Darryl Gunson

found this hard today, been a busy week at work so thats my excuse.stopped at the old parafin lamp for coffee, then home,walked in the door like a zombie got fed toast and egg, washed fell asleep for two hours.will have to work a bit more through the week, when billy beat me up the last hill it was time to drift gracefully off the back and enjoy my own company.
 
iain

That's some ride Andy See me? See happy?

Scottish youth crit champs, Ingilston, Edinbugh
good turnout from jets from A to E.
windy day with exposed courses both with decent straights and tight turns. Plenty of supporters, with good view of courses.
Isla McCutcheon had good race on new bling white Islabike, 3rd in girls U8. Jamie Thomson 2nd in boys U8 but nowhere near Paddy Barnes from Glasgow Riderz, next time? Keir Gaffney had a good outing in the U10 and Fraser Thomson kept going in the U12, a fast race. In the U12, Hamish MacLaren had a great race, always within a few wheels of the front and finished 3rd not far off a very good Alfie George from Discovery.
Cannot comment on the U14 and 16 but saw the Mulholland lads, fresh from overseas stage racing. Hope I didn't miss anyone out
With option of vets circuit race, I went for lunch
duncan

Picked up McTavish just before Stewarton as he fixed his puncture, hit Sainsbury's in Stewarton for more water, a sandwich and some wiggly worms, then we struggled back over the hills into the wind, him heading off over the braes from Lugton, me hitting Beith and back to Lochwinnoch. Gubbed, 70 miles, 4h 40, bath and bed time for me! I hate hills!

Hard run defo a less than 2.1 lbs per inch ride this is always a hard run on the legs but the head wind made it twice as hard well done to that managed to do it
Bacon bagel caffe and cream making me feel better legs are feeling it
Next week it's a run for those that are above 2.5 lbs per inch
Mark Paul notes required

Thanks to all the guys that helped me out, towing me along and the occasional shove as I was blowing hard out both ends. Just a pity all your efforts came to naught after my double mechanical thanks to a badly filled pothole as I was chasing the pack through Moscow. I did make it to Galston, but my bike was so full of rattles I had to turn back. And I had no idea where I was supposed to be going anyway, but at least I was able to re-trace the route home.
 
Maybe next week.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Kenda-Koncept-Bike-Tyre-24x1-Cycle-Tyre-All-Black-23-540-/180896866816?pt=UK_sportsleisure_cycling_bikeparts_SR&hash=item2a1e4b2200
 
Any good?

Darryl,
 
Adam Smith or David Hume? And why not an avatar in the likeness of new super bouffant pouting rock star sprinter Marcel Kittel?

Superb posts Scott, really entertaining and insightful. Some of your prose reminds me of parts of Timm Krabbe's The Rider - my favourite cycling book.
 
Chapeau!

Yip another good race, same course for 40-50s which had me, Andy,Colin and George in the field. So 2 guys went from the gun, then one more and then I went after about 5 miles and took one other. We teamed up with the single guy and worked at it for 5 miles or so however when we turned into the crosswind I thought 'mm not such a good idea at this stage!' Anyway got caught on the short climb at Thornton and spent the rest if the race in the bunch. Did not see any of the other JWCC guys after I was back in bunch but saw Colin and George at finish, I'll letbthem report. I finished mid bunch on the drag up to the finish. Harassed that I can't finish better on the uphills as all the races seem to finish up a hill these days!

 
 
 

Well done guys especially Andy for finishing so high up the field in such exalted company.

Did the Billy Warnock E123 today at Falkirk. Flat course BUT strong crosswinds. 8 laps of about 10 miles. A very high powered break left the bunch early doors. The crosswind sections on each lap I just don't want to report on as it was too painful to remember. The rest of the race was just plain eyeballs out. After 45 miles we had a 20 min downpour of freezing rain which was not good. Lap 7 the bunch split into a few echelons in the crosswind, after much grovelling in the gutter the bunch was together for the small drag at the end of each lap. However moi got pumped when my body just gave up on me, the crosswind section being the Real culprit. Took decision to not go round final lap as I was beyond the line of no pain no gain. So 70 great miles of intense effort, I'm sure it will do me good one day !?
Think I'll stick to Arran challenges, its so much better than crosswind grovels

 
 

I enjoyed the ride today. My climbing is improving (slowly)!
Glad you made it back OK, Davie.
Humorous moment of the day:
Billy takes a pee at the top of Fairlie Moor. Andy holding his bike notices that Billy's heart rate was increasing while he was holding the Ol' Fella!
.... but I think he was looking at one of the young recently sheared sheep!

At the weekend I was down south for the RideLondon 100 - This was a closed road sportive starting at the Olympic stadium heading through central London out to the Surrey Hills then back to London and finishing on the Mall a few hours before the pro racers did a slightly longer version of the same course. Anyway just thought i'd post some thoughts on the event as the ballot for next year is opening next Monday and some of you might be interested in what i found to be quite a unique cycling experience.
 
I was in a starting wave at 6.10, which meant I had to be at the Olympic Park an hour before to get in the starting pen so an even earlier start to get there from central London. The 5 mile trip was a bit more stressful than it should have been as i had neglected to put some lights in my kit bag but fortunately most of the traffic heading east was other cyclists. As for the ride itself there were many highlights - the start, which was neutralised, had us riding along the motorway then turning west and heading past Canary Wharf and through the Limehouse tunnel.

