The Cycling Chat Thread
- Thread starter ChrisFilter
- Start date
Cid
Proper break this time
And with plenty of time to go back the other way!
beesonthewhatnow
going deaf for a living
spitfire
Walty McWaltface
Strava stats or it didn't happen
Well done! Now, onto a century ride...
Will do all that later. Battery is looooow. Thanks to everyone here. Definitely helped me out a lot. 
spitfire
Walty McWaltface
Now for the update that no one asked for.
All very easy for the first part until we hit a proper hill (Carshalton?) and then I was all, oh shit, am I gonna make it? But, put into action operation low gear, sit down, go slow, breathe and made it a lot further than expected. Rinse and repeat over all the hills. Had to walk up some either partially or at a point where I could go no further. I wanted to make sure the "wobbly legs" didn't appear as I knew that would be game over. Managed to fend off a stitch by being sensible and not caning it. Ditchling Beacon can go fuck itself, even the super racers canned that, the few who did it were absolutely hanging out of their arses. Only marginally quicker than me wheeze walking. Fair play to them.
Glad I had supplies as there was fuck all open after a 24 hour garage in Streatham and it was about 3 hours into the ride before I saw something useful open. the gel, energy, bars, bananas and water kept me moving, hint of cramp a couple of times but went away very quickly with a stretch.
The downhills were FAST. Really wish I'd spent a bit more on my brake pads, couple of hairy moments, (I can see weepiper rolleyes at that)...saw one crash, hope he was OK. People were attending to him.
Saw a guy on a BMX! Huge mix of bikes and physical abilities, very impressive how some people were really plugging away at it.
Anyhoo, all the advice from here was really useful, I genuinely wouldn't have made it without it. I'll be honest, my fitness levels are very low. and the tips made the difference between having a decent day out, although hard, and not having a shit day made more difficult than it could have been.
Hat- well useful when it started raining after Ditchling
Chafing cream - I know this helped along with the cycling shorts.
Iso gel, grim but kept me going
Energy bars - same. Bananas FTW.
And I saw the countryside. And the sea. Was great to see sky and green shit that isn't a municipal park
Official time 6.06
Riding time as below, (that also includes walking time).
All very easy for the first part until we hit a proper hill (Carshalton?) and then I was all, oh shit, am I gonna make it? But, put into action operation low gear, sit down, go slow, breathe and made it a lot further than expected. Rinse and repeat over all the hills. Had to walk up some either partially or at a point where I could go no further. I wanted to make sure the "wobbly legs" didn't appear as I knew that would be game over. Managed to fend off a stitch by being sensible and not caning it. Ditchling Beacon can go fuck itself, even the super racers canned that, the few who did it were absolutely hanging out of their arses. Only marginally quicker than me wheeze walking. Fair play to them.
Glad I had supplies as there was fuck all open after a 24 hour garage in Streatham and it was about 3 hours into the ride before I saw something useful open. the gel, energy, bars, bananas and water kept me moving, hint of cramp a couple of times but went away very quickly with a stretch.
The downhills were FAST. Really wish I'd spent a bit more on my brake pads, couple of hairy moments, (I can see weepiper rolleyes at that)...saw one crash, hope he was OK. People were attending to him.
Saw a guy on a BMX! Huge mix of bikes and physical abilities, very impressive how some people were really plugging away at it.
Anyhoo, all the advice from here was really useful, I genuinely wouldn't have made it without it. I'll be honest, my fitness levels are very low. and the tips made the difference between having a decent day out, although hard, and not having a shit day made more difficult than it could have been.
Hat- well useful when it started raining after Ditchling
Chafing cream - I know this helped along with the cycling shorts.
Iso gel, grim but kept me going
Energy bars - same. Bananas FTW.
And I saw the countryside. And the sea. Was great to see sky and green shit that isn't a municipal park
Official time 6.06
Riding time as below, (that also includes walking time).
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Orang Utan
Psychick Worrier Ov Geyoor
spitfire
Walty McWaltface
Thank you. TBH it was pretty well spread out and I didn't see a number above 3000 so in comparison to what I've heard about the big one it was great. I was on my own half the time.
Some handy slipstreaming at times as well. Only a couple of times it bunched up and the last one was in Brighton so I went full London and hit the car lanes.
Orang Utan
Psychick Worrier Ov Geyoor
aye, was just saying it’s best to do it on an occasion when no one else is doing it - a small crew of friends and no official shit
spitfire
Walty McWaltface
Would be an ideal situation but I have 2 possibly 3 mates that would do this, one blew me out at the last minute and I couldn't get the other one transport home to take his place.
