Road Cycling

I'd be up for joining this ride but I'm not sure how easy it is to get from SW London to the Chilterns. Maybe there's a train to somewhere convenient?

By bicycle? :p

Depends where it starts really. I'd imagine though crossing the river will open up some train options towards High Wycombe etc.
 
I'd be up for this. Whiteleaf isn't pleasant but its a <mile at c9% average which seems gritty until you ride something like the Passo Giau which is >6 miles at 10% average! I'm 871/6300 on the Strava board! The Chilterns area is challenging. You can put together a really nice ride and there are plenty of cafes to consider for coffee and cake. ideally take in The Crong, Whiteleaf, Pink Hill for a real test of your legs!

It's the approach which is very intimidating as the drag is long and lumpy and the first turn literally looks like a wall. Even though Kop Hill is steeper and marginally shorter I still find Whitleaf more daunting :p

709 / 6566 (10.8%) - haven't ridden it this year yet though my last attempt saw my average HR at 96% of max for just over 6 minutes :eek: never been so bent out of shape in all my life :D

Yeah. There's also some just nice flowing roads in the Chilterns. In between the fields, it;s great in the summer to see the Red Kites flying overhead.

Yep, the Red Kites really are wonderful around these parts. I was riding along side one for about a minute on Sunday :)

Lots of very manageable climbs as well as less punishing ways around for example, the first section of Kop links up with the descent from Whiteleaf so those less willing could still stay as part of the ride.

I'd be up for joining this ride but I'm not sure how easy it is to get from SW London to the Chilterns. Maybe there's a train to somewhere convenient?

The Chiltern Line runs from Marylebone all the way to Aylesbury/AVP which is just over an hour. Equally High Wycombe is an alternative, plenty of time to plan.

Heading from Aylesbury it's about 10miles to the hills.

Ride
Ride
Ride

Picking which climbs we don't do will be hard :p
 
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Forecast for bitterly cold -6/-8 degree windchill with ambient around -1/-2.

Actual, ambient above freezing (no frost). Windchill maybe -3 at worst! Although cycling slower as the other half not feeling 100% I was glad for the extra clothing (additional neck buff & thickest windslam roubaix jersey).

Had a fairly normal base session on the turbo last night. Just spinning around holding power levels as needed to get some miles in without possibly making this saddle sore worse. It was actually ok, maybe the change of shorts and pad (Castelli with Progetto x2) to my usual commuting (Sportful Bodyfit pro) was enough for some relief. Felt slightly better this morning commuting too, so maybe I shouldn't write off the club ride on saturday quite yet...! :D

Oh, also smashed a goal on the Richmond circuit, I'd set one for a 30 minute lap and did it in 28.11. A fairly easy avg 205W, so set another for a 25 minute lap. I'm thinking it's only because Richmond is hardly up when I ride that it's taken me until now to beat the first goal (think I set it late 2015).
 
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Always puts a smile on your face when you finally get round to tuning your indexing thinking you need a new cable and all it required was a small tweak on the barrel front and rear.
 
Freezing here today but who cares!!! Fitted Vector 2s last night (total doddle to fit and hook up to Garmin 520). Going to head out and see what things are like.
 
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My god that sounds like pain. Good suffer score!

He must have been spinning like made to only average 120w!

Well, my 10km commute was fine. -7c average, on the 404s again and that crosswind is MEGA tough. It's an arm workout just trying to keep myself on the road.
On the plus side, should have a tailwind on the way home. Had one last night and was hammering along at 47km/h on the flat.

Nice having the Vectors on as well, I like stats. Average watts sitting about 250 for last 2 days commuting, which isn't bad considering freewheeling for traffic lights/ roundabouts etc.
 
Thought of going for an early morning ride this morning but I checked forecast last night and it said -3/4 overnight and -2 early so figured there would definitely be ice..

My car wasn't even iced over. Missed opportunity!
 
Recommendations for Bib tights for around £70 - full leg, must be good for 0c - 10c temps, DWR finish and most importantly with a pad that covers sit bones rather than just nutsack/no mans land.

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Recommendations for Bib tights for around £70 - full leg, must be good for 0c - 10c temps, DWR finish and most importantly with a pad that covers sit bones rather than just nutsack/no mans land.

?

Paid £50 for some Castelli Velocissimo 2 before Christmas. Plenty warm, no DWR finish but I've worn them in the rain without really feeling wet!
 
Went out for an 80K ride this morning with a couple of mates. My mate planned the route and it mostly followed what will be my new commute which was good. Know where I'm going and roughly how long it will take.

What wasn't so good however is just how bloody cold it is today!! Lost feeliing in my toes early on and my little fingers went fairly numb too. Glad to be sat drinking hot coffee now. Enjoyed it though and it was good to do some distance and keep it flat as well.
 
How's the pad in them?

I find it absolutely fine. Extends far enough though really I'm not too fussy.

I did 112 miles in them with temperature 0-4C just after Christmas and my legs were plenty warm and comfortable. Top half suffered a bit into the headwind on the way back in just a Gabba and some basic merino arm warmers.
 
Went out for an 80K ride this morning with a couple of mates. My mate planned the route and it mostly followed what will be my new commute which was good. Know where I'm going and roughly how long it will take.

What wasn't so good however is just how bloody cold it is today!! Lost feeliing in my toes early on and my little fingers went fairly numb too. Glad to be sat drinking hot coffee now. Enjoyed it though and it was good to do some distance and keep it flat as well.

Good work - it's friggin cold out there. I did just a few miles last night and it was so cold I just went into cruise mode - even popped into McDonalds to warm up - back out again on the bike and it was just freezing my face off so I called it a night.

Roll on March and it's lovely toasty 8c climate.
 
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