Slow

It's a few months since I have been out in the woods cycling with the "boys". I use the push-bikes frequently, either around town or by myself in Leigh Woods etc, but not with the gang that I used to see frequently. Since I have signed myself us for the Exmoor Explorer in week or so, I thought that it was time that I got in some serious practice so I headed for the Tuesday night two hours with the Tuesboyz. (Mostly in their late 40's). I'm still slow, still the last on the climbs, but I can usually keep up on the downhills and more technical twisty stuff.

Waiting at the bridge, I noticed how slim all the cyclists are, compared with the general populace. I know that I've put on about 7kg since 2003 after my illness, but all these guys looked whippet-thin and long legged. It must be the exercise.

I was also invited out by another crew on Wednesday, so in spite of my sore muscles from the day before, I decided to repeat the abuse. The difference in the rides was instructive. Whereas the Tuesboyz include a moderate amount of twisty singletrack in their routes, with a lot of bridleways, fire roads and tarmac; the Wednesday crowd (who start a useful hour earlier in the evening) ride almost exclusively through parts os Leigh Woods into which I had never ventured, finding nasty drop-offs and rooty, twisty trails that I would have never tried unless I was in company. So it was a much more technical and tricky ride, but I felt less left behind. It also helps that the age range was in the 50's rather than mainly in the 40s, I suppose.

And I found that my bike was falling apart, again, with a flexy fork and dubious back brakes. I need to do some serious kit modifications to get myself ready for Exmoor.

:0)