Yes, we do have a winter, and although we don't get snow cover on my parts I suspect that I'll also spend a fair amount of time out of the saddle. I'm susceptible to winter ailments and have no intention of doing harm to myself. With some bouts of pneumonia behind me, I'm rather wary about that.
SaiKaiTai, when I first joined up here a few weeks back I got the impression that most of the 50+ folk here were seasoned riders to whom lengthy rides were commonplace activity. The preponderance of threads here lent that impression, but the readings I've had opportunity to do since have shown that to not necessarily be the case. But I've also been learning that, whilst the rides some folk do might not travel the distances I've been confronting, they often include challenges I'm not up to conquering as well. The climbs included in some of the rides you've reported, for example, would pull me up cold! Others regularly ride in windy conditions which would leave me disheartened. We all confront ourr own challenges, I guess.
I'm well aware that my only real 'achievement' to date has been to develop the ability to stay in the saddle for 5 hours or more during the day, using the the knowledge I've gleaned from here to keep those pedals spinning around at a reasonable rate and feeling my way into timing the frequent gear changes well enough that they're made before I'm in trouble. And all that under relatively 'favourable conditions'. I've no doubt that, was I on a lighter and better geared bike, I'd be riding distances further than I'm doing now. But I ride mostly solo, and I want the security of feeling which comes from a bike comfortable enough to leave the sealed surface on. And despite the distances I'm now finding myself travelling, reports of rides like
this one leave me aghast! I'm continually inspired by what I read on here.
Louis, looking is all I'm ever likely to be doing. I could well end up with a road bike in my stable at some stage, but it's likely to be a secondhand one. The more expensive stuff is forever out of my reach, I suspect!
