Various Topics on Cycling

..lv..

Well, I made it. 58miles in all. More info to follow (link to) at a
later date, once I've recovered. Friend in C5 (with battery, but
wouldn't power the entire distance so much pedalling was needed) also
completed it, as well as some more daft enough to cycle to the start in
london from cambridge instead of getting the coach...

My 6 weeks of training have made a LOT of difference but hills are still
a problem - though not as much as they used to be. Definitely need to
get lighter/thinner to make them easier!

Speed on the flat much better though, as is the ability to sprint
accelerate past slower people - yay!

Wet - showers, rain, and heavy downpour, as well as blue skies and sun.

Aching, tired, but most chuffed to have managed it!
--


Velvet

..rtylitterboxofferingstospamme..

>Well, I made it. 58miles in all.

Extremely well done!

Cheers, helen s


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..m.. ..s..

"Velvet" <velvet@not.a.valid.domain> wrote in message
news:fkRMc.7756$Wl3.80027834@news-text.cableinet.net...
> Well, I made it. 58miles in all. More info to follow (link to) at a
> later date, once I've recovered. Friend in C5 (with battery, but
> wouldn't power the entire distance so much pedalling was needed) also
> completed it, as well as some more daft enough to cycle to the start in
> london from cambridge instead of getting the coach...

Very well done Ms V. I've not been out today as I've a sore throat and
feeling a bit weak but I'm going out now after reading your efforts.

--
Simon M.

..h..

Simon Mason wrote:
>
> "Velvet" <velvet@not.a.valid.domain> wrote in message
> news:fkRMc.7756$Wl3.80027834@news-text.cableinet.net...
> > Well, I made it. 58miles in all. More info to follow (link to) at a
> > later date, once I've recovered. Friend in C5 (with battery, but
> > wouldn't power the entire distance so much pedalling was needed) also
> > completed it, as well as some more daft enough to cycle to the start in
> > london from cambridge instead of getting the coach...
>
> Very well done Ms V. I've not been out today as I've a sore throat and
> feeling a bit weak but I'm going out now after reading your efforts.

Ditto well done Ms V.
Having not got to bed 'til 2am after SWT cancelled my last train last
night I wish I hadn't gone out. I started to Oakley audax with my
daughter [1] but packed after 50 miles :-(

[1] who also suffered 3 wasp stings as the beast flew down her jersey :-(

Not a good day at all.

John B

..rdsti..

I was out for a fast ride this morning in Herts with my training partne
and stumbled onto the L 2 C route a couple of times. Saw the C5 as wel
as a very happy guy riding a pennie farthing. Everyone seemed to b
enjoying themselves but the traffic was interesting - both cars an
bikes

--
Yardstick

.... ..aggi..

In article <fkRMc.7756$Wl3.80027834@news-text.cableinet.net>, Velvet wrote:
>Well, I made it. 58miles in all. More info to follow (link to) at a
>later date, once I've recovered. Friend in C5 (with battery, but
>wouldn't power the entire distance so much pedalling was needed) also
>completed it, as well as some more daft enough to cycle to the start in
>london from cambridge instead of getting the coach...
>
>My 6 weeks of training have made a LOT of difference but hills are still
>a problem - though not as much as they used to be. Definitely need to
>get lighter/thinner to make them easier!

I found the main problem on the hills was being too scared to go full
speed down them (even when it wouldn't involve overtaking on a blind bend).
My commute (the only training I did) has about 10m climb in a couple
of miles, which isn't really the same thing.
Going up was just a question of using lower gears than I do on the flat.
I wouldn't fancy it in a C5 though. (Though we did see a re***bent trike
(maybe a Ross?? I'm not at all sure) and my co-worker commented "He seemed
to be going very slowly up that hill, but on the other hand he was in a
comfy armchair". I saw a Linear and a PDQ bike being unloaded too, as well
as the C5.)

.._..

