2016 MFP Grand Tour Challenge - Vuelta Now Up and Rolling...
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To Team Pie, apologise for the lack of riding. First winter in Perth and not used to the weather patterns. One minute it is beautiful and warm next overcast, cold, windy and raining. At the moment the sun is out however the wind is blowing hard and it is raining in spots. Generally not ideal conditions for a pedal. Tomorrow is looking up though.1
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OK ... I'm a little behind and my coworker is on vacation (adding to my issues getting rides in)
Is there a logging thread for this? Or are we using Cycleagues for that?
all in CycLeagues - no logging thread required mate, but if you could possibly try and keep your Strava feed up to date after each days ride it'd be appreciated - or, if you're going to be away from internet/phone coverage for a few days, drop me a PM so I don't think you've stopped logging and mark you as DNF for the challenge...
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To Team Pie, apologise for the lack of riding. First winter in Perth and not used to the weather patterns. One minute it is beautiful and warm next overcast, cold, windy and raining. At the moment the sun is out however the wind is blowing hard and it is raining in spots. Generally not ideal conditions for a pedal. Tomorrow is looking up though.
Sounds like a typical British Summer...
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OK ... I'm a little behind and my coworker is on vacation (adding to my issues getting rides in)
Is there a logging thread for this? Or are we using Cycleagues for that?
all in CycLeagues - no logging thread required mate, but if you could possibly try and keep your Strava feed up to date after each days ride it'd be appreciated - or, if you're going to be away from internet/phone coverage for a few days, drop me a PM so I don't think you've stopped logging and mark you as DNF for the challenge...
Strava is as up to date as it's gonna be ... I missed the first few stages due to life ... hoping the rain keeps away until after my lunch so I can get in todays ride ... rained this morning on my drive to work, but it's not raining now
Such a bummer ... last July for my first Grand Tour challenge the weather here in the Seattle area was perfect ... sunny and warm ... this July has been cloudy, cold, windy and overcast ... and the next two or three days call for rain
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OK ... I'm a little behind and my coworker is on vacation (adding to my issues getting rides in)
Is there a logging thread for this? Or are we using Cycleagues for that?
all in CycLeagues - no logging thread required mate, but if you could possibly try and keep your Strava feed up to date after each days ride it'd be appreciated - or, if you're going to be away from internet/phone coverage for a few days, drop me a PM so I don't think you've stopped logging and mark you as DNF for the challenge...
Strava is as up to date as it's gonna be ... I missed the first few stages due to life ... hoping the rain keeps away until after my lunch so I can get in todays ride ... rained this morning on my drive to work, but it's not raining now
Such a bummer ... last July for my first Grand Tour challenge the weather here in the Seattle area was perfect ... sunny and warm ... this July has been cloudy, cold, windy and overcast ... and the next two or three days call for rain
Weather wise I am having the same problem. Occasionally I get to post sunny pictures on Strava, but this year July is the worst it been in over 10 years.0 -
We are in for some weather here for the next week. Hopefully we can get a few good days. Go Team girl kick *kitten*!1
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We are in for some weather here for the next week. Hopefully we can get a few good days. Go Team girl kick *kitten*!
We had 3 funnel clouds drop out of this mess. one touched down. I was out on my bike at the time, and got just hammered by weather.
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Well Folks, we made it to the first rest day...
9 Days in, 8,886km ridden and 57.3km climbed between us - that's 2.5 times the actual distance of the TdF and just short of 6.5 times the height of Everest climbed.
So far, we've 8 riders that have ridden every stage so far - not bad considering the weather that some of us have been reporting in here...
Longest ride so far jas to go to Jason @Jakess1971 - 251.4km from Nottingham right the way to Welsh Wales - over some of the Lumpier bits as well, just for good measure.
As for the Speed merchants - it's tight this time, with Joshua @m1xm0d3 and Clive @cloggsy71 keeping it pretty solidly in the 30+kph zone... speeds I can only dream of these days.
All 4 teams are ahead of the overall target on distance - distance to the first rest day is 1756km, and we're all well in excess of that figure, though no team has managed to "keep a clean sheet" and achieve the individual stage distance every day as well as cumulatively.
Most important stat of all to me, and I hope this doesn't jinx things, but NOBODY has reported as being "off the bike" through falls or injuries - that's the one thing that I worry about in running these things - that some of you over-competitive types will go out in the rain and do something silly... Please don't - be careful out there, stay safe, keep the bike rubber side down, and lets get through the challenge all intact and all still fit and well.
