Confession Time

Commuting, Day rides, Audax, Incidents, etc.
User avatar
Audax67
Posts: 6001
Joined: 25 Aug 2011, 9:02am
Location: Alsace, France
Contact:

Re: Confession Time

Post by Audax67 »

Never had to paddle, our roads don't get that wet. Although there was that time south of Nancy...

My confession is that I'm only in it (cycling) for the cake. Well, not quite, but knowing that my favourite patisserie is closed is a strong incentive to stay at home.

Image
Have we got time for another cuppa?
Tangled Metal
Posts: 9505
Joined: 13 Feb 2015, 8:32pm

Re: Confession Time

Post by Tangled Metal »

That it is. Not something for me I think. I'm more of a float down rapids with a bit of exertion in the play waves then rest on the float down to the next play wave. Well apart from the white knuckle parts where your don't actually grip your paddle hard enough to get white knuckles because you're feeling so alive and conscious of everything that it's like everything's slow motion and you're in control. When you get that feeling on a big rapid you're living off it for quite some time. It becomes a long term memory.

Of course when that ceases to happen you're usually in trouble relying on your mates to get your stupid derriere out of the river. That's when you know you can really trust your chosen paddling companions. You end up with a very tight knit group you can bet your life on.

I still used to have a slight interest in doing the DW once in my life. That's gone now. I'm not a marathon peddler I know that well enough. Well done you for doing it. Big respect for that!
Tangled Metal
Posts: 9505
Joined: 13 Feb 2015, 8:32pm

Re: Confession Time

Post by Tangled Metal »

Audax67 wrote:Never had to paddle, our roads don't get that wet. Although there was that time south of Nancy...

My confession is that I'm only in it (cycling) for the cake. Well, not quite, but knowing that my favourite patisserie is closed is a strong incentive to stay at home.

Image

After a beginner trip we ended up paddling out of lake windermere and over the road to the carpark at waterhead once. Well we might have needed to carry our boats over the road but I've never paddled the carpark before that or since. A mate paddled up to the transformer box there too so I guess power was out around there too. They later lifted it up onto a scaffolding mini tower as a temporary bridge to get power back.

PS we did it for after paddle beer and crisps. Plus the chat. You get hyper and relaxed after a good trip.
User avatar
Mick F
Spambuster
Posts: 56359
Joined: 7 Jan 2007, 11:24am
Location: Tamar Valley, Cornwall

Re: Confession Time

Post by Mick F »

Confessions about my ride yesterday.

The hills were horrendous. No wonder I've not done those roads before!
Should have done 44miles, but after having to WALK up a couple of longer ones, I cut my losses and headed back to where I'd parked the car. 33miles done.

It wasn't that the hills were very steep, it's just that they came thick and fast.
Screen Shot 2020-10-15 at 09.17.54.jpg
Mick F. Cornwall
philvantwo
Posts: 1730
Joined: 8 Dec 2012, 6:08pm

Re: Confession Time

Post by philvantwo »

Oh dear Mick F.......have you got to go back?
Or not? :|
User avatar
Mick F
Spambuster
Posts: 56359
Joined: 7 Jan 2007, 11:24am
Location: Tamar Valley, Cornwall

Re: Confession Time

Post by Mick F »

Yes.

My next plan, is to ride over all the bridges over the River Tamar again.
Last done when I didn't have GPS so I have no record of them. Meanwhile, there are another three bridges to ride.
There were 23 when I did them in 2000-and-something, but now there are 26.

I'll drive up to a layby just south of Kilkhampton and do the ten miles I missed, then the first eleven bridges.
That'll be another 33miles.
Screen Shot 2020-10-15 at 15.11.26.png



The rest of the bridges, I can do from home-and-back.
Mick F. Cornwall
Mike_Ayling
Posts: 385
Joined: 25 Sep 2017, 3:02am
Location: Melbourne Australia

Re: Confession Time

Post by Mike_Ayling »

Tangled Metal wrote:That it is. Not something for me I think. I'm more of a float down rapids with a bit of exertion in the play waves then rest on the float down to the next play wave. Well apart from the white knuckle parts where your don't actually grip your paddle hard enough to get white knuckles because you're feeling so alive and conscious of everything that it's like everything's slow motion and you're in control. When you get that feeling on a big rapid you're living off it for quite some time. It becomes a long term memory.

