Last day of my tour around Wales

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johnnyb47

Guru
Location
Wales
Hi.
Sadly its the last day of my tour around Wales. Im travelling from Barmouth over to the borders of Shropshire today which is around 70 miles. The good news is that its dry and that there is a really strong westerly wind, so hopefully it will push me along quite nicely. Im guessing it will take around 4 cycling hours to do it in the present weather conditions. Wish me luck and will tell you how it went later today :=)
All the best,
Johnny
 
Definitely, hope all goes well, weather included,
my short cycle last night was into the wind, added a minute and a half
to the usual time, even though it was a up one road and down the same road cycle,
where the wind should have pushed me on during the return, just doesn’t work
that consistently I suppose.

Keep safe and enjoy.
 
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johnnyb47

johnnyb47

Guru
Location
Wales
Just finished it around 30 minutes back. 67 miles in 3hr 40 minutes (averaging around 18mph) I was around 1 hour faster than the last time i did it three years ago. Mind you this time i did have a good tail wind blowing and a more modern bike (and me being a few pounds lighter lol)..
The scenery was breath taking to say the least and the roads were supprisingly quiet too. Its these kind of days that cycling memories stick with you for many years to come :=)))
 
Well done @johnnyb47
It’s reading about trips like this that keeps us beginners going.
I sure wish I could average 18 mph.

If you get time, let us know about your bike, your setup re gearing,
and weights, like bike empty and loaded, even the tires used,
I like to hear the technical side of things, helps me and others figure
out what runs well.

Congratulations and thanks for posting.
 
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johnnyb47

johnnyb47

Guru
Location
Wales
Hi @Shadow121 and hope your well.
The average of 18 is somewhat of a one off due to having a strong tail wind all the way back lol. The bike in question is a Specialized Allez with some upgraded wheels which had made a big difference in holding a bigger gear on longer rides. The bike is not ultra lightweight but it's not to heavy either at around 10kg.
I took very little with me and what i did take fitted into a smallish cycling racksack. The stop overs where at family members so i didn't need to take much with me..The gearing on my bike is a compact set up which comes in very handy tackling some of the bigger climbs. Most important (to me though) where the tyre sizes i now use. I was running 700c x 23mm and they used to cause quite a lot of general fatigue throughout my body on long outings but since I've come over to using 700c x 28mm the ride is so much more smoother and less jarring. They also seem to be just as good with rolling resistance too.
I really recommend 28 over 23mm any day on long rides. They feel more sure footed and as said before a hell of a lot smoother.
 
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Yes, I am enjoying 30mm Shwalbe Spicer tires on 15mm wide rims,
these tires just about make the 30mm, no wider, they are not light
either, but for a beginner they roll well enough, they are narrower as
they hit the road, so less contact resistance, but they really smooth the ride,
my bike is a Kelley’s physio 30, supposed to be 11kg, got it secondhand
for 220 euro, can’t complain, it hardly turned a wheel until I got it, ideal for
the bad roads and weather.

@johnnyb47 , did you have a rack on, you mention racksack.
What tires were you on, I like the Specialized bikes, dear though,
daughter has a Canyon, 7.5 kg if I remember, and cheaper than
Specialized or Trek options, I don’t know if I would trust that Canyon
with my 180 lbs, Specialized I have a little more faith in, they look
more robust side by side, for what that’s worth.
 
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johnnyb47

johnnyb47

Guru
Location
Wales
No didn't use a rack. Just a small ruck sack and a small frame mount bag to carry the essentials such as a spare tube/tyre levers etc. The tyre's ive got are Vittoria Rubino Pro laced on to some Fulcrum Quattro wheelset. Been really pleased with them so far.
The bike was a second hand buy last year and apart from the stock wheels letting me down its been good.
 
No didn't use a rack. Just a small ruck sack and a small frame mount bag to carry the essentials such as a spare tube/tyre levers etc. The tyre's ive got are Vittoria Rubino Pro laced on to some Fulcrum Quattro wheelset. Been really pleased with them so far.
The bike was a second hand buy last year and apart from the stock wheels letting me down its been good.
Good going then, pity the wheels gave out, but it’s rare to find real good wheels
on a bike for sale, it’s something we all end up upgrading.

Was reading via link on here about a 24 yr old German woman winning
a race across Europe, what a doll, not a pick on her, talk about fit.
Buying food from supermarkets, stuffing it into her jacket pockets to eat as she cycled.
 

gavgav

Guru
Just finished it around 30 minutes back. 67 miles in 3hr 40 minutes (averaging around 18mph) I was around 1 hour faster than the last time i did it three years ago. Mind you this time i did have a good tail wind blowing and a more modern bike (and me being a few pounds lighter lol)..
The scenery was breath taking to say the least and the roads were supprisingly quiet too. Its these kind of days that cycling memories stick with you for many years to come :=)))

Which route did you follow?
 
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