Vuelta a Mallorca

Monday the 24th is the annual Blobby tours trip to Mallorca. This year 50 people will be on the plane.

I will be taking a video cam to make a movie of the trip.

rh

Vuelta Southsea a Dorking

Distance:
day 1:113km in 04.05
day 2:114km in 04.10

Weather:
day 1:sunny,very strong headwind.
day 2:sunny spells,cooler slight! tailwind.

Terrain:
day 1:rolling with the killer climb at Bedham.
day 2:undulating on mucky D roads.

Highlight of the trip:sailing from Hayling Island to Southsea on the Ferry!

Riders:
Raymond: smooth, confident and wily: taking the sprint for the Dorking sign after sucking wheel for 110km!!
Jane: sole A group laydee
Mark: Becoming too strong for the B group, only the lure of extended lunch stops holds him back.











Mechanicals: jumping gears

Crashes: Sabin stalled and keeled over on the 'wall' near Newdigate.

Chance meetings: the B group for lunches?

Palabras del dia: I can smell the sea!

Idiot of the day: Raymond forgot his civvy shoes but got a snazzy pair of rock climbing booties from Millets, no one took jackets to fend off the chilly sea breeze.

Thanks to everyone involved for a great weekend, especially Geoff for his fantastic organisation and Patrick for being a human gps.
L3J

stop press....Mark is in imminent danger of being thrown out of the B group. He has attacked too many times and given the game away:-).... he is too fit!

pics are here: Southsea

The South Western weekend away

This weekend sees the annual ride to the seaside. This year the trip goes to Southsea for an overnight stay in a hotel,and then back on Sunday.

Jane and Raymond go with the A group and Mark will be pot hunting in the B group:)

And we're having a trip on the ferry!!!

Report on Monday.

The Three Peaks Trial

Raymond and Jane go cross training in Wales.
This time instead of the A route,which Steve and Wendy did too, Richie suggested the harder B route; 5000 ft of ascent in 17 miles!

The route involved the ascent of three mountain peaks in the Monmouthshire Black Mountains: Bal Mawr, Pen Cerrig and Sugar Loaf.

They took a creditable seven and a half hours, and finished in the top 20.
RH

Ibiza camp training

Raymond, Jane and Mark recently went to Ibiza in search of some winter sunshine and the chance to get some steady pre-season miles into their legs. They arrived late on the Saturday night to find gales blowing across the island.
They awoke on Sunday morning to discover rain instead of the much anticipated sunshine. Raymond did a dance in his underpants to try to appease the Sun God (an old Inca custom he had picked up in Peru apparently).
Raymond’s Sun dance seemed to have a delayed effect as the Sun came out to play on Monday and the intrepid three went to meet Werner the guide. The ride took in the north part of the island. Mark hired a full susser for the day and enjoyed the experience of having six inches in the rear….particularly on the rocky sections.
The next days ride was a steady road run with a stop at Santa Gertrudis de Fruteria which Mark was keen to visit after spotting it on the map and being quite taken with the idea of there being both a Saint called Gertrude and a Patron Saint of fruit.
Wednesday’s ride was another steady road ride. There was mucho sol and Jane and Mark wore shorts for the first time this year. Raymond wore knee warmers and longs throughout. The ride took in the 7km climb of the Col de Cala San Vincenc. Mark started the climb so strongly but then began to find it trabejo muy duro and started going backwards as his legs deserted him. Raymond was smooth and confident and Jane strong and purposeful as they passed the hapless Mark.



Thursday, and another day out with Werner. The route again took in the north part of the island but was a lot more technical than the first ride. The distance covered was only around thirty miles but they were good hard miles. Werner said that it was a special ride made up of three of his ‘normal’ routes….the ‘Werner Burner’.
Friday was designated as a rest day and the morning was taken up with a visit to Ibiza town, off road on the way out and on road on the return trip, to do a spot of shopping and to allow Raymond to get his internet ‘fix’. In the afternoon Raymond did something blokish involving a palm tree, a ladder, a saw, a pink hat and a thong! Jane tidied up the resulting mess and Mark sat in the sun reading and offering moral support.
Saturday brought more sunshine, high winds and the final ride of the week. The route took in Santa Gertrudis (again) and the fleshpots of San Antonio before heading to Sant Josep to watch an mtb event that Raymond had seen advertised. Unfortunately, the intrepid three had forgotten to check what time the racing started and managed to arrive four hours too early!




Sunday, was yet another warm and sunny day but, with tales of snow back in the UK, it was time to go home. Still, 230 miles had been clocked up over six days of riding in the sunshine and I suppose all good things have to end sometime. Roll on Mallorca!
Quote of the week; ‘Never judge an Orange by its skin’
Involuntary dismount of the week; Jane falling into a large puddle of water after Raymond had cut her up.
Faux Pas of the week; Mark failing to engage the big ring on a downhill section!
AKM

pics of the trip:fotopic

Dansk bike

Paul is once again in Daneland, visiting Mette. We wondered what hold she has over him, what there is out there to draw him away from the North Downs? The secret is out, Mette has bought him a bicycle!!! Bribery and seduction!

Here is a picture of his 'Rat bike' he uses for gentle cycling and shopping in Copenhagen.

Studying the spy shots provided I think that it has a passing resemblance to a Cannondale badboy and may actually weigh only 12lbs including the carbon kickstand!

Allegedly, she apparently went to the local Evansk for this fine purchase.
RH

The Ibiza trip

Coming soon, Mark's write up of the Sundayriders/Skidmarks trip to ibiza for warm weather kilometres.

South Western Annual Trophy Presentation

Jane wins another trophy for the shelf in Dorking. She was presented with the Sam's Tankard award, a crystal glass for mountain biking achievements.

Raymond was awarded a Barbie Doll bidon for endurance mincing.

trip to Glyncorrwg

Raymond,Jane, Paul and Garth went to Wales to ride some hills and to stop every few metres to dismount and pass through an anti-motorbike gate! Something you get a lot of in the Transalps....not!

It was ok, but the exciting thing was we got to use a jet wash. Paul was disappointed because he thought our bikes would be washed by 'Jet' from gladiators. Girth broke the jet wash machine. so, Raymond took over and did a stirling job.

We met some locals tilting at windmills....."For this is righteous warfare, and it is God's good service to sweep so evil a breed from off the face of the earth.".....Miguel De Cervantes - Don Quixote(1605)


Tomorrow we go to Cwmcarn.note Cwmcarn was called off - Raymond had his own personal jetwash problem.

Pics here:Glyncorrwg

The trip to Wales

Paul has organised a trip to Afan and Cwmcarn. He is taking his friend Garth for some male bonding. Raymond and Jane will join them on Saturday and lil'cute one is putting everyone up for a free meal.