Winnersaint

Here's a flavour of Sunday.

Great to hear you are on the mend even if it's a little more slowly than wished for, and only a couple of weeks from pedalling again. Perhaps my post did imply a certain finality, but in truth the brief break will be probably be a winding down week and I will start again with the club Saturday social ride at the weekend. I have no more events planned as it stands but will be certainly on the road as much as I can. Three of us locally are going to the Alps next year so we plan to get out together once we have all nailed our last 2016 event, so after the second week in October. Wind I don't mind, rain doesn't bother me as such, but I do draw the line when it gets icy. I have to agree with you about Dorset, the lumps just keep on coming even when you least expect them. You get lulled into a false sense of security even on the flatter bits which suddenly get punctuated by very brief but sapping ramps, but it is beautiful part of the country. The winter plan is to release my inner Alps rather than Belgium. I've set myself the target of doing the Galibier in my 60th year so I better have plan to improve my climbing!

WS the ride was certainly in within the range of where I wanted it to be. My opener for this year was the Tour of Berkshire. This was a little longer with more climbing so I've got to be pleased with a 15 minute improvement on the early season ride. The weather was great. Started off a little autumnal with a light mist and slight chill in the air, by 30 miles in it was blue skies with barely a cloud visible, but temps in the high teens C, so very pleasant. As for the ride itself, well it's Dorset, just a beautiful landscape to ride a bike, but with its own unique challenges. I've ridden part of the route before and so knew the climbs towards the end, but ones in the north of the route were complete unknowns. The climb up through Milton Abbas whilst very pretty turned into an exercise in stem chewing with the last 300m. It pitches up to around 15% and is always well over 10%. At the top at the junction you are still climbing albeit not so steeply before it steepens up again to 7%. All in all it was a great way to end the season. Now it's down to a brief break from the bike, cutting out the ale and losing 8kg in preparation for the alps next June.

Clasie trolling! ha ha!

Just looked at BBC Weather site. Max 18C for Bovington Camp, sunny intervals, winds light NW/WNW. Don't have the benefit of other club members for this one. Most rode in Ronde de Picardie last weekend. So I'm on my own. This is the first obstacle. Dorset's answer to Alpe d'Huez. https://www.strava.com/segments/1002115 The stand out climb is this up through Milton Abbas. https://www.strava.com/segments/1088430 And then towards the end there are two. Chaldon Ridge and the main road climb out of Lulworth. https://www.strava.com/segments/2607786 http://www.strava.com/segments/4072242 .

Chapeau Washsaint, sounds like a really tough ride in a unique setting. It's always a good feeling to actually have nailed something in spite of the conditions. Its been hot here as well. Hottest September day since 1911 yesterday 34C. heading up to 30 today. Fortunately it's not going to last to the weekend as I have this on Sunday. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/16132125 As usual in southern England no great aggregate of climbing but plenty of short sharp stuff. to break the rhythm.

Is it me, or is it just a another sign of the times? There is something odd about posts that refer to Southampton rather than Saints.

Just asking, but if you were in face to face discussion with another human being with opposing opinions to you, which I might add they are completely in their rights to express, would you still resort to rather childish, triumphalist sneering and generally insulting rudeness to others? See posts #1252, #1217, #1111 and #1137

Never lose interest with Saints, but with this site? That's another matter. However many years ago I signed up I was warned by a colleague that internet message boards were full of weirdos and that you wouldn't necessarily be joining a community of like minded thinkers. It is never more evident when things aren't going so well. It is only football after all. If it means that much to you that you have to come on here and spout garbage and spar with others through the medium of the keyboard or play the troll, in a way I really feel sorry for you. Get a feckin life! Some of you make this place utterly tedious with the drivel that pervades it at present. The way some of you behave on here simply wouldn't be tolerated in face to face situations. You hide behind your keyboards, sniping at opinions of others, making claims that it it is all in the interest of reasoned debate. You've only got look at the postings from The lounge to get a flavour and it's not much better here. Rant over. I'm off to annoy Berkshire's motorists on my bike!

Only takes a slow start to the season for the nutters to come out!

Can't see him being our player next season if he's as good as some suggest. Football is so broken!

Hey that's almost an Adkins quote. "Control the controllables"

F#ck off and support somebody else then. If not, get behind the team. It is what it is!

Should I give more than a sh#t than I actually do.

