Green with envy. Sulk,sulk:(Quote:
Originally Posted by Marco
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Green with envy. Sulk,sulk:(Quote:
Originally Posted by Marco
Yesterday an out and back on the Arkose. Down to Youlgreave and up to Middleton, Gratton, Elton and Winster before a bit of an off road slog up a rutted lane, with 4 gates to lift the bike over, to within 150 yds of the TP at Blakelow Hill. Finally two barbed wire fences to roll under to reach the TP. Won't be going there again in a hurry.
Back under the fences, over the gates and down the rutted lane again onto a less rutted lane before the relief of tarmac. Having been on road tyres recently being back on the Arkose with its knobblies is such hard work. Back home by the same route in reverse.
Only 21 miles, 4 of them off road, and 2'497 feet in a tortoise like 2hrs 2 min. Had to don the old waterproof top on the return as it started to rain, not very hard but icily cold. No other cyclist seen.
When you started on this Trig Point endeavour, I was thinking that a lot of trig points are on private land, well away from PROWs, and how were you going to visit these? Now I know. Do you have a plan for when you encounter an angry farmer or gamekeeper with a shotgun?Quote:
Originally Posted by Llani Boy
Good question.
My strategy is that if the TP is on land that is obviously part of a particular farm I seek permission. If no one is around I will still proceed, without trying to hide, and if I see a farmer, rather than try and avoid them, I approach and try and engage them. This has worked on the few occasions I have had to use it.
This plan of action was learned on approaching farmers in Mid and North Wales in the 70's and 80's, and some of them were VERY angry, especially around Dinas Mawddwy, Dolgellau and Bala!
As for "this Trig Point endeavour" my little challenge has finished but I have decided to see how many different ones I can visit this year as a bit of motivation and to run/cycle/walk some different routes.
With a manageable wind blowing this morning I went out on the Arkose. Tarmac to Chelmorton and then a snow and ice covered HPT. The majority of it was very ridable with a light dusting of new snow covering the frozen crisp slush underneath. Only two hitches, the first was ploughing into a drift, which I did not see, and coming to an abrupt halt from 15mph with snow up to my knees but I managed to stay upright. The second was my rear brake not working which I only found out after 6 miles. It was OK when I set off but I think it had frozen and it was too cold to mess about with the disc and pads.
Down the HPT to Parsley Hay and then the Tissington Trail to Biggin and up Cardlemere Lane back over to the HPT and back up to Parsley Hay and then a retrace of my route back home.
A total of 35 miles, 12 tarmac/23 trail, and 1,841 feet in 2hrs 54min. Very cold and only 4 people, one set of bike tracks and one of skis seen.
The interesting thing about the bike tracks that I followed for a few miles was that I was thinking that the rider had really skinny tyres for such conditions. My Cyclokings are 35mm. However on my way back up the HPT I picked up another set of skinny tyre tracks and suddenly realised that they were mine. I was amazed at how narrow a track my 35mm tyres were leaving in the snow. The original tracks that I had been following were probably made with a tyre width similar to mine!
I enquired of my Bianchi shop when I could book my bike in for a fine-tune. The answer was that you drop it off and three weeks later you might hear something, if we have the parts, and with the increasing difficulty in that regard our advice is the sooner the better.
So, mind concentrated, off I set down to Woodrups of Kirkstall under a clear sky. I thought it was cold (it was actually several degrees below freezing) but that was a pleasant memory when it started hailing. It was 15.5 miles and I returned home using two buses and was reminded again that once your core is cold even being on a bus doesn't warm you up. What did warm me up was walking the last mile to my house but walking the other 15.5 miles did not occur to me until too late. I must make a note for next year:o
If you get your bike back by then!Quote:
Originally Posted by Graham Breeze
I remember that when I was given my first bicycle, I was warned that if I used my front brake without first applying the rear brake I risked going over the handlebars. More than 50 years later, I still always apply the rear brake first.Quote:
Originally Posted by Marco
That's what my dad always taught me. Is it not true?Quote:
Originally Posted by anthonykay
I bought my Cube 29er from a European web site as it was about £30 cheaper than buying in the UK. Of course I didn't realise that the brake levers would be the opposite way round to the standard UK setup with the rear on the left. Hydraulic disc brakes are not the easiest things to maintain yourself so I kidded myself it would be ok. A near miss of going over the handlebars on a steep downhill proved otherwise and so a trip to the local bike shop was in order which subsequently cost a lot more than the money I saved on the purchase. Lesson learnt.
