Travis_Bickle
Bought a road helmet (Giro Savant, it was cheap).Entered that Dark Peak sportive. Now starting to realise how painful 73 miles with Holme Moss etc in them will be. Fuck it, got 16 gears and all day to do them. Can't be that hard.....
Ray_Hankin's_shorts
Looking to buy my soon to be 4 year old his first proper bike - he has one of them balance bikes at the moment and can free wheel down a hill readily enough without having to put his fee downA lot of people are bigging up:[url]http://www.islabikes.co.uk/bike_pages/cnoc16.html[/url]But at £199 they're pretty trumpy - anyone else have any suggestions?
Foxy_Dread
Check out the resale value of the islabikes, they are meant to hold their value relatively well.
Ray_Hankin's_shorts
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Foxy_Dread
I have one of their adult bikes and it is a sprightly ride. The build quality is very high too. I'd be inclined to go either very cheap or Islabike, don't think there's any point in fudging it with a middling bike.
Travis_Bickle
Have a look at Decathlon. Daughter turned 4 in August. She's very tall for her age so got her a 16" wheel job. Still on the stabilisers for now. She's got a couple of years on it I reckon. Not as bespoke for youngsters as an Islabike but the brake levers pull parallel to the bars which helps with little hands. A happy medium maybe
Ray_Hankin's_shorts
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Travis_Bickle
Well, today is the day. Ready Brek eaten, bike in the car, off to flog myself to death on some hills.....report to follow, if I finish.
under_the_arches
I have reached my audaxing target that I set myself. 200k Chepstow to Leominster & back down again to Chepstow. The ride picked all the castles on the borders. The first 160k was ok mostly flat but a few lumps. But from this place Grosmont it was a nightmare really really hard. I was off pushing. My saving grace was this bloke I was riding with. A sound sound bloke. Basically he let me stick on his back wheel and even waited for me at the top of the hill. You wouldn't get that on a sportif, anyway he really helped. That's what I like about audaxing some real good people which is something from me, as I generally don't like people much.Anyway I finished eventually after 10 half hours which ain't the best time, but I don't care as I finished and can now call myself a randonneur. I feel absolutely buggered now though!
Travis_Bickle
Chapeau UTA!
Travis_Bickle
First sportive done. Said when I did Hit The North that there’s a first day at school feel about things like this when you’re new to them and it was the same today.Parked up at the Nuffield Centre in Wakefield. Registered and got my number/timing chip. Had seen a few setting off, it wasn’t warm and I was itching to get going so I was off.Over the ‘timing mats’ and it was off towards Denby Dale.I guess even the fittest riders feel it when they first start a ride, but I was seriously questioning the wisdom of this about 10 minutes in.Main roads and then minors and I’m riding past Emley mast. Nearly slit my mouth open on a gel (I was under strict orders to eat and drink enough every hour to keep the carbs up, it seemed to work).Gels are all well and good and a mate who has a mate that makes them (OTE if you’re interested) had blagged me some freebies but the Mrs’ All-Bran cake gets my vote. Perfect cycling food. I’d wrapped about ten bits before I left the house. Looked like Quasi-fucking-modo I had that much shit in my back pocket.The legs warmed up which was a good fucking job as when you leave Holmfirth the day ahead smacks you in the face when you hit Holmbridge. I think it’s 14% officially. Felt like 44%.This was the first time on the ride I was bemoaning my failure to read the small print when I bought a new rear cassette last week. So pleased was I to find one cheap that I didn’t check that the one in the sale was 12-23. Explains why it was in the sale. For non-cyclists, the smaller number on the back means you’re pushing a harder gear going uphill. And I felt it.Bear in mind I’m still relatively new to road riding and on MTBs you have a triple up front. The ‘granny ring’ as we call it means you can spin at a comfortably high cadence and slowly grind up a hill.Not making excuses (yeah right), it just hurt a bit more a bit more quickly.Anyway, I got a rhythm going and apart from a quick stop to text the Mrs in Holme (she was with my Mum and the daughter, Mum’s moving back to the Holme Valley and so said she’d house hunt and they’d see me on the route), I was off up Holme Moss.The weather had been cool but pleasant so far. The climb became all the more daunting when I realised I couldn’t see the top (except for the Mont Ventoux-esque mast) for the fog.YMAT had warned me about Holme Moss. He wasn’t fucking