Tell us about your weekend ride

I heard about your ride hippy.
You absolute madman.

Did you beat all your club mates, Ed?

I'm ignoring Hippy. He makes me sad inside.

Ed the kudos for the TT was well earned.

I have this little beauty lined up for Saturday. Starting in the 35kph av Group. With every intention of 'giving it some'. As the rest of my season is measured endurance stuff.

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Did you beat all your club mates, Ed?

Technically yes, as one of them was riding under the banner of Maidenhead CC, unfortunately he is a member of my club, so actually no!

He beat me by 1 minute 40 seconds, which was a bit galling, but i had no way of knowing what the distance between us, although i had a feeling it was close!

Well done on that 100, Ed. Kudos indeed earned.

Sent my entry off for my next one, I can defintiely go a small bit harder, and hopefully my threshold power will be a bit higher by then end of July.

http://app.strava.com/activities/147018512/segments/3367545039

I completed the Club des Cinglés du Mont-Ventoux yesterday. We had an incredible day for it, great temperature and not too windy. The top was covered by a cloud for the second ascent but clear again for the third. A hard but great day!

Amazing. Its a dream for next year for me.
How did you plan it, etc?

We booked a 3 person apartment thing 'campsite' in Vaison which was very basic and small but cheap and served its purpose perfectly. One of the guys has a decent sized van which seats three so we just bunged all the bikes and suitcases in the back and he drove us down to Provence via the Eurotunnel in a day.

Second day was a warmup ride plus local market for food and then wine tasting in the afternoon.

Third day was the main event, then lots of food (all the food) in the evening plus loads of drinking.

Drove back yesterday!

I'd been wondering how easy it would be to get 10,000ft. plus of climbing out of Kent/Surrey without repeating any climbs. Turns out that it is pretty doable, and indeed with more time and a higher boredom threshold I think one could get 15,000. It can get a bit frustrating how terrible the roads are on a few of the climbs. rutted and very slippery and there were quite a few occasions where it was hard to keep the front wheel down and avoid wheelspinning at the same time - notably on York's and White Lane.

The best moment was being seen off by a kestrel at the bottom of the ascent of Toy's. It flew out of the hedge about 2 feet from my head and jack-knifed left to right around me for about 50 metres up the road, passing incredibly close to me each time. Stunning, and surprisingly intimidating.

I would recommend a lower gear than 39-25 for anyone interested in trying this at home - having to grind round the 25% hairpin on chalkpit while remaining seated was memorably teeth-gritsome.

http://www.strava.com/activities/146927345

Awesome work Bainbridge - that's on my to do list. I might be able to do it August. I'll steal your route if that's okay? I've climbed Ventoux once about 15 years ago and remember it being one of the most memorable days in (out of) the saddle. Chapeau!

Also, strong riding on the 100mile TT Ed!

/\ /\ /\ probably a sparrowhawk flying like that. I'll go back to the bird of prey appreciation thread now.

Yes, it could have been, but it had that warm, orange brown colour across its back that Kestrel's have and a grey head and grey primaries - aren't sparrowhawks more of a blue-grey colour all over their rump and wings?

But you're right. Raptor thread>>>>>>>>>>

it was the way it was flying that made me think sparrow hawk, but your description is pretty kestrelish. Whatever it was it's definitely one of the joys of cycling in the countryside. Oh, and great ride by the way.

http://www.strava.com/activities/145362658

my rather more limited ride attached, a lovely route through Sussex countryside

^Lovely - I really like some of the roads around there. The road from Lewes to Newhaven is particularly beautiful...

After the bumpy ride on Thursday, I was looking forward to a fast and flat ride with the Bigfoot crew. It was the former, but very much not the later, as they decided to deviate from the usual Staplehurst route and head to the Ashdown forest. There were a handful of very, very good climbers in the group and by the time we were approaching the long drag up to the top of the Ashdown I could feel that the elastic I was using to cling onto their wheels was getting decidedly baggy. It finally went ping about half a mile from the top and I watched the fast group pull away and said hello to the broom wagon group.

Fortunately there was an ice cream van in the car park at the top of the climb and I was revivified by a bottle of luke-warm coke. This seemed to go straight to my legs and I managed to stay with the group most of the way back. With the exception of Ide hill where three of the guys went off the front and killed it - all getting top tens on Strava, with over 3500 people having ridden the segment. (apologies for this getting very Bike-Radar)

Another stunningly beautiful sunny day, after a grey and wet week. I'm back on track with my tan lines, having inadvertently fudged them on Thursday with a careless shorts hem misplacement fail.

No bird of prey activity today, but there was a dead snake on the side of the road near East Peckham. I think it may have been a grass snake, but I didn't get a good enough look to be sure.

In other East Peckham news, I went into the green grocer to get a banana and the guy gave me two for free as they were on the cusp of going spotty. An act of generosity that he may have regretted as everyone else piled into his shop and completely cleaned him out. Next time I'm passing through I'll have to buy some Kumquats or other expensive-ass fruit in order to make amends.

Rest day tomorrow I reckon.

http://www.strava.com/activities/147594873

Just got back from a solo blast to Cambridge. Been wanting to do this for a while. Was quite hungover when I woke up and didn't have breakfast, so I recon sub 3hrs is a realistic goal for this route. I could never have said that when I was a smoker. Well chuffed.

http://www.strava.com/activities/147700281

I went west. Then I went east. Soon I will go nowhere.

68 ish miles Boscombe to Lulworth Cove on the Master love this bike
big hills zap my legs ...... a couple of cold beers tonight
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/510759515

Good work all.
I did a distinctly average ride with some climbing. It was warm. I didn't take enough water, as usual!
http://www.strava.com/activities/147716162

Bigfoot ride sounds fun. How did you find so much climbing near London?

^ Doesn't look that average to me - looks great.

The Bigfoot Level 1 rides are fun, but hard work. It's a good club though and the people are nice. I'm sort of toying with joining, but I'm already a member of another club and I'm not sure I can face seeing someone else behind their backs!

You don't have to look too hard to find a heap of climbing in Kent. Steal routes from my Strava if you like - or come out riding with us when you're back in London.

Might well do that.
The real question is, Sa Calobra or flat miles tmw.
If my legs are up to it/ the weather's good Sa Calobra is looking like fun.

On the subject of hills near London, a lumpy solo century in Kent for me today. Some of it was a bit frustrating due to a difficult route and shite roads, but the second half was great.

http://app.strava.com/activities/147627897