London-Edinburgh-London 2013: The thread

[vorsprung]

No, I'm definitely not even slightly pregnant....

I am hooked.

I knew I was hooked on long distance cycling when I did the 100km Cheddar Gorge event in Bristol. It was a dirty slow route and it rained a bit. Then afterwards I rode the 100km back home. Trouble was that there was a headwind and it took far longer than anticipated. The batteries ran out on one of my lights. Then, a few miles from home the bike punctured. I pushed the bike about 1/2 a mile to the nearest streetlamp, fixed the puncture and made it home.

I caught myself thinking "that was fun, I must do that again"

 

[Arch]

Numb feet? This on a 'bent? How high is the BB relative to your hips?
Painful feet? Pinched at the sides, rubbing on your shoes, or a dull ache in the base of the foot, approximately over the pedal?

Burning pain in balls of feet and big toes - see my other thread. Consensus seems to be getting used to highish bottom bracket, plus heat, and that I'll get used to it. Odd, because it's not like it's the first time I've ridden the Dash a long distance, so I suspect heat is a partial factor.

 

[Arch]

Addiction update:

My now normal just-under-5-miles in, this morning.

10 miles coming home...

 

[mcshroom]

Bit of a general bump for this thread, but how is everyone getting on with this?

I've just finished my first multi-day tour (Hadrian's Cycleway in 4 days using B&Bs) so I'm now a bit happier about putting in the miles day after day . I also found out my bike could go over a hundred miles with the skewer holding the rear axle together

 

[PpPete]

Mileage is racking up, thanks to the self motivation of MCL.... (Arch I'm slowly catching you... and I have a JoGLE in August)

Was going for a 200k Audax next weekend, but child care duties means I will be hauling junior round the 100 on the tandem instead. And more of the same means I can't do the Bognor FNRttC either. GRRR!

 

[Danial]

Now my German plans have been thwarted by illness, I hope to ride LEL sometime in July. One plucky rider has already ridden (and written a routesheet for) the southern section, so I hope to be able to check his sterling work so far.

 

[Arch]

Mileage is racking up, thanks to the self motivation of MCL.... (Arch I'm slowly catching you... and I have a JoGLE in August)

Ah. Just as soon as I can get the site to load, I have 871 miles to add...

Well, I'm back from holiday. Average of about 50 miles a day, 7 days, then two days off, then 7 more days. (plus about 100 more to get me to Sheffield and back for my lift).

Things learned. The feet thing is probably heat, with a hint of tight shoes. Most days were fine, once or twice it got agonising - always hot days.

Longest day was 74 miles, and it was hard at the end, but also hot. I just need to work on the distances gradually.

I need to get faster. I managed 10mph average today coming home, the group best was 11mph (this is carrying touring luggage mind, and a convivial pace)


So, really all I need to do is the last two weeks, in under 5 days....

 

[frank9755]

I've just done a couple of 200s and some reasonably demanding tours, and have survived, so am just starting to think this might be something to aim for.

Am sending pm with address for map!

 

[Arch]

Done!

You Londoners have plenty of potential training company...

 

[Danial]

courage, mes amis!

 

[Arch]

<Obi Wan Kenobi voice>

Join us....

</Obi Wan>

How is everyone doing? My tour was good training, and I'm keeping up the extra miles commuting (trying for at least 50 a week at the moment, and going to ramp it up gradually). I'm also trying to push the speed a bit, and I'm now generally running along a gear higher than I was when I swapped to the summer bike in spring. I'm still slow, by comparison to many, but from little acorns...

I failed my target of 100mile ride by the end of May - life got in the way. Still need to crack that, and then a 200k ride by the autumn. I think it's in the mind as much as anything - I know a century will take me all day, and it intimidates me, only having done one before. Need to face that...

(I just mistyped 'face' as 'cafe'. There's a Freudian slip!)

 

[ianrauk]

Did a 150 miler with a few other peeps on here last Saturday. It seemed pretty easy at the time though I seem to have heavy legs for this weeks commute (not help by a headwind on the way home every bloody day). End of the month I am looking at doing another 150 miler on the Brighton FNRttC. Then will start looking at a 200 miler.

 

[arallsopp]

Hmm...

Is it worth setting up a cc-lel group on mycyclinglog? Once joined, all could quickly see how and what each other are doing. Miles will still count for cc, so no impact there.

 

[ianrauk]

Fire away and set up mate

Hmm...

Is it worth setting up a cc-lel group on mycyclinglog? Once joined, all could quickly see how and what each other are doing. Miles will still count for cc, so no impact there.

 

[Arch]

Hmm...

Is it worth setting up a cc-lel group on mycyclinglog? Once joined, all could quickly see how and what each other are doing. Miles will still count for cc, so no impact there.

Good idea - can you set it up? We'll then need to ask to join, I guess.

Oh dear, I'm going to be bottom of the list, I suspect.

I'm hoping that for this year, just trying to get a consistent commute mileage and so on will do.

I did lie on the bed the other night, watching telly, wearing shorts, and look down at my legs and think "Ooh, I've got muscles!" Cue some time spent flexing them to admire the effect. (That's also a good thing about recumbents, you can see the muscles working all the time)