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  • York Rally: 21 June, 2019 - 24 June, 2019

Author Topic: York Rally 22-23 June 2019  (Read 9923 times)

yorkie

  • On top of the Galibier
Re: York Rally 22-23 June 2019
« Reply #50 on: 23 June, 2019, 08:50:58 pm »
Probably not cycleman, his trike was hors de combat this morning due to a combination of BB problems and total failure of the electric assist system.
Ah, no problem. Hope he's managed to get it sorted!
Born to ride my bike, forced to work! ;)

British Cycling Regional A Track Commissaire
British Cycling Regional A Circuit Commissaire
Cycling Attendant, York Sport Village Cycle Circuit and Velodrome

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: York Rally 22-23 June 2019
« Reply #51 on: 24 June, 2019, 03:27:14 pm »
Probably not cycleman, his trike was hors de combat this morning due to a combination of BB problems and total failure of the electric assist system.
Ah, no problem. Hope he's managed to get it sorted!

Last seen heading Torslanda-wards in Red Ted.  Butterfly deserves a medal!   :thumbsup:


I was one of the last off the field this morning.  There was some heavy rain last night (which I mostly slept through on account of Piriton[1] and general exhaustion) but this morning was warm and damp, without being muddy.

Kudos to all involved for a much healthier-looking Rally this year, with well-populated camping fields and various stalls[2].  Especially notable were the showers, which were plumbed in to a sufficiency of water and - crucially - mains electricity, allowing them to run all day with a corresponding reduction in queueueues.


The sky on Friday night.


Silly bike racing (no decent pictures as it was every man, woman and indeed dog[3] on the track at once for the race).


[1] My shins were suffering from an allergic reaction to the mistake in the 50k audax route, which involved Comedy Off-Roading through Grass Which Is Taller Than Your Bike.
[2] The BHPC were there, but the marquee and assorted materials weren't, due to a last-minute family emergency.  We parked assorted silly bikes outside the ICE stand and loitered.
[3] A rogue Jack Russel broke through the fence and decided to chase Slash.  I discovered this as it was doing the cyclepath dither in front of me on approach to a bend, while something red and rumbly with less than optimal vision approached rapidly from behind...

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: York Rally 22-23 June 2019
« Reply #52 on: 25 June, 2019, 08:33:01 pm »
PSA for anyone interested in the BHPC Wacky Races Mad Max Beyond Velodrome event on the Sunday...

Provisional rushing-about results are now up:  http://forum.bhpc.org.uk/2019-round-5-york-sunday-23rd-june_topic6916_post65469.html#65469

Kudos in particular to:
- James for doing the whole thing on a bike he'd learned to ride the day before, in trainers.
- Sunday Trains™ for greatly lowering David L'Hostis' average speed.
- Slash for defying gravity on the velodrome.  I swear he was almost horizontal.
- Various Jeffs/Geoffs for ensuring the first race failed the Cycling Bechdel Test.
- Everyone involved in the retro analogue timing process.

(The Jack Russel was presumably disqualified for not wearing a helmet.)

Arellcat

  • Velonautte
Re: York Rally 22-23 June 2019
« Reply #53 on: 25 June, 2019, 11:35:24 pm »
This was my 9th York Rally/Cycle Show/Rally, and it finally dawned on me that it's more about meeting people than buying things, or in my case, not buying anything.  Friday afternoon I spent by the river, and enjoying the sunshine in the Abbey of St Mary and the adjacent Edible Garden, before pitching up at the race course.  Saturday I spent reading and pottering about the Rally.  This year I managed to avoid the elderly Welsh guy with the extremely wiry grey hair and impenetrably strong accent, helped mainly I assume by my being in disguise, having not brought the velomobile.  Lunch was a definitely-not-vegetarian :-\ chicken burger.  After dozing in the sunshine and then in my tent for an hour or so it was time for the Velovision* ride t'pub in t'evening.  I wore extra layers as a precaution, but still got cold.  In a magnificent departure from tradition (pizza), I had the fish and chips, which was pretty good.

