One of the principles of training is that you set out with goals and targets, nth degree planning and a state of the art carbon machine.
Then you have the bear on a tricycle method.
So no carbon as my rear derailleur has gone. Four years of abuse have taken their toll on the gear changer so it was in the bike shop for repair.
That was OK, after all I have my commuter bike. The bike that is six kg heavier, has mudguards on, a ratio for climbing rather than for speed and a bike that I generally have ridden 15 miles in one ride on.
But it would be fine.
Anndddd route planning. Most cyclists go to great lengths to find out wind direction speed, radar maps for which way the weather is coming in from, up-to-date traffic info…me? Sometimes, I shut my eyes and point in a vague direction. While others have point by point directions coming out of their bike computers, I generally reckon that I will know roughly which direction I’m heading in so know roughly which way to return. Besides which, if I get lost…which has happened occasionally, then I had my phone on me to point me back the right way…until I take a wrong turn again.
So I thought sort of Hounslow way, a twenty miler. Hour and a half tops.
Two and a half hours later I returned. It wasn’t my fault, much. It was the damned bike. While the carbon may have struggled in the cross and head wind, the doughty commuter piled its way through the isobars.
As I approached the London Road, the plan was to turn left and head for Hounslow. Instead I went straight over and up pass Syon Park station and over the A4. Comfortable on the bike, we passed over the M4. Why I didn’t then head towards Southall? It was that damned bike. To my surprise, it was very comfortable to ride, pacey and responsive to my needs. Don’t get me wrong, once the carbon is back, it’s going to be back in action, but the commuter was amazing.
Anyway up to Greenford then back down through Harlington to Heathrow. Now, here was where I head back home right? Wrooonnnggg. It was that damned bike again. Straight into the west wind, we - the bike and I - cycled toward Pyle and then Wraysbury. Ahead lay Datchet and Windsor, left Staines. Somehow, and somewhere in my brain, the home button kicked in so Staines it was.
After a pleasant sojourn by the river, I was overtaken by some slick cyclist with no fat on him at all. But amusingly, he had obviously burned himself catching me up and overtaking me. As I was pushing a steady twenty, I soon caught him up and overtook back. Despite his best efforts, he couldn’t hit the heights of his original overtake.
Similarly, I overtook another weight weenie on Hurst Road and again, since I was just a steady pace, the weenie could not keep up with a constant speed.
And it is this consistency that I want for Ride London. If I can keep it consistent, who knows I may even break the six hours?
Training Ride 5:
Distance: 40.23 miles
Average speed: 15.9mph
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