Tell us about your weekend ride

What video? You know there's a website that documents Redwood locations through the UK?

This one:
https://youtu.be/WkdzahyCZdE?si=GBHFW2uea6azEuou

I think I decided on Bedgebury through this website
https://www.forestryengland.uk/route-for-redwoods

Thanks, I've sent it to the Sequoia Freak.

Took a trip to the Norf Norfolk coast with a couple of friends on Saturday. Tailwind on the way back was great, the way out was tough at times.

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That's some proper mileage.

I felt it this morning. I did go for a ride to do some marshalling on a club open time trial, but I took my e-bike and the electrical assistance was quite welcome.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11550988448
with a little bit of
https://www.strava.com/activities/11550987204
and then yesterday a little bit of
https://www.strava.com/activities/11558801033

Keen as mustard. Love to see it.

Isle of Mull sportive yesterday, 87 miles then went back out for another 14 miles to make it a century, another 1st for me at 59, I’m quite pleased with myself.

Since moving to Cornwall last year I’ve been wondering if the West Kernow Way is doable in a day as most reports online suggest 2-4 days. Yesterday was the day to find out.

The route officially starts in Penzance and ends just short of Penzance in Marazion. I don’t quite know why they didn’t make it a complete loop. As it is the route is 240km with 3000m of elevation. Rather than drive over to Penzance to start, I picked up the route in a place called Longdowns which is not too far from my home.

I’m all for a challenge but yesterday was a bastard. Some sections are almost impassable on anything other than a MTB. Whether deep rutted tracks running uphill at ~10% with massive lumps of slippery granite, sections of the coast path that are laughably bad or soggy forested sections that see y0ur front and rear hubs disappearing under water it's not much fun. In other areas, though particularly on the Lizard, the trails were like concrete; while not a geologist, I believe this is probably due to the presence of serpentine so close to the surface and how quickly the surface earth can dry out. The earth was rock hard and criss crossed with tracks that were almost impossible to find a line through which meant near constant stop-starting.

Unfortunately I don’t have a MTB so did it on ny Standert with 38c tyres fitted. As a concession to comfort I removed my unpadded Berk saddle and rode with an SMP evolution. I was anticipating it taking ~11 hours so left at 05:45 in the morning but as it was, the low BB, long cranks, speedplay pedals, hard forks and narrow tyres made it much harder and slower than it could've been.

Within ten minutes I’d gone over the bars and tore my knee open. I really didn’t want to stop and it didn’t hurt that much so I rode on. 100 or so km later I was over the bars again whacking my sternum something rotten. It was wonderfully quiet save for MTBers with their lovely soft forks making me question my life choices. After about 150km I was feeling pretty blue and my heart sank every time my Garmin indicated that I was approaching an “alley” or “unpaved road”.

The last fifty km were pretty crushing, everything ached, except for my whacked knee which I mercifully couldn’t feel at all. My head felt like concrete, my sternum throbbed and my legs felt like they'd staged a mutiny and jumped ship. I did eventually make it back to my start point in Longdowns, secure in the knowledge of two things; the WKW is doable in a day and I won’t be doing it again any time soon.

I ended up with an extra 8km in the legs and a bonus 1200m of climbing. When my partner saw the cut in my knee she thought it best to go to hospital so off there I trundled this morning - rather quaintly our local hospital closes at 8pm which meant I couldn't get there in time last night. They cleaned the wound with what they described as a "tickle brush" which looked suspiciously like a toothbrush to me. After ten or so minutes they cleared it though described the inside of my knee as “tattooed with dirt and grit” and I’m now steri-stripped up and off the bike for a week whilst the wound heals, lying on the sofa typing this drivel. Some snaps below, I didn’t ride with a power meter and given how slow I was going it was probably even less than that already dismally low number suggests.

Worst of all was when I whacked my knee I lost my treasured lfgss albion burner from the historic @Chopsicle LFGSS order. I was originally going to ride back out to find it today but Dr's orders have made that not an option and I am now Burnerless in Kernow.

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Well done. Sounds like quite the challenge.

I'm pretty sure @neilp did it one go and holds the FKT (Fastest Known Time) for it. Chapeau if you got close to that.

What was someone saying the other day about being underbiked...

Incredible, that's about my average speed on roads.

Yep I do, it's a good route, tough on a gravel bike in areas and you start to feel it. I think I had 47c tyres on my Diverge, so a bit more cushion. @ghostface chapeau for doing it on 38s

Massive! Hope the knee heals fast.

Cheers @andyp and @sohi. Nice one @neilp and well done for FKR, that's pretty impressive. I'd love to give it another go on a better suited bike and with SPD pedals instead of Speedplay as I reckon I could go a fair bit quicker. Crossing Loe Bar beach on foot whilst my speedplay cleats filled with sand was particularly tedious!

Thank you! Currently wrapped in gauze and bandage, sure I’ll be back on the bike in no time!

Oosh insane ride! Is the route a nice two day casual route? Keep meaning to do a little tour when visiting parents and the roads look so sketchy.

This sounds great - do you have any more details?
Also, congrats on the century!

Heroic. Absolutely heroic. Stupidity and stubbornness combined to achieve greatness. Can’t get behind this enough. Heal up soon!

I had a lovely weekend away in the Peak District, but time and car space meant that taking my bike was off the cards.
Got home and needed some exercise - and got absolutely soaked for the quick 20 miles I squeezed in. Very CSB, I know!

Yeah - two or three days would probably be a better idea. I'd advise doing it outside of peak holiday times as I imagine it would be pretty busy, particularly on the sections of coastal path.

The roads round here are great, albeit in terrible condition, though the driving leaves a lot to be desired and in summer you can end up stuck in traffic jams unable to move as people now seem to drive such wide vehicles and not know how to drive them. Happy to give recommendations/share routes if you ever need any, just message.

Cheers @Nef - the sternum hurts now more than it did then, the nurse did say it'll get worse before it gets better :/

Have you sneezed yet? I nearly fainted from the pain when I first sneezed after breaking my sternum..

Very entertaining read brought the ride to life, hope you heal up fast