I'm nearly 50, my circle of friends has diminished greatly since I was 35 - 40and those I do have are old or being dads.
If I hadn't have done this event I wouldn't have done it at all. I get what you have been saying but my personal circumstances mean it's not a realistic option.
A day out with the Famous Five and Timmy the dog would be awesome.
beesonthewhatnow
going deaf for a living
Ignore OU, he’s miserable about group rides
Learning to ride safely with a group of others, making the most of drafting to go quicker is one of the great joys of cycling, and will enable you to go further and faster
Learning to ride safely with a group of others, making the most of drafting to go quicker is one of the great joys of cycling, and will enable you to go further and faster
Cid
Proper break this time
Is it really so hard to understand that there's a sense of collective achievement that you just won't get on a ride with some mates? They're different things.
Marathons? Why not go for a stroll in the park etc.
Orang Utan
Psychick Worrier Ov Geyoor
Orang Utan
Psychick Worrier Ov Geyoor
it’s not safe!Ignore OU, he’s miserable about group rides
Learning to ride safely with a group of others, making the most of drafting to go quicker is one of the great joys of cycling, and will enable you to go further and faster
beesonthewhatnow
going deaf for a living
Nonsense.
Cid
Proper break this time
I dunno, maybe try imagining that other people may see the world differently?
I mean I don't think I've ever been accused of being amiable, but even I have some sense of this.
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Orang Utan
Psychick Worrier Ov Geyoor
Cid
Proper break this time
Well yeah, as an autistic person I have noticed the rest of the world seems very odd. But the last decade or so I've learned to try and appreciate the joy other people get out of things... Pandemic especially has brought home that the things that make me happy (a lot less social contact) appear to be quite distressing to the vast majority of people. But I don't go around saying 'oh fuck no, never go and meet people, that'll just make you anxious all the time'.
i wouldn't want to go on a big bike ride with lots of people but i can understand why some people might
philosophical
Well-Known Member
Please don’t cycle on the pavement, and obey the Highway Code. Perhaps persuade fellow cyclists to do the same.
Cid
Proper break this time
Cid
Proper break this time
I was having a browse of CRC just now and noticed they have a bunch of NOS 'zocchi forks from the early 2000s (Z5, Z4, Z3). Odd. Singletrack world is also intrigued:
singletrackworld.com
Also what on earth is 'QR 20 x 100mm'? Do not remember that being a thing at all. weepiper ?
Why Is CRC selling old Bombers, and what's next?
Why is Chain Reaction Cycles selling old Marzocchi Bomber forks? And are they just what you need to bring your bike back to life?
singletrackworld.com
Also what on earth is 'QR 20 x 100mm'? Do not remember that being a thing at all. weepiper ?
weepiper
I fix the machines that fight climate change
20mm thru-axle, non boost. Used to be the DH fork standard some years ago.I was having a browse of CRC just now and noticed they have a bunch of NOS 'zocchi forks from the early 2000s (Z5, Z4, Z3). Odd. Singletrack world is also intrigued:
Why Is CRC selling old Bombers, and what's next?
Why is Chain Reaction Cycles selling old Marzocchi Bomber forks? And are they just what you need to bring your bike back to life?
Also what on earth is 'QR 20 x 100mm'? Do not remember that being a thing at all. weepiper ?
Orang Utan
Psychick Worrier Ov Geyoor
i bought one last month that was too small - the shop was closing and i didn’t think we could try them on - it was an £80 Giro helmet and they told me they were one size fits all. got it back home and tried it on and it was too tight even after adjustment, so i assumed that i just have a massive head, which tbf i do. it wasn’t til later on that i looked the helmet up and it turns out I had a medium helmet not a large and they had blatantly lied to me. Couldn’t get through to them on the phone, so went in and they refused to refund me or swap cos a) they said it was used and b) i could only return stuff to the branch i bought it off.
so now I’m left with a useless helmet - will have to give it to my community bike scheme so at least someone gets to use it
Cid
Proper break this time
Ah, I suppose I just remember it as early thru-axle then... I didn't really pay attention to what the more hardcore lot were up to until a lot later, I mean even my late 2000s inbred is QR.
sleaterkinney
Well-Known Member
That’s blatant bullshit.
Orang Utan
Psychick Worrier Ov Geyoor
i know - Evans Cycles, fuck em
sleaterkinney
Well-Known Member
They used to be ok, but Ashley took them over. They're not the same lot that sold you that rack?
