Done it!!!

[Norm]

I have managed the first half of the daily commute by bike.


It was a bit chilly when I first set off and my legs were cold when I got here, although they're burning now.

Loving the Tricross. The flat miles at the start of that graph are all on tow path or stony lanes, it would add a couple of miles to do them on the road. The route was lovely, as well, Chalfont St Giles was the closest thing to a town that I went through, most of it was the glorious lanes through Burnham Beeches and across the Chilterns. Not happy about that climb (walk ) for the final mile or so.

Feeling immensely smug just now, although I need to have breakfast before setting off next time.

Now I've got 8 hours to prepare for the second half of the journey.

 

[gazmercer]

Nice one Norm, well done !!

Phew, that looks like quite a climb

 

[ianrauk]

Yeah well done Norm. It's going to be much easier on the way home...

 

[Norm]

Nice one Norm, well done !!

Phew, that looks like quite a climb

Thanks, Gaz. It was your thread last night which finally inspired me to just f'ing do it, credit to you, sir.

It's going to be much easier on the way home...

Aye... "only" 724ft of climb.

It'll also be dark before I leave, which will be the limiting factor on the joined-up-potholes which are the lanes round here.

 

[Norm]

Home again, although that climb a mile into the ride knackered me for the rest of the ride. Good fun, though very chilly in places.

I had a strange scalping on the way home. Coming through Burnham Beeches, there's a stretch which is about half a mile long dead straight. When I pulled on to it, and this is at around 7:15 this evening, I notice that there's a car behind me. Quarter mile later, it's still behind so I slow down, looking for escape routes. This is out in the middle of nowhere, there's no other traffic around so my mind is playing all sorts of games by this point.

Just before the corner which marks the end of this straight, I'm about to get off and get into the woods when this chap rides up beside me and bids me a very pleasant "Good evening".

"Nice lights you've got there" was all I could think to say.

He pulls in front and, over the next 1/4 mile, he gets about 50m ahead. I'm happy with that, I've done 14 miles by this point and I'm not exactly fast after 14 yards.

Then, about 1/4 mile later, I realise that I'm closing the gap, and fairly quickly. Now, I'm not going to race anyone and his lights are handily illuminating the appalling potholes round Cliveden. I leave a gap of about 15-20 yards between us, so any overtaking cars can take us one at a time and so he doesn't think I'm drafting and we continue like that from Cliveden down to Taplow. When we get into the village, he indicates right down a short-cut that I don't want to take, so I pass his inside with a cheery "Thanks for the lights". About a mile further, just as we approach Maidenhead Bridge, the short-cut he's taken joins back with the road I'm on and damn me if I don't beat him there by about 10 seconds. His route was about 200m shorter than mine.

I wave as I pass and don't see him again, but I'm wondering if you score double for an unintentional reverse scalp.

 

[Keith Oates]

Looks like you'll have a regular 'burn up' each night if you are both doing that ride at the same time each day. Should make the fitness increase quickly if that is the case!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[gazmercer]

Thanks, Gaz. It was your thread last night which finally inspired me to just f'ing do it, credit to you, sir.

Why Thank You.

Sounds like your having fun too. Scalps and double reverse scalps (Sounds like something off a TV prog. "So you think you can cycle", LOL).

Anyway Norm, keep at it and have fun