Your ride today.... (part 1)

[fossyant]

Been busy this weekend...gardening and trimming hedges - cut to shreds.... watched the Tour, and thought bugger this..... jumped on the MTB, off down the TPT then crossed over into Werneth Country Park and hit a very rocky, steep climb, right up to the top - fantastic views.... Given that the route was 10 miles, most of it flatish, there was over 1500 feet of climbing (off road).....

 

[willhub]

175 miles today into the dales, very hard for me.

The last 15 miles on my own I average 20.48mph which I'm chuffed with tbh and an overall average speed of 16.8mph.

Weird how I was so far on the last 15 miles of the ride, lactic buildup was just not happening, but on the hills I was coming to a halt, bizzare :s, allthough the first 100 miles I was flying up the hills, I thought I took a wrong turn up to Tan Hill as everyone else was no where to be seen!

Did the hard side of fleet moss, buttertubs, easiest side to Tan Hill and loads more climbing.

It was my longest ride ever so far.
It was my fastest ride of the sort (100+ and very hilly)
It was the hardest ride ever so far

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/8001045

I am VERY happy with the ride today and am happy that I know I am improving.

 

[stoatsngroats]

On yesterdays forum ride we almost ran over a couple of stoats,

 

[Bigtwin]

Fueled by the Tour coverage and curious about the benefits of two long hard rides this week, I went out for a 6 o'clocker. Things were going well, and had some scalps even before warmed up. So, thinking of the Ruskie break-away at the 10km 2go point, I wondered if I could cycle at 40 mph for 6 miles to simulate to stage win.

Well guess what!!??



I couldn't. Best I could sustain for any period (i.e. more than about 2 mins) was about 32/33 mph. And that was for about 2.0001 mins. Just how do they do that?

Anyway, did a credible (for me) 24 and a bit miles at 21.abit average with some reasonable rolling hills in. That won't happen again for a while. If ever.

Big guy in better sprinter than climber shocker - who knew?

 

[dellzeqq]

Some little while ago Mr. Ilovebikes of this Parish let it be known that he was off to Gibraltar - by bike. He asked for guidance down to Dover, and this I offered. Then - cancellation, and then a new plan. London to Gibralter via Newhaven. And so, yesterday morning, following the obligatory photo-call outside Buckingham Palace http://www.cyclechat.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?p=787614#post787614

yours truly, ILB and Sam (who you will see is carrying even less weight than our own little horror) set off for the coast, and, for them, on what is going to be a Fantastic Adventure.

We drifted through South London, they wondering at the noise and the emergency sirens, me wondering at the passage of time, and followed, more or less, the FNRttC route down to Wivelsfield. The boys were great company, and quite deferential, waiting for me to say 'go one then' on Portnalls Road before zipping off ahead (I admit that I found their use of the large chain ring a tad irritating, but, there was a time...), but, by and large, I don't think they found the pace too genteel. We followed the railway from Wivelsfield to Lewes, and then took minor road on the west of the river Ouse in to Newhaven before slipping over the hill to the campsite just west of Seaford.

This is real Arthur Ransome stuff. They have a friend, Fergus, who is driving a car carrying tents and tools, and that's about it. I'm not sure how nailed down it is - I particularly liked the comment 'the flaw in our plan is that none of us speak a word of Spanish' - but I'm sure they'll be fine, and it's a certainty that their cycling is up to the job. And it did remind me of my early trips to John O'Groats with my brothers, jeans tucked in to socks, sleeping on the grass verges beside the road, subsisting on chips and arriving home with twenty pence in our pockets.

I asked them to let us know how they're getting on. They better had.

 

[ComedyPilot]

They're going a bit light for a tour, aren't they?

 

[HLaB]

I done a great 50 miles from Edinburgh to Billy Bilslands Cycles in Glesgay with Scoosh :troll:. Scoosh you're fairly flying on that new Condor Fratello, for the 2nd last 10 miles we were averaging 17.1mph (27.5kph) and it only fell to 14.9mph (23.9kph) when we hit the chaos of the city and the torrential weather. Its funny how rain like that on your own would be depressing but with company it was fun

Oh, and I couldn't resist taking a snap of the famous jersey.

