The weekend riding thread.

@buckssaint. I usually ride around West Berkshire, but the trails are a bog at the moment. Also do some racing, such as the Gorricks and things like bonty 24/12 and mountain mayhem.

@buckssaint. I usually ride around West Berkshire, but the trails are a bog at the moment. Also do some racing, such as the Gorricks and things like bonty 24/12 and mountain mayhem.

Impressive, cheers. Am not anywhere fast enough to consider racing. Have done a few events for fun, where my main focus is on getting to the end in a semi respectable time! Am sticking to Swinley while the trails are mud baths but hope to do bike park Wales in the summer, new job permitting

Did the Stafford RC Reliability Ride today in a very strong wind. Did some big pulls on the front into a headwind and it's ruined me.

VFT today, Inset day? Funny half term? Dentists appointment? Were you on the Penkridge side of Stafford around 11-45 this morning then round by the Crem about 12-45? We were at a funeral in Penkridge then on to Stafford crem after. Could have sworn we saw you, if not you then there's somebody else around Stafford giving a very good impression of you! If you don't want to be noticed, don't go out dressed as your avatar!!!

She is rapid!

VFT today, Inset day? Funny half term? Dentists appointment? Were you on the Penkridge side of Stafford around 11-45 this morning then round by the Crem about 12-45? We were at a funeral in Penkridge then on to Stafford crem after. Could have sworn we saw you, if not you then there's somebody else around Stafford giving a very good impression of you! If you don't want to be noticed, don't go out dressed as your avatar!!!

Not me, I was teaching Vicky Pollard clones then. Plenty of us riding for the same club around here. Think it was my mate Richard.

Not me, I was teaching Vicky Pollard clones then. Plenty of us riding for the same club around here. Think it was my mate Richard.

Fair play, I did think he was a little bit leisurely for you. but he did have very similar colouring and facial hair! Looks cracking biking country where you are, we went from the Crem to the M6 toll towards Lichfield and we also went off the M6 early for the Stoke league cup game and went up through Stone and Leek (?), there's not a flat bit of road NE of Stafford!

You would have gone from Stone towards to Stoke on the Leek Rd. I ride around there a lot. I was riding out towards Lichfield today before looping back over Cannock Chase through Penkridge and the flat countryside to the east before heading up to Stone and back through to Stafford.

I actually live 1km from the crem, I ride past it everytime we head east.

You would have gone from Stone towards to Stoke on the Leek Rd. I ride around there a lot. I was riding out towards Lichfield today before looping back over Cannock Chase through Penkridge and the flat countryside to the east before heading up to Stone and back through to Stafford.

 

I actually live 1km from the crem, I ride past it everytime we head east.

Nice one, I was born in Stone (1961!) and my parents were in Penkridge until I was age 9. Guess it's my third home but I rarely get there, my parents were both originally from Warsash/Tichfield and we lived in Netley (Hamble school) from 9-14. I have been in Kent since age 14 but I don't feel any great affinity to it, Soton will always be home for me. In Norman Tebbitt's cricket test I would take Hants over Kent every time. Just nice to see different parts of the country, you certainly live in some cracking biking country where you are.

A week of altitude training coming up, albeit on skis. Really interested to see what effect it has, if any.

 

She is rapid!

I am no expert in roadies, but that is a nice looking ride!

Looks good. Unusual brand mix of fulcrum and campy.. Why no shamals?

Anyone ever taken a bike on holiday, solo style? Going with the extended family to Andalusia in Sept and was thinking of taking the bike with me. Would be the only person that would ride but a couple hours a few days a week wouldn't cause me too much grief from mrs. I think the hills around there would be too good to miss. Anybody done anything similar or got any tips?

My missus likes a good sleep in so early mornings is the secret for me when on hols.

Keeps me out of strife and particularly when it's warm is best time of day to ride. Win win.

Looks good. Unusual brand mix of fulcrum and campy.. Why no shamals?

Love Fulcrums and the Racing Zeros are very light & very, very fast.

36/52 & 11/25 but with the cassette being swapped to 12/29 for the Pyrenees and Welsh mountains. Can't climb the Tourmalet or Hautacam with a 25.

I had a proper bike fit yesterday.

3 hours really well spent. Found I had my seat tilted forward by 4.6 degs so was putting extra pressure through my shoulder blades. Moved my cleats around a bit and saddle up literally 6mm and things seem smoother. Really very interesting how tiny little things can have such an impact. My right cleat with not straight so my ankle wasn't moving freely up and and down which was in turn wiggling etc etc..

