Gradually extending this course.
Added a few minutes flat warmup through GilvenBank Fields, then up to Coul and through the edge of the woods to Pitcairn.
Turned right at the top of the forest and picked up the path to the relay station.
Aha - technical uphill. Bad combination, much work needed in this area.
Before hitting this section, I was something like 45min elapsed time, 39min actual pedalling. By the time I reached the relay station this had become 75/45 or something stupid like that.
Mainly because of my rule that says if I should (theoretically, ultimately) be able to ride something, I won't push up it. I think it's the only wau I can get an accurate impression of progress on routes like this one.
So this was half an hour of finding it difficult to get going in a low gear on loose ground uphill, managing to ride a few feet then coming off again. But I got there, then cycled round the side of East Lomond (I'll leave the actual summit section for later) to Craigmead, then back on road to Leslie, then paths via Whinnyknowe and Foresters Lodge to home.
Overall times weren't helped by taking a wee tour of the limekiln remains rather than catch up with a walking family on a steep/narrow section ahead. Interesting also how what used to be (er, up to 10 years ago) very sharp rocky twintracks are now almost completely covered by a layer of hard packed green.
Lessons learned:
1) get in the right gear at the start of steep climbs - or learn how to/get a bike that can gearshift under load.
2) drink more. One problem with the hydration bladder is that it's hard to monitor how much you're drinking. Need to develop a feel for how much each drink is using.
Suffering: Cardiovascular, side of knees, tops of thighs - all in climbing.
17km, 135m elapsed, 90 actual.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment