Category: Weather Trends Stories

Ben: My 4th hottest ride

My 4th hottest ride on myWindsock Weather Trends was in preparation for the then upcoming national 12 hour championship. I was out in the heat for 4hr 15min, covering a bit over 161km (100 miles). The route was particularly interesting as I had decided to take in as many of the local time trial courses as possible.

My 4th Hottest Ride in Weather Trends
My 4th Hottest Ride in Weather Trends

I remember the heat well. To begin with, I was hot, but whilst moving I was staying pretty cool. Unfortunately this didn’t last and the temperature reached boiling point half way through. A slow moving tractor deprived me of the fast flowing air, leaving behind the smouldering black tarmac. Almost 10 minutes baking behind the tractor I was released. Now cooked through no amount of air would revive me. I suffered on and finished exhausted, but a smile on my face.

Post ride face.
Post ride face.

Relive your rides with Weather Trends

Each ride has it’s own story. Weather Trends helps you to discover your standout rides. Find the windiest, wettest and toughest rides you’ve ridden. Start recording all of your rides with myWindsock Premium.

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Ben: My longest headwind this year.

I feel a bit guilty at nabbing this one from my Weather Trends, as I am sure this is also Caroline’s longest headwind too.

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I asked Caroline if she had a bike and would she like to come for a bike ride. We’d done a lot of walking at this point so it seemed like a good alternative. She said ‘yes I have a bike’ so I thought perfect “let’s ride!” I rode over to meet her. When I arrived she was putting her helmet on. We went over to the garage to get her bike, out comes a mountain bike with knobbly tyres. Stood there in my full roadie kit I thought ‘ok this will be a difficult ride for one of us’.

Naturally I didn’t take my 23mm tyres off road.

 

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Caroline smiled all the way. I have since learned this smile is purely from her dance training and hides her actual discomfort of riding a mountain bike, with a saddle far too low, for an hour and a quarter, into a headwind. Seeing her smile, I was blissfully unaware of her discomfort and I kept the pace high with no rest all the way.

It was only once we stopped at my house that the exhaustion became apparent. I realised how tough it had been. We took the bike back by car.

Fortunately the experience didn’t put Caroline off me or cycling.

Relive your rides with Weather Trends

Each ride has it’s own story. Weather Trends helps you to discover your standout rides. Find the windiest, wettest and toughest rides you’ve ridden. Start recording all of your rides with myWindsock Premium.

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