Ride Reports

itboffin

41 miles of cold and wet fog today and a visit from the PF half way for good measure, then I found out my spare tube was for a different size wheel and my park tool glue patches wouldn't stick plus the sh*t Trek saddle felt like sitting on a spike.

I'm very very tired :evil:

I did just pass the 2000 mile mark for year so far

benno68

itboffin wrote:

41 miles of cold and wet fog today and a visit from the PF half way for good measure, then I found out my spare tube was for a different size wheel and my park tool glue patches wouldn't stick plus the sh*t Trek saddle felt like sitting on a spike.

I'm very very tired :evil:

I did just pass the 2000 mile mark for year so far

Sounds like it's beer o'clock for you! Well done on doing the 2000m.

Christophe3967

itboffin wrote:

41 miles of cold and wet fog today and a visit from the PF half way for good measure, then I found out my spare tube was for a different size wheel and my park tool glue patches wouldn't stick plus the sh*t Trek saddle felt like sitting on a spike.

I'm very very tired :evil:

I did just pass the 2000 mile mark for year so far

Chapeau on the 2K - bad luck on the PF. I may not too far behind on the mileage (but am commuting which is cheating a bit). I still have a wet 15 miles tonight to look forward too as well.

itboffin

Thx but its my own fault I chose to go very very off road across a building site which used to be a road, not on the CX bike today

Actually I'm still surprised at how I used to do the cycling & train commute work the hours I did and have the energy to ride at the weekends, its amazing how you adapt.

itboffin

No sign of the sun today and one hell of a headwind from all directions of course

Forgot to press start on the GPS but I've cleared my 150 (164) miles for the week so I can kick back now and enjoy a beer or twenty

always_tyred

www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php?id=6447

Okay, so this has been my route of torture for the last couple of weekends.

Has anyone had any experience of the accuracy of this site? I clocked it as 78km on two of my cycle computers (different bike this week), and my gps was bang on 78km.

Altitude is accurate, but not sure about the amount of climbing. My watch came out at about 3300ft / 1000m. The elevation data has calculated about 1200m / 4000ft. That's a big difference. I mean, I want to know if I crawled up 1200m or 1000m. It means a lot to me.

roger_merriman

i know that bikehike like other googlemap based sites can show downhills where there is none, etc so i'd take anything it gave with a pinch of salt, on the other hand some areas it does look right....

CiB

Had an unexpected pass-out on Sat pm so set off with the intention of doing a quick 12 miles round the local up & down bits, but instead ended up knocking out 48 miles out to Northampton & back via Newport Pagnell & a few quaint villages in between. It was another of those rides where it all works; the wind was always over my shoulder & never head on, hills were just easy, speeds were up in the mid 20s for longer and longer periods and just when a bonk looked likely with 30 odd miles approaching, one of those old syle village stores materialised, the ones where they'll sell you two bananas for 40p and a Mars Bar, along with a cheery smile and the right amount of amazement when the conversation turns to how far you've been and still have to get home. Marvellous. And to put the icing on the G&T when I got back, Leicester had done Sarfend 2-0 and have officially gone up as champions. A good day. A very good day.

rally200

Elevation Data
Total Ascent: 1034 ft
Total Descent: 1013 ft
Start Elevation: 153 ft
End Elevation: 146 ft
Min Elevation: 24 ft
Max Elevation: 227 ft

above is 30 miles on Essex/Suffolk border - pitiful isn't it.

but still, today I conquered Mount Bures, all 227 ft of it !

itboffin

MASSHOOF head side and tail winds so far this sunny cold day. I dusted off the road bike for a quick 10 miles well quick for me and the terrain anyway, then a couple of hill reps just because the downhill section had a tail wind

Now for a suitably MASSHOOF lunch followed by some SS fun, what could possibly go wrong

Rich158

What a ride today, the Downland Spring Classic - 103 miles through the beautiful Kent countryside, 5300ft of climbing, 5:22 for a 19mph average - bloody fantastic

The icing on the cake this morning was that 3 riders from the Felt tean turned up, along with 2 from Rapha Condor. I picked them up at the first feed stop and stayed with them for 40-50 miles, about the 4 hour mark, what a fantastic experience

OMFG they are so fast :shock: :shock: :shock: it's not just the speed on the straights, it's the speed they carry through corners, and how quickly they pick up the pace when they've had to slow down. Honestly sitting in the middle of the bunch approaching corners that I had no right hitting at that speed, there was no option but to turn in and hope, and guess what - the Mad one came alive like it never has before

Little combinations of corners were dispatched with a lean, a litlle sprint, carve through the next one, and so on, for mile after mile. small crests were dispatched with a quick sprint, and the pace rarely fell below 25mph. Then all of a sudden the Rapha guys picked it up to 30mph plus and you find yourself being pulled along with then, the speed at which they change pace is simply awesome.

