LFGSS - HARD WEEK(s) IN LOCKDOWN

I really like this one

Edit: Kom, 73 gear inches

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Good morning gang!
So forgive me, I tore myself a new one after a blast to Epping yesterday morning with @Josh01 - been napping/dragging my sorry legs around since so I chose a pretty light gear, 46/18 on 650C wheels.
Also activated my hamstrings for the first time ever yesterday (bold claim I know but before cycling, the only sport I ever took part in was living life hard and fast, mainly in the quads).
All this aside, really nice to be back in South London, thanks @Ruserius. Happy to see the familiar magical road names like Sunray Ave, Half Moon Ln and Stoney Ln.
Tried for a QOM, got confused at the end and stopped prematurely haha
https://www.strava.com/activities/3329590982
Happy Tuesday everyone!

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Wow, you guys are fast!

796watts!

Be the bike, and I hope someone here can beat my time

so I chose a pretty light gear, 46/18 on 650C wheels

Do you have a bike with that on all the time or did you swap chainrings before the ride?

So Ralph (chinese carbon frameset) is 46/16 or 18 (Halo double fixed hub)
Then Willier (alum + carbon fork) is 49/14
Then Franco (Foffa frameset with a rack) - 46/14
All 650C wheels

Switched from 50 to 46 for this week. Lots of time on my hands lately so can afford to clean my chainrings/cogs/chains thoroughly!

Haha thanks. How was Hampton Wick ? And the fox cub?!

Back on 66" due to a bad back, probably not far off ideal for the hill to be fair though.

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Nice, mine was 62', for how my legs are feeling today that was tough enough.
What happened to your back?

Nothing serious, it just doesn't like working from bed/sofa very much. Some stretching should hopefully sort it.

Japanese sitting furniture?

I'll see if the home counties dining chair/table sorts it first but yeah, maybe!

I have a bad back as well, nothing quite like it to remind you you're not in your early 20s any more

You were definitely one with the bike with that! Fair play @Josh01! 👌🏻
If I can get away from work this week, I'll head down and give it ago, but I'm already under the impression that there's no beating that beast of an effort! 👍🏻
Maybe @Biggles567 will give you a run for your money. 😉

You were definitely one with the bike with that! Fair play @Josh01! 👌🏻
If I can get away from work this week, I'll head down and give it ago, but I'm already under the impression that there's no beating that beast of an effort! 👍🏻
Maybe @Biggles567 will give you a run for your money. 😉

Nice and local for me, so thought I'd join in the fun. Doing my best to pretend the track bike is now a hill climb one. 1:05 on 48x14, so 90" I reckon. Was crawling along by the end but nice little climb and I'll come back on a proper gear some day. Good luck to everyone else.

https://www.strava.com/activities/3335235060

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This was actually not exactly the hill I was thinking of! Doh! But it is still an interesting hill with an exciting run up and an long enough steep bit so that I'm always maxed out by the end. This time was no different. So much so that I forgot to what gear I was in, but I reckon it was around 80". I knew right from the start it felt like too much and struggled to get 1:23!
https://www.strava.com/activities/3337361889

I don't trust places without any graffiti, and that place has zero public art and vast swathes of over-provision of private motor vehicle parking. But was a nice ride! Some river views among the gates and fences. And the fox was so cute. Probably only just learnt to run.

So I managed to sneak off from work a little early today to have a little bimble over to crystal palace as the weather was too good to not head out.

Firstly, I would like to say haw lovely Herne Hill and Dulwich is. I only go to the area for track and I’m too tired afterwards to ever explore, so it was nice getting out round the area (and getting really figging jealous of everyone who lives there!).

I went for a different approach this week. I've never tried pushing big gears up hills as i usually wimp out at the site of them, so i thought why not try for a change.

I had 2 attempts at the segment:

1st Attempt - 52 x 13 = 106.142" - Was Ok ish
2nd Attempt - 52 x 11 = 125.440" - Absolute Grind 😬

Didn’t realise how exponential changing the rear gears is when we're talking this little teeth. 🙂

I'm actually quite glad I went for big gears this time because I was greeted half way up by a stationary royal mail van with its door wide open meaning I had to squeeze through the gap.
This also happened on the 2nd attempt with someone trying (and failing) to park their car.

Anyway, nice segment @Ruserius 👍🏼 and fair play @Josh01 one hell of a time 👌🏼

I’m sure my dodgy knees wont thank me tomorrow.

https://www.strava.com/activities/3337151062

Oh and there is one last thing..........

I cheated (sorry):

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Is that one of your 'ride every street' types of effort, then? :)

@Vinbenzo - Welcome! Love your classic looking track bike - great ride and insane gear ratio! Just gave you kudos on Strava but saw your ride was flagged FYI

@cagimaha - have you sprouted garlic before? It's now the perfect time for it - get some garlic bulbs with lots of hary bits on the bottom (the roots but dried), pop them into a tupperware with water, just enough to cover the roots and just a few mm into the cloves and leave in the sun. In a few days/weeks the garlic should start to sprout from the top, let them grow tall and they are tasty :) see pics

@Ruserius - I see you're west - do you know what that mad big empty storage time travel equipment looking buildng is on Uxbrdge Road near Shepherds Bush?
Guess it's the season now for fox cubbings, hope I stumble into one!
Have you been round E3? There's a big ol' Chihuahua to look over you at the bottom of Crisp Street graffiti wise.
Lastly nice sigment, even if it's not the one you meant - I liked the roads off to the right, they acted like countdowns for me to that last steep sprint.

@Grifffff - I concur, beautiful part of London, so much space and I'd take every house there, even the not so nice ones. Maybe if I win the premium bonds (I just got these and am just really intrigued by them!). Not to worry for the 'cheating' we're just happy people are joining in and it's so far the biggest gear ratio by far we've had!! Plus we're mindful that in these times it might be difficult/take a while to get new chainrings/cogs/chains delivered.

@Biggles567 I finally caved and as you can see from my pic got an alum seatpost (USE Sumo) and alum rail saddle (Selle Italia SLR) - not too much of a weight sacrifice for the absence of sad warning carbon creaks!

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Carbon warning creaks are the most exciting part of my riding at the moment!

Haha has hyde lost it's spark already?

Also, woke up to find a nice old crack in my forks - #whencarbonwarningcreaksgetreal

hah yeah its ok, but not great. Also over the weekend its rammed with people.