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Mark, I rode today is it all I need to do is to delete this entry in Cycleagues?1
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you don't even have to do that - Jason's built in a "filter" routine that basically ignores anything on the TdF rest days - BUT it still keeps the data there for the on-going "summer challenge"
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Thanks for the clarification, Mark!2
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Most important stat of all to me, and I hope this doesn't jinx things, but NOBODY has reported as being "off the bike" through falls or injuries - that's the one thing that I worry about in running these things - that some of you over-competitive types will go out in the rain and do something silly... Please don't - be careful out there, stay safe, keep the bike rubber side down, and lets get through the challenge all intact and all still fit and well.
Yeh like cycle up Mount Snowdonia in crazy weather conditions and nearly do a lemming impression off a cliff due to inept brakes .... don't do it people!
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Oh and on a Cycleague note I've realised that some of the missing profile pics are due to them being out of date with Strava and not just private, I'll sort out a 'set profile picture' or 'get latest from Strava' in a profile settings page.
We've been pretty lucky so far that the background Strava fetch routine has been running happily for weeks now, this could be down to either my network at work behaving itself or Starves background API being more stable, either way it's happy days, if it goes down over the next two weekends please be patient and wait until I get back on the Mondays.2 -
I'm going to be out for another day or so yet. I had a hornet get under my glasses and I was stung 3 times before I could get it out. I have some swelling and am resting up for a few days so that I can get back on the bike sooner rather than later.0
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I'm going to be out for another day or so yet. I had a hornet get under my glasses and I was stung 3 times before I could get it out. I have some swelling and am resting up for a few days so that I can get back on the bike sooner rather than later.
Oh that sounds horrible! I hope your feeling better0 -
#firstworldproblems #tourchallenge I'm in Las Vegas for work. I arranged to rent a mountain bike from the only place that will deliver to my (any) hotel. The nice man, Matt, brought their three smallest mountain bikes (I'm 5'1") in combinations of full suspension/hardtail, S/XS. He even brought SPD pedals for me. I cannot stand over the top tube of any of them. Not a one. <WHINE> He's going to measure the stand over height of their smallest road bike and if that might work, he'll come back. I am not the shortest person on earth! I am definitely not the only woman or short person who rides bikes. Why does BMC only have tall people bikes? (They are a BMC only place, it seems). Their smallest road bike is a 51cm so it's unlikely to work for me either. My road bike is 47cm and I've ridden a 48cm before, but 51cm is likely going to be too tall for me to get over. <WHINE> It's not like I ride a child's bike?!?!?!?! 1 -
Perhaps something like these, with cleats screwed to the bottom?
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heads up for my fellow Pastana team-mates... tomorrow may be tricky for me getting a ride in - i'm pitching for some paying work in the afternoon (first new potential client i've had a chance to pick up for about 4 years now, so it's sort of a) marginally important and b) bloody nerve wracking as I'm Soooo out of practice. ) so if I get a chance to ride it'll be late afternoon/evening (and, being honest here, it'll most likely be down to the pub for a swift couple to celebrate/drown my sorrows depending on how the pitch goes...)
I don't want to break my "ride every day" record, so unless its absolutely slashing down in the evening, I will get out there, but don't count on me for anything over double figures in the km's...
Hopefully the weather will be kind for Bastille Day, so I can claw some distance back (and build up a few kCals of buffer for my birthday dinner... along with the incredibly apt bottle of VinRouge that I've been gifted...
Untitled by The Big Yin, on Flickr
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heads up for my fellow Pastana team-mates... tomorrow may be tricky for me getting a ride in ...
Do what you gotta do! Today may be tricky for me. Tonight will be spent prepping bike and gear for tomorrow's 10 mile TT. I have to ride, but time and other things to do may dictate an indoor ride. Tomorrow will definitely have some kms, but probably not much more than 30-40 since all I'll have is the 16km for the race plus another 10-15 for warmup.
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Scored a road bike! It's too big but not so big I can't ride it. Did a tiny ride to be sure. Will ride at sunrise tomorrow (as it's going to 107 today). I haven't been on a road bike in EONS and I already broke a nail trying to shift (I hate Shimano! I want my Campy!).
