Ilkley – 24th July 2011

Posted on July 27, 2011 by Cappuccino Cycling Club

It’s a sign of the times that the thirteen rider turn out for Sunday’s ride was seen as being a bit below our usual number – not surprising really as its the first week of the school summer holidays.

We set of as one group, heading towards Ilkley, leaving town over  Little Armscliffe and Timble, where tiredness from the previous day meant we were reduced to an eleven man peloton. We decided then that we’d climb Little Snowden, before the high speed drop down into Askwith. As ever in cycling, what goes down must inevitably go back up, so we took the back road towards Ilkley before climbing over Langbar and down into Nesfield. It was tempting at this point to visit the Abbey Tea Rooms (famed for its quality service), but we decided to stick to our original plan, and rode back through Beamsley where Malcolm took the sprint for the Ilkley sign.

Having re grouped we called in for refreshments at the Avanti Coffee shop (named after Karl’s bike) where we sat in the sun, and filled up on bacon rolls and tea.

We took a fairly direct route home, following the river back towards Askwith, then another quick climb from Lindley, up by the church and back via Armscliffe Crag and Beckwithshaw. A day of sunshine and gentle winds, with the usual good CC company.

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Ripon – 26th July 2011

Posted on July 27, 2011 by Cappuccino Cycling Club

Thirteen riders out tonight including two new victims (you can tell Malcolm is writing this), nice to see Karl and Alex back safe from there recent visit to watch the Tour de France and climb a few of the iconic tour climbs.

A flat run was decided for tonight so off we went towards Knaresborough, then on to Farnham and Boroughbridge our new riders were doing very well and getting used to riding in a tight group.  Ripon was the next turning point towards Bishop Monkton a bit of steady climbing saw the group fragment a bit as we headed for Markington and finally Ripley and over the pack horse bridge and into The Knox arms for a few pints and some great tales of cresting cols and seeing all our Tour stars from Karl, sounds as though you had a great trip.
35 miles average speed 16.5mph ,well done to the new riders sorry could not remember your names but you did very well (especially to put up with me)

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Riders Meeting – 1st Friday of each Month

Posted on July 18, 2011 by Cappuccino Cycling Club

On the first Friday of each month, riders are invited to meet up at The Swan on the Stray, Devonshire Place, Harrogate.

The primary reason is to have a few drinks and to get together to discuss anything club related.  During this meeting we will also be agreeing the Sunday Club Run destinations for the forthcoming month.

If you have an idea you want to discuss, or have a route in mind for a club, make sure you come along.

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Masham – 17th July 2011

Posted on July 17, 2011 by Cappuccino Cycling Club

When most of us woke this morning, the skies were clear and blue, but by the time we gathered at the school, it was not nice with a fairly constant falling of rain!  Once again, we were heading for Masham in not nice conditions.  However, 14 hardy souls were prepared to brave the weather with the lure of coffee and cakes at Suncatcher’s Cafe!  We also welcomed a new rider this morning, Phil.  Good to have you on board Phil.

The route to Masham was a fairly straightforward one, heading out of Harrogate and into Knaresborough, then taking the old Knaresborough Road to Ripon through Bishop Monkton.  From Ripon, it was then on through Galphay, Kirkby Malzeard (where some idiot in a Land Rover developed some road rage for no apparent reason) and Grewelthorpe, before the sweeping descent down into Masham for some much needed relief from the rain in Suncatcher’s.

After refuelling, Pete announced that he was going to go back via Lofthouse Moor to get some more hills in his legs before his crack at the Raid Alpine next week.  The rest of us followed Malcolm on a route out of Masham that took us around some back lanes near Thorpe Perrow, and into Snape.  Crash!!!  Rider down!!  On a tricky bend Phil W had come off.  Thankfully he was not hurt in any way and after a quick straightening of the saddle he and the rest of the group were back on our way.  We eventually found our way through the lanes to Wath and back to Ripon.

Once in Ripon, and after a nice little detour past the Cathederal, we made our way back to Harrogate by retracing our earlier route, down the old Knaresborough Road, into Copgrove and through Knaresborough for the all to familiar slog up Knaresborough Hill and home to nice warm baths/showers.

Despite the weather everyone agreed that it was a really good ride.  55 miles at an average of 15mph.

View the route: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/99872857

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Askwith Moor – 12th July 2011

Posted on July 13, 2011 by Cappuccino Cycling Club

The fine weather brought another excellent turnout for a night on Tuesday, with 18 of us meeting at the school including two new riders, Jonathan and Paul.  Welcome to you both!!