I had a proper bike fit yesterday.

 

3 hours really well spent. Found I had my seat tilted forward by 4.6 degs so was putting extra pressure through my shoulder blades. Moved my cleats around a bit and saddle up literally 6mm and things seem smoother. Really very interesting how tiny little things can have such an impact. My right cleat with not straight so my ankle wasn't moving freely up and and down which was in turn wiggling etc etc..

Getting the cleats right is a mare. I had been suffering tri-band pain on my left knee. I've recently starting using new shoes and it's taken a few rides armed with a multi-tool to tweak them to get them right. No muscular problems now.

Might need another spacer adding to the stem as I'm reaching a bit to far.

Love Fulcrums and the Racing Zeros are very light & very, very fast.

 

36/52 & 11/25 but with the cassette being swapped to 12/29 for the Pyrenees and Welsh mountains. Can't climb the Tourmalet or Hautacam with a 25.

Yep, I roll with the Campy Shamals on my summer bike which are if not identical pretty close to the Zeroes as both are designed and and come out of the Campagnolo factory.

Best factory built wheels going around, not just quick but amazingly strong.

Enjoy the Pyrenees, some of my favourite rides are there, and the Aubisque is something special.

Yep, I roll with the Campy Shamals on my summer bike which are if not identical pretty close to the Zeroes as both are designed and and come out of the Campagnolo factory.

 

Best factory built wheels going around, not just quick but amazingly strong.

 

Enjoy the Pyrenees, some of my favourite rides are there, and the Aubisque is something special.

Agree, was going to post this up yesterday, Aubisque is a fantastic climb and unusual in that it comes in two parts, first part up to Soleur(?) is relatively routine. Maybe 6 or 7k at 6% to 8%, not looking it up, just from memory. You then traverse along a spectacular contour with the biggest drop-offs I've probably seen anywhere (there is a small wall and a barrier but you are literally looking sideways over 'nothing') then there's a reasonably long tunnel with cobbles and dripping water, if you get through that lot there is a deceptively steep climb to the finish, again from memory, prob 4-5km at 8% plus with the end always in sight. Did it on the tour in prob 2010? ish? Red hot day and a fantastic decent afterwards, picking down through the crowds then a full on thrash back to St Gironds. Seriously consider adding Aubisque to your itinerary.

Another unsung gem in the pyrennes is Plateau de Baille, literally a road to nowhere, and the climb that Lance Armstrong declared to be 'against his human rights'. A completely surreal experience, it kicks up relatively out of nowhere, straight on to 9% plus ramps. Literally in the middle of nowhere, we did it in mid-summer and only saw a handful of cars in an hours plus climbing. Road surface is excellent, bottom half is steeper (v. steep in places) top section is easier but guarded by giant cattle/ox/buffalo type creatures! Weave through those and arrive at a David Bowie/Man Who Fell to Earth type Sci Fi visitor centre (which was closed in the middle of summer) and about three cars in the car park. Now for the real reason for coming up here, the descent! Have to say this is up there with the best descents I've ever done ... the road surface is immaculate, the traffic is scarce, the visibility down is good and some of the ramps are in excess of a K long! I'm sure you go faster in Staffordshire but for me this is the faster I've ever been on a bike!

Enjoy!

Yep spot on with description except worth mentioning descending through that tunnel at speed is a bit of a heart starter as is quite dark and I didn't have a light.

My first time up the Aubisque was memorable for the wrong reasons, I was in a car heading over to Spain and through the fog almost drove straight over the cliff face as it doglegged to the left up the top of the Soleur.

I rode it in 2012 when the tour circus was in town - funny story because we stopped at the cafe at the top of Soleur and my Irish mate who talks to anyone and everyone complimented two guys on their pretty pimp BMCs at the cafe... one of the guys replied with "thanks, I would want to hope so as my boss here owns the company". Turns out it was Andy Rihs.

I reckon I'll get 5/6 days in the mountains so will look at doing 1 or 2 of the major climbs in each day in them. I'm certainly not the worlds most natural climber but I'm looking forward to the challenge.

As for going downhill, the Staffordshire Moorlands, Peak District and Shropshire Hills offer plenty of chances to hit 50mph+

Looks good. Unusual brand mix of fulcrum and campy.. Why no shamals?

