Road Cycling

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Strava KOM gone....

Tuesday night I get a Strava notification on my phone. Normally its a Kudos but this time it was the dreaded " You have lost your KOM". I don't have too many of those, I am a fair bit away from the top of the boards round here but capable of the odd surprise. Anyway I didn't even recall having this KOM but it knarked me that it had gone even though I know the lad that took it and he's a nice fella.

So home from work a bit early yesterday so I decided to go and reclaim it.
I failed to do so. Missed by 50 seconds over a 7 mile stretch. Partly due to pacing, partly due to not riding through the finish point, but mostly I just wasn't as strong as my nemesis.

Secured 2nd and beat my previous best time but still gutted
https://www.strava.com/activities/270280270/segments/6329308016

The power of Strava!!
 
I have to say i do prefer the longer segments, definitely more of a test of how long you can keep the effort up. Shorter ones sometimes feel a bit pointless when you can tell the KOM is either someone that cheated or some lucky sod that hit all the green lights with a tail wind.
 
Another attempted draftee today. Initially I sighed as my legs are pretty knackered from deads last night but then we went over the worlds smallest hill (actually just a bridge over the Fallowfield Loop) and I dropped them. Lols. Strange though - I don't normally get a lot of people attempting to draft me. Perhaps it's the slightly improved weather bringing people out.

Seconded, did that climb with OneMoreSolo in nice weather. It was stunning.

Next time you're up in Manc let me know and you can show me how all your mountain cycling will make me cry on the climb :p
 
I have to say i do prefer the longer segments, definitely more of a test of how long you can keep the effort up. Shorter ones sometimes feel a bit pointless when you can tell the KOM is either someone that cheated or some lucky sod that hit all the green lights with a tail wind.

Agreed. That's probably why none of my KOMs are on long segments :( :p
 
Next time you're up in Manc let me know and you can show me how all your mountain cycling will make me cry on the climb :p

Could be over sooner than thought actually for a holiday before the race, and will likely head up to Pendle so yeah will try and organise something.

I'm still slow on climbs, I can just climb a lot longer now. Though climbs in the UK tend to be an awful lot steeper..
 
I have 2 straight miles of continuous slight climb on my way home from work, had a draftee the whole way up it into a headwind last night

I mentioned to him that if he's going to sit on someone's wheel he should at least say something. he apologised.

the funny part is when I passed him I was going a LOT faster than he was, so the draft was the only thing getting him anywhere near my speed. I have panniers, I give a hell of a draft
 
Yessss. The TOB is passing through little old Leek.

1URvi5D.jpg


That's a day booked off of work for me!

Ahhh I was looking for the detailed route - where did you find this?

Looks like the closest one to me too. Quick ride up Cat & Fiddle and see them pass going down into Buxton by looks of it!
 
You guys should head up through the Brickworks/Goyt to get to the Cat and Fiddle. It's a really nice climb.

Looking at doing cat and fiddle this weekend maybe starting down in Macclesfield . . . has anyone done it before. . I've read it can be quite dangerous road? or is that more for Motorbikes because they tend to bomb it up/down?

Nick
 
I have 2 straight miles of continuous slight climb on my way home from work, had a draftee the whole way up it into a headwind last night

I mentioned to him that if he's going to sit on someone's wheel he should at least say something. he apologised.

the funny part is when I passed him I was going a LOT faster than he was, so the draft was the only thing getting him anywhere near my speed. I have panniers, I give a hell of a draft

I get guys to draft me up the brixton hill quite often! what I do is on the red light I allow them to get of the line first and sit right behind them like they just did to me... lolworthy.
 
So I've gone and tightened all my spokes tonight

Yeah, truing wheels is a bit more scientific than just tightening everything in sight!

I had learnt that (the hard way) previously when learning to balance my old hybrid wheels ;)

Well my 'click'/grind noises have certainly gone! Not a whisper for my whole commute! Had a couple of 'pwoining's' though (2-3 at the start) and I guess that's normal after adding tension to spokes that have been slack?

