RichardM

Most recent activity

• The view from here

  in Forums • 1 month, 4 weeks

  

  Thanks +Sir_Shannonball. Great photos.

  One for 2023.

• The view from here

  in Forums • 2 months, 1 week

  

  Nice blog. And it is, of course, comforting to know that there is at least one form of bike racing where age is performance enhancing.

• The view from here

  in Forums • 4 months, 3 weeks

  

  Nice blog.

  Like Mr Johnson's recent resignation, being caught by that infernal machine was less a question of "if" and more one of "when".

  Great fun (and superb post-ride millionaire's shortbread at HQ).

• The view from here

  in Forums • 5 months, 2 weeks

  

  Very nice.

• The view from here

  in Forums • 5 months, 2 weeks

  

  We were very much roadie pilgrims in an unholy mountain biking land but it still huge fun anyway, or perhaps because, of that.

  The coffee cup incident should however be passed over in silence.

  Incidentally, if 42s were a "lemon" for this imagine what it was like for me. I was on 35s...

• The view from here

  in Forums • 5 months, 3 weeks

  

  Nice blog, +Sir_Shannonball. Leaving aside the shotcomings of the event, cruising round on a tandem was certainly a fun, if eccentric, way to do it.

  On gearing, you are probably right (which, it should be noted, is not something I say that often regarding gearing, or more generally). The Calfee's 58t chainring would have been useful.

  That said, R100 does not really strike me as a day for watt watching and stem chewing. If we had done the National 100 instead, which as you know was on the same day, it would have been a different story...

• The view from here

  in Forums • 6 months, 1 week

  

  Indeed. Comedy of errors +Sir_Shannonball.

  Lots of lessons.

  Arrive early and don't get distracted.

  Assume that any technology won't work, but at the same time don't rely on marshals and signs.

  And finally, recognise just how brutally hard tandems are on any compenents.

  That said, we were shifting! Illegally on a motorway perhaps, but we were shifting. Reasons to be cheerful.

• The view from here

  in Forums • 6 months, 3 weeks

  

  +MikeMC - Thanks.

  +StephendS - The tandems were last off so we probably got a sense for how busy the traffic tends to get during events of this sort. Other than a couple of cars passing us on the slip road as we waited to start and a slight hold due to one car at the first roundabout it seemed pretty quiet to me. Perhaps as important the main road is relatively wide, straight and the sight lines are good. Having ridden the course a couple of times now my main memories regarding traffic are more "It was a shame we were held up at roundabout xyz", rather than "OMG! That lorry was close!". That probably gives you a sense.

  One unrelated observation on the course. For those minded to make a morning of it Musette Cafe is on the doorstep of the HQ. It would therefore be easy to do an event and then head of for après ride cake. (NB: Which, of course, is the correct TT warm down protocol anyway.)

• The view from here

  in Forums • 6 months, 3 weeks

  

  Nice write up, +Sir_Shannonball.

  The structured warm up certainly helped. That said, my first thought when we finished (after "Crikey! 70kmh downhill on a TT tandem certainly tests the nerves.") was how to go faster next time. (I plan to inflict my ideas in that regard on you in due course.) For the first time, sub-21 minutes seems achievable.

  As for your "inner Muttley", well, I recall that your outer Muttley seemed pretty pleased with the result too.

  A special morning. To misquote Casablanca, "We will always have Tring".

• The view from here

  in Forums • 7 months, 3 weeks

  

  Noted. Focus on pedalling rather than pedantry, +Sir_Shannonball.

  Anyway, on the tandem, the main excuse is right in front of you...