The Audio-Talk Cycling thread.

[IslandPink]

I'm going out - in an hour or so. Weather very discouraging but not actually raining.

[IslandPink]

I was almost thwarted by trying to fix something on the car. Have had some odd behaviour with window winding, hazard warning flashers , central locking etc. So I found out where the fuse box was and tried checking a couple. Put the central-locking one back in slightly in the wrong place and the hazards went off and the locking didn't work - so had the battery disconnected there and was panicking, until I discovered my silly error.

So anyway I went out for an hour, the sun was out a bit at the start too - quite pleasant. Roads dry as well. Can't ask for much more on a November afternoon Stats 1:02:35 at 144 bpm. Pulse a bit high but felt OK - just unfit.

[Ray P]

Glad you got the car sorted Mark.

No sun for me but, like you, I at least had mostly dry roads which was a definite improvement on yesterday when I did 20miles in drizzle - I did that on my hybrid as I haven't fitted mudguards to the 'winter' road bike yet.

Your fitness will come if you ride regularly Mark, but you know that. With the short daylight hours I'm now doing spin-bike sessions 2 or 3 times during the week to keep the background fitness up. I did two virtual 10 mile rides last week at average virtual speeds of just shy of 23mph, but, more meaningfully, I maintained an average output of around 230watts for 26mins on each ride. This morning's average output was, IIRC, 179watts. Spin bike rides are really borng though so I have my work cut out to discipline myself to do them.

[Dave the bass]

I admire your commitment team, 20 miles in drizzle wouldn't be my choice of riding weather I must admit.

I've done nowt except the gruelling 0.4mile to work and back.

I have made lots of rusty bits of metal shiny and happy again though. I'll get my cycling mojo back when it wants to come back.

[Ray P]

I admire your commitment team, 20 miles in drizzle wouldn't be my choice of riding weather I must admit.

It was only a light drizzle Dave!

[Dave the bass]

I rode a bicycle today, (and I liked it) to paraphrase Katy Perry. Whahey!

Just a local loop on Capsey, so nice to be out on a bike again. The rusty Royal Enfield has taken up lots of free time but its starting to come together.

Stats!

Departed: Dec 02, '18, 02:32PM
Starts in: Dartford, England, GB
Distance: 13.8 mi
Elevation: + 662 / - 686 ft
Max Grade
6.8 %
Avg. Grade
0.0 %
VAM 392 Vm/h
Ascent time 00:30:54
Descent time 00:27:44
Total Duration: 01:01:08
Moving Time: 00:58:38
Stopped Time: 00:02:30
Max Speed: 30.5 mph
Avg. Speed: 14.1 mph
Pace: 00:04:25
Moving Pace: 00:04:15

Not too bad seeing I've been fat lad at the back (of the shed) for the past few months...

[Ray P]

My man flu has prevented me clocking up any miles this weekend and I've now got a nasty chesty cough so it could be a couple more days yet.

I did enjoy watching 'La Course en Tete' though, a film about Eddy Merckx's 1974 season;



Certainly rekindled memories.

[Ray P]

There's even some stuff about single-speed fixies in that film.

[Dave the bass]

There's even some stuff about single-speed fixies in that film.

Ah, a proper fillumn then

There's some brill music at ~the 56.00 minute mark too, 1974 proto-Hadouk it sounds like to me.

[Ray P]

The music to the film is by David Munrow and the Early Music Consort of London so the music is probably pre-Hadouk by several centuries!

You might enjoy the couple of minutes of cycling clips at the beginning of this version of La Course en Tete (which also has the credits section at the start of the film);

[IslandPink]

I must put that on this evening on my TV via the Youtube - thanks Ray

Meanwhile some sad news which seems to have got little publicity on the BBC , must have blinked and missed it .
Paul Sherwen is no more.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/06/obit ... -dead.html
One of the guys we looked up to a lot when starting out with bike racing ourselves - he was a local lad ( Widnes ) .

[Ray P]

Yes, very sad about Paul Sherwen.

[Ray P]

Out on the bike for the first time in ten days this morning following a bad case of 'man flu'; just 20miles to get myself riding again. Very windy, 20+ mph headwind for the first ten miles meant it was really hard work and I even had to pedal all the way down the hills. Easier coming back though, I covered the second ten miles, after the turn point, in about 26minutes (an average speed of 23mph compared with an average of about 13mph on the way out. I seem to be in reasonable shape.

[IslandPink]

Good effort and glad you got over the cold. I came down with something yesterday morning. Horrible sore throat and knackered. Was looking forward to getting a bit more exercise, being home this weekend, but it looks like it's not to be. Hopefully I can get over it quickly. Frankly the weather today is dreadful though - hardly fit to be outside.

[Dave the bass]

....it was really hard work and I even had to pedal all the way down the hills....

Welcome to Pfffhickseeee-world !