Last road ride of 2009

I haven't been out on the bike for a proper ride for a couple of weeks owing to the weather so was eager to get out at the first opportunity on the road rather than being stuck in the garage on the turbo and the last day of the year gave me that opportunity. The weather was still freezing cold but the snow and ice had mostly melted away so I set off for one of my short usual routes around north Cheshire.

Now normally it doesn't take long for my heart rate to shoot up but strangely today despite 15 minutes on the bike and speeds of 20 mph my heart rate only rose into the 70's so I assumed either my HR monitor was on the blink or there wasn't enough moisture (sweat) on the strap contact points. Eventually after a hill my HR settled into the expected range so I'm assuming the problem was a dodgy signal rather than an inability to get my HR up - I hope... Normally when there is not enough moisture on my HR strap I just lose all signal and not get the weird reading I experienced. Strange...

On this ride I didn't go too hard with ice still being around in places but did get a few sprints in for a few intervals. So that's it for 2009, roll on 2010.


My Stats
21.5 miles, 1hr24min, Av Speed 15.4mph, Av/Mx HR 146/171 

North Cheshire Clarion Christmas run 27 Dec 2009

NCC Christmas Club run

No blog entries for the last week or so with the weather being so bad. My only cycling activities has been the purchase of a new set of road handlebars and a few sessions on the turbo. Today's ride was the scheduled run to initially Tatton Hall but due to the bad weather conditions Dunham Masseys Lavender farm got the nod.

Not as many as expected turned up with just seven hardy individuals braving the elements. Just after 10.30am we set off eastwards to brave the biting winds and stinging freezing rain. We stuck to clear B roads and some A roads dodging slush here and there and no-one came unstuck except Phil who tried to unintentionally carve a path through the slush and nearly came a cropper but a quick recovery saved his bacon. This ride was intentionally ridden slow because it was the clubs xmas run and sociable in nature but the problem I found with travelling at such a slow speed was that I never really warmed up and on occasion I put a spurt on in a vain attempt to get the blood flowing and generate some heat.

The only time we had to give in to the weather was in the attempt to ride up the cobbles to the doors of the cafe stop - sheets of ice everywhere so it was off and walk.

After the cafe stop the weather did improve slightly and I'm sure the sun popped out momentarily but it was still bitterly cold. It was a great relief to get home and dive into a nice warm shower.

My Stat's

24.48 miles, 1hr 53min, Av Spd 13mph, 1188 ft climbing

North Cheshire Clarion club run 13 Dec 2009

Magical Mystery Tour

Looking out of the window first thing in the morning revealed a nice thick white frost and on the car ice glinting off the windscreen - it was dark and very cold at 7am when I got up for the Sunday run. I'm not one pf these people who can get up at 8am grab a quick bite and be there at the start point for 9, wish I was but I'm not. I like to have a good breakfast a good sit down with a big mug of tea followed by a coffee and a browse of the news on my laptop before I even come alive, then and only then am I ready to face the world the cold and the frost...

So load the car up with bike n gear after giving the car a good defrost first and then drove out to the start point, it was fairly slippy on the side roads so had a good idea that we were in for a hairy time. Stuck all my gear on including a buff that made me look like the invisible man (when he was not invisible if you know what I mean) complete with glasses, cap and helmet - I may have looked a little scary but I didn't care, I was warm and that's all that mattered, the only problem I found out later with having a buff cover up most of your entire face is it's difficult to drink anything unless you want it sieved first - a minor inconvenience...

Setting off from Stretton was a dicey experience, side roads and country lanes thick with white frost meant riding at a slow pace and gingerly navigating bends waiting for a tumble - didn't happen but there was a few times my back wheel spun out. As the miles wore on the temperature changed slightly for the better our confidence rose and the speed upped.

Now this is where the magical mystery tour comes in, around about Moulton our 'guide' took us over water via two wooden frosty bridges, one slip and there was a good chance of a dunking - but it was a very scenic route so well worth it... then we rode some cross country up some semi frozen mud 'trails' (a bit like Arctic tundra), this experience was a bit different and called for some careful navigation to avoid the many HUGE potholes and general loose bits of mud - those potholes are just mere dints in the road for a mountain biker with suspension and fat tyres but to a roadie on 23mm tyres and no suspension aside from bum cheeks, they were huge, HUGE, (no not the bum cheeks)...

