My new wheels arrived today, just got to get some glasspaper now so that I can scratch up the rim wells tonight then put a new set of Tufos on tomorrow night after they've been stretching for the last week.
Big ride out to Leith Hill/Holmbury and Pitch on Sunday then Cross Fell and Grizedale next week and Dyfi the week after.
I'm sure I'll still be pants on the day though...
It's going great. 10 miles into work, 20 miles home tonight and then a weekend attempting to pedal a deathtrap Tandem round the SSUK course followed by drinking and falling over. Perfect training, I bet Nick Craig is sh1tting himself...
Yup, I reckon Nick is too - not sure about Rob though?
My dad has done very little, but he's a fell runner. Ill be there to take piccies on the way up Inglebrough and the way down Pen-Y-Ghent. Dont forget to smile 😉
Oh yes - smile. hmmmm.....
Crap. Knackered knee not settling down. Will have to scratch the Kielder 100 and prob 3 PX too.
😥
CX bike's in for some upgrading tomorrow, although that probably won't make up for any potential lack of fitness...
One evening a week over Pendle Hill and back to Preston (4 hours), Rivi and back or around the western edges of Bowland for distance and climbing; one evening a week running/walking up the side of Longridge Fell and riding back down for on-foot and bike handling training and two evenings a week of mid-length hilly rides.
I'm doing a 2hr Derny training session on the velodrome tonight. I've convinced myself that there are actually similarities to riding a brakeless fixie behind a motorbike on smooth flat boards for 2hrs and riding a CX bike over 3 big rocky hills for 4hrs...
😯
Had knee surgery on the 29th,rode to work for the first time today-the full 15 miles :0),furthest Ive been in 8 weeks!
So to make up for 2 months of sittng on the sofa eating pizza and drinking I......shaved my legs.That'll be me sorted then,where did I put that tinny?
Tubs stretched and glued on now... I hope it doesn't rain too much tomorrow.
www.smilerbiker.blogspot.com
My cross bike is covered in mud. It used to be covered in dust but the "summer" weather has put paid to that. Got a big Peaks ride planned for tomorrow.
I've got a nasty feeling that this year is going to be a wet one. We've been lucky the last 2 years but it can't last, we'll be lining up on the start line in a downpour...
I've got a nasty feeling that this year is going to be a wet one. We've been lucky the last 2 years but it can't last, we'll be lining up on the start line in a downpour..
Funny you should say that, rain follows me everywhere even my mum and sister won't let me go on holiday with them - I'm serious. I did eleven 24s and never had a dry one!
Haha!
Didn't roll a tub today, 85k out to Holmbury and back. I think I like the wheels too!
Cross Fell on Wenesday - it'll probably rain.
That's five of us I know doing it now. Out for a long one on the crosser Sunday just to dial into it, no way can I mimick the terrain down here.
Somehow every ride on the CX I've done so far I've ended up getting bloody soaked... 🙁 I suppose that's preparation for the race which will be done in torrential rain. Not that I'm pessimistic or anything.
Was out in the Peaks today, came very close to losing it big time down Middle Moor (Shooting Cabins descent), it's got all washed out and loose half way down which I wasn't expecting. Front wheel slid out, back wheel hooked up on a rock and bounced sideways, I landed (still half on the bike) in the heather.
Got a week off work soon, will have a couple of days of running and riding bits of the route. What a way to spend my holiday time!
Ah did you bump into my mate Chris out there today? he was on the mobile to me whinging about his hurty hands when he saw another crosser approach.
No, didn't see a soul apart from three walkers who muttered "is that a...*road* bike?!" as I went past.
Bumped into some STWers last weekend, bikerbruce and friends, tagged along with them for a bit. That was out Hope Cross way.
So so, some decent road miles, some learning to rode a cross bike, some running and the usual mental big Cairngorm mtb rides.
I'll be getting in some mega gentle slope action.
Good luck everyone!
Did it last year and boy it's tough......!!!
Wouldn't fancy it in the rain, it would be lethal.
Southern shandy drinker here, remember driving torwards it and a big craggy rock came out of the mist and got bigger and bigger for the 45 mins we drove towards it. Welcome to Ingleborough....proper hills!!
