I'm going to do this bike up.
Then I'm going to ride it at sportives next year, with the sole aim of beating a rider on an expensive bike up a steep climb.
Make sure it isn't you 🙂
Stay tuned for the restoration…
The Gauntlet
Tue, Nov 01, 2011 12:57
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Dave is a founding father of road.cc, having previously worked on Cycling Plus and What Mountain Bike magazines back in the day. He also writes about e-bikes for our sister publication ebiketips. He’s won three mountain bike bog snorkelling World Championships, and likes to ride increasingly long audaxes decreasingly fast as time goes by.
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Robert Hardy 2 minutes ago
Of couse ultimately one of those German tunneling machines might have to be the answer, just under crawl, at cm per hour, the problem.
Smoggysteve 3 minutes ago
@chrisonabike AS I said, I rode them roads regularly, I know there are some very bad country roads, and they criss-cross that entire region. Its pan flat and they are very old lanes. The damage is caused mostly by them subsiding hence the cracks, its a losing battle when the majority of the traffic is still heavy tractors. I could ride from Louth to Somercoats on fair roads. I could also ride a shorter route across these lanes and they were poor due to the subsidence. top tip - avoid them and ride a road that not falling apart cos an irrigation ditch is providing no foundational support to it.
chrisonabike 18 minutes ago
@Smoggysteve but around Lincolnshire the "good roads" (any roads) are normally few and are either busy A-roads (lots of trucks!) or effectively A-roads in terms of traffic volume and speed, just narrower and with worse sight lines. (Use the footways? Good luck there...) Pity since it is mostly flat and there's great touring potential...
Smoggysteve 23 minutes ago
Campaign to make endangering a cyclist “as unacceptable as drink driving” praised – but angry motorists say “if you don’t like it, don’t ride on the road” I am not sure the language here is helpful. Are there really many 'Angry' motorists? who is getting angry at the idea of being thoughtful when passing a cyclist? Yes, I am sure there are plenty who will complain about cyclists being 'in their way' but is anger the first emotion you think they jump to? If you want a climb down from the perceived war on our roads - made up entirely by the media, dont feed it with language like this. It helps nobody.
chrisonabike 24 minutes ago
Of course doing that we'll get chips with everything and it'll end up "needing" AI * ... ... but eg. the Dutch have gone a long way with "just don't make every street a through-route for motor traffic". Along with "where you seriously reduce motor traffic volumes and speeds different modes can share space; where that's not possible physically separate them (but design it so cyclists can keep rolling as much as possible)". Although their traffic light phasing (and advance detection of approaching traffic, *including* cyclists) is "space age" tech compared to UK usually timed lights... * Doing planned societal change "simply" appears almost as impossible as following the simple diet advice of "just eat less than you expend energetically, mostly vegetables". There are very strong forces reinforcing any status quo.
Mr Blackbird 26 minutes ago
"Bastardo! Mama Mia! (Not going to bother with the accent) You've hit me with your beast of an Suv. I'll sue the ass off you. I'm the mayor of Como and I'm going to ban your vehicles from the city. Where's your insurance details?" "Sorry old chap I'm St Peter."
OldTom 28 minutes ago
For those who think the answer is to find a safer mode of transport, they're clearly incapable of driving safely, so I'm asking them to stay off the road to help me fulfill their request for me to move to safer transport.
Smoggysteve 33 minutes ago
I used to ride that area occasionally - Louth to Donna Nook range and back. The roads are thin heavily cambered county roads which have lots of agricultural vehicles using them more than anything else. They are mostly just breaking apart due to the weight they bare and and the fact most have irrigation ditches next to them. It would take millions to repair them all. I would suggest just not riding on them and sticking to the more well maintained roads around that region. there are lots of good roads around too. going down a quiet country lane thats away from most traffic is obviously going to be in a bad state for the reasons I mentioned above.
chrisonabike 36 minutes ago
RE: the foundation looking to "build a culture of mutual respect between cyclists and motorists, enhancing cyclist safety through effective legislation, advanced technology, and improved infrastructure" I have an idea what that "advanced technology" could look like!
chrisonabike 40 minutes ago
@Mr Blackbird but what if the others have bigger SUVs? Perhaps Dodge Ram trucks? Best get a truck yourself. Or even something with armour... It's the only responsible thing to do if you are carrying passengers.
