Team BKool CycleChat

[Breedon]

According to my wife And mum (I went to see my mum just now) I'm no longer uptight, how rude

 

[Breedon]

In this picture you can see the road in the distance, it goes up and then left that is the Col d'Portet and not even half of it gives you a idea of what to expect

 

[Whorty]

I need to lose a forest

I know a tree surgeon .... but he will use a chain saw

 

[Whorty]

Run Forest, Run!

Forest of Dean?

Pyrenees state Forest
https://visitpyrenees.com.au/seeanddo/pyrenees-state-forest-walks/

I'm lost

Hill (it's a 'forest' close to where @theboxers lives)

 

[<Tommy>]

Friends re united

 

[berty bassett]

View attachment 417668

Friends re united

they have better legs ! - and a bit longer

 

[<Tommy>]

they have better legs ! - and a bit longer

And don’t forget less hairy

But I bet you could teach them a thing or two about climbing mountains!

 

[berty bassett]

And here we see the rare bathing ritual of the lycranea londonius in a hostile environment !

 

[berty bassett]

its a long way home !

 

[Del C]

if anyone is umming and aarring about going away with a group of blokes who you met on line and nowhere else , have nothing but cycling in common with them , in some cases can't understand much of what they are saying ( sorry - i will work on it !) can i just say -
what we have just done is without shadow of doubt the best bloody biking i have ever done ! the buzz and total feeling of elation to get up some of them climbs , see the views , feel the sun searing through your bonce on the climbs and the breeze freezing your core on the way down , to imagine just how fit the tdf riders must be to actually race up the climbs instead of just surviving the climbs , it makes for a totally unforgettable experience ,
to share that experience with Dean ,Bob and Thomas from here makes me realise just what a lucky boy i am and i would like to thank them all again for including me in playtime in the mountains
if anyone is in doubt as to whether to go or not - i can assure you , no-one could have been more nervous than me about it - strangers ,climbing for hours at a time , riding in heat , riding at altitude , descending at speed - everything a first and something to worry about - anyone reading this in that position - just do it , if not with us then with someone else , just do it -- its effing BRILLIANT and i feel so alive at the minute still waiting for reality of work to kick in
Thanks to Dean for all the help sorting out the airport,hotel, travelling and company ( and sarcasm)
Thanks to Bob for organising, including me and company ( and sarcasm)
and Thanks to Tommy for getting me up them bleeding hills with a smile on my face even when i was in a very dark place and even the voices in my head had buggered off and left me ( and the sarcasm - oh the sarcasm )
also - even though they won't read this i guess but maybe Bob will pass it on i would like to say thanks to all the others that each made me feel a part of the group and very welcome
i will stop now before i go even more gwyneth paltrow , i just thought it needed saying
now just to continue the day eating with a big grin on my face
we did it !

I almost got a bit misty eyed reading that!

2006 was my first time riding in high mountains and that was the Pyrenees. That year we did the Aspin, Tourmalet, Bales, Portet d'Aspet, Mente, Portillon, Peyresourde and probably some others.

Agree with everything you say about your experience. In my case, I was an absolutely crap descender whose first two descents were down the Portet d'Aspet at 17% past the Casartelli memorial and the Menté, which is hairpin city at the top. At one time, I truly thought I'd be up there forever!

But over time and with some help, I got over that and whilst I'm certainly no Nibali, I'm ok now as long as I remember to descend at my own speed.

But when the weather and company is good, it's just a fantastic experience. I still love the Pyrenees, even though the weather can be unreliable. Been to Bourg d'Oisans and the Alpe 3 times, Italy around Monte Grappa 3 times and also to the Stelvio. Mallorca is also great because it gives you variety of mountains and rolling routes and walls you can cycle straight over if you're @Aleman

I'm off to Lake Annecy for the first time ever in August and looking forward to that.

I must say Girona does sound interesting!

 

[bobinski]

And here we see the rare bathing ritual of the lycranea londonius in a hostile environment ! View attachment 417674

I remember that-it was just before Tommy farted

That little waterfall was a life saver. We did it again on the d''Ancizan later in the day. Bliss

 

[berty bassett]

I remember that-it was just before Tommy farted

That little waterfall was a life saver. We did it again on the d''Ancizan later in the day. Bliss

i would much rather remember the ride as cascading waterfalls , blistering heat ,majestic rolling countryside, smooth tarmac and insightful conversation as opposed to the riprap coming from tomfartyparts !

 

[bobinski]

i would much rather remember the ride as cascading waterfalls , blistering heat ,majestic rolling countryside, smooth tarmac and insightful conversation as opposed to the riprap coming from tomfartyparts !

How about this? Superbagnares

 

[bobinski]

or this?

 

[Brendan Parker]

or this?

View attachment 417684

oh my what a view