Method I used for tightening, single handed spoke tool and tighten as far as I could one handed (finger and thumb) without putting huge effort in, followed by half a turn two handed. Balancing out the buckle I released half a turn 1-spoke the tight side and added half a turn 2-spokes the slack side. Think I did it twice.

WHAT?! Not here! Felt freezing this morning, but was 12-13 yesterday evening.

As said before, bloody annoying time for commuting! This wind can do one too!

Bit of a wind here too (then again I'm not that far from you!) although nothing bad. 1 degrees with -1 wind chill so full thermals again carrying commute home clothes :)
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Garmin decided to lose my S&C earlier, tried a reset (hence 2 rides) but no change, guess my GSC10 needs a reset :rolleyes:

I have to say i do prefer the longer segments, definitely more of a test of how long you can keep the effort up. Shorter ones sometimes feel a bit pointless when you can tell the KOM is either someone that cheated or some lucky sod that hit all the green lights with a tail wind.

Gotta agree, that's why I make a point of hitting lots of my local short segments, easy KOM's (even though I have none I'm getting close on a couple lol) :D

" You have lost your KOM"

Sorry for your loss ;)

I get guys to draft me

"Chase me chase me!"
:p

I buried myself on my commute this morning (5th day of riding) to catch a guy and just about managed to over 1/2 of a mile, think he's passed me before so I'm getting faster when I have something/someone to chase :D

I chased a learner driver last night too lol (dog mode activated) ;)
 
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Looking at doing cat and fiddle this weekend maybe starting down in Macclesfield . . . has anyone done it before. . I've read it can be quite dangerous road? or is that more for Motorbikes because they tend to bomb it up/down?

Nick

Personally I wouldn't start from Macc. It's pretty gruelling coming from that direction (actually, I'm thinking of Macc Forest). Try the Brickworks or Kettleshulme and Goyt direction. Probably more climbing overall but much more pleasant (and actual rests).

The A537 especially has a lot of tools doing 100+ on motorbikes so I would definitely try to avoid staying on it for long.

edit:

You may want to try taking some of this route to get to the Brickworks/Goyt: https://www.strava.com/routes/1539966 The route from the Goyt to the Cat and Fiddle is very pleasant. Then you can come back down through Macc Forest and not feel like dying quite so much :p
 
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Looking at doing cat and fiddle this weekend maybe starting down in Macclesfield . . . has anyone done it before.

I visited a friend 2 years ago and went up to the Cat and Fiddle. Would love to go back and do more riding around there at some point!

I don't recall the route but here is it on Strava:

WVO7G4K.png
 
You guys should head up through the Brickworks/Goyt to get to the Cat and Fiddle. It's a really nice climb.

It's a bit tricky getting both the Brickworks and the Cat and Fiddle in without doubling back, but it might be do-able.

It looks like a hundred mile or so round trip :eek:

I'll have to wait until I see the timings for the race. Depending on when it passes through Whaley Bridge I may have to rejig things, or maybe work on the basis of getting a train as far as Stockport and then riding from there.
 
Personally I wouldn't start from Macc. It's pretty gruelling coming from that direction (actually, I'm thinking of Macc Forest). Try the Brickworks or Kettleshulme and Goyt direction. Probably more climbing overall but much more pleasant (and actual rests).

The A537 especially has a lot of tools doing 100+ on motorbikes so I would definitely try to avoid staying on it for long.

edit:

You may want to try taking some of this route to get to the Brickworks/Goyt: https://www.strava.com/routes/1539966 The route from the Goyt to the Cat and Fiddle is very pleasant. Then you can come back down through Macc Forest and not feel like dying quite so much :p

ah :(,

wanted to do this

https://www.strava.com/routes/1106303

and maybe stop at Buxton for lunch. Done the route you suggested quite a lot, but carry on down Blaze hill and then back up to Pott Shrig. Now you've put me right off :P

Think Cat and Fiddle segment on Strava is Cat 2? so wanted to get that under my belt, maybe it worth doing early early morning on a Sunday in Summer so the traffic is limited.

Ta,

Nick
 
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