Ride Reports

itboffin

Why is that there's always a car behind me and one coming from the other direction just as I approach raised iron works or large pot holes???

Every damn time :evil:

CiB

Did a family party on Saturday night, then waved off the wife & boys from m'parents farm on Sunday lunchtime as she's taken them oop t'grim north to see Grandma & Grandad for a couple of days, leaving me to my own devices and having to ride the 46 miles to get back back down here.

Gotta say I really didn't fancy it at the off - there was a headwind, & I just wasn't up for it tbh. It turned out to be one of those rides where it all works. Once past the initial couple of miles and the first decent climb the legs settled into the rhythm and keeping up a steady 20-23mph on the flat was an absolute doddle. There are some decent little climbs on the way which have caused a struggle in the past, but yesterday even with a headwind they were flatter and easier, esp the two longish hills between Weedon & Towcester on the A5 - the message on these boards and elsewhere about keeping the cadence up is bang on. Spin those pedals and what used to be 6 - 7 mph struggle is suddenly a 10-12 mph challenge. The miles disappeared, so much so that just to hit the 50 I carried on for a bit longer adding another 6 mile loop making it 52 from farm gate to garage door, taking 3h 7m to do it. It was thoroughly enjoyable, esp so getting back to a deserted house for a change.

As a bonus, the run to work this morning flashed past. 20 isn't even half of 52 and it seemed so much easier, almost like a 15 minute amble, even if it did actually take 1h 5m. Good job my squash oppo has had to cancel tonight though.

CiB

biondino wrote:

...he used the old "but you don't pay road tax" line, at which point I gleefully recited the fact that council tax pays for roads and "road tax" pays for pollution...

Try pointing out the VED isn't some form of protection racket, non-payment of which doesn't grant other road users the right to inflict injury & mayhem on cyclists with impunity. It bugs me, this idea that some drivers have that paying an arbitrary amount of dosh to the govt allows any simian-brained halfwit the right to knock someone off a bike because he [probably] hasn't paid.

Or another tack - that VED for zero-emission vehicles is £0, or my favourite - I have paid, twice. Once for my car which is sitting at home not creating congestion or pollution, and once for our other car. Etc. Usually any statement of fact along those lines is just met with aggro or a dismissive gesture, so prob best to produce an AK47 from your saddle bag and take the waste-of-space out. Can we still do that here?

roger_merriman

itboffin wrote:

Why is that there's always a car behind me and one coming from the other direction just as I approach raised iron works or large pot holes???

Every damn time :evil:

it's like the pinch point even in the car you see a bike and yes one always catches up at the pinch point with out fail....

itboffin

The plan 88 miles taking in all the biggest hills in Wiltshire and pacing myself, keep the speed low and eat drink regularly, easy on the downhills, watch the HR.

Nope! didn't happen, I managed to keep the pace slow which is actually more difficult than it might seem and in most cases I kept control of my HR also more difficult but the strong gusts and headwinds put paid to the planned 88 miles that and the increased amount of traffic along the B roads, damn Easter holidays :evil: still Avebury circle was nice if a little crowded, when the wind did drop it was very pleasant, still glad I wore my winter bib tights (DHB) and lightweight jacket (Polaris Satellite) plus merino socks.

All in all a very picturesque days ride, 65 miles in total just a shame about the wind, as per usual :evil:

No sign of the predicted rain, BBC & Metoffice you BLOW!!!! try looking out the window.

roger_merriman

was a bit windy wasn't it i'm down at my sisters so went for a quick spin up cheddar gorge

not a steep climb but goats and impressive cliffs at least that close to the road any how!

Rich158

Up and out at 7 this morning, what a mistake as it was cold misty and started to drizzle, and then the puncture fairy paid me a visit

Even so it was a good ride, out in the lanes, in the mist, with a complete sense of isolation from the rest of the world was rather odd, but actually rather comforting in a bizarre sort of way. Just me the bike and the road

Still 35 miles in 2 hrs, and 2500ft of climbing made for a good ride including a couple of 20%ers which really tested the legs. Now just kicking back and savouring that post ride ache that says you've worked hard

itboffin

37 miles of wind and drizzle, lost in the same place again (Linsen & BoB) but wow!!! how much traffic was on the roads today???? I've never seen so many cars, it was like driving on a motorway, most unpleasant.

