Tell us about your weekend ride

Decided to do the TNRC Surrey 5 Hills loop today. Generally pleasant day, though the hailstorm hurt as it happened on the downhill section from Ranmore to Effingham, hailstones to the face at over 30 mph hurt.

Many cyclists out without kneewarmers, yet wearing winter jerseys or rain jackets.

https://www.strava.com/activities/540166362

first outside ride after having flu - lungs felt absolutely fucked the entire time, so cut the ride short to 40km. Bit of sun felt nice on the legs, though!

https://www.strava.com/activities/539962707

Drove out to Cambridge, rode 25 miles, drove home.

so that will be way less than 60 mins riding time?

3 or so hours in a car to ride 20min on a turbo, 15min to the start line and just over 50min up and down the A14/A11. Still better than flying to the USA and only doing 7hrs of the 24hr Worlds...

`

I rode to St Pancras from Dirtfud and back. I got a puncture on the way up, I mendeded it. My little pump wouldn't inflate the big 32C tyre up to 6.5Bar without my arms falling off. I stopped at the CS3 track pump stand to pump up to correct happy pressure. Helped a young girl pump her tyre up before I did mine as she'd accidentally let all the air out of her tyre using the wrong orifice. Felt good, smiles all round. I went on my way. Huzah for having a pulse and breathing. Boo Hiss to mighty headwind all the way back home.

A nice 43 miler.

Royal Armoured Corps HQ is in Bovington (hence the tank museum) and down the road at Lulworth is a very large armoured core range and training centre. Every soldier who will serve in either a mounted infantry battalion or armoured regiment will spend some time in Bovi and Lulworth learning the tools of the trade.
The think that came up behind you (if it had tracks) would most likely have been either a Challenger II or a Warrior. Less likely but possible (since they have been replaced) it could have been a CVRT variant.

Not a spotter but served.

Headed down to the Ashdown to ride part of the HOTA route. Kidds is a beast. Doesn't get any easier. Clarks is definitely the easiest way to climb back up the Downs though. Forgot cash and didn't take any food. Did have a pound in my tool bag however and the kind man in the icecream van at the top of Kidds made me a small icecream for a pound so I was well happy with that. Phone fell out of pocket before going up Jib Jack's (?) but still miraculously worked when I put all the bits back together. No help from the easterly wind.
6/10. Fitness nowhere near where it needs to be.
http://www.strava.com/activities/541539311

Ah, ta for the info Gandalf. Yeah, it deffo had tracks, rubber inserts I think too. On that Lulworth loop I rode past the entrances to some of the MOD places where it looked like they do the training.

So I headed over to Flanders this weekend for a bit of fixed pavé action.

Caught the train down to Folkestone on the Thursday and stayed in a Holiday Inn before using the Eurotunnel bike service on the Friday - highly recommended and much better than the Newhaven/Dieppe ferry crossing which we've used a few times before. Nice man with a transit and bike trailer picks you up from the hotel and chaperones you through. Luxury.

Metro mudguard model's own.

Then it was 80 or so miles of mostly flat, smooth roads to Roubaix to pick up our numbers for the Sportif the next morning. Unfortunately our Garmin's borked after our lunch stop so no Strava. Also rode past (but not up) the Kemmelberg.

Early bed for a 3:50 local time alarm to get to the Velodrome for the bus to the start. Rolling 8 miles or so to get warmed up before the first secteur pavé. These first few cobbled sections were fairly chaotic as people adapted to riding them, especially as they were still wet from rain overnight. 35c tyres felt like cheating to be honest - I was just sitting on the watts and passing pretty much everyone. 27c Pave seemed to be the median tyre choice, but those on larger tyres definitely had an easier time. A lot of mountain bikers too, especially once we merged with the shorter route.