Aren't Shamals basically FR Zero in disguise. Got to honest though would have Shamals with any Campy groupset, but that could just be a hint of OCD in me

Whilst on the subject of silly roads. This is the Pas de la Confession between Villard-Reculas and Huez. https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@45.080332,6.041431,3a,75y,175.8h,90t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sLs4CXr6MX76juHjULZa94w!2e0?hl=en

This is the D219 on the opposite side of the Romanche valley.https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@45.033334,6.041979,3a,75y,4.62h,84.52t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1smc27aTJ_9UeiOQsyfHu8AA!2e0?hl=en

This is the road you can see on the mid-right of the above image. It is the D211A between La Garde and Auris.https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@45.049771,6.06105,3a,75y,189.64h,90t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1svW-DVElqgWGJrekeg6TEyg!2e0?hl=en you can see the D219 on the opposite side.

How about the D220. I believe this used to be the old road to Les Deux Alpes. https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@45.029708,6.095352,3a,75y,5.87h,90t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1swmKpfjGmTi3Yx41mEIRtHw!2e0?hl=en

And finally in the Vercours the Combe Laval near the Col de la Machine. https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@44.999378,5.334063,3a,75y,9.21h,90t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1srSnjb0o_fm2DwjlA2aY2bw!2e0?hl=en article in this month's The Cyclist mag.

Aren't Shamals basically FR Zero in disguise. Got to honest though would have Shamals with any Campy groupset, but that could just be a hint of OCD in me

Other way around but yes, all Fulcrum wheels started that way but there might be subtle differences now.

Campy rolled out the fulcrum brand and all their wheels as rebadged campy wheels to attract those who have Shimano running gear and wanted the Italian quality but didn't want to have a Jap Italiano identity crisis.

Well I can confirm that cycling is absolutely of no benefit to ski fitness. My legs were killing me.

Fantastic out today. Nothing spectacular but a ride round some of my favourite bits of Berkshire where stupid names abound. Crazies Hill and Cockpole Green. Out to Twyford and then through Wargrave towards Henley. Right off the A321 up the side of what is effectively Remenham Hill. Back to Wargrave via Crazies Hill, where there really isn't any noticeable hill at all. A loop around Wargrave village to take in Wargrave Hill (only 2 seconds off PB - not bad for early season) and then down over the A4 towards White Waltham village, a short climb up past the church there and then home. A couple of uphill drags on the way to and from Shurlock Row were helped by a tailwind but I was pleased how I was gaining speed on the flatter bits even when the wind wasn't behind.

The winter miles are paying off as I utterly ruined my ride companions today with little or no effort.

That wind was bloody brutal today. Perfect training for Flanders next weekend.

First longer ride of the year for me yesterday, Caversham to Oxford via Didcot and Abingdon. Should have been about 40 miles but some confusing signs meant an unnecessary additional 8 mile loop from Didcot.

Legs feeling fine this morning, but the undercarriage knows it's been in contact with the saddle

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That wind was bloody brutal today. Perfect training for Flanders next weekend.

Are you doing Flanders? If so, look forward to write up.

I notched off Paris Roubaix last year and the cobbles were brutal - I reckon I lost all my fillings and aged about 2 years in one day.

Are you doing Flanders? If so, look forward to write up.

 

I notched off Paris Roubaix last year and the cobbles were brutal - I reckon I lost all my fillings and aged about 2 years in one day.

Leaving 1st thing in the morning. Can't wait to do it.

Flanders done in rain, mud & wind. Epic?

Flanders was utterly epic in mud, win & rain. 'Kin hard though.

Epic ride today taking in 3 Tour of Britain King of the Mountain climbs.

Solo 160km with 2500m climbing. Going to be sore later.

Anyone going to be aggravating the natives in the new forest sportive this weekend?

Anyone going to be aggravating the natives in the new forest sportive this weekend?

Nah. Club spin tomorrow and 1st race of the year on Sunday.

Anyone going to be aggravating the natives in the new forest sportive this weekend?

I am doing the standard route on Sunday. First time ever near a group of riders that big so feeling a bit anxious about it.

I am doing the standard route on Sunday. First time ever near a group of riders that big so feeling a bit anxious about it.

We rode with 16,000 in Flanders last weekend on wet and muddy cobbles and in a howling wind on very narrow roads. Tests your spider senses and your spacial awareness that's for sure.

Just find a pace line and jump on the back. We had 20 of us doing through and off for 10km on the flat heading towards the finishing line, was chuffing brilliant even if the orders were being barked out in Flemish.

Been a big week. GPS issues in The Peaks means 2500m of climbing missing.

