Tell us about your weekend ride

Group riding is a total emotional intelligence exposè !!!

[ I might be reading too much into it ]

did a 70 mile club ride with a cafe stop half way.

We were plagued by punctures. There was a group of 12 of us, we had 1 puncture on the way out which was ok. However on the way back we had 2 in quick succession, the 2nd broke the valve so had to repair it again. The ride slowly deteriorated as someone snapped a spoke and after another puncture a group of 4 left as they needed to get back home.

We then passed one of the guys who went ahead who had another puncture. He was happy for us to carry on without him as we were close to home by this point. Pretty soon after this I managed to snap my right shifter and was stuck in a big gear for the remaining 6ish miles.

Got home, garmin had fucked up the ride, deleting the first half.

On the plus, the company was good and I got a decent length ride in for the first time this month.

Club?

I'm not saying. It's a great club, this is not normal. I usually stick to the quicker groups.

Took a turn on the front on a club ride today and some prick told me it was bad form to ride in front of the ride leader. Fuck me...>

its only bad form if you either dont know the route or dont keep the pace.

noobs gon noob. They'll learn...

@croft

That's weird. Unless it's a ctc style roll around obscure lanes with some serious navigation then IMO any group should be aiming to ride 2 up and rolling through. It's simply the best way to ride on open roads. The leader can still communicate if people pass the info up.

I actually don't think they have it in them, they'd have twigged by now.

They're not going to learn it riding wiggle sportives. #snob

They need an 70yr old hard as fuck old timer to shout at them a bit, that's how I learnt.

Amen. So did I. I'm actually really grateful he explained it all to me.

In fact the very dude turned up at the cafe today. Colnago, tub under saddle...

How do you tell a proud 50 year old man he may have been riding since his teens but he's shit at it?

Get a 60-year-old to tell him. :)

Er oops, didn't see umop3pisdn's post:

They need an 70yr old hard as fuck old timer to shout at them a bit, that's how I learnt.

@branwen and I just got back from a London to Paris in 24 hours. It was very good fun. Nice half day on the Friday starting from Cycle PS in Camberwell at 3pm and the backwoods route into Brighton via Farthing Downs and avoiding the B2112 (despite always wanting to take it just for the Rush references eg I LOVE YOU NEAL PERT!) and ensuring a roll down Slugwash Lane. Which turned out to be the most beautiful moment of the trip, as all the leaves had fallen and there was a lavender sunset sky and owls were weaving over and across the lane and rushing on the downhills and it was incredible. Arrived into Brighton in about four hours so we had time to enjoy/destroy a massive cooked breakfast at Buddys on the beach and then take the coastal road to Newhaven for the 11pm ferry. I'd recommend doing it this way (Brighton and then over to Newhaven instead of direct) because there is fuck-all to do in Newhaven and it is sort of scary and the only food near the port is McDonalds and KFC which I normally love but was definitely not interested in having inside me before an overnight-cross channel ferry.

The boat ride was comfortable as you would imagine it to be. Which is to say not very.

4am and rained on us for the first 35 miles out of Dieppe and on the Avenue Vert but it didn't matter really. The AV is sort of boring, ever so slightly uphill and there is lots of organic rubble on the cycleway. So a bit of drizzle didn't actually make it any better or worse. A big MEH really. Finally escaped it around Forges-les-Eaux and with a few espressos in the Hotel St Denis while watching the locals play Keno at 730 in the morning our spirits lifted for the rest of the day and I would say we enjoyed the rest of the roll into Paris. After 95 miles we could see the route taking a big dog-leg to west and then rolling into Paris, so we said fuck that, cut 20 miles off the course and did our best to dive straight into the top of Paris and right through to the Eiffel Tower. I think we missed off some nice woods I think, but I was happy to be in the hotel with a clean ass and some food in my face sooner than later. At the hotel for 2:30, so half an hour to spare to make it under the 24 hour mark.

