Yeah, I know lot of the roads in the Horsham-Crawley-Hayward's Heath-Brighton-Worthing area as my parents live round there - some great cycling and scenery.
Just seen this posted (elsewhere) by another rider (from yesterday's races):There were a couple of crashes*, one bringing down a single rider who broke his collar bone, and the second taking down two when the first hit a big pothole on the sweepy s-bend just before the church. It was a pretty big impact at 30mph and he sustained a nasty bash to his face. Fortunately no teeth broken though he was air-ambulanced off to Addenbrookes no doubt for a head scan and further patching up - hope he is OK.The potholes were a bit of a nightmare - some really big and deep and it was a struggle to avoid them all - I managed to snap my handlebars after going down a smaller one. I certainly wouldn't want to ride the course again until the majority have been filled in.
*in the elite race, not my one
― Pacific Trash Vortex (Nasty, Brutish & Short), Monday, 7 May 2012 20:10 (twelve years ago) link
Snapping handlebars is not cool, where was the race?
― problem chimp (Porkpie), Monday, 7 May 2012 20:47 (twelve years ago) link
Oh, our route followed this: http://www.hcvs.co.uk/page1-events_results/L-B%20Route%20Map%202012/New%20London%20to%20Brighton%20Route.jpg
We followed a whole load of old buses and stuff, really helped as the roundabouts were marshalled in Places
― problem chimp (Porkpie), Monday, 7 May 2012 20:52 (twelve years ago) link
where was the race?The middle of nowhere - northern Essex, west of Saffron Walden, in/near these villages: Radwinter, Wimbish, Thaxted, Great Sampford.
our route followed thisThe A23 down past Gatwick and through Crawley can't have been that much fun. Handcross/Staplefield is my old stamping ground - I had a 10-mile training loop which went up a long hill that you would have gone down.
― Pacific Trash Vortex (Nasty, Brutish & Short), Monday, 7 May 2012 21:12 (twelve years ago) link
Just found Clayton Hill on the map - can't believe you were on the A23 for the stretch from there to the outskirts of Brighton - that's practically a motorway!
― Pacific Trash Vortex (Nasty, Brutish & Short), Monday, 7 May 2012 21:15 (twelve years ago) link
The a23 was ok, it was pretty early on a Sunday morning and rather quiet. But the final approach to Brighton was interesting, tailwind whipped us along and we were quicker than most of the bank holiday traffic tbh. Clayton hill was worth doing, easier than ditchling, which I never do well on and yeah, handcross etc were the highlights. I don't doubt the hill you mean was the one I was pitying poor buggers at the foot of going the other way...
― problem chimp (Porkpie), Monday, 7 May 2012 21:28 (twelve years ago) link
Four of us set out intending to do 50 miles at 1:30pm. I was the only one who made it back, and I only managed 35 miles. Peter pulled out only 4 miles in with a twinge in his knee (he had run 10km this morning, to be fair), Alex was bonking hard after some serious hills 15 miles in, and Steve stacked it on a 25% gradient zig-zagging descent after 20 miles and ended up embedded in a hedge; Alex burst his front tyre braking as Steve crashed. I was at the bottom of the hill waiting for the, round a bend and out of site of Steve's crash. After a couple of minutes I reasoned they weren't just hanging on the brakes, and started walking back up the hill, to see Steve and Alex walking round the corner, Steve with his bike on his right shoulder, and his left side covered in scratches and blood and grass stains. Alone, I did the direct route home as fast as I could, 15 miles in about 39 minutes. Quite an afternoon!
― Sick Mouthy (Scik Mouthy), Sunday, 20 May 2012 19:24 (twelve years ago) link
At least you were OK. I hate steep descents - a burst tyre on a 25% zigzag is something I'd be very keen to avoid. No cycling this weekend for me (kids birthday stuff + a cold). I did go out on Friday afternoon, though, and did 53 miles despite having a cold - not actually a wise decision, but the problem with racing is that you feel compelled to keep your fitness up at the expense of common sense.
― Pacific Trash Vortex (Nasty, Brutish & Short), Sunday, 20 May 2012 20:20 (twelve years ago) link
In San Diego for the weekend, asked an old dude for directions, we started chatting, turns out he invented Speedplay pedals. Got a fifty miles guided tour and some good stories. Apparently Peter Sagan was challenged to an arm-wrestling match by some beefy guy in a bar; Peter broke the guy's forearm.
