Congratulations to Adrian Lord who flew the Condor colours around the 3 Peaks 'Cross to finish in a time of 4.42.46, one place behind Olympic marathon runner (pb 2.28.06) Sarah Rowell.

A great day out was had by Richard, Paul, Steve and myself who as you can see from the Strava maps took a super route up to Cold Cotes from where we took on the role of spectators around the road sections and were able to admire the strength, fitness and tenacity of the competitors at close quarters.

Whilst we were enjoying the Dales, Chris Smith was putting his body through the agonies of competition in the most painful way possible, riding 3 hill climbs over the weekend, taking a magnificent 4th place on the Rivington Pike event on Saturday then 7th overall on the 2 stage Lancaster RC climbs up the Conder Bottoms and Jubilee Tower climbs on Sunday.

ALSO COMING UP IN THE NEAR FUTURE -Well November but tickets on sale now)

Halifax Imperial Wheelers Annual Dinner & Prize Presentation

Followed by Dancing to ‘Live’ Rock & Roll Band - J.B.Goode

To be held Saturday 29^th November, 2014 at:-

Halifax Bradley Hall Golf Club, Stainland Road, Holywell Green 

To Start

Soup

Leek & Stilton Soup with Cheesy Croutons

Fish

Lobster & Crab Fishcake, Sweet Chilli Dressing & Micro Salad

Cheese

Warm, Rosemary Spiked, Camembert, Crusty Dipping Bread & House Chutney

Pate

Chicken Liver & Foie Gras Parfait, Poached Quinces & Pickled Walnuts

Main Event

Lamb

Roasted Lamb Rump, Sweet Potato, Wild Mushrooms, Mint Jus

Fish

Seabass Fillet, Queenie Scallops, Parmentier Potatoes, Bisque Reduction

Pork

Butter Roasted Tenderloin, Spiced Red Cabbage, Apple Puree and Tarte Tatin

Tomato Duo

Tomato & Basil Filo Tart; Tomato & Spinach Bread & Butter Pudding

All Main Courses Served with Duck Fat Roasted Potatoes, Buttered Herb New Potatoes and a Selection of Colourful Mixed Vegetables

To Finish

Cheese

Selection of Three Cheeses Served with Celery, Grapes, Chutney and Biscuits

Chocolate

Chocolate Orange Crème Brulee, Shortbread Biscuit

Meringue

Slow Gin Poached Winter Berries, Meringue Discs, English Cream

Apple

Individual Apple Crumble Tart, Flapjack Topping & Custard

 -o0o-

Coffee & Mints 

£25.00

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Order Slip - Return with payment to: - Janice Saleem at 19 Scar Top, Rochdale Road, Upper Greetland, Halifax. HX4 8PF

Please make cheques payable to J Saleem

01422 370490 / 07762 181 457 email Janliz@scartop.freeserve.co.uk

What's coming up

This Sunday its the 3 Peaks Cyclo X so we're meeting 8am Denholmgate or 8.30 Keighley and having a ride up there to cheer on our only entry, Adrian Lord. Its a reasonable forecast so the plan is to go to Cold Cotes, Ingleton, Chapel-le-Dale, Ribblehead and down to Horton and the finish at Helwith Bridge. Good conditions and an excellent field make this a not to be missed club-run.

Sunday 5th October - Season of Mists and Mellow Fruitfulness Audax's, 9am from Salem Community Centre, Hebden Bridge.

Saturday 11th October - Mills Hills Sportive, 80m, 8am Mytholmroyd Community Centre (there's also a 35m cyclo-cross option). We had a good turn out from the Condor last year for the interesting and challenging route. Enter via BC website £20 or on the day £25.

Saturday 20th Sept

Chris and myself are having a ride around Morcambe Bay and the South Lakes on Saturday. I'm picking Chris up at Tod at 7am and we're going to park at Devils Bridge (Kirkby Lonsdale) hopefully getting on the bikes before 8.30.  If you fancy a change of scenery join us.

Blackstone Edge Hill Climb(s)

My Sunday ride took me over Cowling Hill, Black Lane Ends, Blacko, Barley, Burnley and Bacup en-route to Blackstone Edge to give Chris a cheer in stage 2 of the East Lancs Road Club Hill Climbs.

