PEDALS,PAIN AND PURGATORY.

After all the recent upgrades on my Revolution Touring Bike I was keen to give it a really good and difficult run to try everything out.

Yesterday I sat down with a map and set about planning a really tough 70 mile route for the weekly ride with JD.

First of all I looked for as many STEEP hills as I could find. By steep I mean 20% or at best 16% I then linked them all up to form the final route.

I warned JD that it was going to be a tough one and he said that he was up for at least having an attempt at it -although he didn't rate his chances at getting up the really long 20%+ hills.

So how did it go? Well the route is such that there are hardly any flat roads included in it. If you are not cranking yourself up a hill you are rolling down the otherside getting yourself ready to do it all over again. Because it is so tough we have called it the 'Triple P' (Pedals-Pain & Purgatory).

I got to the summit of the first 20% - (which comes at the end of a mile long climb of 5% to 12%) ahead of JD. I dismounted and waited for JD -after a few minutes I heard a sound like a donkey only to realise that it was in fact the sound of JD gasping for breath. I was so pleased to see him beat this first big hill- let's face it he is having to propel a full 17 stone up these hills -I only have to push 11 stone 11 pounds (my new weight).

JD went on to conquer each hill on the route and not once did he have to get off. At the 50 mile mark we had a hill that is about 1/2 mile long at 16% and he even stayed on up that !!

JD did admit to me that on one of the 20% hills he decided that he wasn't going to make it so he attempted to remove his feet from the clipless pedals (cleated) but found that he couldn't remove them-his choice was keep pedalling or fall off....!! He continued spinning the pedals.

We both agreed that it was the toughest day route that we have done- but we both enjoyed it and can't wait to attempt it again.
Although I say it myself I think it was a pretty good effort from a '17 stone big fella' and a 'bloke on cancer treatment'.

''The picture shows JD on the final section of the first 20% hill of the day.