The Annual Lunacy (aka "I Don't Do Winter") Challenge Chatzone

[ColinJ]

And have fun trying, too. So even failure is success.

Indeed. I am only doing this for fun, health and fitness. Still, it is a nice target to aim for.

I have just remembered something... I went to take a swig from one of my two 750 mL bottles yesterday and squirted myself with carbo-drink! The bottle had developed a small split. The bottles are about 20 years old - time for some new ones. I'll get Amazon Prime to deliver a couple to me down here in time for my other long ride.

 

[Fiona R]

Plan complete, and implementation commenced!

In case any of the more observant among you wonder why that route was 1 km further this year than last... I missed a couple of turns onto tiny side roads and didn't hear the GPS 'off route chirp' because of traffic noise.

I hope to get a lumpier Devon metric century in before I go back to Yorkshire. I have 2 more trips down here planned this year and aim to do 2 metric centuries on each of them. I have 3 flat qualifying forum rides in the pipeline already. If I can get fit enough, I hope that @Sea of vapours and I can organise one of our hilly Dales forum rides again. We have had early discussions but I need to get some long hilly rides done before I am up for 2,000+ metres of ascent in 100+ km. I am also planning to organise a hilly forum ride from Todmorden which would be 100 km if completed, but I am sneakily including an easy bailout option for that which would cut out about 20 km and about 500 m of ascent.

IF I manage all of those, I would only have to add another couple of qualifying rides to achieve my target of 13, but I can't help thinking that it is a BIG 'if'! Still, one can but try...

Well executed plan!

 

[Fiona R]

Only a week until RideLondon so I went out for a long early ride this morning to see how the legs were doing. Knew it would be tough as I've only done about 500 miles in the last 7 months. I'm also half a stone heavier than I should be. Struggled towards the end.

Managed 73 miles/118 km in 4 hours 43 minutes which is quicker than expected, but extrapolating to 100 miles... oh, I was much fitter for my last RideLondon 6 years ago.

Anyway, that's my 5th lunacy ride in the bag.

Was wondering why the target was doubled. Have fun next weekend. I did Ride London once in 2016 solo. A very surreal odd and lonely day. My fastest 100 ever by a long way. It was OK but I hate crowds. I'm glad I did do it though.

 

[Fiona R]

I didn't execute another plan on Friday, an overnight DIY 400 attempt back from Bangor to Bristol. Wind and rain forecast and I need all the luck in the world not wet headwinds!

So I got myself out yesterday for a hot flat one to Weston and the Levels to Glastonbury and back and tried to concentrate on upping average speed. Have changed my worn out heavy 32 Continental e bike tyres and put on GP5000s. Could only get 28s. Just hope they're as puncture proof because I'm very slow at changing punctures! They seem very insubstantial.

A bit of a contrast to the hilly gravelly one two weeks ago that I forgot to witter on about here. Very lucky my shredding old tyres didn't give up on me on this one, 21% off road!

Easier to go faster with lighter tyres, benign weather and a tailwind home. Just one café stop at Sweets. Not carrying all the emergency gear you need for foul weather rides. Also chuffed to bits to finally get my usb charger to work. Basically you need to be going fast and steady to get the garmin % to go up whilst riding (and a charge only adapter) It seemed to leap up every now and then. started charging at Highbridge on way out at 64% Was fully charged when I got home. Yes still riding with dyno drag and mudguards. Always mudguards! I'm not made to be a speed merchant.

 

[Sea of vapours]

'Benign weather': what a luxury !

I think I'd be not executing a fair few plans if they were for 400s, especially in this year's low level nasty weather. Looks like another great effort and pretty brisk over that distance.

 

[Dogtrousers]

@Cranky Knee Girl A while ago I tried a dynamo front wheel with a B&M USB charger.

I found the charger completely useless as it upset the Garmin I was using at the time with its fluctuating voltage. I gave up on it and now carry an Anker charge bank, which I find to be much less flakey. I think the USB/dynamo thing would come into its own if I was camping/touring with no access to mains electricity at the end of the ride to recharge the bank, but I don't do that.

 

[Fiona R]

@Cranky Knee Girl A while ago I tried a dynamo front wheel with a B&M USB charger.

I found the charger completely useless as it upset the Garmin I was using at the time with its fluctuating voltage. I gave up on it and now carry an Anker charge bank, which I find to be much less flakey. I think the USB/dynamo thing would come into its own if I was camping/touring with no access to mains electricity at the end of the ride to recharge the bank, but I don't do that.

