CycleOut the gay cycling club

CycleOut London News

Cycling Training Camp 2011
Palma de Mallorca

April 2011

Our 13th annual Training Camp will be held on the Spanish island of Mallorca and based in the Bay of Palma area. This is a fun cycling week with a mix of rides covering the coastal area, the central plain and the mountains, to allow club members at any level to enjoy themselves in the early Spring sunshine.

Adriatic Coast of Italy

September 2010

Taking advantage of the out-of-season offers for cyclists from one of the coastal resort hotels. We will stay at one hotel and enjoy a programme planned and lead for us by the hotel's own team of cycling leaders. We will have day rides out into the surrounding countryside. The coastal area is very flat and the mountains inland are easily reachable giving great countryside with lots of historic towns and locations. There is even a beach.

Yorkshire Weekend

August 2010

Based near York for either a long weekend or for a complete week.

Midsummer Cycling Weekend In Somerset

During the weekend of the 12th June eleven Cycleout Members braved a weekend of cycling centred on Cheddar. Those attending arrived in various ways, with some selecting the 'Strawberry Line' cycle route which follows a disused railway line from the mainline at Yatton for around 10 miles including a very dark section through a tunnel. Others selected a more ambitious route from Bath or even drove with Bob and Geoff, possibly our most far flung members, arriving by van from the North West. The majority of attendees stayed at the very well equipped Cheddar YH with others opting for more luxury at various local B&B's. We first met together as a group on the Friday evening, braving the local football supporters by opting to eat at a local pub.

The Saturday ride ended up to be longer than planned at 100k, starting off in the Somerset Levels, about as flat as you will get in the South West, and offering a unique wetland landscape with dark peat mounds, rivers and drainage channels. Mid morning, after a rather unexpectedly steep hill climb there were cries for a morning coffee stop and luckily the town of Langport was nearby whose coffee shop easily satisfied those sophisticated London tastes within the group with its Sicilian Lemonade and Skinny Latte's. We then continued further South finding a convenient cycle path and a scenic route past Muchelney Abbey before heading back north to the impressive market town of Somerton, formerly the county town of Somerset, where we stopped for a late lunch. Departing from Somerton we temporarily lost Gavin who took a detour in pursuit of some much younger cyclists and entered a more hilly terrain (the Polden Hills). After our one and only puncture stop of the weekend we eventually climbed to a point which afforded excellent views of Glastonbury Tor before heading into the town itself to be mesmerised by its mystical and magical powers (or the ice cream shop to be more precise!). Leaving Glastonbury we were back on country lanes again and the highlight for most was being passed by a couple of tractors (or was it the sight of some hunky shirtless farm labourers). As a final twist, just when it looked like we were just 3 miles from Cheddar we took one final detour, to the sound of moans and groans from some (Tony!) around an obscure hilly mound protruding out of the flat landscape.

The Sunday ride was shorter (60k) but somewhat more demanding as we cycled around the Mendips. We started following the Strawberry Line to Axbridge and soon after started to climb to a viewing point offering great views across the Bristol Estuary and South Wales. A second more demanding climb was to follow to an either higher point and later we were rewarded with fabulous views across Chew Valley Lake and then a very steep drop down to East Harptree and our lunch stop at Chewton Mendip where we were somewhat unexpectantly surprised to find Lynda's Loaves, an independent bakers, which again adequately provided for all tastes. After lunch we had the obligatory climb for several miles before taking a very scenic route via a nature reserve and then a very long and steep drop into the small Cathedral City of Wells where some were able to get to speeds up to 40MPH!. Arriving in Wells on a pleasant Sunday afternoon the last thing we expected to greet us was a major and incredibly noisy motorbike rally but luckily the majority of them were about to leave. In Wells we were treated to a lengthy stop to allow people to look around this very scenic spot (the smallest City in England) and a much needed tea stop as the final part of the ride was definitely the most challenging of the weekend taking a very steep and prolonged hilly section via Wookey Hole to the top of the Cheddar gorse. Bob, Gavin and Mike led the charge to the top with a heroic non-stop effort with others following behind and most being too out of breath at the top to utter any profanities. The reward was then a long flat route across the top of the gorge followed by a long decent using the main tourist scenic route right through the very impressive Cheddar gorge.

In addition to the rides the other big highlight of the weekend was the cuisine. Thanks to new member Iain, who volunteered to use some of his training as a chef to full use, we were all treated to 3 courses on Saturday and Sunday evenings at the YH including copious supplies of wine and beer.

So overall a great weekend was had by all - good weather, rides, food and a good crowd. Following the disappointments of Majorca it was great to spend a couple of days away in the sun and hopefully the weather will hold up for York in August!!

Mike

Along with a broad mix of on-road and off-road Sunday rides there are a number of weekend away trips throughout the summer and autumn. Full details are in the Newsletter sent to all members.