HITCHIN ...... are you there ?

pastasauce

Looks good.

Think we could also do with an email distribution list for arranging rides easier, etc ...

evo3ben

If people think the seperate forum is a good idea, when they register they need to supply there email address which then group emails can be sent via the forum.

patchesuk2

Good idea for a separate site. On a different note... anybody up for a Thursday night ride next week? Reckon I may actually be free of meetings or parents evenings for a change.

johnhighfield

Great work Ben - I bow to your Skills!!

A seperate site is a great Idea for us & for others if they can search it out on Google & other search engines.

I didn't get out last night (Wed) as the spirit was willing but the flesh was weak - it was feeling a bit colder.... and I wimped out.

However - I'm hopefull of getting out tomorrow night (Fri). Dom & I did 2 laps of the Greenway last Friday (about 25 mi) which was pretty good.

So if anyone is up for a lap or 2 tomorrow night meet he at the corner of Highfield & Sollershot West at 6.45ish? Or another time if more convenient!

John

evo3ben

Good ride out last night John! My legs were absolutely gone because of my training session earler in the day. Next time i dont think i will train before hand lol. Thanks for the lend of the rear light and see you sunday!

johnhighfield

Yep - a great ride night around Letchworth's Greenway - particularly now they are surfacing the southern side around Willian - although I liked the singletrack!

With a 12.7mi lap this will be a fantastic fast training ground in the winter....well drained & mud-free ... for maybe Thetford Winter Series...

I going to try to get out twice a week now - Wednesdays & Fridays are best for me. So far we've been out 3 fridays running so if anyone else is interested....

Otherwise - Sunday at 8.30am outside Pine Hills Hospital, Hitchin, for our regular ride out into the local countryside for about 2-3 hours.

John

Calpol

Hoping to get out of bed in time to make it tomorrow!

johnhighfield

7 out this Sunday morning & a welcome 'Calpol' to the group - who did get up on time!

Interesting conditions - cold damp fog at first - which caused us to lose 2 rear markers off the back & gave everyone wet feet going through the long wet grass. The sun did break through eventually....

I did just over 29mi (others may have varied depending on their starting point) - which was about 7 miles more than planned but we did do an extra bit down & around Lufferhall.

The circular route went up through Ickleford - Arlsey - Stotfold - Radwell - Bygrave - Wallington - Luffenhall - Halls Green - Gravely & back to Hitchin.

Hopefully next Sunday won't be so damp.....

John

Calpol

Thanks John and also to the rest of the gang today, who made me feel welcome. It was an eventful ride and one which has taken me most of the afternoon to recover from. 30 odd miles is the longest ride I have done on the MTB. Highlight of the morning had to be the near miss with the local wildlife. Which looked a bit like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2oymHHyV1M
Hoping to make it next week for some more gate jumping interspersed with bike riding.

johnhighfield

We did a good Wednesday Night ride out (Mike & myself) on one of Mike's famous rides looping around Gravely, Weston & Luffenhall for 19miles.

Our lights worked well & we should be out again on Friday night for more of the same.

Post / PM or text me if you are up for it!

Otherwise I will see you all again on Sunday Morning at 8.30am outside Pine Hills Hospital, in Hitchin.

John

johnhighfield

Anyone coming out riding tomorrow (Friday) evening?

Planning to be out for 1.5 - 2 hours leaving from corner of Highfield & Sollershot West (Letchworth). Negotiable on starting time as I am free from 6.00pm.

Post here / PM / text me if you are coming........

John

pastasauce

Who's doing Rd 2 at Thet on Sun ?

After all my good intentions for training I managed a couple of loops with John and thats it.

This weeks strategy will be GEL based, and lots of them ...

johnhighfield

Thetford Winter Series R2 - Sunday

I believe we're all in again (Drew, Warren, Ben, me & yourself).......

EvoBen is picking me up & we are meeting Drew & Warren on the roundabout over J9 (Letchworth) of the A1(M). are you planning to join the Thetford convoy?