At least I'm not a zero today! 5 -
nerdieprofessor wrote: »Scored a road bike! It's too big but not so big I can't ride it. Did a tiny ride to be sure. Will ride at sunrise tomorrow (as it's going to 107 today). I haven't been on a road bike in EONS and I already broke a nail trying to shift (I hate Shimano! I want my Campy!). At least I'm not a zero today!
Hmmmmm, maybe you need to get rid of the nails, or get di2 shifters :-)0 -
nerdieprofessor wrote: »Scored a road bike! It's too big but not so big I can't ride it. Did a tiny ride to be sure. Will ride at sunrise tomorrow (as it's going to 107 today). I haven't been on a road bike in EONS and I already broke a nail trying to shift (I hate Shimano! I want my Campy!). At least I'm not a zero today!
Hmmmmm, maybe you need to get rid of the nails, or get di2 shifters :-)
It's a rental so I had no choice. And I cut my nails short a few days ago. At home I mostly ride a hybrid with grip shift, and when I'm on MY road bike, I have Campy, which doesn't have this stupid two levers right together design. Maybe this will motivate me to ride my road bike when I get home. I've neglected it for ages.
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nerdieprofessor wrote: »
#firstworldproblems #tourchallenge I'm in Las Vegas for work. I arranged to rent a mountain bike from the only place that will deliver to my (any) hotel. The nice man, Matt, brought their three smallest mountain bikes (I'm 5'1") in combinations of full suspension/hardtail, S/XS. He even brought SPD pedals for me. I cannot stand over the top tube of any of them. Not a one. <WHINE> He's going to measure the stand over height of their smallest road bike and if that might work, he'll come back. I am not the shortest person on earth! I am definitely not the only woman or short person who rides bikes. Why does BMC only have tall people bikes? (They are a BMC only place, it seems). Their smallest road bike is a 51cm so it's unlikely to work for me either. My road bike is 47cm and I've ridden a 48cm before, but 51cm is likely going to be too tall for me to get over. <WHINE> It's not like I ride a child's bike?!?!?!?!
I am 5'4" and I have bikes that range from 48cm to 52cm. Ntnunk took my Felt when I bought my Bianchi and he is 5'9". I rode that bike for 2 years and he loves the fit. Never quite understood how many different sizes I could own.
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I'm going to be out for another day or so yet. I had a hornet get under my glasses and I was stung 3 times before I could get it out. I have some swelling and am resting up for a few days so that I can get back on the bike sooner rather than later.
Oh that sounds horrible! I hope your feeling better
Thanks @jillyian after quite a bit of benadryl, ibuprofen and a tetanus shot later my eye is no longer swollen and I was able to ride today which was quite the treat.0 -
I just checked CycLeagues and the TdF spreadsheet. Neither one picked up todays ride activity https://www.strava.com/activities/640104689. I finished this at 3pm my time it is now 6:30 and it is still not up.0
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CycLeagues: Background Strava pull fell on it's *kitten* at 4:32pm GMT yesterday, only just noticed, now back up and running.
Lovely Strava based error:
java.net.UnknownHostException: www.strava.com
at java.net.AbstractPlainSocketImpl.connect(Unknown Source)
at java.net.PlainSocketImpl.connect(Unknown Source)
at java.net.SocksSocketImpl.connect(Unknown Source)
at java.net.Socket.connect(Unknown Source)
at sun.security.ssl.SSLSocketImpl.connect(Unknown Source)
at sun.security.ssl.BaseSSLSocketImpl.connect(Unknown Source)
at sun.net.NetworkClient.doConnect(Unknown Source)
at sun.net.www.http.HttpClient.openServer(Unknown Source)
at sun.net.www.http.HttpClient.openServer(Unknown Source)
at sun.net.www.protocol.https.HttpsClient.<init>(Unknown Source)
at sun.net.www.protocol.https.HttpsClient.New(Unknown Source)
What I do intend on doing come post September is implement an automated recovery mechanism that should get round the manual restart.
Let's be thankful this hasn't yet happened while I've been away on tour.2 -
So, today I finally got enough info from a security guard and a valet parking worker and managed to exit the hotel with my bike via a parking deck so I didn't have to go out on the Strip (Las Vegas Boulevard). The down side? All that climbing I had to do in the parking deck did not get measured by GPS. Hmph.
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Happy birthday, TBY!
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