We were set up for our usual Thirsty Thursday ride this week, when Karl announced that he didn’t have yoga and could go early. Ian had to see to his horses, but reckoned he could catch us up. We would spin out over Beacon Fell before hitting the pub!
6:15 came round and neither Karl nor Ian were here. I asked Jayne if I should swap my lights and bag over to the Hewitt audax bike. The dead pan reply was “Alison can ride Beacon Fell on here single speed!”. Fixie it was!!!
In the end Ian and Karl arrived at mine within two minutes of each other. We set out at a brisk pace with a following wind. After going under the M6, it was 5 miles of climbing, culminating in 1/2 a mile of 1 in 4. I struggled up the first climbs, keeping pace sort of with Ian and Karl. The final climb was a killer and they left me for dead. Oh for the artifice of the derailleur.
But worse was to come. After getting to the top of Beacon fell, there is a choice of two or three very steep, very fast descents. On a geared bike we try to keep above 30mph for the whole 5 miles. I managed to get to 27mph before my legs went and I was bouncing too much. But I’d made it up the hills.
Today, I passed the 1000 mile mark on the fixed.
Proper update on Sunday (maybe)
Cheers
Tim
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