Ride Reports

optimisticbiker

itboffin wrote:

First ride of the year and not a bad one either, a tad breezy and wet but nothing my 'head to toe' Castelli couldnt handle 8)

Boy have I lost fitness over these last couple of months, tiny hill/ramp after tiny hill/ramp I struggled :oops:

Yes, felt the same on the 5 days over Xmas... but got a ride in on Boxing Day, New Years Eve and today...

Today's was hard though despite the lovely sunshine. 50miles of hilly route round the eastern Chilterns (Rickmansworth, The Chalfonts, Stoke Poges and back through Denham). Got cramp, probably cos I didnt drink enough in the first hour or so, so had to ride 10miles uphill into the wind using mainly one leg

I don't know if its the extra 2kg I've put on over Xmas or what, but after 25miles my backside and back of upper thigh were aching something rotten (and still are ) yet I've ridden 100miles on this bike before with no probs. So walking up stairs at the moment is somewhat painful and i need to bike to work tomorrow (and the weather's going to be pants as well)

Gussio

Rode up the Great Orme in Llandudno day after Boxing Day. Followed the tram tracks up a 20% incline. 207m to the summit. Had to lie down at the top and struggled not to throw up. By far the steepest thing that I have ridden and I won't be looking for anything steeper.

Gussio

Quite possibly irresponsible, but I hit a personal record for decending Broomfield in the dark sans casque at 9pm yesterday. 38mph which is 0.5mph faster than previous PB in the dark. Assuming speed limit doesn't apply once the gates are shut. Strangely life-affirming.

veronese68

Gussio wrote:

Quite possibly irresponsible, but I hit a personal record for decending Broomfield in the dark sans casque at 9pm yesterday. 38mph which is 0.5mph faster than previous PB in the dark. Assuming speed limit doesn't apply once the gates are shut. Strangely life-affirming.

Had you been drinking? That's not meant in a sanctimonious way.
One of my colleagues gave up cycling home from Kingston when he realised he'd gone down there at silly speed but had no recollection of it. It was only looking at his computer he realised how fast he'd been. Booze would definitely make me more relaxed going down there in the dark. But then, I am a big jessie.

Gussio

Veronese68 wrote:

Gussio wrote:

Quite possibly irresponsible, but I hit a personal record for decending Broomfield in the dark sans casque at 9pm yesterday. 38mph which is 0.5mph faster than previous PB in the dark. Assuming speed limit doesn't apply once the gates are shut. Strangely life-affirming.

Had you been drinking? That's not meant in a sanctimonious way.
One of my colleagues gave up cycling home from Kingston when he realised he'd gone down there at silly speed but had no recollection of it. It was only looking at his computer he realised how fast he'd been. Booze would definitely make me more relaxed going down there in the dark. But then, I am a big jessie.

I'm boring and don't drink. Do most of my training in the park at night, after the kids have gone to sleep.

veronese68

Sounds entirely sensible. I worry about the deer, I wish they were all like Rudolph or would wear reflectives. Even with a bright light I sometimes find them quite hard to spot.

Gussio

I keep an eye out for the deer, helped by Ayup lights (one beam angled at the road and the other up slighly). TBH there is only one incident that I can remember, when one of the big Red stags walked across the road like he owned the place

Plenty of wildlife at night and quite rare to see other cyclists, especially Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. Yesterday I saw a couple of foxes, rabbits, deer and an owl. With next to no wind, a full moon and dry roads, it was pretty much perfect.

The Running Man

Did a lovely hilly ride last Fri : Clyffe Pypard, followed by Hackpen, then from Ramsbury over that horrid little climb to drop down into Froxfield, through Savernake across to Pewsey and up Oare Hill, then from Marlborough up to the top of Alton Barnes, across to Devizes and Lacock and home up Bowden Hill.

Doing reps of the Bwlch and the Rhigos this Sunday as the start of the Etape prep : lucky me :roll: :roll: :roll:

Gussio

The Running Man wrote:

Doing reps of the Bwlch and the Rhigos this Sunday as the start of the Etape prep : lucky me :roll: :roll: :roll:

Which Acte of the Etape are you doing? I've signed up for Acte 1 and am still trying to get my head around what a decent training plan ought to look like.

The Running Man

I'm doing Acte II so the small matter of 200 kms and 5 feckin climbs .....

Anyway we're parking at the top of the Bwlch near the Ice cream van : then riding down into Treorchy and then ascending the Rhigos 3 times : then ride back up to the car, pick up water food etc and then ride down to the bottom of the Cimla / Bwlch and repeat 3 times, then if light and energy permit drop down the other side of the Bwlch and back up again.

(Actually we may only complete 2 sets and work up to 3 or 4 by the summer)

It doesn't sound much fun but once you get into the rythm its not too bad - seriously - and is the closest within sensible driving distance to the long Pyreneen climbs.