Touring etc was why I got it. However I did buy a charge only adapter and it worked. Perhaps it did work before but only reducing the speed of battery drain as loaded and touring speed is more like 15km/hr no way over 20. I think it sort of evens out the current, or perhaps briefly stores it and trickles it in evenly as at times it dropped 1-2 % then shot up quite quickly in bursts of 1-2 % then a pause, even if riding pretty steadily. Up to now I've just used a battery bank, but glad I have it as back up for multi days as so often even on camp sites you can't get access to a plug these days. Suspect my battery bank is too old to be charged from it, might get the anker that so many others have recommended too. My bank does 2-3 days of phone/Garmin charge so it makes that last longer.

 

[Fiona R]

'Benign weather': what a luxury !

I think I'd be not executing a fair few plans if they were for 400s, especially in this year's low level nasty weather. Looks like another great effort and pretty brisk over that distance.

Odd having benign weather , was far too hot the Glastonbury bit actuually. A bit of a stiff breeze headwind from WSM to glasto but compensated by an actual bit of a tailwind back. Was relieved it clouded over later on. still felt naughty only carrying a thin gilet as spare clothing and not enough to survive a blizzard in a ditch!

 

[ColinJ]

I was going to replace my grotty old SiS bottles with new ones costing £4 each. The thing is, there was always a plastic taste to the drinks from those bottles. Now I am getting my state pension I can afford to buy small luxury items so I have ordered an upmarket bottle for £16*** - a Camelbak Podium Chill. Not only is it supposed to be taste-free, it is also double-skinned to keep drinks cool longer. If it seems worth the money, I will buy another one to replace the non-leaking bottle.



*** Actually £16.06. I just checked and Amazon (18 hours later) are now doing them for £15.57!

 

[Tom...]

I was going to replace my grotty old SiS bottles with new ones costing £4 each. The thing is, there was always a plastic taste to the drinks from those bottles. Now I am getting my state pension I can afford to buy small luxury items so I have ordered an upmarket bottle for £16*** - a Camelbak Podium Chill. Not only is it supposed to be taste-free, it is also double-skinned to keep drinks cool longer. If it seems worth the money, I will buy another one to replace the non-leaking bottle.



*** Actually £16.06. I just checked and Amazon (18 hours later) are now doing them for £15.57!

I won't tell you they're £8.50 at Merlin Cycles....

 

[Dogtrousers]

I can hear the discussions in cabinet already "The undeserving oldies simply fritter their pensions away on bingo and, mark this, double skinned water bottles . It's time that Hard Working Families stopped supporting these freeloaders"

 

[ColinJ]

I won't tell you they're £8.50 at Merlin Cycles....

Probably better not to...

I was going to say that they would be the non-insulated bottles? No - those are only £5.99!

Then I thought they might be out of stock? Nope!

Big delivery charge? Free for orders over £20 so I could have bought 2 of the bottles and a spare tube!

Oh well... I ordered last night and the bottle just arrived, so at least I have it for the ride that I have planned for tomorrow!

First impressions are good. There is a very positive locking action to the spout which I am sure would stop the bottle leaking

If I like the bottle I will leave it here for Devon rides and order 2 more from Merlin for my northern rides. One less thing to squeeze into my rucksack on visits.

 

[Sea of vapours]

If I like the bottle I will leave it here for Devon rides and order 2 more from Merlin for my northern rides. One less thing to squeeze into my rucksack on visits.

If you like them a lot, you are welcome to one of mine, if we meet on a forum ride this year, as I don't think the weight of the 'chill' bit is worth it. The tops, on the other hand, are excellent, and I don't use anything else. I have at least one chill verision going spare, and probably two. One's green and one's purple so either would clash nicely with your orange bike :-)

 

[lazybloke]

Was wondering why the target was doubled. Have fun next weekend. I did Ride London once in 2016 solo. A very surreal odd and lonely day. My fastest 100 ever by a long way. It was OK but I hate crowds. I'm glad I did do it though.

Thanks CKG.
I did the 2016 event solo too, but a big chunk of it was on my familiar local roads, so I loved it. The closed roads, cheering crowds, the sunny day, and quite a few snack stops elevated it to something I rather enjoyed.

Doing it again this year for health reasons, trying to regain the fitness I had prior to the pandemic. Making good progress on that front.

Don't know much about the Essex route, as I've never cycled in the county before - rarely visited the place at all, so am hoping my experience won't be "surreal/odd/lonely".
Am not really a sportive person, but fitness goals are a thing for me. One of these days I'll try something longer-distance like those crazy rides you do, but I need to work my way up to that!

 

[Dogtrousers]

I too will be doing it solo this year. Also not really a sportive person ... Seems like there might be quite a few of us!

All the lonely people, where dooo they all come from?