Race Report: Lee Valley Velopark Duathlon

There is nothing better than an evening race in spring and summer, tonight was no different, as it was off through East London to Stratford, and the home of the Olympics for the Capital Tri Duathlon Series at the new Lee Valley Velopark road race circuit. A 1 mile course with twists, turns, a hill, and a bridge. 

The Duathlon tonight was a "sprint" I'm not 100% what that actually means because I certainly wasn't sprinting, but the distances were:

2 mile run

10 mile bike

2 mile run

Lucinda was also racing tonight and we arrived with plenty of time, which was probably as good thing, as it's not the easiest place to find, and when you do find the Velodrome, actually finding the entrance wasn't a doddle, never the less we got set up and lined our bikes on the track in the transition area. There seemed to be a big field of around 50 riders/runners? There also seemed to be alot of people who looked like they knew what they were doing...

So it was off on the first run, down a slight hill and under the bridge, instantly a group of around 10 runners went off the front and the pace was just too hot, no way could I match that! I was around 12th runner in at this point and after a few hundred yards seemed to find my rhythm and stick to it, no idea what pace that was mind as I don't have a watch (later found out I did a 6:08 minute mile average for the first run - fastest ever for me) after the first lap legs were not feeling great, but the pace seemed consistent, and I also appeared to be running with another chap who was matching my pace well, which I guess helped a little as there was no way I was letting him pass me now. As we climbed the hill I put in a little more effort to try and dislodge my fellow runner, this seemed to work, although legs didn't really thank me for it. Into the transition area and it was a speedy change of shoes, helmet on, and off on the bike.

WELL my legs felt awful! How was I going to keep the pace high. Couple this with having not ridden the course before, the first few laps were a bit slow (annoyingly) However after these laps I seemed to find my rhythm and was working at a constant 25-27mph. I was passing everybody, TT bikes, tri suits, commuters... I felt good now, and more importantly by the 5th lap had passed all but 1 of the guys who was in front on the run. I was closing down on him though, and each lap I was reeling him in. I dug deep and on the final lap, just as we entered the transition area, and he got to his bike I passed him, and jumped off my bike. He wasn't expecting that! 

I left the transition area in 1st position, with this chap around 30 yards behind me. Now unfortunately the bike is my strong point, and not the run, so I knew full well that there was NO WAY I could keep 1st position, and true enough, by a third of the way around the first lap he passed me. I tried to match his pace, but that was both stupid and impossible, this guy was quick. I resigned myself to the fact that I was not going to catch him and found a comfortable pace. At this point I was confident that 2nd was bagged, yet still pushed on at a good pace, all be it slightly slower than the first run. Final lap of the run was good and after the strange sensation of feeling like you're not moving as you've just been flying around on the bike the pace was good.

I crossed the line in a time of 49:35 (official time will be a minute or so higher due to transition area) but most importantly I crossed the line 2nd. Pleased (and surprised) with that.

The circuit looks great and for crit racing will be great fun, certainly looking forward to that. There will also be a Tuesday evening TT series which I'll try and get to when Palace isn't on because of the rain.

Training Week: Ayrshire Alps

Usually in March and April cyclists travel abroad seeking sun, hills and a tan. Lucinda and I on the other hand decided to head to Scotland, and the county of Ayrshire to be exact (where Lucinda's parents live) for a week of riding in the Ayrshire Alps.

The Ayrshire Alps is the UK's first road bike park, and like many mountain bike centres the climbs and routes are graded from green (easy) to black (hard) there are also 4 recommended routes, ranging from 20 miles to an epic 90 miles. All of which take in some (or all) of the climbs below. 