Thanks to cycleman for the chat on Sunday and listening to me vent for a time. :-[ I wasn't feeling very sociable all weekend because of previous non-bike related STUFF.  And despite my peaked cap and sunglasses, I got too much sunshine: if I'd known, I'd've brought my red iridium lens and not the blue.  The inside of my tent reached 40.5ºC on Saturday afternoon. :o

Also on Sunday while Kim, Slash, Jeff, Lee et al were navigating the York racing circuit at ludicrous speed, I was navigating the Ouse cycle path at a very unludicrous speed, in search of historic tramway remains and a decent lunch (the venue for which TJ and Butterfly had simultaneously chosen).  Later I went in search of my hostel for the night, which I'd booked on account of
  • impending terrible weatheryness
  • being a scaredy cat
  • having a down sleeping bag sans drybag
  • it always raining when I go on a holiday anyway.
The hostel was lovely, though, and I had a great conversation over dinner with an American tech and travel writer.  Monday's weather arrived while I was in the railway museum, so my sleeping bag (which I'd left attached to the handlebars unobtrusively under a waterproof¥ rucksack cover) got soaked anyway.  My bike more or less fitted into the dangly space on the LNER HST, which at least was better than the XC Voyager's equivalent on the way down.  I arrived at Waverley to rain and cold, so everything is back to normal.

* Velovision Legacy ride, perhaps.  I didn't see Peter Eland at all this weekend; I don't think Howard came to York this year; and I haven't heard any recent news from poor Simon Webb.
† Also not vegetarian.
¥ Not actually waterproof.
Quote from: Morningsider
I like that you think any of your conveyances might qualify as "a disguise".

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: York Rally 22-23 June 2019
« Reply #54 on: 26 June, 2019, 01:01:15 am »
This was my 9th York Rally/Cycle Show/Rally, and it finally dawned on me that it's more about meeting people than buying things, or in my case, not buying anything.

Agreed.  I don't think I got round to seeing all the trade stalls this year.  I missed the usually excellent[1] Spa Cycles, for one.


Quote
This year I managed to avoid the elderly Welsh guy with the extremely wiry grey hair and impenetrably strong accent, helped mainly I assume by my being in disguise, having not brought the velomobile.

That's one of the defining features of York - so many people you know and chat to every year who you somehow never get round to knowing the names of.  (Being a woman with an unusual bike never helps in this regard, as everyone seems to know who you are already.)

It was good to see cycleman at York for the first time in ages, even if he did use up all his luck by getting the trike on the train on the way up.  (Fingers crossed the repairs aren't too expensive!)  Glad you got to go on one of the social rides before the gremlins set in.  Also nice that Butterfly+Nye were able to ride up (albeit with a bit of Sustrans cyclocross).


Quote
despite my peaked cap and sunglasses, I got too much sunshine: if I'd known, I'd've brought my red iridium lens and not the blue.  The inside of my tent reached 40.5ºC on Saturday afternoon. :o

I'm fortunate in that I got my annual sunburn over and done with at Easter, even if I did make up for it with allergies.  The Goths In Hot Weather Tent was on form - I've concluded that it's a pretty much ideal York Rally tent: Stable in the wind, cool in the heat[2], dark in the morning and (important new discovery) just enough headroom to sit in a Helinox inside when it's chucking it down.  I'll forgive it a bit of getting dripped on when opening the door, and the fact that I temporarily lost several BLACK objects to the inner when packing it up.  The spare porch makes a good binbag storage facility for overnight rustle-minimisation.

I noticed some of the motor campers were using big tents with similar technology.


Quote
My bike more or less fitted into the dangly space on the LNER HST, which at least was better than the XC Voyager's equivalent on the way down.  I arrived at Waverley to rain and cold, so everything is back to normal.

Dry in Middle earth, but the wind had followed me home, just to make the overloaded Baron a bit more exciting.  Interesting to see your Rans in the flesh, I don't think I've met one before.  Good luck sorting that fork out for the P38, that was rotten luck.


[1] Not that I tend to buy things from them at the rally, but having used them extensively online, it's nice to put faces to names, thank them for existing, and see some of the Sensible Bikes.  The part of me that forgets about saddles tends to lust after their titanium tourers.
[2] This is much more effective if there's a little bit of wind.  And, well, Knavesmire.  I had some chocolate in there on Saturday and it didn't even go bendy.  Some years ago I became rather unwell after dozing off in my Vango Banshee in similar conditions...

