Tell us about your weekend ride

Touching. Cycling round the block 5 times at the end of a training ride to notch up your first century is the cycling equivalent of losing your virginity by way of a sordid short lived knee-trembler somewhere in a dark alley surrounding Kings-X. A century should be done properly; nice dinner, fine wine, candles, rose petals on the bed, you get the picture. Save yourself for the right ride. Other cyclists will respect you more for it.

Quite right, Cat. R*E*S*P*E*C*T, found out what it means to me.

As year end approaches at work, I wanted to get a decent ride in this weekend as will prob miss next weekend and maybe the one after. Myself and 5 others did 70 miles, in 3Hrs 40Mins, Nice ride out through Bexley, to Darenth, Longfield and then onto Cudham. Had a head wind pretty much all the way out. From Cudham we headed over the Medway Bridge, Ayelsford, Hadlow, up Plaxtol to Ivy Hatch, the wind then was behind us, the sun came out and we had a good last 15-20 miles back through Seal, Otford, Shoreham, Farningham, Dartford and back home. Average was between 18.5mph and 19mph. A pleasing days ride, a good route and a decent beginning to the weeks training.

5.5hours with Quest. In spite of one bloke's double pinch flat we made it out to Chobham in time to watch the end of the Hounslow? race. Saw poor illy deep in the pain cave and I think Nick (also Grupetto) come in 3rd? Good day's cycling.

I'm surprised by 'Hounslow? race'. I thought I'd made it clear it was indeed the Hounslow race, hardly even mentioning its official title 'The Peter Young Memorial RR'.

Nic did go well, but actually finished in eigth place. This might have been taken for third place if the Motorpoint team were ignored - they took the first five places.

The race split with the break of the day going within the first hour. This group contained five out of six members of the Motorpoint team ( I guess the sixth one was left to police the bunch, just in case,like), but it also included Nic, who, judging by the photographic record of the race, was on the front much of the time.

Illy was looking tired towards the end, but he was smart enough and strong enough to get into the second break which at one point looked as if it might catch the leaders. I think the race was perhaps ten miles further(85 miles in total) than he really wanted to go, but, bearing in mind it takes courage and strength to be in any sort of break at this level of racing, it was a much better effort than last year's ride.

A fuller report will follow.

e4 ecstasy on my own. Saw sean and someone else on my way back and Tash when i was leaving

Where did you spot me?

I was out for a post Herne Hill recovery spin with Niamh. Also did the E4 route, but with some extra lanes thrown in towards the end.

Saturday I raced at Milton Keynes bowl. Was having an off day so pulled out on the 9th lap, which I later regretted. I then rode 60k to a train station, using my bike as an implement of torture I punished my legs for their failings. Was a lovely route partly a route I've ridden many times and partly TNRC route. Amazing stuff, and very sunny.

My legs were out in the sun all weekend :)

e4 ecstasy on my own. Saw sean and someone else on my way back and Tash when i was leaving

Ach aye... Was out on that today aswell. Early doors mind. Still takes the legs and mind to a warm, dreamy state of bliss.
Long, cold, lonely winter. Laters Bitch.

@bmmf - wonderful photo. Captures beyond any words how much you'd rather it was you doing the riding ; )

@smyth - punches air

Excellent photo, Scarlett :0) Best weekend ride post!

BMMF: Backstop again.

Ach aye... Was out on that today aswell. Early doors mind. Still takes the legs and mind to a warm, dreamy state of bliss.
Long, cold, lonely winter. Laters Bitch.

this.

cheers for leading this one james. was a lovely morning for a spin. only the second time i have done that route, and can fully see why it lures.

I went to France. Made full use of the train to Portsmouth and back, Seacat crossing to Cherbourg, on which I failed to declare my bike, but was let on anyway without surcharge. I was going to stay with my remaining friend in Agon-Countainville, 55 miles down the west coast of Normandy.

The french have done something brilliant. They've graded the old railway lines with some E.U. money, and walkers, horse riders and cyclists all get along. http://www.af3v.org/CarteAF3V/carte-detaillee.html

38 miles of the route could have been off road, but I wanted some lunch, so headed for the beach bars for oysters and snails after 25. I passed three other cyclists and two farmers en route, and it was all heavenly.
Being on a dirt track meant avoiding the groups of grumpy french roadies who couldn't return a gallic "bonjour".
The routes are all flat, firm sand surface, and with enough road crossing/village interest to keep the sections undaunting. Despite the rain on Friday there were no puddles or muddy patches.

