Glad to know you’re ok Jojo! I do think that once you start talking to doctors about exercise they do go a bit vague – if you’re out of the ‘lardy couch potato must talk about weight loss’ zone you’re in an uncharted realm of ok-dom where the finer shades of fitness are not distinguished.

Having thought there was nothing at all wrong once I’d blamed it all on my gears I have been told that I am struggling around on one third of the lowest acceptable level of vitamin D (also known as living in the North) and 80% of lowest acceptable levels of iron. So it has been kind of worth troubling the NHS…

Apparently they won’t prescribe EPO and a week in Majorca. Shucks. :wink:

Thanks for the encouragement :wink:

Our local landmark sits on top of a hill – 412ft of climb in .36 miles – it’s my new fun bike hike. Except it’s not fun and the descent off it isn’t completely straight forward especially when legs are jellified from climbing. When I can do 10 in a row I think I’ll have proved to myself that I can stay the course…

How many days to go?

Super helpful!! :D

My mum is nuts but admirable. She did drive all the way from Germany to check I was ok when I finally ditched the awful ex (and probably to check that I wasn’t considering taking him back). She’d spent nearly ten years biting her tongue about his crimes and misdemeanours as she believes in ‘not meddling’. Bless.

Likes the new bf so ‘not meddling’ is probably much easier. That and the fact she’s got her own business and is extremely busy – all the comments about people who don’t have enough to do and end up obsessing and being weird are sooo true.

New bf’s mum is very nice and shows no signs of meddling. I guess it’s all luck of the draw…

Thanks but I have seen that and for some reason have difficulty visualising it…

Has anyone got a garmin file with elevation on it for the three peaks? I am trying to work out what to practice and things like knowing how long Simon’s Fell is would be really handy.

I’ve only just started riding CX and I did my first bit of training on Monday. I now understand that training is ‘getting used to prolonged pain and breathlessness’. Bike on shoulder, 10 minute climb up nearest big hill. Ride down (ish, legs like jelly). Repeat.

Stagger home weeping… why, why, why did I think this would be a good idea?

Go for it – I hadn’t ridden a bike for ten years when the bf managed to wangle his way into my life, subtly left nice bikes lying around it until I took the bait and now complains about the speed at which I climb hills :roll:

Somewhere in between he bought us a tandem which I absolutely loved – gave me plenty of opportunity to admire his manly shoulders as he steered us down stupid stuff I’d not have done on my own (except when I had my eyes closed in sheer terror, of course).

I love being fitter than I was – I ride on my own or with other friends when he’s away, sometimes he goes off riding with his friends. It’s all good.

Yes, that way I can look them in the eye as they stretcher me off…. :?

I’m in! :D

Hmmm, Oldgit, after getting a bit grumpy with my 12-25 I borrowed 12-28 for last race and was way, way faster. Although my result was a bit ruined by trying to overtake a slow bloke on the steepest bit of the course – he offed in front of me and rolled back into me and snapped my mech hanger. :evil: There’s clearly a lot to learn about CX racing technique.

I think it depends a bit where you are – our local U23 champ works in the LBS so I have been quizzing him about gears. He runs 28 at the back and 36 at the front (not sure about the big ring) for most races but 28 / 34 for TodCross. He tells me that the girls in the UK team run mountain bike rear blocks. I have decided on this basis that trying to ‘girl up’ and continue with 25 / 34 is stupid… new shiny things are on their way. :-)

Cheer me up! I have just discovered that they’ve moved Hell of the West to the same weekend as the Three Peaks. Was hoping to do both… :(

Your girlfriend won’t nick it? I only ‘borrow’ the light bikes from my long suffering bf…. reckon it’s justified on weight to bike ratio :D

They do say that women under-report heart conditions and the symptoms aren’t the same as men. So I was listening to advice. Being cautious. And it sounds like you should be too, Jojo :?

