Got out for a trail ride today. 6a roll out start meant few others were out there. The weather’s been sunny and hot, 30C and above. Today, it was tropical: in the mid-20s but high humidity and overcast. We’ve had severe thunderstorms at night and as I write this at 17:00, thunder is rolling toward us with the lake’s high wind warning lights lit (aka the “get off the lake” lights). A bit of a tropic fell at one point, but that was it.
I haven’t been able to roll this route for a while due to snow. For the last few miles of the main climb (pics below… which don’t include the “chutes” and slick rock that come after these pics), I’ve only seen mtb’ers descending (or trail runners or hikers, no bikes climbing). It’s an otherwise peaceful place with birds chirping during the grind up.
On the return, passing through a popular trail bike / walking trail in a narrow canyon there was a steady stream of riders coming up. They were mostly mtb but a good number of gravel bikes. There were so many that it seemed like some event but maybe it was just a massive coincidence. If the latter, it was weird.
A fair number of cow bells, sheep bells, and lamb bells ringing here and there. A nice time in the saddle.
It has been a good week for baselining short power. Onward and upward to work on the other end of the power curve before my September event featuring a 10 mile gravel climb.
End of a recovery week so just a short (1,5 hours) outing with 4 hard efforts up some hills. Came across this really nice underpass art whilst heading out of town.
No good pics from this ride but it was a fun one. “Hour of Power” loop with my two buddies and then some tempo after. Really stoked with 345NP for 44 min during that HOP loop. Lots of ouch happening there.
I had a terrible clip in but joked with the organiser , that in being 5secs late to the roundabout turn I missed most of the traffic and only had to give way (yield) to 1 car, and it was the 1st time this year I’ve had to stop for traffic. Lol, you’ve guessed it, on today’s 25 miler down in Essex, I got a reasonable clip in and got to the turn and had to give way (yield) to 3 cars.
Contested the finish of the local flat race pace group ride, first time with power data. I guess I can’t call this a sprint, but this type of effort earned my cat2 upgrades on road/track. Power fizzled down to 450w at the end but HR of 200 bpm shows I went deep.
Greater Niagara Circle Route - the redemption edition. We tried to ride this last year for my birthday and then I wiped out at 40kph giving myself a trip to the hospital and a nasty concussion. Today we rode it without incident.
Had my longest ride yet on Sunday, we also had a months worth of rain in one day. So the day was a great distance milestone, but cold and wet. Rode my Diverge with road tyres on, could not have been happier with the comfort.
Some friends of mine do a Wednesday night ride but I am TT usually Thursday so give it a mis and stick with my TR endurance workout. They’ve decided to enter a road bike TTT and I’m not TTing Thursday so I joined them. They need a bit of work to get the best out the weaker riders without burning their matches but hey ho it’s a start.
Legs were trashed yesterday (and are still trashed) after climbing Himmeltinden on Wednesday, but I was getting a decent workout in until I hit the wrong button on my watch and skipped an interval by accident and then lost all will to continue since it wasn’t gonna count anyway, dammit AT:
2 days of MTB, local park with some more tech stuff yesterday, drove an hour north to flow trails today. Getting weird looks in both places in my road kit because everyone knows rOaDiEs cAnT MTB, and 140mm is to0 MuCh tRaVeL
I went down to Central Bedfordshire today, Brogborough to be precise. What was a fast course when I last rode it has been spoiled by a roundabout. It still had the potential of a quick course. Until I got to the larger roundabout when a HGV was coming round just as I would have been entering. He actually slowed up and blocked the road but unfortunately I had lost momentum. I got to the turn only to have to give way again. Got back to the main roundabout and again had to give way. Got back to the new roundabout, on no, not again After that I actually scored a 9sec pb but I could have smashed it if I got a clear run
to work on the other end of the power curve before my September event featuring a 10 mile gravel climb.
I was wondering how your training for the Tour had been going.
After that I actually scored a 9sec pb but I could have smashed it if I got a clear run 
