Monday, October 20, 2008

Condor Cross - Sun 9 Nov 08 - HELP NEEDED!!

The Condor cross will be held on November 9th.
I need as much support as possible to continue with its success.
On Saturday 8th I will be on site (Bradley Woods) from around 10.00 to see what circuit can be used and to mark out any new sections as we are always effected by what space/ tracks are available.
Main requirements on Sunday 9th are:
Marking out the course from 9.00 a.m.-- need hammer, scissors, gloves,. boots , wellingtons etc + food & flask ( to my knowledge there is only a small tuck shop on site)
Marshalling & Judging the events.
Someone else to help Trevor in the signing on area
On arrival certainly up to 9.30 I will be close to the start area with the gear being in my red Audi estate.
The events so far this season have been well attended particularily vets, youths & U12’s, with usually British Cycling people around (you can get a taste by looking at the British cycling web site) .
Vets have had 80+ in the last two events and U12’s around 50 (these had to be split into U12’s & U8’s).
We also need more Condor riders so anyone interested themselves or their children can enter on the line.(we have had Myself , Richard & Steve performing so far this season, come on Robin, Melvyn etc. – its great fun and fast only lasts 45 Mins.?)
Kindly confirm who can make it, you can Email me at work jginley@pennineuk.com or home johnginley@btinternet.com
Or telephone home 01274 601567 mobile 07973 328 995.
We have organized a new set of numbers and Gordon is getting some more tape this week, other things to sort include plastic stakes?
If anyone remembers any problems or concerns from last years event please contact me.
Many Thanks
John Ginley

Official details:
09 Nov 2008 Condor Cross (Yorkshire Points 6)
VENUE Bradley Woods Scout Camp, Brighouse, HD6 3TU
Start Times + entry fees for BC licence holders:
Youth 11:00 £4.00
U12 12:00
V/W 12:45 £10.00
S/J 14:00 £10.00

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Cyclocross Appeal

Although I survived the Three Peaks the other week it would seem that my cyclo cross frame didn't. I've just identified a crack on the down tube (the sort of damage you get when you run your Raleigh Chopper in to the back of a bus - only titanium, I now find, doesn't bend quite like steel).

This blows a bit of a hole in my cyclocross season, I'm looking at a few new frames at the moment but this is going to take some time and it crossed my mind that one of you guys might be looking to off load an unwanted frame or bike, (for an agreed number of beer tokens of course), and that this might be a quicker way of getting back in the saddle.

Most of you will be able to guess my approximate frame size (52 -54 cm). Let me know if you've got anything suitable gathering dust in the back of the shed.

01484 602288 (evening) 01937 547807 (day)

Richard (The Vicar)

Tuesday, October 14, 2008








Well done Richard ( both for the ride and the blog), and Robin, Grimpy & Ian, you done good!


Monday, October 06, 2008

From Harrow to Helwith Bridge

When, on a whim, I bought my first road bike in order to commute from Harrow to Tottenham Court Road I never thought it would lead, 25 years later, to me gunning down Pen Y Ghent in hot pursuit of my long time nemesis and and long time team mate, Ian Wellock. That I caught him on the road to Helwith Bridge and that he then out sprinted me to the line ranks as a minor frustration when set against the exhilaration of a spill free, puncture free, fifth Three Peaks.

Whilst my time at 4 hours 46 mins was the slowest of the four Condors riding it was only two minutes slower than my fastest time set a decade earlier. That, this year, I had to queue for 12 minutes whilst the bulk of the field clambered, one by one, over a stile on Simon's Fell ranks as a rather more significant frustration, as a clear run might have put me close to my ambitious target of sub 4 hours 30 mins

Notwithstanding Grimpy's earlier post he seems to have had a pretty good ride although amazingly his time of 4 hours 23 mins was only good enough to win him third place in his age group. Was is beyond doubt, is that Robin's ride, finishing his first Peaks 43rd out of a field of 450 riders, was impressive and suggests that with a bit of cyclo cross specific training he could be pitching at a top twenty finish. We'll have to see if he's got the Three Peaks bug; if he has he'll know by now as already he'll be mulling over strategies for shaving seconds and minutes from his time. Revealingly, on last Wednesday's training run, he did offer up the view that he could "probably improve his time by 20 minutes with the correct training" - maybe we'll see him back next year!

The bug seems to have got me again. I've already carried out a forensic examination of the split times, (for the first time an electronic timing system was used) and this reveals that I improved my position by from the top of Whernside to the finish by 15 places. So, the stamina seems OK - all I need to do now is work on a quick start and getting to that bloody stile before the traffic jam.
Richard (The Vicar)