[Other Sport] Cycling geeks

[banjo]

Your weather report from the heart of VeloSouth country:-

Slightly overcast, breezy, no rain.

I was just thinking the same. I’ve ridden in worse weather than this over the years. Not that I fancied it this morning.

 

[Stat Brother]

I was just thinking the same. I’ve ridden in worse weather than this over the years. Not that I fancied it this morning.

Me too although in fairness I'd not be planning a century today.

 

[banjo]

Ha, as it would be rude not to, I came down to do that.

The forecast gave me a dry 7 hour window. I knew that was on if I paced myself.

All was well in the first couple of hours. PBs up some early hills confirmed I was in good shape.

I rather hoped the signage would be mildly decent down there as my notes were on reflection rather shite. A wrong turn worked in my favour though as it made me do almost exactly the extra miles I needed.

I've not been 100% for over a week and halfway in, I felt it and knew it was going to be a slog getting back. Soon after that cramps started, which was a shock as for ages now I've longer rides with no cramp.

In the middle of nowhere I felt some tapping on my helmet. Soon after arriving back on my manor, it got a bit worse. Within half an our it was pretty wet. The last couple of hours were pretty uncomfortable with a feeling of having dipped both feet into a bucket of water.

I would never have made 'your' climb. The hill I chose was one I can do in the middle ring, but no chance yesterday as I needed to uncramp.

Coincidentally, 90 came up within seconds of 6 hours. When I saw 95 on the clock, I knew it was in the bag and felt a bit emotional. At 99 I got paranoid of cars behind me because knowing my luck, some silly kunnt would knock me off. I allowed myself a 'yes' when I heard the beep.

I'd have been made up with 6 and a half hours, so 6 hours 47 is something I am happy with.

Couldn't get warm for ages afterwards. My first 50 was a piece of piss in comparison. I dug very deep yesterday.

Glad you got the ride in Moto. All that training not wasted. Great feeling to do 100er. Well done again mate.

 

[1066familyman]

Ha, as it would be rude not to, I came down to do that.

The forecast gave me a dry 7 hour window. I knew that was on if I paced myself.

All was well in the first couple of hours. PBs up some early hills confirmed I was in good shape.

I rather hoped the signage would be mildly decent down there as my notes were on reflection rather shite. A wrong turn worked in my favour though as it made me do almost exactly the extra miles I needed.

I've not been 100% for over a week and halfway in, I felt it and knew it was going to be a slog getting back. Soon after that cramps started, which was a shock as for ages now I've longer rides with no cramp.

In the middle of nowhere I felt some tapping on my helmet. Soon after arriving back on my manor, it got a bit worse. Within half an our it was pretty wet. The last couple of hours were pretty uncomfortable with a feeling of having dipped both feet into a bucket of water.

I would never have made 'your' climb. The hill I chose was one I can do in the middle ring, but no chance yesterday as I needed to uncramp.

Coincidentally, 90 came up within seconds of 6 hours. When I saw 95 on the clock, I knew it was in the bag and felt a bit emotional. At 99 I got paranoid of cars behind me because knowing my luck, some silly kunnt would knock me off. I allowed myself a 'yes' when I heard the beep.

I'd have been made up with 6 and a half hours, so 6 hours 47 is something I am happy with.

Couldn't get warm for ages afterwards. My first 50 was a piece of piss in comparison. I dug very deep yesterday.

Superb stuff Moto!. Chapeau!

I rode with two club members also determined to do a century today. We rode over your way again actually and then back home via Ashdown Forest. There was a triathlon taking place around Hever Castle. Fair play to them for not cancelling...although to be fair, they're used to already being soaked when on a bike

 

[Motogull]

Superb stuff Moto!. Chapeau! ��

I rode with two club members also determined to do a century today. We rode over your way again actually and then back home via Ashdown Forest. There was a triathlon taking place around Hever Castle. Fair play to them for not cancelling...although to be fair, they're used to already being soaked when on a bike

Thanks fella.

Hope you enjoyed it. I know someone who did part of the Hever event, the bike bit (it was cycloX) and she said it was hardest thing she's ever done on a bike.

 

[Stat Brother]

[tweet]1044233989064708097[/tweet]

 

[Stat Brother]

On the back of Moto losing his virginity, do we have any other geeks with more than half an eye on a debut century?

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Ha, as it would be rude not to, I came down to do that.

The forecast gave me a dry 7 hour window. I knew that was on if I paced myself.

All was well in the first couple of hours. PBs up some early hills confirmed I was in good shape.

I rather hoped the signage would be mildly decent down there as my notes were on reflection rather shite. A wrong turn worked in my favour though as it made me do almost exactly the extra miles I needed.

