Tell us about your weekend ride

Midi Pyrenees, so Luchon?

I'd probably go Torino. Agnel, if you have time Finestre and Sestriere in the next valley and the descent from Mont Cenis is pretty good.

That's... that's not in the Pyrenees.

Pyrenees for me

To be fair I'm a little spoil as my parents live in the Pyrenees, Colorado is a new area I have yet to explore (beside Flagstaff).

ah, but i'm a Europhile (Bremainist)

Superb post. Are those wild horses?

Lovely posts.

#bringbackrep for both.

Nothing epic for me, but going up Beddlestead lane this evening a group of 5 deer. 2 stags and 3 does, ran across the road ahead of me (and a car in front) then trotted across the field out to the right. A magnificent, and heartwarming, sight.

Shortly afterwards there was a buzzard skulking in the woods.

Makes a nice change from the three dead badgers I saw on a ride last weekend.

Beddlestead is an odd one, can be really nice or just a bit miserable.

Ive seen deer and owls up there too and it can be lovely if quiet and nice and sunny. It can feel very miserable, annoying and hostile too though on a weekend morning when there's thousands of riders up there going 4 abreast and angry pikeys in vans everywhere.

Think it's partly coz I'm starting to get a bit bored of it having been to there about 2532 times

Yup, wild horses, they're slightly protective of the foal wheb I approach but steady once I approach them.

We had epic snow again yesterday. I figured Mondays road race was definitely off.

So I went for a big snow run (been off my running). 15km up a local mountain.

Then got home, changed and headed to meet a mate on my fatbike. We headed out without a plan other than following random hiking signs to look for fun trails. Saw one that headed upwards. Took it, and it hiked up to 15% and just kept fecking going. The terrain was either sloppy snow, or sloppy mud. Had to sit and push the cranks around as best I could untill my HR hit max. Then stop. Then set off again. Brutal but fun. We then hit another trail further arounfd the mountain. Again tough. Bit not quite as unforgiving.

Wake up this morning, legs incredibly stiff, body shattered, sun outside, and With a facebook Notification that the race is on. Feck.

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Well, it wasn't the Pyrénées or Colorado but I went out to Whitstable via Pilgrims Way!
I seemed to remember that Hollingbourne was the only steep hill from last time but had forgotten that it was pretty lumpy coming through Frinsted! Hail (wtf) coming through Faversham.
Nice ride. 9/10. Point deducted for coldness and no icecream.
https://www.strava.com/activities/555681664

Lovely crit Saturday

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right round majorca today - 220mm and a shit ton of climbing (strava estimates between 4-6000m ascent, depending on which of my mate's rides you look at...)

https://www.strava.com/activities/556654875

Pretty fun

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Majorca looks ace! And that tunnel photo is rad.

Biggest ride yet in Rwanda, mojo steadily coming back. 95km, 1850m ascent, all weathers encountered (cloudy > sunny > windy > rainy > sunny). Six bananas and a small cake were eaten.

So many hills! SO so many hills. It felt like Wales without the cosy pubs. Took me a full 5 hours including multiple banana buying pit-stops, a couple of pauses for photos and like four stops to stretch out my poorly leg (my knee should really just HTFU).

Unsightly lump on my stem is a little speaker held on with a tube. Yes I was that guy.

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wow - what a place to ride! many other recreational cyclists about?

There are heaps of Rwandans on Chinese/Indian single speeds with chrome rims and rod brakes, usually carrying 100kg+ of potatoes, or a crate or three of beer. I was going downhill at 65 kph this weekend and a Rwandan dude overtook me (actually undertook) whilst carrying a passenger on the rack. No helmets, zero stopping ability.

There are a whole mix of expat cyclists, most just use MTBs but there are a precious few road cyclists also. Enough to fill a table at a cafe, just.

Then of course, there are the Rwandan roadies who are very quick and use decent race bikes. They average about 55kg and just disappear up hills, out of sight. Their bikes are normally disasters because there are few spare parts available, and a chain costs about 1-2 weeks average wage anyway. Many of these dudes want to ride for Team Rwanda, the national cycling team - internationally funded and headed by US ex-TdF pro Jonathan Boyer.

Brilliant! I can imagine it's a good place for climbers...

Are you ever actually in the UK?!

During the week, usually. At the weekends, it's about 50/50 UK/furrin. UK next weekend - it's the Fred Whitton.

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