Forum Ride - Hebden Bridge, Saturday, 14th January

[ColinJ]

Photo amnesty on Sunday?
I don't like my extra Christmas weight being shown either
Confiscation of all camera equipment and pre-approved photo's only on the site

I think it is the clandestine 'sideways-on-and-bending-over' shots that are the real killer ... (definitely not an invitation to post that picture again! )

We scrub up quite well when we face the camera, breathe in and strategically cross arms over 'alleged' pot bellies!

 

[oldfatfool]

I think it is the clandestine 'sideways-on-and-bending-over' shots that are the real killer ... (definitely not an invitation to post that picture again! )

We scrub up quite well when we face the camera, breathe in and strategically cross arms over 'alleged' pot bellies!

Given that you are the biggest culprit of posting unflattering photos I may bring my camera next Sunday

 

[phil_hg_uk]

Given that you are the biggest culprit of posting unflattering photos I may bring my camera next Sunday

Just pop the W-I-D-E angle lens on

 

[ColinJ]

Given that you are the biggest culprit of posting unflattering photos I may bring my camera next Sunday

I thought those photos of you were okay! Nothing like some of the ghastly ones of me taken by potsy and bromptonfb ...

 

[potsy]

I thought those photos of you were okay! Nothing like some of the ghastly ones of me taken by potsy and bromptonfb ...

 

[ColinJ]

I see that my mate Bill has perfected his 'see how skinny I am' pose! I have attempted the 'crossed arms in front of pot belly' technique, but got them too high and merely succeeded in pushing the damn thing lower. I think oldfatfool looks okay there, just a few pounds overweight maybe. I didn't remember eltelio being that much shorter than me - perhaps I was just having a 'tall' day?

 

[potsy]

I didn't remember eltelio being that much shorter than me - perhaps I was just having a 'tall' day?

Maybe the camera adds 10" as well as 10 lbs?
Makes me look average height

 

[Baggy]

A few pictures from today's cold, sunny ride ...

Stoodley Pike!
It does look nippy

 

[ColinJ]

Stoodley Pike!
It does look nippy

It is the Pike in the distance! I had intended to get Hicky, tc, and DLC to stand next to my bike but they stayed lurking behind me.

In many places the overnight frost only cleared where the sun had shone on it for hours. That side of the wall might have had a little bit of sunshine at sunrise but then pretty much been in shadow the rest of the day.

 

[eltelio]

I see that my mate Bill has perfected his 'see how skinny I am' pose! I have attempted the 'crossed arms in front of pot belly' technique, but got them too high and merely succeeded in pushing the damn thing lower. I think oldfatfool looks okay there, just a few pounds overweight maybe. I didn't remember eltelio being that much shorter than me - perhaps I was just having a 'tall' day?

I wouldnt care but I had lifts in me shoes that day

 

[ColinJ]

I wouldnt care but I had lifts in me shoes that day

Look at my left foot - I was cheating!

 

[potsy]

Look at my left foot - I was cheating!

I'm trying that on Sunday

 

[potsy]

A quote from Arch in the tea thread when we were talking about forum rides.
Didn't know there were 2 Colinj's

I have done hilly - I go to Northumberland at least once a year. But then I combine hilly with frequent cafe stops, and tend to ride in the group that I know goes at a slow pace. I found Colin's ride rather difficult. Whatever he says about being slow up hills, he ain't!

 

[ColinJ]

A quote from Arch in the tea thread when we were talking about forum rides.
Didn't know there were 2 Colinj's

I was talking to my ex about my weight and she said that in the 33 years she has known me, my weight has hardly remained stable for even a single year! When we first got together, I weighed 10 st 10 lbs, had a 30-31" waist and my chest looked like a xylophone, the way the ribs stuck out. Within 3 years, I had ballooned up to 16 st 5 lbs, had a 47" waist and large moobs! I'm on the way back down again, but I'm still at the big end of my range.

This has a predictable effect on my fitness! At 10 st 10 lbs, I was underweight. I had no strength and got ill a lot. I wasn't cycling then, but I would probably have been a super climber once I built up some muscle and stamina. I certainly was pretty handy when I lost 4.5 stone from my peak to get below 12 stone.

I think I was at a moderate fitness level when Arch came on my forum ride - not super fast, but nowhere near as slow as I am now.

I was quite inspired watching DCLane on Saturday's ride because he was climbing the way I used to and he got to that level of fitness in about 10 months (see his signature line) so it shows what is possible if one gets stuck in! I think that you, me, Steve H and a few others in our little group need to get more serious now.

How embarrassing is it for me to have a blog called SlimmerAndFitter! It was supposed to log a one year journey back to fitness, but instead it reported me making an effort for 6 months, then slipping back into my old ways ...

 

[oldfatfool]

I was quite inspired watching DCLane on Saturday's ride because he was climbing the way I used to and he got to that level of fitness in about 10 months (see his signature line) so it shows what is possible if one gets stuck in! I think that you, me, Steve H and a few others in our little group need to get more serious now.

I've got 24 weeks left to hit some sort of fitness peek or I am up a certain creek without a paddle