wrong. It’s a bastard. And it doesn’t actually look it.It is so much steeper than it looks. And the road surface is shit. And I’m thinking I’m not even a third of the way in.Anyway, I got up it. Slowly. Very slowly.I’m planning on some new bits for the bike over time. A bigger rear cassette will be first on the list.I’ll ride Holme Moss again and get quicker. That’s how it works. Dead simple. Get the miles in, push hard and you’ll get there.The top of the climb saw the first feed station. Fair play to the organisers. The food was cracking. Muffins, bananas, flapjack, sarnies, energy drinks, allsorts. Topped up the bottles. Had a natter with the little one and the Mrs, promised Mum I wouldn’t die (I was forty fucking four last week and she’s still on about how steep it is riding down into Glossop and making sure I ‘will be careful’).The descent was cracking. Super quick (I think I’m getting hang of going fast, relaxing seems to be the key). Took the road to Glossop, dead quiet, nice roll to it. Into Glossop and then it was Snake Pass.What a cunt of a road. Not the steepest but relentless. Just goes and goes. Didn’t help that my legs tightened up just as I was leaving Glossop. Gave ‘em a slap and a stretch and we were off.Like I say, relentless. You turn a corner and convince yourself you’re at the top. You’re not. Bloke in front of me gives it ‘for fuck’s sake’ when he realised one corner wasn’t the last.Just ground it out. The legs had warmed so I actually passed some people. Me! Hit the top and there was another belting descent. Do that Tour thing when you zip you’re top up (nobody was looking) and you’re off.Out of the fog. Down to the Snake Pass Inn for the next feed station. More scran, bit of a chat with some other riders and then off again. More of those great rolling roads. Big ring up front and pissing of all the boy racers and fancy sports car drivers wanting to show off.Couple of times when it seemed like I was the only person on the road. Cracking. Past Ladybower. It kicks up a bit and then we reach Mortimer Road.Sounds fuck all. A suburban street maybe. It’s very pretty. But ‘fuck all’ it ain’t. It goes past Strines Reservoir.It goes up and down very steeply. And the road is wet in places even though everywhere else isn’t. And it’s fucking steep. And my legs are tiring. And it’s fucking steep.And it’s getting a bit warmer so I’m regretting the three layers and gloves. And it’s fucking steep.Anyway, we arrive at Ewden Moor. Again, sounds nothing. But it’s a bastard of a climb. And I ‘clip clop’ for the first time. It beat me. I didn’t feel so bad as, with only a couple of exceptions, it beat everyone I saw there. A group of maybe 8 or 9 of us kept bumping into each other and were going at a similar pace. Made things a bit more bearable. And they were clip clopping along with me.Don’t let the expletives about climbs give the wrong impression though. I was loving it.The next bit took us into Penistone. It was then a series of relatively short but punchy climbs (they’re nothing on a map but by mile 60-odd you feel them).Last feed station was in a school. Only 7 miles from the end which seems daft but it was spot on. Loads were flagging, me included.Down to the M1 but any excitement of the imminent finish was extinguished by Haigh Lane. Again, it’s not the steepest (steep enough) but I’m fucking shattered at this point.Through Newmillerdam, a thrash on some flat roads and I’m back at Calder Park. Over the timing mats. And I feel fantastic.The bloke I work with who told me about the event had hung around to see how I did. After lusting after his very trick Basso Astra Chorus bike and a chat it was in the car and home.Fucked.Hot bath. Massive super rare steak, homemade chips and Bearnaise sauce (note to you all, marry a chef!). And a bottle of Fleurie.The stats. 72 miles, 2170m climbing (Strava initially said 2303m but think that’s wrong). 6 hours 24 minutes moving time.Don’t tell anyone but I could get to like this road lark. Not shaving my fucking legs though....
luxury_scruff
Great post, thanks for writing it up.
CBIT
Ace posts UTA & Trav, i laid on my fat arse all day
under_the_arches
23ring on the back and you still made it. You should be well pleased. I have got 32 and will be trying to get 34 on the back soon, because of yesterday
Young_Marxist_at_Tescos
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Foxy_Dread
Well done. I could have gone out today, but didn't think there was any point suggesting it.
Harvest
Top work Travis.
Cuts
Bet your knackered after typing that.
Toronto_Ted
[quote=Travis Bickle]Don’t tell anyone but I could get to like this road lark. Not shaving my fucking legs though....[/quote]Great post Travis, thanks. As for the last line... you won't go back.
Djpekingman
I'm knackered after reading it....