I've not been 100% for over a week and halfway in, I felt it and knew it was going to be a slog getting back. Soon after that cramps started, which was a shock as for ages now I've longer rides with no cramp.

In the middle of nowhere I felt some tapping on my helmet. Soon after arriving back on my manor, it got a bit worse. Within half an our it was pretty wet. The last couple of hours were pretty uncomfortable with a feeling of having dipped both feet into a bucket of water.

I would never have made 'your' climb. The hill I chose was one I can do in the middle ring, but no chance yesterday as I needed to uncramp.

Coincidentally, 90 came up within seconds of 6 hours. When I saw 95 on the clock, I knew it was in the bag and felt a bit emotional. At 99 I got paranoid of cars behind me because knowing my luck, some silly kunnt would knock me off. I allowed myself a 'yes' when I heard the beep.

I'd have been made up with 6 and a half hours, so 6 hours 47 is something I am happy with.

Couldn't get warm for ages afterwards. My first 50 was a piece of piss in comparison. I dug very deep yesterday.

Excellent stuff Moto, chapeau. It's a couple of years since I did a century, not sure I fancy it any more. Well done mate.

 

[spongy]

Are all you guys and virtually all of this thread on road bikes? I've started mountain biking and off roading a couple of months ago. Just wondered if this is the place for me or not....... this last page of 100 miles in a day seems a bit elitist to me at the moment although am planning to do the BHF South Downs Way challenge in a day. That's 110 miles from Winchester to Eastbourne. Off road. Sounds very intimidating especially considering some of the climbs on the route. Hoping to enter in 2020.

 

[Stat Brother]

Are all you guys and virtually all of this thread on road bikes? I've started mountain biking and off roading a couple of months ago. Just wondered if this is the place for me or not....... this last page of 100 miles in a day seems a bit elitist to me at the moment although am planning to do the BHF South Downs Way challenge in a day. That's 110 miles from Winchester to Eastbourne. Off road. Sounds very intimidating especially considering some of the climbs on the route. Hoping to enter in 2020.

No, f**k off.

 

[spongy]

Fair enough. I'll have a mooch through and pop in occasionally. If I've got anything to say of any value then I'll post.

Looks like I shall be an occasional visitor on this....

 

[Fignon's Ponytail]

Are all you guys and virtually all of this thread on road bikes? I've started mountain biking and off roading a couple of months ago. Just wondered if this is the place for me or not....... this last page of 100 miles in a day seems a bit elitist to me at the moment although am planning to do the BHF South Downs Way challenge in a day. That's 110 miles from Winchester to Eastbourne. Off road. Sounds very intimidating especially considering some of the climbs on the route. Hoping to enter in 2020.

Im a keen mountain biker still (but on here it is mainly roadie stuff), and did the last section of the BHF 100 SDW Ride this year. My 2 mates did the whole thing, and I have to say it was the hardest ride weve all ever done. The two who did the 100 miles are super fit riders / runners / swimmers...and they were cramping up massively etc. I did the last 20 miles with them and it was brutal. Good luck!

 

[Stat Brother]

Fair enough. I'll have a mooch through and pop in occasionally. If I've got anything to say of any value then I'll post.

Looks like I shall be an occasional visitor on this....

Blimey we've got a proper trailblazer here chaps.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Are all you guys and virtually all of this thread on road bikes? I've started mountain biking and off roading a couple of months ago. Just wondered if this is the place for me or not....... this last page of 100 miles in a day seems a bit elitist to me at the moment although am planning to do the BHF South Downs Way challenge in a day. That's 110 miles from Winchester to Eastbourne. Off road. Sounds very intimidating especially considering some of the climbs on the route. Hoping to enter in 2020.

Ignore Stat, he is an elitist dinosaur, and wears that tag as a badge of honour.

I ride both road bikes and MTBs, but have recently tipped the balance more in favour of the MTB, which was where I started back in the 80s.. I love both - and whichever bike I am on at the time is my favourite. Stat follows me on Strava and gives me kudos for my road bike rides, whilst studiously ignoring the rides I do on my MTB.

I am picking up a new bike this weekend - can't wait. It's one of these (but I'm not buying from Evans). https://www.evanscycles.com/specialized-stumpjumper-st-2019-mountain-bike-EV337836

110 miles on the South Downs Way...that is some achievement if you do it.

Good luck, and keep coming back. We need more MTBers, and it will annoy Stat.

 

[Stat Brother]

Ignore Stat, he is an elitist dinosaur, and wears that tag as a badge of honour.