I'm going to start getting on the bike now after getting my latest marathon and recovery out of the way. I'm working nights for the next couple of months so will have some nice afternoons to get out and about and plan to start building up towards 50+ mile weekend rides. Decided to cycle down to Hill Head and Lee on Solent today as the weather was so good. Nice ride for my first one in a while - 39km, 27.5 kph ave. Minuscule mileage compared to some of you guys, but got to start somewhere. Only my second ride since putting the clipless pedals on, makes such a difference.

Can I ask a bit of technical advice here, if someone could help I would massively appreciate it.

Out on a little ride tonight and the bike is making a really rough noise. Sounds like its coming from the back wheel, its a rubbing sound that doesn't seem to be connected to the pedal rotation. I cant see anything rubbing the back wheel and when I lift the bike I cant replicate the noise. It is much much worse if i ride with the bike titled to the hard right underneath me and is gone if I do the same to the left. Driving me crazy and I have no idea what that might be. Any ideas?

Can I ask a bit of technical advice here, if someone could help I would massively appreciate it.

 

Out on a little ride tonight and the bike is making a really rough noise. Sounds like its coming from the back wheel, its a rubbing sound that doesn't seem to be connected to the pedal rotation. I cant see anything rubbing the back wheel and when I lift the bike I cant replicate the noise. It is much much worse if i ride with the bike titled to the hard right underneath me and is gone if I do the same to the left. Driving me crazy and I have no idea what that might be. Any ideas?

Freehub bearings perhaps.

Freehub bearings perhaps.

Spoke protector was broken off one clip that was the rubbing on the cassette. Has found its way into the bin now so all is well.

Done 110 miles in each of the last two weeks with the Wiggle New Forest and my first outing with the local club on Sunday so from where I began near the start of this thread things have improved massively. Feeling so much better in my day to day fitness is unreal. Also I am always thinking of when I can next gt out on the bike. Really really enjoying it at he moment.

Well its not the weekend but I did do my usual thrash around Swinley Forest (Bracknell) MTB course, enjoying the sun and the relative quiet. I did pass a whole "troop" of about 10 riders all on identical new green Whyte hardtails, who seemed not to have yet mastered much in the way of riding ability to justify their expensive purchases, or taking the Red trail. They found it hard going and were stopped looking bemused as I went past them.

For my part, there were two near misses with trees (Guide RS brakes are well worth the cash ) but at the end of 2 hours I was grinning and exhausted. Roll on more decent weather!

Big off today when an bloke in front of me braked when we were at tempo for no reason.

16 stitches in the face. Bike is fine though.

Big off today when an bloke in front of me braked when we were at tempo for no reason.

 

16 stitches in the face. Bike is fine though.

Ouch! Not a pretty sight

Glad you're ok though.

Might as well be a Mountain Bike regular if you are going to start racking up injuries like that

Hope its not too bad though

Might as well be a Mountain Bike regular if you are going to start racking up injuries like that

 

Hope its not too bad though

Bit sore, scuffs and cuts on knees, hands etc. Mits, lid & glasses f**ked. Guy who caused it paid for repairs and a new lid. I'll be out for a spin tomorrow.

Even managed to stop my Garmin.

Nice to hear the bike is OK. Seriously hope the you damage isn't too painful and that it heals quickly. What actually happened? Personally it's one of the attractions of being a lone wolf not having to worry about someone braking in a group without warning and for no apparent reason. FWIW decided on new steed today. Cervelo S3 with Ultegra Di2. Saw one today in the flesh, built up. Gorgeous looking piece of kit. Chatting to owner who races on it reckoned he taken minutes off Alpe d'Huez ascent. 45 mins?? As and when I get there don't think I'll be going up anyway near that fast S3 or not. Only downside is my effective retirement date is 31st August, to ensure payment for summer holiday and break between full and part time teaching contract. Oh well, can't have everything. BTW take it easy tomorrow

We'd done the club ride, about 20 of us and 5 of us were heading off to do a 100km loop. In the countryside riding 2-1-2 with me in the back two on the inside. A dog was on the road so we swung out to go around it. As I was on the inside I looked down to make sure I was past it just as the rider in front on me decides to brake almost to a stop to tell the house we were passing that their dog was in the road. I tried to go around him but a front spoke hit his outside QRS sending me over the bars.

Landed on my forehead, then glasses, nose and then chin, which was opened right up. The people whose dog it was had a 1st aid kit which we used to stem the bleeding, which was pis sing out of me & a bloke in a van stopped & gave me a lift back to the bike shop and then I headed off to A&E.

Bloke who caused it paid for the bike repairs and a new lid, which was wrecked.

The road rash is stinging today and the wife has grounded me but I'll be back out tomorrow hopefully.