Cycling

[Wombcat]

I did Rund um Köln on easter monday, what the germans call "ein Jedermannrennen".
Some nice pics:

First climb:


The 2nd climb, with sections of 15%:


3rd climb, with cobbles:


Descent, going to the 2nd climb again (but this time around it was the 7th):


There we overtook a large bunch of the short distance (i did the 124 km, the short was 68):


In a small group after that climb:


The 2nd on the cobbles they were very slippery and because we were still overtaking a large bunch of the short distance it was a serious trafficjam, which meant walking:


Leading a small group after the descent of that (last) climb:


Finish:

 

[gethinceri]

Fantastic Wombcat, as usual you look like you were enjoying it!

 

[Mephistopheles]

Please, please can "bonk" be added to the swear list so that it is asterisked out. Just seeing it pains me.

In endurance sports such as cycling and running, hitting the wall or the bonk describes a condition caused by the depletion of glycogen stores in the liver and muscles, which manifests itself by sudden fatigue and loss of energy. Milder instances can be remedied by brief rest and the ingestion of food or drinks containing carbohydrates. The condition can usually be avoided by ensuring that glycogen levels are high when the exercise begins, maintaining glucose levels during exercise by eating or drinking carbohydrate-rich substances, or by reducing exercise intensity.

 

[Bill Boddy]

The theory is fine, it's the practice that hurts.

 

[Mephistopheles]

I think I missed the sarcasm in your first post Bill Boddy I get it now...

 

[gethinceri]

Today, I did this:
https://www.strava.com/activities/137423802

 

[tooncheese]

Awesome ride Gethin, how do you not get bored though? Road cycling for me tends to get boring after about 2 hours, even when I'm with some mates.

 

[gethinceri]

Well it's a good question tooncheese, but we tend to vary the routes (today was a sportive so it's a one off event) and in our club there are just about enough people to have fresh conversations. Sometimes we ride as a peloton so sharing time on the front and "chainganging", other times we're out on routes with hard climbs. It's pretty much an "in your own head" sport in my view, and I've plenty of voices to share opinions in there!

 

[FB]

MAMIL!

 

[gethinceri]

Middle-aged?
How dare you? I'm not even a third of the way through!

 

[gethinceri]

View attachment 6770
As we're posting pics of events.

Here's me on the same event last year, a trifle fatter, I think you'll agree.

 

[tooncheese]

Thanks for that gethinceri. Your bike looks suspiciously clean, as if you just turned up for the photo at the end and spent the rest of the day pub-bound

 

[gethinceri]

That's at the start tooncheese, it was a trifle grubby at the end, I've just finished phase 2 of my legendary cleaning process.

 

[Wombcat]

gethinceri you're looking sharp

 

[Titch]

Fantastic pictures guys.

 

[Bill Boddy]

Oh, if only I were xy years younger.

 

[Titch]

What are you Bill Boddy an algebra problem ?

 

[gethinceri]

Taken from the same spot on the same event last year. In '13 I did the short course and the pic is after 40 miles, this year I did the longest distance and the pic is after 95 miles, no wonder I'm not smiling!

 

[Mephistopheles]

Who owns the copyrights to that pic?

 

[gethinceri]

The internet.