You are a sad, strange little man!

Funnier and funnier!

Vice Principals

113km with 3200m+ of climbing. Tagging Alpe d'Huez on at the end means that those that want to bale in Bourg can do saving around 14km and 1200m further climbing. Col du Morte can be approached from the north or south. From the former it is an HC climb (Cat 2 the other way) at the top is a ski area known as L'Alpe du Grand Serre (more attractive to skiers than Pass of the Dead/Death I suppose) http://www.strava.com/segments/670715. The Col d'Ornon is a Cat 2 with a descent that takes you back towards the D1091 and Bourg d'Oisans. http://www.strava.com/segments/632988 Whatever way it'll be a big day of riding and one we'll be working up to, not doing on day 1. Others planned are an out and back to Les Deux Alpes, the same to Vaujauny (used in Dauphine this year) an Alpe TT and possibly a trip to La Barade and back so prettymuch 1 climb per day building up 1 big day.

Looks like it might be open, so brings into play a Lauteret/Galibier out and back. Our Queen Stage is likely to be north from Bourg d'Oisans on the D1091 to Sechilienne and then over the Col du Morte before descending and heading east over the Col d'Ornon back to B d'O and up the Alpe to finish.

Thanks for that sandwichsaint.The consensus in the end was Bourg d'Oisans and a 12 person gite has been duly booked. I suppose as the only first timer in the party it fell to others more familiar with the Alps to decide on location in the end. As I've never been before I am sure I will be blown away by the mountains (not literally I trust) around Bourg. Personally though it would have been great if we were all in new territory IMO. I was taken with the Morzine/Samoens/Sallanches area chatting to a club member who did the Time/Megeve sportive last year. A couple were up for a change but the gite ticked most boxes, not least because of its size and location in the town. Those that have been before reckon there is a bit more exploring to be done particularly as they no longer have to get three-quarters of the way up Alpe d'Huez every day. I've done a virtual ride up the Izoard on my smart trainer through the Casse Deserte, I'd love to do it in real life. Unfortunately the problem with Briancon is accessibility. The D1091 from Bourg to the Lauteret is still closed through the Chambon Tunnel. Getting there would mean a 170 km detour. A local relief/escape road has been built on the other side of Lac du Chambon, but is very narrow, one way in places and prone to closure. It is indeed a temporary measure. The departement have said that the tunnel is scheduled to open before next summer, but they've been saying that for the last eighteen months. Anyway big thanks for your input.

Does anyone else get a feeling Nice will come out of pot 4 in our group?

Personally, in a flash. One of the few real talents in a poor England team in the Euros. Very clever player. I know people have difficulty with the way he left, which he handled with the adroitness of your average mid-twenties year old given a pay rise, but he made a massive contribution to our post 2009 rise,

My neighbour is the sort who usually pitches up top five in local sportives. If he and I ever ride together he is usually on a recovery ride and I am going full gas! I bought some Mavic Ksyrium Elites a while back which included the Yksion tyres. I tried them on my then No 1 bike and immediately replaced them with Conti GP4000S. They tyres did not inspire any confidence as they were skittery even in the dry. When I got my new bike a year ago I ordered Mavic Ksyrium SLRs which shipped with Yksion Pro tyres. They were 25mm tyres and grip was not an issue but their puncture protection was. This time I did stick with them until the spring, but in reality a spate of visits from the puncture fairy saw them relegated to turbo duty and replaced with the 25mm GP4000S. I had Gatorskins on my commuter bike. They were pretty much bomb proof with regards to punctures but are of a harder less supple compound so some people find the bike a little on the twitchy side. Can't say I ever experienced this and did thousands of miles on them, eventually trashing them on the turbo after six years of use. In answer to the question whether to put the Gatorskins on at the expense of the Mavic tyres, it very much depends on which WTS you are getting. I believe the Yksion Pro tyres ship with pricier wheels. If you get them they will give you nice ride through the drier parts of the Autumn but may be prone to punctures in the wetter winter months, so at that point the Gatorskins would be a sensible option. If they are the Yksions swap them out.

Happy new bike WSS. My next door neighbour is bringing one of these back south today having arranged 'business' meeting in Manchester which means he's been able to collect it in person. http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/ribble-hf83/build/

Hope your recovery keeps progressing as it seems to be VFTT. Just don't rush things when you get the OK to be back on the bike.