Hey, let us know how you get on. I have just had an ECG because I thought that I was going to die on the Wrynose pass and various rides have felt much harder than usual. Have since checked my bike and realised that the 25 tooth cog on the back of my new to me CX bike is a much higher gear than I’m used to. 8O

Still waiting for the blood test results and a double check of ECG just to be sure but feeling that I’ve just troubled the NHS for over-consumption of coffee racing pulse and er, gear issues. :oops:

We’re going to do the Southern Cross (http://www.southerncrosscx.co.uk/) as well – consolation if I don’t get a three peaks entry, practice if I do… :D

Whispers…. me…. gulp…

On a lighter note, anyone in the Calder Valley ish area up for a long CX ride this weekend? Don’t want to do the Mary T again so trying to put together a few other loops around about that distance.

And, is anyone doing the Hell of the West? (http://www.hellofthewest.co.uk/)

Q1. Have you heard of/visited Lee/Cragg Quarry Mountain Bike Trails?
Yes and ride there every couple of months – usually mess around on the quarry and do a loop of Cragg so a couple of hours each time.

Q2. Would extensions to and better linkages between the existing trails in Lee/Cragg Quarry and the bridleway network make you more likely to visit this area?
Yes – it’s not a whole days ride at the moment

Q3. Would the provision of 10 way marked mountain bike routes starting from Lee Quarry mean you would consider extending the length of visit to the area?
Yes

Q4. Would linked activities eg art installations which act as “usable art” such as a shelter, on the mountain bike network encourage you to visit more often?
Not as much as a cafe :-)

Q5. Do you think a “Trail Head” facility in Rossendale would make Lee/Cragg Quarry and bridleway network a more attractive facility? What other facilities would you like to see – toilets/showers/bike shop/café/please state any other
Toilets!! Although a cafe with toilets would also work… Without wishing to be blunt, it’s ok for blokes but if you’re a delightful and delicate female the lack of loos puts you off messing around in Lee Quarry for a whole day. If the longer trails could cross paths with civilisation once in a while that helps too.

The cars were lined up in podium order on the track just below the podium at the Monaco Grand Prix.

YES!! Love my ‘CX bike. It’s amazing what you can do on them (the Mary Towneley loop is no bother for instance). They’re great for hopping on and off bridleways, and as they’re pretty fast on roads then you get between the fun stuff more easily.

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Jake the snake on London Road[/url] by BeateKubitz[/url], on Flickr[/img]

Jake now has more compact handlebars – better for downhill in the drops – and is getting lower gears (apparently the UK womens’ cyclocross team all run mountain bike rear cassettes, and what’s good enough for them…).

Hey sorry, that’s rubbish. Really recommend you see a good physio. I go to Ali Mills in Hebden Bridge which might be a bit far but she’s a cyclist and understands the back-on-the-bike desire and putting broken mountain bikers back together.

You allow ice creams in your shop 8O

I have developed a special kind of look for them kind of between horror, bemusement, and disbelief. I am working on a nuance of apoplectic rage to come. Usually they realise that they’re about to commit a major faux pas before I have to ask them to leave. :D

It’s a nice shop full of expensive hand made things which do not do well in the presence of ice cream…

Hey, I am counting down the minutes until I can shut the shop and ride home. Thanks for reminding me that I am lucky!

Hope you’re fixing ok. Sorry I haven’t got a ride photo but I have got a nice picture of one of my lambs (I do ride up to see them):

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sheep_lamb[/url] by BeateKubitz[/url], on Flickr[/img]

Working today too. Rode in but only a few miles. Riding home the long way . Shop busy but with people who are over warm and only want to browse. Can’t blame them really but also can’t help wishing I was outside!

Sounds ace but sadly a bit far from the grim north for me. Now, if it was with Sven… :wink:

Merino jersey. Good towel down (take towel home and wash frequently). Don clean clothes stored at work.

:-)

Sorry to hear.
bump

West London? Therefore Hebden Bridge. It is the last outpost of the Northern Line.

Not sure that Walsden really counts as ‘the tops’…. and yes, the Masons is now looking pretty good. Must remember to call in more often.

