Thoughts on today's ride

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johnnyb47

Guru
Location
Wales
Hi and hope you're all well.
After a long stint off the road bike i dusted it down and went out for a ride on it today. During the winter i only use the MTB. It's always plastered in thick mud and can't bring myself to treat my gorgeous road bike to the same treatment.
Today however the weather and roads where unusually dry and out came the road bike.
I've forgotten how fast it is compared to the MTB. Its light as feather compared to the mud plugger, and with no energy sapping suspension or fat heavy tyres a found myself hammering speeds out that was long forgotten last summer. On one section of road i had the perfect conditions to put down the power. With a strong tail wind and recently resurfaced road i managed to average 25mph over 8 miles!!!!
At one point i hit a dizzying speed of 36 on the flat.
It was a different story on the way back though. The head wind was really strong and ended up on the drops trying to make myself as aerodynamic as possible whilst fighting the wind.
I was proud to smash multiple PR,s on Strava today.
Looking at the all time leader boards though i was well off the top "time wise" .
I've got to 11th on the all time leader boards of around 2000 cyclists along the different sections i did today, but the leaders are well in front and i cant understand how anybody could cycle that fast.
I was spinning the biggest gear today virtually all the way along the 8 miles at a good cadence but was nowhere near them. Goodness knows what gears they were pushing on there bikes or the speeds they where going at. After lugging the heavy old MTB around over winter, it felt like the anchor was released today. Come home feeling knackered but with the biggest grin ever. Really looking forward to the better weather to come were the road bike will be used every day.
All the very best,
Johnny
 

Ming the Merciless

There is no mercy
Location
Inside my skull
People drive segments . Some ridiculous uphill speeds round here. Even the pros would not get close.
 
OP
OP
johnnyb47

johnnyb47

Guru
Location
Wales
I can't comment on whether the riders in front of me had cheated or not. Today was an exception for me with ideal conditions in my favour, but in the cold light of day I'm an old "fart" now and well past my sell by date. These other Strava users though must be ultra fit to achieve what they did. If i rode that fast i think my toupee would of blown off 🙄
 
Too many very good riders around here to get any where near a top few hundred. The segment that finishes at my front door (1km 6%) i can squeeze under 3mins where as the good local guys are well under 2mins and average 27kmh vs my 17kmh:wacko:.

Having seem them go past i can say that their trains must work, oh and being 25yrs old and weighing 60kgs and not 50yrs old and weighing 80kgs:laugh::laugh:
 

steveindenmark

Legendary Member
I look at Strava for me and nothing else. I am in several groups an wonder how the leaders can get such mileage in winter. Many use indoor trainers and dont leave the house all winter. All my riding is outside. I started a Brompton group but rarely ride a Brompton in Winter. I am often at the top of the leader board. But am always followed closely by a young lady who only rides a Brompton.
 

Globalti

Legendary Member
The only people I know who can manage more than two rides a week are both retired so consequently they're both ferociously fit and able to keep up with the A group at the local shop chaingang. One just missed his target of 5000 miles last year.
 

DRM

Guru
Location
West Yorks
Some people cheat, some accidentally leave their gps on during the drive home, some segments round here are past parts of the Tour de Yorkshire, they are genuine & very impressively fast
 

Jaykun85

Senior Member
People cheat! That’s not very sportsman like now is it :sad: ... though would explain how someone has accumulated 1200+ hours of riding when the challance has only been on for 48 hours ..
I’m not quick by any standards for a few PBs on my rides out and I’m happy ads it shows I’m getting better and thats all i want :smile:
 

DRM

Guru
Location
West Yorks
People cheat! That’s not very sportsman like now is it :sad: ... though would explain how someone has accumulated 1200+ hours of riding when the challance has only been on for 48 hours ..
I’m not quick by any standards for a few PBs on my rides out and I’m happy ads it shows I’m getting better and thats all i want :smile:
I'm with you on that, I like to see an improvement on what I did previously & I'm happy with that, I don't give two hoots that someone did a segment faster than me, especially when some are plainly ridiculous, like the alleged 42 mph segment along the canal just outside Leeds, yes sure they did that......not!
 
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