Ride Reports

roger_merriman

had a quickish 40 miler today, been meaning to do a loop around Heathrow and have a look at such places, first off roll down to kingston, to meet wife for lunch.

on way down notice a bike it's quite a way off, I'm gaining but not enough to catch before the queue for the lights at Hampton Wick, filtering though we end up at the head, I take the middle in the lane, he filters down the inside of a lorry....

as we start going over the bridge there is car between us, he's making a meal of the rise, after the car's overtake I decide enough is enough and engage warp drive, I pass him with ease by time I've come down the other side it's all over. out of sight.

after lunch with wife, I roll down to teddington Lock and then head north though whitton on way to Houslow, the narrow roads soon giving way to bigger more congested roads.

fun zip along Bath road til just north of heathrow where I head into and though the old hamlets or what is left of them north of heathrow, some lovely juxtapositions with lovely old lanes passing over quiet brooks, and views over heathrow and passing over the odd motorway....

after that back onto the A4 which while busy is fast, after that I loop into Windsor, which was a lot quieter than the social ride.

I then headed towards Egham, passing the lovely parks and river side, I head for thorpe before chertsey bridge and following the busy lanes along the river until hampton and home,

on that stretch had a runner just step out, luckily my brakes are good and my booming voice, ( I think I said "Easy!") meant he jumped back.

Rich158

I had a good ride today, the first serious Sunday ride since the summer

I dragged my sorry backside out of the bed at the ongodly hour of 8, only to find my riding buddy had called off, but a couple of old codgers from my local club would be going anyway. Which I why I could be found waiting at the war memorial in Cobham (kent not Surrey) in glorious sunshine this morning. Oh I love the sun, now I don't know if every Sunday is like this, but several lovelies jogged past in very skimpy running kit exchanging a few pleasantries on their way. you know where I'll be found every Sunday morning from now on

Anyway no bugger turned up, so I decided on a quick 40 miles or so anyway. Luckily the wind had died down a bit, and the sun was out, making it a glorious autumnal morning. The local woodland was looking fantastic in various hues of orange, and the low sun gave a fantastic quality of light. Turning off the main roads I decided to head up towards Brands Hatch, when I had a slightly odd encounter. Bear in mind this is in the middle of nowhere, all of a sudden a lone man appeared crossing the road. I could have sworn he came out of the hedge, but could see no gap. He had a heavily bandaged head in immaculate white bandages, and was dragging an overnight suitcase behind him. Bearing in mind this is within a mile or so of a private hospital my first thought was that he was an escapee, but I didn’t think Bupa ran those sort of hospitals. I left him to his business and carried on, not savouring the thought of the long drag up past Brands Hatch.

Then the wind picked up as I hit the top of the hill, thanks!!!!! The clouds looked as though they were drawing in, and I thought that’s it, I’m getting wet. But no thankfully the rain held off and I stayed dry. A few more villages were quickly dispatched, including a dodgy moment with another cyclist, who had decided to ride round a corner in the middle of a single track road, nearly running me off the road in the process. Then my enthusiasm got the better of me, hitting a tight 90 degree bend I suddenly realise I couldn’t get my outside foot down as I was on the fixie, was in imminent danger of clipping a pedal due to my lean angle and that I was very quickly running out of road. Somehow I managed to recover the situation and headed for home. All in all a fantastic 40 mile Sunday morning ride at about a 16.8 mph average. Not great but heading in the right direction, and back in time to get out on the mountain bike this afternoon for a superb DH session. It’s great when you get back into the swing of things again after a lengthy lay off

cjcp

A mixed day.

First cross race of the season, and for nearly thee years, but first time on a cross bike, so was raring to go. Met up with Roastie before the start and did a practice lap. Course was dry and fast, so really looking forward to it. I was however slightly hesitant about using Shimano mtb cleats for the first time.

A slow-ish start was followed by an ill-judged belief that I could ride through the crowd on the first bend/steep incline. Not so. I had to get off, but didn't quite make it so pushed myself up with right leg, with the left leg still in the cleat. Looked a right tool.

Things didn't get better, mind.

My chain then fell off three times before I'd done half a lap. I was dead last twice. :x

Then had to hammer it to catch up. Wasn't wearing a HRM, and probably a good job. I made ground though. I settled into a nice pace and worked my way through the rear end of the field. Then, disaster on the third lap: an unscheduled deflation. Didn't have a spare wheel in the pits or a spare tube and pmp on me, so that was that. Pants. Can't imagine I would have finished anyhere higher than half-way up the field, but was gutted all the same - what a great laugh, 'cross racing is.

