DefBref
Über Member
- Location
- Whitehaven
Hi
Last year, I was support driver for my brother in law, father in law and a group of mates. They were doing the Hadrian's cylceway (east to west). At the end of it, after having seen how much fun they seemed to have had compared to me in the van, I promised I would cycle it with them next time. This was despite the fact I hadn't done any cycling for at least 25 years (I'm nearly 40 now), and little to no exercise for probably 20 years.
The new year rolled around, and I vowed to get out cycling but didn't!! February came and went, still no training and I hadn't even bought a bike. Then the date was set , 10 - 12 June, Hadrian's Cycleway again this time west to east. Now I had to start training.
Borrowed a bike of my mate Rune Oldeide (He's Norwegian), who was also organising the trip so was keen to make sure I did the tour. Towards the end of March I did my first ride. A gentle 5 miles from Moor row to Rowrah along part of NCN72 C2C route and then back again. The 10 miles took me 1 hour 40 minutes!! Some improvement needed. Second trip over same route a few days later (once I'd recovered) was much improved 1 hour 30 ish. Did this trip a few more times over the next couple of weeks and got up to doing 13 miles in about 1 Hour 30, this was still probably going to be too slow, especially as it was pretty flat.
I bought my own bike (a hybrid, I won't embarrass myself by giving you any further information) and started to ride to work, two or three times a week. The 8 mile journey to work (Bigrigg to Sellafield) was more challenging than the previous rides but I felt I improved immensely over this period, even managing a record time of 37 minutes into work, admittedly its more downhill than uphill into work
We were in to May now and time was running out, Rune also said I needed at least one longer ride to prove I could do it. He suggested we do what effectively would be the majority of the first day off our tour, Whitehaven to Silloth. So on May 4th, I set out on what would be my first 50 miler, not that I realised it at the time! We left at 8.45 am from Whitehaven Tesco and headed along the NCN72, after getting the only real climb out of the way, upto Lowca after only a couple of miles, we were soon in Allonby (21 miles in 1 Hour 54 minutes). Stopped for a quick ice cream and then onto Silloth (a further 11 miles done in 55 minutes). I was feeling great and done 30 odd miles in an average of over 10 mph. This is the kind of pace I wanted to achieve on the tour, not particularly fast but at my level and considering I was going 140 miles over 3 days I felt that it was right for me. So I'm enjoying a well earned pint in the Golf Hotel in Silloth, when Rune dropped the bombshell - 'Time for us to cycle back home.' I hadn't even thought about it! When he'd first said we'll do a longer ride, Whitehaven to Silloth, i hadn't realised he meant there and back. Despite my protestations and even though his wife had met us with the bike rack on the car, we set off back to Whitehaven, I was fine until we got to Workington, where I bonked (see learning the lingo already), so the last 6 miles a so were done in a haze, but I did manage to finish it. It was a good lesson to learn - make sure I keep fueled when doing so many miles, don't ever want to feel as tired and confused as I did at the finish. My GPS had died so I don't know my exact time, but we got back into Whitehaven sometime about 5PM, 9 hours total with probably about 6 and 1/2 in the Saddle.
I shall post a ride report for the actual tour we did in June, but suffice to say I made it, managing 140 miles over three days at a average speed of 10.7 mph (36.1 mph Max), it wasn't a race, but a social ride taking the scenery (and Pubs) in so was very pleased I manged to make my target of 10mph.
Sorry this turned into such a long post, but as the title says I well and truly have the bug now, am cycling a lot more, losing weight, can manage the ride to work in 30 minutes now and am considering getting a new bike (a racer for the ride to work, won't get rid of my hybrid tho, she maybe rubbish but we've been thru a lot together).
Last year, I was support driver for my brother in law, father in law and a group of mates. They were doing the Hadrian's cylceway (east to west). At the end of it, after having seen how much fun they seemed to have had compared to me in the van, I promised I would cycle it with them next time. This was despite the fact I hadn't done any cycling for at least 25 years (I'm nearly 40 now), and little to no exercise for probably 20 years.
The new year rolled around, and I vowed to get out cycling but didn't!! February came and went, still no training and I hadn't even bought a bike. Then the date was set , 10 - 12 June, Hadrian's Cycleway again this time west to east. Now I had to start training.
Borrowed a bike of my mate Rune Oldeide (He's Norwegian), who was also organising the trip so was keen to make sure I did the tour. Towards the end of March I did my first ride. A gentle 5 miles from Moor row to Rowrah along part of NCN72 C2C route and then back again. The 10 miles took me 1 hour 40 minutes!! Some improvement needed. Second trip over same route a few days later (once I'd recovered) was much improved 1 hour 30 ish. Did this trip a few more times over the next couple of weeks and got up to doing 13 miles in about 1 Hour 30, this was still probably going to be too slow, especially as it was pretty flat.
I bought my own bike (a hybrid, I won't embarrass myself by giving you any further information) and started to ride to work, two or three times a week. The 8 mile journey to work (Bigrigg to Sellafield) was more challenging than the previous rides but I felt I improved immensely over this period, even managing a record time of 37 minutes into work, admittedly its more downhill than uphill into work
We were in to May now and time was running out, Rune also said I needed at least one longer ride to prove I could do it. He suggested we do what effectively would be the majority of the first day off our tour, Whitehaven to Silloth. So on May 4th, I set out on what would be my first 50 miler, not that I realised it at the time! We left at 8.45 am from Whitehaven Tesco and headed along the NCN72, after getting the only real climb out of the way, upto Lowca after only a couple of miles, we were soon in Allonby (21 miles in 1 Hour 54 minutes). Stopped for a quick ice cream and then onto Silloth (a further 11 miles done in 55 minutes). I was feeling great and done 30 odd miles in an average of over 10 mph. This is the kind of pace I wanted to achieve on the tour, not particularly fast but at my level and considering I was going 140 miles over 3 days I felt that it was right for me. So I'm enjoying a well earned pint in the Golf Hotel in Silloth, when Rune dropped the bombshell - 'Time for us to cycle back home.' I hadn't even thought about it! When he'd first said we'll do a longer ride, Whitehaven to Silloth, i hadn't realised he meant there and back. Despite my protestations and even though his wife had met us with the bike rack on the car, we set off back to Whitehaven, I was fine until we got to Workington, where I bonked (see learning the lingo already), so the last 6 miles a so were done in a haze, but I did manage to finish it. It was a good lesson to learn - make sure I keep fueled when doing so many miles, don't ever want to feel as tired and confused as I did at the finish. My GPS had died so I don't know my exact time, but we got back into Whitehaven sometime about 5PM, 9 hours total with probably about 6 and 1/2 in the Saddle.
I shall post a ride report for the actual tour we did in June, but suffice to say I made it, managing 140 miles over three days at a average speed of 10.7 mph (36.1 mph Max), it wasn't a race, but a social ride taking the scenery (and Pubs) in so was very pleased I manged to make my target of 10mph.
Sorry this turned into such a long post, but as the title says I well and truly have the bug now, am cycling a lot more, losing weight, can manage the ride to work in 30 minutes now and am considering getting a new bike (a racer for the ride to work, won't get rid of my hybrid tho, she maybe rubbish but we've been thru a lot together).
. 
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