 

[yello]

123km on Sunday, the 'La Forezienne' sportive at Ambert. A tale of three understatements.

Understatement 1; it was quite hard. It opened with a 22km 800m climb of Col des Supeyres. I always start slowly and warm up en-route but I passed quite a number of riders that'd gone off a bit quick and blown. My dossard was in the 1200s and I started nearly 10 minutes behind the first off, so I played a little game to amuse myself on that climb - to take note of the smallest number dossard number I passed... that honour went to 22! The final climb to Les Croix de la Paix was 11km to 600m, so shorter and steeper - and it felt it! But the thing about climbs is they're invariably followed by a descent

Understatement 2; it was fun. Probably the most I've ever enjoyed myself on a bike! I hit 60kph coming down one descent or other (I don't know where) and being able to use the entire road width is just what you don't get to do every day of the week. Well, not if you're sane anyway. So fabulous long descents.... and French language practice too! As I came down the first descent, I saw the sign 'Virages Dangereux'.... hmmm, what's virage again?.... brain rattles and steams, searching for the answer when.... 'ohhhhhhhh sh*t, THAT's what virage means!!' But as the saying goes, into every life a little rain must fall.

Understatement 3; it rained. Oh boy, did it rain. I'd looked at the weather forecast beforehand and decided that should it rain that there wasn't an imperméable on the planet that'd keep it out, so I didn't pack one. I was right. It hammered down. And some. Did you know hail stones sting? They do you know. Fortunately, it wasn't for long, maybe 15 or 20 minutes, but I was saturated. I had to remove my specs because the water was actually getting trapped between them and me, giving me an eye bath! I couldn't see further than 3 or 4 metres at one point. At an intersection, the marshal shouted 'a gauche, a gauche'... I could understand the instruction, I just couldn't SEE the intersection! Cyclists were taking cover anywhere they could, I soldiered on figuring I couldn't get much wetter! As the thundered clapped overhead, I did actually wonder whether it might be safer to head for cover! But it passed and the sun shone and the roads steamed. I was still wet, not dripping, when I finished but nothing could dampen the sheer exhilaration I felt having taken part.

And so finally, not an understatement; the event was fantastically well organised. 2400 riders and 600 volunteers took part in perhaps the best event of any kind that I have experienced. It was seriously that good. A fantastic course, well marshalled and safe, that offered both an excellent physical challenge and great fun. I do it again next year and probably even the longer 158km 'Les Copains'.

Both courses shared the same opening 83km. At the split point I very very nearly went left. I felt good and strong. I'd cycled within myself and felt capable of another 70km. It was only a combination of seeing the dark clouds overhead, that my club mates would be waiting for me if I went long, and the fact that it wasn't part of my program to do the longer course just now that made me turn right. It was perhaps my only regret when I finished, I really just wanted the fun to continue!

 

[Auntie Helen]

Went cycling with djtheglove today.

I drove to the Park & Ride at Chelmsford and we then cycled to West Mersea via Danbury, Maldon, Great Wigborough and Peldon.

Dj cycles faster than me... but with him in front I found myself working harder than my normal incredibly lazy pace and was thrilled to discover I had averaged 14.3 for the 25 miles to West Mersea. We had a bit of a tailwind but this was hugely over my usual 11-12mph average.

The heavens opened as we arrived at Mersea but fortunately there was a rather fine pub to which we repaired. Good thing as the rain was very fierce.

After a nice lunch of sausage & onion baguette, followed by a slice of coffee & walnut cake, we set off the 100 yards to the marina to sort out the dinghy for dj's boat and to photograph his dinghy trailer which he is selling.

And then we set off back to Chelmsford, returning by the same route but into the wind this time, and with some spots of rain at times. Fortunately for dj I had my very capacious panniers so could take his camera and spare jersey to stop them getting wet.