Re: York Rally 22-23 June 2019
« Reply #55 on: 26 June, 2019, 06:24:52 am »
[3] A rogue Jack Russel broke through the fence and decided to chase Slash.
Did you see the stoat and rabbit cross the circuit at about 45 minutes?  This was about 50 yards from the top bend.  I saw a stoat run across the track, which was nice, but what was amazing was that it was being chased by a rabbit.  I did not see, but a rider a little behind me said that the rabbit caught the stoat and had it by the scruff of the neck.

Re: York Rally 22-23 June 2019
« Reply #56 on: 26 June, 2019, 08:16:04 am »
Hi arellcat , it was great to meet and talk with you  :). Did you find any tramway remains?.
I used to work in a couple of  boat yards in the past and am interested in the  tramways, canals and railways.
the slower you go the more you see

Re: York Rally 22-23 June 2019
« Reply #57 on: 26 June, 2019, 08:33:54 am »
Many thanks to those wonderful forumites who helped me over the rally.
Despite my problems I enjoyed York and the ride to beningbrough hall. The train back home from Manchester was comfortable and I got home about 9.00 pm   :)
the slower you go the more you see

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: York Rally 22-23 June 2019
« Reply #58 on: 26 June, 2019, 12:00:13 pm »
[3] A rogue Jack Russel broke through the fence and decided to chase Slash.
Did you see the stoat and rabbit cross the circuit at about 45 minutes?  This was about 50 yards from the top bend.  I saw a stoat run across the track, which was nice, but what was amazing was that it was being chased by a rabbit.  I did not see, but a rider a little behind me said that the rabbit caught the stoat and had it by the scruff of the neck.

Missed that entirely.  Wandering dogs are one thing, but killer rabbits are a bit much!  We'll have to start carrying Holy Hand Grenades...

yorkie

  • On top of the Galibier
Re: York Rally 22-23 June 2019
« Reply #59 on: 26 June, 2019, 01:52:13 pm »
[3] A rogue Jack Russel broke through the fence and decided to chase Slash.
Did you see the stoat and rabbit cross the circuit at about 45 minutes?  This was about 50 yards from the top bend.  I saw a stoat run across the track, which was nice, but what was amazing was that it was being chased by a rabbit.  I did not see, but a rider a little behind me said that the rabbit caught the stoat and had it by the scruff of the neck.

Hmm, it's usually the other way around. Good to see that my pep talk to the rabbits has done some good!!  ;) :P :-D
Born to ride my bike, forced to work! ;)

British Cycling Regional A Track Commissaire
British Cycling Regional A Circuit Commissaire
Cycling Attendant, York Sport Village Cycle Circuit and Velodrome

Re: York Rally 22-23 June 2019
« Reply #60 on: 26 June, 2019, 07:58:59 pm »
I enjoyed my time at York. I helped out again this year, which I'm happy to do and they look after the volunteers too. Saw most of the people that I expected to. My ride on Monday was only dampened by a couple of light sprinklings of wet, not as forecast. But I was woken by rain on Tue am. So I packed away in the rain and this hardly stopped for the next 50 mls. At least it was mild and I had a tail wind.

Arellcat

  • Velonautte
Re: York Rally 22-23 June 2019
« Reply #61 on: 26 June, 2019, 09:52:48 pm »
Hi arellcat , it was great to meet and talk with you  :). Did you find any tramway remains?

I did, but you'd miss it if you stayed only on the bike path.  I spotted two bollards placed suspiciously close to a brick wall, which implied vehicular movement in days gone by.  Turned out the remains of the tramway are quite exposed:


On the trail of rails by beqi, on Flickr

It belonged to the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, and runs directly to the collection of brick buildings to the east, such as that in which you now find Cycle Heaven, that then formed the ordnance depôt.
Quote from: Morningsider
I like that you think any of your conveyances might qualify as "a disguise".

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: York Rally 22-23 June 2019
« Reply #62 on: 26 June, 2019, 10:35:04 pm »
It looks like a narrow gauge. Or is that just the photo?
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Re: York Rally 22-23 June 2019
« Reply #63 on: 27 June, 2019, 06:48:38 am »
I think most tram lines are narrow gauge though I could be wrong  :)
the slower you go the more you see

Arellcat

  • Velonautte
Re: York Rally 22-23 June 2019
« Reply #64 on: 27 June, 2019, 02:20:54 pm »
It looks like a narrow gauge. Or is that just the photo?

It was narrow; from memory the gauge was about 1 ft 6 in.
Quote from: Morningsider
I like that you think any of your conveyances might qualify as "a disguise".