My first ride in the Lake District and the damage done.

Last Updated on February 18, 2023

Well here’s the ride I did yesterday https://www.strava.com/activities/82896536

I used my geared bike and when we were going up hills the easiest gear was nowhere near low enough! Everyone else was spinning but I was having to shove so hard my front wheel was lifting up. The we’d hit a descent and at first I thought it would be a chance to rest, till I looked down at my GPS and realised I was going over 50 mph!  My poor old Ribble Audax frame was terrifying and I’ve never pulled the brakes so hard and for so long in all my life, I swear I could smell them. 

Then there was the weather, there was ALL the weather. Some hills were like fighting my way up a mountain stream in a monsoon hurricane.   I couldn’t enjoy those descents because it was raining so hard I could barely see, even under the trees. The roads were also covered with slippy leaves. 

Honest to Jebus it was like this was the first time I had ever ridden a bicycle. There should be one Strava for Southerners and one for northerners. 

We accidentally became part of the Tour of Britain peloton at one point – cars was hooting at us and I turned round and saw it was the Garmin Sharp team car with about ten riders behind it!

At the end of it all the forty miles we did took a bigger toll than any 100+ miles I’ve ever done in Suffolk. But we did find a put that did three pints of strong local ale for just £4.50!

Now I understand why compact chain sets exist.