Thought I best post on here as now we are using the proboards site the web pages are being forgotten. 5 of us met in the Sunshine at Brownsover Country Park - Me, Geoff, Dean, James and Graham and set off North under the M6 over the A5 and into some beautiful South Leicestershire countryside and villages, a short stop off at the old railway playground just before Lutterworth saw some big smiles on faces with comments about coming this way again soon. More XC trails with a bit of road work inbetween saw us continue North to Dunton Bassett where we started the turn for home via Leire, Frolsworth, Ullesthorple, Claybrook back over the A5 to Willey and then Monks Kirby, Geoff and I headed off for home leaving the other 3 to head back towards Rugbt with Graham nursing a poorly rear shock. 29 miles in total for me. Talking of a trip out to Cannock next Sunday as a training run before Wales the following week. See the proboard site for more details. Tom

Sunday 2nd January 2011

There were four of us Joe, James, Dean and myself sat in the corner of Sainsbury’s car park on a bright and ‘fresh’ Sunday morning. We hung around a bit to see if Tom would show up (sorry Tom – didn’t see your text till I got back after the ride) and then set off, taking the bold (some would say foolish) step of trusting the Whippet Bros^TM to lead us on at a sensible pace (well – they were the only ones who claimed that they knew the route!).

Sticking to the pre-agreed plan we aimed for Ryton Pools, proceeding via Thurlaston, Birdingbury, Wappenbury, Wappenbury Wood (luuuurrrvvvly singletrack ) to arrive at Ryton Pools. True to their world, J&J had set a steady but sensible pace.

Re-tracing our steps through Wappenbury Woods, we headed back via Stretton, across Mitchells to Frankton/Bourton and back round Draycote.

A very good route – we should do this one more often (preferably once my legs are working again though!) – and surprisingly good going under tyre given the recent weather conditions.

Thanks all for a great ride.

Mark the Ankle

Miles: About 25

Punctures: One quick top-up

Sunday 26^th December – Boxing day club ride.

4 of us met in the Sainsbury’s car park: Pete, Dean, Joe and myself (James). We set off on one of the normal routes, riding through Woodlands estate and taking the bridleway from Alwyn Road to Cawston Lane, where we paused for our digits to warm up. We headed down the Windmill Lane track, which was blessed with a reasonably grippy snow coating; we then headed into Thurlaston taking it easy on the still icy surfaces. We rode down the bridleway leading through Draycote meadow, which was hard work going down, so we all decided to make our own snowy tracks wherever there wasn’t any hardpack snow and eventually reached the well-earned gate at the end of the field.

We were all about to move on when Pete felt ill all of a sudden, feeling “very distant” and very faint. He decided to head home. Dean, Joe and I all offered to ride back with Pete to make sure he made it back OK. 

Though we were all not comfortable riding on without Pete, he insisted we carried on.

We took the first section of disused railway line, and went on the road up the hill to Bourton-on-Dunsmore. We turned right heading towards Boot’s farm (Mitchell’s Potatoes) and took more snowy bridleways, before being confronted with a German shepherd off a lead. Dean and Joe managed to whip past it. In the dry, I would usually have tried to outrun the dog, but it being icy, I thought it best not to. So I had to dismount and wait for him to make his way back to his owner. The owner then saying, “It’s alright, he doesn’t like bikes”, I found myself confused after hearing that, being that it’s not “alright” that he doesn’t like bikes and neither that your dog is trying to eat me. There was much discussion afterwards about keeping dog’s on leads.

In Stretton, we took it easy down the icy roads and took the Stretton road, crossing the A45 to Wolston. We stopped briefly to top up with food and trying to contact Pete, but only being able to leave a message. Whilst stopped, we received various looks from passers by, ranging from the ‘shocked that we set foot (spd shoe) outdoors today on bikes’ to ‘the confused and bemused “you shouldn’t be out here in this weather, that’s just silly”.

From Wolston, we had a little detour, hoping to head down Dyer’s Lane, and cross the Fosse way to pick up another bridleway. With myself forgetting which turning it was (sorry guys) and after forgetting the map this morning I opted to take the next road on the right. This took us back to the Fosse and we set a fair pace heading for the desired bridleway. Result! We found it. So we plunged down the slope, where midway down Dean said;

“Wasn’t this where you had your crash??”

“The one where I won the best crash prize” (invented by Geoff)

We headed up the other side on the slippy snow, fighting for grip. I reached the gate and waited for Joe and Dean to come through, where I saw dean have a S.P.D moment in the snow, he fell with such style and grace. But he brushed the snow off and rode on before taking another tumble just yards from the previous one. We pressed on, still laughing crossing the field with no distinct path and I realise my trip computer has fallen off. BUGGER! I go back for a brief look but have no luck. We took lanes back to Lawford and took the bridleway back to Cawston crossing over the relief road, and Dean having another S.P.D moment! At this point, he then decided on flat pedals for the remainder of the winter!

We crossed the remaining field, which had a few bullocks in; we went round the outside of the field and made our way to the gate. At this point we split up and headed home.