Velvet <velvet@not.a.valid.domain> wrote in message news:<fkRMc.7756$Wl3.80027834@news-text.cableinet.net>...
> Well, I made it. 58miles in all. More info to follow (link to) at a
> later date, once I've recovered. Friend in C5 (with battery, but
> wouldn't power the entire distance so much pedalling was needed) also
> completed it, as well as some more daft enough to cycle to the start in
> london from cambridge instead of getting the coach...
>
> My 6 weeks of training have made a LOT of difference but hills are still
> a problem - though not as much as they used to be. Definitely need to
> get lighter/thinner to make them easier!
>
> Speed on the flat much better though, as is the ability to sprint
> accelerate past slower people - yay!
>
> Wet - showers, rain, and heavy downpour, as well as blue skies and sun.
>
> Aching, tired, but most chuffed to have managed it!


58 Miles? Did you do a bit before and after the start & finish lines?
I got dropped off at the start and picked up at the finish and my
cycle computer thingy finished on 49 miles.

It was a good fun day out and even got in a bit earlier this year so
the recent gym sessions must have been paying off. I was also
impressed with getting to 34mph down the other side of the
Elmdon-Ickleton hill. Only averaged 33.8 across the whole route
though.

..lv..

MB_UK wrote:

> 58 Miles? Did you do a bit before and after the start & finish lines?
> I got dropped off at the start and picked up at the finish and my
> cycle computer thingy finished on 49 miles.

Yes, I had to cycle to the cambridge end from cherry hinton to get the
coach via a friends house, then cycle home from the end (after a pause
no longer than one at the rest stops). Since I only tend to do one ride
a day (I don't commute) at any given time I tend to think in miles per
day - and my previous longest mileage for a single ride was just a shade
over 50 (can't remember exactly now) so adding another 8 to that is
quite an improvement for a single day's cycling. (Though I have to
admit, having a couple of hours between the first 3-4 miles and the next
50 was nice, but not sure it made much difference to recouping energy
for the big long one!)

Because I didn't zero it on the ride itself, I'm not sure how many miles
it would have shown for that. If I'd been more awake at 6 in the
morning, I would have memorised what it was when we were loaded into
lorries/coaches etc and taken that off what it was at the finish line -
but I wasn't, so I didn't :-)

>
> It was a good fun day out and even got in a bit earlier this year so
> the recent gym sessions must have been paying off. I was also
> impressed with getting to 34mph down the other side of the
> Elmdon-Ickleton hill. Only averaged 33.8 across the whole route
> though.


This year is (obviously) a base-line for me. I need to sit down and
work out actual riding time (aka play with gadgets) etc to find out what
I should be aiming for next year.

Unfortunately I checked my cycle computer for av speed to find it saying
'err' - I guess either the ride time (6 hours something inc stops) was
too long, or something else wasn't quite right with it, my max was
something like 26.something on a downhill, but then I brake unless I can
see a LOT of road surface ahead to avoid bumps/holes (and on a ride like
this long downhills with good vis and no wobblers in front masking
tarmac was very rare).

I do have a HRM that also logs time/distance stuff, so am hoping to
extract av speed from that, but again, it'll include stops I think, so
may have to do an estimate based on how long the stops were over the
entire ride etc.

You averaged 33.8 across the whole route? How's that work then ;-) You
must be bloody speed up hills LOL

--


Velvet

..re.. ..lli..

MB_UK wrote:


> It was a good fun day out and even got in a bit earlier this year so
> the recent gym sessions must have been paying off. I was also
> impressed with getting to 34mph down the other side of the
> Elmdon-Ickleton hill. Only averaged 33.8 across the whole route
> though.

You averaged 33.8 mph over 49 miles?!? Sign up for next year's
Tour de France!

--
jc

Remove the -not from email

..rdych..

topcat11uk@aol.com (MB_UK) writes:

> It was a good fun day out and even got in a bit earlier this year so
> the recent gym sessions must have been paying off. I was also
> impressed with getting to 34mph down the other side of the
> Elmdon-Ickleton hill. Only averaged 33.8 across the whole route
> though.


Err, 34mph down the biggest hill yet 33.8mph average....

Shomething Shurely not right there with yo maffs... Means you barely
sped up down that hill (and more to the point, barely slowed down
going up the other side of it....)

G - 3 hours dead