John

pastasauce

No, i'll see you all there.

Assume Drew will be in van so will look out for it.

Another good turnout ... !

johnhighfield

Another good turnout on Sunday with 3 doing the regular Sunday local ride & 5 of us racing at Thetford in the Winter Series Round 2.

In the Male Solo:
Warren pulled out after 2 laps (he was 71st in R1)
Evoben came 75th after doing 4 laps with a time of 2:17:03 and improved on the last round - 88th;
Pastasauce came 102nd after 4 laps too & a time of 2:31.13 and an improvement on last round - 106;

In the Vet Solo:
Drew came 22nd after doing 4 laps & a time of 1:59:02 and got 24th in Round 1.
I got 114th after 4 laps with a time of 2:24.45 and an improvment on my 150th last time.

It was a far more difficult course than last round with bomb holes & lots of climbs with roots!

Sign up now if your on for the next round.......

Otherwise see you next Sunday @ 8.30 outside the Pinehill Hospital Hitchin for a 2-3 hour outing.

John

evo3ben

Was definitely a hard course but what struck me more than anything was how sticky the ground was which just sucked out your energy!
Well done everyone and see you Sunday!

Fatamorgana

Hi.

I'm between Royston and Baldock and back to mtn biking after 1.5yrs off the bike, aged 47 and carrying a training injury that I just can'y solve (MRI, 3x physios, 2x Ultra scans) so I can manage 2hrs max & that's on a cr"ppy £165 eBay special.

Not ideal. Nor is the sniffles either. The older I get, the better I used to be - that's forsure!

But I have the kit and the will to get back on with things although (3x rides thus far) the fitness is an issue, as is the time I can spend a ride. This probably means I shall continue my fitness recovery programme (1-2x ride(s) a week) as Billy-no-mates.

Let me know if there's anyone local or an organised ride that might be suitable.

Thanks

johnhighfield

Hi Fatamorgana

We normally go out for between 2-3 hours on a Sunday morning & cover anything between 18-27mi depending on the conditions. With all the rain its getting tough now with the mud.

We have about 20 allcomers that ride with us on a casual basis - but tend to have 5-6 on a regular basis - and most are reasonably fit (some much more than others!). You could come out for part of a ride but would need to know how to get back from where you leave us - which, unfortunately, is often in the middle of no where! Or you could continue working on your fitness & join us later when the riding conditions improve.

There is a group that ride, mainly in Beds, called 'SillyGrin' - google them - but they tend to be quite fast. There is also 'OTT MTB' (google them) who ride out from Harpenden and do have 'newbys' rides which are shorter and a bit slower - which might be worth looking at.

We also do some evening rides - but these tend to be more ad-hoc and arranged individually depending on who is availablle & when they get home from work.

We will be out tomorrow leaving from Pine Hills Hospital, in Hitchin, at 8.30am - it looks like being a cold, wet one with tough conditions.....

Regards - John

Fatamorgana

Thanks.

Lots of good info and just what I'm after.
I used to ride 4 times a week, tried many of the "events" but I was never quick; the Gorrick series used to just kill me! Prefered longer and slower.
It's a horrible long haul as the fitness you lose in 17 months off the bike is ... well, awful!
Plus the leg is no better now than it was back in July 2010, which I can tell you is so damned frustrating.

I've only ridden the Red Route at Cannock thus far, managing a couple of laps, back-to-back, which rather surprised me. Slow though! I'll try and come and introduce myself but family get-together this Sunday.

Have map, wil travel, so I'm happy to work my own route back as required.

Maybe email me the route you take and I'll ride it and see how well I may / may not have taken over it (allowing time for some map reading) and see what the default route may be so I better judge for myself when to show my face?

Thanks

johnhighfield

Hi Fatamorgana

We rarely have a route in advance but several of our riders are familiar with rides in different parts of the area and we agree where to go on the day. We tend to ride down to Whitwell, and a little beyond; over towards Luton; up towards Arlsey & Stotfold; & over towards Bygrave, Wallington & Luffenhall and everywhere in between.