We're planning to do this about twice per month from now til July. The 1st couple of times will just be about completing the ascents but again as we get towards May / June we'll inevitably start timing it as well ....

Remember my pal and I are probably doing 1200+ miles per month so our base fitness is pretty good considering we're both in our mid-fifties. This plan is all about conditioning ourselves mentally and partly physically for the scale of the climbing (he said hopefully .....)

Gussio

Sounds like "fun" training

Acte I is shorters, but with possibly tougher climbing. A vertical mile in the first 40km is going to be challenging. Can't wait

The mental side of things, that you mention, seems to be the trickiest thing to replicate in this country. Turbo trainers are often recommended. I tried the turbo at the weekend, but didn't really get on with it. At the same time, family and work committments mean that I will do well to match even half of your monthly mileage. Something will have to give (probably my spirit on 8th July!)

The Running Man

Yep the climbing in Act I looks evil

I don't honestly think the turbo cuts it and anyway I ride my bike cos I like riding my bike so I'd far rather be on the road than indoors.

I think it's as much a case of settling into a rhythm and staying there and not giving into the temptation to get out of the saddle and fight the ruddy hills. It'll certainly help having a couple of pals around to "disassociate" from the effort for a while and when I was running I was able to change the meaning of the pain and discomfort I was feeling into positive motivation.

Oh and one teeny weeny alteration to my bike set-up I shall be making is to stick on a triple. My pal who did last years said he was given some slightly snooty looks at the start for having running a triple but half way up the last climb the only looks he got were sheer envy!!

Gussio

The Running Man wrote:

Oh and one teeny weeny alteration to my bike set-up I shall be making is to stick on a triple. My pal who did last years said he was given some slightly snooty looks at the start for having running a triple but half way up the last climb the only looks he got were sheer envy!!

Hmmm......my brother bought me a triple for Christmas (we are riding the etape together) and I asked him to take it back. Was planning on surviving with a compact and investing in 11-28 for the back. Perhaps I should reconsider.....

il_principe

You won't need a triple for Acte 2. A compact will suffice for the Pyrenees. IME the best bet training wise is to bang out decent length rides on the flat but at high intensity, combine that with a couple of good sportives. There's no point in trying to replicate something like the Tourmalet, the Bwlch etc doesn't even come close. Ultimately you just need to get in a good rhythm and make sure your head is in the right place. IME the mental side of it is of equal importance - you will be climbing for a long time and if conditions are bad then you can get disheartened. I actually wore my iPod on the Etape as I prefer climbing with music. Sadly the constant rain killed the earbuds and dampened my spirit somewhat!

cjcp

Gussio wrote:

The Running Man wrote:

Oh and one teeny weeny alteration to my bike set-up I shall be making is to stick on a triple. My pal who did last years said he was given some slightly snooty looks at the start for having running a triple but half way up the last climb the only looks he got were sheer envy!!

Hmmm......my brother bought me a triple for Christmas (we are riding the etape together) and I asked him to take it back. Was planning on surviving with a compact and investing in 11-28 for the back. Perhaps I should reconsider.....

You'll be fine with a compact and an 11-28. I'm hardly a climber's build and I've never needed a triple. A 27 would've been nice on ADH first time round on the Marmotte, but that's it.

Gussio

OK - advice on the internet is rarely wrong, so I will stick with a compact

Doesn't look *that* hilly....

jzed

Gussio wrote:

OK - advice on the internet is rarely wrong, so I will stick with a compact

I lugged my 105kilos up the cols on Marmotte with a Compact with a 11-28 so you should be fine.

roger_merriman

Gussio wrote:

The Running Man wrote:

Oh and one teeny weeny alteration to my bike set-up I shall be making is to stick on a triple. My pal who did last years said he was given some slightly snooty looks at the start for having running a triple but half way up the last climb the only looks he got were sheer envy!!

Hmmm......my brother bought me a triple for Christmas (we are riding the etape together) and I asked him to take it back. Was planning on surviving with a compact and investing in 11-28 for the back. Perhaps I should reconsider.....

as others have said you should be fine. road Triples are about one gear lower than a compact. their main advantage is a better spread of gears than lower gears.

Kieran_Burns

Lord - I feel quite pathetic mentioning my first ride out yesterday.

I've sorted out a 100 mile circuit that I'm going to build up to (my house to Parlsey Hay and back) and yesterday I went out for my first loop.

I've designed the main route to allow for smaller loops so I can build up to the biggie and the first one took me to just outside of Etwall on the other side of Derby - total mileage was a paltry 45 miles and I kind of messed up the food (as in I didn't take any and boy did I suffer for the last 10 miles)

Howevr, I've found some great new cycle routes and the actual cycling was fun as there was such a huge variety of roads / off road / cycle route / bridleway to take in.

