Show us your.......newbie progress!

[Nomadski]

Today decided to have a go at Barhatch Lane, supposedly the toughest hill in Surrey.

Went via another hill (on both outward and return journeys) Combe Lane which is tough itself, especially on the northward direction.

Reached Barhatch after about 24 miles lower slopes were ok, the there were several sections where it was too steep for sitting, I have to admit that I stopped for breath near the end, if I had realised how near the end I might have made it in one go.

Stlll very pleased with my form considering my reduced mileage lately.

Weather was pleasant, just a normal westerly wind.

52.1 miles @ 14.5 mph
2982 feet climbed

https://www.strava.com/activities/276381296

Edit the final part is a 20% ramp

Well done. Good speed too for the climbing you did! That hill sounds interesting, could incorporate that loop into my Ridelondon route as it just follows on from newlands corner.

Would be a bit silly to do that though.

 

[Berk on a Bike]

Perfect weather at the moment.

If you like flying kites, that is. Cycling? Erm, no.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Perfect weather at the moment.

If you like flying kites, that is. Cycling? Erm, no.

Its not too bad, I think last week was worse, wind wise.

 

[Nomadski]

Went out to give the new cassette its first run out. Did 2 laps of Richmond Park and found I was still getting shifting issues while shifting down, and I couldn't shift up to the largest cog at all, which kind of defeated the purpose of the new cassette (being a 32T rather than 30T).

Even though it seems long enough, I'm going to order a new chain and cut it so the RD is a little less stretched out. Can't figure the shifting issues could be down to anything else, as the shop seemed to get it shifting ok on the stand.

What did surprise me was the number of PR's (25), 3rd personal best times (6) and 2nd personal best times (9) that I got on a route I have done loads. I did notice a large chunk of those PRs are just similar segments that muppets on Strava have just recreated, which took a bit of gloss of it all, but there are a few others dotted around.

So I guess even with the shifting issues, the new cassettes range seems to suit me better.

It was cool, but not too bad except for the Wind Tunnel AKA Sawyers Hill stretch of Richmond Park, which is always windy, even on the calmest of days!

https://app.strava.com/activities/276469103

 

[Nigelnaturist]

@Nomadski couple of areas like that round here. Shifting on a stand is completely different to the really world, nothings under load, I usually find I have to tweak it a little, last time out I needed to tighten the RD cable a touch, but it was difficult to be 100% in all the rain yesterday. Why is it I put new kit on the bike and it rains, I keep putting things off (re. money) and we have long periods of dry weather.

 

[Berk on a Bike]

Its not too bad, I think last week was worse, wind wise.

Well, enjoy!

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Well, enjoy!

Been to busy painting, done the lounge, hall, stairs, landing and a large bedroom, just finishing that off.
Not all today, I might add.

 

[Berk on a Bike]

Been to busy painting, done the lounge, hall, stairs, landing and a large bedroom, just finishing that off.
Not all today, I might add.

Ah the devil's own job. Good on yer. Just now the beeb tweeted weather warnings for strong winds and huge gusts for tomorrow which is a bummer. I'll just have to plan some routes which don't take me to the tops of hills or have wide open spaces on both sides!

 

[Mo1959]

Ah the devil's own job. Good on yer. Just now the beeb tweeted weather warnings for strong winds and huge gusts for tomorrow which is a bummer. I'll just have to plan some routes which don't take me to the tops of hills or have wide open spaces on both sides!

Was a mixture of rain/sleet here and more of same tomorrow with icy winds. Needless to say, I won't be cycling.

Talking of gear changes, mine is playing up too. It feels like it is sticking between gears and I sometimes have to give another click up or down to fix it. Poor bike is really needing a bit of work on it I think.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Was a mixture of rain/sleet here and more of same tomorrow with icy winds. Needless to say, I won't be cycling.

Talking of gear changes, mine is playing up too. It feels like it is sticking between gears and I sometimes have to give another click up or down to fix it. Poor bike is really needing a bit of work on it I think.

Was a tad wet coming home tonight and still windy, but surprisingly warm, broke 5,000 miles for the year today

 

[Mo1959]

Was a tad wet coming home tonight and still windy, but surprisingly warm, broke 5,000 miles for the year today

I'll be lucky to do that in the whole year. Lol. Well done.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

I'll be lucky to do that in the whole year. Lol. Well done.

It was trying to match your early hours rides that got me addicted to this, I'd get to work feeling smug that I'd biked in, then I'd log onto Strava and see you'd gone out a lot earlier, ridden a lot further and climbed a hell of a lot more than me

 

[Mo1959]

It was trying to match your early hours rides that got me addicted to this, I'd get to work feeling smug that I'd biked in, then I'd log onto Strava and see you'd gone out a lot earlier, ridden a lot further and climbed a hell of a lot more than me

Ahhhhh, those were the days. Sadly no more, but quite happy pootling about doing shorter distances now.

 

[Stonechat]

Well done. Good speed too for the climbing you did! That hill sounds interesting, could incorporate that loop into my Ridelondon route as it just follows on from newlands corner.

Would be a bit silly to do that though.

To do the steep Barhatch climb you need to do it from the south. You can do Combe Lane after (as I did), or Newlands from the south

 

[Learnincurve]

Giant cyclocross bike is here \o/ needed to swap the stem so it would fit my long legged self but my first impressions are "my god it's light!", second thought was "my god, just how bad were the brakes on the audux!" (it's in for repair). Hoping to go take it for a trial run tomorrow if I can get the other half to babysit.