2020 mileage, riding, days out update

[Mr Moofo]

1) Don't let the Moonies and Scientology get hold of you at East Grinstead
2) Save you energy and ride very quickly past Moulsecoomb ....

Weeksy may think that he comes from a tough estate but ....

[weeksy]

Crappy day today. After the hamstring stretching splits on the weekend, i took a bit of time off. It was feeling half reasonable this morning so i jumped on the bike. 2mins 14s before i decided it wasn't good enough. Jumped off.

I had injuries, even self inflicted ones

[MingtheMerciless]

2) Save you energy and ride very quickly past Moulsecoomb ....

It's not known locally as "Dolescumb" for nothing......even the Staffies have to go round in pairs and when your robbed make sure you countersign the robbers licence

Plenty of room on the trains at the moment for the journey back "op norf"

[weeksy]

Crappy day today. After the hamstring stretching splits on the weekend, i took a bit of time off. It was feeling half reasonable this morning so i jumped on the bike. 2mins 14s before i decided it wasn't good enough. Jumped off.

I had injuries, even self inflicted ones

Whoops, Mrs Weeksy just came in while I was in the bath
"Wtf is that on your leg"

We looked and I have a purple bruise about 10" * 6" on my hamstring.!!!

[formula400]

Did Box hill today. Was going to go Brighton and train it back but with being out into tier 4 jumping on a train from there to london was not the best plan, and after seeing what’s going on I am glad we did not.

Covered 102km, with only 1 puncture for my mate, so that’s good. Decent day, but fresh, sun was out on wet roads so the glare was shite, need some sunglasses big time.

Feel battered. Not sure if I’ll be able to manage the Rapha Festive 500.

Ready for a bowl of pasta now.

[formula400]

Right 55km into the festive 500.

So that means 445 over 4 days for me, unless I can sneak out Boxing Day for 10/20 but can’t see that going down too well.

[weeksy]

Good work sir. I'm sure i'll have time to ride, but not that much desire to do 500.

[Beancounter]

Should have posted this earlier but got distracted. Went to Peaslake on Wednesday with a mate. I'm used to riding in all weather's but this was easily the shittest weather I've ever been out in. Had I not been meeting a mate I'd have sacked it off before even getting there.

So the day started badly with the weather and didn't get any better when I started unloading my bike from the car, turns out I'd forgotten my rear axle. Local bike shops in Peaslake and Westcott were unable to help but Head For The Hills in Dorking kindly sorted me out with a spare axle free of charge. Two hours later than planned I got to set off. Kept to my usual route as it really wasn't the best time to be trying new trails and I only had a couple of hours of daylight left. The trails, quite frankly, we're awful. Large deep puddles that you could almost swim in, tree roots submerged and hidden by equally deep pools of mud... I'm running 27.5+ tyres that were like trying to walk across water with balloons tied to your feet. Had more squeaky bum moments in one day than I've had in a year.

The bike performed faultlessly, touch wood. The new stem and handlebar worked really well, making the bike easier to turn and more stable, even despite the poor riding conditions. I was thinking of trimming the bars from 800mm to 760mm but for now they'll stay as they are.

Only issue was after a particularly long trail my front brake started coming back to the bar, almost like the pad material had disintegrated. The sandy loam soil combined with the claggy mud was an extremely effective grinding paste, gear cable started to stick, unsurprising given the abuse.

Got back to the car looking very rough and bloody cold. Must admit that even thigh I was on the e-mtb I was pretty broken yesterday.

[weeksy]

Lol we've all had days like that !

[Beancounter]

Lol we've all had days like that !

Indeed, I just normally have them in Wales or Scotland where it's more of an epic adventure, not Surrey.

According to my TomTom watch, my effort on the e-mtb is very similar to that on a clockwork bike, which I'm not sure is accurate. First shot is from Wednesday, the second one from 2016.

[formula400]

Managed 80km today, mate I was meant to be going out with had to bail, and did’t have the motivation to go far on my own. Went and did laps of Regent’s Park, quite fun actually.

Only 365 to go

[MingtheMerciless]

[weeksy]

I have nightmares about riding at Beachy Head.

[MingtheMerciless]

I have nightmares about riding at Beachy Head.

Why?

[weeksy]

I have nightmares about riding at Beachy Head.

Why?

Every time i've ridden there i've started in Winchester...

Apart from 1.... when i was just about to ride to Winchester

[Mr Moofo]

It is bleeding grim in Sussex at the moment - it is either raining , about to rain or raining heavily - my back garden is like a bog ! God knows what the Downs are like - but is meant to be nice for the next few days.

May go out and try it!

[MingtheMerciless]

My Dentist who also rides MTB does a smuggling and history ride around Eastbourne, one of his interesting bits of info is that Sussex is actually much drier now than it was a few hundred years ago due to all the water being extracted for drinking purposes. God knows what it must have been like but they had to use oxen for ploughing duties as horses didn't have the power!

[formula400]

Another 29km down.

Tomorrow I am riding to Peaslake, around there a little and back home, hoping to do 120/130km, then followed by 2 days of 100km. Fml

[formula400]

So did North London to Peaslake and back. Not going to lie, pretty battered now. 131km down. Did a little off piste, it that much fun getting caked in mud

[weeksy]

Top top job mate