after 4 weeks of little riding I got the time to get out on the bike.
Misty in the morning but on approach to the crow it was burning off ….
Huff and puff sweating in the rapha team jacket …..
Peachy at the top then quick burn home and pick up kids for parties and training and events and friends etc bland etc.
What a day – the forecast was grim but the weather was grimmer. Registered the day before Saturday and it was pretty nice
Went to friends 40min away to stay the night, had a nice meal a glass or two of red and then bed by 10:30am. Alarm at 4:40am shower quick bite then drive back to Pitlochry and the start. 
a train of cars arriving with bikes to park and this was at 5:45am – the last starts were at 8am. On the bike £2 in my hand to buy a quick coffee. Bumped into 2 friends as my wave was called – they were also starting but are so quick I knew i wouldn’t see them again – and I didn’t until after the finish. Boom off went – the weather was grim and I think that after 10 miles my hands and feet were frozen – and least I wouldn’t feel their complaints of ache although it made trying to drink water or eat quite difficult. 
I worked in with a large group and it all went well – the KOM climb split the group and I found myself at the top of the mountain cycling into a 20knot head wind and rain by myself unable to catch the faster group in front.
Eventually 6 of us got together and worked until we caught back up at the bottom of the climb. (the sticky out bit bottom left on map) then the turn home. 2 abreast down single track roads and everyone cautious in the wet and rain. I had to stow the glasses as I couldn’t see through them which meant that my face was showered by rain spray and grit from the road. Road widen and group relaxes and Bammm the crunch of carbon as 5 or 6 riders fall. I get hemmed in behind – everyone alright apart form bruised egos … but the group is gone and again there are 8 of us playing catch up although the others are bust so just 3 of us taking turns to drag. Get to the last wee hill and kick and look at my time 3h45min – I could break 4 hours I reckon. So pedal harder and realise my right shifter has actually worked loose but my hands have been so cold I hadn’t realised it … this last section has a lot of wee rises so working the gears more with loose shifter …. last corner and finish line in sight. Over the line celebrate ease forward and realise my gps still running 4H01 but did I take it. Get back to car and official eTap text arrives congrats 
Hooray only 1min 40sec slower than last year and that was in good weather. 
the Bike as ever was flawless
Well I entered the eTape Pennines as a way into the eTape Caledonia which is always oversubscribed – tickets are never available but i like many others entered the double just to get a place. I loved the Scottish event and was looking forward to this one but it is a very different race.
Event Summary
The Marie Curie Cancer Care Etape Pennines, England’s first closed road sportive, quickly established itself as one of the toughest sportives in the UK following its debut in 2012. Starting and finishing in County Durham, the 60 mile course takes riders through the ruggedly undulating North East scenery.
With over 2,000 metres of climbing to overcome, it’s certainly a challenging ride, but with panoramic views and speedy downhill sections to look forward to, your hard work is duly rewarded. Cycling Plus took part in the 2012 event and said “Beautiful but brutal, the Etape Pennines has the makings of a classic”.
Located in a busy market town, Barnard Castle provides the dramatic backdrop for the start of this year’s Marie Curie Cancer Care Etape Pennines. Upon setting off, riders will soon find themselves riding through the stunning rolling countryside at Middleton in Teesdale, which will warm the legs nicely in preparation for the challenging section which awaits.
Following the completion of this uphill section you will be rewarded with a thrilling downhill section into St John’s Chapel. Use this descent as an opportunity to catch your breath and rest your legs, as before long you will be in scaling yet more climbs in Blanchland, home of the iconic moorland Etape Pennines has become renowned for.
From here you drop down Crawleyside Bank into the town of Stanhope and then climb to the top of Bollihope Common where you will be rewarded with breathtaking views across the dales before going back down to Egglestone and into Barnard Castle to collect your medal.
Well the ride down was good and we watched the weather with a keen eye as the earlier in the week forecasts of torrential stormy armageddon gave way to the possibility of a nice even sunny ride. Organisationally it was quite good – the big bugbear being the parking. We turned up in the camper only to be turned away and told that it opened at 4:30am. So we drove around looking for camper parking and not finding any and had to spend the night in an industrial estate with some chavs playing dance music and kicking a football around post pub kick out until 2am ….. aaargh not what i needed when we were going to be up at 5am.
