Tell us about your weekend ride

quick vid shot yesterday...
http://www.pinkbike.com/video/304213/

Regards from British Columbia Canada

Tubular Night Race on Vimeo
race thru four tunnels

Turns out the other guys did 176km to Kajiado and back in 4.5 hours making an average speed of 39 kph including a stop!

woah that is impressive! nice story

woah that is impressive! nice story

The Kenyans are bloody quick. I'll ride with them again in a couple of weeks and report back.

a pre-weekend post here - I'm off to the Forest of Dean this weekend for some cycling should the weather be good... most other people in my group are not into touring etc. and have basically ruled out any riding in bad weather/freezing temperatures

Friday is the weekend, right?

Finally managed to (just about) get up my 'nemesis' climb today - Hanase Omote. What a fucker. Even the GF beat me up it, although she's really good at endurance-type climbing - I kick her ass on the short, steep stuff. Funny how that works.

http://app.strava.com/activities/46274834

10km at 6% average (about 3% for the first 4.5km, then a horrifying 9% for the remaining 5.5km...) and the road is shit. Blech.

It was part of an ~85km ride, too, so fun times all round. Knackered!

^ 5.5km at 9% sounds savage! Well done just getting up it.

I'm just back from my first proper ride since ruining my IT band doing a half marathon a couple of weeks back. Was really nice and sunny for the first hour or so, but ruddy windy. Pretty slow and plodding, but felt ace to be back out on the steed.
http://app.strava.com/activities/46306189

Needed to stretch my legs today for dull reasons including a massive lack of fitness, lack of bike time due to life / health etc and hopefully my participation in the Phoenix Easter Classic on Monday. So I was happy to be joined by some sympathetic types in the form of Sumo and Jaminroussel - who's new to this parish. I've ridden once with Sumo and have never met Ben before and needless to say we all set off into the wind quite tentatively from the Lea Bridge Road towards Essex, not wanting to leave anyone struggling and dare I say it all feeling our fitness somewhat.

Long story short - it was lovely. Little 40 mile roll around sunny lanes. It's been so miserable out there for so long and today I swear I could see further than I ever have across the SE English countryside. Just what the doctor ordered. Nice to meet Ben and always a pleasure to roll with Sumo. Next time we need to alocate some time for fish fingers and beers.

PS Sumo - Strava says we nommed up 1650 calories so Garmin is a liar. I want to believe Garmin though so I can eat all the foods all day!

^ Were one of you chaps wearing a red rapha jersey / jacket and sporting a fine beard? I think we crossed paths and exchanged a nod near the high beach tea hut....? I was on a grey giant wearing a blue planet x top

Yeah Jim - that was us - how did you suss us? I'm the beardy one. Hello to you. Funny 'spotted' moment heading back towards Theydon - I was at the peak of a hill and rounded back to check on everyone so was heading in the opposite direction to Sumo - who quite instinctively waved and said "morning" without sussing that it was me. What a polite chap he is!

It occurs to me that we talked ages ago about hitting those lanes together at some point - we still should. Be nice to meet you properly.

^^ That was us. I was in black and white Look Mum No Hands kit on a blue bike.
Easily the best weather for cycling I've seen so far this year and we managed to get out and enjoy it. The most enjoyable bit of cycling I've done in ages. Thanks for the company Wrongcog.
Also, I'm going to believe Garmin Connect so I can eat more pies.
[ame]http://connect.garmin.com/activity/290225254[/ame]

Just noticed Jim's average speed at his "slow and plodding" pace compared to ours... Hmmm. You might not fancy rolling with me after all eh?

17mph average is ok for a recovery ride I guess

:)

Wrongcog - I've seen you on your bike around essex a few times, and it always correlated with you posting something on this thread soon after. That, plus beard, plus rapha = LFGSS.

Would be great to ride with you both, am trying to get out of essex a bit more now I've got my garmin, but if I'm short on time I always head out that way as it's so convenient. When are you next out and where do you start from? I may go out again on Sunday, I live on Northwold Road, N16

I'm doing a sportive on Monday (I hope) so no more rides for me this weekend apart from that. Generally get out from Lea Bridge Road to Essex via Epping at least once a week. Keen to explore a bit more territory though. As the days get longer I might start doing some short, hilly evening rides after work to Epping and back too.

Say hi next time man. And yeah lets get out there.

Certainly will. I saw the London Phoenix ride, but have a mate in town from lunchtime so can't be dicking around on my bike all day unfortunately. Loving the idea of evening rides down to Epping. Definitely keep me posted on that.

I went to Richmond Park for the first time in ages. There was an astonishing number of cyclists. With a great tail wind up Sawyers Hill i felt like a locomotive, before a block headwind from Dark Hill to Roehampton Gate disabused my notions. I did two partially committed laps, then had to head home. I spotted some Gruppeto kit, riding anti clockwise with another chap in Rapha.

Loads of people out today.

loads of cyclists out and about near Bristol today. I rode 55 miles fixed from Bristol to cheddar across to wells and then home, pretty nice day for it too. knee warmers and no shoe covers and not cold!

I went round the block/s a few times with Tynan (my 6-year-old). His first occasion spending more time on the road, stuff like the Beech St tunnel, and one way streets around EC1/EC2.

He did extremely well. Showed great composure and a very responsible attitude considering how fucking mental he is.

I went to Richmond Park for the first time in ages. There was an astonishing number of cyclists. With a great tail wind up Sawyers Hill i felt like a locomotive, before a block headwind from Dark Hill to Roehampton Gate disabused my notions. I did two partially committed laps, then had to head home. I spotted some Gruppeto kit, riding anti clockwise with another chap in Rapha.

I get this every time I go there. A massive tailwind for half the lap which is awesome then it turns into a massive headwind and makes me hate life and resolve it will be my last lap. Then as it turns into a headwind again I decide just 1 more lap. Rinse Repeat.

Checked out the new trail at Swinley forest today in some astonishingly great weather. Trails good, company good, bike felt good, fork was dialled. Nothing to not like.

I went round the block/s a few times with Tynan (my 6-year-old). His first occasion spending more time on the road, stuff like the Beech St tunnel, and one way streets around EC1/EC2.

He did extremely well. Showed great composure and a very responsible attitude considering how fucking mental he is.

I went out for a bike ride with my four-year-old nephew today. He's technically been able to ride a bike since last summer (balance bike before that), but as he actually learned on a bike hired from a playground, as it's normally adults walking alongside him so he has to wait, and as there have been various reasons for lack of riding opportunities, it was his first proper outing. Only about 2.5km all in, with a stop at the adventure playground (equivalent to a cafe stop for a four-year-old), but It was fun.

Wrongcog and Sumo, pleasure to ride with you boys today. Let's do it again soon. More hills next time please