Started off early morning with the intention of trying to connect some wooded sections with public footpaths, but the fog was so thick I decided I should minimise any time spent on the road.
Instead, I restricted myself to the three closest woods/forest areas in my local loop and worked on exploring anything I saw that looked remotely trail-like. this did reveal some nice little sections of natural singletrack - even if these did often peter out into a wooded bog - which I can use in future to extend my off-road mileage in these areas.
Managed to build this into about 35km of almost all off road.
Showing posts with label Training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Training. Show all posts
Monday, April 23, 2007
8 April 2007 Rippin' The Red Run
Return visit to Glentress Red Run with Neal and a couple of MTB newbies from the extended family.
This meant we spent some time in the morning in the skills loop which was quite useful - working up to bigger and bigger things to climb up and fall down. Picnic lunch at the Buzzard's Nest car park then Neal and I took the car down to the bottom to do the Red run.
... and what a grand time we had :)
Firstly, I managed to keep him at least in site until he topped the Buzzard's Nest again as I was at the last bit of climb up to it. Big change from last time when the first climb was a real killer for me. And the whole thing felt pretty do-able, keeping going up the long slow climbs, very few stops and only walking at the stupidly steep switchback climbs.
All of which was reflected in our times; Neal coming in at 1hr 51 min (compared with 2hrs 12 min last time) with me just SIX MINUTES BEHIND!!! at 1hr 57min (compared with 2hrs 22 min last time). It's actually hard to work out just how I managed this, but I'm putting it down to the sprint training on gym bikes, effectively a long warm up in the morning and being highly motivated to catch Neal. And maybe the egg-beater pedals. But cutting 25 minutes off was a big deal - I'm almost afraid to try it again in case it was a complete on-off fluke.
This meant we spent some time in the morning in the skills loop which was quite useful - working up to bigger and bigger things to climb up and fall down. Picnic lunch at the Buzzard's Nest car park then Neal and I took the car down to the bottom to do the Red run.
... and what a grand time we had :)
Firstly, I managed to keep him at least in site until he topped the Buzzard's Nest again as I was at the last bit of climb up to it. Big change from last time when the first climb was a real killer for me. And the whole thing felt pretty do-able, keeping going up the long slow climbs, very few stops and only walking at the stupidly steep switchback climbs.
All of which was reflected in our times; Neal coming in at 1hr 51 min (compared with 2hrs 12 min last time) with me just SIX MINUTES BEHIND!!! at 1hr 57min (compared with 2hrs 22 min last time). It's actually hard to work out just how I managed this, but I'm putting it down to the sprint training on gym bikes, effectively a long warm up in the morning and being highly motivated to catch Neal. And maybe the egg-beater pedals. But cutting 25 minutes off was a big deal - I'm almost afraid to try it again in case it was a complete on-off fluke.
Saturday, January 27, 2007
21st January 2007 Extension Exploration
A long week in London at a trade show caused an enforced break from training.
Looking for ways to a) extend my longer weekend ride and b) add in more off-road, I looked for a link between Clatto Reservoir (which I can get to from pretty much the furthest away point of my road route) and Clatto Den, which in turn would link into my series of woodland hops.
This just reminded me me of a Burt Lancaster film where he crosses the affluent LA 'burbs by swimming across the pools in garden after garden. At least that's my memory of the film ...
Anyway ... what started off looking like a path from Clatto Reservoir soon started to look more and more like a deer track - a view that was confirmed when I found the skeleton of one in the ditch at the side of the track. Some time since anything omnivorous this way trod methinks.
Eventually I crossed a barbed wire fence and carried the bike up a fairly high steep banking to get onto a very vague track which did take me round to Clatto farm and the Clatto Hill/Edensmuir Forest woods which is the furthest I ever got in my woodland hop.
My intention next time is to do this in reverse: Through Lochmuir, Kirkforthar, Drummy, and Torloisk woods - find the best link across to Clatto reservoir from there, and return by road. This should increase overall distance and off-road proportion.
Looking for ways to a) extend my longer weekend ride and b) add in more off-road, I looked for a link between Clatto Reservoir (which I can get to from pretty much the furthest away point of my road route) and Clatto Den, which in turn would link into my series of woodland hops.