Day One:

There is no other way to say this. The train from London was at 5:40am, early indeed, this did however mean we would be in Glasgow by 10:30am! Once at Glasgow it was onto another train to Ayr, a regular and quick service taking just 40 minutes. Then from Ayr it was a 15 miles ride to Base Camp (Lucinda's House) Given we'd both been sat on trains for 6 hours and the early start this was going to be a slow ride, thankfully the weather was good though, and we arrived just in time for lunch and an afternoon or doing nothing, well apart from planning the rides for the following week.

http://www.strava.com/activities/130806732

14.9 miles

703ft climbing

1:00 hour

Day Two:

What was that sound? Ow yeah, rain. Today we would be riding the Dailly 7up. One of the longer rides in the Ayrshire Alps, taking in 7 summits in the area. Now for some real hill riding. A short ride to the start in Dailly, and we started climbing instantly on a 1.5 mile climb averaging 7%, this was a good indication of the type of riding and climbing we'd be doing over the next week, long climbs where you can get into a good rhythm. After looking at the route the previous night it was clear the second half will be more of a challenge than the first, with the hardest climb in the area being the 5th climb of the day. Nic O Balloch, a 2.4 mile climb averaging 7%. The weather though was now getting worse, and as we climbed up through the clouds I couldn't help but think the decent will be COLD. I was right, especially as the decent was 5.2 miles long, which i'm sure would be fun in the dry... Overall though a great first day on the bike and back to warm up by the fire with coffee, very nice indeed! 

http://www.strava.com/activities/131138349

59.6 miles

5,364ft climbing

4:24 hours 

Lucinda climbing into the cloud:

Day Three:

Today started a bit different, and after looking at the weather forecast last night we were glad. A bright blue sky greeted us, and it was beautiful! Out nice and early with the plan to do 2 laps of the Shark circuit, a 20 mile loop taking in two tough climbs, Hadyard Hill (3.4 miles at 4% average) and Glenalla (2 miles at 5% average) first time around was to get used to the climbs, with the second time where we can both put in a solid effort, and see just where we stack up against the locals... I felt great on the climbs, legs were really strong and the new bike was proving to be an incredible climbing machine. I was pleased to see I managed to get the KOM on Hadyard Hill... After the second loop was done, I did the route in reverse, again putting in some big efforts and just generally enjoying the incredible scenery! Think I might have got sun burnt today....

http://www.strava.com/activities/131451017

53 miles

5,027ft climbing

3:34 hours

Nice morning view:

Day Four:

We woke up to yet another glorious morning, with today's plan to tackle the Classic route. A slightly different route which did many of the climbs in the first half, but then went down to the coast at Girvan in the second half of the ride. Out of Dailly and up Hadyard Hill, Nic O Balloch and down into Staiton again, truly incredible scenery and almost as important the roads were in such brilliant condition, even though these were very small single carriageway B roads, because of the wind farms and logging activity in the area the roads have to be good quality, great news for anybody cycling on them. A lunch stop in the little village of Barr and we have a problem. Lucinda's gear cable has just snapped! No spare gear cables anywhere so rescue arrived and it was off to the bike shop to fix it. I carried on to complete the ride, and was glad I did as the route down to the coast for the second half was great, very different to the mountain climbs of the first half, but still a few climbs to keep you awake.

http://www.strava.com/activities/131845182

82.3 miles

6,600ft climbing

5:15 Hours

Blue skies and sea

Day Five:

As yesterday's ride had to be cut short due to mechanicals (now fixed) we headed out towards the coast to do the second half the classic route, then back to Barr for some lunch, well that was the plan, so not a big ride as Monday would be the biggest ride of the week. Another great day of weather, a few stops for photos and snacks and we got the Barr a bit earlier than we thought... So we decided to ride up Noc O Balloch and then straight back to Barr to meet Lucinda's parents for afternoon tea, which by the way is a great mid ride snack! Setting off with a stomach full of coffee and cakes though, interesting. Despite this I wanted to

 put in a big effort up Glengennet (1.6 miles at 6% average) as expected didn't feel that great during the first few hundred yards, but something seemed to click and the legs felt great, I kept pushing hard alternating between out the saddle efforts and seated rhythm climbing. All seemed to work out as I bagged the KOM, happy days. 

http://www.strava.com/activities/132245851

61.5 miles

5,178ft climbing

4:28 Hours

Nic O Balloch summit

 Hill Top Smiles

Day Six:

