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Me and partner are soon to take part in the transcontinental race. We're petetallboy and loo loo on Strava for those that use it. Starting in Geraadsbergen in Belgium at midnight on the 24/25 of July with the finish on the banks of the Bosphorus in Istanbul. Theres no set route and absolutely no support, you have to find your own way and fend for yourself. There are 4 checkpoints you have to visit on the way though. No1 is at the summit of mt ventoux, 2 the strada dell'assietta (the gravel road on this years giro) 3 is the town of Vukovar and 4 is the top of mt Lovcen in Montenegro. This will mean traveling through 11 countries, Belgium,France,Italy,Slovenia,Croatia,Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania,Macedonia,Greece and finally Turkey. Total distance is about 2600 miles and we're both pretty nervous about it. If anyone is interested and on Twitter I'll be doing updates when I can .

Twitter names

 

@petetallboymtb

@milliethedog

 

Wish us luck!

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Me and partner are soon to take part in the transcontinental race. We're petetallboy and loo loo on Strava for those that use it. Starting in Geraadsbergen in Belgium at midnight on the 24/25 of July with the finish on the banks of the Bosphorus in Istanbul. Theres no set route and absolutely no support, you have to find your own way and fend for yourself. There are 4 checkpoints you have to visit on the way though. No1 is at the summit of mt ventoux, 2 the strada dell'assietta (the gravel road on this years giro) 3 is the town of Vukovar and 4 is the top of mt Lovcen in Montenegro. This will mean traveling through 11 countries, Belgium,France,Italy,Slovenia,Croatia,Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania,Macedonia,Greece and finally Turkey. Total distance is about 2600 miles and we're both pretty nervous about it. If anyone is interested and on Twitter I'll be doing updates when I can .

Twitter names

 

@petetallboymtb

@milliethedog

 

Wish us luck!

 

Tip top.

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Me and partner are soon to take part in the transcontinental race. We're petetallboy and loo loo on Strava for those that use it. Starting in Geraadsbergen in Belgium at midnight on the 24/25 of July with the finish on the banks of the Bosphorus in Istanbul. Theres no set route and absolutely no support, you have to find your own way and fend for yourself. There are 4 checkpoints you have to visit on the way though. No1 is at the summit of mt ventoux, 2 the strada dell'assietta (the gravel road on this years giro) 3 is the town of Vukovar and 4 is the top of mt Lovcen in Montenegro. This will mean traveling through 11 countries, Belgium,France,Italy,Slovenia,Croatia,Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania,Macedonia,Greece and finally Turkey. Total distance is about 2600 miles and we're both pretty nervous about it. If anyone is interested and on Twitter I'll be doing updates when I can .

Twitter names

 

@petetallboymtb

@milliethedog

 

Wish us luck!

 

Best of luck to both of you Look forward to seeing how you progress if you are able to upload to Strava.

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Still on crutches and meds and out of the RN championships in pompey. Really fancied myself in my age group as well. :(

Yeah but look on the bright side at least you don't have to go that smelly ****hole and run the risk of being mugged for your Merckx by some scumbags who cant spell./

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Me and partner are soon to take part in the transcontinental race. We're petetallboy and loo loo on Strava for those that use it. Starting in Geraadsbergen in Belgium at midnight on the 24/25 of July with the finish on the banks of the Bosphorus in Istanbul. Theres no set route and absolutely no support, you have to find your own way and fend for yourself. There are 4 checkpoints you have to visit on the way though. No1 is at the summit of mt ventoux, 2 the strada dell'assietta (the gravel road on this years giro) 3 is the town of Vukovar and 4 is the top of mt Lovcen in Montenegro. This will mean traveling through 11 countries, Belgium,France,Italy,Slovenia,Croatia,Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania,Macedonia,Greece and finally Turkey. Total distance is about 2600 miles and we're both pretty nervous about it. If anyone is interested and on Twitter I'll be doing updates when I can .

Twitter names

 

@petetallboymtb

@milliethedog

 

Wish us luck!

 

Wow!! Best of luck with that - serious stuff!

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Well done VFtT, you will be back at full strength in no time.

 

I had a ride home from work today, the whole way I was moaning to myself. Feeling rubbish, bike being noisy thinking about getting the BB greased etc. Really struggling but get home to see I have set 9 PRs on a route I have done dozens of times, and my fastest ever for the full route home. I really don't understand cycling at all.

