Todays ride

[Farawayvisions]

First trip out with Dan's Genesis Longitude. 25 miles on our favourite local loop – through a forest, along a disused railway, along the seashore and up the Hamble river. A mixture of singletrack, double track, shingle, gravel and a few miles of tarmacked road.
http://www.farawayvisions.com/genesis-l ... -thoughts/

[Mariner]

Distance = 0.9 mile.
A massive achievement.
A milestone.
An ambition achieved.
It also included 616 feet of climbing.
That’s 616 feet in 0.9 mile.
In the two years since we moved here never been able to get further than a third of the way up. The deal with myself was if I can’t make it I have to move sideways on to the SWCP and carry the bike up the earth steps to the top where I can have cake.

Today I was my way home from the gym along the prom it was blowing a hooley on the nose (headwind) absolute wrong conditions but gave it a go anyway and made it all the way to the top on a four old 29er with 3 x 9 gearing and big knobbly tyres.
The roadies have a hill climb up there once a year and you should see those guys accelerate on the hill. Perhaps I will enter next time.
Two curious things.
Why is it easier to pedal uphill with hands either side of the stem rather than on hand grips? Is there a subtle shift in C of G as it’s a very slightly longer reach?
Can anyone explain the standing to pedal technique? If I stand I move up two gears and try and stay upright while bike moves side to side but keep getting a slight pause at the bottom of a pedal stroke so there is no smooth follow through.
Is this because: a. I am crap at peddling uphill and have no technique or b. I should be using clips/toestraps/gaffer tape whatever or c. mountain bikes not meant to go up steep road hills get off and walk?
The hill itself has an interesting profile being both convex and concave so that I was definitely above my HR zone for most of it but right at the very top it eases and I was well into recovery mode by the time I stopped in the carpark so arrived barely out of breath.
Didn’t have any cake on board though so in future I shall have some for emergency use marked ‘only to be consumed in case of sudden achievement’. The real significance of this though is that my 50 miler route starts up this hill so hopefully no more walking or HAB when I start.
Next milestone up the hill with full bikepacking gear – before Christmas.

[Bearbonesnorm]

If I stand I move up two gears and try and stay upright while bike moves side to side but keep getting a slight pause at the bottom of a pedal stroke so there is no smooth follow through.

Try shifting a couple more gears to help eliminate the dead spot. Some people find if they climb seated in the granny ring + x, then a shift into the middle ring while leaving the rear in x will be okay for climbing stood.

The bike moving from side to side is good.

[Mariner]

I only go the two gears because of loss of momentum and fear of stalling.
I will try a two shift pedal some and two shift pattern next time.
Thanks.

[Gari]

So took the bike up to the ski centre today with the new cassette. Must say I am quite impressed. Took about 20 mins to swap the cassette, add the roadlink and re index the gears. Despite looking like it was a bit of a stretch, it shifted flawlessly the whole way. Only about 30k round trip, but so far so(extremely) good.

[Nevis]

616 feet in 0.9 mile....

The roadies have a hill climb up there once a year

Would that be Peak Hill?

[benp1]

Why is the bike moving side to side good?

[Mariner]

Nevis - yes. Some days I do Salcombe hill as well on the coastal path with a carry up the steps through the woods.

Benp1 - I find it a natural motion when standing and pedaling.

[Nevis]

Well done for getting up there. Not the nicest hill.

[summittoppler]

A short edit from last Sundays ride

www.youtube.com/watch?v=rl1KXqcBIkw

[Bearbonesnorm]

Why is the bike moving side to side good?

To a degree it's what naturally happens ... the foot which is trailing becomes unweighted so it doesn't try to counteract the other foot which is pushing down. Bike moving side to side is a sign of this happening.

[JohnClimber]

My first Fat 50km time trail training ride @150bpm to build up ready for a Holland World Champs Beach race in November was followed the long route home into a beach headwind.
72 miles done and my legs are feeling it tonight.

[burty]

rode up to Cannock chase via bridleways and rd ,
spent an extortionate amount of money at swinnertons , had a brew and flapjack.
then rode home 70 miles in total . and a lot lighter in the wallet

[summittoppler]

A heavy fall on my behalf after a cracking fatbike ride on the Gower:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYM2N_y8qvk

[Ian]

A heavy fall on my behalf after a cracking fatbike ride on the Gower:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYM2N_y8qvk

Oof!

Where's that on the Gower?

Need to get back down there again with the video camera - got a good idea for my next film :)

[summittoppler]

A heavy fall on my behalf after a cracking fatbike ride on the Gower:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYM2N_y8qvk

Oof!

Where's that on the Gower?

Need to get back down there again with the video camera - got a good idea for my next film :)

It was the car park at the Gower Heritage centre. There's plenty of scope for a belting bit of filming down there, a stunning location!!

Here's the ride we did, the fall was 20 yards from the finish!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bVpiUVsSnc

[Zippy]

A heavy fall on my behalf after a cracking fatbike ride on the Gower:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYM2N_y8qvk

Ouch.

Your arm went out too - that could have been nasty!

[Ian]

When did you do that ride Jeff? I've yet to see another fat biker at the Gower but was down there two weeks ago also at the lighthouse.

[summittoppler]

When did you do that ride Jeff? I've yet to see another fat biker at the Gower but was down there two weeks ago also at the lighthouse.

It was last Saturday (19th) with Tim Swift leading it. Beautiful area for the fat bike. Would love to get some Worms Head biking on film, maybe next time. Tim's the man for that neck of the woods :)


And as for the arm going out, eek didn't realise at the time. According to Strava I hit the water at 28mph!! A serious lack of judgement on my behalf Gutted I may miss out on a couple of months of biking though, but we'll see.....

[Ian]

Yeah, it's a good ride out to Worms Head. I really fancy stopping over to bivvy on it, but I need to work out the best time to catch the tide.

[macinblack]

40 miles of single track randomness around Sherwood Forest today to start attacking the post holiday paunch.

[benp1]

Why is the bike moving side to side good?

To a degree it's what naturally happens ... the foot which is trailing becomes unweighted so it doesn't try to counteract the other foot which is pushing down. Bike moving side to side is a sign of this happening.

Mine does it when I'm trying to gurn/burn it somewhere, but I was never sure if it was good or not

The other thing I wonder is in sprint finishes, a la TDF. The amount the bike wobbles so much in the sprint finish that it looks like they do an extra 10% distance in the sprint. I know they're doing big speed, but it still doesn't look massively efficient....?

[FLV]

Last nights ride didnt happen at all.

Bit late home from work, realised it would be dark within the hour, grabbed the lights... all flat as a pancake.

Must try harder.

[slarge]

You still down in Harbury mid week Dave? There's some CX rides go out from the bike yard in leamington at 7 on a weds. A friend from work runs it and there should be some good local stuff involved.

[Ian]

Quick blast round Mortimer Forest on the fat bike last night. This is where I first started mountain biking 24 years ago. All the old bits of singletrack are still there plus a few new ones

Great fun, though I realised it might be time to swap the Mamourhs over to the Floaters as the ground was a bit slick in places.