The final ride of the week, also the longest ride of the week. The Omnibus 8 which essentially takes in all the climbs of the Ayrshire Alps over 90 miles, a true all day epic in the mountains, great! Yet again, somehow the weather was great, and the ride start off with a nice 13% kick which thankfully flattened out and took us over and down to Barr, then back up Glengennet, Glenalla North, Nic O Balloch, all the classics and then down into Straiton for dome lunch. We then headed East, directly into a nasty headwind which made going down hill quite slow, especially after cake at lunch! Thankfully we headed West once we hit Dalmellinton, tailwind assisted of course now! Some rolling hills and we were nearly back and done, apart from one final climb, Wallactown (1.5 miles at 7% average) having ridden this earlier in the week I knew what was needed and was keen to get the KOM, however a long week and day in the saddle wouldn't help. I went hard on the bottom half of the climb, and got into a good rhythm and cadence. Nice to see it paid off and I got the KOM. All down hill from here and it was back to the house for a pint of Tennants in the sun. Perfect. 

http://www.strava.com/activities/132677101

83 miles

6,700ft climbing

6:40 Hours

Lucinda on the climb out of Barr. 

So there we go:

354 miles

29,567 ft of climbing 

24:45 hours 

The Ayrshire Alps really were brilliant, great climbs, great roads, simply breathtaking scenery and very easy to get to from London!

More information can be found on the Ayrshire Alps webiste: http://www.ayrshirealps.org/

and if you're in Barr please go to the community shop and cafe, great place! http://www.barrvillage.co.uk/

Race Report: Westerly CC TT (10.6) - Hillingdon

9th April was the first Westerly CC evening time trail of 2014 held on the Hillingdon Crit circuit in Hayes, West London.

The Hillingdon circuit is a 0.96 mile circuit, so in order to complete the 10 miles needed you ride around for 11 laps. So the actual race distance is 10.6 miles...

I wasn't feeling great on the day, which was probably down to the 40 mile chain gang on Tuesday evening, so I didn't have the freshest of legs, couple this with the 15 mile ride out there from work I wasn't sure what to expect in terms of a time. However I was on the new TCR and in the skinsuit so equipment wise I was prepared. I'm still yet to get a TT bike, and at the moment i'm quite enjoying doing TTs on the road bike! I have been offered a great deal on Rob Moore's old TT bike though, with a disc wheel too....

Anyway I arrived in plenty of time despite heavy traffic and was ready for the 7:15pm start. I was 8th rider to go off, from a field of 30 riders, the majority of which were on TT bikes or had some form of aero advantage (deep rims, extensions, pointy hats etc...) and after a quick few laps to warm up I was queuing up to set off.

5,4,3,2,1 GO. Always takes a few laps for me to get into a rhythm and keep to a consistent speed however by the end of the first lap I was feeling good and keeping to a consistent speed around 26mph. I knew I needed to maintain this speed if i was to be within a shout of my previous best time... 5 miles in and I was at 10:40 and feeling the burn, just a few more laps to go.... The back straight, where you can usually go flat out seemed hard work on the night, mainly down to the headwind & side wind that hits you on the North of the circuit, this however this therefore did make the gradual climb away from the start a little more bearable, with 8 miles done my legs were now really burning! 9 miles in and I put in a final big effort and maintained a  higher speed for the final lap of 26.2mph, however I must have faded in the middle and had a slower lap in somewhere as the overall average was 25.8mph over the 10.6 miles which was 24:40 and put me in 4th position overall and fastest road bike of the night. Winning time on the night was 22:37 by Dave Spragg.

Overall quite happy with my performance given fatigue, conditions and start of the TT season. 12 seconds off last year's best time of 24:28, but this was in August at the end of the season, so peak fitness.

I'll be back in two weeks time with fresher legs to try and beat that!