Southern Shandy boy here, I think I'm the only southerner in my age group.
Bad day today, four punctures all from thorns. So much for the invincible Landcruisers.
Four punctures whilst training with the invincible Landcruisers.
Good job in a way, as I've found you need very long valves with tyres like these on road rims. All my spares came up too short - would have cost me the whole event 😳
This is one event i'll like to do in the future but i'm a bit like you old git no real big hill/mountains nearby so how do you train for it? Lots of road riding and some running?
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This is gnarly as it gets my way, Ivinghoe Beacon! I'm going to sooooo die.
Kuco
Just from accumulation of riding and racing really. Though TBH this is very different to anything I've done before, I'm only really worried about the hike sections.
I raced cross last season, then straight to road racing and rode and raced my MTB in between. I've been riding the crosser a lot so I feel dialed into it.
Just deciding if I should do a 100 miler the weekend before with my mates, think I might then a social MTBer on Tuesday and that's that.
First cross race 'proper' of the season the weekend after the 3 Peaks.
I'm heading up to the Lakes and Dales at some point this week, will have both MTB and CX with me, proper bike for the Lakes and a day of being battered on the legal trails in the Dales near Whernside and PyG!
Unfortunately due to work issues my training has been somewhat truncated. I'm aiming to "get round" and being pragmatic. Oh, I might be a cx commissaire by then too.
100k tomorrow and hopefully Monday - then try and get some midweek night rides in. Have 2 pairs of spare wheels so as long as the supporters don't run away...
This is one event i'll like to do in the future but i'm a bit like you old git no real big hill/mountains nearby so how do you train for it? Lots of road riding and some running?
i live in London: press ups & chin ups, 4hr rides, spinning, local trail riding on the cx bike, running loops of the biggest local hills got me a respectable placing
i'd like to have another bash but need to man up to some training
Went over Whernside (on foot) today. It's still as steep and painful as ever but they're doing a lot more sanitisation work on it. Loads more steps going in lower down, they had a mini digger and a quad bike there and loads of rock slabs lying about. So far the work seems to consist of digging a big trench down each side of the path to build it up and give the slabs something solid to lie on and the water a place to run off, it's made a right mess. Still going to be a carry at that point anyway but one bonus is that the big stile over the wall half way up has been replaced by a shiny new gate.
The descent looks fairly unchanged apart from one or two new drainage channels.
My legs hurt now
I've just completely stripped and rebuilt the CX, new chain, cables & bar tape, MTB cassette on there, everything shiny and clean.
Final few rides in the next 3 weeks then give it a quick clean up and once over and it'll be good to go. I won't be but that's another matter entirely...
I actually did some specific 3 Peaks training today - gasp! Rivi riders will be familiar with the route if not the direction of it! On/off road from Darwen to Belmont. Road to bottom of ICR. Carry up to top of ICR. left along Georges Lane. Carry up steep side of Winter Hill. Ride past the mast to top of San Marino. Down San Marino to Belmont Rd. Left to Belmont again. Repeat 3 times. Ride back to Darwen on/off road. Run out of water at last descent of San Marino to ensure grovelling by time home is reached. 4 hours. 'bout 30 miles. Perfick.
Am aiming to get out on Sunday for 80-100Km off road, but much more importantly I've bought a windstopper running t-shirt in case its grim, and a stop watch for my commissaire course tomorrow.
Not good this week. Trained hard and caught a cold which is now a cough.
Bedfordshire really hasn't got anything to offer that'll prepare me for this, I've never felt such a southerner.
The week after the 3 Peaks we'll be racing around a pancake flat CX course at Blenhiem Palace. The contrast is mental.
Had a road ride today, as I woke to find my crosser had two punctures - that's six in two weeks. All thorns, if Landcruisers have one weakness this is it.
Meant to ease my chest back into it today, but ended up playing silly buggers chasing every rider in sight like a demented Jack Russel, now my chest hurts 😳
I walked it yesterday - fair play to anyone ridin' it in 2 weeks time - you lot are hardcore 8) !!!!
I've got a cold. 🙁