Team BKool CycleChat

[Randyberlin]

Let me know if your wife's coming though @Randyberlin, as I'll have to take the kid's booster seats out.

Depending on ticket prices and fitness I would love to try to make it. My wife will not be able to go.

 

[Soarerv8]

Well for anyone wondering if they are fit enough for the DD even if it is the shorter one I did 74 miles and just under 5000 ft of climbing yesterday over the Pennines (according to my Garmin, phone has uploaded a smaller number to Strava but it is lying) and I am groaningly getting up to do a similar ride over the Yorkshire Moors today to go to Whitby following a bit of the tour de Yorkshire.

I am infamously unfit and slow but ambled along quite merrily stopping regularly to look at stuff and eat cake. Big chunk of the route was off road which slowed things down a lot and challenged the CX bike and I am carrying a good 20kg of luggage.

So what I am saying is if I can do that sort of ride and get up the next day to do it again anyone on here can so go for it.

Did have the fun of hitting Appleby when the Appleby horse fair is on. Big Fat Gypsy Horse fair meets Big Fat Middle-aged Cyclist.

 

[CXRAndy]

Depending on ticket prices and fitness I would love to try to make it. My wife will not be able to go.

If you can get yourself down to Florida, my sister came home recently with a $500 return flight. Cheap flights to be had with research

 

[<Tommy>]

Finally sussed where my endurance has gone.
I haven't cleaned and polished my bike for ages which must be what is slowing me down!
Gave a good clean and lube tonight (my bike that is) so I should be rocking tomorrow.
I have removed the Rido Original saddle that I got for a song on ebay and have put my Specialized back on.
The Original is really a bit 'sit up and beg' but I have got my hands on a Rido LT and I'll be giving that a shot when it arrives.
I may have a bit of an internal trauma somewhere as even sitting can get a bit uncomfortable sometimes nowadays but I have an appointment with a specialist (not Specialized) next month so hopefully I will be able to 'get to the bottom' of my problems.
I've been moving my saddle so much recently I have had to reset it tonight to the 'standard position' using the good old tries and tested straight leg and heel on pedal for height (to make sure you don't rock) and the back of the knee cap just behind the pedal axle with the pedals level for fore and aft.

AAAC have you looked at the specialized power saddles? Like you I have quite a wide sit bone and if my current saddle (specialized toupe 155mn) hadn't worked out, that's the path I was heading down next.

Also have you considered / tried brooks saddles? I have a 'swift' knocking about I'd happily send over to you if you'd like to give it a go.

 

[bobinski]

Well for anyone wondering if they are fit enough for the DD even if it is the shorter one I did 74 miles and just under 5000 ft of climbing yesterday over the Pennines (according to my Garmin, phone has uploaded a smaller number to Strava but it is lying) and I am groaningly getting up to do a similar ride over the Yorkshire Moors today to go to Whitby following a bit of the tour de Yorkshire.

I am infamously unfit and slow but ambled along quite merrily stopping regularly to look at stuff and eat cake. Big chunk of the route was off road which slowed things down a lot and challenged the CX bike and I am carrying a good 20kg of luggage.

So what I am saying is if I can do that sort of ride and get up the next day to do it again anyone on here can so go for it.

Did have the fun of hitting Appleby when the Appleby horse fair is on. Big Fat Gypsy Horse fair meets Big Fat Middle-aged Cyclist.

(Avoiding wisecracks for a change...)

Looks like a cracking ride Soarerv.

That was good timing. Does Mrs Soarerv know you are now bethrothed in the gypsy way?

 

[theboxers]

Well for anyone wondering if they are fit enough for the DD even if it is the shorter one I did 74 miles and just under 5000 ft of climbing yesterday over the Pennines (according to my Garmin, phone has uploaded a smaller number to Strava but it is lying) and I am groaningly getting up to do a similar ride over the Yorkshire Moors today to go to Whitby following a bit of the tour de Yorkshire.

I am infamously unfit and slow but ambled along quite merrily stopping regularly to look at stuff and eat cake.

I do not do enough of the looking bit.

Big chunk of the route was off road which slowed things down a lot and challenged the CX bike and I am carrying a good 20kg of luggage..

So it is no longer called a "spare tyre"

So what I am saying is if I can do that sort of ride and get up the next day to do it again anyone on here can so go for it.

Did have the fun of hitting Appleby when the Appleby horse fair is on. Big Fat Gypsy Horse fair meets Big Fat Middle-aged Cyclist

I did a 30 mile loop where I live and quite enjoyed the ride even though it took about 3 hours with breaks

 

[Soarerv8]

I do not do enough of the looking bit.

So it is no longer called a "spare tyre"

I did a 30 mile loop where I live and quite enjoyed the ride even though it took about 3 hours with breaks

10 mph is usually what I amble along on one of these rides at 30 or 40 miles before lunch but with lots of looking at views and turning maps around a bit of lounging around either in a pub or on a riverbank with a sarnie and then same sort of an idea after lunch. You can cover big distances without realising.

I think for me it is about the journey, enjoy the views don't worry how long it takes to go up a hill if it is quicker to walk then walk and find a good friend to do it with who you can insult without them taking umbridge.

