Sometimes it's nice to go slow.

[TheFungle]

My wife is aiming to complete a 100 mile sportive in June and has just recently started training, as such she is still getting her confidence on the bike and gradually building the mileage up, over her six days off she did a 20, 30, 40 & 53 mile ride.

Being the helpful husband I was there to guide her and be her 'windbreak', one thing which struck me was just how relaxing it was to pottle along at 14mph in comparison to my usual lung busting pace, even at the end of a 53 mile ride and despite being in the saddle for 4hrs I felt as fresh as a daisy.

I'm a destined to grow a beard and ride a steel audax bike? I'm not sure but I certainly appreciate another side to cycling.

[DrMekon]

I hope you've ordered a Carradice saddlebag. Need somewhere to put your badges.

[louiebaby]

I ride for pleasure. I like getting to the end of a ride and feeling like I've had a good outing, tired, but not broken.

I try and pace myself to achieve that, rather than going really hard all the time. I now just shrug if someone passes me up a hill, because they don't know how far I've been to get there, or how much further I still have to go.

Just a little bit of for a Tuesday morning...

[TheFungle]

DrMekon said:

I hope you've ordered a Carradice saddlebag. Need somewhere to put your badges.

Ooooh badges you say?

[AyBee]

louiebaby said:

I try and pace myself to achieve that, rather than going really hard all the time. I now just shrug if someone passes me up a hill, because they don't know how far I've been to get there, or how much further I still have to go.

If someone overtakes me up a hill I try to catch their wheel and pace with them to push myself, the urge to cry "I've already done 100 miles" or "I've already ridden this hill 5 times" is strong though Must learn to be less competitive

[yellowjack]

Plenty of beards, panniers, and even badges out on the coastal roads between Exmouth and Lyme Regis on Easter Monday. I had the feeling it may have been an organised Audax event. Fair play to them, though, as it didn't look like ideal weather to be doing quite so much climbing. Nice to see so many cyclists out and about at this time of year.

[DrMekon]

TheFungle said:

Ooooh badges you say?

Oh yus!

If all goes to plan, I'll get these this year (200, 300, 400, 600 & 1000+km events in one season)




It's like being a cub again, albeit without the over familiar old men around. Actually, scratch that last bit.