Strava data:
http://www.strava.com/activities/128568640

Race Report: Derwent Duathlon

This weekend was a race with a slight difference. A Duathlon

The location of this odd race was Ladybower reservoir in the Peak District, a place i'm very familiar with having ridden around here since I could ride a bike. The race consisted of a 7k run, a 29k bike and then a 4.5k fell run... There was a twist though, you could do either run first... It's also worth noting that i'm not a runner, every now and again i'll start running for a bit but soon get bored. This time however I thought I should actually get some practice in, so since entering in the middle of February i've been doing a few short runs a week, training seemed to be going ok and I managed a few PBs including a 5k PB of 19:35. Encouraging,

Race day was an early start, a 6am alarm (5am really given the clocks went forward) and an hour of faffing, making coffee and Porridge and then leaving my parents in Nottingham at 7am. Jack and Lucinda were also doing this, so we packed the car and all set off. This whole race was actually Lucinda's idea who thought it would be a good idea... Jack until the night before wasn't actually doing it, however my friend Tom who had entered was injured, so Jack stepped in and ran under his name (Cheers Tom!)

We arrived at Fairholmes visitor centre early enough at 8:15am for the 9:30am start, allowing plenty of time for usual pre race faffing. Obviously, this being a Duathlon meant we had to work out where the transition area was (at the top of a hill) and where best to place your bike and all your kit.... Competitors were walking around the carpark and transition area with huge boxes of stuff, towels, extra clothes, tools and all sorts of stuff. We however each just had a small rucksack with cycling shoes and running shoes, and a few gels. Nothing else needed really.

It really was a beautiful morning, quite warm around 8 degrees and the sun just trying to come out meant the skinsuit was yet again the item of choice. To be fair most people seemed to be wearing trisuits, which did suggest to me they were slightly more experienced than me at this Duathlon stuff... Just before 9:30 and the usual race briefing was given and then at 9:30am on the dot the klaxon went off. It had started.

The start of the first run was down a steep tarmac hill back towards the car park and then infront of one of the huge Dam walls. To say the pace was quick from the off would be an understatement and although I had positioned myself near the front (why not eh) I was instantly passed and competitors went hurtling down the hill. Just after the start though the route split, where you could either do the 7k road run first or the 4.5k fell run. I opted for the road first, as I knew I could set a good rhythem and get warm, I was quite surprised by the amount of people who then opted for the fell run... I seemed to now be around 5 runners from the front, the pace had slowed down (thankfully) I settled into a comfortable pace, making sure that I didn't go too quick, knowing just what I had to come on the bike and then the final run. The 7k road run was quite flat, with a few undulations along the east side of the reservoir along a private road, a simple out and back route to the transition area. I was feeling good and about 4k in caught a 1 competitor and dropped another, still not sure if that was a good move... The two routes then converged and then final 1k we were back together upto the transition area. The strange thing about this is that I had no idea where I was in terms of placing.

Just coming towards the first transition area

Into the transition area and I quickly ripped my shoes off, helmet on and cycle shoes on and I was off. The cycle was where I was really hoping to make some time up and wanted to put in a quick time, unfortunately my Garmin packed up so I didn't have any data whilst riding, annoying. Jumping onto the bike for the first of outward leg of the 29k bike and the legs took a mile to get warmed up and then I felt good. The road surface was poor, mud, potholes, other people all made for a tricky ride, the main thing though was that I hadn't been passed by anybody and I was passing people, and clearly overtaking people who were very good runner (and perhaps not so good on a bike) this was what I needed to do as my last run would no doubt be slow. The bike route followed the West side of the reservoir, again on a private road, so no traffic to worry about, essentially out, back, out and then back for the final leg. Throughout the bike I was feeling strong and on the final out and back was gaining on what appeared to be the lead 3/4 competitors, a few k to go on the bike and I pass 2 guys who appeared were putting out a huge effort! I dug deep and knew if I could get out the transition area for the final run before these two I would be limited the impact of my final run on my overall position. I made the pass and got into the transition area around 30 seconds ahead... legs were burning now.

