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On Sunday @Cycliste and I planned on doing a long 135km ride from Nyon back to @Cycliste's flat. We got the train to Nyon and headed up the hill to Saint-Cergue. When we set off it was overcast and spitting with rain, but not too cold. Approaching 1000m, there was plenty of snow at the side of the road and although you can't see it in the photo, a decent amount of snow was falling. And the headwind was driving it straight at us.
On the way down, we stopped off for a hot choccy at a cafe and decided that today was not the day for a long ride. The fact we were both freezing cold and shivering uncontrollably, and all the other patrons in the cafe were either laughing at our stupidity or gazing at us in wonder as to why anyone would be so stupid as to ride a bike in that weather probably helped the decision. So we went back down to Gland to get the train back to Vevey.
However, by the time we got to Lausanne the weather had improved, so I hopped out to ride back to Vevey. Jolly nice it was too.
I ended up taking the Corniche back to Vevey, one of the classic cycling routes in that part of the world. I've probably posted a photo of the Corniche before, but you can never have too many.
Still a bastard of a headwind, but at least it wasn't too cold. I got back to find @Cycliste drinking tea and watching Milan-San Remo, but once the Sky boys got caught and it looked like it was going to be a bunch sprint finish, I set of for Ride #3 of the day, up to Les Plaiedes and back. Only a 16 mile figure of eight, but it goes straight up from 400m up to 1170m and then straight back down again, so by the time I got back I was once again bogging cold, couldn't feel my toes, and was starting to shiver uncontrollably. Still a good day though, even if the riding was a bit 'bitty'.
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Solo 112km audax route ride, ahead of the event itself in a fortnight. Hellish breeze, and it got a little bit wet at one point, but my gloves kept me dry.
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^^ It's in Ludford, a village in the Lincolnshire Wolds. I had to double back to take the photo and there was a gaggle of middle aged grown-ups in the front garden of the property behind me. A little bit awkward.
^ Sounds is right.
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Got out for a grim solo 32 miles in the wind and rain round Biggin Hill. Did it in pretty much 2 hours dead which I was incredibly happy with, as I felt like shit for large parts.
Weather in Greater London was much worse than in the lanes. Somehow managed to get a headwind both leaving and returning. I stayed in the 39t for probably half the entire ride.
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Road my first Sportiff today. Perfect weather for it.
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Around here you can hit an easy 160mph on the A61.
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I can't get out this actual weekend, so I'm bookending it with the Easter Classic on Monday and Eltham to Henley and back (nearly, punctured at Peckham and was too cold and wet to bother fixing it, lovely lovely warm train instead)
My legs are absolutely fucked, I'm blaming the Naproxen I took for my back for numbing any feeling in my legs, which has just come back now
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Same as TooTallTim, can't get out over the weekend save for maybe a quick spin Sunday am before RVV and my little 'in getting dropped off with me so went out this morning.
Legs are now in tatters, was quite a lumpy ride, fought with cramp for last 60 miles (don't think I took on enough fluid in the first 2 hours) -
Northern California here. Last weekend i did one of my favorite rides that we call "the 2 bridge ride" traveling through 4 different cities, using the Martinez-Benicia and Carquinez-Zampa bridges over the San Francisco Bay and Caquinez Straight to complete the 30 mile loop. You guys have some great ride reports.
Carquinez-Zampa bridge
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Visiting family up in the North East so brought my bike along and got 70 miles in this morning. It really is a beautiful bit of the country, similar riding to the peaks but really underrated IMO. Nice quiet roads with very few cars and friendly people, plenty of nods and waves from fellow cyclists. Some bloody big hills mind, 6500ft of climbing today. 2 x 100 climbs, number 59 Crawleyside, 274m, avg 4%, 6.2km, steepest 20%, and number 60, Peth Bank, 141m, avg 8%, also 20% at its steepest.
https://www.strava.com/activities/279002425
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Due to back problems I have not been doing much riding this year - was under strict orders just to do the barest minimum I needed to for work.