Eventually all the little sprints took there toll, and they spat me out the back as the rank amateur I am, to crawl back in with the biggest smile on my face ever.

What an experience, how often does anyone get to participate with the pro's in any sport. It's a once in a lifetime experience that I'll never forget, I'll be living off this for years and there's no emoticon to express how I feel except

cjcp

So, you're happy then?

Nice one. That sounds brilliant. 40-50 miles too. :shock:

lost_in_thought

Sounds awesome Rich!

Well I took my new toy out on my 20m loop at 9 this morning, came back, took some pics, posted them, ate a sandwich then said 'oh sod it I'm going out again'. Decided on my 25m loop to the east, a bit headwindy at first, bear north and it was just stunning. I saw some of a local cycling club on a ride ahead and put the hammer down... my GOD that thing shifts. I know 'it's the engine' and that, but it's incredible. It's like it's helping, not just being an inanimate object...

So yeah, caught up with them, a cheery hello and off I went. To be fair, they'd probably done about 20-30m and I was only 5m in. Didn't see them again.

Stunning, wonderful day, stopped at a pub by the river to fill up my water, passed another group of roadies (one had panniers to be fair) like they'd stopped, on a winding section with an almost imperceptible downhill, I was hooning along in 50/11 in the drops being most irresponsible. Fun!

Then, as I was approaching the latter part of my loop, I thought 'I don't want to go home', and set off towards a nearby village, and did another improvised loop, popped in to a friend's house for a cup of tea, pootled home. About 65 miles today all in, just brilliant!

I am a very happy bunny.

jonginge

Rich and Lit: Great days Love it when everything just clicks, feels like you've strapped on an afterburner...

Oo, just a thought triggered by Rich's pro experience, anyone up for an SCR outing to the smithfield nocturne? Even if you're not interested in the racing there's lots of fun to be had laughing at the tricked up fixies and their fakenger riders There is a lot of cycling bling to be seen

spasypaddy

Evans North London Bikeit this morning and as a result i did a 40mile ride with over 2500ft of climb, in 2:44. I reckon it should of been quicker but thats the longest ive been in the saddle this year due to injury!

Feeling it quite badly at the moment, shall probably commute slowly tomorrow on my fixie as a kind of recovery ride!

symo

Had my first proper training ride for the Dartmoor classic this morning. Set off at 7am and then headed toward Kingsteignton, took the turning for Bovey Tracey which is an amazing flat rode and can crank along in 50/12 all the time. Then hit Bovey and carried on toward Moretenhampstead, which is a lovely A road. From there turned toward Princetown/Two Bridges which is where a couple of guys caught up with me, had a discussion on the hill about my Kiron, then they blatted off after I told them they were welcome to join me going toward Widecombe "Are you mad?" one asked. Got to Two Bridges and turned toward Dartmeet, and later on hit one of the nasty climbs, which starts with a cattle grid at the bottom of a huge descent, then it was grinding all the way up to the top (even had to zig zag across the road at one point). Climbed that and had a lovely ride toward widecombe, which is where the fun ended. A few guys at work warned me about it and I thought they were exagerating. They weren't its long and steep and just keeps going. I made it to the top and asked a couple by their car for water to mix up some PSP22. After that it is a relatively quick loop back over Haytor and onto Bovey and back home. Had enough in the tank to overtake a couple of people on the road from Bovey to Kingsteignton, go me. Excepyt now I can't walk, but I loved every second of it, the pain; but the elation of each of the two big climbs was awesome. Doing it again next Sunday. Going to have to work in another ride this week too as that Kiron is awesome.

lost_in_thought

Symo - sounds fab. The other two roadies probably thought you meant Ann Widdecombe, hence the reaction. I wouldn't go towards her either!