Then it was race time
Unlike the eTape Caledonia there was nobody in the ride to work with – well maybe the early group had a peleton but our later start certainly didn’t ….. and I think the course although shortened seems to have been shortened at the expense of flat sections where a group might start working together. For the first part of the ride, my friend Jim and I seemed to be pulling along 2 or 3 other guys who either hadn’t cycled in groups before or had not worried about the etiquette of sharing.
I found the route quite brutal in that it was impossible for me to build up a proper rhythm – it seems to be difficult up and then steep down for most of the race. The bonus being that I hit a top speed of over 52 mph which is a max for me.
slight difference in top speed between the sites – so best go with the higher one then.
We managed to lose tom at the start of a KOM section, but we knew he might fall back. But a sudden section that lurched left and up which was damp (or some say had spilt diesel) meant i wheel spun and had to step off on the 20%+ slope walk up 20 foot and get back on. Jim in the meantime had gone on so when i got to the first pit stop i stopped hoping he would be there. He wasn’t so I quickly got a refill – the sun was out and already 20 degrees, and then started going again.
It was on a long climb as i crested that i suddenly found myself catching up so we had only been separated for 5 miles or so. We cycled the rest of the way together (we are pretty evenly matched – he ascends and descends faster and i was better on the less steep gradients)
At the very end 10 miles from the finish he stopped to fill a bottle so i carried on thinking he would catch up …. but he never closed the distance and finished a paltry 1m40s behind me. Tom at this stage was still 10 miles out ….
the stats for the KOM and a sprint section (but why place it right after a climb??)
and a bad photo I haven’t bought
So would we do it again? well maybe
I have 2 already but that doesn’t stop me wanting some twisty ones …
While Supplies last, 2013 Pro models, which will be undergoing performance enhancements for 2014, will be specially priced for model year close outs. Once a size is sold out, it will be removed from the available list in each dropdown.
Brilliant but you cant fool your legs if they dont have the miles in them
Join Graeme Obree on this friendly sportive weekend that is becoming a firm favourite of cycling enthusiasts across Scotland. The sportive course was chosen by Graeme and travels through a selection of roads which inspired him to get on his bike as a youth. There is a 10 mile family cycle on Saturday 3rd August with 48 and 68 mile sportive on Sunday 4th August.
The Graeme Obree Ayrshire Sportive Event Information
This will be the third year of the event and hopefully we can continue to grow the sportive and enable more cyclists to enjoy the spectacular, cycling friendly roads of Ayrshire. The Graeme Obree Ayrshire Sportive has established a reputation as a high quality event for cyclists looking to enjoy a challenging sportive event. The Graeme Obree Sportive is held some of Ayrshire’s rugged and beautiful countryside and benefits from sections run on the rural road network with light traffic. The course was chosen by Graeme and travels through a selection of roads which inspired him to get on his bike as a youth, a journey which eventually saw his rise to fame when he claimed the UCI World Hour record. Starting and finishing at Auchincruive SAC, the sportive infrastructure is comprehensive with full event signage, marshals, motorcycle escorts and police employed to assist the crossings at busy roads. Once the routes travel into the more remote locations the traffic is normally pretty light allowing cyclist to make the most and take the most from their sportive experience.
Date: Sunday 4th August 2013
Event location: Start & Finish at Auchincruive SAC, Ayr, KA6 5HW
Starting at Auchincruive the route heads south then south east looping out via Crosshill to Straiton. At Straition the route heads up over the Ayrshire moorland towards Dalmellington before routing back to Auchincruive SAC . This route has over 3000 feet of climbing across undulating terrain.
Click to view the 48 mile route:
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/2155980
Starting at Auchincruive and a challenge for the strongest riders with undulating, energy sapping roads and in excess of 5000 ft of climbing. Heading south via Crosshill, before tackling the climb of the Nick O’ The Balloch, followed by a long descent into Straiton. The route rejoins with the 48 mile route here going to Dalmellington, before turning north west and back towards Ayr.
Click to view the 68 mile route:
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/2155845
Felt so good to be out on the bike again.
Had to wait in for a delivery (that is still not here) Really wanted to be outside rather than on my turbo trainer in the hall.
Nothing like getting out for a sneaky ride. Girls to school 9am on the bike and departed by 10am back by 2pm girls form school at 3pm.
it was a bit of a lst minute arrangement and just goes to show in this modern life how many people can sneak off during the day. I am still far from fitness of last september but legs getting better all the time.