Was in a group of about 300 at this point, barely needing to pedal and coasting along about 25mph and this continued for the next few miles past the Tower of London and the City, along Embankment, up past the Ritz - it was all quite eerie as the streets at this point were deserted apart from the cyclists - if you've ever seen the movie '28 Days Later then it reminded me of the opening scene. Although minus the zombies. The first 40 odd miles were fast - only a couple of mild hills, one going over an overpass and one in Richmond Park which along with a few tight corners did thin the group out a fair bit although at about 50 was still pretty big.
 
Eventually we got into Surrey and the start of the hills proper. I had never been up of them before so didnt know what to expect which always makes the climbs that bit harder. First up was Newlands Corner which wasn't too bad, really nice descent off that with a wide road and smooth tarmac, then it was Leith Hill which was the hardest of the day, quite steep in places but also hot with it being enclosed with trees. Eventually made it to the top feeling quite pleased that while I had been dropped I hadnt quite lost sight of the group so felt i could catch them on the descent. I didnt manage this however and lost even more ground here than I did on the climb - the surface wasn't great, and it was like riding through a tunnel of trees so was struggling to make out any potholes and i also found it difficult to judge how tight the corners were so i minced down and by the bottom i was in what felt like the gruppetto with 3 others. We made a reasonable pace for the next bit through Dorking where the streets streets were lined with well wishers and onto the next climb at Box Hill. I keep reading about how this is a legendary, iconic climb so i approached it with some trepidation and went up at a steady pace holding a bit in reserve expecting the hard bit to come, but it didnt. It is a pleasant climb with a smooth surface but the overwhelming feeling by the top was "is that it?".
 
On the descent i realised i had dropped the others (presumably they stopped to fill their bottles rather it being due to my awesome climbing ability) and so followed a lonely 5 miles on my own which felt a bit strange considering there were 20'000 others on the road at this point. I eventually got caught by a bigger group so could slot in and get a welcome break and it was then relatively flat for the return to London, couple of tricky little hills that wouldnt normally have meant much but with the miles in the legs were tough. After the last one at Wimbledon came a descent to Putney and it was flat to the River Thames , crossing that we turned along the Embankment, through Westminster past Downing Street a final corner heading onto the Mall with the crowds banging away on the boards and cheering. Unfortunately by that stage i couldnt do the sprint justice as i was getting cramp if i tried to stand on the pedals so had to sit and spin instead!
 

 
With the flat course, closed roads and big groups I managed to get a time of 4.34, which i was really pretty pleased with. It was an unusual event as the course is not challenging nor is the scenery in the countyside particularly remarkable (its not bad it is just not much compared to a Marmotte or Maratona or alot of events in Scotland and elsewhere in the UK) nor does it have the cycling heritage appeal to follow in the tyre marks of legends over the Koppenberg or Arenberg Trench but what it does have is closed roads through a major city passing iconic landmarks and a general experience that is quite different to anything i've done before. If you ever want to pretend to be a pro then this is the event for you - and frankly it is a hell of a lot of fun pretending to be a pro for a day

well what can i say,this makes tt look easy, only light note is my max speed was 72mph was so knakerd that i forgot to switch off my garmin!
 
iain

Final (slightly anticlimactic stage) to London!
 
http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/supermonkey76/1/1375882836/tpod.html

.......or your fading eyesight MacB.
 
Andy, peace and harmony have been restored, so there . It's all coffee with milk or milk with coffee - yuck!
 
Rule number 302 regards drinks consumed at cafe stops should be invoked - Should a cafe stop be taken, hot beverages should be limited to coffee only. Said coffee should be black and be of sufficient strength to make your eyes water, giving you a serious boost after twenty minutes - precisely how George likes his men Gawn, gie's a kiss. . Only deviation to be tolerated would be tea - by the pot. No more maccacappolattecino nonsense.
 
see y'all Sunday

Last day in France! . Penultimate stage
 
http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/supermonkey76/1/1375825462/tpod.html

Guys,
 
I've had a few enquiries about this or 2013
 
I called Manchester today but couldn't seek to anyone other than the switchboard
 
Will follow up on Monday and let you all know
 
KennyS

See Main Bunch post for today!

And the next leg, Day 9. Not as tough!
 
http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/supermonkey76/1/1375560162/tpod.html

Sorry guys scratch that rear wheel puncture on way over

Two for the price of one!
 
Birthday rest day
 
http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/supermonkey76/1/1375228800/tpod.html
 
And Day 7!
 
http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/supermonkey76/1/1375391128/tpod.html

Well it was done, there are 2 new inductees to the Arran Circuit roll of honour, chapeau Billy and Ross!
Started out as Keystone Cops, Ross texted me at 5.30am to say he had a puncture, so we left Lochwinnoch about 6am and rode into the stronger than expected headwind, so just getting to the ferry was a 'challenge'.
Then Ross pedal unwound itself outside the ticket office and we found it on the path.
Then Billy came walking along with a back wheel puncture and a glass rip ruined tyre - we borrowed scissors on the boat and shored up the tyre with inner tube enough to do the run.
BUT the coup de gras was surely Colin. He gave Billy a lift down and although Billy walked along and caught the ferry Colin managed to ride along as we were parting and the ferry guys would not wait !! Something about his car clock being wrong !? HAMMOCK AWARD MATERIAL.
 
Anyway, me, Billy, Ross and David T set out and whilst David was dieseling along he succumbed to back pain and headed over the string. Meantime Ross had to stop and tighten his pedal a couple of times as well as losing the big ring due to pathetic bike maintenance for the last 10 miles.
 
Billy and I totally cruised it with no issues whatsoever.
 
Arrived back at ferry with a record 12 minutes or so to spare.
 
Magnifique. Might propose another date if there is enough interest before end of season for the wannabees Iain, Colin and Andy.
 


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Day 4!
 
http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/supermonkey76/1/1375036725/tpod.html