This just reminded me me of a Burt Lancaster film where he crosses the affluent LA 'burbs by swimming across the pools in garden after garden. At least that's my memory of the film ...
Anyway ... what started off looking like a path from Clatto Reservoir soon started to look more and more like a deer track - a view that was confirmed when I found the skeleton of one in the ditch at the side of the track. Some time since anything omnivorous this way trod methinks.
Eventually I crossed a barbed wire fence and carried the bike up a fairly high steep banking to get onto a very vague track which did take me round to Clatto farm and the Clatto Hill/Edensmuir Forest woods which is the furthest I ever got in my woodland hop.
My intention next time is to do this in reverse: Through Lochmuir, Kirkforthar, Drummy, and Torloisk woods - find the best link across to Clatto reservoir from there, and return by road. This should increase overall distance and off-road proportion.
Saturday, January 06, 2007
New Year, New Focus
Now we're in 2007, we start to have some real objectives, dates to work towards that are measurable in weeks rather than months or years.
The first mtb marathon we plan to do is 13th May - so we're talking about making a decent fist of 100km off road in 5 months. Sounds like a long time, but with 2 or (rarely) 3 training opps a week it doesn't feel like long.
Right now, a long ride for me is 40km - but that's mainly on the road. I need to keep extending that distance and add in as much off-tarmac as possible.
The first mtb marathon we plan to do is 13th May - so we're talking about making a decent fist of 100km off road in 5 months. Sounds like a long time, but with 2 or (rarely) 3 training opps a week it doesn't feel like long.
Right now, a long ride for me is 40km - but that's mainly on the road. I need to keep extending that distance and add in as much off-tarmac as possible.
Thursday, January 04, 2007
3rd January 2007 Kinross the Long Way
It was my Mum's birthday today so I came up with the genius idea of takig her present by bike - and to avoid the main road by going round the north side of the Lomond hills to get to Kinross via Falkland and Strathmiglo.
Most of this was pleasant enough, except for the long, long climb from Strathmiglo round West Lomond. Did I mention it was long? And into a very, very strong wind with gusts that almost stopped me in my tracks if I was crawling up an especially steep bit.
So by the time I got to Kinross and refuelled on Xmas cake and black bun, I took the shorter but busier route back. Still very windy with a few decent climbs, so not a cop out by any stretch.
Longest distance I've done in a day, longest time in saddle, etc. Not sure how to factor in the break in the middle. Yes it was recovery time, but also seizing up time so it worked both for and against me.
Part 1: 29km, 2hrs 15min
Part 2: 19km, 1hr 30min
Total: 48km, 3hrs 45min.
Most of this was pleasant enough, except for the long, long climb from Strathmiglo round West Lomond. Did I mention it was long? And into a very, very strong wind with gusts that almost stopped me in my tracks if I was crawling up an especially steep bit.
So by the time I got to Kinross and refuelled on Xmas cake and black bun, I took the shorter but busier route back. Still very windy with a few decent climbs, so not a cop out by any stretch.
Longest distance I've done in a day, longest time in saddle, etc. Not sure how to factor in the break in the middle. Yes it was recovery time, but also seizing up time so it worked both for and against me.
Part 1: 29km, 2hrs 15min
Part 2: 19km, 1hr 30min
Total: 48km, 3hrs 45min.
29 December 2006 Glentress Red
Down to Glentress with Neal for an end-of-year ride.
It was very cold, windy and raining so we decided to do the red route (usually we mix and match different parts of Glentress) and just meet back up at the Hub, rather than have Neal keep waiting for me.
It's great how you can keep going back to places like Glentress and make it new. This time we started at the Hub rather then going up to the Buzzard's nest car park - and the Spooky Wood section was open. We seem to have been unlucky with that in the recent past and have had to follow diversions half way up the hill.
I actually caught up with him twice, which was quite gratifying, but discovered later that Neal had taken a tumble on the first bit of downhill. He was ok, but when I caught up with him at the very top of the course it turned out he had buckled his front wheel quite badly.
