Show us what you did today, thread

[Jamiedyer]

Managed to upload a couple of pics for something else and managed to stick a couple from yesterdays ride on.
It was a good ride round the coast but the wind, which ramping up all afternoon, was great on the ride out but when heading back along the high road it was about a 25 mph headwind, full on in the face. The pace slowed until just near Canisbay I pulled into a layby on the singletrack road to let a smallish tractor past that had slowly been catching me up. It kept my mind off the wind as I raced from passing place to passing place to stay ahead. Anyway once past me I thought he's not going too quick, so I quickly pushed to catch up and then proceeded to draft along right up behind it for the next few, maybe four kilometres to almost home, sitting on a steady 34kph. A step up from the sub 20kph I could just manage in the wind. The old guy driving pointed to ask if I wanted round, I just pointed to the back of the tractor and gave the thumbs up, and with taking his thumbs up reply as his consent, I moved up to about a foot off the back and proceeded to roll along. I only lost the draft about a third of the way up the hill near home.
All good fun.

Jamie

2 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

4 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

5 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

There is no hiding from the wind on these roads
6 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

It was coming back along this section of road that I was behind the tractor. You can see the grass is already blowing over in this pic.
1 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

3 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

 

[RobMac]

Re:

Jamie how do you get along with the Brooks?

 

[Jamiedyer]

I like the Brooks. This one is just over a year old now and not that many miles really but it's comfortable already.
I have had the black one on my Trucker for a long time and it is great as well. I was dubious about all the hype and I was for a long time until I did a few long days in the saddle and my backside was fine. Like one of the days when I was away for the tour in August, it rained, was sunny, then it poured and I was soaked through to the core, then it dried out and I climbed the Struei near Bonar Bridge, I think I did about 130klm or so fully loaded from Tongue down to Brians at Dingwall, but not during or after did I even think about my backside feeling sore or tender, nothing at all. If I don't notice it then it must be doing it's job.

Jamie

 

[RobMac]

Re:

One last question, what model is that on the Mercian?

 

[Jamiedyer]

Both of mine are standard B17 models.

Jamie

 

[ajm]

Re:

Nothing like sitting close in behind a tractor for a few miles to make you feel a lot fitter than you actually are! Sadly virtually all the farms around here have flashy modern tractors now and they're much faster than they used to be Even if I manage to catch them / keep up with them, it's a bit too fast for comfort in case there's a sudden stop... (that was rarely a problem in the old days as their brakes were usually even worse!)

 

[epicyclo]

Now Jamie has mudguards on his Mercian, I can think of a few good "road" rides so he can get his money's worth out of them...

 

[velomaniac]

Re:

Brian classes a 'proper' bike as something like an old sit up and beg roadster bike with hub gears. I class a 'proper' bike as something like that beautiful Mercian Jamie pilots around

Today I seen something that made me smile, a 'proper' bike. A Philips lugged steel roadbike, which is just a low end hi-tensile steel Raleigh with a Philips badge but this one had been seriously breathed on. Full Shimano 105 groupo with Miche hubs, Cinnelli stem and other bits of Italian loveliness. Polished to perfection with a glorious deep red metallic paint scheme. Sows ear to silk purse and worth every bit I'm sure. Wish I'd had a camera

Current health letting me down and not been out on my bikes at all but as long as all that cycling eye candy exists I can still smile in appreciation

 

[epicyclo]

Re: Re:

Brian classes a 'proper' bike as something like an old sit up and beg roadster bike with hub gears....

A proper bike doesn't have one of those dangly spoke manglers....

 

[velomaniac]

Re:

I said it was your definition Brian, I did not say that was a bad definition and I did not point out the flaws in your 'proper' bikes design of which there are a few so be a gent and stop badmouthing the opposition