CR 27th Feb 2010

[Keith]

A big thank-you to everyone who pointed out that I'd forgotten to put any bar tape on my bike. I'd never have realised it was missing if you hadn't all told me.

[Antloony]

Have you got your new Dura Ace Keith, how are you getting on with it? Thinking of upgrading in april as a birthday treat too myself (just the front and rear mechs and levers, don't need anything else) Cheers.

My club run lasted only a short few miles. Punctured very early on. Couldn't be bothered chasing down any groups only to join a huge queue at the cafe so went off on my own too play in the wind Got some good hard miles in, no where to hide so was hard at times but fun.

[Keith]

The Dura-Ace felt very nice Ant. First time out today - hence the lack of bar tape. The hoods are a different shape so wanted to be sure they're in the right place before taping them up. The gear shift is very precise and light. The brakes felt far more responsive. I'm comparing to my old 6603 Ultegra.

[Antloony]

Cheers Keith, Ive read a couple of reviews which were favorable but its nice to get an opinion off someone who actually has them and knows how well they work. Thanks.

[Keith]

[quote="Sean Hogan"]Keith,

Did you get the whole groupset?

Sean

[sonic909]

Well... what a shambolic day for myself...

Today was a day of excuses, failures and general whimpering... its a wonder i didn't have a bail or a mechanical.

I decided to have a go and hanging on to the training group... show sylv how its done ect ect. I mentioned this to Monty and George - Monty seemed cautious but George egged me on and said he was ducking out to do the 19's as he was feeling off, and could meet me if/when i dropped.

So off i set... with the big boys... felt fine untill just past the motorway junction where i started the drop... and by the time merstham was upon us the gap was to big to close... i came out of merstham and they were just before the lights... i gave it my all to catchup and they just flew up the hill and seamlessly turned right... i was out of "go" and couldnt fly up the hill and that was the end of the training group for me...

So i rushed through to Reigate (secretly hoping to make up time on the downhill and meet them at a long red light...!) but no.. so i waited in Riegate and thumbed a lift on the 19's as they rolled by.

George laughed as i told him i was waiting for the TG having left them for dust and announced that he thought they looked "a bit vicious" and that two were really on form... now he bloody tells me!!!!

So that was that... i was feeling boshed after going a bit nuts when i wasn't warm (i live a 2 minute roll from CSS so never warm up, and the TG seemed to be all go from the word go!) and struggled to hold a wheel (this my weakness anyways, unconfident on a wheel!) and we were rotating about but i was forever dropping back catching up ect ect and yoyoing, despite Georges efforts to encourage me to chase the wheel!
At this point i was flagging, and feeling a bit bad about kinda stretching out the tight group of 19's (not that the agreeables seemed to mind, but i felt like a wally). I felt frustrated as i have managed 19's before and we had a steady 21.8 mph here, which i can usually hold on my own no troubles!

Then i had another turn on the front... and it all went wrong... i suddenly found it VERY hard into wind so moved over and dropped back, i got a bad stitch in my right side and dropped back and right off the back, having to stop pedalling for a sec... epic fail.

Dropped from the 19's... the shame.

I kinda recovered from the stitch, hunched over trying to get my knee to my chest and decided to go nuts and try and catch up, i went crazy on the rpm and was in the smallest rear cog, i came around a corner in the woods and saw them disappear around a corner - great i can catch them i thought so i sprinted, legs flying round... but i didnt seem to be going anywhere... dejected i sat down having a right hissy fit at myself... such an avoidable situation but like a foolish child i had just gone all out and ran out.

Once my heart rate returned i realized the biggest of school boy errors... i had tried closing them down on the smaller ring up front, not the big... which was probably why i was struggling on the front so much minutes earlier... DOH!

So angry at myself, amused at my own stupidity and lost i just followed the signs to charlwood.

Arriving at the cafe i then discovered i was the first there!?

Epic fail... lessons learnt.

Nice run back with George showing me some tips and tricks, one legged cycling runs and bunny hopping potholes! and a fast run into Coulsdon.
Back at the cafe Monty said i guess you've learnt something today... when will you be ready for the TG? next week i came the reply!!

A good morning out... i just need to be quicker.

[sonic909]

Oh and i thought i grabbed a tenner out my wallet this morning and got the cafe and discovered a fiver!

[Toks]

[quote="sonic909"]Well... what a shambolic day for myself...

Today was a day of excuses, failures and general whimpering... its a wonder i didn't have a bail or a mechanical.

I decided to have a go and hanging on to the training group... show sylv how its done ect ect. I mentioned this to Monty and George - Monty seemed cautious but George egged me on and said he was ducking out to do the 19's as he was feeling off, and could meet me if/when i dropped.

So off i set... with the big boys... felt fine untill just past the motorway junction where i started the drop... and by the time merstham was upon us the gap was to big to close... i came out of merstham and they were just before the lights... i gave it my all to catchup and they just flew up the hill and seamlessly turned right... i was out of "go" and couldnt fly up the hill and that was the end of the training group for me...
.

[sonic909]

I think the problem was i thought i was fitter and faster...

Hehe... i'm not bothered!

I'm still a newbie with a lot to learn!

[Snoop Doug]

[quote="sonic909"]I think the problem was i thought i was fitter and faster...

Hehe... i'm not bothered!

I'm still a newbie with a lot to learn!

[Andrew G]

Sonic, nice one. You gave it a go, try again and you might find it easier , would have been a tough ride out today in to that wind. A TG ride will always start fast, that's sort of the point that it's a hard ride, so leave home earlier and go for a few miles warm up ride before CSS.

Practice following a wheel tight or you'll alwasy be wasting energy when you're mid pack.

Nice to hear you've worked out how to use your bike again Toks .

[Grahame]

Better ride than I had.

[Sylv]

PaulH, I just have to know - did you purposedly remove enough lettering off the back of your B-Twin shorts, so that it now reads Twit? My bet is yes

[Toks]

[quote="Andrew G"]:
Nice to hear you've worked out how to use your bike again Toks .

[sonic909]

Infact it was due to blue hair.

I used to be a slow slow fatty...!