Official cycling thread

[Stat Brother]

Ok ok I know it's taken me months to off set the 'official running thread', with this slightly less popular spotty little brother.
It's also not to be confused with 'the official Tour de France' thread, as the grand dame will have a thread of her own.

Anyway disclaimers aside, how's your cycling going?

I've been hitting the downs fairly hard in the recent good weather, resulting in a great sportive ride around Burgess Hill last weekend, (5th out of 244 on a 53 mile course).

As for racing, we're approaching the biggest 'Classics' week of the year, anyone going?, Horton's Halftime Iceberg?
Anyone prepared to bet against Cancellara.

Plenty more of those videos would be good Clippedgull.
Good urban bike race in Chile!!

 

[Mendoza]

The bike has been out for 6 weeks now. Cycled the Brighton marathon course twice with two people wanting to get familiar with the course for their marathon run in a couple weeks.

Not racing or anything, doing it for the fun, although there seems to be an even more than normal amount of people parking their cars in the cycle lanes...

 

[Albumen]

The bike has been out for 6 weeks now. Cycled the Brighton marathon course twice with two people wanting to get familiar with the course for their marathon run in a couple weeks.

Not racing or anything, doing it for the fun, although there seems to be an even more than normal amount of people parking their cars in the cycle lanes...

Fairweathered cyclist. Mine's never been in. Cycle every day, every weather bar snow (as I fall off).

 

[Stat Brother]

There's certainly a hell of a lot of MAMIL's out this year.
We were out a couple of Sundays ago, and must have past 20, or so, during our ride.

 

[Pantani]

MAMIL?

I have been extremely lazy this winter, not much more than the daily commute for me. Recent weather has seen a slight increase in the number of rides but boy am I unfit. All these Albion away days have really taken their toll.

 

[The Sock of Poskett]

Love getting on my bike but can't pretend I'm anything more than a commuter/leisure cyclist. Puts a smile on my face though (particularly with the price of petrol!)

 

[Stevie Boy]

have finally got mine out, training for the london - brighton again, and a ride between brighton and eastbourne across the downs 2 weeks prior to the L2B

 

[Stat Brother]

MAMIL?

I have been extremely lazy this winter, not much more than the daily commute for me. Recent weather has seen a slight increase in the number of rides but boy am I unfit. All these Albion away days have really taken their toll.

Middle Aged Man In Lycra, 'cycling is the new golf yar'
Well I'm beginning to believe that now.
It seems to have taken a couple of years to drip down from the media types, but the amount of new faces we saw out was quite amazing, and great to see.

Love getting on my bike but can't pretend I'm anything more than a commuter/leisure cyclist. Puts a smile on my face though (particularly with the price of petrol!)

Good stuff, I doubt you're the only one.

 

[adrian29uk]

I love cycling, but I get put off by some car drivers. And before anyone asks, yes I have my own car, and yes I pay road tax, and yes if the goverment asked me to pay road tax I would.

It puts me off going for a ride these days due to public perception. I follow the highway code to the book, however it does not stop some motorists shouting abuse at me for no reason, being impatient and not paying attention. Only last week I was nearly thrown off my bike because someone decides to cut around me to turn left blocking my path, all because they where impatient.

Yes I know some cyclists jump red lights, but please we are not all like that. In fact probably all the cyclists you see own a car themself and follow the highway code, so please show us some respect.

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

The other half and I are keen cyclists - did 40km Broadbridge Heath to Dial Post loop on Saturday, and Horsham - Partridge Green - Warninglid loop two weeks ago (24miles) pretty much all on quiet country roads with little or no traffic. Great website for West Sussex routes: West Sussex Cycle routes - Cycle Route Planner

The best one we've ever done is the Rye to Dungeness/Camber loop, just beautiful, flat smooth cycle paths the whole way, stunning scenery:

Rye and Dungeness Circular Rye Bike ride on Cycle Routes UK - Cycle Route Planner

 

[Albumen]

The other half and I are keen cyclists - did 40km Broadbridge Heath to Dial Post loop on Saturday, and Horsham - Partridge Green - Warninglid loop two weeks ago (24miles) pretty much all on quiet country roads with little or no traffic. Great website for West Sussex routes: West Sussex Cycle routes - Cycle Route Planner

The best one we've ever done is the Rye to Dungeness/Camber loop, just beautiful, flat smooth cycle paths the whole way, stunning scenery:

Rye and Dungeness Circular Rye Bike ride on Cycle Routes UK - Cycle Route Planner

Wow that Rye one looks ace, thanks.

 

[tube train]

out each weekend just for fun but enjoy doing between 30 and 50 miles! ive used cycle routes before good website even if only for ideas..

my normal route is from Hove, over the downs and turn right at the ginger fox up to Albourne, then through to cowfold, henfield, small dole, upper beeding, steyning, shoreham and home! pretty flat route and normally the roads around there arent to busy

my bike needs a bit of work over the last year done a lot of miles and its starting to tell i think.. but that will be sorted before the London - Brighton

apart from what Cheeky monkey put what other routes are good?

 

[Acker79]

Fairweathered cyclist. Mine's never been in. Cycle every day, every weather bar snow (as I fall off).

Indeed. I only tend to use my cycle for the commute to/from work, but it's annoying/amusing/something to notice that when the weather is nicer the cycle routes get a lot busier, and usually it means an increase in cyclists with annyoing behaviour.

