BrumJim
Forum Stalwart (won't take the hint and leave...)
- Location
- Selly Oak, Birmingham
Sitting here looking at the dark and drizzle outside, just being glad that I hadn't agreed to go out for a ride. Last weekend was so different.
It hadn't started well. I took the bike to the LBS on Friday with the back wheel feeling more like a pepper grinder than a finely tuned piece of engineering. LBS agreed that something was badly wrong, but had no time to look at it. Bearings were tight, but very rough. Fortunately I remembered the new LBS, so rode a little further up the road. They had the time to have a good look. An hour or two later I was back. They had stripped the hub, noticed worrying amounts of pitting on the races for a 2 month old wheel, corrosion, and general nastiness, but had cleaned it, re-packed it with grease, and put everything back together again, all for the princely some of £10. So MASSIVE thanks to Birmingham Bike Foundry, Stirchley, Birmingham. Not perfect, but good enough for a long ride.
So I finally get the bike back early on Friday evening, and I set about fettling it ready for the ride. Some old hard grease was removed from the rear cassette, tyres were pumped up, chain was cleaned and re-greased, frame was cleaned, and seat was patted. Water bottle was removed and filled ready, and I was looking forward to the next day.
Saturday was better. It was cool, but not cold. There was very little wind, and what little there was, was heading in my intended direction. And even better, the sun was shining. Brilliant.
So what was the plan? Well, I was meeting up with some FNRttC'ers who were doing a ride from Northampton to London. Northampton is conveniently on the same line as Birmingham, but only if you choose the cheaper London Midland trains. Virgin will charge you extra to miss your destination completely. However it is also 50 miles from Birmingham across some relatively flat but gorgeous Midlands countryside. On the down side, I'd be meeting up with some fit and keen cyclists with 50 more miles in my legs. On the up side, I'd save a few pennies, get to ride in great weather, and do my first ever 100 mile ride, and probably my first ever 200km ride. Please don't forget that my first ever 100 mile is a couple of years over-due, and after I pulled out of the last 100 mile attempt at the end of April due to dreadful weather and poor clothing choice, I was busting to tackle this milestone.
So I did it. Up at 6:00, and off by 7:00, destination Northampton before 10:30. The route was great - familiar roads to get to Solihull, Hampton in Arden, and Coventry, then A45 to Daventry. This is a Dual Carriageway to the M45, then single carriageway but still main road from there onwards. But this was early Saturday morning, and the lorries and cars were still having a lie in (or at least their drivers were). I was making good time and the roads were easy. Sometimes cycling seems like so little effort - just a gentle push on the pedals and an easy cadence of 80 and the bike is zipping along at 25 mile/h. And so it was this day. The birds were singing encouragement and the sun had come out to cheer me along all the way. Getting through and out of Daventry was easy too. No map reading required, no Garmin bleeps to ruin the peace, just head straight on at every roundabout and junction.
I've never done 50 miles without stopping. 42 was my previous best, but I headed out of Daventry nearly 40 miles up and feeling great. First Jelly Baby of the day went down to get me up the hill, and soon I was heading down the old Roman Road to Northampton. Scenery was getting even better - rolling hills, wonderful yellow of the Oilseed Rape (no hay fever here!) and a straight road encouraging me on. Time was going well, so no mad panic to get there before my riding buddies left, no desperate pushing on the pedals - just let the bike roll and encourage it along. Soon the famous Northampton lift test tower was in sight, and a bit of tricky urban navigation later and I was heading towards the station.
I get there 45 minutes early. 51 miles total, and only a few red lights, otherwise I was rolling all the way. Legs felt fresh, lungs were breathing steadily and heart was pumping gently and happily deep in my chest. All-in-all, I would be ready for another 80 miles as soon as I had sunk my second breakfast of the day. Progress? 51 miles took me 2hrs 45, average speed of 18.5. Rolling average, but I was hardly ever stationary. Beyond my wildest dreams.
Happy? You bet! Some days cycling seems so easy, so effortless, so wonderful, that you wonder why we invented cars.
Northampton to London ride? You'll have to look in the CC & Informal Rides and Events section. Thanks to the café on the station for a great and massive cup of tea and a superb muffin. And final thanks to Becs who asked me how long my ride took, which made me realise that I'd lost my bike computer, which I then found outside Northampton station in the road, untouched and still working. Thanks to her, I still have it!
