Warmup is indeed key. For me, every eastbound or northbound ride starts with a hill climb. Southbound rides start with more than a mile of level ground, which facilitates a decent warmup. (I can't go more than about 1 km to the west without getting very wet.
) I have learned over the years to use a very low gear and to take that initial cold start climb at an embarrassingly slow pace, which makes all the difference. If I start out too fast up the hill, it takes me at least another 15 minutes to catch up to where I would be following a more gradual start. Warmup is everything!
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"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." --Theodore Roosevelt
Capo: 1959 Modell Campagnolo, S/N 40324; 1960 Sieger (2), S/N 42624, 42597
Carlton: 1962 Franco Suisse, S/N K7911
Peugeot: 1970 UO-8, S/N 0010468
Bianchi: 1982 Campione d'Italia, S/N 1.M9914
Schwinn: 1988 Project KOM-10, S/N F804069