― hot slag (lukas), Sunday, 20 May 2012 20:38 (twelve years ago) link
Cool!
― Sick Mouthy (Scik Mouthy), Sunday, 20 May 2012 20:40 (twelve years ago) link
Steve reports via Twitter this morning: "yea I'm ok. Few tender spots but I'll survive." Which is good!
― Sick Mouthy (Scik Mouthy), Monday, 21 May 2012 08:22 (twelve years ago) link
Sunshine at last! Bolted down my dinner then rode over to Hog Hill, got there after the tens (individual time trial) had started but was still in time to register and have ten minutes to get my number on and get ready before I was off. I was setting a pretty good pace and coming past people on the climb but then at about 7 miles down I completely blew up - I got a painful stitch and had to completely ease off and take deep breaths to try and feel more comfortable. I haven't checked yet, but I'm pretty sure my time (28.37) was slower than either time I did it last summer and probably slower than the times I did the summer before - despite this, I've rarely felt quite so bad immediately after a race.
― Pacific Trash Vortex (Nasty, Brutish & Short), Tuesday, 22 May 2012 21:32 (twelve years ago) link
Set out at 8:30 this morning under bright blue skies and did 60 miles of Devonshire hills and rivers in just over four hours. Had company for the first 40 miles until Ben's legs started turning to jelly (he's never done more than 20 miles in a go before, rugby player, though not not big like that suggests, rather than cyclist). 3,000 feet of climbing, absolutely amazing countryside and weather all the way. I did the Teign river valley, the Exe estuary, Woodbury Common, Haldon golf course, touched Dartmoor... Absolutely wonderful.
― Sick Mouthy (Scik Mouthy), Saturday, 26 May 2012 18:04 (eleven years ago) link
Gorgeous weather, 10.2 mile time trial in the morning, just 5 seconds off my course best.
― Pacific Trash Vortex (Nasty, Brutish & Short), Saturday, 26 May 2012 19:25 (eleven years ago) link
~60mi from mpls to stillwater. perfect weather, good company, easy skankin
we must have looked an odd trio tho: I was in full kit on my shiny new (to me) carbon road bike, friend was on her long haul trucker in comfy sporty clothes, other fiend was on a janky SS wearing a ratty tshirt and bike shorts. the second leg of the trip starts out with a hill that kicks up to 13% in bits, mike was fucking crosseyed for much of the ride home
― catbus otm (gbx), Tuesday, 29 May 2012 00:07 (eleven years ago) link
fiend = friend, but it sorta fits, dude has gone bonkers for cycling after years of inactivity, it's great
― catbus otm (gbx), Tuesday, 29 May 2012 00:09 (eleven years ago) link
I did a 14 mile ride on a smooth dirt road with my 6 y/o and 8 y/o. The road has goes along the South Platte River up to big dam, and is closed to cars for the most part. Almost zero complaining, so it was a bit of a miracle. Plus, we saw a small herd of bighorn sheep up close, which the kids enjoyed. The ride also featured a short 8% climb side challenge, and I was bowled over by their enthusiasm and energy.
― chairman mayo mysteries (Hunt3r), Tuesday, 29 May 2012 00:11 (eleven years ago) link
In Malibu for a wedding, got some riding in. Saturday was 55 miles of mostly canyons, 5k feet of climbing, gorgeous stuff. Stupidly, I started the ride with a big climb without warming up. Ride ended with a long headwind slog on the Pacific Coast Highway.
Next day I just head north on the PCH, which starts out with some rollers before going flat and rustic - just a plunging rock face, road and ocean. I head out fifteen miles before turning around. Felt like I had a tailwind so I'm expecting a headwind the other way - but there's no change, and now that I'm warmed up I can up the speed without really working hard. As perfect a ride as I've had.
― hot slag (lukas), Tuesday, 29 May 2012 00:36 (eleven years ago) link
The ride also featured a short 8% climb side challenge, and I was bowled over by their enthusiasm and energy.
Typical weight weenies.
― Mark C, Tuesday, 29 May 2012 15:35 (eleven years ago) link
ha, the 6 y/o had just got a new bike with 7 spds, w/ no granny, so her low gear isn't that low, but she rode up the hill until she was crying because he legs were burning so badly. then she halted, waited 30 secs, remounted, and rode the final 100m. then flopped on the grass and rubbed her legs. she really is badass in a way her brother just isn't.