Well of course your dad was right - as long as your mother was in complete agreement.:)Quote:
Originally Posted by millipede
When Citroën made cars of engineering distinction (like the SM with a Maserati engine) and were not badged Peugeots and it was cheaper to import directly from Europe I flew to France to collect a car from Citroën HQ in the heart of Paris, having paid in advance and the financial side having been sorted out by an "agent" in Scotland. The guy who gave me the keys in the basement garage indicated that there was virtually NO diesel in the car tank but did direct me to a filling station a few streets away. I found it but it had sold out of diesel.Quote:
Originally Posted by PeteS
The car in front of me by the diesel pumps shot off and I decided to follow his bumper. He zipped round l’Arc d’Triomphe as only a Paris driver can and I closed my eyes and followed a meter from his rear lights and he delivered us both to another filling station with some diesel. So all good fun and I drove back to England with my French red TT registration plates.
A few months later I got a call from the police in Scotland asking if I had imported a car and had I actually got the vehicle etc. and when I said that I had they lost interest but did tell me that some customers had paid but had not got their cars and they were on the trail of the "agents" who had run off with a significant amount of customers' money.
All a part of life's rich tapestry.:)
Last autumn Rose bikes (german) ceased selling their bikes to UK customers because by law they had to switch the brakes around for our market and it was not cost effective with their build costs.Quote:
Originally Posted by PeteS
Looking on their website today I notice they are now blaming Brexit and the trade agreement (or lack of?) for not shipping to UK. Hmmm, not the reason they gave a few months ago. So not buying one of theirs now!
I'm sure you would not have referred to the experience as "All a part of life's rich tapestry" if you were one of those who did not receive a car, Graham.Quote:
Originally Posted by Graham Breeze
Apart from cyclocross spills my enduring "over the handlebars" moment is one that I can clearly remember as if it was yesterday.Quote:
Originally Posted by anthonykay
I was twelve or thirteen and my best mate Daf and I were both on my bike going to the river to check our night lines. We used to hang our wellies, which were tied together with a bit of string, over the handlebars despite having been told by my dad numerous times not to do it.
We were going along the Trefeglwys Road into town and overtaking a car and caravan around 20mph when all of a sudden, as we were passing the War Memorial Hospital, I was flying through the air and then landing in a heap tangled up with Daf, the bike and the wellies.
Yes, you've guessed correctly that the wellies had jammed themselves in the front forks. I couldn't open my mouth and there was blood pouring out of my chin. Daf had pain in his neck and arm. We were assisted the 30 yds into the hospital where on arrival we were bollocked by the Matron who was stood in the entrance, but at least her corgi didn't bite us.
As we were being patched up my dad arrived and we got a "told you so" and another bollocking. I ended up
with a chipped jaw, which I can still feel and a few stitches and Daf had a broken wrist.
Lesson learned, the hard way!
I know that stretch of the A38 well as i've worked on numerous projects around Lichfield and Burton.
I certainly would not consider cycling along it!
Such sprezzaturaQuote:
Originally Posted by Marco
:cool:
I would also avoid riding on that sort of dual carriageway normally. I do on rare occasions ride short stretches of the A46 between minor road turnings on rides to the east of Loughborough; but there is a cycling club in Leicester which uses that road for their weekly time trials (or at least they did before lockdown). Never mind the danger (and a straight dual carriageway may actually be less dangerous than many single-carriageway A roads); it would just seem to me a really unpleasant experience.Quote:
Originally Posted by Travs
Interestingly, which side the brake levers are on stems from which side of the road we drive on. The rear brake generally is the favoured one for single handed operation and you can do all hand signals as per the UK highway code with your right hand as a car driver would only have that option. I do wonder how many would understand a left turn signal with my right arm in this day and age where even using car indicators seems to have become a thing of the past.
Interesting that the Italians favoured the British arrangement.
Todays beautiful sunshine enticed me out on the Moda just before lunch but boy it was cold.
Out to Chelmorton, Brierlow Bar,Earl Sterndale and down the length of Long Dale before returning to Earl Sterndale. My plan was to return home but I felt that I had not had enough hills so I continued up the single track road that leads up to and past High Edge Raceway onto the A53 at Axe Edge. The road had a small strip of tarmac visible for most of it but blowing snow in places covered some icy stretches but my Continental 4 Seasons gave plenty of grip. Had to dismount twice, the first time to cross an icy cattle grid and the other to walk a 30 yard icy uphill section.
Once on the A53 a cold descent to the Harpur Hill turnoff and through that village back to Brierlow Bar and back home via Horse Lane.
A bitterly cold 45 miles, 4,006 feet in 3 hrs 18 min. No other cyclists seen.
