Chain Gang 1

Skipton & Back Challenge

Wednesday 6th June plays host to the 2012 Skipton & Back Challenge jointly organised by CTC Calderdale & Halifax Imperial Wheelers  32 miles in 2hrs or 2.5hrs    £3.00 to inc Supper

It's the same as in previous years - starting 7pm from Whitakers at Denholme Gate out to the roundabout turn point on the outskirts of Skipton and finishing at the Farm Shop at Keelham Bank.
Pie & Pea Supper afterwards at the Pineberry Public House, Mountain, Queensbury.
You need to sign on for the challenge prior to 7pm so allow yourself enough time to do this and also for those new to the challenge to familiarise yourselves with the route/turn & finish points.

You can complete an entry form document in advance which may speed things up if you can and bring with you on the night.  (Ian R may well have sent you all an email with it attached but if not contact Janice somehow)

 Hope to see you there

Allan's 70th - Party Photo & Bike Ride

                                         Allan & The Condor 'Youngsters' at Allan's 70th Bash

The start 'Garforth Railway Station' - just after 8am

 Monday 28th May, 2012

Allan wanted a challenge of completing a 70 mile bike ride on his 70th Birthday.  So having asked his son in law David to plan a route he set out from Garforth just after 8am along with 'Route Planner' David, daughter Janice and very good friend '82 years young' Dave Moore.

Well you couldn't have asked for better weather. Glorious sunshine all the way.

We set out towards Selby where we had a cafe stop - early into the ride but still a very welome bacon bap and nice pot of tea.
                                                                                        

One of the many quiet roads

Once suitably refreshed we carried on through peaceful lanes to Holme on Spalding Moor decorated with Union flags and Bunting to mark our half way point!!!  A slight de-tour  brought us to a Lakeside Cafe at Allerthorpe but it being a Monday 'closed'. So no longer was it two cafes and one pub. It was two pubs and one cafe. As the lunch stop became Sutton on Derwent. We then carried on through the lanes of Elvington, Wheldrake, onto Cawood, Ryther and a final refreshment stop at Church Fenton before the final 8 mile leg back to Garforth.

Final mileage was 74.2 miles with an average riding speed of 13.2.

A VERY BIG WELL DONE

The Finish 'Garforth Railway Station Car Park still smiling

CONDOR ROAD RACES saturday 26th May.

To All Condors, Halifax Imperial wheelers and friends who assisted, Thank You most appreaciated
The event was a success, i have just sent the results for first 10 in each race to the lvrc web site.
Perfect weather and great rides by Condors.
Melvyn was outstanding winning the C category and finished 2nd overall in race 2.
Robin who launch a major attack off the front of Race 1 paid for his effort to eventually finish 22nd. Damian looked fo find it tough early on but to his credit finished a creditable 25th in the same race.
Peter didn't look too well unfortunately i didn't have time to talk to him but my guess is he's still suffering from the bug which laid him up earlier in the month.
Sean who provided me with lots of data and assistance including the kind support from Ross was in the prizes finishing in 5th position in cat B race 1.
Again many thanks to everyone who supported the event.  
  

Big Phil on Top of the World

Hot off the press is news that earlier today Condors own 'Big Phil' Purdy has conquered Everest. Great news -be careful on the descent - with a bit of luck he will be spent for the rest of the year.

Well done to all the finishers in last Sundays Dales Etape' especially Mel who ended up in the top 20 from almost 1000 starters - it was especially good to see that Irish John had such a good ride after his long enforced lay-off - he's been missed on the early season training events . Fell runners and Condor members Graeme Brown (7.49.55) and Chris Sylge (8.38.40) also completed   the event and, having ridden with both of them I know they could have finished in a much quicker time had they wanted to - I agree with Mel that the two disciplines don't always gel well but once you have been involved its not really possible, voluntarily, to give either up (I see Rob Jebb was once again quickest in that sternest test of all, the Fred Whitton - what many will not know is that the previous day he had come 2nd in a British Championship Fell Race in Ireland).