Got dropped up the crow by allen but clawed back to 2nd man up after half way … celebrated with much needed pee at top (unnecessary carry of 500g at least) and then the food of kings (kongs)
Back to milngavie and saw allen and tried my CARL SAGAN wheelie past the camera look but …. FAIL … dropped too soon. Campsies and crow in the background
Been a very slow start to the year on the bike and all downhill since my MTB race in january. Need to fit in a lot more riding – just have to get into a new schedule.
My ride up the Crow was marred by lack of fuel (skipped lunch and just headed off – rescued post bonk by newsagent sandwich, coke, and choc croissant) Hectic wind that increased throughout the ride – in the face for my return.
So turbo trainer tonight i think
Winter weight
Never weighed the bike but just done so ….
8kg 17.2lbs … ish
I could lose that weight myself to really make it go …
Part one of the bike cave completed – plasterboard wall a complete pain – 3 expanders just ripped straight out
Headed out this morning with the meetup road cycling crew and headed up to campsies and up the Crow Road. Nice banter – Paul joined us for the first time in 5 months – confessed to smoking 30 a day again and immediately was off the tail. On the 3rd stop he caught up and said ‘on ya go’ so we did.
Other Paul stormed up the Crow – I was 300m behind and tried to catch him on climb and by the end didnt even see him until the car park at the top ….
So nice to get out on the bike – was using my new rapha gear today – so well made and put together – I think I could become a fan.
Came back and went to the lovely Siempre Bike Cafe for a post ride coffee and soup … lovely
http://app.strava.com/rides/18016079#
Above is the link I did to a ride with the meetup crew this Sunday past …. We caught a ferry to Gourock and crossed over on the ferry to the Cowal peninsula. There were 10 of us saying yay to the ride although the statement that it was going to be a hard and hilly 100km ride meant some meetup members opted instead for the easy ride along the Clyde that someone else organised. It was my first ride in this part of the world and it was great to catch a ferry over – it really makes it a special type of ride one with a more travel aspect to it.
The ride started fine – just a grumble or two about missing coffees then we hit the first hill. Was shocked to see the gradient on the garmin shoot up to 20%slope – I was grinding my lowest gear and really just holding on. Luckily the slope was not over long and it eased back to 12% before long. The road carried on its undulating way and then we hit Bealach an Drain – a climb which the organiser which said was vomit inducing … And it was. Some others had edged forward already but I decided to train on the climb and gradually picked them off one by one. Only 3.5 kilometres but had edged ahead by the end of the climb and looking on strava I see I made the top 10 – well at least amongst the very few that upload their files.
Inspired by the Olympics we posed for our Bolt moment – and then trundled on.
After about 40km we stopped at a nice spot for lunch – normally I eat a bar on the move and just press on …. Tis luxury meant I opted for a nice sit down soup Cullen Skink – a traditional dish in these parts.
Then we pressed on – I added a section on strava – the fox and the hounds as it starts on a super descent 75kmh and then levels off to a good chase. Two of the chaps had pressed ahead working well together taking turns to push the pace – but iggy caught up with me and we worked really hard together to fetch them back although it took about 4km to reel in the 200m lead they had.
Finished the ride in a bunch ambled into the village at the ferry and demolished the drink and sweets counter of the local shop. Then a ferry and a train home …. That seat felt so comfy – I might have nodded off ……
the ti bike should look classic … mine does not with lots of white bits … it is only cosmetic and it is only colour but it is going to get changed.
So natural seat post stem and new bar tape on order as well as a new saddle …. here is a review from bicycle magazine
Selle San Marco Regal Titanium
Despite all the changes, all the improvements, all the new technology that has come to cycling in the past 18 years, it’s hard to get high-mileage riders to switch saddles. Which is strange when you consider the response you’d get if you asked the same riders to use most other 20-year old parts. Like, say, friction shifters. Look around on a club ride. There are plenty of riders running discontinued saddle designs. Flites, Turbomatics, Concor Lights, etc are all around. This seeming trend is a full-fledged movement at the pro level. Despite money changing hands, many, many pros get their old saddles re-covered with fresh leather every year, usually in a top that matches the saddle sponsors covering.
