Weather looking dry and mild
but windy.
Mind you they were totally wrong today so fingers crossed they haven't got that forecast wrong as well
.Sunday Ride - 20th January
42 posts
• Page 2 of 3 • 1, 2, 3
- Snoop Doug
by huw williams » Sun Jan 20, 2008 2:58 pm
Nice ride today - 3hrs 11mins - 200w av
Slines Oak, Toys, Poll Hill and lots of insufarable drags, especially up to Downe (up to Downe???) into a mean-spirited headwind which followed us all the way around.
8 of us out so a good sized group - we let Keith do most of the work early on to soften him up a bit
- there was some tasty hilll work going on for the middle of January and I was startled to see my max HR chasing Keith at the top of Slines - don't normally see those numbers until June 
Awfull road conditions, mud-splattered kit and wrecked bike at the end
as well as some seriously shredded legs and people longing for some big-time sofa action supported by a beer or two
Loads of other riders on the road too, must be the warm weather
How come every time we see other groups on the road A) we're going past them at ridiculous speed B) They always look like they're enjoying themselves whereas we all have masks of pain etched on our faces?
Excellent - now where's that sofa
Slines Oak, Toys, Poll Hill and lots of insufarable drags, especially up to Downe (up to Downe???) into a mean-spirited headwind which followed us all the way around.
8 of us out so a good sized group - we let Keith do most of the work early on to soften him up a bit
- there was some tasty hilll work going on for the middle of January and I was startled to see my max HR chasing Keith at the top of Slines - don't normally see those numbers until June
Awfull road conditions, mud-splattered kit and wrecked bike at the end
as well as some seriously shredded legs and people longing for some big-time sofa action supported by a beer or two
Loads of other riders on the road too, must be the warm weather
How come every time we see other groups on the road A) we're going past them at ridiculous speed B) They always look like they're enjoying themselves whereas we all have masks of pain etched on our faces?
Excellent - now where's that sofa
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by Keith » Sun Jan 20, 2008 3:33 pm
Thanks guys, great ride. 3 1/2 hours & 90 hilly kms. Thanks (I think!) Andrew for the lumpy route.
Engineering works meant that instead of a leisurely train ride up to meet at GB, I did the 1st part of the ride in reverse meeting up in Selsdon.
[quote="huw williams"]... we let Keith do most of the work early on to soften him up a bit ....
Engineering works meant that instead of a leisurely train ride up to meet at GB, I did the 1st part of the ride in reverse meeting up in Selsdon.
[quote="huw williams"]... we let Keith do most of the work early on to soften him up a bit ....
I only sat on the front to avoid getting covered in mud.
That long drag up to Downe was definitely the worst with the headwind channeled down the road.
I've now hosed myself and the bike down. Must dash, I too can hear the sofa calling......
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by huw williams » Sun Jan 20, 2008 3:54 pm
Rob
250 for 30 minutes - that's a real 'tested' 30 minutes as opposed to the 20 mins less 5% test
Not very good - but like you my weight is 65kg
I've only been on it for a month though after 6 weeks off with zero riding and already seeing significant improvement. (I'll soon catch George )
So - 200w av for over 3 hours is bang in the middle of 'Tempo' range for me
250 for 30 minutes - that's a real 'tested' 30 minutes as opposed to the 20 mins less 5% test
Not very good - but like you my weight is 65kg
I've only been on it for a month though after 6 weeks off with zero riding and already seeing significant improvement. (I'll soon catch George
)
So - 200w av for over 3 hours is bang in the middle of 'Tempo' range for me
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huw williams - lives on this board 24/7!!!
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by Andrew G » Sun Jan 20, 2008 3:54 pm
[quote]Awful road conditions, mud-splattered kit
Well it is January, that's what winter bikes are for
.
Ye Gods that was hard. For a variety of reasons my cycling for the last two weeks has been limited to 3 turbo session, so a week before doing the Ashdown Reliability I thought a tough hilly ride, The Green Reliability if you like, was order of the day.
A couple of early punctures meant we all waited and had the joy of climbing Slines Oak from a standing start
. Then the nice drop down and little rolls to Four Elms before the biggie of Toys. I did my own penguin impression up this but was in bottom gear not top.
Mark rather unfortunately had to stop half way up the last, and steepest, ramp of Toys due to cramp - lovely another standing start for him.
A flick past the corner of Westerham and on to Polhill. I always find the approach to it tough as it's a nasty drag that just saps the legs. Mark had suffered up this so was clearly still suffering with cramp We dropped down through Halstead village to the main road and waved Jon H off as he was staying of the A road back home, Mark wisely followed to save his cramping legs more pain.
A left for the remaining six and on to Shire Lane. From this side it's one of those roads that has an imperceptible drag, so you think you're on the flat and can't work out why your legs hurt so much and the speed is dropping.
First Kasper and then Kieth (who were both in storming form today) dragged us along it at a ludicrous speed. It may only have said 18mph on the speedo but it was also in to the teeth of a horrendous head wind. This was where my legs started to say they'd had enough, and I was gurning to a World class standard to hang on to Grant's wheel.
At the end there's a nasty little kick up hill and the top of that we headed up, yes the climb in to Downe
. The others pulled a bit ahead of Ant and myself as we were now suffering whenever the road went up but we latched back on when the others kindly eased up in Downe. As Keith was kind enough to point out though I had no-one to blame but myself as I'd chosen the route. Thanks for that , but it was true and also meant that I couldn't take any of the early bail options I'd told the others were available from this point, couldn't be a wimp so just had to grit my teeth and suck wheels mercilessly.
Yet another drag up from Biggin Hill and on for the final haul to Tatsfield. After that Keith split off to head for home and I wasn't far behind turning off to drop back through the lanes past the White Bear.
A filthy bike, and when I looked in the mirror at home I had the most ridiculous helmet hair (what's left of it) and a thoroughly mud splattered face. Absolutely knackered and although no beer in the flat there is a rather nice bottle of red which should provide some comfort.
Thanks chaps for a great ride even if it hurt, must remember to have ridden the bike during the week before doing it next time and it won't hurt so much.
I had 55 miles on the clock at an average of a bit over 16mph. I know that sounds a bit tame but trust me on that loop and with today's wind it was plenty fast enough for a hard work out.
Cheers,
Andrew.
- Andrew G
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by Toks » Sun Jan 20, 2008 4:35 pm
[quote="huw williams"]
I've only been on it for a month though after 6 weeks off with zero riding and already seeing significant improvement. (I'll soon catch George )
So - 200w av for over 3 hours is bang in the middle of 'Tempo' range for me
Good work Mr Williams, given what you've mentioned above your FT is fine. Starting from weeks and weeks of zero training a 40-60watt gain in a season, depending on training time etc is more than feasible. Rob and I will fill in your 300watt membership card and you can pick it up a few weeks before the TOBM. I've only been on it for a month though after 6 weeks off with zero riding and already seeing significant improvement. (I'll soon catch George
)So - 200w av for over 3 hours is bang in the middle of 'Tempo' range for me
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