One really great and one really bizarre thing happened while out:

Great: cycling down the bridleway (remember that one I used to do and loved so much?) came to the middle bridlegate and noticed the back half of a rear light sat on top of the post. As I'm negotiating the gates, this older guys cycles up coming the other way, looking a bit peeved off. We got chatting and he mentioned he'd lost his brand new back light and couldn't find it anywhere....

"What that one on top of the post there?"

The look on his face was priceless!

Bizarre: I'm returning back through Mickleover and get passed by an Astra which promptly pulls over and this rather large chap gets out. I'm a little non-plussed (as I'm right opposite the road where my ex-mother-in-law lives...) and am just wondering what's happening when he calls out my name and I realise it's my cycling buddy from work!!! (Rob) 20 odd miles from home in a random suburb of Derby and I meet the guy I cycle to/from work with....

Several things to note: there are some bloody awful stretches of road around here. Some of the cycle paths are shameful (going to vid these next time and report them) - just look like an afterthought. I need to lose weight - the last little climbs near killed me and I know it's bacause I'm carrying extra weight.
I need to do that run again - it's going to be a REALLY good circuit.

davis

Up at 7. Drive over to my riding buddy's house with the MTB in the back. Saddle up, pick up another guy on the way through, then a long annoying hill up to a local common with an enjoyable downhill trail the other side. Attempt to hammer down another gulley, end up stacking it base-over-apex and landing with the bike pointing up the trail. I'm ok, but muscles stiffened up immediately. Continued the ride, and met another group. Stood around chatting just long enough for my back to seize up properly, but quite near the end by then.

Overall, about 12 miles over commons and through forests. Glorious morning out :-)

The Running Man

Crap Sunday : on my way to the Bwlch and had a call from SWMBO to say to say one of our cats was seriously ill and had developed sudden paralysis of her back legs : turned round and headed back to the house and turns out it's a blood clot and though she's with the vets she's not recovering so we're going to have to make a tough decision about her today or tomorrow.

Added to which I saw a pheasant get hit in the road on the way to work and it was very badly injued and in a lot of distress so I had to stop and wring it's neck to put it out of its pain.

Pretty sh*t all round ....

Gussio

The Running Man wrote:

Crap Sunday : on my way to the Bwlch and had a call from SWMBO to say to say one of our cats was seriously ill and had developed sudden paralysis of her back legs : turned round and headed back to the house and turns out it's a blood clot and though she's with the vets she's not recovering so we're going to have to make a tough decision about her today or tomorrow.

Added to which I saw a pheasant get hit in the road on the way to work and it was very badly injued and in a lot of distress so I had to stop and wring it's neck to put it out of its pain.

Pretty sh*t all round ....

Hope that the rest of the weeks works out better - good luck with the moggy.

cjcp

Crumbs, that's not great. +1 for good luck with the cat.

il_principe

I made it to RP this morning. The boss is in Dubai so I figured I could get in 2 laps and then be a tad late for work. There was a fair bit of traffic in the park at around 08:30, but it was a beautiful morning. Managed 1 CW and 1 ACW, both just over the 20 min mark - which considering traffic, the cold and the time of day, I'm fairly happy with. No competition to speak of. Saw a few roadies out but always going the other way to me.

Swapped bikes at home for the ride in, fully expecting to get done, but still no competition to speak of. Made it to work just in time to take delivery of my new Prendas overshoes (thank god). Lost all feeling in my toes this morning and on Saturday's ride. My non-thermal DHB bibs were also the wrong choice this am!

Just an aside - is riding an hour or so before having breakfast going to help with fat loss or not?

Got to work and had some REGO, a hot chocolate and some porridge. Still hungry!

jzed

Il Principe wrote:

Just an aside - is riding an hour or so before having breakfast going to help with fat loss or not?

Its meant to be. Doesn't seem to have worked with me though

itboffin

JZed wrote:

Gussio wrote:

OK - advice on the internet is rarely wrong, so I will stick with a compact

I lugged my 105kilos up the cols on Marmotte with a Compact with a 11-28 so you should be fine.

34/28

old man

PS. I may be taking a triple this year :oops:

itboffin

Il Principe wrote:

Got to work and had some REGO, a hot chocolate and some porridge. Still hungry!

REGO ...! isn't that for hair loss ...? :roll: :P

jzed

itboffin wrote:

PS. I may be taking a triple this year :oops:

So - big question is - how much weight did you put on (so you need to buy an even lighter bike to compensate)?

itboffin

JZed wrote:

itboffin wrote:

PS. I may be taking a triple this year :oops:

So - big question is - how much weight did you put on (so you need to buy an even lighter bike to compensate)?

One does not discuss things such as weight gain :x

optimisticbiker

JZed wrote:

itboffin wrote:

PS. I may be taking a triple this year :oops:

So - big question is - how much weight did you put on (so you need to buy an even lighter bike to compensate)?

About 20lb by all accounts