This is easily the worst kept secret of the pro peloton. Lance Armstrong rode a Selle San Marco Concor Light shell during his entire tenure on the US Postal/Discovery Team. At first, this was ok, as Selle San Marco was paying Postal to ride the Aspide model saddle. But later, the team rode Bontrager saddles, and Armstrong wasn’t alone in getting Bontrager covers on favorite seats; others were riding the Regal. During his brief tenure on Discovery, Ivan Basso rode a Selle Italia Flite. Jan Ullrich sported a Selle Italia Turbomatic his entire racing career, though he did occasionally ride lighter saddles for time trials. Alberto Contador is riding a Concor Light today, even though his Astana team is paid to ride Bontrager saddles.
Selle San Marco’s Regal Titanium saddle, the subject of this review, is a design that has been gracing bikes for almost 20 years. A similar saddle appeared on Greg LeMond’s racing bikes in 1989 (same shape, copper “staples”), and a copper-riveted Regal graced his 1990 “Greg LeMond” bicycles.
The saddle was a Tour-winner nearly 20 years ago.
It’s a classics winner today. Just this year, Stijn Devolder rode a Regal covered in black leather to victory at the Ronde Van Vlaanderen and his teammate, Tom Boonen, rode one covered in powdery white to victory at Paris-Roubaix. Both are sponsored by Specialized and the team’s “official” saddle is a Specialized Toup�. Sprinter Robbie McEwen’s Silence-Lotto team is sponsored by Selle San Marco, so he rides a white Regal with huge Selle San Marco graphics on it. All of these riders conceivably started their racing careers on the Regal and have just taken them wherever they’ve gone.
Like Boonen, we chose a saddle covered in white. It isn’t so much that it matches our brake hoods and handlebar tape, but more that black saddles don’t move us. Maybe we have so integrated PRO ideas into our worldview that nothing else seems right.
The funny thing about saddles is that a saddle isn’t really a seat when you’re riding hard. That’s why we can “sit” on such narrow, thinly-padded contraptions to begin with. The saddle is really a place-holder, a brace, when you’re riding hard. If you don’t like sweating and are riding in a spin-class, a soft, wide saddle with three inches of padding is comfy, but when you have to dig into the pedals and hammer, that cush causes pain. The plush foam compresses and springs back on each down stroke and you’re butt is sliding back or forward seeking out a stable position.
We don’t know why it’s so hard to switch. A conceivable reason for the working stiff rider is that you have the same saddle on all your bikes, and changing one saddle will necessitate switching all the saddles. Admittedly, this is our biggest saddle issue; we have Flites on four bikes and like knowing the saddle is the same wherever we swing a leg over a top tube.
While Selle San Marco doesn’t seem to know why the old saddle designs remain popular, either, they have finally decided to stop fighting the trend and are embracing it. They’ve got a vintage line that includes not only the Regal Ti, but the Regal, the Concor Light, the Concor, and even the Rolls. Sadly, they don’t apply their S.I.Z.E. (Superficle Ideale per la Zona Ergonomica) system for determining the right saddle for each body to the Collezione Classics. .
This retro saddle is not only an old design, but harkens back to even older designs; the saddles that were nothing more than tough leather stretched over saddle rails. We guess that an ass just knows what comforts it.
The first thing to know about the Regal Ti is the weight. It tipped our scale at 287g. This makes it a bit heavy, though not a tank. Many saddles are in the 200-230g range, so we’re only adding 2-3 ounces over what we consider the “average” weight of a saddle. To us, a “tank” of a saddle is another 2-3 ounces heavier.
While weight is something, it’s hardly everything. If you’ve ever had a saddle that doesn’t agree with your body, you know what we mean. An uncomfortable saddle can ruin every ride. And with bikes getting lighter and lighter, most are willing to sacrifice a few ounces for all-day comfort.
In terms of saddle dimensions, the Regal is a bit wider than many saddles we’ve seen.It’s also among the longest that SSM produces. The width is 147mm at the tail and 280mm long. San Marco’s Aspide line has widths of 130mm and lengths of 276-278mm. The Era K of 125mm wide and 272mm long. But width isn’t everything.
The nose of the Regal starts at 34mm and widens to 76mm before it starts to flare. In contrast, our Flite starts at 34mm and widens to 67mm before it starts to flare. The Flite is 20mm longer, but the flare starts at about the same point, 180mm from the nose.
While the top of the saddle isn’t entirely flat, it’s a bit flatter than we’re used to. We figured that some of our own saddle’s curve could be sag, drooping from use. Concerned about this difference, we called San Marco. They say that a “broken in” saddle will have a little more curve than a new one and breaking in process should take about 200 miles. While we can’t profess to notice any break-in or able to measure any greater sag, it did take us three rides to get used to the saddle. It is firmer than what we’re used to riding, both because there’s less padding and because the shell is stiffer. As many can attest, a greater contact area supports weight better. .
