Today's Bike Ride

[mr brightside]

The standard 50m to the craven arms and back today. On the way towards Howgill on the lanes a rider coming the other way called me a effing c u nxt tues, I told this to the next guy on the road behind him and he said there had been a problem with some guy in a car. You just get some odd shit sometimes. The roads were in a bit of a state, covered in sticky crap from rain and tree sap, bits and bobs kept getting sucked up under the front mudguard. 3 pints of pale and a yorks pudding with onion gravy at the pub, plus tea and 2 slices of cake at st peters.

[molehill]

One of my regular rides, at 36miles and 4600ft. I added an extra hill, up and back and had a bit of a dig at it, put me up to 2nd on the V70 strava segments. Pleased with that even if only 11 in our age group have made it up there, it is quite sttep in places!
Did struggle on the way home in the heat but still on my average overall speed so mustn't complain, steadily getting better.

[molehill]

Another road ride today, 30 miler, brings my 28 day block total to 335 miles and 31,400ft. Can feel the improvements now but also my legs are pretty shattered and starting to go backwards (junk miles) so off fishing for a few days tomorrow and an easy week.
Stung by a wasp on my belly today, bloody thing was still inside my top when I got home and no idea how it got in there 👿

[Marco]

Stung by a wasp on my belly today, bloody thing was still inside my top when I got home and no idea how it got in there ������

Could have been far, far worse

Another road ride today, 30 miler, brings my 28 day block total to 335 miles and 31,400ft. Can feel the improvements now but also my legs are pretty shattered and starting to go backwards (junk miles) so off fishing for a few days tomorrow and an easy week.

Very good, and made me look at my figures for the last 28 days. I don't always remember to take my Garmin (and I don't record trips to friends etc), and I don't always remember to start it straight away - particularly when I'm riding with others.

Mr Garmin tells me I've ridden 248 miles in the last 28 days, which isn't that far behind you. The big difference, however, is that it only included 8093ft of ascent - which illustrates how mountainous the terrain is on which you're riding

[molehill]

Could have been far, far worse



Very good, and made me look at my figures for the last 28 days. I don't always remember to take my Garmin (and I don't record trips to friends etc), and I don't always remember to start it straight away - particularly when I'm riding with others.

Mr Garmin tells me I've ridden 248 miles in the last 28 days, which isn't that far behind you. The big difference, however, is that it only included 8093ft of ascent - which illustrates how mountainous the terrain is on which you're riding

Yes, there’s no escaping the hills here in mid Wales, mainly because I do most riding on minor remote roads that avoid traffic. I could follow the Towy valley down the main roads, dodging lorries and traffic, not my cup of tea. So it’s all hills, up or down every ride whether I like it or not.

[Llani Boy]

Down in Mid Wales for a funeral on Tuesday so Monday evening had a lovely spin on the bike. Up through the coolness of the Hafren Forest to the Osprey view point at Cwm Biga. I thought I could make out couple of chicks on the nesting platform and one adult seen in a nearby tree.

On to Penforddlas then back to Cwm Biga, along the shoreline of Clywedog Dam before up very steeply past the Angling Club turnoff. It has to be at least 20% and crossing a cattle grid at that gradient is always a heart in mouth moment. At least it was dry. Down the other side, steeply up again to the Red Road and down to Glan y Nant and home to Llanidloes.

A warm and breezy 26 miles, 2,600 feet in 1hr 55min on tired legs from the Bakewell Pudding Race.

[Mike T]

Down in Mid Wales for a funeral on Tuesday so Monday evening had a lovely spin on the bike. Up through the coolness of the Hafren Forest to the Osprey view point at Cwm Biga. I thought I could make out couple of chicks on the nesting platform and one adult seen in a nearby tree.

On to Penforddlas then back to Cwm Biga, along the shoreline of Clywedog Dam before up very steeply past the Angling Club turnoff. It has to be at least 20% and crossing a cattle grid at that gradient is always a heart in mouth moment. At least it was dry. Down the other side, steeply up again to the Red Road and down to Glan y Nant and home to Llanidloes.

A warm and breezy 26 miles, 2,600 feet in 1hr 55min on tired legs from the Bakewell Pudding Race.

Take care on those cattle grids - a friend slipped whilst riding across one and needed surgery on a fractured hip.

[mr brightside]

50m today, standard route with no extra hills. I was going to head back past burnsall after my boozy stop off at the craven arms, so I could get in the climb out of the village, but rain stopped play and it was a mad dash down the lanes to st peters church hall for tea and cake. There was a fierce tailwind and I was cruising through Ilkley at 29mph on the way back. It was a verbal abuse free day, too.

[molehill]

Not feeling so great this last week and the ride felt grim all the way, so added no extra hills to the normal loop. About 35 miles and 4100ft, very surprised to finish in my fastest time ( by several minutes) and some personal segment records.
Think my legs are getting stronger without me noticing, look forward to riding hard when I feel fresh.

[Marco]

Think my legs are getting stronger without me noticing, look forward to riding hard when I feel fresh.

I think it's probably that as you're doing more mileage your muscles are becoming better co-ordinated, and you are now producing more power for the same level of effort.

I have read several times that even pro cyclists have to ride X thousand miles at the start of the season before they regain their top efficiency. There is some dispute about the value of X, but a lot of coaches seem to think it's about 2