Finally things have started to resolve themselves. Had made tentative plans to ride with @jb and @tom15xw today but they did a ride yesterday and Tom had suffered and JB decided to do hill reps today. My plan had been to join them on their second day of riding so they wouldn't have been feeling quite so fresh and chipper, was hoping that may count as an offset against by being fat, old and decrepit. So was sort of relieved yesterday to get a message that they were not going into Surrey today.
So I decided to use my new Garmin and let it decide on a route for me. This apparently demolishes the battery especially as I was not keen on the loops it kept suggesting with what sounded like too much climbing. Eventually it came up with one with under 300m of climb and I thought fuck it.
Much angst over what to wear, it's been so long since I have ridden I did not have a great deal of confidence in my ability to chose. I got it just right, 3/4 bibs and pro team jacket left me comfortable for the day, never too hot and never cold.
Set off and quickly discovered that the Garmin was taking me round the houses, it felt I came pretty close to actually circling where I live. In future I will tell the Garmin to find a loop from Hampton Court or similar rather than it sending me on a twisty turny route through residential roads that probably doubled the distance for me to get out of Kingston. I also need to mess around with the settings, probably not telling it to avoid main roads, but miss out unpaved paths.
Later in the day it took me along the Thames Path near Eton, most of it was fine - a gravel surface, though one section was very muddy and 25mm slick tyres were not the best. Was surprised by how many people needed a hardtail MTB for that section - one person even needed a full sus XC bike to pootle at 8mph. To be honest am not really a fan of sharing a path with pedestrians and dogs, too much unpredictability.
The past 4 months have just been about very gentle physio exercises, restorative yoga and pilates working on core strength. In a recent yoga session it was suggested to me that when I get pains in my back I need to engage the corresponding deep abdominal muscles at the front. I now seem to have the proprioception to manage this. What I noticed was that if I let my core go I would quickly get stabbing pains and aches, so much of today was spent applying yoga alignment principles to my cycling. Gentle engagement of bandas (abdominal locks) drawing shoulder blades in and down the spine, outward rotation of the upper arms (also working the triceps), whilst extending tailbone down, lifting the sternum up, extending chin rather than cranking neck up and back.
Something I am really having to work on in my cycling is not pushing too high a gear - neither knee has much cartilage left, and too much force causes my spine to twist and compress a bit. As such I decided to focus on spinning, aiming for about 95rpm as my moving cadence. Was pleasantly surprised to find an average cadence for the ride of 90rpm, and my knees are feeling grateful, no aches whilst pedalling or since I got home.
I thought I was doing a 50 mile loop - had not paid too much attention to the distance when choosing where to go - lack of climbing had been a greater priority, turned out I had chosen approx 65 miles. To be honest the route that was chosen for me was pretty dull, and on the way back it became apparent it was really making time by doubling me back and forth, to the point where I eventually decided just to head for home. This shaved 7 miles off my loop, but 7 miles of Brentford, Hounslow and Twickenham counts as pure junk miles.
Where I went was not important, it was just great to be out on a bike, listening to music, saying hello to pedestrians and other cyclists and making the most of the clear weather. There was a fun moment when a motorcyclist came up next to me, at first I was anxious - he was far too close, turns out he wanted to look at my Garmin to confirm how fast he thought I was going - at which point I got a huge thumbs up and he then sped off. Am now feeling deliciously achey, and a little rosy cheeked - must not forget suncream next time.
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@Cycliste and I did the Pendle Witches Vintage Velo ride today, which was as excellent as always. Being a Vintage Velo ride, we took vintage bikes, in the shape of my Witcomb and @Cycliste's Roberts.
The weather was pretty awful for most of it - cold fog and mist, with very little visibility. However, it did clear eventually and the last bit of the ride was rather pleasant.
It's a ride I really enjoy, and the fact that the route vaguely resembles a crudely-drawn cock has nothing to do with this.
The Vintage Velo beer (brewed by Morehouse) was as good as ever, and the pie at the end of the ride was tasty and very welcome. All-in-all, a good day out.
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Tell us about your weekend ride
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Never gets boring
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