a gear and the speed goes up to 12mph from 10mph. Going up another gear has it up to 14mph in places. I passed three or four fellow riders on the climb and felt on top form. Only stopping at the junction to go up to PenYPass.

Looking at my watch I figure I’m about ten minutes clear of the others and it was time to regroup before going on to the control point. The weather turns nasty at this point and up until this point I have been reasonably dry. I’ve a pair of Polaris trousers on over a pair of shorts with Sealskin waterproof socks keeping my feet dry, until  now.

One of the problems with waterproof gear is that when it gets overwhelmed like here there is nowhere for the water to go. So now I’ve got wet feet. I should have put the Altura overtrousers on earlier as they proved quite effective on the descent.

The next section up to the Cafe is steep, the weather is horrendous and as we round a steep uphill bend we are hit by a wind that nearly stops you in your tracks. No chance of dancing up at 14mph here,more like 8 with 10mph at best when it leveled out. A bleep on the Garmin means we are at the control point.

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Now you don’t want to leave the relative comfort of the cafe to set off in a downpour but we’ve a ride to finish. I finally don the Altura overtrousers for the descent into Llanberis. Boy what a descent this was. This was going to be fast, it would have been very very fast if it was dry.

Once I’d got an idea of what was involved I was soon up to speed, this felt like about 30 mph. As we descended there were literally rivers running across the road. This isn’t a day for taking the racing line and I wave a car past, a Merc follows thru. The thing is they aren’t that much quicker than me. Max speed was 37  but there were lots of sections where I was dragging the brakes to keep the rims clear of water.

I’m on the drops for this descent, you need the leverage on the brakes to control your speed. Being on the hoods is not an option you just can’t get enough leverage. There is good feel on the drops and Dura-Ace pads are soft enough not to wear the rims out. I must mention the driving rain at the top as it was really stinging the face so much so as I was thinking of slowing down at one point.Craig.jpg

Craig is next down and he doesn’t like this sort of descent.

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30 mph near the bottom was no problem and I had a bit of a wait for the rest to catch up hence the shots.

There were glimpses of sunlight as we rode out of Llanberis which coincided with a shower as soon as i uttered the words. Further on we opted for a stop to take off the rain gear. The weather had brightened up and there was some stunning scenery that we had just cycled. My final piece of malt loaf was consumed and we headed of to the finish. It was a good day and the piece of cake at the finish was something else. At about 6pm the first of the 200km riders returned. This was some feat considering the weather.

I’ll post some stats later.

Thanks Robert, it’s a great route and I really enjoyed myself, got to see plenty of graveyards on the route for some reason.

Link to Google Map of Ride

TLI Oulton Park Road Race 24 Jun 07

This is the fourth Tuesday on the run where I’ve had another eventful unique experience. Some may have taken the opening of my last TLI write up as me being a bit down, far from it. I knew I was out of my depth, you just don’t know how far on your first event.

I’ve made a few changes to the bike since last time, including wheels , tyres, gearing, bars, and saddle.  As we all know it’s not the bike but the rider, I still got dropped but this time by the vets. I forgot to mention I was riding in the vets class (50 +). I’m not going to improve in two weeks to do justice to the main field and anyway I’d qualify for it soon enough.

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There are a couple of decent shots that I can post here , but as it was  I had a great start. Or did I?. Unlike the previous ride I was straight into the pedal and although not first going down Dear Leap a good second.  After Old Hall I drew alongside the guy in the lead and said this wasn’t going to last.

This is where it was a bit surreal, on the first ride I was already struggling to stay on the back. This week I am off the front and have the unique view of clearing the track of bunny rabbits. There are loads of the little buggers of various sizes sunning thenselves on the early evening tarmac.

This goes on until after Druids  where it becomes a bit more exposed  and the bunnies have scarpered. No roadkill here, they probably get plenty of warning on a trackday.40-50 oldtimers doesn’t compare to 120 db of open pipe mayhem.

I’m under no illusion about what is happening on this ride, whereas on the first I was struggling to stay on the back this week I am off the front. Never in a million years is this sustainable but at least it lasts until the straight after the Shell hairpin. You don’t realise how long this stretch of track is and it’s all into a good strong headwind. I manage to slot in to the pack after having been given a warning by one of the New Brighton guys.

