Secret training methods of the Chaingang

Seems like everyone's been training super hard lately,  going out nearly every day over the last week -- Meanwhile I've been compounding  my meager winter  base mileage  with a couple of late night sessions - on the lash - mainly red wine,  gin & tonic, whisky, ale, lager, pizza, apple pie and custard  by night  mixed up with watching cartoons (I recommend Wreck It Ralph) driving family to half term activities by day - so no cycling at all,  bar Sunday afternoon on the cuckoo trail with missus and littlun in which we cycled five miles, and had a pub lunch. 

Contrast this with our own tip top form Matt R and Stuart H targetting and bagging KOMs over the week, Stu D lost three in one night!  East Rover John C, who's cunning  strategy of "just popping out for an hour" each evening after the kids are in bed and ferociously ascending his cyclocross bike up ten  thousand feet of frozen mud is also paying dividends. Will Matt R and Stuart H enter the  ESCA Hardriders TT next month and score HSTLCC's highest places? I hope so. Can escape artist Matt beat John C who led our bunch so well  - time will tell!  WilI I tie on time with John C like I did last year, or was it the year before?  Bet against it dear reader, bet against it. 

I counted sixteen  riders backed by a swift Northwesterly. Our own Matt R jumped away early on with Simon N in tow. I tried to drag everyone else across and was closing - and tiring - when the John C train rolled to the front, let us catch onto his wheel, then steamed up and closed Matt down. Matt got away again a few times and John brought him back for us. Simon rode agressively  - well on  a big fixed gear you need to sprint up hills to be fair - and a pack of usual suspects sat in and were able to finish strongly on - relatively -  fresh legs. But riding straight into the teeth of the Northwesterly Matt and John showed that little bit stronger than all the rest of us who tried so hard tonight. Still we have plenty new riders with lots of potential, keep up the good work. I hope all of you will enter the Hardriders TT, one of the first and most fun of the local race events - just like in Strava, your first time trial is a personal best. 

Dont forget, annual club do tomorrow at Cinque Ports Pub, All Saints St, bring £5 for buffet, have a beer and a chat with us  and see the glorious club trophies get handed out, cheers.

Steve Curtis writes: Tonights chaingang was the first one for Trevor Deeble . Trevor has been on a few bacon butty rides, he then came out on the club ride with Malcolm and Chris C. All he had was a vintage 1950s bike, despite this Malc and Chris were impressed how fast he rode. Trevor has just bought a secondhand modern bike with Ultegra and this was literally his first ever ride on it. He got it twenty mins before setting off on the chaingang. Malcolm predicts  he will be one of our fastest riders soon as his average speed from Strava was 18.6 on his first ever chaingang, which says it all really, huge potential!

Andalacia MTB Stage race-Day 4

Day 4

Disaster!!

My team mate Jeremy was changing his front break pad just before the start as it was also down to the metal. The allen key head rounded itself so we could not get the pads changed before the start. We could not risk riding in these mountains without a front break, so we made the decision for Jeremy to ride with my bike and I would have a days rest as Jeremy is much fitter than me anyway. I will get his bike sorted during the day and we will continue on Thursday and Friday no longer being included in the overall rankings.

David

Andalacia MTB Stage race-Day 3

Day 3

What a difference a day makes

Today despite 300m more climbing than yesterday, all the climbs went up big wide tracks, very similar to riding on the SDW. There were however still plenty of tricky bits. We went through a field that made the mud in Friston Forest seem like nothing. I came to a stop in one big patch and fell sideways into a big puddle. We got to the top of the first big climb which was nearly half distance after less than 2.5 hours so we thought we were in for an easy day. we finished in 7.09 so it goes to show.

We had lots of tricky, rocky single tracks, there was a very tricky rocky descent with lots of steps which is similar to "Devil's Staircase" in Derbyshire.

I managed to crash twice on the last final descent and got stopped by very prickly Olive tree bushes. I am covered in small scratches now from them but thank god they were there.

I also had to change my rear break pad near the bottom of the last big descent as it was down to the metal which took about 15 minutes, which is a shame as otherwise we would have been under 7 hours


Dave HH

Andalacia MTB Stage race-Day 2

Picture Taken from The Hotel Window-Dave Is Down There Somewhere!

We rode a shorter stage today than yesterday but it was much, much tougher. There was 300m more climbing but it was difficult technical terrain. We pushed or carried our bikes over so many unrideable sections both up and sometimes down that we lost count. I have never ridden such a demanding course in my life.