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1st ride since the crash, a gentle 50km. A little tender in the hip and not able to get out of the saddle but not as bad as expected.

 

Good one! Hope your recovery continues quickly. You thought about TT's. looks a bit safer than racing to me.

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Well done VFtT, you will be back at full strength in no time.

 

I had a ride home from work today, the whole way I was moaning to myself. Feeling rubbish, bike being noisy thinking about getting the BB greased etc. Really struggling but get home to see I have set 9 PRs on a route I have done dozens of times, and my fastest ever for the full route home. I really don't understand cycling at all.

 

Yep, its odd that, had the same thing recently - couldn't get comfortable on the bike, felt knackered from the start, loads of PBs

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I am such an idiot - went for an easy ride this morning - 40 minutes in I realise I might be able to break the hour for my loop - so I set off like a nutter. 20 minutes later I pull up outside my house, shaking, light headed and close to collapse. Why do I do this to myself? 59 minutes 20 seconds - that why :)

 

Oh and I got wind of this if anyone has got some spare cash on the hip and wants something really special

 

http://www.veloauctions.co.uk/bicycles/

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Did a sportive today for the first time, the Mega Meon. Nice scenic route. One of the organisers was after some help with the car parking so did that for a couple of hours then rode for free.

 

I went for the 118.5k standard option which is the furthest I've gone on a ride, and 1400m of climb which is double what I've done before. It's nothing for some of you lot but I feel like I'm improving at a decent rate now. Enjoyed it.

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First 100miler since the week before the crash. Bimble down to the club with a club with a couple of the lads, decent enough club ride but was gassing towards the back when the quicks shot off and despite burying myself couldn't close the last 100m. Another 100km with a couple of my usual riding partners with some seriously brutal efforts at full race pace and into the wind before a bimble back from the shop. Legs went pop with about 10km to go so just spin out from there.

 

Nearly 50% at threshold and 13% at anaerobic.

 

Fair to say that the hip is sorted.

 

https://www.strava.com/activities/353687919/segments/8418135588

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  • 2 weeks later...

If you ever get the opportunity to ride in France then do so. I've ridden in the north but never the south but it's awesome. Fantastic traffic free roads and any cars give you so much space.

 

That said the 1st 25km of today's ride was the hardest I think I've ever done as hills, including 16% and 20% ramps in 30c heat, nearly killed me. I'm better suited to Spring Classics weather.

 

https://www.strava.com/activities/360207588

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If you ever get the opportunity to ride in France then do so. I've ridden in the north but never the south but it's awesome. Fantastic traffic free roads and any cars give you so much space.

 

That said the 1st 25km of today's ride was the hardest I think I've ever done as hills, including 16% and 20% ramps in 30c heat, nearly killed me. I'm better suited to Spring Classics weather.

 

https://www.strava.com/activities/360207588

 

I've just got a bike, love cycling about and I do it completely non-seriously, I just like to get outside. Think my longest ride so far is 64km. Not concerned with speed or anything but I enjoy just going for an amble.

 

I'd like to cycle Northern France, perhaps from Caen to Cherbourg to do the D-Day beaches and other historical sites along the way.

 

Fair play to you lot going mega distances. Good stuff.

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I've just got a bike, love cycling about and I do it completely non-seriously, I just like to get outside. Think my longest ride so far is 64km. Not concerned with speed or anything but I enjoy just going for an amble.

 

I'd like to cycle Northern France, perhaps from Caen to Cherbourg to do the D-Day beaches and other historical sites along the way.

 

Fair play to you lot going mega distances. Good stuff.

 

Picardy is worth riding around. All the WW1 stuff including The Somme.

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Too hot to ride today & wanted to save my legs for a day in the high mountains tomorrow where, depending on the heat and my legs, I'll conquer Col D'Aspin and the Tourlamet, although the Tourmalet is a possibility for Sunday. Poor weather on the high peaks put pay to plans to have a go on Tuesday.

 

 

I'll do a flat (for around here) loop tomorrow evening as a recovery ride if I get the chance.

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One of the local clubs has it's open championships this week. I've had a go at 2 20KM TTs, one was supposed to be a hilly 25km TT but a brutal thunderstorm in the late PM felled some trees on the course. Finished 11th and 3rd. The road race is on Sunday, 2 laps of 35km with 1200m of climbing. I'll be missing it I think.Love riding in France.