A route up on to Askwith Moor had been suggested earlier by Martin P, so we stuck to that and headed out of Harrogate by a slightly different route to miss the worst of the show traffic.  We cut our way through the house to Leadhall Lane, up past Ashville College and then down Whinney Lane to Beckwithshaw, before starting the drag upto Little Almsliffe Crag.  The descent down to Norwood and Swinsty was fast and before we knew it we were climbing again up past Fewston Church, over the damn and up to Timble.  Instead of following the main road up on to Askwith Moor, Paul A suggested that we tackle Little Snowden, so we took the side lane at the bottom of Askwith Moor, which brought us up to the crossroads on the top of the Moor.  We regrouped and then hit the descent into Otley, which is always a good one.

From Otley, we headed up to Farnley, before then descending down to Leathley, crossing the A658 at Pool and heading along the valley floor to Castley and into Weeton.  From Weeton it was over the A61 Leeds Road and climbing once again into Kirkby Overblow, before continuing along Walton Head Lane and a much needed pint in the Swan at Burnbridge.  Only when we got to the Swan did we discover that we had lost Duncan and Matthew along the way.  No-one knew how that happened, so apologies for that chaps!!

Anyway, the ride was an excellent 35 mile ride, with some good hills.

View the route: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/98756327

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CCC 2nd Birthday Ride – 10th July 2011

Posted on July 10, 2011 by Cappuccino Cycling Club

To celebrate our 2nd anniversary since inception, we decided to ride the same route that James L and Rob M did on 9th July back in 2009.  To add a bit more spice to proceedings riders were invited to wear some tweed or go retro for the occasion.  We also welcomed two new riders to the CCC peleton today, Harry and Phil.  Welcome to you both!

As riders turned up it became clear that some had taken this invitation very seriously and none more so than Mark S who had got his mother’s 1950 bike out of the loft, given it some new tyres and brakes and was dressed for the era the bike came from.  Chapeau Mark!!  A few other notable outfits were being sported by Paul S with his clip on moustache and Martin P who had managed to find a wool retro jersey on eBay with the initials CCC on it.

Anyway, before we set off we lined up for a group photo and thanks to Patrick Proctor for obeying his father’s orders to get up early an take a few photos of us in all our glory.  So let the cycling commence!

We made out of Harrogate up the Otley Road before turning right down towards Penny Pot with a nervous looking Mark, wondering whether his brakes would work!!  Thankfully they did!!  It was then up towards Penny Pot where Patrick was waiting again to get a few more pictures of us in motion, before we headed down into Hampsthwaite and up Clint Bank and through Shaw Mills before regrouping at the Drovers crossroads.  Amazingly over these bumps Mark on his mothers bike was setting a keen pace.  Just goes to show that rider’s fitness is more important than the equipment…

We then dipped down into Markington and continued on towards Burton Leonard, Copgrove, Staveley and Arkendale, past the Tiger Inn at Coneythorpe and over the A59 heading into Goldsborough.  The weather was still treating us well and we made our way back into Harrogate along the Knaresborough Riverside, before the slog up the hill into Starbeck and some well desverved coffee, Peroni and Strudle at Cafe Rosso.

It was a great couple of relaxed hours on the bikes to celebrate the club’s birthday and one we will be repeating each year now.  Watch out for some more interesting ride themes in years to come!!

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Knaresborough Villages – 7th July 2011

Posted on July 10, 2011 by Cappuccino Cycling Club

10 of us gathered at St. Aidans under leaden skies, which looked like they were fit to burst at any time. We were also joined by 3 new riders: Andy, David, and Monty – welcome all.

We decided to keep things flat and easy tonight so a route around the local Knaresborough villages was chosen. We set out via the usual hospital, Scriven Lane, Farnham route and then turned up towards Staveley with the weather still keeping dry for us. The pace was a reasonable 18 mph on the flat bits with the group working well together taking turns at the front. On towards Arkendale and then Coneythorpe, we braved the crossing of the A59 and turned off into Goldsborough. By this time the skies had turned a purpley black and lightening could be seen in the distance. I mentioned that I was glad to be on a carbon bike rather than a metal one, and at that point Martin P suddenly found himself on his own with nobody daring to ride next to him! The rain started to fall as we headed down by the riverside prompting a stop to put on rain jackets but by the time we had turned up towards Calcutt and up the hill of Forest Moor Lane it was obvious we had missed the worse of the rain. Rob had a disagreement with a car driver who was unfamiliar with the concept of cycle lanes, and with that we all headed home.

My ride was 28 miles at an average of 17.2 mph.

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East Harrogate Loop – 5th July 2011

Posted on July 6, 2011 by Cappuccino Cycling Club

Once again, we had a great turn out for an evening ride and we soon decided on a familiar Tuesday night route for a bit of through-and-off up the A168.  Karl had turned up with his new blingey wheels and did not hesitate in showing them off – nice wheels Karl!