Thankfully only one idiot driver

Still a little afternoon nap after dinner was just the ticket

Rich158

An angry ride this morning, the hills didn't stand a chance.

First came 25%, then 16% leading up to 20%, the 1 mile slow grind, the 16%er and then another 20% effort. All in 50 miles and 3500ft of vertical ascent, god the legs suffered but it felt soooooo goood

Also held 28-30mph through some lanes for some excilerating twisty turny fun. There's nothing like heading for a bend at 30 and carving through it and trusting your judgement that the road ahead is clear. Pure adrenaline rush

The only downside was the drag back home, I usually pile along it at 25mph plus, and ride the 5 miles or so like a time trial. Unfortunately the puncture fairy had other ideas :twisted:

Still, all in all a good day, 50 miles, 3500ft of stiff climbing all in 39x25, and an average speed a shade under 17 mph magic

itboffin

Rich158 sounds like you really found your flow today it's great when that happens.

After a slow start morning, pootling around the garage and generally getting in the wifes way I finally got ready and went for a ride, less than two miles in and one drop of rain fell on my face so in true fair-weather style I turned around heading home :oops:

A quick MTFU I changed my mind and and off I went with no route planned, I took to the rolling back lanes for some BIG RING fun - 31 miles later and not once did I use the small ring, in fact I managed a number of my usual small hills with unused rear sprockets and good speed.

Truly was one of those days were I could have gone on and on.

cjcp

itboffin wrote:

- 31 miles later

How did you cycle negative miles?

Thankyou; thankyouverymuch. :P

itboffin

cjcp wrote:

itboffin wrote:

- 31 miles later

How did you cycle negative miles?

Thankyou; thankyouverymuch. :P

Backwards

benno68

Went out yesterday, I prepared in advance by peeling all the veg the night before for Easter lunch

We had great weather for it in South Wales. Managed my best top speed at 45mph - alright it was down a hell of a hill! Within 8 miles I was into some lovely country side and being out on the bike felt brilliant!

I was pleased with 29.5 miles in 90 minutes, the furthest I've been so far but I reckon I'll have do do a few more before trying for 50.

cjcp

Where did you go?

benno68

cjcp wrote:

Where did you go?

From Llandough down Leckwith Hill, that was the 45mph bit. Up Llandaff Road - Llantrissant Road to the end, then left towards to Pendoylan and up to the A48, down 5 Mile Lane into Barry, through Barry then to Cosmeston and home.

If you fancy a pootle around next time your down here on a Sunday (my only day off), gimme a shout.

linsen

I rode my bike yesterday

7.7 miles :oops:
But I did try out my new saddle and discover that I have sit bones hiding under all that flesh....

In m defence I have been hard at work being a good and attentive mother this school holiday. It is hard to mother well when you are fliying along on a bike. I have instead been riding with the children - did you know it is actually possible to ride 7 miles at an average speed of 4mph?

lost_in_thought

I rode to and from the pub. This rest period thing had better pay dividends tomorrow or there's going to be trouble!