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One of the local clubs has it's open championships this week. I've had a go at 2 20KM TTs, one was supposed to be a hilly 25km TT but a brutal thunderstorm in the late PM felled some trees on the course. Finished 11th and 3rd. The road race is on Sunday, 2 laps of 35km with 1200m of climbing. I'll be missing it I think.Love riding in France.

 

Great stuff. Just a shame about the weather curtailing your time in the mountains.

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Too hot to ride today & wanted to save my legs for a day in the high mountains tomorrow where, depending on the heat and my legs, I'll conquer Col D'Aspin and the Tourlamet, although the Tourmalet is a possibility for Sunday. Poor weather on the high peaks put pay to plans to have a go on Tuesday.

 

 

If you're still down there, the Hourquette d'Ancizan is a lovely climb and relatively easy to fit into a loop with Aspin and/or Tourmalet.

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Just a quick plug for Sunday's ride. Tour of the Candovers, starts and finishes at Robert May's school, Odiham and basically takes in the area between the M3 and A31, going as far south as Alresford before heading northwards via Bentley to the finish. looking forward to it. About 100k.

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Too hot to ride today & wanted to save my legs for a day in the high mountains tomorrow where, depending on the heat and my legs, I'll conquer Col D'Aspin and the Tourlamet, although the Tourmalet is a possibility for Sunday. Poor weather on the high peaks put pay to plans to have a go on Tuesday.

 

 

If you're still down there, the Hourquette d'Ancizan is a lovely climb and relatively easy to fit into a loop with Aspin and/or Tourmalet.

 

The weather has been pretty poor in the mountains and is again today. Can't say I'm too disappointed as I'm not, nor will I ever be, a climber.

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Well that's the Tour of The Candovers done and dusted. Nice little ride all told. A few of the country lane descents were a tad gravelly after the rain, and there were a few interesting climbs scattered in there also. Weather was good and even a wasp sting on the head thirty miles in couldn't ruin the day. Congratulations to Odiham cycling Club for a well signed and organised day.

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A quick update from our transcontinental adventure. Starting at midnight in Belgium on cobbles with 200 others, was an experience not to be forgotten. Over the next few days we rode south through France to the first checkpoint, the summit of mt ventoux . Climbing this with a laden bike in 35° was a bit of a challenge. Don't forget we we're carrying all our luggage including tent , sleeping bag, spare clothes and tools. The next checkpoint needed a ride up to Briancon, then up the balcony road to the col de montgenevre. A long drop before the climb up to Sestriere to sign in. The next part involved going over the colle dell finestre, which was the gravel road on this year's giro d'italia. Next was the flat lands of northern italy. The worst riding I've ever done. Boring straight roads, poor road surfaces and mental driving, we were very glad to get to Slovenia. From here we rode east through croatia to vukovar on the banks of the danube with Serbia on the other side. After a night at the hotel that was control 3 we headed south east into Bosnia Herzegovina. The traffic here was horrendous, and we had a bad day as our morale took a beating. A night in a very unfriendly hotel and more bad traffic the next day broke us. We got to Sarajevo and decided to call it a day and get a flight home. It's a decision I really regret. The heat ,tiredness and weariness of concentrating on traffic made us make a poor decision. We should have given it a bit longer as the next section looked a bit quieter. We still did nearly 2000 miles in 14 days which is pretty god going, but still feel a bit sad how it finished. Overall only half of the starters finished. I'm already planning how to do better next time! The experience gained here would stand me in good stead .

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201km ride (1900m vertical) yesterday taking in Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Leicstershire, Derbyshire & Staffordshire again.

 

Finished up at a place called Scot Hay which is high up in north Staffs for my lads cricket, it has cracking views across the Cheshire plain. Had planned to ride the 35km back home as well as it was more or less downhill for 25km of the 35km but the intense thunder and lightening put pay to that. Bike went on the wife's car.

