This year
has seen the Sunday club run numbers increasing steadily
and we now regularly see 20 riders out on a Sunday morning. For those
who have not yet been out with us here’s a taste of a typical club
run.
 Its
just 9-30 and the number of riders gathering at the Market Cross is steadily
increasing and by 9-45 we are all hoping that someone will suggest a
good route to suite today’s conditions. Riders of all ages
ride on a Sunday and today our youngest rider is 14 and our oldest (not
counting Laurence who is hiding at the back) had his 50th birthday a
while ago!
Normally the route will be about 50 miles although today’s weather
is excellent and with most riders hoping to increase fitness for the
summer months we may well venture a little further. Most of us
will have been keeping fit during the winter months and the club run
is a way of boosting your fitness level and learning the skills needed
when riding in a bunch. If you are thinking of racing then a club
run is an ideal introduction to the etiquette of riding in a “pack”.
Most riders are now using their “good” bikes, that is a
lightweight racing bike without mudguards and carefully prepared for
the mornings ride. Although most of our rides are on gently rolling
routes the area around Grantham boasts some fairly stiff climbs and a
39-25 is probably a sensible low ratio with a 53-12 coping with the high-speed
descents. Some riders are opting now for a compact chain-set which
gives more usable ratios although there will inevitably be a big jump
when changing chain rings and more riding “across” the chain
set.
Well the decision has finally been made and we are off out
of Grantham towards Waltham on the Wolds via Gorse Lane. The wind
is a gentle southwesterly so we should be coming back into town with
a tail wind. It always amazes me how soon you leave the town behind
and are surrounded by the sights and sounds of the countryside. Our
route climbs up to Waltham, across the A607 to Long Clawson and Hickling. Most
of the drivers give us a wide berth and with a large group of cyclists
you at least have plenty of “road presence”.
The pace
is gentle to start and by cycling in the bunch the effort
is greatly reduced especially if you suss out the wind direction and
keep on the lee side of the cyclist ahead. Once the bunch is established then
the pace increases and every village sign becomes a chance to show your
sprinting prowess. A good way to increase your fitness! Its
only by stealth and cunning that I can ever seem to get away but who
cares, its all about enjoying the company of other cyclists and getting
fit in the fresh air.
After dropping off the ridge we are now in
the Vale of Belvoir proper and cross the old Grantham canal
at least 3 times. The towpath is used by mountain bikers but not really
suitable for narrow high-pressure tyres. Anyway the roads are quiet
and we slow only for our first “comfort break” and the horses,
which seem to dislike cyclists! The sun’s breaking through
as well and the temperature climbs into the 20’s. Thank
goodness for those water bottles! It’s easy to get carried
away in the summer time and therefore vital to keep drinking at regular
intervals.
Cropwell Bishop and Cropwell Butler go by- a road closure
slows us only slightly before we are back on the straight
and narrow and as Long Bennington approaches the pace quickens again
towards the A1 bridge and the Long Bennington sign.
 We
slide through Long Bennington, losing some riders as they
head for home whilst the main group charges through Hougham
and on to Barkston. It’s
a good run into Grantham from the northwest with a gentle
down hill initially before the slow drag to Manthorpe.
The pace is still hot, though,
and despite a short stop whilst Richard checks the grass
verge we are off down the A607 into town. Only the line of cars
slows us and again the pace quickens towards Manthorpe. Keeping
my head down once again it’s a mad scramble for the sign and I
do believe I finally ended up first!
That’s it then, we spin back into
Grantham after 60 miles of hard, but very enjoyable work. Cycling
can be peaceful and good training on your own but a group ride is simply
so much better. You pit yourself against fellow riders and whether
you stay at the back “sucking a wheel” or contest each sprint
we all have a good laugh and keep fit and healthy! This Sunday
was a hard ride for me and the heat always takes its toll but what a
great feeling to be rolling back into town with 60 miles on the clock
at over 18mph. Ok, it’s not Tour de France pace but it’s
a site better than the bods we pass sitting outside the pubs we go by
could manage!
This time of the year is a joy for cycling and a Sunday run is
a way of finding routes and places you have never been before.
Why not come and have a go-you never know you might get hooked
like all of us! If you are interested please contact the
club via this Web site.
If you’re a little worried about keeping up on a Sunday there
is a much gentler ride on a Tuesday morning starting from the White Bridge
in Wyndham Park at 9-30 also. Normally this is a 40-mile
ride with a lunch stop at a gentle 11-12 mph average.
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