Christophe3967

No cycling whatsoever this weekend due to useless weather , so relieved to wake up this morning and find it grey but dry. Managed to sneak in a cheeky 40 miles round RP before breakfast and anyone noticing I'd gone. Failed the sub 60 minutes 3 lap challenge by 39 seconds - hopelessly out of shape and starting to really worry about the Dragon Ride. But at least I managed to get down Broomfield Hill without braking and broke the 60kph barrier on the way down. Also failed to keep the average pace for the ride above 30kph (29.9) so need to give myself a talking to. This weekend was supposed to include a 100 miler

cjcp

Christophe3967 wrote:

No cycling whatsoever this weekend due to useless weather , so relieved to wake up this morning and find it grey but dry. Managed to sneak in a cheeky 40 miles round RP before breakfast and anyone noticing I'd gone. Failed the sub 60 minutes 3 lap challenge by 39 seconds - hopelessly out of shape and starting to really worry about the Dragon Ride. But at least I managed to get down Broomfield Hill without braking and broke the 60kph barrier on the way down. Also failed to keep the average pace for the ride above 30kph (29.9) so need to give myself a talking to. This weekend was supposed to include a 100 miler

Plenty of things to smile about here:

1. 60 mins around RP is not a sign of being hopelessly out of shape whatsoever;
2. Your time around RP is an accurate guide of one thing: your time RP. The Dragon Ride is not a TT and is a completely different course.
3. a cheeky 40 miles is a good base ride for the Dragon when you're 9 weeks out.



I rode the Dragon two weeks after child no. 2 was born on the back of three months' commuting, one Flanders, some three lap stints of RP and two forays into the Surrey Hills all year, three if you include the March Ballbuster.

I started to feel short of training on the downhill when you turn off for the long or short route (I actually turned off for the short, then thought, MTFU, and turned round to do the long one). It was my first timed sportive and I set off up the Rhigos and Bwlch with too much enthusiasm. My gears were also out so I couldn't hold the right gear through the Beacons to comfortably remain with a group (the top man from Tredz at the 90 milke feed stop sorted my gears before the Cimla and final Bwlch climbs). I was also overheating due to a stupid rain jacket I had, so the time I spent trying to get my breath back at the 60mile feed stop or whatever it was meant I missed the group and was on my own for the next 30 odd miles.

I think you're way ahead of where I was in terms of training, clothing and general common sense, so you shouldn't have anything to worry about.

itboffin

It started off beautiful blue sky no breeze, dressed for a proper spring day I made my way slowly for all of 200 yards before I put the hammer down and immediately hit the mid 20s, the pace for today's ride had been set bang went all my careful planning, 1 mile in I claim my first two scalps, a father & daughter :twisted: :roll: closing like a ballistic missile I held behind them @ 4mph until they noticed me, passed with another cheery hello and a "nice day for it!" back into the high 20s and off for a glorious couple of miles slightly downhill section aka ML start.

20 miles into my ride and I was avg 19 mph having taken in a number of killer local hills, it truly was one of those perfect rides, everything just worked, I was connected to the bike as one, the whole ride so far had been a big ring fest! actively looking for the next big hill or long climb I was grinning from ear to ear, surely this is why we all cycle

As I side note I took twelve scalps today including two full club clad riders, one from Andover wheelers on a beautiful steel with carbon aero forks, If you're reading sorry I shot off unannounced up that hill but something just clicked and I was away plus I was running tight for time Oh! and CX bikes with road wheels are much better for MEGA hill climbs, it's all in the gearing not that I needed half mine on that hill :twisted:

At the mid way point I felt like I just warmed up and was raring to go but alas I had only one hour before I was needed at home typical!

Turning left rather than right towards the planned Highclere sportive route I told myself I'd had a good run and that I'd recover home as if.....!

Within minutes I was pushing hard with little or no effort and again into the 20s UPHILL people UPHILL woooohahahahahah :twisted:

The blood was by now pouring down my arms from all the scalps, which I might add were all bona fide apart from the first two of the day, my heart went out to the gent in full club kit obviously riding with his family (your scalps are safe) the expression on your face as I passed and the no doubt fire in your legs is punishment enough - the things we do for family.

I could go on and on needless to say today was one of those totally hooked up rides, all the speed none of the pain.

Here's looking forward to what tomorrow brings..........................

cjcp

Benno68 wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Where did you go?

From Llandough down Leckwith Hill, that was the 45mph bit. Up Llandaff Road - Llantrissant Road to the end, then left towards to Pendoylan and up to the A48, down 5 Mile Lane into Barry, through Barry then to Cosmeston and home.