I would say the scenery is pretty unremarkable unfortunately. I think it's being spoiled with great routes around England, and the variety of lanes, coastal paths, woods etc that I've seen in England but as my first proper ride in France this route was just sort of normal, if slightly misty and atmospheric. A few chateaus here and there, but it's mainly just some corn and maybe fields of potatoes? A good challenge logistically, but no need to do it again. Also It takes aaaaaaagess to get into central Paris because there are – and I counted – over one bazillion pedestrian crossing lights.

But most importantly @branwen is a gent and an outstanding cycling partner, nifty with knowledge about where to track down the best falafel in the Jewish Quarter and kind enough to roll along at my amateur audax pace (ie a little slow) without any complaint. Awesome fun. We also saw @hats in the Citi Metro station for 10 minutes! That was pretty boss.

So incredible the attractions!

Actual proof.

Here I am again in love with the French countryside on the way home.

I think the field (that wasn't corn) was full of sweeds?
Also for most of it @youramericanlover was dragging me along. I wasn't dead but I didn't feel particularly fast either. The Avenue Vert might have been nicer during daylight, or at least less boring, but certainly pretty meh at 4am and kinda disconcerting as you have no sense of anything changing or any progress for ~35 miles. Also, rabbits. Lots of rabbits. Missed two by millimetres!

I'd certainly agree that it would be pretty meh if it wasn't for Paris and the Eurostar at the end (probably quicker back to London than a train from Dunwich, for instance!).

Ride to Brighton was lovely, probably the nicest part tbh.

^ Also I owe it to you to buy myself a new rear mudguard :(

Fucking excellent work. @branwen is a great riding buddy indeed, and I am very jealous!
Good work both of you.

I've been away for a while (5 years?). Unhooked my tired old Wrongster from the garage wall on Saturday and went for a nervous 'blast' clockwise around Richmond Park. All fine and dandy until I got to the serious bit of Broomfield Hill and realized that I'm not quite as powerful as I used to be. Plus my clips were a little too loose for me to confidently pull on them, so I labored up the last final meters just pushing. For a moment or 2 I was sure I was going to embarrass myself and face-plant. But looking over my shoulder at the top I was quite pleased that the roadie who had been on my wheel had drifted backwards. So I settled on just one lap of the park (the shame!) and will work on Kingston Hill a bit before I brave Broomfield again. Would love to get my confidence back to be able to commute again (Richmond > Paddington) but will play safe on my trusty Dawes until I can at least ride up a decent incline without endangering myself or others!! (loose clips - should I have worried? if they are clipped....are they really clipped?)

It was lovely to see you and @branwen! Thanks for the metro ticket and hopefully see you for slightly longer next time.

I am disappoint that you have no photos of the owls :(

#rep for late october trans-country audax

The owls were at 5am. Not much light at that point, sorry

@youramericanlover @branwen @hats good story all. Yeah Slugwash lane on way to B.RIGHT.ONis quality riding isnt it.

November

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Been meaning to do London-Brighton-London for ages, and the good weather left no excuse. Set off at 5.45 this morning, felt like every hill ever was on this route, ate too much in Velo Cafe, the sun came out, it rained a bit. Good fun! http://www.strava.com/activities/214301208

Just my regular 30 miler round a few Essex lanes. Beautiful day though. Crisp as a crispy thing. Should have brought sunglasses. Apologies for insta.
http://www.strava.com/activities/214199505

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That's a big ride. Chapeau. Mild autumn meant a good day for it too. Awesome

130km from Sevenoaks to Broadstairs and a seaside lunch in a fancy pub. We even sneaked in some accidental cyclocross in a beautful country estate just outside Sevenoakes. Brilliant weather and a favourable tailwind... autumn / winter rides are rad.

Last outing for the fancy plastic bike today at the Lea Valley CC hill climb, then I get to build my 1x10 ribble winter machine.

https://www.strava.com/activities/214339833

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@dbr nice! I've done that ride in both directions. Quick up Hollingbourne too.