Final outward bike leg

Into the transition area

Fell running shoes on, gulp of water and then off we go for the final run! There were no runners that I could see in front of me, so back down the hill I went, along with the two guys who I had passed moments earlier. They clearly are better an transition times and running than me... We got to the junction where the run splits, I had somehow pulled away from these two, having made the pass again on the run and got to the junction where the routes split, turned around and was very glad to see them both head for the 7k road run. Off I go on the fell run route. Starting as a twisty muddy track through the trees with some switchbacks which then opened onto a fireroad, legs were hurting now but I push on and then came the assent. About 550ft in 0.5k. I started the run, which was now very slow, terrain was tricky and although there had been no rain was still muddy and I was glad for the fell running shoes. Through a gate and it got steeper... I was now almost walking, but importantly there was nobody behind me, I continued walking for around 30 seconds until terrain flattened off a little and I ran (slowly) more steep switchbacks and I could see the top, and another runner! Finally at the top and I knew it was all downhill from here, very downhill indeed! The track now was quite wide, but very rough, with huge rocks and stones meaning you couldn't just fly down, you had to pick your line (mountain bike style) The path got steeper, and onto more grassy and soft terrain, where I could see the finishing road, through a final gate and I was onto the fireroad, and the final tarmac section to the finish in front of the dam. As I joined the road run route I could hear a running, getting closer and the breathing heavier he passed me! My brain certainly told my legs to pick up speed, and I did try but I had nothing. I resigned myself to loosing out on that position, whatever that may be. Onto the final home straight and Tom shouts that i'm 4th! What?? 

I cross the line at 1:38. That was indeed 4th! Well the legs hurt now!!

Lucinda came in at 2:02 (6th lady!!) amazing effort and all the training paid off, a new 5k PB too, happy days around then, very proud! Also, given this was Jack's 3rd EVER run, first off road run and run up a hill he did amazing!! 

Overall, a brilliant morning out. Thanks to Peaklife Sport for organising the event and Aquaman Photography for the photos. Full results and information here: http://www.peaklifesport.co.uk/results-and-race-reports/19-derwent-duathlon-2014-race-report-and-results.html  

Will I do it next year? Yeah why not! 

Race Report: Eagle RC 3/4 - Hog Hill - 22nd March

Ah Hog Hill how i've missed you! First race here this year after missing the winter series in favor of Hillingdon and base miles. I was really looking forward to this race , and even entered before so was guaranteed a race, always a good feeling. The previous week I had done around 10 hours on the bike, a mixture of chaingang, commuting and solo Regents Park laps. I was feeling very fresh, confident and most importantly I was on the new bike! Training is going well, and this race would be a good tester to see just how my form is.

A casual ride over from Finchley ready for the 1pm start and the usual pre race faffing and what to wear, what to eat and is my bike going to fail? As the faffing continued, the hail started outside, despite this, and a strong wind, the sun came out again, and as a result the skinsuit was on. 

A large field of 65-70 3/4 riders lined up on the start ready for the off, of which London Phoenix had 5 riders, so a good turnout for us. The pace was quick from the off and given my position on the start grid (mid pack) I was very keen to move up towards the front of the group and control the pace and more importantly stay out of trouble for the first few laps... 

First time up the Hoggenburg I had forgot just how painful this is, having said that, for climbers it's a great place on the course to try and start a break and get a gap.  After 3 laps the group had become really strung out, to around 30 or so riders, with myself and two other Phoenix riders within the front group.

On the front. 

I was feeling great and each time up the Hoggenburg was kicking , not to get a break, but just to keep the pace high, Rich Poynter and Neil Mac were sharing the work and doing some great turns on the front, unfortunately the group (of around 15 riders) were not really willing to do much of the work, well apart from a few turns on the front from 2 Pro Cycle Hire riders which certainly helped to maintain the pace and also gave the legs a short rest. Couldn't quite believe it when we climbed the Hoggenburg to see the 5 lap to go board! Didn't feel like we had been racing very long at all. A big injection of pace from Neil and we managed to get a break going, and were now down to 9 riders, after shelling  a few out the back as the pace went up, so providing I didn't get dropped I'd get at least 2 points. Happy days! Back to the front again for the final 5 laps where Rich and I again shared a lot of the work, even though Neil told us to try and get 4th or 5th wheel in, not that easy when nobody wants to get on the front but there we go... 