If you fancy a pootle around next time your down here on a Sunday (my only day off), gimme a shout.

Cool. Sunday morning is probably the best bet as I tend to come back up on Sunday afternoon.

Yep, Leckwith Hill is a bit quick. The loose gravel on it makes me a little nervous, so I tend to go down Penarth Rd, out to Llantrisant Rd by your route, and onto Creigiau and P-super-Ely, back along the A48, turn off at Dyffryn and through the lanes to Gilby's and back to Penarth via Wenvoe, St Andrews Major and then either Barry (your way) or Dinas and up Redlands Rd. I'd be staying about two mins ride from Cosmeston. I'll put into Bikely and send you it if you're interested.

There's also a road along the coast from Rhoose to Llantwit Major - but that was really hard going with a belter of an onshore breeze :shock: - and you can head into Cowbridge for a cake stop.

cjcp

Short pootle in the park with JonGinge tonight - just a couple of laps before/during sundown. Lovely evening.

itboffin

cjcp wrote:

Short pootle in the park with JonGinge tonight - just a couple of laps before/during sundown. Lovely evening.

BBQ with friends from the village tonight and no one to tell my stories of the perfect ride I'm considering joining a club now

Plan on doing the Highclere again tomorrow

itboffin

Watching the Paris Roubaix now and eyeing up the local CC hill climb times :shock:

Christophe3967

cjcp wrote:

Short pootle in the park with JonGinge tonight - just a couple of laps before/during sundown. Lovely evening.

You boys chose the right time to get out there, at least there was some sunshine. I'd already shot my bolt as it were.

Thanks btw for the words of encouragment. I'm happy that I'll get round OK, just prefer to be in the pub before closing time

gert_lush

sunshine...oh we love sunshine

Fiday Bristol to Croyde (over the Quantocks and through Exmoor)
Saturday cheeky ride around the coast in woolacombe morthoe barnstaple area
Sunday Croyde to Bristol (same route)
Monday Cheeky Dundry - chew magna ride followed by a whip around Aston court on the MTB

End Easter result 1 Brown face, 2 brown legs and 280 miles and pretty dam tired...job done :):):)

Christophe3967

gert_lush wrote:

sunshine...oh we love sunshine

Fiday Bristol to Croyde (over the Quantocks and through Exmoor)
Saturday cheeky ride around the coast in woolacombe morthoe barnstaple area
Sunday Croyde to Bristol (same route)
Monday Cheeky Dundry - chew magna ride followed by a whip around Aston court on the MTB

End Easter result 1 Brown face, 2 brown legs and 280 miles and pretty dam tired...job done :):):)

OK, go on then, gloat.

I'd heard reports that the weather in the W Country wasn't too bad. I decided to stay in London, where it rained. What a great decision that was.

gert_lush

Christophe3967 wrote:

gert_lush wrote:

sunshine...oh we love sunshine

Fiday Bristol to Croyde (over the Quantocks and through Exmoor)
Saturday cheeky ride around the coast in woolacombe morthoe barnstaple area
Sunday Croyde to Bristol (same route)
Monday Cheeky Dundry - chew magna ride followed by a whip around Aston court on the MTB

End Easter result 1 Brown face, 2 brown legs and 280 miles and pretty dam tired...job done :):):)

OK, go on then, gloat.

I'd heard reports that the weather in the W Country wasn't too bad. I decided to stay in London, where it rained. What a great decision that was.

I'm sorry...it was great though
Was a bit foggy and low cloud around lunchtime on the friday over Exmoor but by mid afternoon at the coast it was great..and carried on that way much better than the weather forecast had predicted

Feltup

Yesterday was my planned big ride before the taper towards the Fred Whitton. That almost sounds like I know how to train and have a clue what I am doing! Truth be told I wanted to hurt myself and see how I coped to assess if I had any chance of doing the FW without any walking. I deliberately used my Aksiums with 11-23 block so that come the FW I know I have a couple of extra gears for Hardknott (good in theory!)

