It proves if you have the legs you don't need the latest and greatest

[tyred]

Just enjoy the ride and leave maths to the old fossil buried in the school staffroom with the mad hair, pipe, elbow patches and chalk dust on his jumper.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

There's always someone faster. And someone slower.

 

[Baldy]

Had a friend back in Leicester who sometimes would turn up at a time trial on a butchers bike wearing an apron. He still managed to come in mid field.

 

[Nomadski]

I got my KoM* on a distinctly lower mid range alu framed bike, punted along by a (then) 51 year old, 18.5 stone rider with the aerodynamics of a small skip. The next 11 riders in the rankings were all either competitve riders or coaches, all on the latest plastic d***.

You either have the lungs and legs, or you don't, and if you don't then even the most svelte machine won't bestow you with them.





*this was the incident that prompted me to cease using Strava. Without trying too hard I had some dedent rankings on a few segments, and on one occasion got into the top 20 on this particular stretch. Spurred on I had a few dry runs over successive days and then went for it. I had the lines for the corners perfected, and went at it like Stormy Daniels at a presidential reunion. I got the segment, but the moment I had gone past the end and eased off the power I almost fainted, came genuinely close to blacking out while still riding. That frit me bad, so I stopped using Strava so I wouldn't ever be tempted to take it too far.

Funny you say that. I recently dug my aluminium Cannondale Synapse off the trainer and took it for a couple of rides. one of them I did feel leggy, but the other took me on a route I have done 30 odd times. Got a PR up a hill beating my previous best from 2018 (on my Carbon Dolan).

Did the same hill today on my Dolan and was 16 seconds slower, albeit had a slight hold up with a parked car.

So yeah, totally dig the "either you got it on the day or you dont" argument.

That said, still want a Carbon Cannondale Synapse one day