Climbing... well, you have seen me uphill, and before this year I never really climbed anything, since there are no hills in the Netherlands. You should take into account I'm a bit younger though.
And you most certainly have longer legs.
Yes, seeing you ride up the Côte de Banneux was quite inspiring. As far as I'm concerned: I would be happy enough if I could stay with Björn while following you up there.
Hm, never heard complaints about leg-length before, in climbs. I am riding with pretty much standard 170mm cranks, but I know at least 3 other people with 155s, two of them are about my length. One of them did PBP07, the other got serious knee issues while doing his series for that. I think after that he got the 155s.
I did ruin my right knee in December 2007, and since then I ride with a cadence meter. While climbing I stay around 90, unless it's
really steep. On flats in long brevets 100-105. Otherwise 110-115. With my Rohloff hub in first gear at a cadence of 90 I do 7.3km/h, according Sheldon Browns calculator. I think about getting a 42 instead of a 39 in the front though. I'll do 7.8 then instead of 7.3km/h then.
Weren't you in the big group that I passed in/just outside Langholm, heading to Eskdalemuir? I had magic legs there. Now that I think of it, you probably weren't, since you left Alston when I arrived there.
If I keep up my cycling I'm afraid I'll be a lot faster next year. Maybe I'll take it easy until Banneux for the company, so we can compare braid-lengths again at the bakery, before I take off.
I will repeat myself here: this was my first randonneur year, also the first year where I did over 10000km(with 4 months still to go), and it's still a couple of years before I'll be 30. I will be a lot stronger next year, if I keep it up.
First really joyfull moment: Harsh crosswinds from the winds preceeding a thunderstorm, trees bending, sheding twigs, sand whirling up - and the bent just calmly made it's way. Then, turning right into this wind in a moment of craziness, really feeling the wind go over me, being able to ride steady if slow, not fighting to stay on the road like with the upright and looking up into that wild sky with those first flashes of lightning instead of bearing down, eyes glued to the tarmac.
Btw, the only pretty good picture I made with others on it during LEL has you in it:
http://arvid.org/lel2009/lel2009a.JPG