Brian was 2nd overall and 1st in his age group in the LVRC Alford Road Race in Lincolnshire last Sunday and Grimpy was pleased with his 4th in the VC Sevale National Series RR near Worcester the same day. This Sunday Brian travels down to Bodelwyddan (hope he doesn't have to ask for directions) to ride the Veterans National 10mile Time Trial Championship.

Hope all goes well in the Condor Road Races at Norland tomorrow - wish I could be there to take some photos.

For those of us feeling driven into the wilds once in a while to do some real biking, see attached for some distraction. All of these 'stanzas' are along our trails somewhere, to be revealed by the slowly curious

http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/audioslideshow/2012/may/24/stanza-stones-trail-simon-armitage-yorkshire

Etape du Dales

This event is rarely blessed with the best weather and with temperatures at the start well into single figures the prospect of riding over such bleak and exposed terrain wasn't inviting.
I had arranged to meet Robin, who replaced his other half at the sign-on, and we located running Graham from Heptonstall sporting his retro Molteni jersey. The VS representatives of Dougie and John Dwarty were also ready to go - John getting back after a long lay-off due to back trouble. Emma from Hebden Bridge also joined us so we had a decent grupetto, trying to get warmed up on the back road to Kettlewell.
Up Langstrothdale and a blue sky was appearing, so was the Harrogate Nova group who are usually some of the fastest round so we tagged along, riding that bit quicker than was good for us. Inevitably we let them go at Fleet Moss as our group was now scattered over the slopes.
We re-grouped after a lengthy stop at Hawes but as we started on Buttertubs Pass things started to fragment again so in true selfish style I pushed on, the desire to post a decent time overtaking my responsibility to our group !
By now the sky was blue, the wind light and favourable and all was well with the world as I solo'd over Tan Hill which I don't remember ever being as pleasant. Things were not so good with Dwarty who had a puncture, thankfully just after the Buttertubs descent - but he had Robin for company.
This was a rare occasion that, despite still being bloody hard, it was a pleasure to see the stunning views on the road over to Nateby and from the Coal Road.
I rode on my own till Stainforth when I joined forces with a Harrogate Nova guy to share the work over to Halton Gill down Littondale and  for the last gasp to the finish.
With such good conditions it was my best ever time. Robin and Dwarty were not long coming in, uncannily with the same time to the second ! - well inside Gold time, Dougie also gold just seconds inside 7 hours. Emma, unfortunately, was just 17 seconds the wrong side of 7 hours !
Graham discovered what Pete H has known for a while, competitive running and cycling often don't mix - he came in a while later, but not sure of his surname I haven't got his time - which he may thank me for !

Mel:6 hours 26 mins.   Robin & John; 6hrs 46mins (photo).  Doug: 6 hrs 59 mins. Emma: 7 hours. 

Wednesday Wandering

Thanks to Pete for the 'foot-note' in the post below. I hear from Robin that a grand day out was had in the dales and hopefully we will have a first hand account on the Blog before long.

Meanwhile, giddy with excitement at this sudden turn of good weather I propose to potter round the full summer loop this Wednesday 23rd starting 7pm on the canal bridge in Luddenden Foot.

Etape du dales tomorrow ... a congregation/parliament/murder/concatenation/neap (collective noun?) of condors setting off at 8am from rugby club at grassington and up into a north easterly, evidently we might just reach double digit temperatures by mid-day, so bring the sun bloc as an ironic gesture.

