Tell us about your weekend ride

#rep

I rode a loop around the southern bit of Cornwall - Lelant to Lands End along the south coast, then back along the north coast back to Lelant. 40 miles, 3000ft of climbing. Nice few hours on a crisp sunny spring day.

I had the weekend free. So I figured I do an epic ride. I had a 220km route planned out. I packed kit to get me around this, and prepped the bike.

A mate stayed over on the Friday, and fancied a Nice long ride. But I couldnt quite convince him that 9 - 10 hours in the saddle, was how he should spend his Saturday. So we cut the route in 2 and did a Nice Coastal pootle. Lovely ride. But at 5C, and drizzly, I couldnt help but long for a bit of sun.

https://www.strava.com/activities/287893632

Sunday was meant to be hill repeat day With the same mate. But I still had this nagging urge to ride long. Plus the weather was glorious when I woke up. I headed out to town and rode up the mountain there, before Meeting my mate. Who was packing his bike in his car? WTF? Why drive to the Ferry port when we have sexy bikes, and lushous weather? Confusing. Still, getting over the fjord quicker would mean more time in the proper Mountains. So meh.

Strandafjell was amazing. My mate shot off at some horrific Level of supra-threshold wattage. I let him go and decided sweetspot would be enough for me today. But half way up I was catching another cyclist. I fought to Catch him, and just as I did. 1/3 of the way up. With a heart rate at my theoretical max. Dripping sweat and snot. He pulled off into a little carpark to his car. Fecking cheat. Still, riding across the top past all the skiiers in their thermal onesies, in only shorts and a t-shirt, covered in sweat, was kinda cool.

We rode Down the other side. Where I ate the most distrubing tasting sandwich. Described as 'pulled chicken'. Possibly not the type of 'pulled' I had hoped for. Then it was time to ride back over and back to the Ferry port. Where we were meant to be checking out the brutal finishing Climb, at the end of NeXT weeks race. But I couldnt find it. But I probably wont find it during the race either, knowing me. So no loss.

Back at the car, I refused to get in, and headed off for more Coastal road cruising. Bonking horribly. Eating my 3 emergency gels. Drinking 800ml of water. Then recovering for the ride home. One of those priceless days on the bike.

https://www.strava.com/activities/288633626

All in all. 280km and 3300m for the weekend. (Notbad-meme)

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Great read

Cheers. Now With pics and (some) punctuation.

^ With views like those I don't think I'd ever get off the bike.

Start of a week's cycling on Gran Canaria.

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Looks rubbish. I'd come home.

Absolutely England rules.

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Abbotsbury Hill. Nice.

Road up from Puerto DE morgen. Just amazing.

Valley of tears. Hell on a bicycle.

I would do, but the return flight's already booked and it's not until Sunday. Life is hard.

@danstuff
Life will be hard if you ride this....
https://www.strava.com/segments/2710518

Far more civilised, and the road after Morgan town is uber smooth tarmac, winding in and out of the rocks. One of my favourates Climbs ever I think.
https://www.strava.com/segments/3627093

Some excellent riding in Scotland and Ireland last week.

Argyll

Donegal

Life will be hard if you ride this....
strava.com/segments/2710518

You're on...

-evil grin-

Rode the Tour Of Cornwall event on Sunday was meant to be doing the long 113 miles but had to cut it short and do the medium 83 due to stupid niggling injuries, left knee in bits after 20 miles, really bad cramp in my left foot and right hand.

Still was amazing scenery, ridiculous hills (Port Issacs, Millock) , and lovely weather more than made up for my pain.

I did it last year, and it was a really tough route (even the medium). This year looked even harder! I just couldn't justify paying to ride roads I ride every week anyway, but I hear it was a really good one. They certainly know how to make hills down here!

Definitely the toughest ride I'ever done, the hills are just relentless, even some of the descents scarred the crap out of me.

Not sure if I should be jealous of you riding them roads, given how tough they are.

It wears you out quickly. You can never really catch a break - you're either struggling up something or riding the brakes down! Very little flat.

I was doing 100mi rides in the mountains of Japan without much fuss, but I don't think I've gone much above 100km here and that feels considerably harder!

You're right, that was hard. Details to follow. Right now I'm concentrating on getting a beer.

Tell us about your weekday ride...
Still feeling the glow of @dicki 's initiative last Tuesday I went up to Malden in Essex this morning. Malden doesn't have its own train station, so you need to take the train to a station called Hateful Perv or something like that.
This is the first time I've planned a route just by following Strava's "Use Popularity" function. Perfectly happy with the resulting route, nothing special but it satisfied my weird desire to ride in a relatively straight line back to London. (Feel free to suggest other 'straight line' routes).

The strava:
https://www.strava.com/activities/289750829

The scenery:

@jadias @canonaxe I might have to try that next year, my folks live in Lelant so it's easy to get to. When I did LEJOG in September those first two days in Cornwall were brutal! About 2000m of climb each day...

Right, details. Rode up to the GC605, down to Mogan for lunch, across to La Aldea de San Nicholas, up the GC210, up the Valley of tears, and then back to Tejeda for pizza and beers. 99.2km, 2,728m climbing, 2 punctures.

@Cycliste on the way up to the beginning of the Valley of tears :

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Strava details

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