We can see how the stiffer, wider saddle has appeal as it flexes less than many lighter saddles. We felt like our body was glued to the middle of the saddle when we were sitting on it, we neither slid forward when hammering on the flats nor back when we were powering up climbs. The feeling of having a “back stop” to push against added comfort and maybe a little power for the in the saddle, high-power, low-cadence moments that occur when you’re over geared.
After over 1,000 miles logged, we think we’ve gotten a good taste of what the Regal is about. We definitely like how firm it feels when riding hard, though there have been some moments when it feels too firm. Aesthetically, our saddle seemed to get what appeared to be a case of chicken pox after we rode it in the rain three days straight. Selle San Marco recommended washing with soap and water, but that didn’t seem to get out the spots. They seem to be of a bluish hue, as if our blue shorts rubbed off on the white. We’re probably the only ones who notice.
When it comes to saddles, comfort is the best performance enhancer. We wouldn’t care if this design was debuted this year, or before we’re born. It works.
According to the keepers of the cog …. http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/
Rule #5// Harden The Fuck Up.
Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
Fair-weather riding is a luxury reserved for Sunday afternoons and wide boulevards. Those who ride in foul weather – be it cold, wet, or inordinately hot – are members of a special club of riders who, on the morning of a big ride, pull back the curtain to check the weather and, upon seeing rain falling from the skies, allow a wry smile to spread across their face. This is a rider who loves the work.
————
Today applied – it has been housing down and it was a bit like this picture … in fact just checked stats and 9.8mm of rain fell today ….
but without the friends the sun and the visibility …
So set off for the campsies and had the fortune of turning right as a monsoonic (I lay claim to this adjective) thunderstorm opened up. Wind was up in these heavier than normal showers so a bit of a balance sometimes staying upright … hit the crow road and had intended to do the crow road and tai-ma-doon of the other day but judging by the water in the river I knew the fjord at Tak would be thigh deep and my bike didn’t need a wash that bad.
Wasn’t pushing very hard – up the crow was studying the other side of the road for my descent – don’t want to twat myself so close to the austrian holiday …
Heart Rate was steady and never really went very high even on the ascent when i could have pushed a bit harder. Barely glanced at the Polar as I could hardly see my hand on the bar by the time I got to the hill.
Descent was a spray fest so kept it smooth and easy although I think I must have hit the 65kmh max at some smooth point on that descent.
Still a great day out though – came back to the house and stripped at the back door as I was dripping everywhere – I think my rain cape had kept me dry for all of the first 7minutes of the ride …. but what it did do was keep me from getting too cold in the wind so was glad I had it on.
Only crap part of the ride was the arseholes in cars that went past inches away – I had purposely kept my rear light on blink to give a bit of warning but the drivers in Scotland were obviously mourning the lack of summer and were intent on a bit of murder …. as i say arseholes …
Did you HTFU (see rule 5) at any point this week?
What a strange weekend. It was supposed to be a non cycling weekend as we were heading up to see friends in Perthshire. I was due to go for a 3hr ridge walk with my pal followed by a drive to the coast and a lazy day at the beach Sunday.
Then quite near the house the car breaks down – fuel issues with our auto everything German blitzer. So Jolene and the girls get picked up by our pals following then I head back to glasgow with the breakdown service. But I am missing the dinner party with friends. Quick check on ridewithgps and I plot a route and think 100km – that must be 4hrs….
Should remember
1. Check elevation profile – it isn’t flat
2. My previous longest ride was 90km
3. It was already 4pm
4. I packed no lights save on rear blinky (as it is summer)
5. I am carrying camelbak with change of clothes … Heavier
First tester is the crow road – this is a bit of a fabled climbers road – it is only a class 3 climb according the cyclist guide but long enough as a starter hill. Started the hill with a chap called Alwyn – had a good chat on the way over – although at 12% climb the chat lessened and the breathing deepened.
Then dropped into fintry and I knew I had to take a right – did this and cycled for half an hour before I saw a sign and though ‘sh*t carton valley is not on the route’
So 25+km that went nowhere. Got back to fintry and got on right road up to Callander – this was the best part with really smooth Tarmac. Got caught up by a cyclist on a Dolan bike who rolled with me a while – he was an ex pro who used to race in europe. He was slightly older but you could see his physique was toned still and watching his pedalling and the way he negotiated tight corners over very rough tarmac made me realise that this was someone who had countless thousands of miles under his arse ….
