Just went for a quick spin today, mountain bike again, the roads looked dry but the menace of ice was lurking in the shadows. I did the same route as I did with No1 the other day, up the nearest hill and back down again basically but it was just me today the rest of the family tucked up in bed as I set off into the winter sunshine.
I read some tips in a magazine from one of the pro riders for going uphill, don't shift to your bailout gear as soon as you see an incline(like me), sit up to open up your lungs, relax and control your intake of breath. With this in mind I hit the road climb up to the woods, I always struggle but I relaxed and spun up. As I got to the top, a woman got out of her car as I came to a halt, "You must be mad" were her words, I'll take that as a badge of honour or one of those laminated lanyard things, "Its all part of the fun" I replied "I'll take your word for it" and we went our separate ways.
So it was a bit more up, and a loop along the fireroads, it was still frozen up here and as I crunched along the track the ice crystals glistened in the sunlight as it cut through the trees. I was cruising along quite well and I've started pushing bigger gears, I think the road riding has helped me in that respect.
Onto the downhill bit, and I felt the chill as I headed down through Alcombe combe, just me on the track today, no herds of other cyclists to slow me down, my thumbs decided to go somewhere on the descent but thankfully they've reemerged now.
| Distance: | 7.15 mi |
| Time: | 1:03:39 |
| Avg Speed: | 6.7 mph |
| Elevation Gain: | 1,032 ft |
I know I was only out for an hour but look at the elevation !
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