The return trip was a bit slower but I was delighted, when arriving at the P&R, to discover that the 50.2 mile trip was completed at an overall average of 13.8mph. It would have been nearer 14mph if it weren't for the horrendously long drag up the hill to Danbury...

A great day and I feel very pleased with myself for my average speed increase. It's slow for most of you, but it's good for me - and on a hilly ride too!

 

[Will1985]

Local TT was cancelled this evening due to a flooded part of the course. I decided to ride back via a circuitous route of 20 miles instead of an easy 7. I was riding 47x14 fixed into a headwind and climbing up to the highest point in Norfolk (a giddy 70m asl). Got home and my calves are killing me - never gone up hills in such a big gear!

 

[willhub]

Did 10 miles today, unbeknown to me there was a bloody race with hundreds of runners in the village!!!, I don't think they appreciated me on there "race track" as allot sure as hell where not moving for me, I was as far to the side of the road as I could and leaning my bike to the side as I did not want to stop but I nearly had to cause of them. Felt crap, banging head ache, throat closing up and aching chest, dunno what it is will have to rest it as I've got a 13 mile hilly TT I am planning on doing thursday.

 

[Fnaar]

Feeling much fitter than of late, following my recent C2C, I had a 21 mile blast on the roadie yesterday evening after work (marvellous ) then cycled into work today on the mtb/commuter, not used since C2C. Now, on C2C, my bike computer on the mtb ran out of battery, so I changed it. Obviously set it wrong (despite carefully doing roll out test etc) as my normal commute is about 17.5 miles; today the same ride came out at 27.5 miles, with a top speed of 47mph! Duh! I'm so blimmin' useless sometimes!

 

[ianrauk]

Bless thier collective young socks.
How was ILB's steed?
Last saw that he had a problem with the mech

Some little while ago Mr. Ilovebikes of this Parish let it be known that he was off to Gibraltar - by bike. He asked for guidance down to Dover, and this I offered. Then - cancellation, and then a new plan. London to Gibralter via Newhaven. And so, yesterday morning, following the obligatory photo-call outside Buckingham Palace http://www.cyclechat.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?p=787614#post787614

yours truly, ILB and Sam (who you will see is carrying even less weight than our own little horror) set off for the coast, and, for them, on what is going to be a Fantastic Adventure.

We drifted through South London, they wondering at the noise and the emergency sirens, me wondering at the passage of time, and followed, more or less, the FNRttC route down to Wivelsfield. The boys were great company, and quite deferential, waiting for me to say 'go one then' on Portnalls Road before zipping off ahead (I admit that I found their use of the large chain ring a tad irritating, but, there was a time...), but, by and large, I don't think they found the pace too genteel. We followed the railway from Wivelsfield to Lewes, and then took minor road on the west of the river Ouse in to Newhaven before slipping over the hill to the campsite just west of Seaford.

This is real Arthur Ransome stuff. They have a friend, Fergus, who is driving a car carrying tents and tools, and that's about it. I'm not sure how nailed down it is - I particularly liked the comment 'the flaw in our plan is that none of us speak a word of Spanish' - but I'm sure they'll be fine, and it's a certainty that their cycling is up to the job. And it did remind me of my early trips to John O'Groats with my brothers, jeans tucked in to socks, sleeping on the grass verges beside the road, subsisting on chips and arriving home with twenty pence in our pockets.

I asked them to let us know how they're getting on. They better had.

 

[postman]

Superb riding today.On our way to Ilkley for a meet up with Autumn Tints.We were too early so carried on to Bolton Abbey then back to Ilkley.
Cyclist there 83 ex RAF get this only a rear gunner on bombers.

Those blokes were heroes.Very short life expectancy if they did not freeze to death ,got shot out of the sky.

 

[Bigtwin]

Did the same 50 and a bit miler I did last week in the stinking heat - in a drizzle today.

Boy it was a lot easier. 3l of fluid last week wasn't enough. One bottle did for today, and I was going a fair bit faster with it.