#mycyclingweekend 8 - Storm? What storm?

Here's a late entry, me climbing Mow Cop on Sunday:

360km ride through the worst of it. Blown into ditch twice, over the bars three times. Training ride for the TCR. Hoping the weather less wild on the way to Istanbul!

Sunday afternoon cafe Stop...

As climate change brings more and more extreme weather, won't cycling become unfeasible as a transport option?

Did 30 miles yesterday morning with 25mph gusting headwinds, crosswinds, you name it kinds of winds and intermittent showers. Towards the end, my legs were screaming enough enough of this please, you torturing sadist! Back at home, the piping hot shower and fish lunch soon brought me round though.

The Martinator & 'Crazy Legs' Walker stop for refreshment at a very windy and drizzly Burgess Hill Springtime Classic...

F**ked off the sportive I'd entered because it just seemed way too dangerous mixing it with traffic with cross winds like that.

So a happy few hours was spent on a club MTB ride over the south downs. VERY windy, and VERY hard going at times, but no traffic to be blown in to

No pictures, sorry. Had been intending to sail- we trailed the boat up to Rutland (from Grafham), set it up, stared at the storm, decided we weren't sailing, looked at the forecast and figured Sunday was going to be a blow out too so headed home to Cambridge.

So, obviously, the sensible thing Sunday morning was to get up early and head out for a club ride. In the pissing rain. Not very many other people had the same idea, so we ended up with a hybrid group of assorted ability/fitness, 12 of us, striking out west whilst the wind was "light" knowing what it was forecast to do. Slogged 30 miles to Jordan's Mill getting very wet. As we reached the A1, we really began to feel the effects of the wind- it was worst when it was a crosswind- making it hard to keep the group together as the weaker riders really toiled and communication was hard.

Coffee/tea and cakes, wet gloves etc back on. Little bit of heading north and slightly further west to pick up a different road home, and then WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE. Especially once we got within ten miles of home and the group splintered.

Audax done, but mad it was hard - first 100km just under 4 hours just lazily spinning, 6.5 back and 10 times the effort for every single metre in that wind - occasionally down to 8kph on the flat, long stretches at 14-16kpm, and that was pushing.

Character building. But pretty close to character destroying!

Took a friend out for his first road ride, gentle 28 miles in decent weather

Lambs in St Barnabé.At last the hour has gone forward meaning it will stay light until about 21.00

highlight of my weekend, riding? across the severn bridge, never seen it so quiet, no cars, nothing.

stuck at home due to weather, why don't you give rideo a try

download it from https://itunes.apple.com/US/app/id960860849?mt=8

A fresh morning ride before going to work for the day yesterday, legs were tired after feeling stronger on the climb!

A wet and windy club run in the Peak District today. Summer's here!

Early 82 km start on the weekend. Cought last rays of sun on friday morning before heavy rain started in the afternoon around Copenhagen.

The weekend started on Friday afternoon, beautiful evening near the Derwent Reservoir in the North Pennines

80k ride today, with a cafe Stop at the David Lloyd and Rapha Shop Manchester on the winter bike.

I'm this close {-> <-} to cancelling the planned long ride and just nipping out for an hour when the showers seem to have passed #mywimpoutweekend

Having ridden through the night around Snowdon not so long ago……Honestly don't ask why. I can say with utter honest that i know, bad cycling conditions and the effects they can have on the body. If your going to be out there this weekend. Good Luck lol

grrrrrrrrrrrr

About 110 miles planned for Sunday. Joy. Oh well, rule #5 and #9 and all that ....

EDIT: Hmm, up to 55mph forecast for where I am. I'm thinking this one may end up cancelled....if they've got any sense that is.

Due a 200km Audax ride, gulp. Worse thing is tailwind out and headwind back. Predicting 3 hours out, 7 back.

Surrey Cyclone, with 40mph winds forecast.

It might live up to the name.

Bit late, but this was my cycling weekend last week - on the 50m at San Remo ... great fun