Roastie seemed to be doing well. When I was trudging back to the car, he wasn't far behind the leaders. He's since texted me to say he wasn't lapped - chapeau! - so he must have been doing well.

itboffin

Chapeau Roastie & cjcp wish I could have been there

Rich158

Chapeau cjcp & Roastie for finding somewhere to race in winter

What can I say cjcp, you should stick to proper off-roading, not this perverted nonsense

itboffin

Rich158 wrote:

Chapeau cjcp & Roastie for finding somewhere to race in winter

What can I say cjcp, you should stick to proper off-roading, not this perverted nonsense

Shut it you fixies freak now get back out there and bang some night time miles in, theres a competition to win

cjcp

I have to say, I found it a lot more enjoyable than the road racing I've done to date (although the same applies to the previous cross race and the off-road duathlons on the mtb I've done). I prefer the fact that you can't really draft and that the commute is a better training for cross than road racing.

Rich - it's awesome. Get your (not quite broken :P ) body down to the races.

ITB - you can still catch the end of season races.

cjcp

itboffin wrote:

Rich158 wrote:

Chapeau cjcp & Roastie for finding somewhere to race in winter

What can I say cjcp, you should stick to proper off-roading, not this perverted nonsense

Shut it you fixies freak now get back out there and bang some night time miles in, theres a competition to win

A measly 11 miles over the weekend. Hardly the stuff of legends.

cjcp

Photos here:

http://www.londoncyclesport.com/Gallery ... _3623.html

Good ones of Roastie in slides 12 and 14.

Roastie

Goodness that was hard, and I was broken for the rest of the day.

My second (full) cross race was pretty good - learned many lessons from the first, but the jumpy obstacle thing was something new and literally ball-breaking (having made an ill-judged landing on one of the the remounts).

Otherwise, it went pretty well. I managed to make up a lot of ground at the start by charging around the left of the field on the run to the first hill where things would inevitably bunch up. Then I got tangled up in a group that seemed intent on killing me, and got dropped. Not long after I saw CJ dejectedly pushing his bike - gutting!

I charged on my own for a while, but then came across my nemesis from my first race (a dude who I'll never forget or forgive for pushing into the queue at sign on). I caught and passed him, but I knew he wasn't giving up that easily; we'd had an epic last few laps at the last race (which ended in my sprinting to beat his a$$ to the line). He came back and repassed me and was now giving it horns to stay ahead. I paced him for a while, then when I was ready, opened the taps solidly for a few laps to scalp him good and proper :twisted:.

From there it was just a relentless hard surge to the finish. I was both elated and miserable when I head the bell not long after I'd passed the "2" board at the start-finish line. On the plus side it meant I hadn't been lapped, but the downside was that I'd a) have to push really hard to stay unlapped and b) I still had two more laps of agony ahead of me. With a dude in blue riding hard behind me, and another in Mosquito kit tantalisingly in front I kept at it. I'd made up ground over the obstacles and on the last lap Mosquito was getting close. On the final run into what I thought of as the "stadium section" - the big field in the middle that we snaked numerous times I was on the big ring and out of the saddle just bouncing over the bumps - but Mosquito was just out of reach.

I haven't see the full results, but I was mighty chuffed - remained unlapped, and scalped my nemesis big time.

The Running Man

Impressed by your exploits chaps. Looks fantastic fun on a dry(ish) day. Can't imagine the horror of a muddy one though .......

Mine was a quiet 60 miles round the Wiltshire lanes (and main roads) on Sunday, through Lacock, Melksham, Bradford on Avon, Bath, then home through Melksham and Devizes. Averaged over 26mph from Devizes to the Beckhampton roundabout with a fab tailwind - lovely stretch of road - then turned home up the A4 into a howling gale and had a real Tom & Jerry moment when I was pedalling like crazy and felt like I had someone's hand in my forehead holding me back ....

Nice ride on Friday again in Cardiff (another day off) - back up over Caerphilly Mountain and down to my folks place but then came back up on the east side (Wernddu) which was really pretty and then cut across and dropped into Cardiff again through Rhiwbina.

Just over 730 miles this month so far - will be tantalisingly close to 1000 for the month with this week's planned rides .....

Sewinman

Cycled from RP to Oxford on Saturday via Great Windor Park and Henley. Very nice route I downloaded from Bikely. Unfortunately my Garmin played up yet again and froze after about 3 miles, and refused to adjust after it thought I had missed a point. Anyway after ages of faffing around I managed to follow the route via the map page, which worked well.

I got shouted at in Great Windsor Park for going down a private road, this American horror emerged from her massive house and really was incredibly obnoxious. I apologised and said I had not seen the sign but she was not in the mood for pleasantries. I felt quite good that I had not got angry actually, as the brief pleasure of a f’off would have left me with a bad taste in my mouth for the rest of the ride. Once past Windsor the ride was lovely, taking on some lovely countryside and some nice lanes. I struggled on Pishill….you can guess what I was calling it near the top.

Due to Ms. Botox America 2009 and a puncture, plus Garmin problems it took us a lot longer than we had planned. A good day and I would recommend the route with a slight diversion to miss out the private road. I am glad I did not try it on Sunday!

