It had to happen, been watching TdF all week so sunday I dusted off my road bike. Mrs said I had 5hours, was pretty sure I wouldn't need that long. So setoff to find as many hills as possible, started in harwood with a grinder, a couple round tottington then over to ramsbottom. Went over passed peel tower and going into a dip saw a rider speeding towards me, noticed it was samuri "awright Jon" now we were both going pretty quick, I think we both turned to see if the other was stopping for a chat, neither of us looked like stopping so we both carried on :-) Mind you what can you chat about on a road ride? MTB you can bang on for hours, which trails in good nick, crashes or close calls, riding fast or slow, is bike handling well, are the new tyres any good etc. Road ride:
Do your legs hurt yet?
yep, yours?
Yep...nice weather eh?
yep...
...
seeya
seeya
Ahem. On to the climb up grane rd, a biggy tho not quite as big as I'd expected (ridden down it a few times, thought it would be mahoosive climb), nasty little headwind. Onto broadhead drop to hoddlesdon, along to edgeworth, nice empty road flat out drops and climbs, up to the top of broadhead again, darwen, BJ alley, belmont. Legs were feeling pretty wrecked by now, checked my watch only just over 2 hours in! The climb up rivi rd properly hurt my legs but the car free flat out descent was great, just got slowed by traffic on sheep house. Up Chorley old rd to georges lane onto matchmoor, last and biggest climb of the day, the switchback onto mm nearly broke me. Scout rd then belmont rd to home absolutley shattered. The most hurt I've dished out to myself on a bike in <4hours, arms and shoulders frigged aswell as legs. 58miles 6500ft, tired today.
4 comments:
Even Jez has been inspired by the TdF, he mentioned riding the Etape or Marmotte (it'll never happen). But I've wanted to ride the Galibier for a couple of years now and it'll happen some day.
Road riding chat with Jez and I goes (Me) Slow down, slow down FFS SLOW DOWN (Him) I am slow, get on my wheel it'll save about 20% of your energy (Me, catching up) That's no good if I'm working 40% harder than I normally would to keep up......(Jez steadily accelerates once again) and on it goes.
I'm sure phil ligget says it's 40% you save drafting :-)
Yeah I'd quite like to do some road riding in proper french mountains, but if I do manage to go on another cycling holiday it'll be a mtb one.
disappointed perfect chance for two abreast and with samurai as your wing man what could go wrong
"what could go wrong" apart from him dropping me like a stone.....nowt
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