After much drooling, we set off heading for Pannal and first leg stretch of the evening up Drury Lane alongside Pannal Golf Club.  It was then over the by-pass and down into Kirkby Overblow.  The evening was turning out to be a nice one, with no sign of the predicted rain, so the pace remained keen as we headed along the ridge from K.O, before descending down through Sicklinghall and into Wetherby.

From Wetherby it was then time for the A168 through-and-off session.  At first it was a bit ragged, but after the Walshford roundabout everyone managed to get it together and soon were knocking along at a decent pace, with a couple of us been shelled off the back to continue at their own pace waiting for the faster ones to go up to Boroughbridge and return back down the road to meet up and start the return through Arkendale.

We returned to Harrogate through Arkendale and Ferrensby, before the good old slog up Knaresborough Hill and a well earned recovery pint in the beer garden at the Swan on the Stray.

A good ride on an unexpectedly dry summer’s evening.

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Studley Royal – 3rd July 2011

Posted on July 4, 2011 by Cappuccino Cycling Club

Whilst 6 members of CCC had got up early to do the long ride, 15 other riders gathered at St Aidans in the warm sunshine for a shorter ride out to Studley Royal.  We welcomed some new members to the CCC peleton who were all made to feel welcome and it is great to see our numbers swelling…

So, we set of by heading down into Knareseborough and through Scriven and Lingerfield at a fairly steady pace to keep the group together.  After his Saturday exploits Malcolm was only too keen to tap out a steady rythmn.  Must have been the Peroni’s that did it Malc!!  Anyway…we continued through Copgrove and on to Markington, before a few lumps stretched the legs a little top bring us to Fountains Abbey.  As we entered the Deer Park we were warmed that it might be rutting season, so once again, Malcolm was told to calm himself and stay well away from the Deer.  In the sunshine the descent down through the park with Ripon Cathedral in the distance was fantastic.

On the way back from Ripon a few of the regulars embarked on some group riding best practice with some of the new riders who had not ridden in a group before.  Malcolm soon became the centre of attention again, when someone failed to spot a pothole which he hit and made him puncture, so out came the surgical gloves and in went a new inner tube.  We were soon off again and returned to Harrogate retracing out steps from Copgrove, into Knaresborough for the inevitable sprint up Knaresborough Hill, with the honours going to Tim W.

It was then on to Cafe Rosso, for plenty of coffee and strudle!!

A gorgeous 35 mile ride in great conditions.  Average was just over 14mph.

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Langbar and Burnsall – 3rd July 2011

Posted on July 4, 2011 by Cappuccino Cycling Club

Six insomniac members of CCC gathered in glorious sunshine – Martin G, Craig, Andrew, Piston Pete and the two tall Marks.

We took advantage of the early hour by using the main roads to leave Harrogate via Rudding Park and Kirkby Overblow before crossing the Leeds road and heading up the valley towards Pool. It was already warm enough for us to work up a real sweat up the first climb of the day, Old Pool Bank. Ride leader Martin ‘Don’t worry lads – I know these roads, I grew up round here’ then managed to take us on a wrong turn which rewarded us with a fast descent Otley, before we had to regain the height we’d lost by climbing back up the Chevin. The views from the top made the extra effort worthwhile (honestly!). Another fast downhill section took us to Menston, where a long steady climb saw us on top of Ilkley Moor and another high speed drop into Ilkley.

Although it was tempting, we resisted the flattish route to via Nesfield and Beamsley, and instead climbed over Langbar via Carters Lane. It was a real change to pass along this moorland road in nice weather with no wind to contend with, or hailstones stripping the skin off our legs and the paint off our bikes, like the last time we were out that way.

Our early start meant that the favoured cafe stop (favoured because of the good food, not the Kate Middleton look a like who works there) was not yet open, so we headed on another few miles into Burnsall for a welcome fuel stop.

We were lucky to bag a table outside the cafe, as the place was absolutely packed with cyclists. It would have been hard to calculate the value of the carbon fibre and titanium that covered the village green. The food was excellent, let down only by the fact that the salad garnish on Mark’s beans on toast (a piece of tomato and one leaf of cress) lacked a Balsamic vinegar dressing.

After a bit of rest we headed through Appletreewick, up Skirehome hill and Stump Cross Caverns and then back to Harrogate via Duck Street, Little Almscliffe and Beckwithshaw. From the school we had cone about 105k and about 1700m of climbing. A really rewarding day out, which could have only been bettered if Team Sky have been four seconds faster in the team time trial, and put Geraint Thomas in the yellow jersey!

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