After a crazy couple of months preparing for the hill climb season, it was nice to return to being a ‘normal cyclist’ for a change. In the racing season, you seem to be either sprinting up hills until you can’t do any-more – or going out for one of those ‘boring’ recovery rides. Nice and gentle spinning or sick inducing interval sessions, with nothing in between.
A leafy autumn scene
After the end of the season, last week I went out for a simple two hour ride, and remembered some of the joys of cycling. I rode at a very steady tempo – what I call the cycling ‘sweat spot’ Fast to feel you are moving, but without being to fast be unsustainable. It’s that rate at which you are getting a good work out, but not too fast you are uncomfortably out of breath or the onset of lactic aside.
At this time of the year, many roads are quite quiet. You can get into a good rhythm of tapping out a high cadence and decent speed as you ride along. It’s that effort level which starts to release those mood improving chemicals, without the unwanted side-effects of burning heart pain or lactic acid. If you’re fit, you feel you could keep up this pace all day.
It’s fun getting into that grove of rhythmic pedalling away – allowing yourself to get absorbed in the simplicity of cycling. Also, it’s not a bad time of the year. The weather is cool, but not freezing. The countryside is starting to become bare, but still the last colour of autumn makes it interesting. An easy two hour ride, and importantly 40 more miles on the winter training calendar – (40 down, 3,960 to go). Suddenly winter training doesn’t seem so foreboding – this could be great fun after all.
After getting into the rhythm of winter training during the week, I went out for a long 6 hour, 100 mile ride on Saturday towards Broadway. The temperature was hovering just above the uncomfortably cold level. My hands and feet had moments of coldness, which were relieved by a quick massage on the side of the road.
The village of Churchill in the Cotswolds
A fellow cyclist did stop to ask if I was OK; it must look a strange site, standing by side of road, taking off shoes and rubbing socks. But, that’s one of the ways, I get through winter (no matter what combination of gloves and socks I use)
Bourton on Hill
Apart from the odd hill, which still sets off an almost instinctive reaction to increase the tempo, the pace was fairly easy riding compared to the past two months. However, it is still a long time since I’ve done anything like the distance of 100 miles; there is the odd sore joint this morning, but another 100 miles ticked off. (140 down, 3,860 to go. )
Related
Did you take in Fish Hill as part of this? I’m still relatively new to cycling (8 miles/day commute), and incredibly unfit and overweight, and simply can’t imagine a time when I could be able to tackle this one.
And I didn’t realise that Bourton was so steep. It doesn’t look anything like that in a car!
Thanks for the continued inspiration
Hi Mark. Yes I did do Fish hill. It was quite nice because they had closed off a lane to traffic. because of some road works. So I had a lane to myself. I couldn’t help thinking that would make a great Hill climb championship course. Tough long hill Fish hill, but not too steep.
Not too steep??? Oh dear, I’ve got a long way to go
It’s great to ride in the warm weather with the sun shining, but autumn is a nice time of year for riding – as your photos illustrate. Doing winter miles isn’t such a chore when there’s some lovely scenery to appreciate along the route, steady away and just enjoying the ride. Toes might suffer a bit, but I reckon it’s well worth the effort to get out and just enjoy being on the bike.
Love the images.
Ditto what Chris says: great time of year to cycle and great photos