Stage 1 had been run off up the shorter but steeper contours of the old Blackstone Edge Road in the morning with Chris taking 7th fastest time with 1min 59.6secs to the winners 1.44.2.
Stage 2 was on the longer A58 to just short of The White House. With a head wind blowing I expected this stage to be more suited to Chris' undoubted endurance but he lost out a little finishing 11th fastest in 9m 50.9secs giving him an overall 10th place from the 40 finishers. The climb was won overall by Ilkley CC's Henry King.

Sunday Special

Just a thought ... how about meeting 9am in Keighley this Sunday. Route to be decided.

Holme Valley MTB

Well done to Paul who finished 6th fastest in todays Holme Valley Scouts MTB Challenge from a large field of riders. He's obviously got better powers of recovery than me, I still had 'Hardnott Legs' and suffered just trying to keep up to Chris and Steve as we made our way over there to spectate.

Or perhaps it was the temperature which was down to 7 degrees as we descended down to Saddleworth although it improved once we returned to Yorkshire over the Isle of Skye.

Sunday 7th Sept

If anyone fancy's joining us I'm meeting Chris at Elland Bridge at 8am for Buckstones, Isle of Skye and Hade Edge to give Paul a shout of encouragement in the Holme Valley Scouts MTB Challenge.

The Fred, Wednesday 3rd Sept

We had a successful day out in the Lake District yesterday, dry and mild with just a gentle breeze, it was a welcome contrast to last years circuit around the classic Fred Whitton route when heavy rain turned the roads into rivers compelling us to walk down some of the passes.

Grimpy, Richard, Paul and myself left the car park round the back of Wheelbase at Staveley just after 8am and it was Grimpy, just 3 days after celebrating his 72nd birthday with a category win in the latest round of the Percy Stallard National Road Race Series somewhere in the midlands, who set a lively pace up through Troutbeck and over Kirkstone.

Ullswater was looking picture postcard perfect in the morning sun and I could have easily been tempted to loiter on the banks soaking up the tranquil serenity so freely offered but Paul had other ideas and we had all on just staying on his wheel. We soon turned our backs on the allure of Ullswater to climb over Matterdale End and enjoyed grand views of Blencathra and Skiddaw on the descent to the one less attractive feature of the ride, the A66. A pleasure to cycle on it may not be, but fast it is and we were soon enjoying carrot cake and buckets of Caffe Americano at the Keswick Costa.

The road surface down to Borrowdale was as bad as ever and it was a relief to get onto Honister Pass and have something else to think about. It is a beautiful view down to the Buttermere valley, one of the best in Lakeland but you really do need to concentrate on your riding on the uneven tarmac.
We had been in danger of being hypnotised by the sight of an ever expanding bulge in Pauls back tyre. He was on his 'cross bike but had abandoned his faithful and reliable old Landcruiser (on which he'd been setting Strava segment KoM's) in favour of an old but lighter tyre he'd found abandoned in a corner of his garage.
When we stopped to re-group at the top of Newlands (my favorite Lakes Pass with its open views across Sail Beck to Whiteless Pike and Cragg Hill) and he happened to glance at the tyre himself, what he saw was not good, no rubber left on two areas and the threads on the casing fraying where the bulge was growing - even Paul looked concerned!   Fortunately we found the excellent bike shop at Whinlatter Visitor Centre and despite having no money he became the proud owner of a Conty Gatorskin, inflated personally by the proprietor of Cyclewise.

I was tempted to have a cafe stop at the smart looking cafe at the Centre but was out-voted in favor of pressing on over Loweswater and Cold Fell to Gosforth. Unfortunately the cafe there was closed, we went to the local bistro where they were kind enough to supply hot drinks and scones but something was still missing, something that only a pork pie from the local grocers satisfied.
After a leisurely break it was down to Eskdale and the serious stuff, Hardnott and Wrynose. Modesty forbids me from saying who was the only one to ride all the Passes but I have to concede that Paul, despite walking short sections was the 1st to the summits.

A great day out, 111 miles with about 11,000 ft of climbing, every mile and every foot being a pleasure.