 

[Stat Brother]

out each weekend just for fun but enjoy doing between 30 and 50 miles! ive used cycle routes before good website even if only for ideas..

my normal route is from Hove, over the downs and turn right at the ginger fox up to Albourne, then through to cowfold, henfield, small dole, upper beeding, steyning, shoreham and home! pretty flat route and normally the roads around there arent to busy

my bike needs a bit of work over the last year done a lot of miles and its starting to tell i think.. but that will be sorted before the London - Brighton

apart from what Cheeky monkey put what other routes are good?

We're a bit more west than you. When we come your way, we've normally warmed up coming along the coast, before going, Small Dole, Henfield, (occasionally up to Monk's Gate), Partridge Green, Ashurst, Spithandle Lane, before heading back over the Downs.

We're normally out most Sunday mornings, so the traffic isn't too much of a problem.
I just keep in mind no matter how 'right' I am, cars can kill me, so I always 'doff my cap', which does me well.

 

[The Grockle]

Just started riding to work this week from croydon to redhill, finding it pretty hard going tbh. I'm preparing for my summer holiday at the end of may which involves me riding from croydon to amsterdam (croydon to harwich, hook of holland to amsterdam) If anyone fancies an epic bike ride then a weekend of filth in amsterdam Pm me! Serious lycra clad cyclists need not apply!

 

[Stat Brother]

Anyone out today?

It was my first time out with my Garmin 705 - Edge, which means, for one post only, (unless I do something spectacular) I can blind a load of people with numbers they don't care about!.

Distance - 36.00 miles
time - 01.53:41
Ave speed - 19 mph
Top speed - 31.8 mph
Ave Cadence - 83 rpm
Max Cad - 137 rpm
Elevation gained - 1,235 ft
Ele lost - 1,242 ft
Ave heart rate - 157 bpm
Max h/r - 186 bpm
Calories - 2712C
Avg Moving Pace: 03:07 min/mi
Best Pace: 01:55 min/mi

You've got to love technology.

 

[adrian29uk]

Anyone out today?

It was my first time out with my Garmin 705 - Edge, which means, for one post only, (unless I do something spectacular) I can blind a load of people with numbers they don't care about!.

Distance - 36.00 miles
time - 01.53:41
Ave speed - 19 mph
Top speed - 31.8 mph
Ave Cadence - 83 rpm
Max Cad - 137 rpm
Elevation gained - 1,235 ft
Ele lost - 1,242 ft
Ave heart rate - 157 bpm
Max h/r - 186 bpm
Calories - 2712C
Avg Moving Pace: 03:07 min/mi
Best Pace: 01:55 min/mi

You've got to love technology.

Thats bloody good going. My average is usually around 12mph which aint bad. I am totally out of shape, but starting from tommorow I am going back out on the bike properly. It just puts me off with some of these drivers.

I can get to the Marina from Peacehaven in about 45 minutes If I just take the bus lanes, which includes the hills.

I have learnt to take it easy at the beginning of the ride and after about 20 mins I am warmed up. It still does not stop the hills hurting me, they never get any easier no matter how I approach them.

 

[Stat Brother]

That was pretty flat, the elevation was mainly around Lancing College (Coombes Road) through to Steyning, plus there was 3 of us. So I was doing plenty of drafting.
Bizarrely enough my top speed was only 1 mph more than a sprint we had in Lancing before the left turn into the airfield. I was pretty shattered after that.

I totally sympathise re hills, I'm so much fatter than my mates, it's embarrassing when we start going up hill.
From memory there isn't much flat ground on that stretch of road, so that's pretty good going, (make sure your tyres are fully inflated).

You're never going to 'win' when a car is involved, there's no point telling/thinking how wrong the driver is, just keep yourself safe.

 

[culvers]

Just commute from Wimbledon to central London everyday and quite enjoy it. Road users tend to be OK - its riding on country lanes that worry me as cars tend to go much faster.

The number of cyclists commuting has increased dramatically since the weather improved which I suppose is a good thing.

 

[lost in london]

Anyone out today?

It was my first time out with my Garmin 705 - Edge, which means, for one post only, (unless I do something spectacular) I can blind a load of people with numbers they don't care about!.

Distance - 36.00 miles
time - 01.53:41
Ave speed - 19 mph
Top speed - 31.8 mph
Ave Cadence - 83 rpm
Max Cad - 137 rpm
Elevation gained - 1,235 ft
Ele lost - 1,242 ft
Ave heart rate - 157 bpm
Max h/r - 186 bpm
Calories - 2712C
Avg Moving Pace: 03:07 min/mi
Best Pace: 01:55 min/mi

You've got to love technology.

Very impressive, although i would have loved to see you when your cadence got up to 137!

I've just had a weekend cycling in the cotswolds, did this yesterday:

A ride mapped on 04/03/2011 in Moreton-in-Marsh, United Kingdom | Bike Map | MapMyRIDE

which for a fairly amateur rider like me was fairly shattering. Can't recommend it highly enough as a loop though, stayed in Moreton in Marsh. Did a 35 mile ride this morning then train back home.

For any london based cyclists, getting the train from Vic / Clapham junction out to Oxted and doing this:

Oxted Loop in Oxted, United Kingdom | Bike Map | MapMyRIDE

is a testing little loop with a couple of nice hills.

And whilst I'm at it, in october I did these in and around dorchester which made another great weekend away:

Tom in United States | Cycling Social Network | MapMyRIDE

Dorchester Loop Day 2b - trip - EveryTrail | EveryTrail

And as a final suggestion for a weekend away, Wales in a weekend, this nearly killed me:

Wales in a weekend - Road biking trip - EveryTrail | EveryTrail