Bolsover & District Cycling Club

Has anyone visited Joel in hospital? Is he really ill? Why had I agreed to lead the B ride again?

At seven o’clock this morning I was eating cold pasta, drinking hot coffee and these questions were running through my mind. I had had one glass of red wine too many last night, wanted to go back to bed, and had also foolishly agreed to meet Jon Wardle to cycle over to Bolsover, rather than take the car… and where was Joel? Was he up early and about? No! I figured that he is usi...

Why no enterprising soul has set up a Sunday morning stall at the Cenotaph selling pots of pasta and espresso yet is beyond me. If they had, then at the time of my writing this they could be on a jet to somewhere sunny planning their retirement, for as 9am arrived on the last Sunday in April 2013 there was a vast peleton of cyclists gathered ready to board one of the Green and Black road trains that were scheduled for departure. Cycling has grown in popularity in the last few years, helped by...

Just after ten to eight on Sunday morning found me gently pedalling from Chesterfield to the Sharley Park Leisure Centre in Clay Cross to join Thommo’s Clay Pigeon Ride, a reliability ride being run by the Clay CrossRT.

The weather was not as good as the previous day, which had been warm and sunny – feeling like Spring may have arrived, but, despite no cloud cover the previous night there was ...

There was an early flurry of messages on the Club’s Facebook page, regarding ice and the condition of the roads, as everyone was eating the breakfast that would fuel their ride. We were hopeful that by the time we started the Winter sun would have done its best to leave the tarmac safe for cycling as there had been no rain overnight and, despite a few riders deciding to ride later in the day, twenty two cyclists were gathered in the car park adjacent to the cenotaph as 09:00 arrived.

Great ladies ride today, myself, Claire Adams, Tina Wood & Zoe Hibbard headed out to Clumber via Thoresby, stopped at clumber for refreshments then headed back via Cuckney, Cresswell, Elmton & Oxcroft. Wasn't too bad going out but head wind a lot of the way back made it hard work. Claire did amazingly well on her hybrid bike so can only imagine she will be zooming along when she gets her road bike. tina's first time on a road bike which was borrowed for the day but think she may be...

Brilliant ladies ride this morning.  Six ladies turned out, Sharon Hobson, Julia Blowers, Emma Bradbury, Michelle Donald, Alison Preece, and Zoe who's surname I have forgotten, sorry. 

It was Alison's first proper outing on the bike and out with a group and first time really with cleats but she did amazingly well, no incidents to report.

We decided to do the Spiraling loop first and see how that went, all pretty much together and went pretty good, Alison was feeling con...

Good turnout for todays 'A' ride, 11 strong lads out, although "lads" may be pushing the point a little with regard to me, Mick Farest and one or two others. Paul D was nursing a range of abrasions and giving a TdF flavour to the group, while his wife checked the life insurance and his son asked if he would be crashing today.

We rode a modified version of  Route 6, as one or two riders wanted some variety, looping around the back of Southwell and out to Bleasby. With around 35 mile...

Andy Wagstaff, Ben Davies, Bill Seddon, Lee Wagstaff, Nick Clark, Paul Dickinson, Dave Martin

I left Chesterfield at 08:20 with my winter gloves in my jersey pocket, hoping that they w...

So, as the weather forecast had threatened the possiblity of double figures for the first time since God were a lad (or so it seems) I thought I had better get my backside out on a club run! My first of 2012 so I talked  new member Simon Wilson into coming along too.

We set off for Bolsover with the back end of my little van nearly scraping the floor  and struggling to chug up hills. I soon realised that this was down to the weight of Simon's beloved 'Surly Troll' in the back....

Alex and G enjoyed a steady 65 miler today covering Strines, Langsett Cafe, Holme Moss, Woodhead and back down Strines. 7,500 ft of climbing.Despite the odd hailstorm and hairy descents in the rain, this was a great route. See details on Alex' Strava upload. 

