Tell us about your weekend ride

^^^ makes my ride sound like gash. epic work :p

when I'm riding round here i'm quite glad I wear obviously MTB/running tops and not one of the 'I am a C-UNIT' roadie shirts, every single one that I have come across in the years I've been riding have been dickheads.
Obviously there are nice roadie's out there, somewhere, but not in the western lake district, all obsessed with carbon fibre (probably have an M3 and iphone too), but leave their legs at home; don't they feel embarrassed when a baggy shirted youth on a 40+ year old lump of slightly rusty steel takes them on the climbs?
And then when I utter a 'howdo' or 'alright mate' only ever get dismissive silence, grunts of pain or swearing (one time I actually got spat on, nice eh). Is it just me or is that a normal response to a friendly sole?

A nice roadie passed me on my ride. Some guy in his late 20s on a decent enough bike and full club kit. I was in baggy shorts & tshirt. Had a short conversation and he was generally pleasant. Most other road riders completely blank me out pointedly.

I'm not asking every other person on a bike = immediate friend. But at least don't swear, spit, curse, grunt or generally be a C-UNIT.
Maybe I should do a social experiment, get some pinarello carbones*, Di2 and full lime green 'I R C-UNIT' roadie gear and see how I get on ;)

*got nothing against high end bikes, just the jerk-offs that tend to own them.

After last weekends rather flat Dun Run I decide to make up for it by helping my gf scout the route for the Helvellyn Triathlon. Climbed from our campsite, just off Ullswater, over the hill to pick up the course at Matterdale End, before promptly abandoning it for a back road as we didn't really need to scout the A66. Picked it up a bit later for a descent to the next section along a B road which did need scouting. Again skipped the main A road to roll around the back of Thirlmere. Back on the A road to Ambleside via Grasmere for coffee. From Ambleside we turned right and almost bounced off a near vertical climb for the start of the Kirkstone Pass. It didn't ease off for almost two miles until it leveled onto a lovely little plateau. Then the last little kick up to the top with switchbacks and a stretch of 20%. Finished off with a lovely descent back to Glenridding and pottering back to the campside with a Carradice full of food.

Obviously there are nice roadie's out there, somewhere, but not in the western lake district, all obsessed with carbon fibre (probably have an M3 and iphone too), but leave their legs at home; don't they feel embarrassed when a baggy shirted youth on a 40+ year old lump of slightly rusty steel takes them on the climbs?
And then when I utter a 'howdo' or 'alright mate' only ever get dismissive silence, grunts of pain or swearing (one time I actually got spat on, nice eh). Is it just me or is that a normal response to a friendly sole?

I was out on Saturday and the carbon botherers were all fairly friendly. I'm guessing that most of them aren't embaressed, I certainly wouldn't be. A lot of the roadies will come there from somewhere flatter than the Lake District and be more interested in getting to the top of the climb without dabbing than who's beating them and what they're riding. The first competition is, as ever, with yourself. And don't take it personally if you don't get a chatty response as you go whipping by, some of us are having a bit of a harder time trying to get oxygen into our lungs. If you get swearing and spitting it's probably because people mistake your candour for you being a cunt about how easy it is for you.

I have no problem with roadies with all the kit and the fancy bikes, but yeah there's a few unfriendly ones. Fact is if I had the money I would be one on of them, half the time at least, when I'm not touring or working. Also the guy I ride with the most is a member of Penge CC, Dulwich Paragon CC, Rides a 5 grand sram red Focus Izalco, probably spends more time in club kit than normal clothes, and is the most polite road user I have ever met. He stopped to help 3 people on the way to Dunwich, NEVER breaks the highway code (this can get irritating on occasion) and as far as I know he's never spat at anyone. But probably doesnt get overtaken much, either.

40 miles, that took forever. Arundel to Petersfield via the coast and the South Downs Way.

When I stopped pushing up the bastard hills, I drank in the view.

Beautiful picture. I grew up on that trail. Ever done the whole 100miles, winchester eastbourne? I've done it on a dawes audax, a genesis vapour crossbike, but never a mtn bike. (though am currently rebuilding my 10yr old Kona hardtail) My ambition is to do the double one day, there and back in a day. Let me know next time you're down there, I need to get training.

http://www.southdownsdouble.net/

'I am a C-UNIT' roadie shirts

Want

Rode the natural mountain biking trails in and around Pilsley this weekend, a 25 mile loop on my cross bike.