 

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This week things are a bit different and I’m still in the main bunch after 1 lap. The next couple of laps involve learning how to ride in a group and this is where I don’t  learn from my first lap escapade.

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This is lap 3 and who is the soft sod leading the chase here, you guessed it moi. The pack had slowed to a crawl and I’d gone from the back to the front in the run up from Old Hall to the finish line. 

There are times when the group slows to a pace that just invites the inexperienced like me to go off the front, well it happened again. Bear in mind in my first event i was on my own for eight laps with no hiding place.

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The above is lap 4 and I’ve gone from the front to the back twice now. If I’d have had any sense I’d have took Big Phils advice and stayed with the bunch as it wasn’t going to happen a third time. From Druids to Shell Hairpin you can really get sucked along in with the bunch. It’s fast and you are in close company. You have momentum for the climb and the descent is fast usually with the wind behind you.

On lap six I am off the back with another guy. I’d wasted effort by going off the front once too often and this was payback time. The thing was it’s not until you look back and see no one behind you except the broom wagon that you realise that if you can’t put that extra effort in to stay with the main bunch your well and truly finished.

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Two laps to go and the timekeepers are waiting to change over to the last lap sign.
Once I was off the back it was just like the previous event. As I passed one of the Marshall boxes on the Avenue one of the wits that was in it commented “Your getting your moneys worth”,  “Always do” was the reply. One of the lighter moments of the evening. The thing is there is a tendency to call it a day and pull in if you can’t maintain the pace.

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I think Frank is going to want the original of the above.

Maybe the chap was right I was getting my moneys worth, but all I’m looking to do is finish on the same lap. It’s all about finishing in my eyes. Pulling out isn’t an option.

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This is me getting flagged off with a lap to go, I was not a happy bunny at the time. I’m half a lap behind the group and so wanted to do the full distance this week.
Next week I’ll use a bit of common.

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http://maps.google.com/maps?q=http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/kml/episode.kml?episodePkValues=3139490

Re live the first 6 laps at least  with this link:

http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/invitation/email/accept.mb?senderPk.pkValue=86342&unitSystemPkValue=2&episodePk.pkValue=3139490

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Now I was half a lap behind these guys, next Tuesday the aim is to finnish on the same lap. Don’t do anything stupid and just get the hang of things. These guys have been doing this for a long  long time most of them. I’m way out of my depth and finnishing on the same lap is a bonus.

I’ve no hard feelings about being taken off early as the way things were the previous week it would be getting dark by the time I had finished.

This was Tuesday  on Wednesday I went out with the CTC for 54 miles  and then went to my Lifestyle and Weight management follow up class.  I’m still on this plan and less than a year ago I was just riding on my own. On August 1st 06 I joined the CTC . So effectivley I’ve been riding with the retired and pensioners for a year.  Everyone has to start somewhere and this was my start. What does amaze me is the mileage some of these guys do. 

CTC Ride to Utkinton Garden Centre

It was a bit of a quiet ride this on with only 3 of us doing it. It got even quieter when the rear light with nine lives bounced off the back of the saddle bag and I stopped to retrieve it. Cliff was leading the run that was marked down as going into Wales but the forecast was bad so a run to Utkinton was decided on instead.

Nothing much to report on the way out, Cliff is setting a higher pace than normal as he’s trying to give me a bit of a challenging ride. There is a stop for rain gear when a shower blows over. The Discovery Channel windshell comes out the back pocket, it can cope with a shower as the raindrops bead off. It can’t cope with torrential rain, more of which later.

At Tarporley we bump into some of the guys I’ve met on the Steve Cummings Training ride at Delamere Cafe. We rode with them as far as the garden centre where we stopped for lunch. They are gearing up for Sunday Lunches and I settle for a barm with pork on it, tea and a piece of cake to round it off. I wasn’t feeling fast today as I had rode out to Eureka for my breakfast.

Cliff has a route sorted for the return to the Eureka, it’s just as well he told me it as it all went a bit pear shaped later on. I’ve got to mention Wilington Hall again, today it looks like they’ve got the Ferrari Owners club in the grounds. Cliff had pedaled off ahead and missed it. Next up is Clotton and Corkscrew Lane and just past the cottage with the pond on the bend things go wrong.

