Your ride today.... (part 1)

[DonnaHegarty]

Congratulations! It is a nice steady climb up the Crow Rd and i think the road surface is descent for a fun descent. I've only been up there once this year coming up the opposite way from Fintry (road pothole central!) and enjoyed going down to Lennoxtown.
Next on your list then is the "Tak me Doon"?

Ah - yes I've been eyeing up the "tak me doon" but not sure I'm quite up to that challenge yet! Off to try out Arran this Saturday so that should be fun. Just hoping the weather forecast for Saturday improves.

 

[BigonaBianchi]

Arran is beautiful..erm the island that is lol!

 

[Snapper88]

So I thought I would try the 50 mile charity ride course.
Rode out to the start point, I didn't realise how far it was, so decided to have a quick rest before I started the actual course.

http://www.strava.com/activities/80219272

After the rest I started out & soon realised I weren't up to the challenge today considering I needed to ride home as well.
So after going wrong & some pretty steep hills (not a great climber) I cut the ride short & headed home.

http://www.strava.com/activities/80238198

The worst thing is I'm still about 20 miles short of the 50 I will be doing in 2 1/2 weeks.

 

[BigonaBianchi]

150 imaginary miles this morning whilst simultaneously hiberbating from the rain which arrived in its true glory here on the English Riviera lol!
Time to brave it a get the bikes into the garage for a good degrease and service methinks.

 

[oldfatfool]

so near and yet so far. Pissed off with the pimple of provence

 

[compo]

A few weeks ago I bought a cycling specific waterproof/breathable jacket off fleabay, one of these

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261111706...eName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

I wasn't expecting too much at the price in terms of breathability. Today I did 40 miles in the rain, Harlow down to Writtle and back through the back lanes so the jacket had a good test. It is waterproof, and I didn't overheat in it, but I still got fairly damp inside from sweat. At least I stayed warm.

I struggled a bit on the ride, my legs felt heavy and the hills were a bit of strain but I made the ride OK. I quite enjoyed the rain after weeks of sunshine.

 

[HLaB]

Popped to a lbs after work, on the way back I got run off the road, fortunately at a driveway, it wasn't rocket science that she wasnt going to fit and I dropped back quickly so it was no biggie. Typically she pulled off into the next small residential estate. That aside, it was a nicer temperature tonight, I had a few things on my mind and that was just the motivation to get out of town, that and I fancied a hill so I headed out into the headwind and ended up in the village of Elton (OK its not a hill its a bump but the 13.5g fixie + D Lock and wearing work trousers makes it seem like one). . 13.3mph ave out (which includes the bimble to the lbs) and by the time I got back it had risen to 14.9mph; quick maths, I make it 17.3mph for the last 8miles on the (GC says I was 16.2mph for 5 miles them 17.6mph for the last 5miles; 15mph moving average overall).

 

[Seamab]

What a difference in the weather today - it felt like September! NNE wind, grey skies, 55F. Chilly.
I did yesterdays ride in reverse more or less (added a mile by taking a couple of backroads). So 28miles. Just got back in before the rain. I really enjoyed it today, legs felt good considering yesterdays level of effort. I'd catergorise it as a tempo level of effort today. A day off tomorrow (just as well as the weather forecast is poor). I've arranged a carbo loading lunch/pub session instead!

 

[Supersuperleeds]

A 30 mile ride chasing 1000 feet of climbing turned into a 51 miler and 2000 feet of climbing this morning. Chilly and windy and my windproof jacket is now way to big for me, was like a parachute brake at times.

http://www.strava.com/activities/80638834

 

[HLaB]

Beautiful weather today with a temperature more to my liking for my ride. Ive got another ride tomorrow so took it easy in the pack. Somebody had dropped a piece of breeze block in the middle of the road the same colour and the pack had just sped up . The increase in speed had caused the pack to break up and I in the first group and I avoided it and pointed it out but a rider in the second group wasn't as lucky; touchwood it was more of a precaution but he's off in an ambulance

Went out on a slow bimble in the afternoon, initially for a haircut and some shopping but with the return to summer, I went a wee bit further.

 

[Rustybucket]

http://www.strava.com/activities/80655671

Love the bike now - very wet for the first 3 hours. Descents were very scary / hairy. Need to improve average speed. Brilliant views from box hill.
Also must of done some of the tour of britain route as saw loads of road signs about it.

Im off to collapse now...

 

[arranandy]

52 miles round the lanes and back roads of EK and Strathaven. Went out on the winter bike (heavy!) for the 1st time since March. It was raining when I left the house so I was wearing bib longs, rain jacket, overshoes and gloves but it brightened up nicely so as a result I was too warm for most of the ride. Just rode fairly easy as I had a couple of hard rides during the week

 

[Sandra6]

I haven't done anywhere near enough "proper" cycling recently, so I'm trying to grab every opportunity before the weather turns against us.
Set off with Mr6 on the 29ers to Gretna (10/11 milesish) lovely sunshine, light breeze. Got the benefit of a tailwind as we went into Gretna and coasted in with my average speed up to 12 mph (generally sits at 10mph no matter what I do) .
Quick bacon butty and back on the bikes, straight into the most horrendous head wind ever sent to try me!
Mr6 had the strange idea that cycling infront of me would give me some shelter - strange because I'm a lot bigger than him and can't hug his wheel for love nor money. He clearly forgot what my average was like and took off at a good speed while I laboured away, dropping to a measly 7mph on the -I want to say hill, but just in case some of you are familiar with my road I best not! - ahem incline?! That was him disappearing from view as a group of club riders (black and yellow kit anyone??) came by in the opposite direction shouting encouragement to me to "go catch him"
It was never going to happen. Fortunately he remembered I was there and waited round the bend, where I got in front and kept him in his place the rest of the way.
Had a couple of close calls where I nearly got off and walked, but I pedalled on and seriously, had to stop to let the man with his dogs by, honest, it just wasn't fair of me to hog the footpath at that point. Home in just over an hour, and only slightly slower than the run out, but eeh my legs are telling me about it now.

 

[Mattonsea]

32 miles around the New Forest. Avoided the rain , kept my average up considering I have spent the last
month taking the boys out. Strong SW head wind , a close moment with a Range Rover, But a Veolia recycling
lorry was very patient and took his time .
,

 

[Rob3rt]

25TT, 59:15, rode quite well, felt like a return to form of sorts as my power numbers look okay, shame about the traffic hold ups, was also pretty windy. Can only do what you can do, given the conditions though....

I would really appreciate if groups of cyclists or clubs learnt to ride well as such though, what I don't appreciate is 3 abreast, shambolic riding and I am sure any following traffic would share the same opinion.

I also would like other racers to have the courtesy to move in and let traffic pass when it is safe to do so, as racers we do try to choose the fastest bit of road and will occasionally hold up traffic a bit, but you know when you have a load of traffic behind you and the impact it might be having on a fellow racer, be sporting and polite and just let some of it pass!

Was also a bit confused by my minute mans reaction to being caught too, overtook him, nice and wide, pulled back in, he is now obligated to stay out of my slipstream and what does he do? Sprints back past me and drops in front of me again (I am obviously going faster than him, I made a minute up on him, so utterly pointless behaviour only serving to impede me) , it was not safe to re-pass him at that point so had to slow down and sit off of his wheel so as to not be drafting him then re-pass when it was safe, I think he realised he didn't have a cat in hells chance of staying ahead this time and didn't impede me further

Yeah both pleased at the return to form and a bit grumpy at some poor riding from others!

Got a hill climb tomorrow and feeling pretty enthusiastic about that