Punctures: 0

Miles: 17

SPD moments between us: Many

Joe received a call back later on from Pete, confirming he was feeling better, and that he felt better only a few minutes after we left him. Good to hear your better Pete!

Thanks for a great ride guys.

16 of us met at the Bear in Bilton for a good evening of drinking, eating and catching up. Andy J had booked the venue, the fact he lives round the corner had nothing to do with it!, and we were all made most welcome.

The chat at our end of the table covered the usual bike upgrade discussion with lots of rolled eyes and raised eye brows from non riding partners! I must get Mark (the ankle) to mentally adjust prices down by at least 30% before speaking!

Lots of talk about big rides next year and trips away so we must get Chris and Sal to confirm a date in the New Year for the Welsh day out to kick things off.

The forum has been well received by all present and we must use it to the full over the Christmas break for those off work and looking to burn off some of the excess.

My only mistake of the evening was as we left, Kim was the designated driver and as I drove around the car park we remembered and quickly swapped places!

I trust all the others who attended had as good an evening as Kim & I and hope to see you all out over the coming weeks sporting your gifts from santa.

Have a good Christmas and New Year.

TomH.

Tues 7^th December.

Minus 3⁰ C outside, but inside Lutterworth Bike Studio it was boiling hot. Hardly surprising when there were fifteen bodies churning out up to 1KW at any given time on uber-expensive Watt Bikes. The mirror was steamed, the floor awash with human sweat. Nice.

We’d started off with a warm up to some bad-weather music – The Doors and Riders On The Storm.  Great tune but – arrhhg! – those really dire, terrible, awful lyrics. I couldn’t get away from them, no matter how hard I pedalled. Purgatory.

The session was full. That meant that tonight there was no bike for Matt-the-Sadist. Which meant that he had the opportunity to walk between the rows of twiddlers, reading off cadences, wattages, observing the agony, his face twisted with sick pleasure. (oops!)

After the warm up there was forty minutes of hard pedalling, with intervals of even harder pedalling. There were make-believe hills (“Ah believe! Ah believe!), there were higher gears and higher cadences. And there were lots of killer sprints, with a prize for whoever generated the most watts.

The tempo of the music went up and so did that of the session. Soon the place was jumpin’! The front row was jumpin’ up on the pedals while the back row span fast. Then when the front row sat down, the back row jumped up. Then we all jumped for the sprints. All this to The White Stripes and Frankie Goes To Hollywood…

Relax don't do it / When you want to go to it / Relax don't do it...

Some hope! Frankie might well have gone to Hollywood, but we – well, we wuz goin’ nowhere. Bloody fast!

And, yes, one guy put out more than a kilowatt in the sprints.

It’s all there at Lutterworth Bike Studio*, where you can’t fall off in the ice and you’re certainly not going to get cold knees.

Bridlepathpete

*info@lutterworthbikes.com

Sunday 5^th December

Three of us manned it out this Sunday morning gathering in Sainsbury’s car park, 'us' being Gordon, Graham and me (James).

We headed out of the car park and crossed over to the Ashlawn road cycle path, where a nasty patch of frost/ice caught me out, I almost managed to hold the biggest drift ever! Key word being ‘almost’ as I then ended up on the floor, much to the other two’s amusement.

I picked myself up with no damage, to my surprise, as people will know, when I have crashes they’re normally quite spectacular.

We rode up the cycle path and took the bridleway heading down towards Barby way, turning right at the bottom and over the footbridge. Then heading lanes to pick an interestingly icy track from Woolscott to Sawbridge. Then taking the gated track from Sawbridge to Nethercote, and looping round and coming back down the other downhill track near Flecknoe taking us back onto the road.

We then took quiet lanes from Sawbridge to Grandborough, Broadwell and crossing the Southam road and ending up at the bridleway taking us across fields to Leamington Hastings (with the dogs).

Then along the road back to Birdingbury, along both sections of railway line. Gordon tempted me with one of the drops, but with a very nice Audi sitting at the bottom, I thought it best not to.

We returned through the normal route, up the Draycote meadow fields along past the golf course back to Thurlaston. From there we headed back down Windmill lane and onto Northampton Lane heading for Sainsbury’s.

Good to see Gordon again, and hope he’s on another club ride soon.

Riders: 3 (c’mon, get out on ‘yer’ bike and man it out)

Miles: 24

Punctures: 0

James 

Sunday morning ride 28th November

I'd said at the meeting I would go on the ride & I'd cleaned my bike & got all my stuff together the day before. But when I got outside on Sunday - flippin heck it was cold. Is this a good idea?

I was first to arrive at Sainsbergs & was riding up & down to try & get warm & was just thinking that if nobody turned up I wouldn't be too unhappy - I'd just sneak back home & get warm.

After a short while we were 4 & headed off on one of our trusty well tried routes.

Northampton lane & bridle paths to Thurlaston. (We avoided Draycote as we reasoned that it would be too slippy). Thurlaston back lanes were fun (scary) but all the off road sections were very firm!

