Monthly Archives: July 2012

Live from France (Ski station at top of Gavernie)

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From some place high above Gavernie. Would be scenic if not for the clouds.

(And would be more wordy if I hadn’t uploaded that from my iPhone while on the ride, and I wasn’t carrying my regular glasses so to say I’m blind when it comes to using the tiny screen and keyboard is an understatement!)

Today was our first day out on the Bike Fridays in France; a supposed-to-be-easy ride that turned into 72 miles and quite a bit of climbing. See, I’d read about this national park at the end of a road that was supposed to have awe-inspiring views of waterfalls and glaciers and all sorts of stuff we might have been able to see where it not for the clouds that had moved in on us. But it was a good ride, we both rode pretty strongly (and for once, I think I was the better climber overall, or at least towards the end) and Strava says we did really well despite riding pretty heavy bikes and, in my case, loaded down with all sorts of gear.

Tomorrow is our first day to intercept the ‘Tour, in the mountains above Foix. Film at 11. But for now you can see the Strava details and another French encounter with sheep.

Last Tuesday’s ride

Sorry, in all the getting-things-ready-for-France confusion, I neglected an entry for Tuesday’s ride! A very nice morning, and I actually got my best time of the year up the hill at 27:20. Of course Kevin got his best time too, 24:40. Keith had gapped Kevin & Nigel & Dan (Dan Connely, who we haven’t seen for quite a while, little guy who climbs really well). But I was feeling pretty good about being able to suffer and soldier on. Overall average speed was about 17mph, .5mph higher than typical, also an indication that I’m feeling a bit stronger. Of course, the climbs in the Pyrenees will truly answer that!