England : Kent Fairies Audax : 50km-300km 1st July - Should I be brave?!

[cosmicbike]

My 100km went broadly to plan. The plan was meet as many as I could off here at the start Hi @Charlotte Alice Button and @ianrauk. Ride alone as much as possible. Don't get dehydrated. Ride to HR throughout. Push hard and catch and pass everyone you see until Dungeness. Eat and drink. Twiddle it up to Hythe. Eat and drink and take a 30 min break. Pass and catch everyone you see until the end. Eat. Quite a bit faster than the Midweek Sightseer. Really lovely day out and I was glad of the breeze.


Purpose of the plan? To gradually get my moving avg back up to 25kph so I can think of doing some longer rides.

Drive home was an utter mare, driving is a chore at the best of times, but you can't have everything.

I assume you left the clown bike at home...

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I assume you left the clown bike at home...

Indeed. Wouldn't be my weapon of choice for that route. There was one stretch of NCN2 upon which my weapon of choice would be a full-boinger mtb, and which made me regret riding the best bike, but it wasn't a very long stretch.

The best bike has developed a click, which I'm fairly sure wasn't my right knee. It will be fun tracking that down.

 

[smutchin]

There was one stretch of NCN2 upon which my weapon of choice would be a full-boinger mtb, and which made me regret riding the best bike, but it wasn't a very long stretch.

I rather liked the NCN2 bit. I might have preferred something wider than 28mm tyres but the canalside path was mostly OK - there was just a section towards the end where it got a bit bumpy, and a stretch of very badly broken up tarmac when you got back onto the road, but otherwise it was fairly smooth. It was also good to get some shade, and to get away from the wind.

My only regret is doing the ride on fixed. The terrain was mostly very fixed-friendly, but that in itself is a problem - long stretches of pan-flat roads mean you're just churning away with no opportunity to get out of the saddle. And I think my fixed bike needs some tweaks to the set-up because it didn't feel right, so I spent most of the day in discomfort. Because of the flat terrain, I started the day on a 75" gear (48x17), but then my knees started complaining - probably caused by the bike set-up, but the gearing just exacerbated the problems - so back at HQ after the first 100km I flipped the wheel to use the 19t sprocket (67" gear) on the other side and that made life much easier - albeit a bit more spinny on the descents. I put up with the knee pain for ages, which was stupid, but then I remembered I had some ibuprofen in my kit so I popped a couple of those and the rest of the ride was much more bearable. Perhaps the bike would be more comfortable with fatter tyres but 28mm is as big as it will take with mudguards fitted.

Anyway, thanks to all the organisers for putting on a great ride - and thanks to @Trickedem for the excellent cake at Golden Green, which was every bit as good as it looked in the pictures. Good to see the Fairies out in force to run all the controls. I'd forgotten about the roadside camp control at Iden Green but that's one of the things that makes this such a lovely ride. As I said to Bob at the finish, I get a bit jaded by Romney Marsh, since I've ridden across so many hundreds of times, but the current version of the route actually uses a few roads I'm not familiar with, so well done to Bob and David for keeping the route interesting like that. David also mentioned that they'd got rid of the leg to Mark Cross because people had complained it was too lumpy! I must say the ride to Golden Green is a very pleasant alternative.

@Charlotte Alice Button @User21629 - just a reminder (and shameless sales pitch), if you fancy stepping up the distance:
http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/18-305/

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Sadly I did not complete the ride. I hit a silly little pothole and I believe the inner tube popped. I am very slow at changing the tyre so I decided to call it a day around half way through.

Quite disappointed but I really enjoyed the ride up to that point! I definitely feel like my interval training is helping my general speed and allows me to pull away confidently.

Better luck next year I think

View attachment 417205 View attachment 417206

That's a darned nice looking bike.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I rather liked the NCN2 bit. I might have preferred something wider than 28mm tyres but the canalside path was mostly OK - there was just a section towards the end where it got a bit bumpy, and a stretch of very badly broken up tarmac when you got back onto the road, but otherwise it was fairly smooth. It was also good to get some shade, and to get away from the wind.

Twas this that needed the full boinger. Of course I could have just slowed down but where is the fun in that, I had another rider in my crosshairs.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

@Charlotte Alice Button @User21629 - just a reminder (and shameless sales pitch), if you fancy stepping up the distance:
http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/18-305/

I wanna take a good long look at the profile for this http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/18-335/ The Imperial Century version.

 

[Lavender Rose]

That's a darned nice looking bike.

Aww thanks @GrumpyGregry ! I have to saw your handlebar moustache was exquisite! HAHA... but yes....the bike is my pride and joy - took the wheel to the shop earlier so they could check theres no structural damage from the bump - it got the all clear, they are fitting a new inner tube

 

[smutchin]

I wanna take a good long look at the profile for this http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/18-335/ The Imperial Century version.

Based on the RWGPS track, it's 1,753m of climbing overall, which is certainly not flat but not too hilly either - the climb after Brabourne is probably the hardest but it doesn't go on too long. Full route here - though it's still provisional pending final route check: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/25192489

The stretch from Biddenden to Iden Green will be very familiar to riders on the 200/300 yesterday.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

View attachment 417385

Based on the RWGPS track, it's 1,753m of climbing overall, which is certainly not flat but not too hilly either - the climb after Brabourne is probably the hardest but it doesn't go on too long. Full route here - though it's still provisional pending final route check: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/25192489

The stretch from Biddenden to Iden Green will be very familiar to riders on the 200/300 yesterday.

Undulating. Beware of undulations. Will do and look at the social calendar owned by SWMBO and see if I can't persuade her not to let me have a pass.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Aww thanks @GrumpyGregry ! I have to saw your handlebar moustache was exquisite! HAHA... but yes....the bike is my pride and joy - took the wheel to the shop earlier so they could check theres no structural damage from the bump - it got the all clear, they are fitting a new inner tube

My comedy facial hair is my way of poking fun at the insanity that is my day job.

Choob swaps: We need to teach you how to do that for yourself out on the road, it is a faff, and you do get dirty hands, but it's a life skill. And mastering it means you can hang out at the back on all groups rides, along with the cool kids. You can practise from the comfort of your sofa too.

 

[Lavender Rose]

@GrumpyGregry ...Yeah, I get a lot of stick for that, I just don't get the practise, and I am so worried about messing up - especially with slim tyres and tubes......When I win the lottry, I will go tubeless!

What is your day job?! Are you a barber?!

 

[GrumpyGregry]

@GrumpyGregry ...Yeah, I get a lot of stick for that, I just don't get the practise, and I am so worried about messing up - especially with slim tyres and tubes......When I win the lottry, I will go tubeless!

What is your day job?! Are you a barber?!

Practice at home, and don't be fooled into thinking tubeless means no visitations or no need of tubes.

I work as a warden in an institution for the criminally incompetent. (I'm a self-employed fixer specialising in turning around broken ( IT & operations ) projects and departments)

 

[StuAff]

View attachment 417385

Based on the RWGPS track, it's 1,753m of climbing overall, which is certainly not flat but not too hilly either - the climb after Brabourne is probably the hardest but it doesn't go on too long. Full route here - though it's still provisional pending final route check: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/25192489

The stretch from Biddenden to Iden Green will be very familiar to riders on the 200/300 yesterday.

Fairly lumpy, on a par with my usual century rides (the South Downs are misnamed)....

 

[mmmmartin]

Choob swaps: We need to teach you how to do that for yourself out on the road, it is a faff, and you do get dirty hands

Well said, although:
vinyl gloves = spotless hands

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Well said, although:
vinyl gloves = spotless hands

vinyl glove = more sh1te to remember to take with you