After yesterdays uneventful ride I was feeling physically rough and my mood wasn’t a great deal better. None the less I was familiar with route and had some company today so as soon as I got out on the bike my spirits lifted etc. With James feeling full of cold and me feeling a little achey after yesterday neither of us were really up for pushing it today or so that”s what we both said before we set off.
I don’t know what it is about riding fixed that makes me want to constantly push harder but I certainly find my self pushing the tempo more fixed then when I’m riding freewheel. So we paced it pretty much all the way to Ilkley maybe about 23/24mph. About a quarter of the way through the ride we came towards the infamous Langbar. I’ve done it fixed before but not on the low and not in a long long time. I wasn’t really physically up for it but thought whilst we”re here I might as well give it my best.
Ultimate pain is the only way to describe it. Pulling with all my strength at the bull bars trying to keep some form of momentum. We both managed it and by the time i’d got to the top I was already worrying about stopping on the slippery descent back down. We didn’t need to do Langbar, since elevation isn’t taken in to consideration it was totally pointless. But it had been quite some time since i’d done it and a good challenge doesn’t do me any harm now and then!
I have to say, although riding fixed often seems more physically exhausting I always enjoy it more then riding gears. It”s just so much more fun and feels so much faster!Whilst stopping for coffee at Bolton Abbey our good friend Josh Edmondson strolled up to have a quick catch up with us. As he approached us I remarked to James about how there was a full Rapha team kit wanker approaching! My did I feel like a twat when it was actually the real deal!
