NapoleonD Legbreaker ride - 13/09/09
Comments
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Hooray!
I've got a ridiculous hangover.
I was just going to have a beer. Then two. Then a Crabbie's Ginger Beer (bloody gorgeous), then a bottle of red and I then thought 'Ooh, this wan't a good idea'.
I now feel awful!
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Hope you all had a good day etc, but what of the real news...................................................did he show!!!!!"There's a shortage of perfect breasts in this world, t'would be a pity to damage yours."0
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...it looks as if the weather has been perfect for the ride for you guys (and girl/s?)
...I wonder who'll be first back to report...
...my money's on bhima, as he will have completed the route before any of you started and will have had the scalps of a few motorcyclists on the way back.
Cycling weakly0 -
Just back from the ride. Brilliant day. Great ride, big hills, good people...and Bhima WAS there. And I can report - yes, he DOES spin up those hills FAST.
Well done to everyone that made it!0 -
Cheers for everyone for turning up! There were a few dropping out at the last minute but there was still a good turn out.
My legs didn't turn up unfortunately, heartrate wouldn't get up, not out of breath, just no legs! :? Think I may be run down through work because other than the booze (which doesn't normally affect me tbh) I can't think of anything else. 2 weeks ago I was going up the same hills on a heavier bike with standard gearing far quicker than I was today.
Never had to pedal to keep going on a descent before either, monster headwind on the Cat and Fiddle.
Some nice people and nice bikes, despite my extremely poor show I did enjoy myself.0 -
NapoleonD wrote:Cheers for everyone for turning up! There were a few dropping out at the last minute but there was still a good turn out.
My legs didn't turn up unfortunately, heartrate wouldn't get up, not out of breath, just no legs! :? Think I may be run down through work because other than the booze (which doesn't normally affect me tbh) I can't think of anything else. 2 weeks ago I was going up the same hills on a heavier bike with standard gearing far quicker than I was today.
Never had to pedal to keep going on a descent before either, monster headwind on the Cat and Fiddle.
Some nice people and nice bikes, despite my extremely poor show I did enjoy myself.
Quad power rating ?0 -
Nah,those Zipp wheels are sucking all your energy so I'll give you £100 for them. Anyway, we had a nice day out and good to meet all of you. Too many Treks imo but still nice bikes and plenty of blingery on display!M.Rushton0
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I managed to get home today, but not until midday, so no way I could have made the run after all.
But, after being so near, yet so far, I think I'd have preferred to have stayed offshore!
Bloody cold here, too!
Did a quick 15 this afternoon and felt the need to put on my new Assos Airblock Jacket on :shock: What a lovely jacket though...Start with a budget, finish with a mortgage!0 -
Yes yes, good to see everyone.
Nice ride, good route, perfect weather!
Got a few photos on my dodgy cameraphone.
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Glad to hear those who made it had a good time; I set off with good intentions to join you but it all went wrong and I'm disappointed.NapoleonD wrote:Cheers for everyone for turning up! There were a few dropping out at the last minute but there was still a good turn out.
I left the house in time but near Ikea on the M62 I realised I hadn't helmet or cycling shoes in the car and had to double back to get them. This extra distance also meant I had to get petrol - another delay. As I wouldn't then make it to to A-Edge by even 10.30, I decided to try and catch you near Congleton and found a pull-in by a public footpath on the stretch between crossing the A534 and crossing the A34.
I was there about 11.05 and although I knew you might have made it there within less than an hour, I decided to wait a while, thinking with all the introductionary hand-shaking and chit-chat, etc, you mightn't have set off punctually. I also asked a male dog-walker had he seen a group cycle through earlier and was told 'no', so I thought I was on the right lines. But after 30 mins waiting, I knew you must have already been through.
Then, in case I was mistaken and wasn't actually on Nap's route, I asked a female dog-walker to confirm I was where I thought I was, she said I wasn't, and said to get to Mow Cop, I'd have to ride more in to Congleton. I later found out this was total rubbish, and I was really on Nap's route, but not knowing any better at the time, and without any map apart from a print out of Nap's map, I headed towards Congelton. By the time I realised the woman's advice was wrong, it was at the expense of time and extra kms to reach the foot of Mow Cop.
By now I was surely over an hour behind you, and this increased by another 20+ mins when on the descent from Mow Cop I clearly missed whichever way you went to Lask Edge and ended up in the middle of Biddulph, and then in the middle of some new housing estate there. I eventually found the way out, but by the time I reached the ford between Lask Edge and Horton (where fresh tracks through the grass showed someone on a road bike had used the bridge rather than cycled through the water - one of Nap's group?), I knew chances were that I'd never catch you. Still, I carried on to Allgreave, just in case you had an over-long break there.
But then I couldn't remember where the planned stop was, so went to the Rose & Crown pub up the hill towards Buxton, where there was no sign of cyclists. Only since back here, and looking through the thread, have I found out the stop was at a farm (the one about 1/2 way down the hill on the right?) And so I finally made my way back to the car, circling around the north side of Congelton.
I didn't have my taco working but I probably did about 75 km. I've been around Congelton and Rudyard once before, maybe 10 years ago, but found it pleasanter today, maybe the choice of roads made the difference. And I've wanted to go up Mow Cop since noticing it from the canal about two years ago. While around Danebridge and Wincle was new to me and a pleasant discovery. So thanks for the route, even if I sillily missed the chance of good company along it.
