Tell us about your weekend ride

Was that the route-marking arrows in white/red?

In the Midlands for the weekend so took the fixed bike and rode down to the Cotswolds for some hills and bucolic goodness.

Although the weather wasn't quite what I hoped, I was not disappointed:

I'm still not sure though how I managed to fight a headwind going north *and *south. The hills hurt a bit after lots of flat riding and riding on gears recently. My hill climbing form is currently pretty terrible :(

Aside from chocolate box villages, rolling fields shrouded by mist and mile after mile of empty lanes, definite highlights were spotting a small group of lapwings over a field (on the 'red list' and have an awesome call which sounds a bit like someone tuning an old LW radio):

And getting stuck in a traffic jam:

Also: Saw crap loads of oil seed rape fields. Is it in demand this year, because there seems to be more than ever.

Crop rotation innit. Every 4 years iirc.

Crop rotation always makes me think of this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=N7MumZJD97A#t=211s

Was that the route-marking arrows in white/red?
i don't think so, but i did see them everywhere, zigzag road was silky smooth

A silky smooth tedious drag.

corporate day out with overbury contractors.. calling it a mixed ability group was an under statement, some of the riders couldn't even change an inner tube ffs, and our hosts didn't have anyone sweeping up, so plenty of lost nodders in the hills

Ha! I work for the same group. Had no idea they were doing this. You've got to expect a mixed group for these things, it's all part of it.

Aecom do a corporate sportive thing, it's very well organised but you do get people who haven't ridden their bike in years taking on 50/100k. I think it's awesome that they do it. I'd rather that than people just not ride their bikes.

How many were there today?

After talking about it for some time, yesterday I went for a ride with my brothers, plus Bernie. We wanted to go to the seaside, and as I am a fan of things with a nice ring to them, I thought "why not Herne Hill - Herne Bay?" (of course, it helps that Herne Hill is near my house...)

The original plan was to leave at 8am. We eventually met after 10, and sat about eating pastries and drinking coffee. Then we went to the velodrome for a bit. So we didn't really leave Herne Hill until 11. But we'd borrowed a Garmin, which meant that the likelihood of us actually reaching Herne Bay were significantly better than using the sheets of A4 paper I'd printed out. The route was mainly stolen from here.

The first part of the route was the dull getting-out-of-London bit. This involved the south circular and the joys of Bexleyheath and Dartford. Before Dartford I managed to choke on a piece of blossom, pretty unpleasant. So far so good.

It was pointed out that this was the least forum-y ride ever, despite being 3/4 forumgers - no one had got lost, no one had urinated in a public place, and there hadn't been any unscheduled stops due to mechanical failures, food or beer. All this changed. We stopped at a beautiful field of yellow oil seed rape, and while we admired the view, one brother announced that he was going to take a piss. We managed to get lost, both as a group and as individuals. And there were several stops, including one for marshmallows and apple tango (I would not recommend this), one because J was "just too hungry to carry on" and one because J noticed halfway down a big hill that his handlebars had come loose.

Rochester was the halfway point and we celebrated by getting extremely lost. Some absolute chunt of a driver blared his horn at us going over a bridge. We filled our boots with "historic" Rochester, we headed back onto smaller roads. When I'd looked at the route, the second half seemed pretty flat, but I completely underestimated Basser Hill, a fairly disgusting incline. Great views from the top almost, but not quite, made up for it.

After that, we trundled on towards Faversham (and more food stops), taking a detour into a very conviently located Sainsbury's to use their loos. I thought I could smell the sea, and sure enough as we headed to Whitstable I spotted some beach huts. The wind along the coast was entirely unwanted but the first sign saying Herne Bay was a welcome sight.

We finished on the sea front, pint in hand. Some West Ham fans walked past and shouted at C that he looked like an Arsenal fan thanks to his incredibly matchy red-and-white clothes/bike (this was a top-5 moment).

Tally for the day:
Miles: approx 70 (strava recording stopped at Faversham as I forgot to charge my phone)
Food consumed: more sugar than I'll ever tell my dentist
Bees in ears: 2
Jokes made about J's "period correct" Merkx: countless
Number of pubs seen called "The Ship Inn": 5

All in, a great day - extra special huge thanks to Bernie for being the best ever company on a ride, having amazing snackage, carrying my jacket, negotiating a train discount over the phone and generally being all-round amazing.

250km around leeds, otley,harrogate, pately bridge and bolton abbey.

fucking excellent weekend on the road bike.

no free booze on the first class train on the way home is the only downer.

DALSTON TO BRIGHTON
2x Cans of big Red bull
4x Boost Bars
1x Pulled over by the po po

• On my own
  
• 57.09 miles
  
• Top speed of 22mph
  
• 5h 14m
  
• Single Speed
  

Not a massively original photo, but a good example of the weekend away:-

It's Wrynose Pass.

Stonking weekend, that. I cycled, my girlfriend ran and scrambled. Keswick is a Gortex-wrapped town of active outdoor fun.

London to Paris in approx. 20 hours.
Left Trafalgar Square Friday 17:30
23:00 Newhaven to Dieppe ferry.
Arrived Arc de Triomphe Saturday 13:45.