Had to say a quick goodbye when I realised I hadn’t really had lunch so stopped for a mars bar and roll of wine gums at a garage that was just about to close and he carried on his speedy way.
As I rolled into Callander I realised I wasn’t sure of the route and my phone was dead. Saw a sign for the youth hostel and a bike hire sign and thought that I would a quick spot check. Walked in the door to a cheer as I realised this 35+ hen party of drunken girls wasn’t really where I wanted to be. Eventually I borrowed a road map – worked out the route and headed off on the right road with light fading. Loch lubnaig was bwautiful lots of people camping along the loch buy ha to cycle with mouth closed as loads of midgies ready to swarm into my mouth – was thankful for my glasses as one of the nippers could have easily eaten through my eyeball.
The last stretch alongside loch earn was 13 miles into the wind and after 100+ km was not the thing I wanted to be doing.
Pulled into Comrie at 9:30pm to my friend and wife on the bridge waiting for me. Apologies for being late and missing the dinner were all I could muster before hitting the showers…. And then warm ish lasagne for dinner and after burning 3800calories I thought a second slice wouldn’t be too naughty. A few glances of wine and midnight was there – I did sleep well.
sunday was more pathetic on the cycling front – went with all the kids to hunt toad tadpoles and then tried to teach the other adults how to skim stones across the river.
The only riding i did was my ride 30km down to Dunblane to catch a train back to glasgow. This morning I feel fine – it doesn’t feel like I had 6 hours in the saddle.
How was your weekend?
Out to the father in laws for a summer BBQ today so I chose to cycle. Was trying to do a route out west then up to Loch Lomond then around over the back of Helensburgh to his house … got lost somewhere in Dunbarton and then just headed on west with all the cars.
Glasgow to Inverness
Passing through two National Parks – Loch Lomond & The Trossachs and Cairngorms, the Lochs & Glens (North) cycle route takes the cyclist through some of the most stunning scenery on the National Cycle Network. The route leaves Glasgow by following the River Clyde to Dumbarton and then heads to Inverness via Abefoyle, Callander, Killin, Pitlochry, Kingussie, Aviemore and Carrbridge. Highlights include the Glen Ogle viaduct on the railway path between Lochearnhead and Killin.
Every time I ride the Lynskey Cooper like today on a mixture of canal path gravel or potholed tar I am amazed how smooth it is ….
My time was quite quick as managed to beat the wife in the car who went to pick up my daughter then got stuck in traffic on the way out …..
Sunday morning and the day breaks just as the weather app told me it would … bright but cold. So a quick dress and a scoffing down of some raw oats and I cycle down to the station to get the train that connects to the ferry to Brodick on the Isle of Arran. Arran is a bit of a mecca for cyclists, walkers, twitchers and climbers. This being a bank holiday it was busier than normal with about 30 bikes on the early ferry crossing over.
Last time I came down here I was very tired and slept most of the way on the train … but this time was bushy tailed and felt that the journey was a tad long. The problem with having only the space in my back pockets for things, so alas no reading material.
Departing the ferry it is a simple case of hang a left and keep the sea on that side of you for a clockwise circuit of the island.
Some cyclists opt for the road straight over the hill to Blackwaterfoot but I opted for the slightly longer route that takes you past Holy Isle.
onwards pushing to the south looking at some menacing clouds on the Kintyre peninsula that never came my way until I got to Blackwaterfoot and caught up with some of those cyclists that had taken the shorter route. The roads on Arran are a mixed affair … some sections including the extra south loop are actually pretty crappy in places.
Up the west coast is great – generally the wind is from the west or SW so this section is pretty quick – cruised up here at close to 30km/h.
The next good place to stop os Lochranza for a pic of the castle / a bite to eat / a trip to distillery or perhaps all 3 …. I did the castle as i wasn’t really hungry despite it being 2pm so started the climb out of Lochranza …. this is a pretty nice climb – I was in my lowest gear for the bottom but then was able to shift up a gear or two as the incline lessened and the two riders in front egged me on to passing mode.