Disused railway line south & then up very icy road to Frankton. Down hill to Marton, no cows for a change, & along disused railway lines, out & return to Long Itchington. Resisted urge for coffee at the diner – I for one would not have come out again. Canal towpath up the flights of frozen locks. A mixture of roads & paths back to Birdingbury where I won the one & only puncture competition. Next the reverse trip up the disused railway line to Draycote – which was remarkably clear of snow as most of it appeared to have been gritted.

Back lanes & bridlepaths back home.

Scenery was stunning & the company was good too. (Sorry don't know all names)

Did I mention it was cold?

Miles approx 24.

Punctures 1.

Temperature minus a lot.

Phil.

5 of us met on a brisk Sunday morning for a leisurely ride out in the English country side, well someone should have told AndyJ and James that as they set off like scolded cats! We are now older and wiser and decided not to give chase and let them wait for us at every gate and junction. The route although sticky was not too wet or gloopy and saw us head off to cut through Cawston Woods, over the new bypass an on up to Lawford Heath, a cut through to Wolston and then a short road section led to Binley Woods where we had a brief stop to pump up a rear shock and then down to Brinklow. My route had taken us out this way as I had a lunch appointment in Street Ashton so as we came into Easenhall I took the left through the Revel and off to lunch whilst the remaining 4 worked their way back to Sainsbury’s no doubt past or through the ford at Little Lawford. Miles: About 25 I think Punctures: None when I departed Leaking Rear Shock: 1

Tues 16^th November: Watt a Bike!

“And now put it into gear three and ramp it up to 95 r/m for ten minutes.”

The voice was Matt’s, heard above the pumping music. There were fourteen of us, pedalling  stationary Watt Bikes. Matt – a sado-masochist - faced us. He was similarly mounted, a studio-wide mirror behind him misted by condensation from our collective sweat. We were half way through the One Hour Endurance Class at Lutterworth Bike Studio in George Street. It felt as though we’d been there much longer.

Bright lights, loud music, exhaustion… these are among the techniques of modern torture. If only Dubya had have known of the Watt Bike he’d have had a peleton of the things installed in Guanantanamo.  Might have saved a lot of messing about with cans of water.

And the subjects of this extraordinary rendition from Rugby MTB Club: James, Mark, Tom, Chris, Sally and me, Abdullah Bridlepathpete.

* * *

“Who’s got a sausage?”

Two hands go up.

“Who’s got a peanut?”

Lots more hands go up.

These seemingly perverse questions relate to the shape of a computer-generated image on the screen of your Watt Bike which describes pedalling efficiency. The shape should be in the middle of the cross-hairs. This means that your right and left legs are working equally. A “waist” (as in a shelled peanut) means that you’re losing power on the upstrokes. Need to know any more than that – and you’re not working hard enough.

“We like peanuts! Ha!” says Matt, who looks sickeningly fit. “95 r/m. Come on. Only five more minutes to go. “

The only foodstuff I can think about right now – when I can distract myself from a growing obsession with the clock on my Watt Bike – is what I ate an hour ago. I hope to keep it down.

* * *

After the unbelievably cruel Watt Bike Sprint I am in a place in my mind that I don’t want to be in. I confess to an imaginary American. He looks a lot like Dubya.

“Yes, George Sir, I genuinely didn’t know that an American plane was crossing our airspace at the time. I did source, store and ignite that Chinese-made explosive device. It was called a Happy Gathering Rocket. It was the 5^th November. Aaarggh! No! Not another ten minutes in gear three!”

* * *

We had a sort of Matt-rest after that – 85 r/m for ten minutes in gear one – then finished with stretches as we pedalled and did more stretching on the floor.

The verdicts:

                “it’s cycling, Captain, but not as we know it.”

                “If you did that all winter you’d be flying” (Mark).

It was our good friend Barrie who got us into this caper – but, alas, he has broken his collarbone throwing himself down something vertical at Cannock.

Really, the lengths some people will go to  get out of Wattbiking.

Sunday 31^st October

“Any particular route in mind?” asked Barry

“A short one” I replied.  To which 10 minutes later I mentally added “… should have also said a slow one…”

************************

There were six of us. The weather started out really quite nice.  We went (quite quickly) along the 41 to the Pump Rooms in Leamington.   We sat outside with our coffees/hot choc/cakes to enjoy one of the last decent Sundays before the weather gets too bad. It started to drizzle…

We started back.  I bonked*. Badly.  We took the old rail line back and got quite muddy.  The heavens opened and we got quite wet too. 

James fell off. It looked quite nasty.  We quickly realised that he wasn’t too badly hurt when his first concern was for his carbon brake lever…. 

We took the shorter route option back, pausing only once to fix a puncture.

Thanks to one and all for slowing up so much to wait for me.  I’ll try and bring a set of legs which actually work next week….

Mark (the ankle)

Miles:                    about 29

Punctures:          just the one

* Yes - 'bonked' is a proper cycling term, google it.  On second thoughts – better not if you’re at work!