75 miles for the day in total.

risi

The Exmoor Beast. Need I say more? Oh, alright then.

Early (4.30am) start on Sunday meant that we (me + Dr Jones, my Bro-in-law) were in Minehead by 6ish. Weather at my house was dry with a light wind. By the time we reached Minehead, it was really windy & pi55ing down.
They had already delayed the start by 1 hour when we signed on and had pretty much decided they had to ditch the 100 mile route.

So we eventually get away on the 100km just after 8am. After about 6km, there's a not very big climb, but a group of 4 or 5 comes past us and the good doctor decides that we need more that just the 2 of us and jumps onto the back. I do the same. About 5 seconds later, the engine room says "it's Sunday. We're having a lie in. Call back later". My right hip (old injury) decides that its going to hurt today too. A lot.
We did the first part of the course 2 weeks previously & I did the steep part at the bottom of the road up towards Dunkery Beacon in 39*25 (some context: I'm 6'2" and 15 stone. I ain't a grimpeur by any stretch). This time I groveled up in 30*25.
Add the wind trying its best to blow you every which way & I was having dark thoughts. A number of people were picking themselves up from the side of the road after being caught by gusts of wind.
But no, goddamit, people have sponsored me - no way I'm giving up yet. After the first feed stop (at about 55km) the road turns east, so now I have a tailwind. A welcome relief, but still some short, sharp (given my condition) climbs. Succour comes about 20k from the finish with pretty much all of it downhill. Although this was tempered by the conditions - wet leaves everywhere. One final climb through Dunster. Short, but the camel didn't need anymore straw. Then the final, headwind slowed, drag to the finish.

4:56, 352nd place (out of nearly 1100 starters). Silver standard. Given how bad I was feeling, not too bad. But not that good either, when the recce 2 weeks before had taken under 3:30 to do 80k & not far off the same amount of climbing.
The doctor got 4:20 & gold standard. Git.

So, my hardest day ever on a bike - both physically & mentally - and the "I tamed the Beast" top will have to wait until another time. No way I tamed it; a draw at best. Next year...

cjcp

That sounds nothing but pain and misery. Good going.

roger_merriman

those of a delicate dispostion might want to turn away as this involves knobbly tires...

after getting the MTB ready last week and going for a test ride around Esher/Oxshott woods .

Today was the day for swinley as per normal it's a case of find a likely looking bit of single track and follow until it runs out and then find another and so on. lots of burms and lumps and bumps to scoot over. and one very over dramatic sign on the sandy cutting, which considering it's hardly hard stuff is a tad over the top.

but silly signs aside great fun and the coffee wasn't bad in the look out either.

itboffin

roger merriman wrote:

those of a delicate dispostion might want to turn away as this involves knobbly tires...

after getting the MTB ready last week and going for a test ride around Esher/Oxshott woods .

Today was the day for swinley as per normal it's a case of find a likely looking bit of single track and follow until it runs out and then find another and so on. lots of burms and lumps and bumps to scoot over. and one very over dramatic sign on the sandy cutting, which considering it's hardly hard stuff is a tad over the top.

but silly signs aside great fun and the coffee wasn't bad in the look out either.

Dude you appear to have some kind of ladies handbag attached to the seatpost/saddle area of that BSO :P

roger_merriman

yup does seem to a fairly large one (ooh err) could get away with a smaller one, and probably will when the straps go.

regarding ladies bikes, I did see the same bike in teddington high street set up as a shopper, big basket at front, etc.......

cjcp

Went to Cardiff this weekend, so entered a 'cross race organised by a local club, Cardiff Jif.

Turned out to be a very muddy, very technical course just off the Taff trail. I couldn't see much of the front mech at the end (largely because I'd stacked the bike three times down the slopes - two in front of the cameras, so tried to make them "Hollywood" falls" ).

Seemed to be a very good turnout. The spectators were excellent. Decided to take the family along. As my youngest was more interested in playing in the leaves on route to the start line, I didn't get a chance to do a practice lap, so didn't know what was ahead of me.

The course was narrow, so not a great deal of opportunity for overtaking. Which meant that my imbecilic enthusiasm took over and I that's when I came off. I did a quality overtake - three riders - only to see them oertake me when we had to jump two obstacles - my bike handling is pants, and it's taking some time to get used to the SPDs. They got really clogged up too. Grrr.

So, after another off and more appallingly slow dismounts and remounts, I was quickly down the pan. I wondered if I had too much air in my tyres, so stopped to deflate them a bit. That seemed to do the trick, as well as more conserative riding :oops: . Settled into a nice cadence on the inner ring and I managed to claw back a few places, but would be surprised if there were any more than 10 riders behind me.

Awesome racing. Highly recommend it.