He'd pressed on as it was ok-ish uphill, but under the circumstances all we could do was to loosen off his v-brakes to clear the buckle. Unfortunately the first bit of Spooky Wood downhill (which I loved) made it clear he didn't have enough stopping power, so we had to teeter all the way back down on the forest tracks - especially frustrating as the stop at the top had turned us from toasty warm to absolutely freezing and now we couldn't get warm again on the way down. Salutory lesson on just how cold you can get and how quickly when you're wet.
So, a bit of a frustrating outing; Neal needs a new bike.
It was very cold, windy and raining so we decided to do the red route (usually we mix and match different parts of Glentress) and just meet back up at the Hub, rather than have Neal keep waiting for me.
It's great how you can keep going back to places like Glentress and make it new. This time we started at the Hub rather then going up to the Buzzard's nest car park - and the Spooky Wood section was open. We seem to have been unlucky with that in the recent past and have had to follow diversions half way up the hill.
I actually caught up with him twice, which was quite gratifying, but discovered later that Neal had taken a tumble on the first bit of downhill. He was ok, but when I caught up with him at the very top of the course it turned out he had buckled his front wheel quite badly.
He'd pressed on as it was ok-ish uphill, but under the circumstances all we could do was to loosen off his v-brakes to clear the buckle. Unfortunately the first bit of Spooky Wood downhill (which I loved) made it clear he didn't have enough stopping power, so we had to teeter all the way back down on the forest tracks - especially frustrating as the stop at the top had turned us from toasty warm to absolutely freezing and now we couldn't get warm again on the way down. Salutory lesson on just how cold you can get and how quickly when you're wet.
So, a bit of a frustrating outing; Neal needs a new bike.
24 December 2006 Frickin' Freezin'
Taking the chance for a last pre-Xmas ride meant a 7.30am start.
Dark, freezing temperature and dense fog.
Intention was to do something like the familiar 40km route but after a short way it was clearly not safe to be on the road in such dense freezing fog so I played around in the first lot of woods for a couple of hours. It was a chance to explore some of the side tracks that have been too soggy recently - as they were hard frozen!
Very spooky with "things" darting around in the lights in the foggy darkness.
Came back with frost in my eyebrows, frosty tyres and shoes. Brrrrrrr.
Dark, freezing temperature and dense fog.
Intention was to do something like the familiar 40km route but after a short way it was clearly not safe to be on the road in such dense freezing fog so I played around in the first lot of woods for a couple of hours. It was a chance to explore some of the side tracks that have been too soggy recently - as they were hard frozen!
Very spooky with "things" darting around in the lights in the foggy darkness.
Came back with frost in my eyebrows, frosty tyres and shoes. Brrrrrrr.
Monday, December 11, 2006
10 December 2006 Mainly Roads
When I did this route last week the computer sensor slipped for a while and I had to estimate the distance.
I repeated the route today under similarly harsh conditions (except that I started out in the dark at 7am) and discovered it had only been 34km, not the 36 or so that I had rounded up anecdotally to "nearly 40km". So I felt I had to do the honourable thing and added on an extra loop (with a big long hill) to ensure I did a full 40km.
This is certainly the time to see deer - about 7 of them in 4 groups. Funny how they don't seem so threatened by a human on a bike and wait until you're pretty close before they move on. They're obviously very perceptive about my performance and worked out that it wasn't like I was going to catch them or anything.
40km, 2hrs 40min.
I repeated the route today under similarly harsh conditions (except that I started out in the dark at 7am) and discovered it had only been 34km, not the 36 or so that I had rounded up anecdotally to "nearly 40km". So I felt I had to do the honourable thing and added on an extra loop (with a big long hill) to ensure I did a full 40km.
This is certainly the time to see deer - about 7 of them in 4 groups. Funny how they don't seem so threatened by a human on a bike and wait until you're pretty close before they move on. They're obviously very perceptive about my performance and worked out that it wasn't like I was going to catch them or anything.
40km, 2hrs 40min.
3 December 2006 Mainly Roads
Part of me thinks there should be no excuses for not maintaining training momentum for an undertaking of this magnitude ...
But life has conspired this last week or so to stop me getting out.
This was my first experience cycling in very bad weather, and it seemed mad to do it, but I reckon I have to experience and train in all kinds of weather. It's the only way to find out how stuff (including me) works under duress.