A stop off for tea n cake then on again for the homeward bound part of the ride and it's here we observed what looked like a fancy dress time trial, we overtook Little Bo Peep with her sheep and travelling in the opposite direction were 2 Santas and Jimmy Saville complete with cigar, hows about that then!!!

Overall because of the white roads we had a slow start with a low speed run out from Stretton that soon got a little faster as we moved onto the clearer main roads and the sun coming out to play. Then off the main roads as we went wild in the country, next we frightened anglers out of their tranquil musings as we all trundled past topped off later on by a bit of fancy dress passing by - A very different entertaining Sunday ride.

My Stats
43 Miles, 3hrs 3min, Av Speed 14.1mph, 1424 ft climbing.

Bikehike , GPS & TCX

I have been asked a few times about how to transfer a plotted route over to a Garmin 205/305 so here's how you can do it.

1. Using Bikehike plot your route like in the above example (right mouse click and open in new tab to expand illustration)

2. Connect your Garmin via USB and turn on.

3. In Bikehike under Mapping Controls click 'Download Route'

4. A new box will appear, fill out as my example i.e. tick 'tcx' - give the course title a name - tick 'GPS unit' then 'Download Route'

5. A 'Loading Garmin Libraries...' dialogue will pop up (if you haven't got the libraries you need to go get them, probably this from Garmin).

6. A box will pop-up to advise you of success or not.

7. Disconnect USB if you wish.

8. In your Garmin check your course has transferred across properly, go to: Training - Courses - Select your course - Map.

9. When it's time to ride your course go to: Training - Courses - Eureka (name of downloaded course) - Do course.

This is the simple way I prefer to do it, it's real easy and only uses one piece of software. There are many other ways out there that you can find by doing a google search but most use two or more pieces of software - long winded and complicated.

Note: The way I choose to plot my routes does not make use of any coursepoints because on my Garmin 205 there is a screen freeze of 15 seconds or so after a coursepoint warning has sounded and flashed up - obviously not what's needed when navigating a tight series of junctions or to confirm you are on the right road after a turn so I choose not to use any coursepoints if I can help it. Doesn't mean you can't....

Other links to peruse.
Veloriders on the Garmin 705
Frank Kinlan on the 305 and 705

Consolation...

For those that failed to ride Swiss Hill in its entirety it's some consolation to know that many others have been beaten into submission by the slick cobbles of Swiss Hill (or a local 4x4). Here's a few ride report quotes from 2009's Cheshire Cat which rode Swiss Hill...

Swiss Hill was the only one that got me (got everyone that I was with)- again, steep, but with wet mossy cobbles - no traction, not nice...

Swiss Hill was a right hoot, few wheelspin moments, and was made a little more difficult by a car trying to come down, whilst riding past walking riders, though give the car driver his due, he did wait patiently for us to pass. I am glad we went up it, and not down it, I know it was cobbled, but that was very rough cobbles, with a few holes....

Swiss Hill got me, but only due to falling off. A car was coming down and forced me into the rough edge area, I almost fell in his window He was nice about it though. Couldn't get started again until the flat middle section, despite a walking cyclist trying to help!...

Swiss Hill was interesting. It is probably the hardest hill I have ever climbed on my road bike. Just because of the gradient, the cobbles and the time in the ride it hit me. Didn't stop though! Made it too the top and then suffered like crazy all the way back to Knutsford...

39-27 did not get me up mow cop or swiss hill...

riding Swiss Hill was fun, very much like Flandrian climbs...

I turned left up the hill, hit the cobbles and everybody was walking in front of me! Cue much swerving and miraculously managing to stay on the bike, I pushed on up, almost hitting a few potholes when a car came down the hill. I finally got to the top and had to adjust the way I dressed after I'd taken a beating in the nether regions from my saddle!...

Slightly baulked at the bottom by a group stopped, dithering as what to do. Couldn't take as much speed into it as i'd have liked. Got halfway up, (avoiding the Range Rover coming down!) but terminal wheelspin meant I had to stop half way. At least I made it past the photographer! Got started again where the cobbles flatten. First time I've not cleared it but it was much greasier than on practice runs. Was the only climb I didn't manage with a 34-25...

A huge group went up in front of me and I thought, what the hell, I'm going for it. I started off ok and got as far as the flats but then the cobbles were so bad, muddle, uneven, slippy and I just fell off. I've got a huge bruise on my knee and hip - that's what is really hurting me now. Thanks to the guys who stopped to pick me up. I walked to just past the flats, got back on and carried on to the top with even more swearing...