Today I have done exactly 40 miles and am sat under a tree in Great Ayton looking at ducklings whilst sending my cycling companion off to buy the sandwiches because he lost our one race of the day down a hill to decide who buys lunch.

Life is good!

 

[Soarerv8]

Well I'm signing up. I set a PB on my usual round the lakes ride the week after doing the DD. So not only was the company excellent, but so was the training. For anyone that does fancy doing it, I can get details for all manner of accomodation, from a pleasant campsite (my in-laws, so should be able to swing it for free, or several hotels of various quality). Bridgy and Bill, are more than welcome to stay again, as I know they aren't axe murderers. I will organise a BBQ too for the night after, and book us in somewhere for the night before for a nice carbohydrate loading meal. A good friend of mine owns a restaurant, and will cook us whatever we desire really! If it's just 4 or 5 of us mind, I could probably cater for us tbh.
Hopefully a few of you will sign up, it will be a great days riding, I promise you, and there is always the shorter routes for those not feeling too crazy. Come on Randy, get signed up, I'll pick you up from whichever airport....actually, not Edinburgh or Exeter, make it one in the middle somewhere.
Soarer, maybe you could bring a butler to help with the BBQ?

Carruthers is on the case, may need to bring the children's nanny and the au pair too to apply the chamois cream, he won't do it any more says it isn't in his job description. They could do a buttock each.

 

[gbrown]

Tonight's Handicap Chase is a special Handicap Climb with adjusted rider weights to equalize Watts/Kg

Session is password protected, password is chase (type h twice if help screen appears)

Course is Rundlestone - http://www.bkool.com/profile/detail/576968?durationType=DISTANCE&lapCount=1

I will start the warm-up close to 8:00pm BST (UTC+1) to ensure the race starts around 8:10pm BST (UTC+1).

Everyone taking part should adjust their weight to the allocated value before entering the warm up, preferably with at least 5 minutes to go.

Weights are generally reduced, in some cases considerably, to achieve the target Watts/Kg, so speeds should be higher than usual. The main part of the session should not take more than around 20 minutes, and in any case less than 30 minutes, to avoid changing Fitness Levels. Anyone taking longer than 30 minutes would be advised to discard their session without saving.

The Start (for everyone) should be between 8:05 and 8:10, when the warm-up ends.

Once underway, there is a short neutralized zone (0.15 miles or 0.24 km) to avoid taking advantage of the lowered resistance at start, where no-one is allowed to overtake @JLaw (or if he is not present, you must gradually increase speed to a maximum of 20 mph (32 kph) until you pass the 0.15 (0.24 km) point.

If anyone else wants to take part, please can you let us know here and we can work out a weight Handicap from your FTP power value or similar.

 

[theboxers]

Geoff, I will probably be doing mine attempt @ about 6:30pm. I have to be else where tonight about 8

 

[gbrown]

@Goldwolfie are you doing the run tonight? If so, any chance you could lead the peloton through the neutralized zone?

A bit like an F1 race as the pace car pulls in, pull away from the start gradually and get up to a decent pace so that everyone can line up behind you, then as you approach the 0.15 mile (0.24 km) point speed up to race pace as you reach it.

No-one should pass you until the start point is reached (unless bkool gives them a sudden 500 watt burst)! If anyone does reach the 0.15 mile point ahead of you, then they should drop back behind you again before recommencing efforts...

Thanks,

Geoff

 

[Add]

Randy, if you did actually come all the way over for this, I will definitely accommodate you. I'm quite sure Bridgy will understand why he has been relegated to the caravan. Actually, now he's seen it, the prospect probably isn't quite as scary. You are more than welcome to use my home as a base for a week or so if you wish. You will have to sign the non axe murderer disclaimer first of course.

 

[berty bassett]

is the non axe murderer disclaimer negotiable ?

 

[Goldwolfie]

@Goldwolfie are you doing the run tonight? If so, any chance you could lead the peloton through the neutralized zone?

A bit like an F1 race as the pace car pulls in, pull away from the start gradually and get up to a decent pace so that everyone can line up behind you, then as you approach the 0.15 mile (0.24 km) point speed up to race pace as you reach it.

No-one should pass you until the start point is reached (unless bkool gives them a sudden 500 watt burst)! If anyone does reach the 0.15 mile point ahead of you, then they should drop back behind you again before recommencing efforts...

Thanks,

Geoff

No problem Geoff - It's probably the only chance I get to lead the peleton

 

[Randyberlin]

Randy, if you did actually come all the way over for this, I will definitely accommodate you. I'm quite sure Bridgy will understand why he has been relegated to the caravan. Actually, now he's seen it, the prospect probably isn't quite as scary. You are more than welcome to use my home as a base for a week or so if you wish. You will have to sign the non axe murderer disclaimer first of course.

Well technically a hatchet isn't really an axe. Thank you for the offer. After looking on trip advisor there are some really great places to stay but none mentioned seafood paella. If I do make it across I'll be riding around for a few weeks. I do the credit card /12 pound seat post bag/ hotel and restaurant kind of touring. At this point I have to pay off the card from my ride last month.

Edit: Also right now major knee problems caused by shoveling gravel in my back yard. That's why I haven't been riding.