Cold and wet, wind blowing the bike off course on exposed sections - even felt the wind behind me a couple of times and I don't think that's ever happened before. Usually any forward motion is more than the prevailing wind speed so you always feel the wind in your face, but this was very strong. Had to slow down on some dowhills as the rain was stinging my face too hard.
Stayed on the road for the vast majority but it was getting dark near the end so I did the last few km through the woods with my new lights :)
34km, 2hrs 15min
But life has conspired this last week or so to stop me getting out.
This was my first experience cycling in very bad weather, and it seemed mad to do it, but I reckon I have to experience and train in all kinds of weather. It's the only way to find out how stuff (including me) works under duress.
Cold and wet, wind blowing the bike off course on exposed sections - even felt the wind behind me a couple of times and I don't think that's ever happened before. Usually any forward motion is more than the prevailing wind speed so you always feel the wind in your face, but this was very strong. Had to slow down on some dowhills as the rain was stinging my face too hard.
Stayed on the road for the vast majority but it was getting dark near the end so I did the last few km through the woods with my new lights :)
34km, 2hrs 15min
Saturday, November 11, 2006
5 November 2006 Tracks n Backroads
Late posting this, but today's riding plans got mashed so it's a chance to catch up.
Another trip round this route including the recent Clatto extra.
Ground a bit drier and firmer than before and I felt I was quite "attacking" the course. Ended up back in 2hr 30 min for the 30km which is the same as last time - except that I stopped for a few minutes to help a guy on a hybrid who had tried to pump up his back tyre but due to a valve mistmatch had only succeeded in emptying it.
Actually, I was hailed down by two impressive roadies who had already stopped. Husband and wife, both in the free bus pass age group, drop handlebars and wooly hats. They were both interested in MTBing - maintenance, weight, where to put the panniers, etc. 60 miles a day was nothing to them a while ago - they've "done Inverness in a day" apparently; about 130 miles.
Another trip round this route including the recent Clatto extra.
Ground a bit drier and firmer than before and I felt I was quite "attacking" the course. Ended up back in 2hr 30 min for the 30km which is the same as last time - except that I stopped for a few minutes to help a guy on a hybrid who had tried to pump up his back tyre but due to a valve mistmatch had only succeeded in emptying it.
Actually, I was hailed down by two impressive roadies who had already stopped. Husband and wife, both in the free bus pass age group, drop handlebars and wooly hats. They were both interested in MTBing - maintenance, weight, where to put the panniers, etc. 60 miles a day was nothing to them a while ago - they've "done Inverness in a day" apparently; about 130 miles.
Saturday, October 28, 2006
28 October 2006 Tracks n Backroads
Extended this to take in an extra bit of forest - all the way up to Clatto. This added in a long moderate uphill on the return on an unused forest track. There is also another loop of forest beyond this that can be used to extend the route further.
Very wet, lots of mud and bits of badly drained track pretending to be streams.
Felt good all the way round, rode pretty much continuously except for rain jacket on/off stops. Longest distance ridden to date.
30km, 2hr 30min.
Very wet, lots of mud and bits of badly drained track pretending to be streams.
Felt good all the way round, rode pretty much continuously except for rain jacket on/off stops. Longest distance ridden to date.
30km, 2hr 30min.
Friday, October 27, 2006
26 October 2006 Static Bike Session
No chance to go out since Sunday, back home late every night. Eventualy climbed on the exercise bike about 9.45pm.
13.8 miles, 1 hour.
13.8 miles, 1 hour.
Monday, October 23, 2006
22 October 2006 Pentlands "Killer Loop"
The killer loop from MBR magazine, but following the higher resolution Harvey's map (thank goodness - my map reading skills are soooooooo bad, we even managed to take in a whole extra hill).
Quite muddy in many places, all tough going.
23km, 5 hours.
Quite muddy in many places, all tough going.
23km, 5 hours.
Sunday, October 15, 2006
15 October 2006 Tracks n Backroads
Keen to try this route again without the downtime for mapreading and the one short dead end.
Accurate stats messed up by the computer sensor not being on for the first few minutes (presumably got knocked a mm off when the bike got washed) and then again during the trip. This time I can only think that a rocky trail section vibrated the sensor out of range.
