Author Topic: Your Longest Winter Ride?  (Read 6239 times)

Re: Your Longest Winter Ride?
« Reply #25 on: 18 December, 2018, 11:13:00 am »
A 300km group DIY in January to Clee Hill in Shropshire from Bristol. The first time we got serious snow over the Cotswolds and ended up getting home at about 2:00 AM.  Second time we were plagued by punctures and ended up getting back at a similar time. So both went full value because of conditions, would consider a 300km in winter again but would think carefully about route and conditions.

The idea and the route was Will Pom's ... seeing a pattern here ::-)

The first one was invigorating! JonB doesn't mention that it wasn't just to Clee Hill, It was to the trig point on the top  :demon:
https://www.facebook.com/AudaxBristol/videos/871576846217281/

Re: Your Longest Winter Ride?
« Reply #26 on: 18 December, 2018, 01:20:31 pm »

Re: Your Longest Winter Ride?
« Reply #27 on: 18 December, 2018, 05:46:39 pm »
A 300km group DIY in January to Clee Hill in Shropshire from Bristol. The first time we got serious snow over the Cotswolds and ended up getting home at about 2:00 AM.  Second time we were plagued by punctures and ended up getting back at a similar time. So both went full value because of conditions, would consider a 300km in winter again but would think carefully about route and conditions.

The idea and the route was Will Pom's ... seeing a pattern here ::-)

The first one was invigorating! JonB doesn't mention that it wasn't just to Clee Hill, It was to the trig point on the top  :demon:
https://www.facebook.com/AudaxBristol/videos/871576846217281/

was you declared insane for that !!! I have been up there on a decent day and can be bleak !!

Re: Your Longest Winter Ride?
« Reply #28 on: 18 December, 2018, 08:08:31 pm »
I finished in time but did about 140 miles, driving back to Wakefield I couldn't get warm & went straight to work at 2AM I Drove my articulated Truck to Cardiff for a 8AM delivery

WTF ? There are so many issues here: you were up most of the day, rode 140 miles, were knackered and then stayed up to drive an (up to) 44 tonne truck to Cardiff from Wakefield...................
WTF ?




mattc

  • n.b. have grown beard since photo taken
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Re: Your Longest Winter Ride?
« Reply #29 on: 18 December, 2018, 08:32:16 pm »
I finished in time but did about 140 miles, driving back to Wakefield I couldn't get warm & went straight to work at 2AM I Drove my articulated Truck to Cardiff for a 8AM delivery

WTF ? There are so many issues here: you were up most of the day, rode 140 miles, were knackered and then stayed up to drive an (up to) 44 tonne truck to Cardiff from Wakefield...................

yeah but he got 2 audax points  :thumbsup:
Has never ridden RAAM
---------
No.11  Because of the great host of those who dislike the least appearance of "swank " when they travel the roads and lanes. - From Kuklos' 39 Articles

Re: Your Longest Winter Ride?
« Reply #30 on: 18 December, 2018, 09:29:58 pm »
was you declared insane for that !!! I have been up there on a decent day and can be bleak !!

Have you seen https://www.instagram.com/rsfarchive/?

I just like a bit of an added challenge to my adventures, apparently quite a few others do too  ;D

Re: Your Longest Winter Ride?
« Reply #31 on: 18 December, 2018, 09:47:39 pm »
And that is why I love this sport/activity and fell in love with Audax after a few weeks !! Nor for my extreme one on Sunday it appears !


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CrazyEnglishTriathlete

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Re: Your Longest Winter Ride?
« Reply #32 on: 18 December, 2018, 10:05:27 pm »
In astronomical or meteorological winter my longest ride has been the Kennett Valley Run (x5) riding from home, which makes about 240km, but my longest ride in 'winter' conditions was a Dinner Dart from Basingstoke to York via Horncastle and the Humber Bridge, which totalled 436km in 24 hours and included 3 spills on black ice and a 5km section walked because the road was a sheet of ice and I didn't want to come off again.  A couple of years later, I had another go at a Dinner Dart, got 190km to Market Harborough by which time the temperature dropped to -3C and I didn't want a repeat.  I managed a further 200km to York the following day to get my Dinner Dart and then rode back 2 days later from York to Stafford for an After Dinner Dart, where the temperature started at -8C, stayed below freezing all day, and, by the time I could no longer see my cycle computer, somewhere near Uttoxeter, the temperature had gone back to -7C.  Struggled with dehydration because of frozen water bottles.  After being out of action for a month through bursitis in the hip thanks to black ice, I've given up such antics. 

