wuverley
Reged: 16/05/2008
Posts: 4044
Loc: Man of Kent
|
|
Somehow the comic made a mistake this week and decided not to write a feature on a ride in South Yorkshire.
Instead they went on a ride with Ian Field (great name for a cyclo crosser) around Ashford in East/South Kent.
I used to work in Wye, a village up the road, so am familiar with riding from Rupture Cove to Wye, and know some of the roads around there.
But I hadn't cycled up Wye Downs for at least 10 years, until Saturday. Depending on where you measure it from, the climb is 1.5 -2 miles long, climbing about 480 feet, which won't make any list on great British climbs, but is substantial for round here.
Its about the same gradient as Mt. Ventoux if anyone's interested, but you'd need to ride it 8 or 9 times to get the same effect!
The weather was good and perhaps because of the comic's write up there were loads of cyclists around. They were all vocal and welcoming, absolutely all.
What confused me was when I got over the top. I'd looked at a map before I went out and knew I had to go north east to head homeward, but somehow I made a few unwise decisions. Instead of the couple of small steep climbs I was expecting before I got back to roads I know well, I ended going up 6 or 7 steep narrow lanes through tiny hamlets, whose names I was unfamiliar with. There were plenty of cyclists even on these back roads.
Then I started remembering doing a couple of reliability trials round there with Thanet RC in the mid 90s, oh how I suffered then and suffered on Saturday.
Eventually I got to Stone Street and recognised where I was, about 5 miles further north than expected.
From then on it was a pleasant ride home, though I was tired. There were loads of cyclists about near Rhodes Minnis and everyone seemed very cheerful.
Its surprising how different a ride can be by just going a few miles outside of your usual routes. Although I'll wait till my climbing's back on form until I do exactly that route again.
Incidentally the comic and Ian Field missed a trick by not going up Whitehill, north of Wye between the A28 and A251, its a longish steep climb which has been used in the Tour de France(94), the Prutour and Rochester classic, a fine climb.
Its a good area to ride in, if you're looking for somewhere quiet in Kent 
--------------------
Invicta
|
wuverley
Reged: 16/05/2008
Posts: 4044
Loc: Man of Kent
|
|
Cheers wuv, I may go out that way this weekend.
--------------------
Invicta
|
wuverley
Reged: 16/05/2008
Posts: 4044
Loc: Man of Kent
|
|
No you won't, liar
--------------------
Invicta
|
El_Cid
Reged: 02/08/2007
Posts: 1499
Loc: Ilkley, Yorks
|
|
We might!
No we wont. Sorry Wuv.
But we will be riding across to the Lakes, either via Fleet Moss or possibly Dentdale.
--------------------
"TODAY, WE RIDE"
|
tonybv9
Reged: 08/10/2007
Posts: 751
|
|
Quote:
Somehow the comic made a mistake this week and decided not to write a feature on a ride in South Yorkshire.
Instead they went on a ride with Ian Field (great name for a cyclo crosser) around Ashford in East/South Kent.
Normal service has been resumed, and they are back to Oopnorthshire again this week.
--------------------
Walk a mile in my shoes...and you will wear the bloody cleats out.
|
El_Cid
Reged: 02/08/2007
Posts: 1499
Loc: Ilkley, Yorks
|
|
Did you notice the Simplex downtube levers on Chris Myhills bike pictured in this article?
--------------------
"TODAY, WE RIDE"
|
wuverley
Reged: 16/05/2008
Posts: 4044
Loc: Man of Kent
|
|
I hear the Lake District has been lovely today, El Cid. Those fell runners know how to enjoy themselves
--------------------
Invicta
|
El_Cid
Reged: 02/08/2007
Posts: 1499
Loc: Ilkley, Yorks
|
|
My neighbours were in it and are now located after a night sheltering in a barn!
--------------------
"TODAY, WE RIDE"
|
daveno7
Reged: 04/03/2007
Posts: 651
|
|
the whole marathon thing seems to be a bit mad ! i think the bike is an easier option at the moment...
imagine a tdf with a camp on your back - and all that you need you have to carry with you...i think you might need a bit more than water ...
daveno7
|
hubbub
Reged: 22/10/2007
Posts: 813
|
|
I think daveno7 just invented cycle camping.  
|
daveno7
Reged: 04/03/2007
Posts: 651
|
|
just think of armstrong and basso with a rucksack ! doing some hard graft
daveno7
|
wuverley
Reged: 16/05/2008
Posts: 4044
Loc: Man of Kent
|
|
Er.. yeah, slaves of the road etc, mend your own forks, Christophe, no using a lad on the bellows....
--------------------
Invicta
|
thatwomanagain
Reged: 30/07/2006
Posts: 2335
Loc: Hugh Porter country...
|
|
Quote:
imagine a tdf with a camp on your back - and all that you need you have to carry with you...i think you might need a bit more than water ...
daveno7
Surely that's what we call cycle touring!! Oh and panniers work better than rucksacks. I'm sure the first Tour contenders had to mend their own bikes too.
--------------------
If you want something done, ask a busy penguin...
|
daveno7
Reged: 04/03/2007
Posts: 651
|
|
oh i think i will ban panniers - too many hiding places for dodgy bits - only a 15litre sack incl camp- all have to be carried on your back - a bit like the cape epic but on the road....imagine the tears and tantrums...
daveno7
|
goblin
Reged: 31/03/2007
Posts: 1389
Loc: down yur me anzum
|
|
more of an incentive to go for a win when you know that if you're one of the last in you'll end up with the uneven pitch next to the bogs
|
Previous
Index
Next
Threaded
Edit
Reply
Quote
