What a difference a week makes, last week was just cold, this week a cool start that soon warmed up to a gloriously nice day. I had a good feeling for this weeks ride seeing 14 of us assemble at our traditional meeting point, I enjoy company and the more the merrier so today got off to a great start, a quick start as always, 18+mph for long stretches which is great for the flats but eventually we warmed up as the temperature improved and the pace dropped to a more sociably sedate 15+mph for the latter parts of the ride.As we rode on the weather just got better and better throughout the morning and I think the route suited the day perfectly; flat, Cheshire flat that is with just the occasional bump oh and a wooden canal bridge or two, an off road section and a couple of cobbled lanes to bounce along. Andy (A.K.A. the map) certainly knows how to pick em. I think today was a great success for everyone as there was something for nearly everyone, a moderate distance and lots of flat along with a moderate pace is very conducive to chatter (of which there was lots), a nice midpoint cafe stop and a sprint at the end for the boys who like to pretend they are Cavendish or Thor Hushovd (or for the older amongst us, Super Mario) weeeeee... the only thing missing was a significant hill to climb but that was no real loss seeing as everything else was just right - leave the hills for another day...
Just a few hundred yards to go around a couple of bends to the end of the ride, some riders t
asting the end are moving closer to the front, the pace is upping, some are down in the drops, the sound of gears being changed into a more suitable sprinting gear can be heard, we are pretty tightly packed, there goes the breakaway, I'm on it, I'm in it, I'm down in the drops, Antnee is in front of me, I shout to him jokingly telling him he's my lead out man, the pace really ups now, he laughs then finds a path through to the front, I'm on his wheel, he's sprinting out on the front, I'm still on his wheel, we are away, there is a gap between ourselves and the chasing pack, we go around a bend and then another, where's the flippin traffic lights that marks the end???, we've gone too early (again), we are knackered, we sit up, Andy who does not seem to be out of breath comes alongside saying 'who started this sprint then?', I think he was behind all the time just playing with us letting us think we were away, we continue at a much lesser pace but still ahead of the oncoming pack, Antnee hit's the lights first so that makes him today's winner of the sprint. :)
That was fun, I could get into this racing lark (just as long as it's no longer than a few hundred yards)...
My Stats
43 miles 2hrs 43 min, Av Speed 15.8mph, 1693 ft climbing (Bikehike)
asting the end are moving closer to the front, the pace is upping, some are down in the drops, the sound of gears being changed into a more suitable sprinting gear can be heard, we are pretty tightly packed, there goes the breakaway, I'm on it, I'm in it, I'm down in the drops, Antnee is in front of me, I shout to him jokingly telling him he's my lead out man, the pace really ups now, he laughs then finds a path through to the front, I'm on his wheel, he's sprinting out on the front, I'm still on his wheel, we are away, there is a gap between ourselves and the chasing pack, we go around a bend and then another, where's the flippin traffic lights that marks the end???, we've gone too early (again), we are knackered, we sit up, Andy who does not seem to be out of breath comes alongside saying 'who started this sprint then?', I think he was behind all the time just playing with us letting us think we were away, we continue at a much lesser pace but still ahead of the oncoming pack, Antnee hit's the lights first so that makes him today's winner of the sprint. :)That was fun, I could get into this racing lark (just as long as it's no longer than a few hundred yards)...
My Stats
43 miles 2hrs 43 min, Av Speed 15.8mph, 1693 ft climbing (Bikehike)
I was highly jealous of all the riders out on Sunday. It seemed like an ideal day. A light cool brease and sunny.
ReplyDeleteYes I read your blog about your poorly knees and now your nipples aren't too good either :{ all I can say is get well soon so you can enjoy our (in)glorious UK weather :)
ReplyDeleteI've got far too much time off work at the moment with my knees so I've managed to find the time to get the wheel correctly built.
ReplyDeleteI'm now itching to ride it.