This must be the most erudite, courteous and sophisticated thread on the Forum - preferable to soap box "reject the jab" anyway. Perhaps it is simply down to the kind of people who post here?:)Quote:
Originally Posted by Marco
I have now (temporarily I hope) left the fell runners of Gryffindor and joined the bikers of Slytherin and have got a brand new bike to boot!
I’ve commenced cracking out some miles and managed to reach (but not sustain for long) a sprint speed of a ‘massive’ 29.3 mph of the straight coming back from Ribblehead, just before Selside. Presumably that’s pretty average? I heard somewhere that the average speed of the winner of the TdF was something like 25 mph for the whole caboodle!
The fastest average speed for the TdF was 25.9 mph, surprise, surprise, by Lance Armstrong!
Oh, I nearly forgot the important bit. What bike did you end up with Fellbeast?
A Genesis CDF 20 gravel bike :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Llani Boy
Very nice. A friend of mine has had one for a few years and he loves it.
Have you got the 11/34 cassette for those steeper on/off road surprises?
No! Surely an athlete like Stolly would not need a 34 or even a second front ring?:)Quote:
Originally Posted by Llani Boy
I have no idea what an 11/34 cassette is to be honest :). It’s the bog stand 2 front cogs, 10 back and I bang it in the heaviest gear I can get up each hill in obviously...
Haha thanks for the power calculating link but I think I’ll just do it the old fashioned way of whether my legs hurt or not.
I knew cycling was geeky and techy but, boy, have I been surprised. I had no idea for instance that shimano drop bar gears were controlled on the brake handles (and the little flappers within) and for the first ride on my new bike I firstly had to find the gears and then work out, while on the saddle, how they actually worked.
Also I now already want to upgrade my bike with a drop seat, which only yesterday morning I hadn’t even realised existed.
What else do I really really need?
A pointy helmet and tri-bars.
And then probably...
another bike. Or a tandem if you only want half another bike - only 16 months until the next Church Stretton Tandem Triathlon. A race that should be on everyone's bucket list.
So I reckon it's a Shimano Ultegra Di2 :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Fellbeast
I'm not sure at what age I can accept I am no longer fit, young and virile and settle down to a pint of port a day (Graham's (est. 1820), naturally) and gout, but somedays I feel it cannot come soon enough.
Thirty one miles (2700 feet)* through Addingham, Keighley, Bingley to Cottingley and then back from Bingley over the moor roads past forlorn moor pubs like Dick Hudson's above Eldwick and the Cow and Calf above Ilkley. And also Harvey Smith's farm on the bleak moor at High Eldwick - High being the hint. I probably didn't have an icy wind into my face for the whole trip but it felt like it and I probably shouldn't have been surprised to cross roads covered in sheet ice but I did, so the salt/grit spreader lorry was a welcome sight.
Anyway the miles all count.
* and despite ice and wind a maximum speed of 33.7 mph, which might have been assisted by a slightly descending road. :)
I know, but can Stolly count if it isn't ££££?:)Quote:
Originally Posted by Marco
Even with my feet on the bars?Quote:
Originally Posted by Marco
I have to admit I have started decanting my port, so well on the slippery slope.....Quote:
Originally Posted by Graham Breeze
Surely after Spinal Tap absolutely everything can be turned up to 11?Quote:
Originally Posted by Marco
I feel your pain, when I purchased my bike a couple of years ago I asked where the gear lever was - turned out to be a bit of the brake lever (as you have found out). There's a whole new language to be learnt, I gave up and simply hope for the best and repair broken bits, whatever they are called.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fellbeast
The CdeF 20 is Tiagra with a 10/34 cassette. I have the 2018 model and can confirm what a great bike it is. I used to use it as a super- commuter (before working from home became the norm) and it could handle pretty much everything you could throw at it. I beefed up the rims and tires and it's had a new saddle but otherwise, pretty much the spec it came out of the factory with. I would go so far as to say that if I could only have one bike (but we know that will never happen!) then I would definitely plump for the CdeF. Would love the Ti frame but that's another story....Quote:
Originally Posted by Marco
It is interesting how those runners who obsess over shoe choice, what type of waterproof to wear on the Y3P in a heatwave, etc, routinely get mocked... Yet it's almost the opposite for cycling... if you've only got one bike you're a rank amatuer!!
Touche!Quote:
Originally Posted by Marco
3 for me! Road, fell (good), fell (old)
Well I admittedly I own 3 bikes - the Genesis Croix de Fer 20, a Cube 29er and a Lapierre Xelius carbon road bike - and I could always buy another if money were no object. However, my running shoe collection tops this by some way. I think I've got 6 pairs on the go at the moment.Quote:
Originally Posted by Travs