Doing something different
Some times we always do something different right?
I did today, i went for a ride in Sintra. What the hell is that? here, take a look
I had pleeeeeenty of time to do the ride so i met some friends in the pool (2km from my home) at 9:30. i only left for the actual ride at 10, why? Mr Migalhas (helder) had an unbelievable fight with a wheel to see how many tubes he could destroy. 4 i think, after that a “forget about it, just go, i’m going home”, that was quite a defeat for Helder, hope he recovers quickly.
Back to the ride, small group today only 2 with me and they only wanted to ride for 2h (everyone is slacking that is good :P) so around 50min into the ride i was alone, poor boy. Normally i just go around sintra “mountain” (takes 2h:30m), its isn’t that big, about 600m high but I’m at sea level. Good roads for climbing and less traffic. But riding inside the mountain is pretty darn hard.
Good climbing? sure, its everywhere, 5-7km through the woods with somewhere between 10 and 15% and narrow roads. Its actually awesome to ride there, i love it but riding there is like go hard up, don’t pedal downhill because roads are too narrow and there are U shaped turns everywhere and the added bonus of humid surface so basically i go slow uphill and go slow downhill.
Sintra is more a mountain bike heaven than road, there was TONs of mountain bikers, the interesting part is that they are always with both foot in the ground (not pedaling) ;). I need to try that though, the mountain bike part, not the holding a mountain bike while watching a road biker cruising (YES, I’m riding a perfectly normal road bike now).
Good fun bottom line~, always good to do something “stupid” 
ride stats:
- total climbing - 1560 meters
- total distance - 108km
- Average power - 219W
- Average HR - 141
- Average speed - 27.7Km/h (<- one of the reasons i dont do this kind of ride in sintra is because the average speed is always freakin low :P)
and guess what, i had a camera too, i missed some good shots but i need to practise shooting photos while riding. No, no coffee stops for me, always riding. Im not doing a tourist guide of sintra, the tourists can see This photos
Great ride Pica, Sintra is beautiful, all around is green, the air is pure, and to climb those hills, with a percentage of inclination that make the legs cry like babies, you need a lot of pure and fresh air.
Sintra’s mountains had other particularities that increases the “fun” of the ride, the moisture in the air and once you are with could, when you ride under the trees and in the shadow, and 100m ahead the sun burns, and them in a question of seconds is could again.
See you around.
Hi Sérgio!!!
Took you’re advice, and here am I checking all details on this great blog…
Impressive to see how much you train actually… allways questioned myself on the average trainning of a potencial world top 10… that’s where you probably be soon…
About trainning in Sintra… great spot choice… but then again, I’m suspicious… I live right in the Village… since ever! But for me, no ridding… it’s more like tracking. Sorry! Let’s not discust preferences!
See you soon.
Joana
very good!
I do not know how to express my feeling!! I am shocked by your unprecedented sight.