My girlfriends sister joined us for her first proper mountain biking, so it was a little slower than usual which made the terrain feel a lot tamer than usual. All good fun though, especially as she was a very bold descender [obvious jokes expected], I was descending as fast as I dared behind her. Untill her first crash that is, then it slowed down a bit.

It was very nearly my first mountain biking ride without any cuts or grazes... until I dropped my bike onto my knee in the car park!

Beautiful picture. I grew up on that trail. Ever done the whole 100miles, winchester eastbourne? I've done it on a dawes audax, a genesis vapour crossbike, but never a mtn bike. (though am currently rebuilding my 10yr old Kona hardtail) My ambition is to do the double one day, there and back in a day. Let me know next time you're down there, I need to get training.

http://www.southdownsdouble.net/

I've not done the double, but I've done one way in a day, 63" fixed on an On-One Inbred. The weather was great (dry early autumn), but it was still a tough day's riding. Weird getting spat out unceremoniously at Eastbourne - sort of an anticlimax, but I was too tired for a climax anyway by that point :D

50 solo kent miles on the new bike. Avg speed 17.9. Was reading 18.0 until 200 yards from the end. Grrr.

Quitter

Five laps of a nicely varied and hilly loop from hove over devil's dyke. A nice long ascent that ramps up sharply at the end, some great rolling descents we were hitting 60k on (note to self, buy new brake pads today) and a killer +10% drag up the last k or so to start again. Lovely weather, good company and a great view of the paragliders doing their thing over the top.

I have no problem with roadies with all the kit and the fancy bikes, but yeah there's a few unfriendly ones. Fact is if I had the money I would be one on of them, half the time at least, when I'm not touring or working. Also the guy I ride with the most is a member of Penge CC, Dulwich Paragon CC, Rides a 5 grand sram red Focus Izalco, probably spends more time in club kit than normal clothes, and is the most polite road user I have ever met. He stopped to help 3 people on the way to Dunwich, NEVER breaks the highway code (this can get irritating on occasion) and as far as I know he's never spat at anyone. But probably doesnt get overtaken much, either.

Maybe he is making up for all the un friendly ones :p

This thread needs more photos...

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Regarding my weekend ride; I've discovered that I much much prefer offroad on a fully rigid set up. Proabably due to having less experience in handling bikes with suspension.

^prepare for MrSmyth's wrath…

I'm braced for it...

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/42963538

On road bike with mate sporting Quick Step outfit -waved at loads a folk and got waves back roadies, cars and MTBs, didn't see any hipsters mind.

Followed the Peach of a Century route yesterday. Did 67 miles in total, sunny, pretty flat, lots of pedaling. Really beautiful scenery and the road surfaces are excellent. Too bad I'm not here when the event takes place in September. Another year. Will get some pics next time I ride.

http://www.salembicycleclub.org/content.plx?page=majrides

Regarding my weekend ride; I've discovered that I much much prefer offroad on a fully rigid set up. Proabably due to having less experience in handling bikes with suspension.

I ride a fully rigid bike on the south downs way, I'm a little slower on the technical descents than my mate on his inbred, but I kick his ass everywhere else. no wasted power into the forks, stiffer, more efficient power transfer, and also am much more enkjoyable feeling of the terrain, I think.

friend of mine got the SDD record last year, only to be beaten less than a week later, seems the interest is up again on this challenge
now hes third http://www.southdownsdouble.net/hof.html
did the Bontrager 24/12 at Newnham with the one who never gioves up, we did the 12 hour mixed and came 5 /14 teams, not bad considering she dosent MTB
course was climb climb climb, someone said 4 laps was same as doing Ventoux, so my 6 x 8 miles counted a bit for that.
rewards were hard earned for sure.... anyway great day and it was dry too.
Had the pleasure of hanging out with Mccarthy off here on the down times which was all good. (shame he had worse luck with his bike...)

thats a fucking hardcore record to hold , even for only a week. hats off.

found some pictures from my little-tour 2weeks ago :p

not the start, but 50mile in already :p the thing looked good for climbing, so we did.

went to see the 2011 tour de france on route

taught them lengthy 1:5 hills who is boss.
All in a nice ride 200-220 (depending if you go off gmaps or computer) 4day mini tour thing, ended with a 10mile time trial (literally) to get to the train station in time (for a train that turned out not to exist, lol).

First imperial century yesterday. Legs died in the last 15 miles though.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/102943763