Of course when that ceases to happen you're usually in trouble relying on your mates to get your stupid derriere out of the river. That's when you know you can really trust your chosen paddling companions. You end up with a very tight knit group you can bet your life on.

I still used to have a slight interest in doing the DW once in my life. That's gone now. I'm not a marathon peddler I know that well enough. Well done you for doing it. Big respect for that!


They have the DW records back to the start in 1948. In 1971 we paddled 26h 8m, winning time was 19h 22m. we were 23rd of 62 entries. I feel quite pleased with myself after reading all that!
Tangled Metal
Posts: 9505
Joined: 13 Feb 2015, 8:32pm

Re: Confession Time

Post by Tangled Metal »

62nd out if 62 finishers is pretty good in my book so 23rd is amazing. I've not done long paddling trips but I've done enough challenge walks to know that longer, harder endurance events take their toll in more than three physical way.

Although with land based distance walking/ running events did leave me walking like an old man for the first few steps after getting up out of the chair or car. You know what I mean, you need the arms of the chair to get up then you're walking a few steps slightly hunched and in a shuffle until your joints loosen. Then you walk fully upright and almost like normal.

Any likelihood you'll try it again?
pwa
Posts: 17371
Joined: 2 Oct 2011, 8:55pm

Re: Confession Time

Post by pwa »

Mike_Ayling wrote:
Tangled Metal wrote:That it is. Not something for me I think. I'm more of a float down rapids with a bit of exertion in the play waves then rest on the float down to the next play wave. Well apart from the white knuckle parts where your don't actually grip your paddle hard enough to get white knuckles because you're feeling so alive and conscious of everything that it's like everything's slow motion and you're in control. When you get that feeling on a big rapid you're living off it for quite some time. It becomes a long term memory.

Of course when that ceases to happen you're usually in trouble relying on your mates to get your stupid derriere out of the river. That's when you know you can really trust your chosen paddling companions. You end up with a very tight knit group you can bet your life on.

I still used to have a slight interest in doing the DW once in my life. That's gone now. I'm not a marathon peddler I know that well enough. Well done you for doing it. Big respect for that!


They have the DW records back to the start in 1948. In 1971 we paddled 26h 8m, winning time was 19h 22m. we were 23rd of 62 entries. I feel quite pleased with myself after reading all that!

Whoever came in 62nd will have been the real hero of the day, persevering in spite of finding it really hard.
Mike_Ayling
Posts: 385
Joined: 25 Sep 2017, 3:02am
Location: Melbourne Australia

Re: Confession Time

Post by Mike_Ayling »

Tangled Metal wrote:62nd out if 62 finishers is pretty good in my book so 23rd is amazing. I've not done long paddling trips but I've done enough challenge walks to know that longer, harder endurance events take their toll in more than three physical way.

Although with land based distance walking/ running events did leave me walking like an old man for the first few steps after getting up out of the chair or car. You know what I mean, you need the arms of the chair to get up then you're walking a few steps slightly hunched and in a shuffle until your joints loosen. Then you walk fully upright and almost like normal.

Any likelihood you'll try it again?


I am now 78, and not 28 and

I now live in Australia and the rules require one to be a resident of the United Kingdom for reasons of learning the course as you will be doing some of it at night and the Thames locks and weirs require a bit of caution!

So that would be a definite no!

BTW I have never done a 200km Audax either.

Mike
philvantwo
Posts: 1730
Joined: 8 Dec 2012, 6:08pm

Re: Confession Time

Post by philvantwo »

How did your ride go Mick F?
Post Reply