Roastie

cjcp wrote:

Went to Cardiff this weekend, so entered a 'cross race organised by a local club, Cardiff Jif.

Rock on! Sounds like you had a ball!

Some of my more experienced 'cross racing friends reckon that it is better not to do a warm-up/practice/recce as at least that way you get to do the first lap "mud free"....

benno68

Nice one CJ - I didn't know anything was happening, I'd have gone along to watch!

I lost the plot in September/October and finally got back on the bike last Thursday night after 6 weeks, did the same route last night. Leckwith - Llandaff North - Rhiwbina - Llanishen - Cyncoed and back through Penylan, 20 miles. It took me 1hr20 on Thurs and 1hr11 yesterday. I'll probably stick to this route for a while as it's an easy one.

I avoided Leckwith Hill but my heart rate peaked at 183 (the highest it's ever been). So it seems like I'm back to square one as far as fitness is concerned, the little speed I had has also dropped.

On the positive side, I feel a lot better for getting back out on the bike as it's seemed like all work and no play for quite a while.

Hope everyone's keeping fit and well. I'll have to catch up on the old posts and see what you've all been up to.

cjcp

Wondered where you'd gone! Welcome back!

It chucked it down on Saturday. Did you go out on Sunday afternoon? Beautiful blue skies about.

benno68

Ummm - was under orders to put some wall units up on Sunday, but managed to get out for an hour or so on Sunday evening.

It feels like I'm back to square one now, so 60 to 90 minutes is enough for me at the moment.

By the way, they've resurfaced Llandough Hill - easily 35mph plus now, I reckon 40mph in the dry

cjcp

Well, it's winter now, so plenty of time to get the endurance up again.

I thought the road layout looked new when I passed the Merrier Harrier yesterday on the way home. 'Bout time too. They need to do Penarth Road now - on the stretch down the hill to Tredz.

The Running Man

Couldn't agree with you more about Penarth Road. Rode from Cowbridge through Cardiff and up to Caerphilly again to see my folks a couple of weeks ago and it was worse than the A4 into Bath - and that's like riding the wrong way over corrugated iron sheeting.

Sounds like a nice route round Cardiff Benno, though I guess you'll have to venture up Rhiwbina or Leckwith Hill at some point ?? Leave that til the sunny days of spring maybe

Just get as much time on the bike as you can :

Going to be down in Caerphilly again in a couple of weeks so I'll be doing the mountain again - that'll be nice :roll: :roll: :roll:

benno68

CJ - the new road layout by the Harriers has caught a couple of people out, that was completed a few months ago after they completed the removal of the roundabout at the Barons Court (top of Penarth Road).

I usually miss out the really dodgy stretch of Penarth Road by going down Llandough Hill, it is bad and there's a nice deep groove going down towards Tredz, just wide enough to get your tyre in. Fingers crossed that they will resurface that section soon but my main wish is for them to resurface Leckwith Hill

Running Man, I was going up Leckwith Hill 4-5 days a week in the summer, didn't seem to get any easier but I guess I was probably going fractionally quicker after a while. I'll get back on it soon but need a week or two, I've been up Rhiwbina Hill too, not ready for that yet either.

You never know I may even try that easy hill (cough cough) from Thornhill in a few weeks :shock:

cjcp

Short ride with JG in Richmond Park this morning. Fortunately, the rain stopped and the sun came out just as we started.

jonginge

cjcp wrote:

Short ride with JG in Richmond Park this morning. Fortunately, the rain stopped and the sun came out just as we started.

Short but early. Met Chris at Sheen Cross rbt at 7:30 :shock:

Quite a few unscheduled deflations in the park early doors. Unfortunately, the recipients of the PF's affections were not really prepared. One triathlete was on tubs, punctured at kingston gate, had no spare and needed to get to roehampton gate...

lost_in_thought

Managed a 44-mile loop today, although the fairy visited me at about 12m, then again at 33m, and I didn't have a second spare tube. Turns out 1 cylinder of co2 takes you about 4 miles, and speedplays still suck to walk in.

don_don

lost_in_thought wrote:

Managed a 44-mile loop today, although the fairy visited me at about 12m, then again at 33m, and I didn't have a second spare tube. Turns out 1 cylinder of co2 takes you about 4 miles, and speedplays still suck to walk in.

LiT - have you got any of these?

Godsend for walking in and preventing 'speedplay related arse/ground interface effect' :oops:

Rich158

Had a fun loop this morning, a relatively gentle 35 miles only cut short due to numerous visits from the puncture fairy. The recent weather made for some interesting riding, especially as the ride took in some very steep, wooded descents that were covered in leaves and slimy as hell. I've now decided I need a huge dose of MTFU, my rather nervous descending was put to shame by an old fella who flew down the hills like it was dry, and the roads were shut :shock: Still it was great to get out on a bike with gears and attack a few hills