New start?

[Mark]

GC,

You been in 'em charity shops again.

[guest7]

If the recumbent (Ratcatcher?) is Ebay bound then I'd appreciate being considered first... you never know the old finances may have improved by then.

Cheers
GC

[Andy M]

I can think of a better way to get exercise laying down than some odd pedal cycle. 

The riding gear picture could have been worse though. I do hope neither of you are seen in public wearing lycra. I though the fat and forty Rossi wannabees at Squires cafe were funny until the local cycling club went by 

 

Andy

[guest7]

Haven't worn full lycra since my 30s... and even then it wasn't a pretty sight 

GC

[guest7]

GC,

You been in 'em charity shops again.

Er... surprisingly no. Jacket was £15 on Ebay a couple of years ago (geuine Harris tweed).
Shirt was new, a present from my dad after one of his forays to the Cotswolds (he likes farm shops).
The socks are sea socks bought cheap from the local branch of 'Tool Station'.
The britches are cut down and re-hemmed moleskin trousers (a nice excuse to drag my sewing machine out) and they came from... a charity shop!

The shoes (Diadora cycling shoes with SPD cleats) probably cost 4 times the cost of the rest of my clothing!



My charity shop run of luck seems to have dried up lately, no more Rohan jackets for £8 

GC

[Steve Lake]

GC... the recumbent is a 'Speedy' 'Windcheetah'  i.e. 3 wheeler... not a 'ratcatcher' which, looking round Mikes workshop, are all 2 wheelers (now all carbon fibre, with hub center steering!)
cheers

Having said that, this particular 'Speedy' Mike made for himself, and does have some nice lightweight special features.

[guest7]

And WHAT a workshop!

[guest18]

@Steve, bl**dy h*ll, TWO HOUR sessions on the turbo? 
I've been commuting most of the year with a couple of longer runs thrown in (total measured pedal mileage on the road last year was 2,422 miles), decided late December to start doing a weekly turbo session and an hour nearly broke me 
Incidentally, the "sufferfest" videos help take my mind off the pain and add structure to my training, worth a try if the boredom of turbo is getting to you 
Mind you, I'm not nearly as competitive as you sound, done one Audax and no races!

GC, about time you reappeared! Only about one motorised bike ride a week here but it's keeping my hand in. Was in Llandridnod Wells at New Year but the bike museum was shut, went down to the local village and the butchers next to the pub had a couple of older style bikes sitting rotting outside, was tempting to make an offer for the roadster but SWMBO was watching and there was no space in the car anyway!

Happy New year to all anyway, hope you are all escaping the worst of the storms (I need to go shopping for fence materiels tomorrow  )
Best,
S

[Steve Lake]

No Smudge.... 2 x 1hr sessions is the best i can do....
1st session is start at 14mph, up 1 mph per 5 mins, until i reach a pulse rate of 172, then maintain pulse rate as close to 170 as poss for the rest of the hour.... slowly getting the final speed up as recovery rate improves and cardiovascular system tunes up.... the biggest problem i have at present is that i just don't seem to be able to deal with the inevitable build up of lactic acid (intense burning and pain in legs) as i approach a pulse rate of 172 or over.... its all down to age, 15 years ago (when i last did any serious training my MHR was 188, and i seemed to deal with lactic acid build up very well, which would bear out why i won the club hill climb 3 years in succession.)
2nd session... warm up as in session 1, but then do the rest of the hour at a steady 20 mph... will up the mph as fitness improves.
then, if the weather is ok....a 60(ish) mile clubrun on sunday mornings... with a half way tea stop where we loaf about eating buns and bragging.
I swear the older I get, the better I was
pip pip

[Mark]

Haven't worn full lycra since my 30s... and even then it wasn't a pretty sight 

GC

Thanks for not uploading the photos.

[guest18]

Thanks for not uploading the photos.

It's a threat I can still carry through if you're not careful lol, though it has to be said, I tend only to wear Lycra on "serious" rides. (and the ladies like it even if you lot don't  )

Normally my high tech modern cycling gear consists of a cycle clip and a waterproof jacket with reflective panels  (Not as much high viz as I tend to have on the motorbike these days though  )

ps, if you thought us "normal" cyclists were weird, check out the "vélos spéciaux" machines leaving on the Paris-Brest-Paris run last year 

&feature=youtu.be

Mind you, that's what rush hour in central London could look like in a decade or so the way things are going!

[guest7]

But wait, there's more: 



Very rare shot of me with my mouth shut
GC

[guest18]

What curious metals your roadster seems to be made of, and there is definately something funny going on with your brogues!

[SteveC#222]

I did the CTC National 400km Randonee a few ( many) years ago when it was hosted in Lincolnshire. Finished in 23hr 50min for 256 miles as I recall...it'd kill me now!!


I just checked, it was 1991!!!!

[Steve Lake]

I say #1... didn't know you could get brogues with SPD soles???... very natty!