Anyway, with a little guesstimating ... 25km in 1hr 52 minutes, almost all of it continuous. This is more like it - the minimum Merida event distance in a sensible amount of time. I did feel like I was pushing against the clock all the way.
The offroad sections were actually muddier in places than a couple of days ago, though we've had no more rain. My guess is that more water has drained into the lower areas that tend to muddyness - and then these got churned up by horses.
This is the only area I've cycled in with lots of horses being ridden - passed a live one each time out so far, plus steaming mounds of evidence everywhere on the trail. Why don't they have to clean up after themselves like dog owners?
Accurate stats messed up by the computer sensor not being on for the first few minutes (presumably got knocked a mm off when the bike got washed) and then again during the trip. This time I can only think that a rocky trail section vibrated the sensor out of range.
Anyway, with a little guesstimating ... 25km in 1hr 52 minutes, almost all of it continuous. This is more like it - the minimum Merida event distance in a sensible amount of time. I did feel like I was pushing against the clock all the way.
The offroad sections were actually muddier in places than a couple of days ago, though we've had no more rain. My guess is that more water has drained into the lower areas that tend to muddyness - and then these got churned up by horses.
This is the only area I've cycled in with lots of horses being ridden - passed a live one each time out so far, plus steaming mounds of evidence everywhere on the trail. Why don't they have to clean up after themselves like dog owners?
Thursday, October 12, 2006
12 October 2006 Tracks n Backroads
As per previous blog, I realised on the way home last night that there is a reasonably flat area to the East of here that I haven't explored - mainly because there are no decent sized areas of woodland etc within it, and no major towns that have given reason to travel into it.
On the map however, it is littered with several small areas of woodland linked together by back roads and lanes.
In practice, it proved to be a worthwhile route to add to the training mix. There are a couple of short steep hills - one a real farm lane, the other tarmac - but in general its undulating enough to keep the pedals going. First time out there was a lot of downtime to check locations and next steps on the map (a skill I must improve) and there should be scope to extend it further out as time goes by.
Must have a look at Google Maps/Earth and see if I can document any routes here - or if I have to get a separate piece of software.
27.5km
2hr 45min total time, of which 2hr 05 min actual cycling.
On the map however, it is littered with several small areas of woodland linked together by back roads and lanes.
In practice, it proved to be a worthwhile route to add to the training mix. There are a couple of short steep hills - one a real farm lane, the other tarmac - but in general its undulating enough to keep the pedals going. First time out there was a lot of downtime to check locations and next steps on the map (a skill I must improve) and there should be scope to extend it further out as time goes by.
Must have a look at Google Maps/Earth and see if I can document any routes here - or if I have to get a separate piece of software.
27.5km
2hr 45min total time, of which 2hr 05 min actual cycling.
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
8 October 2006 East Lomond
The extended loop inc Gilven fields warmup, up to the relay station, across to Craigmead and home via Leslie.
17km, 118minutes.
Upsides - faster to the relay station, faster overall.
Downsides - though technical uphill is important (and tough for me so needs work) I'm not sure this route is going to be right as a regulr "long" ride even if I extend it. I need to find a way to spend more hours in the saddle continuously.
I really don't want to ride on the road, so need to decide which nearby forest is best for longest lengths of forest track without tons of crazy hills.
17km, 118minutes.
Upsides - faster to the relay station, faster overall.
Downsides - though technical uphill is important (and tough for me so needs work) I'm not sure this route is going to be right as a regulr "long" ride even if I extend it. I need to find a way to spend more hours in the saddle continuously.
I really don't want to ride on the road, so need to decide which nearby forest is best for longest lengths of forest track without tons of crazy hills.
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
4 October 2006 East Lomond
82min, 6.1km very disappointing performance.
Still tired and sore from Sunday football and Monday kendo, but dragged myself out early as its nearly a week since I've been on the bike.
In contrast to Kirroughtree (dry trails after torrential rain) this was very wet and muddy after no real recent rain to talk about. Amazing - and depressing - just what a difference mud makes. I'm not even talking about axle deep churned mud - just a soft wet layer on most of the trail and the occasional inch or so deep mud for a few metres.
If an hour of this is so tough - how will I cope with a day (or 7) like it? :(
Reduction in grip/traction means more energy used for same distance, slower progress and the odd wavy moment in the deeper stuff.