It hadn't started well. I took the bike to the LBS on Friday with the back wheel feeling more like a pepper grinder than a finely tuned piece of engineering. LBS agreed that something was badly wrong, but had no time to look at it. Bearings were tight, but very rough. Fortunately I remembered the new LBS, so rode a little further up the road. They had the time to have a good look. An hour or two later I was back. They had stripped the hub, noticed worrying amounts of pitting on the races for a 2 month old wheel, corrosion, and general nastiness, but had cleaned it, re-packed it with grease, and put everything back together again, all for the princely some of £10. So MASSIVE thanks to Birmingham Bike Foundry, Stirchley, Birmingham. Not perfect, but good enough for a long ride.
So I finally get the bike back early on Friday evening, and I set about fettling it ready for the ride. Some old hard grease was removed from the rear cassette, tyres were pumped up, chain was cleaned and re-greased, frame was cleaned, and seat was patted. Water bottle was removed and filled ready, and I was looking forward to the next day.
Saturday was better. It was cool, but not cold. There was very little wind, and what little there was, was heading in my intended direction. And even better, the sun was shining. Brilliant.
So what was the plan? Well, I was meeting up with some FNRttC'ers who were doing a ride from Northampton to London. Northampton is conveniently on the same line as Birmingham, but only if you choose the cheaper London Midland trains. Virgin will charge you extra to miss your destination completely. However it is also 50 miles from Birmingham across some relatively flat but gorgeous Midlands countryside. On the down side, I'd be meeting up with some fit and keen cyclists with 50 more miles in my legs. On the up side, I'd save a few pennies, get to ride in great weather, and do my first ever 100 mile ride, and probably my first ever 200km ride. Please don't forget that my first ever 100 mile is a couple of years over-due, and after I pulled out of the last 100 mile attempt at the end of April due to dreadful weather and poor clothing choice, I was busting to tackle this milestone.
So I did it. Up at 6:00, and off by 7:00, destination Northampton before 10:30. The route was great - familiar roads to get to Solihull, Hampton in Arden, and Coventry, then A45 to Daventry. This is a Dual Carriageway to the M45, then single carriageway but still main road from there onwards. But this was early Saturday morning, and the lorries and cars were still having a lie in (or at least their drivers were). I was making good time and the roads were easy. Sometimes cycling seems like so little effort - just a gentle push on the pedals and an easy cadence of 80 and the bike is zipping along at 25 mile/h. And so it was this day. The birds were singing encouragement and the sun had come out to cheer me along all the way. Getting through and out of Daventry was easy too. No map reading required, no Garmin bleeps to ruin the peace, just head straight on at every roundabout and junction.
I've never done 50 miles without stopping. 42 was my previous best, but I headed out of Daventry nearly 40 miles up and feeling great. First Jelly Baby of the day went down to get me up the hill, and soon I was heading down the old Roman Road to Northampton. Scenery was getting even better - rolling hills, wonderful yellow of the Oilseed Rape (no hay fever here!) and a straight road encouraging me on. Time was going well, so no mad panic to get there before my riding buddies left, no desperate pushing on the pedals - just let the bike roll and encourage it along. Soon the famous Northampton lift test tower was in sight, and a bit of tricky urban navigation later and I was heading towards the station.
I get there 45 minutes early. 51 miles total, and only a few red lights, otherwise I was rolling all the way. Legs felt fresh, lungs were breathing steadily and heart was pumping gently and happily deep in my chest. All-in-all, I would be ready for another 80 miles as soon as I had sunk my second breakfast of the day. Progress? 51 miles took me 2hrs 45, average speed of 18.5. Rolling average, but I was hardly ever stationary. Beyond my wildest dreams.
Happy? You bet! Some days cycling seems so easy, so effortless, so wonderful, that you wonder why we invented cars.
Northampton to London ride? You'll have to look in the CC & Informal Rides and Events section. Thanks to the café on the station for a great and massive cup of tea and a superb muffin. And final thanks to Becs who asked me how long my ride took, which made me realise that I'd lost my bike computer, which I then found outside Northampton station in the road, untouched and still working. Thanks to her, I still have it!