On Sunday, riding didn't seem so appealing. The first 10 miles back to the 'voie verte' were all up hill, and so I flounced, pre-bonk, to Carentan train station and got to Cherbourg for a long late lunch and the ferry.

83 miles in all. Not a lot, but my training over the winter didn't include riding further than a pub. Well happy.

2 Attachments

Touching. Cycling round the block 5 times at the end of a training ride to notch up your first century is the cycling equivalent of losing your virginity by way of a sordid short lived knee-trembler somewhere in a dark alley surrounding Kings-X. A century should be done properly; nice dinner, fine wine, candles, rose petals on the bed, you get the picture. Save yourself for the right ride. Other cyclists will respect you more for it.

My first metric century was epic.
My first imperial century was just a long, hot, tiring, headache-inducing training ride.
Respect is for Aretha Franklin. Nothing wrong with a alleyway quickie.

rode to work saturday. nice, very sunny.
rode back 17 hours later. cold.

I'm surprised by 'Hounslow? race'. I thought I'd made it clear it was indeed the Hounslow race, hardly even mentioning its official title 'The Peter Young Memorial RR'.

I suffer from a rare condition where I can only remember facts whilst in an argument on an online forum. Recalling information like who's running a race without arguging about it just isn't going to happen. And hey, I was down on glycogen man! :P

Nic did go well, but actually finished in eigth place. This might have been taken for third place if the Motorpoint team were ignored - they took the first five places.

Yeah, I'd rocked up with the Quest bunch with 3 to go or thereabouts and left without catching up with anyone. I thought Illy was off the back of the bunch and Nick was in the lead group. It wasn't until this morning when I read Ricky's step by step account of what unfolded did I work out where the guys actually were at the finish.

Congrats!! That's some seriously serious stuff. In fact, they're number one and two on my list of climbs that I'd like to try.

How were they?

Chuffing hard... including the decents as the road is just so bumpy, it was hard holding on to the bars and keeping control of the brakes. People coming down in cars were giving us some really strange looks whilst we were climbing... "Nutters" someone shouted.

We hit Hard Knot at 30 miles in...

did the FNRttC and it was absolutely freezing! Couldn't feel my toes or fingers for most of it, and water bottle froze up. The sunrise was a wonderful sight, and the weather in Southend was majestic!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/blatez/5543921078/

Finished building a single speed on Saturday, took it out for a 40 mile trek around Berkshire: Windsor - Taplow - Maidenhead - Bourne End - Marlow - Henley - Wargrave - Twyford - Paley Street - Windsor. Bike rode well, a few niggles here and there. Highlight was meeting a 77 yr old ex reading club cyclist on Drift Road, training for a time trial the following week. I hope I'm walking at 77!

Windsor Great Park early morning - get lost in it! The moment....not the park!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/49357328@N06/5549429229/

Nice riding today with Des in Surrey's land. A mellow jaunt through Winterfold, Barhatch and Whitethemotherfuckingdown with a few secret passages in between.
We set up early morning from Waterloo with the 13:03 train and back at 6:00 with a good pint in the stomach and a bit of nicotine in the blood, nothing more grrrrr.
The company was superb, and nothing else to report.

not exactly weekend ride, as it was my day off and there was absolutely fantastic weather I've cycled out of town and should've stayed there for a couple of hours more, as it depresses me to come back into town

http://www.sports-tracker.com/#/workout/dthree/cavriidsu12mr2bo

Day off and was out at 7am and rode Lewisham to Brighton on a sort of BHF route via Croydon. Got train back to Croydon and rolled last 10 m home again. Fucking aces apart from the very unexpected freezing fog between Catford and Croydon this morning.

I got out for a 40 mile birthday spin this morning. Took in elements of both Kent TNRC routes and really enjoyed it, such a beautiful day to be out on a bike.

Lucky bugger! It is going cold again tomorrow.

I have 2 x 2 hour HH track sessions tomorrow.

HB for yesterday, Andy!

yeah,
Happy Birthday riding.
Andy W- get well soon too.

Cheers, doc says it's just a sprain and bruising, no ligament damage which is nice.