There is a tractor following us and then the light with nine lives bounces off, I pull in and let the tractor and following car past then double back to find the light. It is usually in bits in the road but is nowhere to be seen this time. Just as well as the tractor would have surely flattened it. Anyway it is in the grass undamaged again, so I set off at a great rate of knots to catch Cliff and Janet.

Bits of this ride are on the Steve Cummings training ride so when the next junction comes up I have no hesitation about taking it. About a mile down the road I realise Cliff and Janet have gone straight on and are heading to Eaton again. Nothing for it but to go The Ice Cream farm for a cup of tea and a scone (jam no butter). Weather is still good so it’s time to top up the bottle and head back to Chester.

The routes on the map and I call in at the Bike Factory to see what they have in stock, coming out empty handed it’s time to head down to the River Dee and see if the others turn up. I have another stop at the Bandstand to listen to the group that were playing there. Had it been another time I’d have probably stayed longer.

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After this it was a ride around the racecourse and onto the River Dee Cyclepath. Here it started to rain. I could see that it was wet up ahead but it turned out to be a right downpour. This wasn’t fun, no mudguards mean’t there was enough water coming off the wheels to give me a good soaking.
The windshell was just that, the rain was no longer beading and bouncing off, it was just going straight through the nylon. This went on for a few miles then it stopped with a sharp transition to a dry path.

Back up past Sealand and then it was time to chance the A5117. Because of heavy traffic and the conditions it wasn’t too bad. Moving up to the lights I’m going faster than the traffic and at worst level with it. Peeled off up Woodbank and to the Eureka.

Ray and others from the Chester Road club are there so i join them and Roy and Joan join us too. This is when I have great difficulty in opening a Munchman Oat Bar. My finger tips are too soft with all that rain and I have to resort to piercing the plastic wrapper with a fork.

Talking about Munchman Oat Bars I’m always buying these from the Eureka. They are locally made and there is always one in the saddlebag in case of emergencies. I allways take one or two on an Audax as they go to some pretty remote places and you do need to be eating regulary on an Audax. Now I’ve had someone do a Google keyword search for them in the US and they have ended up at this site.

It was looking pretty grim looking out from the Eureka and I held off leaving untill I thought I had to do something. A couple of miles down the road and I was in sunshine.  Back up Resthill mucking around with 12-27 gearing just seeing what was what and pressing the stop button at the junction.

69 miles, what seemed like an inch of rain, but largely bright, another good day and a fitting end to a fantastic week.

Link to Google map of ride

If you play around the Google map in hybrid mode you can see where I cycled along The groves and around the Roodee. Also my detour to the Ice Cream Farm.

CTC Bob Clift Memorial Cheshire Cycleway Ride

This is my first go at this ride as I’ve only been with the CTC a mere 10 months. Thanks to Janet the route sheet was sent out to me by return of post and I was able to program the Garmin with it.  I’ll submit it to the CTC rides website so others can share it.
The Start.jpg

I’d parked up at the sports centre and signed on, a few now familar faces and a good turnout from The Sunlight. Now I was geared up for a hard day having driven the route on Saturday. Chris in the middle of the picture was going to have a short ride.
Just before Willington Hall he has chain trouble and that was the last we saw of him.

I’ve written about the start from Willington Hall for the Tour of the Berwyns,  I can’t reccomend it highly enough, it exudes class.

And then there were six, first up was Kelsall and a trip to Delamere. The Switchback at Delamere is on the Steve Cummings training ride. It’s a rolling climb and the dips give you momentum for the next. You can really feel good doing this climb by having a go. It’s not a drag and you gain speed as you crest each rise.

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 The stop at the Ice cream farm at Great Budworth was quite relaxed and it was here Roy and Joan caught us up. Time for a picture of them with Allan.

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It was then on to the first real climb of the day, up the hill to The Wizard of Edge, Alderley Edge that is. It went quite well, I’m going to have to find time to visit some of these locations, you pass so many when you are out on these runs.

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Had a good chat with the Sunlight lads at the control point. I’m looking to take things to the next level, so maybe I’ll be a club rider after all. Thanks for the positive comments about the site TJ. I’ve only ever wanted to show other what can be done. I thought I was doing well when I was over 100 Kg. This morning I was 82.0kg so 50KG or two bags of cement lighter than at my heaviest. I don’t know about this site beeing inspirational but the last years been 10 fold better than previous years.