I'd like to say 'next time' but chances that I'll be in the vicinity when a ride like this is organised are probably only 20:1. However, in case anyone else is planning to be there, I hope to be at Ruthin for the sportive there next Saturday.0 -
QuadPower(tm) rating 1.6.0
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Had a nice ride, I was very slow but glad I managed it. Was very good to meet you all.
Ps. To the person who spoke to me before saying bye, I forgot your username pm me please, my memory is naff at the moment. 0 -
That was Dan (Spanielsson)...0
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NapoleonD wrote:That was Dan (Spanielsson)...
Ok cheers, I got in the car and released I forgot.0 -
well done for oragnIsing the run NapD etc
sounds fun0 -
cheers guys, it was great getting out on some new roads and meeting some of you.
I'm glad we got those boring flat mile outta the way in the first 20 miles and then had a good 35 miles of those b'stard hills :roll:
Seems to have kicked the cold/man flue square in the balls though....feeling pretty good now.
oh and thanks to ant and bhima for the tow back from Macc to Aulderly....id have struggled with out it.
heres the route so you can revel in my pain.....click me!!!0 -
Wish I was there now.0
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Thanks for a great day - thanks for organising Alex. Thanks for the tow to alderley (bhima, ant and mrchrispy). Lovely to meet you all & will definitely be along for the next.
Jesus, the size of me compared to Dan on that photo of Bhimas! I could eat you as a snack Dan! 0 -
Well, I know I'm not the biggest of blokes but Bhima's photo does neither of us any favours!
Many thanks to all today, I really enjoyed it despite my poor fitness levels.
I did mention to my wife earlier how nice the Serotta's looked.........0 -
spanielsson wrote:I did mention to my wife earlier how nice the Serotta's looked.........
Got to be a dentist to ride a Serotta though0 -
redddraggon wrote:spanielsson wrote:I did mention to my wife earlier how nice the Serotta's looked.........
Got to be a dentist to ride a Serotta though
I'm not sure if I could handle yet another career change. However, the wage hike would be pretty nice.0 -
cheers guys, nice to ride a few different roads with different people. Never done mow cop before and was a bit underwhelmed! they dont half hype it up on the cheshire cat website! 0
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From MrChrispy's post, it seems that underway the original route was changed (*) in a couple of places, including after Somerford Booths. You went closer into Congelton than originally proposed, then partly along the A34 rather than along the small N-S roads to Brownlow. So you skipped where I waited; this explains why I didn't see you all.
(*) Someone once said "God would never trust an Englishman" 0 -
Knedlicky - ouch! :shock:
That's why I set off an hour earlier yesterday. Lucky I did too because I had to turn back to get my helmet after 3 miles and had to spend 15 minutes on the side of the road talking to my grandma on the phone. :roll:
Next time, we should probably get a list of phone numbers together first...a_n_t wrote:Never done mow cop before and was a bit underwhelmed! they dont half hype it up on the cheshire cat website!
I'm super-skeptical of that 25% bit, there's no way it's that steep. I was going up it at 4.5mph seated - I know i've lost a bit of weight recently and have been doing insane big gear intervals on my track bike, but my seated speed up 20% is usually 3mph (+/- 0.5). Looking at the profile on bikehike, I may be right.
It was still pretty tough though, simply because it was so long.
Sorry about the photos - my cameraphone died in a thunderstorm recently and, since then, the lens has never been the same. :?
Anyway, just looking at my computer - 93.592 miles in total yesterday. Might have to go out and do that route again at some point; it's a good one.0 -
It is 25%, but cause it's so short you can go up it full whack, when I went to watch the race on Saturday we went to one of the K.O.M points, I was hoping one of the teams would publish the stats for the climbs and all that for me to compare them, this climb was 2.7miles long, 11% at first, probably averaged about 6%, I managed it in 10mins 20, now that was harder than Mow Cop, I was quite happy with that then the pro's came by at 25mph :oops:
I think the hardest climbs you did would be in macc forest or if you went up the cat and fiddle with a massive headwind then that.
When do you plan on doing that route? I'm back in Manchester on Saturday and am planning on riding on Sunday.0 -
The Garmin team usually release ride stats. Maybe if you send them an email, they might give you some data for the climb. I'm sure they'll be happy to give you the times from bottom to top, if nothing else. I emailed them during the tour about David Millar's epic breakaway ride and they put it up on the website a few hours later. (They were probably gonna put it up anyway though).
Going to do this ride again on Friday with a couple of mates, and do the flat wheelers ride on Sunday. Then I have all next week free, so i'll probably do it twice again then, if I can restock enough yoghurt, mango pulp and whey protein to be able to cope with that many climbing miles. 0 -
Bhima doing a wheelers ride?? Are you doing them regular now?0
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redddraggon wrote:spanielsson wrote:I did mention to my wife earlier how nice the Serotta's looked.........
Got to be a dentist to ride a Serotta though
Not if you get them s/h or ex-demo or older modelM.Rushton0 -
I'm poorly
Explains a lot...0 -
mow cop was 25% according to my garmin stats.0