In an idle moment watch this film ... aaahhhhhhh, the halcyon days of yesteryear when cycling was 'in the water' of the place:

http://film.britishcouncil.org/we-of-the-west-riding

Enjoyed the film Robin, we'll have to try the communal singing on the next club run - good luck to you and Mel, and any other Condors who my be there in tomorrows Etape', won't be there myself as over in the Wolds and Howardian Hills again, riding the East Riding 200 Audax and I know that Brian is road racing south of the Humber and Grimpy's travelling down to Malvern for the latest round of the Percy Stallard National Series. I'm sure he wouldn't admit it but Brian appears to be finding his form with a 56min ride in the Drig. 25 last weekend handing out a beating to such youngsters as VS's Andy Marshall  (should never have left the Condor) and Danial Shaw of the Imps - not bad for someone who enters the last year of his 7th decade next week!   Grimpy has been busy travelling the country recently taking a 3rd behind World Masters Champion, Mike Allen, at Chester last week and a 1st at Worcester a few weeks earlier. Pete Smith is back in the bunch but still recovering from a nasty bug and Simon, who's road racing down in Lichfield today, has started adding points to his recently acquired 3rd cat. licence.  We had 3 riders in round 2 of the Summer 'Cross series at Todmorden last Weds evening with Adrian Lord just edging out Richard with Steve Cavell not far behind. The race was won by Crosstrax's Neil Crampton with former mate from Monday evening mountain bike rides, Chris Taylor, now riding for Pedalsport, an excellent 2nd.  I'm going to be missing for a few weeks from Thursday - surgery on the foot - I've been told by the Doc. I'll be out of action for about 6 weeks but I'm hoping it won't take that long - unfortunately I'll be missing next Sat's Condor RR so good luck to all our riders especially Damian who's returning to the bunch for the first time for several years.            PeteH

Condor Road Race saturday 26th May

Condor Road Race test blog from JG
We need your help saturday 26th at Greetland community centre HX4 8JG
Race Lead Cars I have kind support from Derek Browne, My son Neil Plus Ian has offerred but ideally we need him judging
So i need another lead vehicle?
Signing on I have Ross (Seans wife), Dave Saline & hopefully Pete
We need a volunteer to be at Greetland for 8.00 to assist Brian to fix signs at junctions and start area.
Plus marshalls at the course junctions
Look forward to seeing you all at Greetland at 9.00 and later in bar for Pea & Pies
Robin, Damien, Melvyn & Peter Smith are all racing
For a copy of programme/ start list just Email me
  

Sunday 13 May (part two)

ill be at keighley roundabout 9am if anyone is out there, maybe airton, settle, bentham, tatham fell, slaidburn and back over barnoldswick, colne, widdop (or herders)

- I hope you had a good ride there Robin. I considered it but, not feeling at all fit, took myself up to the duck pond at Rhylstone and back through Hetton/Gargrave and that was quite far enough. [Ian]

Sunday 13th May

Got a 300k Audax tomorrow so will be resting on Sunday.

Sunday 6th May

Just myself, Damien and Mel turned out for yesterdays ride. With the sun shining and a helping breeze we made our way swiftly to Feizor via Cononley, Bank Newton and Wigglesworth arriving at the cafe just before 11am.  It was just the day for sitting outside caff's enjoying the spring sunshine and I felt in such a good mood that I ordered a full english breakfast - in retrospect a mistake - nothing wrong with the food, just too much for a comfortable ride home (I even had to leave a slice of toast and some black pudding). Mel was fancying Bowland Knotts for the return journey but I was feeling less ambitious and we compromised by taking a trip round Wham, Long Gill (7 gates), Paythorne, Horton, Baa'lik, Laneshaw Bridge and the Herders. I was no match for the two racing men on the hills and they eventually gave me the slip for the last time on the climb from Oxenhope to Leeming, me taking the quieter back road I got to the Lamb Inn, couldn't see them, so thinking one of them must have punctured went all the way back down to Oxenhope - no sign of them so I had to go back up the hill again before eventually finding Damien sat waiting at the top of the Dog & Gun climb.
A good sociable 92 miles and back home in time to watch Cav's win in the Giro.

Sunday 6th May

8.30am Denholmgate, 9 at Keighley roundabout tomorrow, hoping to sample a Feizor breakfast.