18 thoughts on “The Gauntlet”
Can you pubish your calendar
Can you pubish your calendar for 2012 please Dave, so I can avoid you at every opportunity 😀
I know you would beat my lardy arse up a hill, even if you were on a Raleigh folding shopper!
Are those 700c wheels Dave?
Are those 700c wheels Dave? If they’re 27″, that would be the most awkward part of the restoration. Unless you plan to keep them.
I thought you were already leaving expensive bikes in you wake on our Genesis Equilibrium.
they’re 700cs so shouldn’t be
they’re 700cs so shouldn’t be too bad. i might re-lace them cause the spokes are past their best. the rims and hubs are fine though.
the equilibrium is currently undergoing a transformation into a ‘proper’ audax bike. i did overtake a couple of cervelos on the bwlch last time i did the dragon on it. but it’ll be even more fun on this 🙂
perhaps i should get some retro kit too. or is that taking it too far?
Not much room for a motor in
Not much room for a motor in the bottom bracket dave 😀 Though like othello you’ll probably drop me no matter where 🙁 the retro kit will be a nice touch. Looking forward to following the restoration and bragging 😉
I count the number of carbon
I count the number of carbon bikes I pass on hills during sportives on my Brian Rourke steel frame and then see if I can pass the same amount on the descent as it just fires away downhill given its weight.
Ups and Downs.
Lets say bikes under £1000
Lets say bikes under £1000 don’t count as expensive.
Then, I don’t need to be ashamed when you beat me up the easiest of climbs on every sportive.
Seriously, like Othello, I too would like to know your sportive calendar for next year. Wanna see what the strongman of road.cc is riding 🙂
Nice that it has 700c wheels.
Nice that it has 700c wheels. Gives you so many more options, tyre choice etc…
Only other gotcha I can think of is the threaded headset. When I tried, most decent replacements (with cartridge bearings) had too big a stack height, which wouldn’t leave enough steerer to thread onto at the top. We had to settle for a cheap replacement.
What about cheap carbon
What about cheap carbon bikes? 😉
Quote:Wanna see what the
you’re confusing me with mat 🙂
Mostly I’m going for madones and cervelos, stuff like that. need to drop a few pounds though 🙂
Quote:I too would like to
Dunno for sure. but probs i’ll be at the Lionheart, FoD spring classic and the Dragon. Fred Whitton hopefully, but probably *not* on the BSA 🙂
I’d like to try some ones i’ve not done before too. who has recommendations?
@ Dave – Innishowen, Causeway
@ Dave – Innishowen, Causeway Challenge are two that spring to mind both over in Ireland. The causeway challenge has one climb that will make you weep!! At least I did!! Flat out in the Fens – yes it’s flat but when the temp hits the 30’s and you’re trying to maintain a decent cadance and there’s a brisk wind that always seems to be in your face, well ‘nough said 😉
Dave – Dartmoor Classic
Dave – Dartmoor Classic highly recommended. Any plans for a mayhem timed sportive this year?
yep Dartmoor Classic, easily
yep Dartmoor Classic, easily the best ive done in the last two years (and better than the Dragon i reckon)…mind you the FoD spring classic was tougher, even though it’s got less total meters in climbing the hills are unrelenting (all 18) and all short (ish) and steep-er.
Dunkery Dash audax could be a good ‘warm-up’. 😀
plenty of power climbs on the
plenty of power climbs on the Chiltern 100 – full of home counties carbon
The Dartmoor Classic is not
The Dartmoor Classic is not for the feint hearted have done it three times…only once on a carbon. I am happy to give you a prize from the top shelf if you can beat me up any of the hills next year!! But I do like your bike…makes me think I could dust off my rusty Raleigh and try for a gold medal on that B-) Note the big words with months to go…won’t be so cocky the night before :&
If you’re really serious
If you’re really serious about riding that thing, try L’eroica?
I used to turn out for some of our fast club rides on an old Gios Compact that weighed about 22lbs – ride was predominantly E, first and second cats and we’d go for a 90 mile thrash around the Surrey Hills. Always a degree of satisfaction getting to the top of those hills first.
Is that the VC Meudon monty
Is that the VC Meudon monty dog?
That’s me safe in the Hell of
That’s me safe in the Hell of Ashdown, then – mind, my Ribble doesn’t count as ‘expensive’ 😀