A day of firsts
CraigXXL
Posts: 1,852
No 1 on the list of first was managing to do the Five Lock Rise from Leeds in one go with cramps, something I tried earlier in the year and ending massive cramps and shame. I was running out time to go for ride so thought I'd go along the Leeds/Liverpool Canal and it was should have been an hour each way turned into a I'm feeling good so lets go the Five Locks Rise. Great feel good factor when I got there even though I couldn't do the embankment when I got to it, not just because my legs had gone by this stage but also because it was thick with slippery leaves.
It was bizarre that even though the route was busy the walkers wasn't the usaul pain in the arse but other cyclists, one group of 10-12 riders, all over 40 refused to move over to one side even though I already had and gave me the dirty looks. What's their problem?
Going further than I intended at the start of the ride meant that I had to ride back in the dark with my Frog lights and a cheap Smart front light. No 2 on my first, a night ride and it starts to lash down. Found out that it pointless avoiding puddles as you usually hit a bigger obstacle in doing so. Even though I could just about make out the ground with the bar mounted lights without an helmet light you can't see overhanging branches which tend to hit you in the face. The best thing about night rides is that you feel more of what your bike is doing and react to that using speed to carry you through even thoug you can see what you're doing, it's a bit like when they do that night surf in Point Break. I was amazed that my time coming back in the dark was identical to my time going out partly due to going down the embankments rather than up them but I thought I was going at a third slower without any visual cues.
This has opened up a new thing to me and can't see the point of using the Turbo Trainer in the winter when I can just go out for a night ride instead, just need better lights.
If the lad that was on the blue Santa Cruz at the top of Newlay Lock (3 rise lock) near Kirkstall reads these forums. How the hell did you get there and keep you bike almost perfectly clean when I was splattered in mud after 20 minutes?
It was bizarre that even though the route was busy the walkers wasn't the usaul pain in the arse but other cyclists, one group of 10-12 riders, all over 40 refused to move over to one side even though I already had and gave me the dirty looks. What's their problem?
Going further than I intended at the start of the ride meant that I had to ride back in the dark with my Frog lights and a cheap Smart front light. No 2 on my first, a night ride and it starts to lash down. Found out that it pointless avoiding puddles as you usually hit a bigger obstacle in doing so. Even though I could just about make out the ground with the bar mounted lights without an helmet light you can't see overhanging branches which tend to hit you in the face. The best thing about night rides is that you feel more of what your bike is doing and react to that using speed to carry you through even thoug you can see what you're doing, it's a bit like when they do that night surf in Point Break. I was amazed that my time coming back in the dark was identical to my time going out partly due to going down the embankments rather than up them but I thought I was going at a third slower without any visual cues.
This has opened up a new thing to me and can't see the point of using the Turbo Trainer in the winter when I can just go out for a night ride instead, just need better lights.
If the lad that was on the blue Santa Cruz at the top of Newlay Lock (3 rise lock) near Kirkstall reads these forums. How the hell did you get there and keep you bike almost perfectly clean when I was splattered in mud after 20 minutes?
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