Mt. Biking - Ipswich to Trimley

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Owner: mas
Member

Member#: 7693
Location:
Registered: 29-06-2008
Diary Entries: 381

9th May 2020
Mt. Biking: Ipswich to Trimley
Wind Direction: SW
Wind Stength: 6kts
Surf / Sea State: n/a
Air Temperature: warm
Sea Temperature: n/a
Weather: Sunny
Max Speed: av13.24mph
Distance Covered: 40.32 mile (Nautical Miles - unless stated otherwise)

Nice first ride today on a faulty Carbon bike Focus Cayo 2.0 (2014) I picked up. Decided to leave the faults except changed tyres and tubes to 25mm puncture protected type with slime tubes as don’t av a support vehicle if breakdown. The front derailiers was stuck in the large crown so hills were going to be challenging.
First thing I noticed from MTB to drops was the wind buffering improvement on the lower handle and the smooth rotation on level road. Drops are definitely easier to spin the crank with a 25mm tyre. Compare to my MTB 38mm studs.
Seat is inch too low and a 58cm instead of a 56cm frame would have been a better size but comfort can be gained in adjustment. Also shocked how light these bikes are unloaded!
This was going to be a 40 miler so I was a bit cautious going too hard at the start. Also I was trying out my MTB saddle because I have too much bum soreness with the needle type saddles.
Plan was to hit PB’s every 5 miles against my fastest ride set out on my notes on the phone bag. The phone app was shouting PB’s which was great a 5 / 10 miles going up a steep slope in the first sector towards Felixstowe. However I was only a couple of minutes up even though I thought I was going faster.
I have to say the PB on my MTB over the exact same route was bloody hard and needed to rest a day after, whereas on the drops roadie, I could have gone faster. 40 miles nonstop is never “easy” for me but I was very comfortable so up the HR to 125 from 115 to get into cardio / performance zone along the Bucklesham road stretch which is a couple of miles of straight road. I hit 18/20 mph flat road and was gobsmacked when 2 girls and a fella came past like a bullet train on their noisy aero bikes! They must av been clocking over 25 mph, fantastic!
10 mls was 48 mins and 15 about 1hr 10 mins so was on target for the 40 miles PB. Turning right at Purdis golf club along the straight rd toward old Felixstowe road and Levington was very fast but as I hit the long Levington road the buffers came down as I hit a bad lazy patch. My arse was sore and with the saddle stuck an inch too low I began to lose the plot. The breeze towards Trimley always pee me oft but the 20 mile PB was coming up so had to push on. Hit 20 miles in 1 hr 28 ish so new PB, but not by much. However I knew the journey to Felixstowe is mainly painful elevation, with my back to the place I was def motivated with the breeze up my arse. Was now riding at a steady 15 mph instead of 12 mph, so that really is the difference for me between MTB and dops, prob 2/3 mph but easier on the watts.
I do interval training during rides, (1 min sprints + 1 min out of saddle cranking the top crown + 2 mins rest for 30 mins) normally toward Felixstowe but decided to do it going back which is easier. If am honest that was a mistake cos the legs had lost a fair bit of power and speed burns never hit 20mph, as normal.
Have messed about with the handle bar adjustment as the previous owner had stupidly cut the head stem and I found myself on the cross bar a lot instead of the hoods. However strangely for the same wattage, if I went on the hoods it was marginally slower than the cross bar!
So 30 miles came up PB 2 hrs 17 ish and was OK. Loads of cars and bikes in the sunshine. Luv windsurf and biking in hot sun, no probs for me anyway. I was now out of 2 water bottle and energy bar and was dehydrating, could feel it coming on, so started cruising at 12 mph which seems very slow on a roadie for some reason.
A nice down slope was coming up so smacked it 28mph to pull back time and went through a barrier to stop cars driving on the Old Norwich Rd, almost hitting it, up the hill with momentum and maxed out road a bend to keep momentum for the Claydon / Sproughton stretch.
Again a train of 5 roadies came by and I hung on for a minute just to show willing. That stretch is a long lonely part and to be honest I will well glad there was only 5 miles left. Hit the 40.3 miles in 3hrs 02 mins, averaging 13.24 mph, compared to previous 40.23 on MTB in 3hrs 33 mins averaging 11.32 mph.
Both rides were hard for me but def road bikes are easier if you push them, especially if you get low on the down slopes or freewheeling. Did 3813 calories on the MTB and 3864 on the roadie, so similar effort more speed. Spent 75% of the ride in m Cardio/Performance HR zones
Tyres were at 90 psi (roadie) and were OK so will run at 100psi next ride as am over 100 kg now. Saddle up an inch and set up front gears adjust handle bar should see a better time next long ride.
Not really missing windsurf at the mo.

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