Then at 2 laps to go a young lad from Cambridge CC jumped off the front and managed to gap us, there however didn't appears to be any urgency in chasing him down. Cue Neil who then jumped on the front, again, and as the bell went we could see that we were reeling this chap in... As with all last laps the adrenaline was huge and I loved it. Just as we get to the bottom of the Hoggenburg we caught the Cambridge CC rider and as the final finish line sprint up the hill started one of the Pro Cycle Hire riders put in a huge effort, I chased him down but couldn't quite get to him! Managed to bag 4th in the final sprint, which to be honest I was very happy with. I do however need to train my sprint a bit more, that does need some work.

Overall I was really happy with the result, my performance, my bike, my kit, I seemed to get everything spot on and perhaps the only thing I would have changed is not spending as much time on the front (usual story) but I don't always find it that easy to sit back...

So a few photos:

 Leading up the Hoggenburg

 On the front. Again.

This was a big effort. #aero

Stats:

58:30 minutes

22.7 miles

2,333ft of climbing

23.2mph av

167 bpm av

189 bpm max

http://www.strava.com/activities/122927995/overview

Next crit is the first SERRL Summer evening series on 1st May, in between that though I have a Duathlon and a 10 TT (reports will follow)

Photos thanks for Dave Haywood http://www.davehaywardphotos.com/

Product Review: Prendas "Aqua Light" Overshoes

Last weekend I went out on the usual early Sunday London Phoenix club run, this time into the Chilterns, the weather was around 6 degrees with damp roads but no rain. Usually in these conditions i'd be donning the waterproof socks, another pair of socks, shoes, and then oversocks.

This ride however was different. Thanks to the guys at Prendas Ciclismo (www.prendas.co.uk) I had a pair of Prendas Aqua Light Overshoes to wear. Prendas describe these overshoes as ideal for warmer winter days and Autumn & Spring days when there is still a chill in the air or the roads are damp. So absolutely ideal for this ride.

Fit, Material & Design

These overshoes are made from durable and lightweight "Aqua Light" material, and as a result benefit from being water resistant and wind proof (Prendas do make it clear they are not waterproof). Unlike many thicker or neoprene overshoes these are quite close fitting and not bulky, they are flexible so can easily stretch over buckles or lace systems. The overshoe is secured at the heal by a zip and velcro tab system. This seems strong, durable and unlike some other overshoes I had no issues with the zip not closing and falling down during a ride.  The bottom of the shoes, around the cleat holes, toes and heal are reinforced for extra durability and grip when walking off the bike. When you first put the overshoes on they instantly felt warm and comfortable, very pleasing indeed. Under my shoes I wore a pair of generic white socks and some Prendas Thermolite socks (review to follow) this combination worked well, if not a little too warm. For overshoes (No overshoes really look attractive do they?) they look good, subtle Prendas logo at the top of the overshoes, on the side not only indicate which shoe is for which foot, but also adds a classic bit of minimalist styling to the product. I approve. Perhaps, and purely on a personal preference, I would make the upper ankle section longer, but that could well be because I have longer legs than most.

Function & Durability 

The roads were wet, and the windchill was cold. However my feet were warm at the start of the ride, and warm at the end of the ride, which given conditions I was very happy with, as usual as a minimum I would have cold toes. Although the overshoes were wet and muddy from spray on the road, my shoes, socks and most importantly toes were still warm (and clean) In addition to the initial ride I have been wearing these overshoes all week in a range of temperatures from 3 degrees on a fresh morning commute to warmer chaingang sessions in the evening. The commute is quite a tough test for any product due to the stop start nature, clipping in/out and feet down type of the riding, however the overshoes have not only been durable, but stayed secure on my feet and kept me warm (too warm one day!) Now that spring might just be around the corner (?) i'm looking forward to continuing to test these out and comment further on their function & durability. These will also fit over MTB shoes, so i'll be testing them out in mud soon and seeing how they cope. I can imagine during Mountain Mayhem, if it's muddy these will keep me going for 24 hours.

Verdict

Do a great job of keeping your toes and feet dry and warm, looks good and keep your shoes in good condition. What more do you want from a mid weight overshoe?

