Today's ride

"wafflycat" wrote in message news:tZ-

T'aint
nuthin finer than a fit bloke's 4r$3 in Lycra.



Nice ride:-) We had 22 miles of hard training, week 7 of 8 weeks. I cracked
a joke about this bloke who always seems to ride in front of me that I see
more of his 4r$3 that I do of our lass's ;-)

That's him on the left.
http://www.hullthursdayrc.co.uk/2008...train4/391.JPG

and again

http://www.hullthursdayrc.co.uk/2008...train4/414.JPG
--
Simon Mason
http://www.simonmason.karoo.net/

"wafflycat" wrote in message
...

"Chris Smith" wrote in message
...

Did your water bottle(s) freeze on the way home? Mine did coming back
from my Sister's place in Cromer. Brrrrr.

Chris

Yes, it was a tad chilled!
I did the Mini North-West Passage 120km Audax yesterday. Frost was in
evidence for most of the ride and I had to de-ice my windscreen to drive
back from Rochdale. I spooked some of the riders by signing on in shorts
and removing my tracksuit bottoms before entering the pub to sign off. Some
genuinely thought that I'd done the ride in shorts :-)

The Mini North-West Passage is described by some as the North-West Passage
with the lumps taken out. As usual I was lanterne rouge this time, /very/
lanterne rouge with the 200km riders catching up with me with 25km to go.

It was the coldest of the three Mini-North-Wests that I've ridden. Quite a
contrast with the beginning of the week when I rode a couple of DIY Audaxes
in shorts.

wafflycat wrote:

"Clive George" wrote in message
...

I've said it before : Tandem - you don't just get to ogle :-)


Only if it was a recumbent tandem. I have cycled with DH on an upright
tandem befo once and only the once...

Work of Stan, those things. I also rode an upright tandem only once (and
only for about half a mile or so). My vehemence on the subject of never
doing so again was what occasioned the purchase of our first Greenspeed
tandem

--
Carol
"If you are allergic to a thing, it is best not to put
that thing in your mouth. Particularly if the thing is
cats." - Lemony Snicket _The Wide Window_

"Carol Hague" wrote in message
...
wafflycat wrote:

"Clive George" wrote in message
...

I've said it before : Tandem - you don't just get to ogle :-)


Only if it was a recumbent tandem. I have cycled with DH on an upright
tandem befo once and only the once...

Work of Stan, those things. I also rode an upright tandem only once (and
only for about half a mile or so). My vehemence on the subject of never
doing so again was what occasioned the purchase of our first Greenspeed
tandem

Sensible woman. Upright tandems are to be avoided at all costs. Evil things.

wafflycat wrote:

"Carol Hague" wrote in message
...
wafflycat wrote:

Only if it was a recumbent tandem. I have cycled with DH on an upright
tandem befo once and only the once...

Work of Stan, those things. I also rode an upright tandem only once (and
only for about half a mile or so). My vehemence on the subject of never
doing so again was what occasioned the purchase of our first Greenspeed
tandem

Sensible woman.

Who? Me? Never! :-)

Upright tandems are to be avoided at all costs. Evil things.

Rob tells me that the best people to have as stokers on upright tandems
are those who aren't used to riding a bike of their own, because they
don't tend to try to steer or otherwise control the bike.

I found that I felt constantly off-balance when I tried stoking the
upright tandem and the sense of being perpetually about to tip over
sideways was absolutely horrible.

--
Carol
"If you are allergic to a thing, it is best not to put
that thing in your mouth. Particularly if the thing is
cats." - Lemony Snicket _The Wide Window_

"Carol Hague" wrote in message
...


I found that I felt constantly off-balance when I tried stoking the
upright tandem and the sense of being perpetually about to tip over
sideways was absolutely horrible.


You are me and ICMFP!

In ,
Carol Hague tweaked the Babbage-Engine to tell us:
wafflycat wrote:

"Carol Hague" wrote in message
...
wafflycat wrote:

Only if it was a recumbent tandem. I have cycled with DH on an
upright tandem befo once and only the once...

Work of Stan, those things. I also rode an upright tandem only once
(and only for about half a mile or so). My vehemence on the subject
of never doing so again was what occasioned the purchase of our
first Greenspeed tandem

Sensible woman.

Who? Me? Never! :-)

Upright tandems are to be avoided at all costs. Evil things.

Rob tells me that the best people to have as stokers on upright
tandems are those who aren't used to riding a bike of their own,
because they don't tend to try to steer or otherwise control the bike.

Those who have a history of riding pillion on motorcycles are also
recommended in this respect.

--
Dave Larrington
http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk
Dead journalists make excellent objets d'art.

"Carol Hague" wrote in message
...

Rob tells me that the best people to have as stokers on upright tandems
are those who aren't used to riding a bike of their own, because they
don't tend to try to steer or otherwise control the bike.

I found that I felt constantly off-balance when I tried stoking the
upright tandem and the sense of being perpetually about to tip over
sideways was absolutely horrible.

Isn't there a size thing too? The bigger the captain is compared to the
stoker, the easier it is. Also it is always much worse initially - you need
to give it quite a while to get used to it.

FWIW I've not had problems with stokers who can or can't ride. OTOH stokers
who are captains normally can be a right pain :-)

Yesterday's ride was amusing - I really don't get on terribly well with
slippery muddy ruts, but it's MTBing so I'm allowed to drop her :-)

cheers,
clive

Clive George wrote:

"Carol Hague" wrote in message
...

Rob tells me that the best people to have as stokers on upright tandems
are those who aren't used to riding a bike of their own, because they
don't tend to try to steer or otherwise control the bike.

I found that I felt constantly off-balance when I tried stoking the
upright tandem and the sense of being perpetually about to tip over
sideways was absolutely horrible.

Isn't there a size thing too? The bigger the captain is compared to the
stoker, the easier it is.

That probably didn't help then, since I've always been heavier than Rob.

Also it is always much worse initially - you need
to give it quite a while to get used to it.

When something feels that unpleasant though, you aren't inclined to
persist in it for long. I'm fairly sure that if we'd gone on much longer
with the upright tandem I'd have fallen off or been sick, or possibly
both. On the Greenspeed I have no problems (except pedalling fast enough
:-))

--
Carol
"If you are allergic to a thing, it is best not to put
that thing in your mouth. Particularly if the thing is
cats." - Lemony Snicket _The Wide Window_

Quoting Clive George :
"Carol Hague" wrote in message
Rob tells me that the best people to have as stokers on upright tandems
are those who aren't used to riding a bike of their own, because they
don't tend to try to steer or otherwise control the bike.
Isn't there a size thing too? The bigger the captain is compared to the
stoker, the easier it is.

That's true, but not a critical factor - my stoker on the E2E was taller
and heavier than I am, and I regularly ride with someone who weighs a fair
few stone more than me.

FWIW I've not had problems with stokers who can or can't ride. OTOH stokers
who are captains normally can be a right pain :-)

I've tried stoking once. I squeaked until he let me down.
--
David Damerell Oil is for sissies
Today is Second Saturday, February - a weekend.