Show us your.......newbie progress! [4 Sep 2012 - 4 Oct 2014]

[Nigelnaturist]

@Phoenix Lincs
This is the main menu of my database.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Surely after the Scandinavian countries the U.K. is a breeze

I repeatedly got sunburnt in Scandinavia... I never expected temps of +35-38C in the far north of Sweden. Norway (except for 2 days) was the same as was Finland until we finally got to Helsinki and the tale end of a hurricane!

Those 2 days in the very far north of Norway did test me to the limit. I'm not sure I passed the test, simply survived. Never has a public toilet looked so inviting for the night!

from my own journal...

The area reminded me of the more remote parts of the Isle of Lewis, or at least what it would look like if it was exposed to perma frost - desolate was the only phrase that came to mind and I usually see the best in wild areas. I tried taking some photos of the area, but they have not come out - the rain was simply too heavy, but imagine a quarry, with shattered stone/rocks everywhere, then add the heaviest rain storm you can imagine and leave nowhere for the water to drain away. Add a causeway for a road and throw some high winds and horizontal rain into the equation, (and a red skip pretending to be a set of bag pipes) and you will come close to what we cycled through. I might have thought differently if I could have actually seen something, but I was not in the most forgiving of moods and neither was the weather

and the next day was worse!

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Aren't bikes the same

only when my OH gets his hands on them! Mind you that could be the cause of the issues with the car as well....

 

[Nigelnaturist]

@SatNavSaysStraightOn reminds of when it rained on Skye uphill, and when it was bad it was just looked like the whole island was crying. I remember one period, it must have rained almost non stop for three weeks, but there were never any floods though quite a bit of erosion in some of the streams.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

@SatNavSaysStraightOn reminds of when it rained on Skye uphill, and when it was bad it was just looked like the whole island was crying. I remember one period, it must have rained almost non stop for three weeks, but there were never any floods though quite a bit of erosion in some of the streams.

the following day was worse. We had a 400m climb straight out from the wild camp. It was torrential rain for the word go, so we only had a thin layer on underneath our waterproofs because we knew with that climbing we would be too warm. Once on the top, it was too windy to cycle on the right hand side of the road, in fact just sticking to anywhere on the tarmac (and I mean anywhere) was almost impossible and aiming for the double yellow lines up the middle of the road (Norway has yellow & white the other way around to the UK) was the best thing to do. At times I could not stand up in the wind, let alone cycle and was using the bike to brace myself against the wind trying hard to push the bike and continue. I was soaked to the skin because of sweat from earlier and it never stopped raining. And it was too cold to stop and eat anything more than 2 biscuits at a time. The rain was too heavy to allow you to stop and put more layers on - they would only get soaked before you could even get your waterproof off, let alone back on again and.... well it was very testing... My OH still wants a T-Shirt making up that says "I survived the 888" (888 being the road number from Mehamn to Ifjord. The following days were however stunningly beautiful!

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Suppose I better brave the weather and get the pooch out. Poor cat is curled up on my knee. She's not going to be happy. Lol

Short sleeves at 5:30 this morning in Leicester

 

[Supersuperleeds]

You forgot your VV score

Mines 92, I think it was 83 at beginning of the year. The easy way to get a jump in your score is to do more segments as your score is based on your best 100 segments

My top pos score is 99.67 - KOM out of 305 people

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Reason I was asking was, I own a vehicle officially but rarely drive it as my wife uses it daily for her work and I cycle to work. Was curious how many other people would be in same position. And even if my wife is not using car I still woild rather cycle but maybe a topic for another thread

We have two cars, given the choice the bike always wins

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Mines 92, I think it was 83 at beginning of the year. The easy way to get a jump in your score is to do more segments as your score is based on your best 100 segments

My top pos score is 99.67 - KOM out of 305 people

Mine was 83 end of last year, its gone up a little this month, or just get quicker on those you do.

I really think I am at the limit of what I can do on the Viking, 16-17mph avg's is hard work on a bike weighing around 14Kg's over distance, 15-16mph avg is ok, but doesn't get you higher scores. The thing to do is to do those segments you dont do often as the chances are you will have improved, but in my case they are quite some distance apart, and if you ever notice any new p.b. I set usually isn't local.
Also with more cyclists using strava it is becoming more difficult, I notice more places lost than gained.

 

[BrianEvesham]

Well, I changed how it looked and now I can't redo it! Still trying again

Good luck. I gave up with mine in the end.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Good luck. I gave up with mine in the end.

Just follow previous instructions.

 

[Mo1959]

Short sleeves at 5:30 this morning in Leicester

Go away. Hope you get sunburn!

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Go away. Hope you get sunburn!

No chance, whilst it is warm it is also quite cloudy

 

[welsh dragon]

No cycling today. Cloudy, overcast, raining. Went out this morning a took a few phots.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

It's getting dark in Leicester and starting to rain. Looks like I am going to get a good soaking on the way home, Karma or what @Mo1959