― chairman mayo mysteries (Hunt3r), Tuesday, 29 May 2012 16:30 (eleven years ago) link
noob here. have biked 15 days in a row. biked 0 days in about 10 years before that :)
― bnw, Wednesday, 30 May 2012 00:23 (eleven years ago) link
good work bnw!
hunt3r that story is hilariously awesome.
― the German dacks dropped 2.3 per cent (haitch), Wednesday, 30 May 2012 00:36 (eleven years ago) link
thx, haitch.
bnw, i hope it is (or becomes) something you love to do.
― chairman mayo mysteries (Hunt3r), Wednesday, 30 May 2012 02:27 (eleven years ago) link
it hurts, sometimes
― catbus otm (gbx), Wednesday, 30 May 2012 02:28 (eleven years ago) link
You must make her brother badass. Whiny boys grow into indolent men (speaking from experience here!).
― Mark C, Wednesday, 30 May 2012 10:57 (eleven years ago) link
After seemingly innumerable glorious days and some great cycling (including, most memorably, a mammoth 80 mile ride with my best cycling friend up and over the Crow Road last week), it finally rained today, but it actually felt good!
― only NWOFHM! is real (krakow), Wednesday, 30 May 2012 19:32 (eleven years ago) link
Put up a new Pb in all but one of my strava sections on my ride home last night. Really pleased with that, definitely getting stronger if not thinner...
Is there any way of seeing prior performances on a strava section rather than yr current Pb? Would like to see progress.
― problem chimp (Porkpie), Thursday, 31 May 2012 06:46 (eleven years ago) link
yes, there is a tab named "my results" on the left side of the segment leaderboard.
― chairman mayo mysteries (Hunt3r), Thursday, 31 May 2012 12:18 (eleven years ago) link
v. useful to compare performances imo. have subdued my instincts to go too hard, too early after watching myself die near the top of hills too often.
― the German dacks dropped 2.3 per cent (haitch), Thursday, 31 May 2012 12:24 (eleven years ago) link
thanks folks - hiding in plain sight, nice.
― problem chimp (Porkpie), Thursday, 31 May 2012 15:15 (eleven years ago) link
Five thousand fixed-gear miles in five months!
― only NWOFHM! is real (krakow), Thursday, 31 May 2012 18:24 (eleven years ago) link
Did a race at Hog Hill today in very windy conditions. There were just 29 starters and the bunch was getting whittled down each time up the hill. After about 25 minutes (of an hour-long race) a big attack strung everything out and I found myself at the rear of a group of about 6 with a leading group of 12 breaking away. As the gap edged up to 50 metres it was clear they weren't coming back and I thought "it's now or never" and attacked off the front of my group. After a couple of minutes in no-man's land on my own I managed to bridge across. Nobody else made it. Unfortunately it took a bit out of me and I got dropped with 4 laps to go and soloed in to grab either 12th or 13th spot.
― Pacific Trash Vortex (Nasty, Brutish & Short), Saturday, 2 June 2012 20:58 (eleven years ago) link
Nice job.
I did 60 miles and 6000 ft vertical. I got hailed on, rained on, and was within about 300 m of a lightning strike while in full flight down the canyon. Great ride!
― chairman mayo mysteries (Hunt3r), Saturday, 2 June 2012 21:27 (eleven years ago) link
~40mi to BREW DAY, perfect weather, 2500ft of climbing (in MN!)
― catbus otm (gbx), Saturday, 2 June 2012 22:27 (eleven years ago) link
54 miles today in and around the New Forest. Very windy, I managed to do the first 25 miles at something between 19 and 20mph before turning into it for the struggle back to the in-laws'.
― Pacific Trash Vortex (Nasty, Brutish & Short), Sunday, 3 June 2012 14:30 (eleven years ago) link
75 miles on Friday night/Saturday morning. A good run that was taxing in places thanks to the rain, the headwind and the large number of mechanicals that caused a lot of waiting around.
Odd route - some of it is in great countryside, balanced off with some painful drags down dual carriageways. If I wanted to do lots of that I'd start time-trialling (no danger of that whatsoever).
Next up - 118 miles to Bingham near Nottingham a week on Friday....
― problem chimp (Porkpie), Monday, 4 June 2012 10:54 (eleven years ago) link
went out for a while on saturday after lunch in some weak sun, kinda wasn't feelin' it though. however did manage to put away man on colnago on a punchy uphill section.