Still tired and sore from Sunday football and Monday kendo, but dragged myself out early as its nearly a week since I've been on the bike.
In contrast to Kirroughtree (dry trails after torrential rain) this was very wet and muddy after no real recent rain to talk about. Amazing - and depressing - just what a difference mud makes. I'm not even talking about axle deep churned mud - just a soft wet layer on most of the trail and the occasional inch or so deep mud for a few metres.
If an hour of this is so tough - how will I cope with a day (or 7) like it? :(
Reduction in grip/traction means more energy used for same distance, slower progress and the odd wavy moment in the deeper stuff.
Saturday, September 30, 2006
28 September 2006 Kirroughtree
Another 7 Stanes location ticked off the list.
A happy juxtaposition of work commitments allowed me to stay overnight in Dumfries & Galloway (stayed overnight at the Ellangowan Hotel, the "Green Man" in the original The Wicker Man movie) and have an early morning session round Kirroughtree.
Kirroughtree is very nice - more mixed woodlands than is typical in our forests and although there had been torrential rain for hours the night before, the actual trails weren't at all bad. Puddles in places of course, but generally the trails had drained very quickly.
I stayed to the blue routes, partly because I'm nursing a shoulder/rib injury from kendo on Monday, but also aware of the need to work the rest of the day and therefore not maim or disfigure myself. Did all the optional loops plus the taster loop to make up a reasonable distance. This combo takes you down at least one man made section of trail a second time which is a nice chance to try and remember what's coming next.
An evening spent reading "Mountain Bike Like A Champion" didn't do any harm - especially concepts like looking ahead at where you want to go and using only peripheral vision to watch the wheel and immediate obstacles. Also looking further ahead the faster you're moving. D'oh.
14.76km, 95m total elapsed, of which 83m moving.
A happy juxtaposition of work commitments allowed me to stay overnight in Dumfries & Galloway (stayed overnight at the Ellangowan Hotel, the "Green Man" in the original The Wicker Man movie) and have an early morning session round Kirroughtree.
Kirroughtree is very nice - more mixed woodlands than is typical in our forests and although there had been torrential rain for hours the night before, the actual trails weren't at all bad. Puddles in places of course, but generally the trails had drained very quickly.
I stayed to the blue routes, partly because I'm nursing a shoulder/rib injury from kendo on Monday, but also aware of the need to work the rest of the day and therefore not maim or disfigure myself. Did all the optional loops plus the taster loop to make up a reasonable distance. This combo takes you down at least one man made section of trail a second time which is a nice chance to try and remember what's coming next.
An evening spent reading "Mountain Bike Like A Champion" didn't do any harm - especially concepts like looking ahead at where you want to go and using only peripheral vision to watch the wheel and immediate obstacles. Also looking further ahead the faster you're moving. D'oh.
14.76km, 95m total elapsed, of which 83m moving.
Sunday, September 24, 2006
23 September 2006 Traquair Cross Country
Neil and I on the 7 Stanes XC course at Traquair, near Innerleithen
20km, 600m climbing, graded mainly red with some black.
5 hours total.
Upsides - 5 hour session is a good endurance build.
We're closer in fitness than the last time we did this route. That time I hardly saw Neal at all, this time he still climbs faster (higher gear) and longer than I do, but not so markedly ... and I do the downhills faster. Dunno how much that is recent practice, how much new bike.
Downsides - the number of riders who passed us, though most of these in the first half so we suspect they were only going up to do the downhill.
Both getting cramp towards end.
Spill count - Neal 3, me 1.
20km, 600m climbing, graded mainly red with some black.
5 hours total.
Upsides - 5 hour session is a good endurance build.
We're closer in fitness than the last time we did this route. That time I hardly saw Neal at all, this time he still climbs faster (higher gear) and longer than I do, but not so markedly ... and I do the downhills faster. Dunno how much that is recent practice, how much new bike.
Downsides - the number of riders who passed us, though most of these in the first half so we suspect they were only going up to do the downhill.
Both getting cramp towards end.
Spill count - Neal 3, me 1.
Sunday, September 17, 2006
16 September 2006 East Lomond
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.
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.
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