Team BKool CycleChat

[<Tommy>]

yep another mr bassett email recipient here.

Well done berty . For the record, you get the emoji because the one I'd really like, (old man angrily waving his stick around) isn't available! .

Good luck today chaps. As AAAC says it looks like a lovely day!

 

[bobinski]

You are probably on your way now, gingerly testing each other for signs of strength or weakness
Have a great ride and may the road rise up to meet you

 

[Randyberlin]

Congratulations to the 3 amigos for finishing the double devil ride. Very impressive.

 

[AAAC 76C]

Congratulations to the 3 amigos for finishing the double devil ride. Very impressive.

Not half as tough as my day.
1. I had to lie in bed until gone 08:30 just to be sure it was a weekend
2. I had to endure the Eastenders omnibus with my wife whilst we waited for our visiting No 1 daughter to get up
3. Then I had to take them both for coffee and some shopping
4. Then it was off to the station to get rid of No 1
5. Then more shopping with the wife
6. Once all that was done it was time for 3 hours of gardening
7. Shower, dinner and then catch up with the days events in the Giro which was when my day really took a downturn, all be that it was expected by now, but I am not allowed to say why just in case everyone else has not caught up.
8. Now I am having to finish of the bottle of red I opened on Friday, a nice little Shiraz from a Barossa grape.
By 23:59 I will probably be worn out or very 'happy'!

 

[<Tommy>]

Bill's ride isn't up on strava yet. Maybe he's doing a second lap.

 

[bridgy]

Wow what a great day's ride the Double Devil was - a huge thanks to @Add and @camlo and their boys for their wonderful, generous hospitality

The weather was amazing and the scenery stunning - both of which helped a bit too take the mind off all those hills! The Devil's Staircase was super-steep but thankfully not for too long, and the Devil's Elbow was a bit painful because it came about 80 miles in to the ride! Lots of riders walking up that (they should have spoken to Bill and taken his 32 tooth rear cassette advice like I did!). But they weren't as bad asI had feared - the worst section for me was a long exposed slightly uphill slog into a headwind after the Devil's Elbow

It was great to meet and ride with Adam and Bill - we were very similar speed/fitness level so a pleasure to ride with.

Highlights were:
1. Adam's seafood Paella - Wow! If you ever visit Adam, insist he makes you Paella
2. About half an hour of team drafting with Adam and Bill on a lovely flat section with the wind behind us

3. Mary and the boys roving support during the ride. Particularly when they stopped in a layby to hand us some supplies and we were quickly joined by a dozen other competitors who thought it was an official feed stop and demanded bananas, water etc from the boot of their car - which the boys enthusiastically handed out

All in all, a really well organised event on mostly traffic-free roads and a tough but satisfying challenge with great company. Mass Team Bkool Cyclechat participation next year? Adam knows a good local campsite apparently and has offered to design a team jersey (lots of flourescent pink leopard print apparently )........

 

[RickB]

Wow what a great day's ride the Double Devil was - a huge thanks to @Add and @camlo and their boys for their wonderful, generous hospitality

The weather was amazing and the scenery stunning - both of which helped a bit too take the mind off all those hills! The Devil's Staircase was super-steep but thankfully not for too long, and the Devil's Elbow was a bit painful because it came about 80 miles in to the ride! Lots of riders walking up that (they should have spoken to Bill and taken his 32 tooth rear cassette advice like I did!). But they weren't as bad asI had feared - the worst section for me was a long exposed slightly uphill slog into a headwind after the Devil's Elbow

It was great to meet and ride with Adam and Bill - we were very similar speed/fitness level so a pleasure to ride with.

Highlights were:
1. Adam's seafood Paella - Wow! If you ever visit Adam, insist he makes you Paella
2. About half an hour of team drafting with Adam and Bill on a lovely flat section with the wind behind us

3. Mary and the boys roving support during the ride. Particularly when they stopped in a layby to hand us some supplies and we were quickly joined by a dozen other competitors who thought it was an official feed stop and demanded bananas, water etc from the boot of their car - which the boys enthusiastically handed out

All in all, a really well organised event on mostly traffic-free roads and a tough but satisfying challenge with great company. Mass Team Bkool Cyclechat participation next year? Adam knows a good local campsite apparently and has offered to design a team jersey (lots of flourescent pink leopard print apparently )........

Great writeup Bridgy. Sounds epic. I've never done a ride that far never mind with that much climbing!!! Great that the weather was good. That makes or breaks these events!

Group ride next year? Sounds like a plan!

 

[bridgy]

Great writeup Bridgy. Sounds epic. I've never done a ride that far never mind with that much climbing!!! Great that the weather was good. That makes or breaks these events!

Group ride next year? Sounds like a plan!

Way more distance and hills in a single ride than I've ever done before too - couldn't have done it without a winter/spring of bkooling with you guys I'm sure!

 

[gbrown]

I've just published a new league for Weight Handicapped climbs in June, if anyone can stand the heat indoors.

The advantage of the weight handicaps during the summer are that they are short, it doesn't matter how many turn up, and they can be run at any time, to fit around outside commitments.

I have made each stage last 2 weeks to give everyone a chance of having a go, and there are four stages in total.

First stage, hopefully tomorrow, is Rundlestone, slightly longer than Haytor but a very similar kind of climb. Stage 2 is Haytor again, and then Rundlestone is repeated for stage 3, to give a chance to tweak handicaps from the first go.

I tried to add a fourth stage but it was going to be longer than 30 minutes for some people, and bkool would not let me change the master session after publishing, so I had to delete it!

Geoff

 

[BILL S]

Back home and unpacked and my backside still hurts like hell. Fantastic weekend though which just wouldn't be the same without all the pain and suffering. Thanks very much Adam an Mary for making it a great experience which I'd definitely love to repeat again, and hopefully will next year. Great to meet you Paul and be shown that bkool performance is much more about how fast you go up hills rather than how fast you go on the flat. Well done, you had quite an edge on us but thanks for towing us along for the good portion that we managed to keep up.
Adam and I seemed very similar to each other and were together pretty much the whole ride. Adam broke away up the Devils Elbow but I managed to pull him back in about 12 miles later. By then I think we just wanted to be back and my rear was hurting so much I had to stand up and pedal every few minutes just to take some load off it. Next time, different saddle and different shorts, that's for sure.
Thanks again for the brilliant hospitality Adam and Mary.
Now I must go and try to upload this ride on Strava.

 

[bobinski]

I've just published a new league for Weight Handicapped climbs in June, if anyone can stand the heat indoors.

The advantage of the weight handicaps during the summer are that they are short, it doesn't matter how many turn up, and they can be run at any time, to fit around outside commitments.

I have made each stage last 2 weeks to give everyone a chance of having a go, and there are four stages in total.

First stage, hopefully tomorrow, is Rundlestone, slightly longer than Haytor but a very similar kind of climb. Stage 2 is Haytor again, and then Rundlestone is repeated for stage 3, to give a chance to tweak handicaps from the first go.

I tried to add a fourth stage but it was going to be longer than 30 minutes for some people, and bkool would not let me change the master session after publishing, so I had to delete it!

Geoff

Thanks Geoff, I am up for this. It really helps that they are short and so less risk of overheating in my loft.

 

[bobinski]

Bill and Bridgy, sounds like you had a great time, sore legs and bums aside, not just the riding but being looked after by Camlo and Adds. I am sure you will find I am not the only one who will want to join you next year. Seafood paella sounds particularly enticing too!

 

[Soarerv8]

Great writeup Bridgy. Sounds epic. I've never done a ride that far never mind with that much climbing!!! Great that the weather was good. That makes or breaks these events!

Group ride next year? Sounds like a plan!

Hmmmmm in the same way as Hannibal from the A Team loved it when a plan came together you will need to drug my milk to get me to do something like this in the same way they got BA onto a plane.

I PITY THE FOOL!

 

[Soarerv8]

Back home and unpacked and my backside still hurts like hell.

Schoolboy snigger!

 

[Soarerv8]

Wow what a great day's ride the Double Devil was - a huge thanks to @Add and @camlo and their boys for their wonderful, generous hospitality

The weather was amazing and the scenery stunning - both of which helped a bit too take the mind off all those hills! The Devil's Staircase was super-steep but thankfully not for too long, and the Devil's Elbow was a bit painful because it came about 80 miles in to the ride! Lots of riders walking up that (they should have spoken to Bill and taken his 32 tooth rear cassette advice like I did!). But they weren't as bad asI had feared - the worst section for me was a long exposed slightly uphill slog into a headwind after the Devil's Elbow

It was great to meet and ride with Adam and Bill - we were very similar speed/fitness level so a pleasure to ride with.

Highlights were:
1. Adam's seafood Paella - Wow! If you ever visit Adam, insist he makes you Paella
2. About half an hour of team drafting with Adam and Bill on a lovely flat section with the wind behind us

3. Mary and the boys roving support during the ride. Particularly when they stopped in a layby to hand us some supplies and we were quickly joined by a dozen other competitors who thought it was an official feed stop and demanded bananas, water etc from the boot of their car - which the boys enthusiastically handed out

All in all, a really well organised event on mostly traffic-free roads and a tough but satisfying challenge with great company. Mass Team Bkool Cyclechat participation next year? Adam knows a good local campsite apparently and has offered to design a team jersey (lots of flourescent pink leopard print apparently )........

Genuinely sounds brilliant well done all of you, can I just come for the Paella next year?