Rich158

lost_in_thought wrote:

Sounds awesome Rich!

... my GOD that thing shifts. I know 'it's the engine' and that, but it's incredible. It's like it's helping, not just being an inanimate object...

I know what you mean, it's exactly how I felt the first time I got the Mad one. No matter how much power you put in, it just wants more........no..........encourages you to put in more and every pedal stroke is rewarded with a massive surge forward.

If you're all lucky enough I'll bore you with every minute detail of this morning one Friday in the Morpeth

Rich158

JonGinge wrote:

Rich and Lit: Great days Love it when everything just clicks, feels like you've strapped on an afterburner...

Oo, just a thought triggered by Rich's pro experience, anyone up for an SCR outing to the smithfield nocturne? Even if you're not interested in the racing there's lots of fun to be had laughing at the tricked up fixies and their fakenger riders There is a lot of cycling bling to be seen

Sounds like an idea, I'll be there

lost_in_thought

Rich158 wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

Sounds awesome Rich!

... my GOD that thing shifts. I know 'it's the engine' and that, but it's incredible. It's like it's helping, not just being an inanimate object...

I know what you mean, it's exactly how I felt the first time I got the Mad one. No matter how much power you put in, it just wants more........no..........encourages you to put in more and every pedal stroke is rewarded with a massive surge forward.

If you're all lucky enough I'll bore you with every minute detail of this morning one Friday in the Morpeth

I can see you and me having a really long conversation about this! That's it exactly...

stuaff

LiT: Glad to see that rocketship is being used as it should. I know exactly what you & Rich158 mean about the bike seeming to will you on- I get that with mine, and they're a pair of fat blokes (11 and 12 kg) compared to your whippets...! I was pleased with myself yesterday for getting to Bognor (22 miles) in under two hours on the Cadenza (I'm never going to keep up with your average roadie, even if I had, well, a Maxima or equivalent). Must resist the temptation to take the green Maxima off my LBS's hands (lol...even if they gave me a discount for the unfortunate colour).

Jon, outing to the Nocturne? I can beat that, I'm in it- folding bike race, the main attraction. All the rest is so boring in comparison (relatively)....Hopefully this time I might make it through my qualifying heat. All support is of course welcome, it would be nice to meet some of you nut...eccentrics

gbs

[ anyone up for an SCR outing to the smithfield nocturne?

[/quote]

"Smithfield" as in london meat market? When? :?:

symo

When are the SCR jerseys going to be available? Owayo look good. Anyone else have thoughts.

Christophe3967

Rich. LiT, Symo - fantastic 8) Envious isn't really the right word but its the best I can come up with. Just a great buzz really, I'm sure

My planned excusrion to the Surrey hills yesterday was ambushed by a stroppy (OK not without justification) GF, who, just as I was getting ready to leave asked why she wasn't being included in my plans? There are many drawbacks (or blessings depending on one's point of view) to having GF the same height as you, one of which is that she can ride your bikes without any problem. She has until recently not done this, but as my Saturday morning rides have increased, has decided that she wants to spend more time with me. Women.

So, we're soon pootling round RP with me on the Touche offering support and reminding her not to stretch the chain, and crunch the gears. I'm wondering to myself when I might next get a ride on my road bike, and get some proper mileage in, seeing as how ITB (and CJCP in all likelihood) are already well over 2K , when I am struck by a brainwave. Prologue Bikes is just a stone's throw away - get her fitted up for her own bike and I might get to ride mine again. We've done 25 miles and she's tired, so I leave her in the cafe having a coffee and take the chance to see how the new 16T sprocket will affect my lap time, and work out a way of geting her in a bike shop.

Loads of traffic and almost have to come to a stop twice, once half way up Dark Hill, which is nasty if you only have one gear and are becalmed, so a 19.44 lap wasn't too bad considering I'd only managed 19.39 on the road bike a few days earlier with no traffic at all. Just shows what fresh legs and a bit of angst does to you.

