by adrian » Thu May 07, 2009 10:22 am
[quote]The pace seemed alot slower than the Tuesday night chain gangs I did last month.
Yes, this was certainly a gentler pace even than on previous Wednesdays - I'm sure if you're used to the Tuesday chaingangs, you'd have noticed the difference in pace.
Not the smoothest or best coordinated T&O ever, but still a worthwhile workout. Competing attractions - BikeFit night and the Chelsea game - meant that Agreeable involvement was limited to three - Ed, Apples and your servant.
It was the winter route last night, along the DC. The weather was a little iffy, so it was probably decided that the shorter route afforded more bail-out options if things did turn nasty.
After a steady start, I found it quite hard going up Badger's Mount and both down and up Polhill, and couldn't get past you at the front, Ed. I thought I might struggle after that but it seemed all the DP boys had genied their matches on those efforts, and I had no trouble getting back on. Things then got quite scattered on Farnborough Hill - in fact we had to wait quite a long time for the guys who'd gone fastest earlier.
When I say it wasn't the smoothest, I mean there were quite a few times when the wheel in front would slam back towards you alarmingly and with no notice - people would either brake for no reason, or suddenly jump out of the saddle and drop-kick you. Also, there was minimal verbal communication so people didn't always know when to move over at the front or if they were the last man. In a group as sizeable as last night's, I would have thought this went without saying.
Still, a useful bit of training as ever - probably the best riding you can do in such a short time. See you next week.