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 The next section promised to be hilly, as I’d driven it in the car the previous dayI was concened I was going to struggle. It was low gear stuff and seemed particually steep in the car. I needn’t have worried, I still had the Wild Wales gearing on and sailed up everything. Don’t forget I’m on a triple.

 

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I took these shots while on the bike, they haven’t turned out too badly, mind you I had to put the camera away for the climb as I haven’t got to the stage where I can do a 15% climb one handed. (yet)

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The view from the top.  Weather wasn’t too bad, a bit more sun would have been better but I can’t complain.

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 Things had been going at a steady pace all day and we thought we were going to get passed by the Sunlight at some stage.  Seeing this pack descend on us, I’d thought they had caught us up.

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This was after the canal crossing with the swing bridge. 

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Don’t know who they are but they didn’t hang around. Steadycam mode seemed to have worked well here. And so it was until the next control point at The Canal Centre.

Canal Centre.jpg

It was quite relaxed here. The Sunlight sailed past at 20 mph having to retrace to sign in at the chap under the umbrella.

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For whatever reason Cliff didn’t manage to take a photograph of me here so I don’t appear in any of them today.

There were four of us left for the final leg from Eaton to The Ring of Bells , Janet was riding shotgun with Laurie I think. Myself Cliff Allan and Adelle formed a CTC chaingang on the run back to Waverton, the speed was 19-20 mph and it worked quite well. The Sunlight didn’t catch us, they were having enough problems with punctures and other things. The group size wasn’t in their favour either large groups mean long stops.

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As I had stopped the Garmin at the door of the Ring of Bells that was where my route finished with a bleep and a course complete message on the Garmin. We signed in, received our certificates and were sitting outside drinking tea and chatting about the ride when Janet arrives with The Sunlight in tow. Allan passes commment about it and I was just in time to snatch the above picture.

It was a good end to a good day, Allan said the pace was just right, Adelle found some speed in that new bike of hers and we all have another 100 under our belts. Only one casualty Chris with a broken chain. The Sunlight said they had 6 punctures, somethings amiss there. Thanks all I’ve had another great day.

TLI Oulton Park Road Race 12 Jun 07

Talk about diving in at the deep end. I dived into this event with lead weights attached and no water wings and sank like a stone. Only a week after doing my first time trial I entered my first road race. Now that’s a bit hasty I can here you saying, it was, but what an experience.

I’d been in touch with the organisers about entering on the day and the offered to put me in with the vets but I’d opted to go out with my own age group as I wouldn’t make the start for the vets race. Seeing  the speed of vets go round had me thinking have I done the right thing here.

Other signs were not obvious at first but they all add up. I was the only one riding that I could see using a triple, the only one who didn’t shave their legs, wore team kit instead of club colours. The Toy looked like costume jewelery to some of the bling bikes there.As for the wheels, I can see why there are full page ads in the comic, they are a must have. 
Circulating in the paddock was quite calming and after the warm up I watched the end of the vets race. They were doing around 7 minute laps.
Oulton Park Start

Next thing we are called to the line where Val on camera duty took this shot. The route was expained to us and we were off. Now I would have to say I got a bad start, My free foot would not go into the pedal twice. It’s bad enough once but waiting for the pedal to swing into position twice was bad news.

The whole pack is tearing down the hill to Lodge and I’m going backwards through the pack. We are riding the track in reverse direction by the way. The speed is unbelievable but I claw a place or two back by going around the outside at Lodge. It is already getting strung out and I’m hanging on for grim death. It is here that you feel the effects of being on the edge of the bunch as you feel the wind dragging you back and riders on the inside powering away from you.

I manage to hang on to the bunch until the Shell banked hairpin. It is about here I start to loose touch, I’m not last but realise things are about to get a whole lot harder. Not only that I’ve got the broom wagon (ambulance) on my tail and I haven’t completed the lap. 

If you have a lgoodook at the next picture you can see how far behind I am after one lap, I’m about to move over to let the broom wagon past, if you’ve good eyesight I’m just to the right of it. 

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Only 9!!! laps to go.

Now around Druids there is a rider who has dropped off the back and is waiting for the bunch to come around. As I come up to him I see the he is a junior rider.
Are you first he asks, “No, third…….. from last!” I reply. I’m waiting for the group to come around he says, ” You don’t want to get effin lapped, come on” was the retort.
He picks up his pace and we start to circulate. Around Island bend we see the two riders that are behind us coming down Hill Top and around the forth lap they are being pursued by a massive pack of about 60 riders. There is nothing down for us we are going to get lapped and soon too.

