The Thorper Blog

Dear fellow thorpers,  i spoke to Mike yesterday and he is going in next week for another op in sheffield, but from what he tells me everthing so far has been a success and so i found him not down but in high spirits.      phil

I found this gallery online, there are some quite good pics, useful for analysing our positions too!

http://martin.photium.com/portfolio87732.html

I have put a couple of FELT TTR4 wheels on e-bay but obviously I will sell at a discount to any clubmembers. The wheels are brandnew, never used alloys - 30mm profile (so a bit aero). They came with my TT bike, but I have put on other wheels. They have Vitoria slick tyres (clinchers), which are obviously brand new as well.  They fit shimano - but come without cassette.

Sell for £100.

Jack

ok, today didn”t start to good, which is a sad admission by five thorpers cos none of us ,hand on heart , could say we could get to womersley with out getting lost, the one thing we could admit to was we had a good day weather wise and should not waste it.   So after 10 minutes we set off in the idea [mine] of going to barnoldswick.  So Jack,Ben,Paul ,Brad and the king of bling set of at a very brisk pace up to wyke and then over the top through Queensbury turning off and dropping down into oxenhope.  At this point Paul b and Brad turned of for breakfast at rossis , leaving me to watch Ben and Jack fight it out for the next 10 miles to see who could get up a hill fastest.  Pain and suffering!    So over we went in scenic bliss, blue skies and snow covered hills, dropping over Keithley moor and onwards passing through on the back roads to foulridge and landing in Barnoldswick in good time.  For the record Ben and i had a bacon and sausage butty and jack the flapjack.   A good tempo afterwards , where we turned off  at Carleton and onto keithley, now bike riding as we know to well these days needs a mechanical,  and today was mine, just before keithley  those little harderned balls in my rear hub died, leaving me to peddle home sounding like i had a babys rattle behind me. At this point Jack went over the tops home leaving Ben and me to go back through Bradford.  Unsure of mileage,  but a great day out in the saddle. 

Holly and myself set off in good weather at 07:45 this morning for what was planned to be a full day of cycling for the Haiti earthquake victims. 

Good progress took us around the streets of Mirfield to rack up a few easy miles! After taking this gift we hit the cycleways then the “Peter Kay” rain came (”it’s drizzling, get inside” “the kind of rain that wets you through……like there is any other!”). We had good fun going to Huddersfield on the rolling greenway under all the bridges, we had averaged 12 MPH at the town centre.

On our return, the incessant drizzle became intollerable and we stopped at Nosh in Mirfield for a dry out basically. Suitably refuelled we flew along the greenways until…….nightmare….. we hit the Yorkshire Water works that forced us onto the roads around the exotic roads of Hecky and Clecky. It was pure hell as we went up to Knowler Hill expecting it to be clear there, unfortunately not. We had to then stick to the main roads all the way past Chain Bar which was throughly unpleasant.

After regaining the Greenway just below Wyke we flew up to Bradford turn off ( or we would, if I hadn’t missed it celebrating 30 miles with Holly). We the wandered around the industrial estate then had to drop down to the bottom by the fishing pond and climb back all the way back up to Brierley, Holly unashamably dropped me at the steepest section (the nasty whipper snapper!).

After a nourishing cycling friendly meal at Macky Ds we re-traced our steps still getting soaked by the drizzle. We were having a good laugh together and then, PTHFFF, chav debris struck with a splinter of glass causing me to puncture. I got well mad when the valve stuck and would not hold the pressure and literally threw the wheel into a bramble bush, classy! Eventualy I got 5.5 PSI into the tube, where was Doug when we needed him with his brilliant pumping action!

During the 15 mins changing the tube Hol got really cold and tried to get warm by cycling up and down the greenway but to no avail. She really suffered all the way to thru Cleck & Heck and when we got near Ravensthorpe she was shaking uncontrollably (even after downing my flask of tea, bugger , you know what I’m like with my tea) .

The end was nigh and my goal was to get her home by her own steam, then PTHFFF, another puncture!!!!! Rather thgan change it and have her waiting for me to pick more glass out of my tyres we struggled up from the Marmaville with a knackered little girl with 48 miles in her legs and her Dad sucking her wheel with a flat!

We had to zig zag around to get the half century in cos I’m cruel and a little bit pedantic that way!

Thanks to all who sponsored Holly for Haiti victims, it looks like Hol will have raised over £600!

destination lunch Alamo- castleford meet Thornhill rectory park 9-30am onward for coffee at Newmillardam cafe.

Hi

 last year we went to Howstein on the same day as the Audax ride, so we passed riders and used the same route back to Otley?  That date this year is  18 july

 27 Jun there may be a few riders going through hollingworth at the end of a 600K, and also others on a 200.  Imagine Blackstone after 500+ kms! 

wetherby-Filey is early this year,  5th June and registration is now open,  route will slightly change at start but not much ( miss out roundabout near services)

 how about 21st march for 50 in 3 reliability ride?

A stand in Captain is required for this Sundays Club run, am afraid i have to work.Alex.

any chance of someone posting on the blog where the runs are to and where the meeting place is?

7 riders out today to a much nicer day than expected. Never trust the weather men.. Alex, Doug, Ben, John, Phil J and Martyn all made the start and we briefly met Derrick at Otley.Good progress was made out to Hebden Bridge and we all stayed together up to that point but the long climb up Peckett well soon changed all that with the group spread evenly up the climb. Doug and Ben flying up front with Martyn and Fry up phil in the middle and tail end Charlies Alex and John.With the summit reached (Freezing and a good cover of snow) we regrouped except for Doug who kept the hammer down and started the long descent which was rather spoilt by the stiff head wind down to the lovely Rossi’s cafe.30 miles up  refreshments taken we headed out again for the next climb which starts at Silsden and goes over the Cringles to Addingham and again the group split but not by as much as it’s a much shorter climb.Down in to Addingham we went and on to Bolton Bridge where we were soon at the hellish ascent of Langbar.We all started the climb but only 3 made it Doug, Ben and Martyn while the rest turned back and went the flat way to Otley. All accounted for we dined at the lovely river side cafe at Otley  while much joy was had at Bens expense as he tried to fix a flat rather badly, Phil intervined and Doug finished it to a very high standard (club pumper).We were soon on the road again and the last stint for home but progress was soon halted when I flatted and now had to show Ben how it should be done. Expertly changed in quick time and inflated by the club pumper we were back on the road and soon enjoying the delights of Bradford and the final climb up Manchester Road..Another great ride, 72 miles and an average of around 15 mph (computer played up so not sure)