AnOS Map - Explorer 193 1:25K covers most of where we ride..

Regards - John

johnhighfield

6 out this morning - braving the elements and enjoying the slight increase in temperature overnight that thawed out the frozen puddles.

We did however have the dreaded mud which made going difficult....and Bens puncture...

In spite of this we were out for about 3 hours & did a 25mi ride taking in Ickleford; Pirton; Barton-le-Clay and doing a few big hills including the one out of Barton.

Should be out again next Sunday - 8.30am from the Pine Hills Hospital in Hitchin.

John

alcooker

Guys and Gals, have a look at this, it's even better if you've been to the Surrey Hills

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=feQyJeJgIw8#!

pastasauce

Ha ... that made me laugh ....

This weather is GRIM !

Had a day off today and was going to go for a spin but no chance.

Am off again on Fri if anyones about for a daytime ride.

Think it'll be a wet one ...

Fatamorgana

I'll have to bow-out.
2hrs max is all I can do, which is so damn frustrating.
Physio has even signed me off as there's no improvement and awaits another MRI scan (?) - says if there's anything he can do, to just to call him.
Rode I rode the bridleway / hill (part of the Ickneild Way) out of Royston up to Therfield which was a good route, not technical, but pretty weather proof. 14 minutes of hill climb in my low-level of fitness - just incase you're looking for some 1/2 decent riding in this awful weather.
Damn injury. I'm up at Dalby tomorrow with work - but can't imagine getting beyond Dixon's Hollow if I deceide to ride. Was once a 2:20 man.

alcooker

Here's the response to the vid I posted above

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4DpceZbpTQ

johnhighfield

Yep - Early Friday afternoon looks on for a ride!!

1.00 - 1.30pm looks good for a start time if anyone else is free.....

Rain & snow permitting

John

evo3ben

As much as i would like too, not gonna be able to make this one Have a good one!!

johnhighfield

Had a grrrreat ride out in the cold & snow - not to mention the huuuge puddles on many of the tracks - and the glooopy mud! Only about 3 degrees....

Did a different route: to Charlton & up Windmill Lane (and the grassy hill) to Gt Offley; on to Putteridge Bury; down to Cockernhoe & on to Breachwood Grn; Bendish; Whitwell; & back through Langley & Gt Wymondley.

28mi in all, but it felt much more, with the gloopy mud wheel spin & sideways riding!

Only problem was I didn't take my lights - thinking I would be back in a couple of hours - and had to ride in the pitch dark muddy tracks in some borrowed light from Ben's beam......some hairy experience.

It will be interesting to see how the tracks ride on Sunday.....

8.30am outside the Pine Hills Hospital, Hitchin - for the last Sunday Ride before Christmas.

All welcome!

Regards - John

johnhighfield

Had 4 intrepid riders out this morning braving the cold, crisp grass & iced over puddles...

It all started well conquering the big grassy hill going towards Gt Offley but on the way to Putteridge Bury we had a major mechanical with one of our number loosing all of his chainring bolts.... Now thats what I call a mechanical!

After re-distributing our chainring bolts we curtailed the ride & headed home down White Chalk Hill through a heavy flurry of snow.

We bumped into a group of MTB'ers meeting up at 10am at the bottom of the hill on Walsworth Road & opposite Hermatige Road. 10am is a bit late for us as we're halfway done by then but nice to see how many different groups are round & about.

Next Sunday is Chrismas day so we won't be out, but are hopeful of getting out in the week - Wednesday looks best at the moment - so maybe we will re-convene Hitchin Sunday Riders for a morning ride on Wed meeting at the usual Pine Hills Hospital - at a more leisurely starting time of 9.00am? - to be confirmed....

Regards - John

johnhighfield

Hi all

If you want to see a scary course check this one out on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaNBuqSuNqk

I get vertigo just watching it!

John