― the German dacks dropped 2.3 per cent (haitch), Monday, 4 June 2012 14:00 (eleven years ago) link
i was psyched, on that 60 miler i did an extension to my route that only added 20 miles, but has a really nice 4.3 mile, 1400 ft climb, so like 6%+, and early short bits at 13%. hits 9820 feet, which is higher than i thought anything went this far south of the metro. this is where strava's explore feature is great-- i've been riding up there for 16 years and did not know that climbing loop was there.
http://i486.photobucket.com/albums/rr222/Chass3ur/ConiferMtn.jpg
― chairman mayo mysteries (Hunt3r), Monday, 4 June 2012 14:41 (eleven years ago) link
yeah that explorer stuff is great, i used it to string together a bunch of backroads that i'd never ridden the other week.
― the German dacks dropped 2.3 per cent (haitch), Tuesday, 5 June 2012 00:37 (eleven years ago) link
Today I've been biking around our manufacturing facility which is still the shell of a massive plant that we are taking a slice out of. It's half a kilometre long and sits on two floors so I spent my lunch break riding around, up and down lifts in and out of derelict offices. It's a lot of fun.
― American Fear of Pranksterism (Ed), Wednesday, 6 June 2012 17:44 (eleven years ago) link
Beautiful beautiful evening today. Didn't get riding I'll Sven and only stopped because it was too dark. Absolutely flying along feeling great, even a calf muscle cramping wasn't going to stop me.
― American Fear of Pranksterism (Ed), Thursday, 7 June 2012 01:37 (eleven years ago) link
i would like to bike around any facility tbh
― catbus otm (gbx), Thursday, 7 June 2012 03:26 (eleven years ago) link
Didn't get riding I'll Sven Isn't that so often the case?
― Pacific Trash Vortex (Nasty, Brutish & Short), Thursday, 7 June 2012 08:20 (eleven years ago) link
damned autocorrect
till seven
― American Fear of Pranksterism (Ed), Thursday, 7 June 2012 10:36 (eleven years ago) link
so much oxygen available down here- watts for equivalent effort up 15%, VAM up like 150. it didn't _feel_ any better, but it looks nicer in strava.
― chairman mayo mysteries (Hunt3r), Friday, 8 June 2012 05:07 (eleven years ago) link
Frank Long Rd. in Dewitt NY, I salute you:
Distance 0.8mi Avg Grade 11.8% Elev Difference 518ft Elev Gain 518ft
There is a significant portion that hits 25%, and it never gets below 8% that I recall. It's cry-for-your-mama ish. So great (thank god I had 39/26). At one point youre going up at 10% and its hard, and it looks like you are riding toward a wall. No real curves anywhere.
― chairman mayo mysteries (Hunt3r), Sunday, 10 June 2012 16:13 (eleven years ago) link
the Stillwater crit course
BRUTAL
http://app.strava.com/segments/945663
― catbus otm (gbx), Sunday, 10 June 2012 18:16 (eleven years ago) link
I fell off my bike.
Very stupidly hit a level crossing on river avenue at the wrong angle in the twilight and ejected. Nothing damaged expect my pride really. Skinned my knees slightly bruised a hand and my left ankle is swollen. Bike fine, i ripped a glove and cracked a sole plate. I feel like a prize pillock but I'll mend.
Just after, as I was walking along, catching my breath by the side of an empty road, some arsehole in a minivan drove past me slowly, leaning on his horn, hardly moving over at all.
― American Fear of Pranksterism (Ed), Saturday, 16 June 2012 02:17 (eleven years ago) link
people are dicks! at least you got away unscathed.
went past baaaad crash this morning, someone down in middle of the road, big pack also stopped and directing traffic and stuff. didn't want to stop and gawk so not sure what happened.
more lolzy developments later: we'd hooked up woth my riding buddy's friends and made a group of six. everyone started watching each other near the foot of oliver's hill so i hit them, got 20 metres and thought the KOM was in the bag... and realised i had a puncture. SO denied.
― l'battered savventura (haitch), Sunday, 17 June 2012 07:22 (eleven years ago) link
Feeling hobbled by hamstring problems. Not sure if I need to harden TF up or the opposite.
― hot slag (lukas), Sunday, 17 June 2012 13:36 (eleven years ago) link