Gilpins Gallop or Sniplig Pollag Route

[madcow]

Rode all the way with Lanternrouge and saw you, deano between Sadberge and Sedgefield.Surface on the stretch from Smeaton to Busby stoop was rough enough to slow us down a bit as was the head/side wind .At least the stretch to Topcliffe was smooth.
Had to put tail lights on just before B'bridge just to be safe but pleased with my time.Great food at controls.Thanks to all at Girsby esp lindagordino of this parish, Nigel and also those at Newbottle who must have had quite a long day.

[Karla]

Slowcoach, could I interest you in a nice little ride through northern France in late August?  Otherwise there's what could be the Dales Grimpeur's last year.  

More seriously, there's the Wiggy 200 coming up and the Wiggy 100 and 300 shortly after that.  Interested?

[EDIT: Actually, the Dales Grimpeur has a 140km option as well as the 180 and 200km rides.  That would suit you, no?]

[Deano]

Or a nice 160 km:

event detail

A bit hilly for a while, but an easy finish from Ripon to Richmond.  You'd enjoy the Killhope, though...

[LindaG]

Beautiful helpers as well  

Thanks to all at Girsby esp lindagordino of this parish, Nigel and also those at Newbottle who must have had quite a long day.

Full marks to Nigel Hall & Lindagordinho for the food and Mike McGeever for the paperwork @ Girsby.

The food and support were excellent. It was good to see Lindagordinho again at Girsley. Her bacon butties can't be surpassed.

Awww, thanks you guys.  It was lovely to see everyone.
It was good fun helping out.  I accidentally took all the leftover cake home.  Never mind eh?

[Aidan]

I spent the end of last week trying to work out whether I'd entered this or not!  I coulndt find my cheque book , but thought I had entered. Was away on Thursday and Friday and didnt check with organiser ( which I should have done really) because was really busy. As it got to the end of the week and no card or routesheet or anything had turned up I assumed I hadnt entered. 

Guess what turned up 5 minutes ago in the post

[partsandlabour]

I heartilly second all of the praise that has been heaped so far! Yesterday's 200 was great.. my first audax.

Great to meet some new folk. Thanks to all who organised and manned the controls. The bacon sarnie at Girsby was the best I've had in a while.

Thanks to the NE31 tri club lads for the pace coming back from Girsby which helped me spin my heavy legs.

I'll be back for more - a great day with great people!

[lantern rouge]

This was my opening ride for the season. Despite Goretex lined boots my feet were quickly soaked and frozen. Should have worn the Sealskins. At Girsby I wrung out my socks which improved things.

Early season cockups. Forgot to fill waterbottle at the half way turn. Worse still bought a sarnie at the finish to get a receipt and promptly forgot my receipt. Fortunately had to buy petrol before the journey home, so used that receipt to prove my finish. It was about 30 minutes after I'd finished but no matter.

I thoroughly enjoyed the ride and echo the praise for the organisers and helpers without whom there'd be no event.

Thanks to Madcow for his company throughout the day.

Knees are a bit rough today and I have a strange clicking sensation in my ankle. Suggested cure? Deano's DIY 300k next week 

[vindec]

Many thanks to all who made Sniplig a brilliant audax. Superb controls! I'll definitely be back for more (cake).

[Socks]

A great ride, good weather and even better controls.  Thanks to the organiser and the helpers at Girsby who provided a production line of excellent cycling type scran at just the right times.

I tried my first sportive a couple of weeks ago - the Christmas Cracker, from Grasmere.  Cost a lot more, there wasn't the same socialising maybe because numbers were much bigger, and the only difference seemed to be that riders didn't need to navigate because there were signs at all the junctions and marshalls at a couple of main road crossings. 

So why do people pay so much to do sportives when there are so many good audax rides available ?

[aidan.f]

People ride sportives  are  heavily promoted as there is money to be made!

Some people also think if it's free or cheap it may not be as good - full carbon/titanium and the law of diminishing returns all applies.

[LindaG]

And how many sportives have their own beer?

Mmmm, beer.

[Karla]

And how many sportives have their own beer?

Mmmm, beer.

I used to know someone else's Church Times login but it appears he's stopped subscribing or changed his password.  You'll have to tell the rest of us what's in that article.

[LindaG]

Ah.

I forgot my permanent login.  Sorry.

Someone has commissioned a Gilpin's Ale from the Durham Brewery to commemorate Bernard Gilpin, rector of Houghton-le-Spring, in 1557 (ie nearly four o'clock, which is beer time).

Which is nice.

[GraemeMcC]

So why do people pay so much to do sportives when there are so many good audax rides available ?

Sshhhh! Don't want too many Sportivo Types catching on - it would be no fun when the occasional audax overlaps with a Sportive!

2 years ago, the Chirk 200 clashed with the route of The Cheshire Cat. There were a load of Dulwich Paragoners on their whayte caarbon blingery who we caught. Fine, until Chris Wilby from Huddersfield parish had the audaxity to pass them on his Airnimal, with rear panniers.
"Strewth mate - we've just been taken out by a club run and a blorke on a shoppa! Can't 'ave that."
They gave chase and got ahead for about 400 yds, until the unrelenting endurance of an 'ardened randonnuer saw them off.
Such joy!

T'was the same on Hartside 200 a few years back, overhauling the Etape Du Dales. I recall odd expressions from a chap on a carbon Wilier, as Tigger's Taxi, replete with rack-pack and nodding Tigger, and my goodself saw them off on a long climb before our routes parted, near Appleby.

Besides, there are enough Audax riders without muddies these days. 
Don't want any more if we can avoid it, if we are to keep getting wet rides in 2011. (This was the 3rd on the trot). 
Sadly, I haven't got the legs to get ahead (never mind stay ahead) of Flat Earth Bob, so am otherwise perpetually at risk of riding in a private rainstorm, or on my own, just off the back...

That said, forecast looking good for "Rosies to Wrags" and "the Red Rose" 200s this weak-end.