How many of us would do this now..

[Piperdave]

Hi all,

I meet a guy down the pub, on a Sundy night, and he brings his dad (early 80's), John, out for an airing. John used to be a keen cyclist. He used to live in Dorking, West Sussex.

He was telling us last weekend that he would cycle to races, and race, then cycle home afterwards. He cited, Biggleswade, and back, across with a 50 mile roadrace in between, in one day.

As times were tough, and cars not really available after the war, he would leave work on a Friday, cycle overnight to the country, sleeping in barns when he got tired, cycle all weekend, and back to work overnight on Sunday. Destinations like North Devon, Gloscestershire, East Anglia, and the midlands.

How many of us would be this commited today?

Dave

 

[legrandefromage]

only if I lost my license

 

[kaiser]

I've read about guys BITD sleeping in haystacks Cycle there, sleep in a haystack, do the race and cycle home.

 

[lewis1641]

my grandparents used to think nothing of a 100 mile round trip to scarborough and they were just people with bikes.

 

[Iwasgoodonce]

My great grandfather used to ride from Devon to Leeds!

Closest I came was at Uni. Rode 40 miles to get to a 10 mile TT. I wasn't racing so paced the guy the whole way there so he arrive fresh(ish). On the way back he was cream-crackered so I had to pace him all the way back too!

 

[TheGreenRabbit]

I rember back in the day riding to a race, taking the rack & panniers off then racing puting the stuff back on and riding home. and Im not that old and it wasn't that long ago.

 

[Iwasgoodonce]

I rember back in the day riding to a race, taking the rack & panniers off then racing puting the stuff back on and riding home. and Im not that old and it wasn't that long ago.

Me and a friend did that at Man Vs Shirehorse in Devon. What a good course that one was. We took a tent for the bikes too. As an aside, racing lost something when the large XC loops started to be replaced with short cross style laps.

 

[velomaniac]

Needs must is the expression I believe.

Today are needs are less extreme.

BITD I would ride my MTB the 18miles down to Glentress fitted with slicks, swap the tyre to knobblies in the carpark and then charge around the forest. Once mtb'ing sated i'd reverse the process and cycle home.

People thought that was mad and its nothing compared to the folk of yesteryear :roll:

 

[The Ken]

Back in the early 90's I cycled 19 miles fomr west edinburgh to a mtb race south of penicuik - in high winds and a sleet storm, did one 8 mile lap of the race then decided to wait for a mate at his car and to get a lift home, sat down, getting chilly, wearing lycra and a shell jacket, time passes, more time passes - After an hour the guy in car opposite decided I looked hypothermic and forces me into his car with the heating on full blast and a heavy fleece & flask of tea. Apparently he had been asking if I was ok - he came and got me when the replies stopped.
I eventually come back to being human and back up to the natural shade of blue our race is. Mate turns up he only did 2 laps because it was so bad. He took me home and I think I was off work for a few days. Lucky.

I think I can thank that guy for saving me from full blown hypothermia, I won't cycle to a race in winter ever again, or any other time for that matter.

 

[Pickle]

When I used to race TT's in the mid 90's, if the race was 10/15 miles away or less I'd ride my training bike to the event as a warm up. My parents would drive to the event with my race bike.

I'd do the event and then ride my training bike back home as a 'ease up'.

If the event was further then I'd take my turbo trainer or rollers and do half an hour on them to warm up/ease up.