15/06 Saturday TG Longer Ride

[Ghaleb]

I will be doing a slightly longer non-stop ride (approx. 60miles)...the usual CR route to Rusper and then to Forest Green, Ewhurst, Shere, Ranmore Common, Box hill and back to Coulsden.

I will be joining the usual TG ride (if there is one) and then will just peel off at Rusper to do the above.

Let me know if you would like to join.

[Iliya]

I'm in.

[Ghaleb]

Quite a few off us at the start...four of us peeled off at Rusper to do the alternative ride...good training overall.

Marek, hope you didn't get in to too much trouble with your other half.

[Iliya]

Great ride with Galeb, Marek, Dave K and one more rider whose name I don't know (sorry). Four of us abandoned the CR route at Rusper and headed in Sheere direction for a few hills including Box Hill at the end. 100 km door to door and no stopping. Feels like a good workout.

Thanks guys!

[Marek]

Set off at 8am meeting up with Chris one of my mates from Lingfield on the way. We rode up to Coulsdon at a pretty tidy pace, hammering up the hills and then on the way down to Coulsdon we smashed it. I dropped Chris just before the traffic lights at Hooley and then he went screaming past me with a big grin on his face as he caught the lights just in time and managed to even get a tow. I chased after him, looking down I was pegging him but was going about 50kmph and could not bring him back until he got caught at the next lights. He then explained to me about the tow and giggled away whilst I tried to keep my breakfast down.

Went out with the training group. Set off at a steady pace and then Keith popped up from nowhere and suddenly had us chasing him. He turned off just before the Reigate steps (thank god) as racing tomorrow and we carried on up the climb. We then took it easy up the steps and then the pace got a bit more lively as we got past Reigate. Ghaleb and I were doing quite a few turns on the front and keeping the pace high with Illya popping through now and then Chris was on his training bike and was struggling to keep up but was just about there. As we hit the hill before Rusper we lost sight of Chris as he turned back to Lingfied to go back for an hour run (bliming Triathlete show off).

We turned right up towards Beare Green and after a short respite of taking it relatively easy we started to pick the pace up again. Was feeling pretty good and we got through the rolling roads around Ockley and then towards Abinger Hammer. I put my foot down on the road towards Abinger as I love the windy roads around there as you can take them real fast as on a slight downhill. Great fun but I was breathing out my ass on that part.

Then we turned left and headed over to Shere then turned right off the A25 and went over a couple of long climbs that then led us back up to Ranmore. My legs were now telling me that I had gone too hard too early, the others left me for dead on the climbs, Illya and I were the stragglers with Dave K and Ghaleb climbing up with relative ease. Then descended the church hill by Ranmore and over to Box Hill where the others got into a little group and rocked up to the top. I just tapped up slow to save the legs for the rest of the trip home.

Bumped into Dave Palmer, Chris Scrarlett and Lisa at the top and had a quick chat. Then Dave P and myself headed over to Reigate for a coffee and a chat as hadn't seen him for a long time. Then we headed off our own ways and I slowly but surely wound my way back to East Grinstead. 140km on the clock and extremely cooked legs.

Great fun today guys enjoyed it until the climbs.

Cheers

Marek.....