I Thought I Was Getting Faster.........

[MacB]

Set a new personal best today, 3hrs and 1 second for the 40.4 miles, smashed the 13mph barrier and felt pretty good when I got home. Return leg was 1hr 28mins which is my fastest in either direction by 3 mins. Except on the way home.....

going along Howe Lane between Maidenhead and Binfield, nice straight stretch over 2 miles. Going up very gentle incline and rather pleased with my 17mph on the computer. 'EVENING', I think the roadie said, as he passed me like I was standing still......

then coming into Wokingham, approaching RDB, and another commuter joins from the right so just ahead of me as we exit RDB. I'm staying with him as we wend through Wokingham to the Easthampstead Road. I decide not to pass him too soon, plus he's on one of those folding bikes with the diddy wheels, so I felt it might be unfair of me. We both get stuck at the level crossing and so have a short chat. Turns out he's heading my way and 'jokingly' I promise not too sit too close behind him, fully expecting to be passing him with ease. Crossing gates lift and that's about the last I saw of him. I can probably thank him for my record time home but the pain of being duffed so easily is stinging.

 

[buggi]

bet that hurt!

 

[hackbike 666]

Horrible isn't it.:$

 

[threefingerjoe]

You've learned an inevitable lesson! Don't judge someone by their bike! LOL I've been passed by little ol' ladies on antique bikes, guys on squeeky old department store bikes, etc. There used to be an old man in our area who rode a fixed gear bike, and used to put everyone to shame!

Don't snub a folding bike. I can't speak for all of them, but a friend of mine has a Bike Friday, and the first time I heard about it, I thought of it as a novelty...a toy. The first time I rode with him, I realized that that bike is "for real", and not a joke!

Oh...another thing to watch out for: RECUMBENTS! Many people think that because it looks comfortable, it must be slow. WRONG! Recumbents, in general, are the fastest bikes on the road.

Let us also not forget about the tandems! A good tandem team will outrun nearly everyone on 2 wheels!

 

[hackbike 666]

Yeah I knew about recumbents and tandems and that Bromptons are tricky fast buggers.

 

[MacB]

you're not helping with my stinging shame here, I really tried my little heart out

 

[peanut]

takes a long time for the smarting to leave doesn't it.

When I was young and fit I was out on my usual 25 mile loop when a bloke on a MTB with thick nobbly tyres came alongside. We chatted a bit . Turned out he was a fireman on holiday . After a while I thought I'd pull away and get on with my training ride.
he pulled away from me I had to struggle to keep up with him on a road race bike Luckily he pulled off a mile up the road to save my embarrasement .

Well done on your PB its really gratifying to see an improvement for all that pain isn't it. Don't forget to take the occasional easy jolly and enjoy some of the scenery you usually miss when you have your head down

 

[J4CKO]

Mac, the roadie probably wasn't doing 40 miles, probably just left his house doing a 3 miler, thats what I tell myself anyway !

No matter who you are, there is always someone faster, better, in all walks of life, not worth worrying about, you are knocking out 40 miles at a good pace, you aren't sat in a car and thats the main thing.

I was noticeably slower towards the end of this week, have been pushing harder, 17.5 avg one night (on my easy route), doing longer rides and am knackered this weekend, nearly fell in the Bollin river as well last night, Avid Juicy 3's arent up to stopping me on a 1 in 3 without appearing to catch fire it was like an aborted takeoff by a Jumbo, I stopped but the brakes were smouldering quite nicely !

 

[hackbike 666]

you're not helping with my stinging shame here, I really tried my little heart out

I've had a few girls overtake me recently.

 

[Plax]

I've had a few girls overtake me recently.

Oh the shame

I had a roadie overtake me today. I was going up the Nant Gwynant averaging 8-8.5 miles an hr. I think I took him by surprise, he just gawped at me when he went past. In the end I felt inclined to say hello, he really was doing a proper gawp, and he never said nowt. Girls on touring bikes going a reasonable speed up a long incline musn't be a common occurance. He had to stand up to overtake me. Then he kept looking behind him to see where I was, and whenever it appeared I was gaining on him he stood up again. I kept my bum firmly on the saddle. He carried on towards Capel Curig and I turned off to go up to Nant Peris and down the Lanberis Pass.

 

[phil_hg_uk]

Yesterday I was going up a really steep hill over the moors and there were three bikes in from of me and as I was catching up the last one he got off and started walking does that count as an overtake ? also today I overtook a girl on a mountain bike

 

[jimboalee]

It's not the bike,,,,, it's the engines.

The roady was prob at the end of a 50 miler and fully pumped up with the adrenal stuff.

 

[swee'pea99]

3 hours and 1 second?

 

[MacB]

[quote name='swee'pea99']3 hours and 1 second?[/quote]

I know, that's what the computer said and I'm a bit anal so I have to go with it

 

[hackbike 666]

The computers fixed!