I parked up at Chatsworth and headed the couple of miles down towards the A6 before turning left for the first climb of the day. Check out the gradient table in the link http://www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php?id=6206 hmmm, perhaps not the way to warm up! The climb actually went better than expected and my lungs were still in my rib cage so time for the blast down to the valley. 40mph and a good test of late hard braking to make the hairpin they always put at the bottom of the hills around here!

I should have taken more notice of my directions as I dropped off the next peak in the wrong direction and gave myself 5 extra miles because of it. Back on track and I was on some of the prettiest lanes I have cycled. There did seem to be more traffic on them than I expected and then I found out why. On the top of one of the hills above Buxton was a racing circuit where a stock car event (the ones that look a bit like dune buggies but with huge spoilers on their roofs) was taking place.

Shortly after this I bumped into cyclist who was also training for the FW. We tapped along together up to the Cat and Fiddle both expressing our concerns and comparing gear ratios. Sorry mate, I didn't get your name but hopefully I'll see you again in a month. He dropped in to the Cat and I dropped down Trentabank to tackle Toot Hill. It is pretty steep but much shorter than I was expecting and much easier than the climb over to the Goyt Valley which is not quite as steep but goes on.........................................

The Cat and Fiddle descent to Macclesfield was fun as I was out cornering most vehicles including a biker and kept up all the way down past numerous police staking out the road. That has to be the most heavily policed road I have ever been on. I even checked my computer just to make sure I was legal

Goyt Valley next and what a beautiful area that is. I really recommend the road from Errwood Resevoir up to the Cat and Fiddle, nice steady gradient and really stunning scenery. If you have kids or can borrow some then this has to be one of the best looking streams for messing about in!

I decided to really test my legs by doing the Goyt climb again so dropped down to the start of it via Lamaload. If any of you read the Sportive section of the Road Forum you will know that Napolean D had a bad crash here and now I can see why. The bottom corner is horrible! Bad surface and very tight left hander at the bottom of a 20% hill makes life tricky. It really isn't a nice descent. The Goyt climb turned into a square pedalling bonanza as my legs complained constantly and the climb out from Errwood towards Buxton was evil too, fairly steep and straight as an arrow so you can see exactly how slowly you are going

The rest of the ride was the usual mix of rolling hills and stunning lanes returning me back to Chatsworth. What a ride. Not the quickest at only 14.5mph average but my comp gave me just over 93 miles and my altimeter said 3260m ascent so I am not too un happy with the speed. Feeling it today with some heavy legs

benno68

cjcp wrote:

Benno68 wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Where did you go?

From Llandough down Leckwith Hill, that was the 45mph bit. Up Llandaff Road - Llantrissant Road to the end, then left towards to Pendoylan and up to the A48, down 5 Mile Lane into Barry, through Barry then to Cosmeston and home.

If you fancy a pootle around next time your down here on a Sunday (my only day off), gimme a shout.

Cool. Sunday morning is probably the best bet as I tend to come back up on Sunday afternoon.

Yep, Leckwith Hill is a bit quick. The loose gravel on it makes me a little nervous, so I tend to go down Penarth Rd, out to Llantrisant Rd by your route, and onto Creigiau and P-super-Ely, back along the A48, turn off at Dyffryn and through the lanes to Gilby's and back to Penarth via Wenvoe, St Andrews Major and then either Barry (your way) or Dinas and up Redlands Rd. I'd be staying about two mins ride from Cosmeston. I'll put into Bikely and send you it if you're interested.

There's also a road along the coast from Rhoose to Llantwit Major - but that was really hard going with a belter of an onshore breeze :shock: - and you can head into Cowbridge for a cake stop.

Nice one, I think 30 - 35 miles is probably my limit at the moment so any route would be good.

I know the road Llantwit - Rhoose well. In fact the final ride I had before my 15 year break involved that road, a nightmare if the wind is against you.