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New bike on the way. Well more than that it's currently in my LBS of choice in a box, a box I've actually touched! So it's a Cervelo R3 which looks like this.

http://www.cervelo.com/media/images/15-R3-Ult-560x400-eb127491-289b-4772-b6a4-0510e5a275e3-1-560x400.JPG

it's coming with full Ultegra Di2 apart from the compact Rotor 3DF BBright crankset which is standard on a Cervelo and isn't a cheaper option. It will ship with Mavic Aksium wheels, but I'm getting these on it.

http://www.mavic.co.uk/sites/default/files/mavic_article/674x724/front/F18501.jpg

http://www.mavic.co.uk/sites/default/files/mavic_article/1000x1000/rear/F18501.jpg

In the Spring I will look to put these on as an alternative set of more aero hoops.

http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/amclassic-40carbo.jpg

Will be built up by Thursday when I go across for final tweaking with the fit. It will have FSA-SLK stem and carbon seatpost and 3T Ergonova carbon bars with Lizard Skins bar tape. Happy days! A real lightweight for a MAMIL who will never do it real justice, but there again it's my retirement gift to me, so I am one happy and expectant bunny. Not sure how I feel about retirement TBH. I've taught for 35 years so going back three days a week as a cover supervisor 3 days a week will be interesting, but in truth I've been out of the classroom for too long so I am quite looking forward to it.

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201km ride (1900m vertical) yesterday taking in Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Leicstershire, Derbyshire & Staffordshire again.

 

Finished up at a place called Scot Hay which is high up in north Staffs for my lads cricket, it has cracking views across the Cheshire plain. Had planned to ride the 35km back home as well as it was more or less downhill for 25km of the 35km but the intense thunder and lightening put pay to that. Bike went on the wife's car.

 

Cracking stuff Dave, I've just cleared 200K since last Sunday over four rides so chapeau to you! Going to hook up, no pun intended, with LBS in Hook to do more group riding. Rode with them last Sunday in Tour of the Candovers. good event if you are in Hampshire in mid-August. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tour-Of-The-Candovers/832437020166273?sk=photos_stream

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New bike on the way. Well more than that it's currently in my LBS of choice in a box, a box I've actually touched! So it's a Cervelo R3 which looks like this.

http://www.cervelo.com/media/images/15-R3-Ult-560x400-eb127491-289b-4772-b6a4-0510e5a275e3-1-560x400.JPG

it's coming with full Ultegra Di2 apart from the compact Rotor 3DF BBright crankset which is standard on a Cervelo and isn't a cheaper option. It will ship with Mavic Aksium wheels, but I'm getting these on it.

http://www.mavic.co.uk/sites/default/files/mavic_article/674x724/front/F18501.jpg

http://www.mavic.co.uk/sites/default/files/mavic_article/1000x1000/rear/F18501.jpg

In the Spring I will look to put these on as an alternative set of more aero hoops.

http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/amclassic-40carbo.jpg

Will be built up by Thursday when I go across for final tweaking with the fit. It will have FSA-SLK stem and carbon seatpost and 3T Ergonova carbon bars with Lizard Skins bar tape. Happy days! A real lightweight for a MAMIL who will never do it real justice, but there again it's my retirement gift to me, so I am one happy and expectant bunny. Not sure how I feel about retirement TBH. I've taught for 35 years so going back three days a week as a cover supervisor 3 days a week will be interesting, but in truth I've been out of the classroom for too long so I am quite looking forward to it.

 

Oooooo. Shiney with fast wheels. Nice.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Got the R3 on Tuesday and on my first ride that afternoon I found that Di2 isn't idiot proof and doesn't necessarily work straight out of the box. Got it sorted yesterday so had the first opportunity to really put it through its paces today. Di2 is fantastic and not one change was missed. Love the idea of keeping you finger on the paddle/button to take it from the middle to the top in short order. Haven't tried the opposite way yet. It has come with a pro compact chainset, that is 52/36 as opposed to 50/34 I am used to. I have a 11-28 out back and there is a bit of a compromise in the middle range gears especially in the big ring, but I'll get used to it. The combination of the wheelset and frame means that it accelerates like hot snot and particularly on the flat or flattish sections holds the speed once up there, maybe "Squoval" tubes do provide the aero saving Cervelo claim. All in all I am mightily impressed with it. The most significant thing I noticed was the fact that when I was done on both rides I just didn't feel the levels of fatigue as I had on my Ridley. Now that's not a porker weight wise but is around a kilo heavier than the R3 and has comparatively thick seat and chain stays., so I have to conclude that the more compliant rear triangle on the Cervelo leaves me less beaten up.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Got a new Giant Defy (Advanced 2) the other week with disc brakes - incredible for mountain descents in the wet. Then had a bike fit last week - feel like a right idiot! Was getting frustrated that despite fitness being good my speed was not getting better (especially on hills). Turns out my shoes were 2 sizes too big - new shoes and the bike fit and suddenly the bigger hills are nowhere near as challenging and starting to crank it out on the flat!

 

DoH!

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