Er, good luck with the move :?

You left Tod for Burnley???? 8O

I kind of felt a bit odd when I first moved to Tod, on the ‘yes, I have seen beyond the valley’ scale but Burnley is way more scary.

Don’t forget that the only time Belgian police use their guns, it’s to shoot car drivers who have infringed cyclists’ rights on the road. And cyclists have lots of rights on the road. It’s great!

You have to remember that cyclists have priority always (like on zebra crossings, turning, not turning, wherever), hardly any wear helmets and many will be carrying absurd loads. It’s heaven when you’re on your bike and you have to pay proper attention if you’re driving.

Cycle Recycle in Hebden Bridge. http://www.cyclerecycle.org.uk/

I don’t know, the driving in the valley of late has been so sh*t that I actually stopped to say thank you to a lorry driver for not trying to run me off the road the other day. It makes a massive difference to my mood when I arrive at work to think that not everyone on the road wants me dead…

Also grumpy today as everybody is out riding and I am at work. And it’s not raining.

Yep, women are eeeeevil. If my bf got one of these without getting me one first I would be well p*ssed off. :lol:

As I serial CX bike stalker they’re a good deal – a couple of friends have them and in my opinion the full build is a bit on the heavy side for a carbon bike, so obviously you will need new wheels too. :wink:

CX bikes are ace for blatting around bridleways that are a bit dull on a mountain bike – you can go stupid fast on them. Discs good for this kind of use – I love my CX but I seem to get through brake pads at a fearsome rate – the Mary Towneley loop can sand them off in one go.

Yes, you don’t get someone hooked on your intoxicant of choice by dealing them the skag end of the worst batch you’ve had in ages… 8)

Roll on the nicer weather. Please. Then, I’m sure if you leave a nice bike accessible and ready to go, it’ll get used. Softly, softly….

CB, I wasn’t persuaded. Oh no, I am goat-like and obstinate so he knew better than to try anything that direct. I’d say ‘groomed’. He’s scarily subtle, never met anyone like him but I am sure others could learn. :D

Oh dear, I was very resistant to the whole mountain-biking thing when I got together with bf. Although I used to be quite handy on a road bike, I did wonder what those monstrous things on wheels were for. Started to see the light when he lent me an Ibis Mojo to get up an snow-bound and undriveable lane. It was a kind of grooming process. He just kind of left bikes lying around that I could use when I wanted. I *do* like being outdoors and they kind of became irresistible.

We’ve done loads since but it has been an interesting process – I wouldn’t wear ‘proper’ gear at all to start with. He just left me to it. I would potter behind him working stuff out and if I did something well he was always very vocally impressed.

It took ages to get used to the idea of low gears (we live in Calderdale – I used to throw myself at hills in as big a gear as possible and end up in agony – he had to teach me to use the granny ring). If I got cross because I couldn’t do things he would offer advice (I still have to chant ‘elbows down’ to stop my front wheel lifting on some climbs) but rarely does he tell me what to do. Although he did (quite recently) make me ride straight at a kerb to prove that forks actually work (I was having a scared-of-everything day).

I wouldn’t say I wasn’t confident in general but I did quite a lot of obfuscating – saying and doing slightly random things to obscure that I was a bit out of my depth.

Just been on a Great Rock skills course on Saturday – I only asked to do one after over a year of mountain-biking but it was *ACE*. I didn’t realise until the following day – we were booked in to do the Dyfi Enduro and I was looking forward to the fire road climbs but not the descents. All changed – I did World Cup in one go. Wearing spds…

Obviously I don’t know your girlfriend but maybe she just needs to do some stuff on her own to get her confidence levels up? It sounds like she feels a bit under pressure.

Plus one for Blazings… also the riding is good round here :-)

Hello, I think I am looking for a gas boiler + either a heat store or a dursley link thingy then? Where do I find someone on the Yorkshire/Lancashire border who knows about such things?

Anyone on here?

Or anyone who wants a few days of Pennine riding in the Calder Valley?

Like :D