We spent half an hour this morning, drying our shoes with the hotel room hair dryer and the first river/forge came after about 2 miles-LOL. I think we went through 30 rivers today.

Still the skies were blue and we rode in shorts and short sleeves. We got back after 7.16 which was 1 1/2 hours longer than yesterday. I have so many aches I can hardly move. Tomorrow is supposedly even tougher but the real tough days come on Wednesday and Thursday with over 3500m of climbing on both days.

David

Sunday Club Ride- 24 Feb

Chris Chapman writes:
'Three hardy souls left the Harrow at 9 on Sunday with the mercury pushing minus 2. Chris Parker having claimed the benefit of manflu, Malcolm, Peter Hayward and Chris Chapman headed up the A28 towards Brede. Then through a network of potholed lanes to Beckley.
From Beckley through Northiam a right a couple of miles straight on brought us back to....Beckley. Nevermind it was now a balmy minus 1.5. From there we headed via Wittersham to Appledore - from where Malcolm had promised us a tailwind home. And lo! after toiling into a bitter headwind, there it was a tailwind to blow us home. A quick stop in the cafe at Rye, where the temptation of a train ride home was overcome with some reluctance. It was bitterly cold getting started again as Malcolm forced the pace along through Winchelsea beach. Chick Hill proved to be a welcome warmer. Despite the cold no ice. Overall about 47 miles, ave spd 15.1, ave temperature 0.'

Andalacia MTB Stage race-Day 1

Our very own Dave HH is taking part in the Andalacia MTB Stage race.
He is keeping us abreast of his progress through the 6 stages
Dave writes:

Hi Steve I have just ridden the 1st stage (Of 6 days) of the Andalucia MTB stage race.
We started under sunny skies and about 13 C. We climbed a long way after the  start. It was just unbelievable to see such big crowds by the technical up and down bits. I never thought I would ever have spectators patting me on the back and pushing me as I went by.   My team mate Jeremy (The race is teams of 2.) punctured on a downhill bit which was through a very rocky river. He was the only one trying to ride, everyone else was walking. We lost nearly an hour as it was a side wall puncture and just did not want to mend.
It was so nice to ride in short sleeves and shorts after the weather we have had at home.
Our time was 5.45 which had us very near the back of the field after the most amazing decent back to Cordoba.
My legs and all over basically is/are aching like anything.  It will be interesting to see how the legs go tomorrow.

Matt escapes from the Chaingang, Feb 20

Barney and Sue

Nathan R

Seventeen riders zipping along with a great easterly at our backs, Sue strung out the bunch with a fierce spell along Bexhill, then Matt R broke away on first climb and might have stayed away too if not for the Hastings train holding him up at the level crossing, better luck next time. Cold meant we didn't hang about long and some were caught on the hop, tightening loose bolts, mending spokes or pulling on gloves as the bunch rolled back east into the teeth of a cruel wind, I think I saw some stray snowflakes . . . maybe a sign of what's in the post for us this weekend?

For many of us the ESCA Hardriders marks the end of winter and the beginning of the racing season, and a chance to catch up with old pals from our sister clubs.  Aero bikes not essential as it's a   "sporting" course - think hilly back lanes - around Bodle Street Green and Wood's Corner, with  a couple of tough little climbs, one with it's own prize,  and an exhilharating long downhill swoop to the finish. Chris Parker writes

"East Sussex Hard Riders 15 mile Sporting TT on Sunday 17 March. First rider set off at 10 am from Bodle Street Green a few miles from Battle.
This is an event we always have a very good turn out for: the East Sussex Hard Riders 15 mile Sporting TT on Sunday 17 March.

For Open Time Trials a CTT entry form needs to be filled in and posted with the entry fee (£8 cheque payable to East Sussex CA) to arrive with the organiser at the latest on the Tuesday 11 days before the event.  After the successful (third) test system for electronic entries last year even more events can alternatively be entered on line, including the ESCA Hard Riders. You can download Entry Form here:  www.ctt.org.uk  scroll down for pdf or word versions. For people who want to use snail mail to send off their form for the hard riders, they need to send their form and cheque to
Peter Moon
73 Wannock Lane
Eastbourne
East Sussex
BN20 9SG
or online entry here
https://evententry.ctt.org.uk/https://evententry.ctt.org.uk/

And a plug for our annual social -  Hastings CC prize giving evening with buffet and beers on Thursday 28th at Cinque Ports Arms, All Saints Street, Old Town. Partners welcome, filling up fast so email daniel.hanlon@live.co.uk to book your places.