Spent Sunday sightseeing and eating.
Eurostar and beers back to London.

Inspired by this thread, got out and did a bit of a ride, stats arent interesting to me guess theres TT forums for that, about 65 miles around the Purbeck hills, Studland, Steeple, Lulworth, Kingston (bit chewy) Swanage, highlights:-

Studland and Old Harrys Rocks

Live pie making

looking over ranges

tanks!

felt like the river WIN

wild Orchids by the road, think these are only found in few counties of U.K, also liked hearing Yellowhammers, and the feeling of space around me, so that when soemone is talking about some insignificant work stuff today and I have to take it seriously, I can just remember, ah, that, those hills, I have that and no-one can touch it, guess thats weekend rides

What was your normalized power though?

1st ride with Saturday group. Previous e mails made referance to 2hr easy pace. Arrived 7am having ridden from home (10m) to great surprise. Field greatly diminished owing to club jaunt only fit all titanium looking individuals and not a guard in sight. Hmmm trouble ahead me thinks.

55miles later I'd only dropped off the back thrice and hadn't wrecked the pace overly. Some beautiful scenary was passed I gather - me I saw a Tune hub (another pointer).

I deployed the triple a few times but I think I got away with it.

Loving the pics in this thread, that Wrynose one just makes me want to go there now. I completed round trip from London to Wales and back via Bristol. On Friday did loop from Bristol on a mission to cycle down Cheddar Gorge.

http://ridewithgps.com/trips/652647

Wow that was great fun, fast carving down the valley to the internal hummings of the Airwolf theme tune (shows age). Glad I did it in the week as I expect its ram packed with woolly socks and appropriately booted folk at the weekend.

Yesterday I cycled back from Bristol. Keen to avoid A4 I mapped route along the Bristol to Bath old railway cycle route, Winsley Hill (wheeze), Holt, Melksham, Devizes, Pewsey, then I got lost. Significantly off route,my low-tech directions scrawled on post-its were now useless. So as it was getting late, best made plans out of window I headed for Hungerford and A4 the rest of the way, bah. Ended up being 221km and my arse was screaming blue redrum for the last 20. I am longing for a Garmin and new saddle.

Yesterday I saw a weasel dragging a mahoosive rabbit along the road by its throat, an inside out roadkill fox that looked like the recent Pingu take on 'The Thing', and worst of all a roadkill barn owl which made me sad, like losing a sage old Gandalf. I felt no such loss for the rabbit. Only had a rubbish camera for the return leg hence the crap pics, there is a white horse there somewhere......

So was away 12 days, drank for 10, 6 proper days cycling and 755 miles ridden, 2 days gardening (the most knackering bit of the trip!) and 1 BBQ. Great time had and done on a shoestring, big thanks to all the friends and family that provided beers and food to this hungry and thirsty traveller. I'm bloody knackered, I've come back to London for a rest.

Friday cycling in the Lakes from Carlisle to Keswick, Saturday picked up the Coast to Coast route from Keswick to Sunderland with an overnighter in Garrigill on Saturday.

On the 29er so plenty of offroad including the old coach road out of Keswick, which felled me.

Exactly five weeks and one hour after breaking my elbow I was hurtling off road at speed and my grip failed. I managed not to land on the bad arm but took the full impact in the ribs instead. This meant cycling for two days across the lakes and Penines into a head wind with pain every breath and not able to sleep lying down. Bloody good riding, scenery and pubs so on balance, worth every ounce of discomfort.

Lovely write-ups of Fred W, and the pics from the Elan Valley are awesome - I love that place.

Fri night joined the tri club chaingang. Watched the fast boys ride away as I was clocking 28mph so formed a groupetto with a few others and we did a steadier effort that still had me in bits by the 4th of 6 x 3 mile laps.

Had to ask 2 clubmates to wait whilst I dashed into a pub to avoid a "Paula" moment on the ride back.

Great fun, I'd forgotten what proper hard efforts were like.

P.s. Not a weekend ride, but took a rare chance to include "The Rake" in Ramsbottom into my commute home today, with full panniers. Now wondering if that's been ridden in the 100 climbs blog above (off to browse & compare impressions if so).

P.p.s. Lapwings - saw some whilst out on NCN 6 near Radcliffe on the May Bank Holiday, first time my GF had ever seen them, awesome call in flight.

28mph Andy.... :/
2 hours track training tonight.
Fucking summers here in the sky at last and every night feels like the weekend

^ I know, too slow... track would be lovely today, need to start hitting Platt Fields on evenings like this (diff type of track tho!)

So glad the sun has found his hat.

1 hour TT turbo, 2 hours TT aero testing on Saturday
9 hours TT Sunday, out to Silverstone

^ Shite pic, but there's an open wheeler in that shot.

What was your normalized power though?

I'll tell you soon as I've done one of these fascinating indoor watt bike sessions

I'll tell you soon as I've done one of these fascinating indoor watt bike sessions

He wants to know your NP for that ride, not a watt bike session.
You might be thinking of FTP or Critical Power. #powernerd