Today's Bike Ride

[Marco]

A gloriously sunny afternoon here, with sleet showers (how does that work?). It looked very inviting, but it was only 5 degrees C with virtually no wind.

Headed north to the 'hell of the north' course, alongside Anthony's least favourite railway line, and then started a clockwise, squarish route of high-intensity intervals.

Riding on my own (no other cyclists seen) I managed five sprints - three of them exceeding 27mph on a bike with no aero equipment. Heading east On the A513, (between the railway that Anthony used on Saturday, and the one he would normally have been on), I put out 28.7mph - followed about 10 seconds later by part of my lunch. The perils of interval training less than two hours after you've eaten.

I stuck it in the small 'ring at Elford and then dawdled across the river Tame and homewards from here. Still a beautiful afternoon, but I think we'll have a frost tonight.

[PeteS]

Brave in this cold snap. I suffer from Raynaud's and even with 2 pairs of gloves on, that's pushing it!
I'm also finding that my 1.5hours after food rule doesn't hold up in my late 50s. I've had a couple of races recently where I have revisited my breakfast. I'm sure the more educated on here will inform us on the intricacies of digestion in later years!

[Marco]

Brave in this cold snap. I suffer from Raynaud's and even with 2 pairs of gloves on, that's pushing it!
I'm also finding that my 1.5hours after food rule doesn't hold up in my late 50s. I've had a couple of races recently where I have revisited my breakfast. I'm sure the more educated on here will inform us on the intricacies of digestion in later years!

Not sure about brave, stupid might be more accurate.

It's a principle of training that you need to do fast work all the year round if you want to keep your speed, and I struggle to manage it on the turbo trainer. As a result, any day with ice-free and dry roads is an opportunity I have to take. (Whilst the ice-free part is self explanatory, because of my low body weight I have a problem with wheel spin on wet roads.)

I went through a spell in my late twenties where I was getting white finger and severe numbness in cold weather, so I have the greatest sympathy for you. I investigated traditional Chinese medicine, and made some big changes to my diet and it went away - and it hasn't returned in 25 years.

I know some of you love a map or photo, so I have attached a screenshot of the fast part of yesterday's ride from Garmin Connect. Things of note are, from left to right, Rykneld Street - built by the Romans, re-named the A38, and not touched by Staffordshire County Council in almost 50 years. The grey line to the east is the South Staffordshire railway, as used by Anthony on Saturday. At the top is the National Memorial Arboretum, and just off picture above this the river Trent meets the river Tame. The grey line on the right is the Derby-Birmingham railway line, that goes past Kingsbury oil depot

[Llani Boy]

I’m getting a “Bad Gateway” on the Bike Racing thread but fine on all others.

Anyone else having the same snag?

Can someone put the last 3 posts on here please?

[Marco]

Here is a screenshot of the last three posts in the 'Bike Racing' thread, as mine is fine

[Llani Boy]

Thanks Marco. I agree that the new time trial rule made for more exciting viewing.

[Llani Boy]

I went out on my Arkose "gravel" bike on Sunday but the drifts on the trails were far too deep to negotiate so I ended up with just a 16 mile loop tarmac loop around Flagg/Chelmorton.

After the thaw I went out again yesterday. I got dropped off late morning at Chelmorton, in bright sunshine but with a strong WNW wind. Straight onto High Stool Lane which was dotted with massive, deep puddles from the melted snow/rain. Within 10 minutes large black clouds quickly emerged from the Staffordshire Moorlands and by the time I had reached the High Peak Trail I was assaulted by a sidewind containing horizontal hail. After a few miles it was over my right shoulder and was more bearable.

Down the trail to Biggin and then across the 515 onto Cardlemere and Minninglow Lanes to the Tissington Trail. I had to dismount half a dozen times as my bike sunk into what was left of a few drifts of now wet snow. By now the hail had become intermittent with sunny spells but as I headed up the TT I was riding into a strong headwind which, a couple of times on exposed embankments, brought me to a standstill. After a couple of miles of this I got fed up and instead of sticking with my plan of staying on the trail to the end I baled out down a bridleway to Pike Hall.

A couple of miles of tarmac with a tailwind to Elton and then down, sheltered from the wind, to Gratton, Middleton and Youlgreave where I stopped at a pals house and was treated to a warming pot of tea and the most delicious slice of Lemon Drizzle Cake I have ever had. After an hour and now nicely thawed out, it was sleeting and having toyed with idea of asking my wife to pick me up, I forced myself out onto my bike for the remaining ride home.

Other than for unfixable mechanical reasons I have never called for "rescue" due to weather or fatigue and fear that once it has been done once it will become easier the second time and the start of a slippery slope. A bit like a DNF in a fell race I suppose!

Anyway 27 miles, 1'735 feet in a battling 2hrs 17min.

[Graham Breeze]

With my British-Cycling-Hero Made in Taiwan bike in for some TLC my Made in Italy bike was looking a bit lonely so out her I took but the day soon deteriorated when I discovered my Garmin wasn't working. Given that any ride that isn't on Strava never really happened I thought to turn back, particularly after the rain came down.

I was just a fraction of a mile to my loop turn when I encountered two lady police officers, snug in their warm van, telling me the road was blocked, but a deviation of around 5 miles through Gargrave would get me to where I could see that I wished to be and, they suggested, enhance my ride. So off I went to arrive back where the RTA had been to see HGVs thundering along making up for lost time, no debris anywhere and only some sand scattered on the road to show where an incident had allegedly taken place.

Two more minutes of police liaison and I reckon the road would have been cleared but nevertheless a gentle 31 miles taking me well over 600 miles for the year - and it's only mid-March. And aren't our police women wonderful.

[anthonykay]

29 miles in the very gently undulating countryside to the north-east of Loughborough yesterday. I stopped in Widmerpool to eat some cake; there was a seat on the village green. I noticed a plaque nearby, so had a look: it was celebrating the achievements of a Widmerpool resident, the Paralympic sprinter Sophie Hahn. She's only 26 now, and the plaque was a few years old. It seems a bit early to be celebrating her in this way; aren't you supposed to be dead before you get a plaque in your honour?

[molehill]

Rode to town yesterday to book the van in for work, coming home suddenly something felt a bit "lumpy" with each tyre revolution. No idea what it was and thinking about stopping ....... or just carry on regardless and hope for the best. As I did, obviously.
1/2 mile later in the village (so not fast, even if I could) a massive bang from behind, just like I had run over a glass container, except a spray of tubeless white gunk all across the road and on bike. Now I knew what the problem was . A 8 inch section of tyre seemed to have gone all lumpy/bumpy and burst, somehow the gunk sealed the large split enough for me to make the final 3 miles very slowly home, riding in the middle of the road trying to avoid potholes and rough tarmac.
Now have to order new tyres as that is wrecked - could have been worse outcome.