I'm proposing we run this as an 'A' ride adventure later this summer. Slightly modified route wilth  the return leg over Snake and\Hathersage will give circa 110 miles, as an option. Who's up for it?

Well the sun was shining and not one to miss a rare opportunity I managed to get out with the Club for a ride. I’d overheard on Thursday night that the A ride was taking on my nemesis, Riber Hill, (two attempts = two fails and new cleats) so I chickened out and went for the Steady B ride instead.

Great ride again today.  Numbers were predicted to be low due to the XC event, but we mustered 11 in total.  New rider John Middleton had ridden out from Chesterfield to Bolsover and we picked up 3 more at Warsop.  Pace was spirited with the wind behind on the way out to Southwell.  Group kept together really well, despite every hill bigger than a speedbump being suspected as a Strava segment and a mad scramble ensuing.  The site of another club ( Retford) was enough ...

With most of the club's A riders and Mark Renshaw spirlling himslef Dizzy, Mark Bridgman Smith and myslef took the opportunity to soak up the sunshine insted of forking out for the Dark & White Trailquest. Setting off from a very quiet Chesterfield (20000 off to Wembley) we headed out through Holymoorside to Wingerworth, to Ashover then over to Cromford for  cuppa and  teacake at the Tor Cafe. MBS's first visit there. Resonable pace up the A6 then over to Beeley Hill for a climb...

It was a kind of uninviting ride morning - light rain and a lot of standing water. Temperature around 5 C. It was not a big suprise therefore that a lot of family men had developed a Mothers Day conscience! Sad loners Graham, Alex and Xavi were the stub end of our usually healthy 'A' ride.

We had a great time though, once the leg out to Ollerton was disposed of and we began to warm up. The route got changed to the Eakring, Southwell , Oxton, Ollerton loop, so that we could enjoy a coff...

This Sundays ride started with perhaps the most pleasant weather seen this year, although there was a very slight chill in the pre 9am air, it was soon to warm up into an extremely warm March day. If the weather was to be as good as this in the middle of summer, I’d be happy.

Alex only forgot his helmet this time, but his dad brought it along for him so he could complete the ride. Alex is 25 by the way!! , his excuse was that he hadn’t had much sleep, the party animal within...

A big old group of keen riders joined up in early spring sunshine and headed out on a rolling loop that ran out through Milltown, Cromford and Via Gellia, then back through Beeley.  As temperatures climbed, so did the pace, which was brisk throughout. Layers were removed as the hills warmed us up and bottles were being emptied pretty quickly.

Via Gellia wa well populated with riders and we found our bunch getting bigger as club groups joined up. The sweeping descent and open bends...

Only three turned out this morning for what can only be described as a very wet ride. I am sure you get dafter as you get older, although Ben and Xav are younger than me, so I don't know what their reasons were for turning up on such a miserable morning. Fair play to all who stayed in bed and thanks to Steve for turning up to see us off and then get back in his warm dry car, only joking Steve,I know you had other plans!

Xavier Scott

Ben Davies

and myself.

We got away f...

So the summers here already, or that's what the weather would suggest for todays ride - Glorious sunshine met my gaze as I opened the curtains this morning. This is going to be a good day.

We met as sugested at the cenotaph, along with the A riders, 15 in total, good turn out!! - Mark Smith had texted me to say he couldn't come due to injury so the B ride looked like Myself, Ian Reddish and James Dethick.

On we went - the route was to take us out Via Palterton and down and up ca...

Riders:- Ben,Graham,Paul,Mark,Simon,Lee,Wayne,Dave,Nick,Bill and Vern.

The early morning sunshine was lovely but once we set off it was still a rather nippy ride. It was good to see 11 guys riding with a mix of newer and older faces:). We headed out on the classic Spiraling loop but detoured at Elmton to head over Harthill direction. Near Whitwell both Wayne&Bill had mudguard issues ( that's the flexible RaceGuard mk2's for you) but after a few minutes of tweaking and usin...