We soon settled into a rhythm of taking it 'fairly' easy on the road sections whilst being overtaken by Euro roadies, who we'd then demolish on the pavé, and repeat. The Arenberg was insane - how anyone can race a bike over there I do not know. I suppose it's easier when you're not dodging broken bodies and bikes left right and centre - it was comical how little control you have on there. It was a case of just pedaling and hoping no-one went down in front of you because you had largely no control over stopping or steering. Wouldn't wish a wet Roubaix on anyone having experienced a mildly damp one.

The final 10k got a bit rowdy as everyone found a second wind with the end in sight. Traffic was a bit heavy on the approach to the Velodrome so things got a bit alleycat before rolling onto the velodrome for our victory lap. Chilled on the grass watching people roll in with biere and pommes frites.

Despite the regular comments expressing disbelief at our bike choice, fixed wasn't at all an encumbrance IMO. 74" proved to be pretty much perfect and with about 250ft of climbing per 10 miles it's not like there were any climbs to be worried about. Other than 35c Compass Bon Jon Pass with latex tubes at about 45psi, the only real mod I made was some gel pads on the tops which probably helped a bit bit the vibration. Weirdly the only part of me that hurt on the Sunday was my middle finger on each hand.

https://www.strava.com/activities/540284449

Rode out to Secteur 8 on the Sunday to spectate, before sprinting back as a two-up TT to catch the final 15k.

All in all 11/10 one of the best rides I've done, firmly recommended and would do again.

chapeau

Amazing.

Also, how long does the Tunnel chauffeur take, and how much dollar? Did you book 10 years in advance to guarantee all the spaces on his truck?

Picked up from the hotel at 8, then on a train just before 9 maybe? £20ish per person. Booked about two weeks before, we were the only two on it (6 spaces).

Train out of London to Elsenham and rode to Cambridge by the most lane-y route possible. Pub stop in Balsham for restorative scotch egss and beer.

Too much tasty beer made the return leg of Cambridge - Audley End much harder than it had any right to be. Not even the morning coffee and custard tart and Espresso Library could help.

Train back south to Crystal Palace for Roubaix at the pub and a massive curry.

Pretty sure I've consumed way more calories than I've burned.

1 Attachment

That looks wicked. Is there a website for the bike transit? The only I've done it before is to drive but then there's extra insurance, petrol, driving abroad etc etc. This sounds ideal.

https://www.eurotunnel.com/uk/traveller-info/vehicles/bicycles/

You have to phone up and book, but it's dead easy. We took the Eurostar back.

Have you got a link to the route from elsenham to Cambridge? Been doing an elsenham loop recently so an extension of that would be ace.

Merci beaucoup, bookmarked.

Sure - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/12945931

It is pretty lane-y so not one to go tremendously fast on really, but was handy when the call was for a route with as few cars as possible so we could have a chat.

Respect to you upside down . Also did this ride on Saturday. Your description is close to perfect for the Aranberg section which was my first experience of cobbles. Had been warned by mates that had ridden it last year and described it as a horror show . But like travelling to India back in the day no description can actually prepare you for the Aranberg. I would liken it to the opening scene in saving private Ryan and was just glad I survived to tackle the remaining 17 sections. Would not like to do that ride in bad weather. My respect for professionals grew even more after the whole experience as well

superb! great read, love the pic of the frites and medal :)

Ditto, I'm definitely replicating this next year, and good to hear that fixed is more than doable.

great write-up dude and chapeau for cracking on with it sans free-wheel. didn't see anyone riding fixed out there - with the exception of a guy near the beginning on a penny-farthing - though don't think he will have taken it on to the cobbles.

you are totally spot on about the Arenberg and having done it for the first time ever i am glad there was no extra rain on it. i rode the 145k route with @clintsmoker and my mate tony (not on here). tony did it last year so gave us a few cautionary words but as clintsmoker said that still doesn't truly prep you for the carnage. am in awe of the pros who actually race over that.

was great to see @PinkGottiMobbs and dan (not sure of forum moniker) at the second food stop and again at the end. and another forum rider sadly no longer with us helped keep the spirits and the power up throughout the day.

10/10 - won't ride again

1 Attachment

such panache