Is it spring yet?

Low cloud wafting in from the sea – visbility at the top was down to 100m

Life has been busy recently – maybe I am trying to do too much and pretending I am 20 years younger than I am – but regaining fitness after my 3 month lay-off is hard work – anyway I am putting in the miles and enjoying it – I am trying with each ride to do something new – either a new path, or reversing the direction that I normally go, or trying that tetchy climb that I haven’t quite managed before.

Just north of Brighton again – 10 days ago – 750m of climbing in just over 15 miles

Saturday week it was the first ascent up Ditchling Deacon (on road) this year – I was the only one on an MTB with mud-tyres amongst quite a few roadies – anyway it didn’t seem half as bad as I remember – probably the effect of riding up the Wrekin off-road – and that was preceded by the decent down into Westmeston that I haven’t done for years.

Jump a week to last Saturday – somewhat tired and lacking imagination I used the same starting point as the previous Saturday but went west toward Truleigh Hill via Saddlescombe and Devil’s Dyke instead of east I found a new route down into Saddlescombe ,and after descending down from Truleigh Hill I re-ascended the Downs up Fulking Escarpment – a route that I had only previously gone down – I am sure the inclinometer on my old speedo had it at 24% in places. Anyway going up it was tough and near the top I was defeated by a 50m steep section – tired and steep and loose – I am sure they have mis-spelled the name of the escarpment. And for punishment I did it again on Sunday shaving some 5 to 10 minutes of the time. Now it is time to take off the Mud-tyres for something a bit easier now the ground is now quite firm.

Post ride I checked the stats from MayMyRide (phone based App) and a Cateye Stealth -comparing the two rides using the two different GPS based systems showed consistent inconsistency yet again. Below you can compare some of the results – the ascent value of 441m was exactly the same for both rides using MMR yet using the Cateye system it was pretty consistent but c 15% different at 506 to 512m. On distance, MMR had the ride at approx 0.25mile longer at 14.25 miles both times!