Tell us about your weekend ride

"FUCK OFF WIND!"

48 miles late this afternoon around Kent in what seemed about a fortnight. Due to my route I had a headwind for 20 miles then a sidewind for around 15.

I must have shouted "Fuck off wind" about 50 times.

"FUCK OFF WIND!"

"FUCK OFF WIND PART II"

50 miler into the Essex lanes via some Epping Hills today. Felt like a total boss on the way out - got taught a lesson by some serious isobars on the way back in that's for sure!

20 miles fixed up to Wheathampstead solo, and 20 miles back. First long-ish ride I've ever done fixed. Did it 48:19 by mistake, meant to load 48:18. Bit spinny on the downhills, but it's pretty flat run so no biggy. Managed average speed of 18mph, which surprised me. Had never considered riding fixed for long rides before, but now would happily do a Cambridge run or some such.

8 and a half fucking hours in 50-70kph winds - many swear words yelled at the elements today #foulmood.

I'm glad I only have R520s on the TT bike at the moment - fuck me it was getting frisky on the aerobars out there.

Shit day today with everything still sore from the crash. Managed just over 30kph for the 255k. Pacing was shit. Hydration was good. The end.

many lesser hippies wouldnt have made it out side.

yep, fuck that westerly today, the one who never gives up was out for a 50 in it but happily I raced in a forest so didnt have to contend with it. nice 2 hours enduro and post race sauna and swim.

no results up yet, but it was real, the course was dry and fast as anything, and now Im wasted

Pearson 150 - Surrey (Royal Marsden Hospital) to Brighton and back. Wind was a bit hairy coming back, but first time for me around the Surrey Hills - lovely views.

Lovely route :0)

Should be. It took enough goes to get it right ;)

On saturday, I went on the road for 90 mins and had a flat tyre.

Hope this helps.

I rode down the road to Catford to get a rivet gun thingy so I could put our front window back in. Rode all the way back as well, no trains this time. Weather was mild, slightly breezy. No cyclists passed me on the whole route. Had a nice coffee when I got back to Forest Hill.

hill reps over 180kms on saturday. route here.

then 20 laps of herne hill yesterday. at least 3 laps were at 110% effort though

good efforts there ^^
bet youre not that fat Ralph

results from sun here:- http://www.dorsetroughriders.co.uk/results11.php
see my tactic Im 30th ?

Mentioned this elsewhere but a few have asked me to put it here so here is a belated weekend ride report:

Ride report for my recent three day, two wheeled pub crawl (my brothers 40th): http://app.strava.com/rides/620294
Shame the Garmin does not include average daily alcohol consumption, I might suggest an upgrade opportunity to them.

We used these: http://www.c2chasslefree.co.uk/ - I recommend them
Basically you drive up the evening before to the farm at Kirkoswald, go to the pub, they feed you in the morning and take you to the coast, ride back to the farm at Kirkoswald (ensuring you stay properly hydrated* en route), shower change go to the pub, they feed you in the morning before you set off for the next nights accommodation at Eastgate (ensuring you stay properly hydrated en route), reunite with kit (transferred by van), shower change go to the pub, get fed again in the morning before riding to the coast (ensuring you stay properly hydrated en route), get picked up and driven back to the farm at Kirkoswald to be reunited with kit and cars, drive home. I used the train to/from Penrith to avoid needing to curtail my rehydration activities on the final day (two unhappy people had to stay sober to drive the cars home). Hangover kicked in Monday morning.

One person ended up in A&E after crashing on the beach at Tynemouth, he still managed to carry his bike to the water and dip his wheel before being carted off so still counts as a finisher. He also had the presence of mind to photograph the injury and post it on facebook for posterity (dislocated finger). He previously went through a hedge on day one, crashed into a pile of sand on day two and kept me awake for three nights with his snoring.

As for wildlife, in one 5 mile descent I counted 12 cute but dead bunny rabbits. On the first day I saw a red squirrel (face up and flattened) and on the final day a goat tried to eat my cap.

The group was generally fit but not for cycling and despite twiddling up hills thinking I was taking things easy, my longest wait at the top of a hill was 20 minutes with a strong wind, an air temperature of 5C and no shelter.

*properly hydrated means sticking to 4% beer or below (no shandy, people will think you are a southerner), stronger than this and the alcohol will counter the rehydration (citation).

If anyone is considering it, three days makes it a very easy ride and achievable by non-cycling friends and colleagues. It can be done in two days as the last two could easily be ridden in one if you carried your fluids rather than taking them en masse each time you hit (sometimes literally) another village.

Great post, Ramaye. Thanks.

3 Laps of Richmond Park.
FUCK OFF WIND.

Gutterish riding for me, with Tynan on the pavement (apart from a couple of very short/quiet sections). About 3.5 miles, and he managed to navigate his way around all the tourists with aplomb at the hotspots en route. He wore his new Grupetto cap under his helmet, and hit 12mph riding up the slight gradient of Farringdon Rd pavement towards the Holborn Viaduct - souplesse! :) Don't panic, there were no peds at that point.

12 mph uphill?
Father's son and all that.

It's a minor drag, but hard enough to hit 12mph on his gearing at the best of times. I'm making it about 175rpm. Does that sound right?

32x18 on 14" wheels (40x254 or 14x1.5 tyres).

He wore his new Grupetto cap under his helmet

perfect ;)

60 miles to Box Hill and back yesterday after tagging along with a group of riders in Streatham and I think I want to tag along with Grupetto tomorrow.

Go Tynan.

Whew, just finished a 45 mile ride out from Eastleigh to Butser Hill and back again after the F1. Good way to get out of the house! Stunning views out and back, first longish ride I've done on my fixie and I'm now considering building up an audax-y type bike with an SA S3X and that frame TFG's been teasing us with (http://www.flickr.com/photos/8772455@N05/5377977997/in/set-72157625709354655/)

Here's the route I took: http://goo.gl/gUNuc

Rode to Putney Cycles yesterday where Simon sorted me out a 50T for the TT bike. Then hammered around an empty-feeling Richmond park for a few hours.

Today, 286k on the TT bike. In full 'deep section' mode this bastard bike was almost airborne a few times. Clench time at 60kph.. :S Think I might stick with a 404 or shallower front for the race itself.

May Alleycat in Oxford had an Animation theme using Tim Wheatley's Cyclotrope idea.
Here's the animations that got created during the ride on Friday:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWndAGBPFYk

Richmond to Brighton via Box Hill. Met some hilarious bankers at the cake stop.

We had a vague plan to take in Box Hill, Ditchling Beacon and Yorks Hill via Lewes in one day but the headwind beat us up and it all went a bit pearshaped when I couldn't find the bike path to Lewes so we ended up bailing at Brighton. Dammit.

Is there a way to get from Brighton to Lewes without taking the A27?

Overcompensation for yesterday's failed train journey.

The best thing I ate en route was a toffee rice pudding.