Tell us about your weekend ride

@Sanddancer - you're a nutter. Well done though.

Only 30 miles from me, laps of Regent's Park, up Swaine's to Highgate then Muesli Hill and back down, but I started the day tired and with achey legs so not so bad.

A not so nifty fifty

http://connect.garmin.com/player/66891800

Been off sick with respiratory infection but had booked in to do a brief group ride with La Fuga. They do cycling tours, training packages etc, based at Sigma. Free ride, free gels and lots of sample foods and drinks.

It was good to get some air in my lungs and definitely helped move some of the crap off them. It was aimed at triathletes but there were quite a few roadies there too, 40 of us in total. Pace was gentle, more a social than training ride, so just what I needed.

It was fun just to go out with an entirely new group of cyclists. Surprisingly decent bunch discipline, people stayed 2 abreast when it was safe to do so. This enabled a lot of chat amongst us (the split it into 2 groups - one 25 kph, one 20ish I went with the faster but it was really gentle).

Must be said that the new Sigma shop is great, lots of space and plenty of nice bikes including the 700g Cervelo frame.

The 54cm is 648g apparently.

#want

50 miles with Oxonian CC this morning, legs felt fresh which was nice, temperature wasn't too nippy, which was nice, wind was a right bastard! Nice to have it on our backs on the way home though.
Got home in time for beans on toast that the gf was making for breakfast :) Took about 3 hours at a nice easy pace.
[ame]http://ridewithgps.com/routes/279652[/ame
[/ame]

90k: Skid Hill - Beddletead - Titsey Hill - Chalkpit Lane - Pilgrims Way - Hogtrough Hill - Jackass Lane.

A very enjoyable route, I'll be doing more of this.

Passed the Dulwich Paragon women's sunday run. I was really surprised how big a ride that was. Must have been 30 or more riders out. Impressive.

90k Box Hill loop - Jeebus it's windy out there!

Out from Old St to Chingford, then 2 laps of the TNRC's 'E4 Ecstasy' route, then train home.

67 miles, 3h30, overgeared on purpose, generally 2 gears up from my comfortable cadence. As mentioned by everyone else, the wind was strong and gusty, so lots of chances to practise high speed handling in crosswinds, and a handlebar gnawing stretch at Tawney Common. Also, on the first loop, what must've been diesel near Theydon Mount church caused my back wheel to move alarmingly to the left, a bit like Sam's episode yesterday :O

Saw lots of people I knew from cycling clubs I once belonged to, but I had a schedule to keep so ploughed on after cursory grunts and nods.

Back hurts a bit now, but not unexpectedly. Wasn't exactly pretty out there today :/

Possibly the advantage of the group ride, splitting the effort against the wind. The return to London was assisted by the elements

I wasn't looking for wind-based groupsave action today, thanks all the same.

It makes me wonder what would be the most effective psychological warfare you could have printed on your shorts for a race?

This was on my mind from Epping to Streatham.

I decided my top three would be:

No brakes

LFGSS member #

Prancing James
(do I need to add a winky there?)

Our paths didn't cross after all. What time did you set off from Chingford?

Er..We left Stoke Newington about 9. I think we got to Chingford ish way about 10. Went up and down High Beach lots of different ways, went out to a brilliant farm shop. Coffee, cake, ground our legs into dust pedalling back. I got home at 2. Wools was back at 1.

I think we mixed and matched the E4 route. I remember hitting something quite loudly and thinking "oh fuck, this is it". Also, first thing I saw in Epping Forest? A Ford RS Focus overtaking something.
"Welcome to Essex bruv!"

I don't think we'd have been talking though, from the sounds of your overgeared sufferfest.....

I got to the start point for the second loop about 9.45. Thought that might be a bit early. Ended up catching the 11.25 back to Liverpool St. The heating was on high in the carriage, and I nearly drifted off.

I'm starting to wish I got the train now.

Raced my last cross race of the season, a London League race at Herne Hill. A very interesting course with lots of turns and not much in the way of straight bits.

I got a decent start but on the first time up the hill behind the HH sign I had to dismount as the rider in front of me stopped dead about two thirds of the way up. My left foot didn't disengage from the pedal so I fell off, nearly getting run over by Chris (daccordi on here) in the process. I wrenched my foot free and re-entered the fray. I passed Chris on the next time round the track infield and set off after the riders in front. My left foot was having engagement problems and I could hear a rattling sound so knew the cleat must've come loose. It wasn't affecting me too much so I kept going and reeled in the group of three in front, and jumped past them all the next time round the infield.

The rest of the race was spent dicing with Toby from the VCL (one of the group of three) whilst keeping the other two far enough back that they couldn't get up to us. I got past him in the infield on the penultimate lap and led into the singletrack by the railway, where he'd gapped me the previous two laps. I held that lead all the way to the finish, although had to close the door on his do or die effort to get past on the final corner.

Not sure where I finished but don't really care as it was great fun.

Did the Old Portlians Reliabilty Ride today, out in Kent. Up to Ashdown and back, really, lots of the Hell of Ashdown, but in reverse, some TNRC roads at the start. With Brave and a few others. Not sure if anyone else has noticed, but there seems to be a bit of wind about...
94 miles all in. Hats off to Sanddancer.

linky to garmin

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/66921991

50 old school miles* out twds Cuffley, mostly into a strong head wind. Huge pork belly roast half way through made it more fun.

*zero lycra/jeans/lock/backpack

But the wind was a southwesterly. Were you heading down to Cuffley from up north somewhere?

Hangover and bored of the bike so Sat was spent doing other things. Finally jumped on the turbo Sun only to be bored witless so rode into town and around Regent's a few times (until the bloke on the Condor quit) then into work and back home for some more laps around Ealing to crawl over the 4hr mark.

Fcuking bikes. I think I might buy a car.

*zero lycra/jeans/lock/backpack

Underpromise, overdeliver.

But the wind was a southwesterly. Were you heading down to Cuffley from up north somewhere?

I found it to be more northwesterly on the way out and then southwesterly on the way back. At no point is there ever a tail wind when cycling ; p

Only recognised on the way out the fact that the pub (The Sun) I was eating at was one where the TNRC had attempted to get one of the those rare 'end of ride pints' in. The "sorry we don't have Guinness" was a harsh reminder.

Underpromise, overdeliver.

Pain in the arse. Literally.

^^^^^^good looking route up there, brave.

http://ridewithgps.com/routes/153833

Windy and wet, better than being at work though.

This morning's ride to work featured a barn owl, a deer, some rabbits or hares chasing each other across the road, and red kites. I think dawn has got to be the best time of day.