Over the top the section os very rough then suddenly ‘sublime city’ there is brand new tarmac and the loveliest of sweeping descents that is buttery smooth and allows you to really fly … I hit 64.3kmh on this section which was very sweet …. not sure of the incline degrees but probably could only get a tad more next time. Not quite as steep as the one hill I hit in Shetland on the steel pinarello ….
then finally into brodick after 90km and 3h28? (26kmh average so something to aim for on my next attempt.)
I had missed the 2pm ferry so went to Bilsland the outdoor shop and sat down and ate a massive steak pie … the things that become fantastic after burning 2000+ calories (2239 according to Polar and 3000 on the Garmin)
Then the ferry home chatting to a lovely man who at 74 was burning around on his Flying Scot.
It hadn’t started out to well – I had pulled my calf last week doing hill repeats and it didn’t seem to clear up – it was niggling and I had avoided running for a whole week … did a slow 5km yesterday just to feel it and it was painful. I had doubts as to whether it might make me pull out of the race so it was weighing on my mind.
Last nights sleep was also pretty awful woke up 3 times with the kids and nightmares then the youngest stomped in a 6am in far from the best mood … so I did what any sensible person would do and I went downstairs for a leisurely porridge and honey breakfast.
Picked up Steven my brother in law at 7:40am then headed down to Ayr for the Duathlon … we arrived pretty early and registered looking out at the clear blue sky and the fact the air temp was only 6 degrees C. there was a fair share of TRI bike – saw at least 3 Cervelo P3’s and other TRI bikes. Also glad to see another plain ti Racer like mine … (a van nicholas but any ti bride is good)
I decided to do the whole race wearing running tights (the compression i figured would help my calf) and a long sleeve cycling top. A pretty relaxed briefing then we were off …. a short run around the school where the run was based and then off to the coast road – a dirt track with its fair share of potholes. It is an out and back run so by the half way point the leaders were already 500m ahead.
By transition I had my first attempt at doing transitions on my Polar RCX5 (which allows you to change sport in the same workout which is great and it also allows you to export separate gps .gpx files for each part) By the time I had my bike shoes on and was gulping down a gel Steven was also in transition. I left about 20 seconds in front of him and then looked down to see that i hadn’t restarted the watch – so add 30 sec and 300 metres to the time on this leg.
The ride was great – although I think the boys and girls on their all carbon TRI bikes must have queried their decision as the road was pretty tatty and the route was quite hilly. You could definitely hear them as the carbon rattled over every bump and hole … I could see sense in an aero machine on a flat well surfaced road but South Ayrshire obviously hasn’t spent money on resurfacing in years and they must have flt every bump. There were a couple of uphills where I stood to climb as the lack of padding despite the lovely ti frame was very much felt.
There were great views and lovely sweep descents and the car drivers were passing very carefully which was great. At one stage I was getting a bit tired but sucked down another gel and then some water (they sure are gloopy) but then suddenly I was back at transition.
2nd transition was quick although my legs felt like they belonged to someone else.
Second run was identical and after exiting I got to see the first person storming down the hill to the finish – so a 18min lead over what I would do. There is a little hill just in the first km and I was struggling … but after that first km I felt steady although my calf was pulling so just kept up with my pace. After the turn around i was heading back and saw Steven again about a km behind me. Had a mid road high 5 that nearly took me off my feet and then was aiming for the guy in front but could make no gain on him.
finished feeling good – just really happy that calf felt no worse … chatted briefly to chap in from then just waited for Steven … Watched a guy come in that was at least 60 and looked in better shape than I have ever been in my life and then another man just behind Steven that must have been at least 70 …. really inspiring.
So my first Duathlon finished and i loved it … big shout out to the Marshals who did a great job and the organisers …. I will be be back hopefully with a good calf and a better transition strategy.
Went for a great ride today through Orkney – last night I mapped this ride out http://ridewithgps.com/routes/1070843 and although it was slightly different it was a great ride. HERE IS THE RIDE Went east past the airport then swung south narrowly avoiding a massive pissing cloud then down over the barriers to south ronaldsay. Popped in past the Italian chapel http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=italian+chapel&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&client=safari which I filmed in years ago … Most of the times I was dodging the rain having forgotten to buy a rain cape for roadie work – there is nothing worse than doing miles wearing an impossible heavy jacket ….
2 hours, 3 piss stops and 54km later got back a bit wet and a bit cold. Still better than nothing … Any ride beats no ride ….
Kite*Surf*Bike*Rambling 