Towards the end of my fifth lap the freight train steams past. I move wide on The Avenue to let them past, there is no chance of me matching the pace of the front runners. Their average is about 5 mph better than mine, but there is hope of hanging on the back. As the finishing line comes up I’m just about hanging on. Now on this lap I better my average lap time by about 50 seconds. It just goes to show how staying in the bunch conserves energy, my trouble is staying with the bunch.

Lap
 Time Distance Av Spd M Spd HR Energy

I’m at the back hanging on for dear life with a few others, four I think and then we drop off the back of the main bunch. I can’t contribute anything I’ve been lapped.Any way the next lap isn’t too bad but as Old Hall comes up and the pit lane exit comes up three of them peel off and enter the pit lane. I glance across wondering what is going on. I’m on my own again, mind you when your dropped you are back in time trial mode, just you against yourself.

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4 laps to go for some reason the others pulled  up short. Lets forward to my last lap. I’ve been thinking about getting lapped again. I’m thinking about just hanging on in there. Well at Shell bend and the run up to Island two riders have made a break. Somehere between Lakeside and Cascades I’m passed. Having seen the lead these guys have I think I’m in with a chance of finishing before the main bunch. Not a chance.

I’m sticking to my line up Dentons and the Avenue as there is nowhere else to go.
I am an inch from the white line and the other side of it is grass. Having the first two sail past you  was OK the other 50 odd is a different matter. I’ve upped my pace a bit as this is the final section of the course. They stream past with millimetres to spareand the pressure eases as Old Hall comes up.The racing line has switched side of the track so I not in danger of being forced off the track anymore. The final run to the line is a bit of an anticlimax, I’m a lap down and have been passed by most of the field twice.

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I don’t know if anyone else has any data like this but I was averageing 160 BPM for 1 hour 11 minutes. There wasn’t much more to give and I don’t know what to do to up my pace to a level to stay with the group. I spent well over 20 miles on my own and the data reflects that. If I’d gone out with the vets things might have been a little different, I may have been able to stay with the group but then I would have been riding outside my age group. Having said that some of the feild could have been a third my age and I had a good few years on most.

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Link to Motion based Map Player

http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/invitation/email/accept.mb?senderPk.pkValue=86342&unitSystemPkValue=2&episodePk.pkValue=3007679

 

CTC Ride Eureka Cafe to Borras (Waterfalls Garden Centre)

This turned out to be a right photo fest. Everybody on the ride has at least one good photograph taken with the new toy.

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The images are big so I intend to shrink them for the page.
Good numbers turned out and it was an interesting liesurely ride. There was a lot going on at the Eureka today and we saw a number of groups out there on the ride.

Assembly.jpg

The Sunlight on the way out

Now after we had set off we had an incident at Capenhurst Lane. We are strung because it is single carrriageway and fast as the dual carriageway has merged. A stupid woman motorist passes 10 of us and then tries to turn through us. She comes to a halt  and then tries to force her way through the pack. Words are exchanged and the chap sitting in the passenger seat gives John the “V”. I’m up the road trying to slow the three that didn’t see it.

It comes back together at Woodbank and it’s down to the lights on the A5117. At Sealand we have our first puncture. The group splits as we are told to go on but comes back together at the Airbus jetty on the River Dee. This wing is a massive structure and the bit in the picture is only one half of it.

A380 Wing.jpg

 The group reforms after Barry,s puncture is repaired.

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But not for long a Vicky on the back of the tandem has to swap bikes as the seat height is way too tall, and the seatpost is stuck. This also involves a pedal swap. We have ellevenses across the footbridge at Saltney while the parts are swapped.

Not much to report until the hill at Marford, this is just the sort of hill I like attack, so I do. This was a full on effort and it paid off, I felt good for testing myself an I’d enough time to take some pictures of the group spread out coming up the hill.

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Another shot of the girls beating the boys.

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Link to Google Map of Ride

This post is starting to get large, and we haven’t reached the cafe yet. I may have to split the post. There is a lot more to come including a bit of humor. I’ll have to edit the article at a later date. Tuesday is TLI racing at Oulton Park and I’ve got an entry by the  looks of things.

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