Your ride today.... (part 1)

[Rickshaw Phil]

40 miles this afternoon....shoreham>amberly> Arundel> Ford>Bognor etc got a bee sting on my arm for my troubles.

Just to be clear; I'm liking the 40 mile ride, not the fact you've been stung.

 

[y2blade]

Only did a very short ride (as it was lashing it down and thunder too) this evening, just to get some more saddle time for my arse bones!


Why did I buy another white bike?

 

[helston90]

Finally got back out on the bike after 3 weeks out with a chest infection-
managed 25 miles with 1380ft of climbing and a sore bum for a day or two until it toughens up again.
Chuffed to have maintained 18mph average though.

 

[Old Plodder]

Why did I buy another white bike?

For the sheer exhilaration of being your own motive power (?).

 

[Seamab]

The weather was very cool and overcast today as i headed for a 45 miler round the Ochils - Off into the easterly headwind up Dunning Glen down the fast descent to Dunning then out to Bridge of Earn and up Glenfarg (gave the nasty Wick's o' Baiglie climb a miss!) before encountering a tailwind and a rapid ride home. Passed Balado, where the "T in the Park" mess is now gone.

I also managed a pre breakfast ride yesterday on a 10 mile loop from Dollar up Dollarbeg and along to Coalsnaughton (lovely views of the Ochils from here - must take some pics someday, need a new phone tho' - mine's ancient) on returning to Dollar i then went back round the opposite way. So 20 miles.

Rest up tomorrow most probably.

 

[derrick]

This helps with hill climb training, a pick from last Saturday, and yes we were the first up every hill.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Great picture @derrick

 

[Cubist]

Gutted. Was planning to ride with Satnav and partner on Saturday but got turned inside out by a beer and curry session with my fellow rugby coaches. Saturday firmly kyboshed (sorry Emma) I had a load of gardening to catch up with on Sunday, but my mate Paul rang in the afternoon and saved me by asking me to show him the loop I posted the other day. We set off at about 7pm and rode all the interesting bits we could muster. He was genuinely gobsmacked at the amount of quality singletrack I had turned up, and we invented a new phrase for the fast rutted bridleways with potholes and rock chunks which mean you can really fly the track, but have to be on your toes to hop skip and jump over the bits that would flatten your tyres or ding your rims. So, with a healthy dose of "bridlecore" under our belts we went onto the cheeky moorland singletrack known as the Stone Chair on Strava. Now, I last remember riding this with Paul about four years ago. We were both on XC bikes and may even have had the kids with us. In those days it was truly challenging, needing all our concentration to prevent us being slung onto the heather by the rutted channels and big tussocky drops and steps. Yesterday we flew it, gaining a 4th place overall on Strava, and a first place in the old farts category. Let's hear it for Garmin and longish travel hardtails (Paul rides a 140 forked 456 Ti On One)

Tonight Cubester wanted a quick blast out to check his tyres (he had a pinch flat on his tubeless rear that took a lot of sealing on the day, and we both wanted to make sure it holds up before we go to N Wales at the end of the week.) So we did a quick 6 mile loop, taking in the newfound quarry drop, and the strava segment "Sandy Up, Rocky Down" extended to the "Worts Hill Descent," then back home via Crimea Lane and Moorside Edge.

 

[thegravestoneman]

Today's ride was mainly spent going round and round in circles at Roundhay Park. I had my first taste of grass track racing (and competitive cycling) and I have to say it was bl**dy fun. I have just turned the early 80's Sara from its original purpose as a fast road bike to a grass track fixed wheel jobby and it was well worth it. I don't think I made a fool of myself and had a couple of respectable finishes. If any body wants to get into a cheaper form of cycle racing this could be it. I think I might have to watch my diet on Mondays as I thought I was going to see that 3rd choc-ice again at one point and also drank too much water after the first heat. Well done to all those that organise it and all those that take part. Now pass me the deep heat I am going upstairs for a lie down.

 

[Risex4]

Well, after 8 weeks off the bike completely thanks to a fall and fractured shoulder in May, I was greenlighted by my physio to resume light cycling on Friday

I kind of copped out over the weekend because of social plans, so tonight after dinner, I thought it was finally time to get back on. I was strangely nervous going out at first, but I was relieved to find my fitness was nowhere near as shot as I was fearing. I kept it pan flat, but did 20 miles at around my normal average speed, and apart from a final small "climb" telling me I had put on a smidge of weight, the jelly legs lasted only about 10 minutes when I got home so all-in-all I'm happy with that. It's going to take a few weeks to rebuild my base fitness before I look at some proper distances and hills again, but right now it just feels good to be back on at long last. Roll on tomorrow night.

 

[Rob3rt]

More racing.......... 5th race in 10 days, this time back out at the club 10.

Managed 22:36 (26.4 mph average) through sheer desperation not to let myself slip back outside of 23 mins (my last 4-5 rides on this course have been under 23 mins, 2 of which were well under @ 22:20 so I didn't want that mental blow of going back outside), but it was utterly awful, went off too hard, hit the turn with a 28mph average (slight tailwind out, it wasn't all down to going out too hard), then just suffered like a dog for the return, I felt utterly hopeless in the final 3 miles and just felt like climbing off the bike when I saw an upcoming railway bridge, that tiny bump in the road hurt like hell. For the last 1.5 mile I was doing the arithmetic as to whether I could beat 23 minutes whilst cursing myself and my inability to push the pedals with any sort of anger!

Finished 3rd overall in the end, 1st from my club, so max points in the scratch comp, but ultimately a bit disappointed with that performance, considering my power was about right, although dosed more evenly throughout rather than an easy start and a gradual build with a balls out final last ditch effort as I usually manage, it just felt brutal and all I could do was hang on.

 

[fossyant]

Brill results rob.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

More racing.......... 5th race in 10 days, this time back out at the club 10.

Managed 22:36 (26.4 mph average) through sheer desperation not to let myself slip back outside of 23 mins (my last 4-5 rides on this course have been under 23 mins, 2 of which were well under @ 22:20 so I didn't want that mental blow of going back outside), but it was utterly awful, went off too hard, hit the turn with a 28mph average (slight tailwind out, it wasn't all down to going out too hard), then just suffered like a dog for the return, I felt utterly hopeless in the final 3 miles and just felt like climbing off the bike when I saw an upcoming railway bridge, that tiny bump in the road hurt like hell. For the last 1.5 mile I was doing the arithmetic as to whether I could beat 23 minutes whilst cursing myself and my inability to push the pedals with any sort of anger!

Finished 3rd overall in the end, 1st from my club, so max points in the scratch comp, but ultimately a bit disappointed with that performance, considering my power was about right, although dosed more evenly throughout rather than an easy start and a gradual build with a balls out final last ditch effort as I usually manage, it just felt brutal and all I could do was hang on.

You might be disappointed but that still sounds like a great result to me and as you know where it can be improved next time will be better.

 

[EltonFrog]

Two 16 mile pre- breakfast rides this week, I read somewhere that having a ride for an hour or so before breakfast burns off fat, so I'm giving that a go a couple of time a week. I'll let you know how I get on.

 

[Tribanite]

Heard it to,but never tried the theory. Good luck