Thought that a 39x27 would be enough to lug my lardy ars* up the hills. It wasn't - result = got off on all the major hills (especially Swiss Hill - just how slippy was that!)...

Swiss Hill was a challenge. I had to walk the steep bit on the bend near the houses...

Swiss Hill was my main challenge, as I've ridden it once before but on a MTB, and so i was slightly unsure about the gaps between the cobbles, and also the fact that on my previous run I'd stopped where it bends right thinking that was the end... however pleased with myself that i never had to put a foor down...

Swiss Hill definitely gets my vote for toughest climb of the route, especially with the surprise extra stretch around the corner when you think you're done...

Interesting but useless stuff, but I bet you feel a little better now - just thought I'd share Hehe...

North Cheshire Clarion club run 6 Dec 2009

Swiss hill and all that...

Sundays ride was a ride I was really looking forward to, we had decided to throw in a little challenge along the way and that challenge was to ride up a hill in Alderley Edge called Swiss Hill.

Swiss Hill isn't particularly long and it isn't that steep (mostly) I would say about 12-14% at the most but what makes Swiss Hill a real challenge is all to do with what the surface is made up of - Cobbles - big, uneven, rutted and mossy.

Now I have travelled Swiss Hill before this ride, not by bike but by car and even in the car it looked treacherous enough, the only opportunity I have had to actually ride it by bike was in the 2009 Cheshire Cat but I gave it a miss, I decided to wimp out after walking up most of the hills prior to Swiss Hill due to the fact I had the legs and will power of a custard tart.....

So as i said I was really looking forward to having a bash at this technically challenging hill. Here's a picture I have found that shows the start of Swiss Hill, it shows the cobbles, the worn areas, the moss centre, the mud and the wet leaves. What is doesn't show very well is the steepness - in this shot it looks like a gradual incline but in reality it's a bit more than that. Also on the day we as a club are to ride it, it was certain to be wet from the overnight rain so potentially very slippery indeed.

Setting off as usual from Stretton we arrived at Swiss Hill after 18 miles. We came to a halt just before the hill climb and it's here that as individuals we needed to make the decision of either carrying on and having a go or miss it and meet up around the corner. A bit of umming and arring but all eight of us decided to go for it. So off we set and I thought I'd be clever here by going up as one of the last - my reasoning being that because one member of the club, Andy, had ridden this hill before he knew what line to take amongst the wet uneven cobbles and I was going to watch and learn, O yes watch and learn...

So we all start the climb, I position myself as planned near the back but Andy's well ahead as I come around the bottom corner to start the climb. I see where he's positioned himself but I'm on a different tack, Andy's up ahead in the left rut and I'm on the right, no way am I going to attempt to cross over the mossy centre ridge - never mind I just need to concentrate on not putting any sudden bursts of power through the back wheel and keeping everything nicely smooth and slow. I'm in my lowest gear looking ahead for my line trying not to but not always succeeding in keeping my wheel from sliding into the large joins between the cobbles, every things going OK, a little slide here a bit of wheel spin there but it's all going fine then what a bugger - there's a bloody 4x4 coming down the single track hill. He's not waiting so I have to follow the only option available and just like everyone else - dismount. What a *@#^, he could have at the very least waited for us to go past him but didn't so that's that - climb ruined for most of us.

So now because of this situation most are having to walk to get passed the car, some managed to get back on and carry on and one guy managed to get past Mr4x4 and ride up Swiss Hill I think without stopping. I'm stopped at a steep part now and don't fancy my chances of successfully remounting and clipping in without immediately falling over so I walk a few yards and think bugger it, I've not come all this way for nothing and manage to get back on, clip in and carry on. Didn't last long though I only managed 10 yards or so by the flats you can see near the bend in the shot before my back wheel slid out sideways from under me but a very quick unclip allowed me to get a foot down before I fell down. I decided that there was no point trying again I would probably just fall off again and walked to the first bend before getting back on the bike and riding the not as difficult last few hundred yards of tarmac and cobbles...

Looking back, the hill itself is not that difficult an incline but because of the wet mossy cobbles and the flippin locals it was made more difficult than needs be on the day, this hill is really one for the dry weather not for a wet December day but we had to try it......

Ah well until next time....

My Stats
47.5 miles, 3hrs 22min, Av Sp 14.1mph, 1301 ft climbing