22 Mile Night Ride with the Witney Wheelers (MTB)

Another great ride with the Witney wheelers guys out toward Long handborough. Started out at a nice fast pace so was blowing a bit in the first 10 minutes but managed to settle into it, the pace was way faster than I am normally used to which is  great for improving my stamina, got left behind a bit on the hills but generally managed to keep up with them.

Bloody bike light packed up after 8 miles and right in the middle of a gnarly old wood so I spent the rest of the ride on my Cree 230 lumen helmet torch which was just about ok, I’ve emailed bestofferbuy.com with my problem and so far have had good correspondence from them, will wait and see the outcome as it’s still a cracking light for the price.

Had some scary moments in a couple of bomb holes that I hadn’t ridden before steep steep steep side walls, had a bit of an off near the rim so would like to have a crack in daylight to see how I go. Some very nice woody sections that I’ve not been before so all in all a great ride for me and the fact I’m being pushed is a real bonus to my fitness levels.

Runmeter Stats:

Started: 14 Oct 2010 18:52:44
Ride Time: 2:23:02
Stopped Time: 0:00
Distance: 21.77 miles
Average: 9.13 miles/h
Fastest Speed: 27.33 miles/h
Climb: 609 feet
Calories: 1394

Witney To Reading 58 miles National route 5 (Roadie)

Click on link for route (opens in new window)

macksmid’s Activities | RunKeeper.

Sonkingly good ride today, a new PB of 58 miles in the bag. Started off going into Oxford along the A40 which was actually ok, nice cycleway right into the city centre. Through Oxford was a bit of a novelty as the route goes right through the heart of the city in and out of backstreets and over rivers here there and everwhere, not very scenic if  i’m honest as the better scenery is the other side of the city.

From here on the path gets a bit sketchy, very rough in places not really skinny tyred race bike stuff, more MTB, the route through to Radley lakes and Abingdon was similar gnarly towpaths and shale path, bit slow going really.

Had intended to go via my work at the power station but as it was a bit rough at that point I went through Appleford and cut the corner off. Some nice little hills around Wittenham clumps ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wittenham_Clumps ) and a steady pace through Wallingfords town centre crossing the Thames yet again. From here on it was a mixture of  lanes that were rather nice all the way over the Chilterns ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chilterns ) Nice MTB routes that I need to suss out.

Anyway following the Chiltern cycleway into Reading I was a bit short of my target of 50 mile so I detoured through Emmer green and on toward Henley on Thames ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henley-on-Thames) and back along the Henley road to Reading and the inlaws.

Great ride for me and I felt I could go another 20 with a decent rest and a bit of grub.

Polar stats:

Average heart: 131 bpm

Calories: 3356

Distance: 58 miles

Average speed: 13.1 miles

Ride time: 04:23:21

32 Mile loop around Burford (Roadie)

Click on link for route (opens in new window)

macksmid’s Activities | RunKeeper.

Nice 3 hours off with the fire brigade so a blast around Burford and North Witney, last ride before Sundays race so hopefully I am ready?

Polar stats:

Average heart: 147 bpm

Calories: 1918

Distance: 31.7 miles

Average speed: 14.4 mph

Ride time: 02:12:17

Typical Cotswolds

Training route 2 laps 16 miles (MTB)

Click on link for route (opens in new window)

macksmid’s Activities | RunKeeper.

Training route with a 5 mile off road loop that I did 2 laps of before my underseat bag exploded. was intending on 3 laps but there ya go.

Polar stats:

Average heart: 158 bpm

Calories: 1514

Distance 16.7 miles

Average speed: 11.2 mph

Ride time: 01:29:20

Wirral 25 mile (Roadie)

Click on Link for route (opens in new window)

macksmid’s Activities | RunKeeper.

Great trip back to the hometown to see all the old buddies and have a ride out, went out with my old mate Batsey for a blast around all the old haunts, had a few stop starts and a visit to a bike shop in Moreton. nice to have an ice cream at West Kirby and a ride along the prom past my old school in Hoylake. nice big blast up the whopping grange hill in West Kirby, felt strong and fit for a change, hope to be able to enter the Southern XC series race in Alton next week so bikes in for a service this week.

Polar stats:

Average heart: 127 bpm

Calories: 1519

Distance: 25 miles

Average speed: 13.3 mph

Ride time: 01:51:25

Hoylake Parade school

Training Loop 11 mile (MTB)

Click on link for route (Opens in new window)

http://runkeeper.com/user/macksmid/activity/14339687

Little off road section half way round gives me a 5 mile loop all off road that I can use for training, hopefully I will be entering the Southern XC series in Alton in a couple of weeks so these little lops give me a taster of the distance, need to build up to 3 laps approx 15 mile but as I ran out of time today (bloody fire brigade and it’s lack of staff) I’m cutting it to one lap.

Polar stats of whole route:

Average heart: 162 bpm

Calories: 1011

Distance: 11.5

Average speed: 12 mph

Ride time: 57:41:08

Crap ride 13 miles (MTB)

Click on link for route (opens in new window)

via macksmid’s Activities | RunKeeper.

Struggled my way around the route after two weeks off, got to step up my game if I’m serious about entering the Southern series XC in a couple of weeks. disappointed to say the least.

Polar Stats:

Average heart: 157 bpm

Calories: 1112

Distance: 13 miles

Average speed: 11.5 mph

Ride time: 01:07:56

Route 6 Ridgeway 23 miles (MTB)

Click on link for route (opens in new window)

macksmid’s Activities | RunKeeper.

Great ride on the Ridgeway in the rain and wind with a mate from work who was out for the first time off road, went well nice and slow paced for a change. Wayne managed to get a puncture which was soon rectified and we where on our way again, I’m running slime in my tyres and touch wood have not had a puncture for a few weeks.

Weather cleared up briefly and we had some good downhill sections although I think Wayne had had enough by then.

Polar stats:

Average heart: 131 bpm

Calories:2029

Distance: 23 miles

Average speed: 8.8 mph

Ride time: 02:35:52

Lechlade figure of eight 43 miles (Roadie)

Click on link for route (opens in new window)

macksmid’s Activities | RunKeeper.

Great ride that I just kept adding to as I went along, decided on a road ride as I had been MTB riding quite a bit lately. Spent the morning adjusting my bike and it seems a  bit better now and as a result I had less problems with the back and knees, weather held off after supposedly going to rain all day so bonus.

One problem I did have and that was the saddle, Jesus my arse was in pieces after the first 10 mile so I will deffinately be investing in a more comfortable arse seat.

Polar stats:

Average heart: 146 bpm

Calories: 2316

Distance: 42.7 miles

Average speed: 16.3 mph

Ride time: 02:38:24

Mini loop with the lad (Kids MTB)

Click on link for route (opens in new window)

macksmid’s Activities | RunKeeper.

Great little couple of miles with the boy, first time he’s been out on his bike for a propper MTB loop, nice a gentle there and back, one slight fall but he carried on regardless, bless. Hopefully the first of many?

North of Witney (My Son)

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.