I ride both road bikes and MTBs, but have recently tipped the balance more in favour of the MTB, which was where I started back in the 80s.. I love both - and whichever bike I am on at the time is my favourite. Stat follows me on Strava and gives me kudos for my road bike rides, whilst studiously ignoring the rides I do on my MTB.

I am picking up a new bike this weekend - can't wait. It's one of these (but I'm not buying from Evans). https://www.evanscycles.com/specialized-stumpjumper-st-2019-mountain-bike-EV337836

110 miles on the South Downs Way...that is some achievement if you do it.

Good luck, and keep coming back. We need more MTBers, and it will annoy Stat.

It's not just your rides, I have to study Colin & Phil's posting too.
I did once give Colin an erroneous kudos, so then had to explain why I was seemingly ignoring his next ride on tarmac.

In the past I've been called petty -

Phil's new adventure bike has somewhat muddied the waters, esp as it's rekindled my desire to get a Genesis Datum.

I might just be mellowing in my old age, or perhaps I have a yearning for not riding and just pointing into the middle distance.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

It's not just your rides, I have to study Colin & Phil's posting too.
I did once give Colin an erroneous kudos, so then had to explain why I was seemingly ignoring his next ride on tarmac.

In the past I've been called petty -

Phil's new adventure bike has somewhat muddied the waters, esp as it's rekindled my desire to get a Genesis Datum.

I might just be mellowing in my old age, or perhaps I have a yearning for not riding and just pointing into the middle distance.

You also did this to me.

I would love it, love it, if you got an MTB.

Then the next bloody minded roadie zealot to convert would be [MENTION=225]Hamilton[/MENTION].

 

[spongy]

I did the last 20 miles with them and it was brutal. Good luck!

Exactly what I don't want to hear

Been on the bike for 2 months now. I'm using it for commuting too. I asked work to sign up for the cycle to work scheme. Its only a small firm with 20 people there and to my surprise they did so i bought myself a Giant Talon 2 29er 2018 model with a retail of 600 new. 2x9 drive train. So much different to my old steel Raleigh I had as a kid.

Got it for 450 on the scheme so a half decent hardtail to get me started. Began doing the shortest route to work and back to toughen up my arse and get over saddle sore. It's been 25 years since I rode a bike so took a couple of weeks to get over that.

Now I'm back in the saddle I've started extending the route and now do 5 miles each way with about 4.5 off road through woods and bridleways. And arrive at work not too sweaty now unlike the first couple of weeks. My recovery is also getting quicker. Catch my breath again within a few minutes and no more jelly legs at all.

I do a 10 mile route home once a week which about 8 miles off road anx hoping to extend it to twice a week.I'm intending to do one 20 miler at least every fortnight but with football Saturdays and a 4 year old little girl I'm finding it hard to find the time for serious riding just yet.

Recently upgraded my front light to a 700 lumen Lezyne unit as the original I bought wasn't that good. I start work at 6am and since it's been dark at 5.15am when I leave, the wooded sections with what effectively was a candle was getting dangerous, especially as I'm getting fitter, quicker and slightly more skilled to tackle the rough stuff.

Really enjoying it.

It was ****ing cold this morning though so next on the list on payday is some decent waterproof but breathable gloves and some waterproof mtb trousers to save using the overtrousers if I can. Boil in a bag springs to mind wearing those.....

Checking reviews for mtb trousers and I'm staggered at the price of them to be honest. Well over £100! There's some Boardman ones in Halfords for 50 quid that can unzip the legs to use as shorts that look reasonable with a liner short and chamois included. I can't do bibs or tights as I work in a factory, as soon as I walk in the door I will never hear the end of it. Especially when I get changed!

Any recommendations on gloves or trousers would be appreciated, and a bonus if they're reasonably priced...

Sorry for the long post but a bit of a late introduction as to where I'm at right now.....

 

[banjo]

Isn’t CX the new fashion these days.

 

[spongy]

Ive installex strava. But havent really used it yet. Having to build a route on a pc to then get it on the phone seems like a faff. Not sure if I'm really interested in the competitive side of it yet either. I'm happy just completing a ride, and then Stat comes along and smashes the time and my sense of achievement

I prefer Komoot at the moment. I've got the free map of sussex and I can build routes on the app on the phone. It has more paths and trails on it than Strava as well.

 

[Motogull]

Saturday afternoon/evening, never again.
Sunday, I regret saying never.
Monday on way to work, I wonder what would happen if I felt better and the weather forecast was more reliable and my notes were sound.
Today on way home, I wonder if I can dissapear for 6-7 hours in Sunday?



Oh and Annemiek Van Vleuten, .