Although the coldest riding conditions I've had were in meterological spring this March, riding from The Hague to Zandvoort and back, in bone dry marrow chilling conditions of -8C and a tasty 30kph headwind all the way to Zandvoort.
Eddington Numbers 130 (imperial), 182 (metric) 574 (furlongs)  114 (nautical miles)

Re: Your Longest Winter Ride?
« Reply #33 on: 19 December, 2018, 08:07:29 am »
You raise an interesting point, CET - dehydration due to water bottles freezing. I've had that on winter rides and have had to stuff a bidon up my jersey to keep it warm. It's not very comfortable but it does the job.

Another issue is eating enough whilst riding in winter. Wearing thick gloves means you can't get at your food very easily. Does anyone have any solutions to that ?

Slightly off thread I know, but while we're on the subject of long winter rides ...

Re: Your Longest Winter Ride?
« Reply #34 on: 19 December, 2018, 08:09:27 am »
Unfortunately when I reached Cardiff the Artic was overloaded by 2 tons at 46 tons, I had to go over my driving hours by I hour so did a 16 hour day instead of 15, I slept in the truck till Friday, it's called the real world, some people have a harder life than others, I went to the college of hard knocks.

Re: Your Longest Winter Ride?
« Reply #35 on: 19 December, 2018, 10:49:13 am »
You raise an interesting point, CET - dehydration due to water bottles freezing. I've had that on winter rides and have had to stuff a bidon up my jersey to keep it warm. It's not very comfortable but it does the job.

This was the problem with the first FF(FF)F500 - waterbottles were frozen solid by Malmesbury!

Re: Your Longest Winter Ride?
« Reply #36 on: 19 December, 2018, 11:01:47 am »

Another issue is eating enough whilst riding in winter. Wearing thick gloves means you can't get at your food very easily. Does anyone have any solutions to that ?


I remember winter climbing in Glencoe with Mick Hardwick (sadly deceased). His solution was rice pudding in a plastic bag carried in the inside chest pocket of his climbing jacket. Body heat kept it from freezing and when he got hungry he would bite of the corner of the bag and squeeze the contents into his mouth. Not for everyone maybe but it works.
Hear all, see all, say nowt

Re: Your Longest Winter Ride?
« Reply #37 on: 19 December, 2018, 11:14:00 am »
In astronomical or meteorological winter my longest ride has been the Kennett Valley Run (x5) riding from home, which makes about 240km, but my longest ride in 'winter' conditions was a Dinner Dart from Basingstoke to York via Horncastle and the Humber Bridge, which totalled 436km in 24 hours and included 3 spills on black ice and a 5km section walked because the road was a sheet of ice and I didn't want to come off again.  A couple of years later, I had another go at a Dinner Dart, got 190km to Market Harborough by which time the temperature dropped to -3C and I didn't want a repeat.  I managed a further 200km to York the following day to get my Dinner Dart and then rode back 2 days later from York to Stafford for an After Dinner Dart, where the temperature started at -8C, stayed below freezing all day, and, by the time I could no longer see my cycle computer, somewhere near Uttoxeter, the temperature had gone back to -7C.  Struggled with dehydration because of frozen water bottles.  After being out of action for a month through bursitis in the hip thanks to black ice, I've given up such antics. 

Although the coldest riding conditions I've had were in meterological spring this March, riding from The Hague to Zandvoort and back, in bone dry marrow chilling conditions of -8C and a tasty 30kph headwind all the way to Zandvoort.

What an enjoyable read.
Frequent Audax and bike ride videos:

https://www.youtube.com/user/djrikki2008/videos

mattc

  • n.b. have grown beard since photo taken
    • Didcot Audaxes
Re: Your Longest Winter Ride?
« Reply #38 on: 21 December, 2018, 02:38:53 pm »
Has never ridden RAAM
---------
No.11  Because of the great host of those who dislike the least appearance of "swank " when they travel the roads and lanes. - From Kuklos' 39 Articles