Summary

Model - Prendas Aqua Light Overshoes (Large - 43/44)

Link - http://www.prendas.co.uk/details.asp?typ=typ&fkid=17&ID=3504

Price - £29.99

This review is 100% independent. Thanks to Prendas Ciclismo who very kindly sent me the overshoes to review and test, however any opinions expressed in this blog post are my own. 

A Weekend in the Peaks

I'm sat on a train, and to be honest I'm not looking forward to the ride back home from the station, up Highgate Hill. I've had enough of hills for a few days... 

I've been back home riding in the Peak District, where I originally started road riding when I was at University in Sheffield, I've not been riding up here for over 3 months now!

Saturday was a 60 mile loop with Jack, including some classic climbs and the famous Snake Pass, the road between Sheffield and Manchester. A 9.4 mile climb averaging 2.4% which may not sound much, but the last 2 miles average around 6-7%. 

I had set out with my goal being to hit this hard, but I knew given the headwind all the way up, today was not going to be my day. I felt good throughout the climb and put in a solid effort and time for the conditions. Pleased with how I felt! Well it was certainly windy on the top! A very quick smash down into Glossop and we then headed over towards Hayfield and Chapel-en-le-Frith. I've not ridden this route since 2012, and I'll be honest I had forgotten what the hills were like between Glossop and Chapel. Couple of cat 4 and 3s! With the wind up Snake I knew if I put in a big effort upto Mam Tor from Chapel, I could potentially bag a few top 10s. I felt very strong, concentrated on my breathing and pedaling technique and  set a good pace and rhythm. The final sprint up Mam Nick nearly did me though.... 

We then descended down Winnats Pass, which given the amount of traffic out that day wasn't that fun, through Castleton and pushed onto Hathersage, next stop, the Outdoor cafe (they do pints of coffee) Jack and I stayed in there for a good hour... then decided to do one final climb upto Fox House. A 1.5 mile climb at 5.4% average. Wind may have been in our favour, but the cafe stop probably wasn't. Final decent into Grindleford and it was back to the car. 

Once on Strava I was pleased to see a good selection of top 5 and 10s, plenty of PRs and one KOM.... 

That was set on the climb from Chapel, I felt good so was pleased with that result. Overall a truly brilliant days riding, beautiful scenery and hills and glad to be back!

Overall just shy of 60 miles, but a lot of climbing at nearly 5,900ft

Saturday evening was then spent plotting Sunday's ride. A 70 mile loop from Nottingham into the Peaks, again taking in some good climbs.

Sunday was different, no sun and even more wind! I gritted my teeth and set off, immediately feeling the effects of Saturday's ride in my legs, never mind, must push on. The first 20 miles were flat through various small North Nottinghamshire towns and was all very boring. First climb through was upto Crich, a long climb of varying gradients, and this wasn't enjoyable. Never the less I then headed down into Ambergate to climb back upto Crich from the other side. A 2 mile climb at 5.4%. From the top I then descended into Lea and over towards the famous Riber climb, a local and national legend. A short 0.3 miles averaging 15.2% with sections at 25% plus... I actually arrived from the wrong road, so had to ride down it just to ride up, nice! It was then down into the Spa town of Matlock and out the other side. My target. Two Dales. I'd never actually ridden this climb before, always opting for Beeley, but the lure of another 20% was too much so I hit it. It was a mistake, the road was so slippy and couldn't stand up, so had to sit and painfully pedal away on my 39:25 setup... I reached the top of the moors, needing food, some midget gems and a tunnocks bar had to do... I've mentioned the wind before, but this wasn't fun, a headwind for 30 miles near as dam it all the way home now! The route from Kirkby was the same as the outward journey so I knew what was coming, and that was a few mean little climbs and some small towns. Good to get home, feet up and eat everything (thanks mum) really should have used the time and washed my bike but that can wait till next weekend... Today's efforts weren't as good as Saturday, but still a good ride. 70 miles and 6,700 ft of climbing...

I'll be back in the Peaks soon and hitting some of classic climbs and even Snake again, depending on the wind!