I have a couple of rides planned for the end of May. One is a night ride-London to Brighton and is the first time this event has been held. The daytime one is still going ahead in June and is a nightmare ride due to the number of participants. 33,000 other riders trying to knock you off your bike. The night experience is not new to me as I used to train offroad so understand what I cannot see. Half of this ride will be on Lit roads in any case but it will be interesting not being able to see the rider that is going to take you down. The other is a 50 miler that takes in a couple of basket hills and I have been training on hills to prepare for this.

Now there is no way that I am at Peak fitness but I know that I will finish the rides and enjoy them both. The 50 miler will be a challenge though as I am aiming for the "Gold" standard of 4 hours and 10 minutes. In view of my current fitness and the degree those slopes are and the total climb on the ride it will need a bit above my current capabilities but if I fail--I fail.

But the person I was doing them with has dropped out. He says he is not fit enough. This is a rider that kicks my butt every time I ride with him. Admittedly only on the Sunday rides where we do about 40 to 50 miles but he still kicks my butt. Talking to him- he doesn't think he will be able to blast the rides for the whole of the distance- in particular as both of them have a nasty Hill about 5 miles from the end.

Whether I am wrong or not doesn't matter but I do not understand why someone cannot do a ride --just for the ride. Why does he have to blast the thing in the shortest time possible and if he can't do it in that manner- just not bother.

I know this other rider is competitive but IF I ever get to the state where I cannot enjoy a ride-for a ride- then I will just give up.

There are times I doubt myself when planning a difficult ride. As the ride gets close I often start trying to talk myself out of it but by ride day I am there giving it the old college try. I have a century later this year that kicked my tail last year. The entry fee isn't due yet and when I think about it I wonder if I am willing to try it again. I know I will not let this Century get me and will do it again but that isn't always what I say before I sign up. My goal will be to not go out and try to stay with the big dogs like I did last time and ride my own ride and have fun. And with any luck it will not be 103 degrees.

Hermes got popcorn, I got O'Donnells....

I'm all for challenging rides myself, you gotta bust outta the rut every once in a while -- but I draw the line at people trying to KNOCK ME OFF MY BIKE.

Stap, it sounds like he let his mental block defeat him before he even started and you won't let your attitude waiver and think yourself to quitting. Royal Marines are a tough breed.

Bill

You never know how you're going to do until you try. Your friend might surprise himself. I've signed up for a 100K on my single in June. The ride has about 6000' of climbing which I believe I can do having done 4000' or so on the tandem. I'm considering the 100mi ride with 7800' of climbing, but this is not a fully supported ride and I could be toast in the middle of nowhere; we'll see what unfolds. None of us want to except limitations as we get older; why should we?

A shade judgmental, no? We are all different, we ride for different reasons and we take pleasure in different things. And speaking for myself, I take pleasure in different things on different days.

I enjoy riding just for riding's sake a lot of the time. Almost all the time, in fact. But I can do that any time, on my own or with others. I wouldn't bother entering a race or sportive or any sort of challenge event unless I intended to challenge myself and see how well I could do. And if I thought I couldn't or wouldn't turn in a (to me) decent performance, I wouldn't go. I'd just go out for a ride.

Has it occurred to you that your planned companion wouldn't enjoy this particular ride "for the ride"? That if he wanted a leisurely day out he wouldn't choose this event? That his principal source of satisfaction in participating is the challenge, the taking a break from smelling the roses and, instead, going like hell?

Fitness for a task has a huge mental component. If someone says they are not fit enough for it they are not fit enough for the ride. Doesn't matter what anyone else thinks they think it is too big and so it is, for them.

True in many fields of edeavour.

I have a call out to the Ministry of Sports Cliches. They've been quite slow as of late but when they respond I'll get right back with you.