Anyhow, managed to inveigle our way into Prologue. "Oh Darling, a bike shop, that's handy, I really need to pick up an innertube - they might have some." From there, it was a straightforward journey to getting her measured up and a new bike ordered. With a compact. The triple conversation was brief and I didn't ever have to use the term WTFU - the guys in Prolgue were right on message. The downside is that it going to be a while before I am likely to see the Surrey Hills again. Unless she gets bored of course. Women. 8)

jonginge

Christophe, good skills on getting the 'just need to pop to a bike shop' under the radar. Prologue is my LBS, they are pretty good 10% discount to club/BC/LCC members.
I had a similar dark hill go slow this afternoon, almost had to foot down at one point. Still, took a second trip out this evening and trimmed a bit off my 3lap time.

"Smithfield" as in london meat market? When?

Indeed. 6th June: http://www.nocturneseries.com/smithfield/
Been to the two there have been so far. Good fun. Stood by the pub at the corner to the start/finish straight. Get there a bit early and we may be able to occupy the pub

cjcp

Christophe - smoothly done. 8)

I think I'm just shy of 2,300 for the year.

cjcp

Can't make the Nocturne. Drat!

boy on bike

Right, I'm now sufficiently recovered to give an account of my little outing on Friday...

We were due to go up to Loughborough for the weekend to stay with Neil² and familly, so inspred by ITB I decided to have a go at the "you drive, I'll cycle and meet you there" approach. I then told enough people about it to ensure that I couldn't back out, decided that the weather forecast was not too daunting, got up early and set off at 7:00. I used a route chosen by ViaMichelin: generally pretty good and stayed off major roads. There were a couple of places where the directions were NOT so clear (bearing in mind that all I had with me was a paper turn-by-turn directions sheet!) and so in both these places I got lost - the first occasion ended up with 2 junctions of the A34 getting shell-shocked by lorries thundering passed. This coincided with me and the rain passing going in opposite directions, so a definite low point!

I made it to Wantage for my first stop - soup and coffee in a cafe. Although this was 57 miles and 3 and a half hours of riding in, I had managed to make a fair few unscheduled stops while getting lost, so by the time I left the cafe it was getting on for 12:00 - I was about an hour behind my self-imposed schedule.

The next part of the ride was great - small villages skirting round Oxford, until rejoining the Oxford - Banbury road about 15 miles south of Banbury. By this time my stomach was giving me grief from all the energy drink and bars I had been chugging down, so I had a quick lunch stop at a garage to get a scotch egg, a sausage roll and a pint of milk down me (nothing like a pie and a pint for lunch...). I also bagged some more savouries for the rest of the ride - and pressed on.

After lunch, progress was a little quicker: got on past Banbury and up to Southam - a bit of a slog up this bit. Here the road turned 45 degrees and I was on Fosse Way: now in the late afternoon sun this was my favourite part of the ride - although there was now more of a headwind. Shortly after this I made my second wrong turn, adding 5 miles and an unscheduled trip nearly into Rugby :evil: Luckily Neil² was still at work and managed to advise me on recovery (which was to retrace my steps, to find that the reason I had gone wrong was because the road I should have taken had been closed for roadworks! Footpath still open tho - phew).

Getting late now... had hoped to be there by 7pm but ETA had gradually moved out. Neil² had volunteered to ride out to meet me: he met me just before Leicester and was able to tow me the last 25 miles (in the gathering gloom) up to his place - to be met by a whooping gathering of assorted N² and BoB family members. Which made it all worth while!

Lessons learned:
- long rides require stops - need to factor in enough time
- full-strength PSP22 is hard on my guts! Need to take it more watered down
- take savoury food on rides, as well as just energy bars
- Assos F1 Mille bibs are supremely comfortable. Worth every penny
- "Rolling Hills" don't feel quite the same when you hit them after 100 miles...
- Headwinds are b@st@rds
- I am capable of cycling over 150 miles in 1 day

Final stats:
157 miles, 10 hrs 30 riding, 14 hrs 15 elapsed.
Averages: (moving) speed 15mph; cadence 84; hr 130
Maximums: speed 37.6mph, cadence 156, hr 170

4.25L PSP22, 4 energy bars, 3 gels, 1 bowl veg soup, 1 cup coffee, 1 giant sausage roll, 1 scotch egg, 2 bananas, 1 pt milk

p.s. went for a 15-mile ride with N² today to see if I could still do it. Legs felt ok, averaged 18.6mph. Which was nice.

jonginge

BoB, chapeau... and you nutter! Paris-Roubaix sportive for you next year?

cjcp

+1. :shock:

Scotch eggs: Food. Of. The Gods. 8)