Tuesday 31 March 2009

Another cartoon

Will have to stop posting other peoples cartoons on here but I thought this one was too good to miss.
From Yehudamoon


Sunday 29 March 2009

Another missed chance

Another weekend gone by and another week of not cycling!
After last weekends ride round East Anglia I seem to have got THE LERGY, almost a case of manflu but not quite.
Not been on the bike at all this week and felt too rough to attempt the 300km ride and jeopardise the next rides by making myself more ill than I am now.

On another note the leaflets for the Cancer Research ride around mk (see link on right) are available. If anyone wants any to handout at their workplace or club please get in touch and I'll sort some out for you.





Wednesday 25 March 2009

So true!!




Another great cartoon from Rick Smith on his excellent website.
Follow the stories daily over at http://www.yehudamoon.com/


And while on the subject of daily readings, another blog worth checking out is
Scaryduck: Not scary. Not a duck.

Monday 23 March 2009

A better weekend than last.

After last weekends non cycling I thought it would go well this week with a full house. Wrong!
I started off on Monday with a clean up and a pad change on the brakes to find the rear caliper seized, Judicial battering with a spanner didn't improve matters so a new one was ordered.
Before 1pm delivery on Thursday was processed and I waited for the shiny package to arrive, and waited, and waited!
Finally there was a knock on the door on Saturday morning.
Now to get the old rotor off the wheel, Aaaaaaah! no luck. An idea! I can put the new one on my NEW shiny front hub dynamo wheel, sorted. All was well.

Sunday got me up at a silly hour with the alarm going off at 4am and I was up and out the door for 5 for a nice ride to nearly Ipswich and back.
Up and through Woburn park with the deer scattering from the bloody annoying squeak coming from the front brake!
Stopped numerous times to try and rectify it, eventually getting it about bearable and arriving at the start of the 200km Audax ride near Cambridge just as the other riders were about to leave at 8.
Quick coffee and out in pursuit of them but the 10 minute gap and their fresh legs saw me on my own for most of the day.
Did manage to chat to people at the cafes but usually as they were leaving.

Out of Cambridgeshire and into Suffolk was an excellent ride with the tailwind and I was cruising along at a good speed. After the turn the wind had picked up and the ride back through Essex and Hertfordshire back to Cambridge was hard work, getting back to the start/finish village hall at 21.00.
A chat to the organiser whilst scoffing soup, doughnuts and jam sarnies and away again at 21.30 for the 70km ride back home.
A lot slower ride back with the headwind and being dark, taking me 4.5hrs compared to the 3hrs it took me to get there, fell asleep in the bath after getting back at 2.

All in all a good day with a total of 350km (220miles) in a total of 21hrs.

Next weekends jaunt is a 300km ride from Oxford to Wales and back via Newent, the forest of dean and Chepstow.
Hope my legs have recovered by then!

Sunday 15 March 2009

Another week gone...


....and even less cycling.

A cycle free time was had this weekend, had the kids round and staying over on Saturday night so chaos reigned. Did manage a 5 mile walk Sunday with the 2 eldest out and about Caldecotte lake.
It was good to see so many families out with their kids on bikes enjoying the good weather.
Had a fun morning on Wednesday having photo's and video taken of me cycling along by the lake, which will be used on a website all about the redways and the users of it.
Will have to start getting out on the bike more this week, next Sunday will be the start of the longer rides for this year with a 65km early morning ride over to Cambridge for a 200km audax and then home again after. The week after will be another 300km ride from Oxford to Wales and back.
With a 400km one on Good Friday, 2 x 600km in May and June and not forgetting the odd 200 thrown in for good measure. The July ride from London to Edinburgh and back should be doable with at least some time to sleep.

Sunday 8 March 2009

Ninja stealth cyclists

Not a new phenomenon but as the days get longer and the weather warms up a bit there seems to be a lot more ninja cyclists about.

You know the type, all in black with no lights trying to hide in the shadows ready to pull out in front of any unsuspecting road or redway user.
Sometimes they have a hi-vis jacket on which they think somehow works as light replacements.
Often you'll be cycling along wondering where the sudden annoying squeak is coming from, then realise it's not your chain after all but a rider that has suddenly appeared as if by magic in your lights right in front of you.

Not sure what can be done, I would like to smack some sense into them with a B.F.O. shovel!!
What I tend to do is just give them the thumbs up and say "Nice lights", Hoping that they get the hint and at least go to their LBS*/Tesco/Asda for some cheap ones.



*Local Bike Shop

Wednesday 4 March 2009

Sunday 1 March 2009

Woburn FSoTM ride


Great weather (for March) meant a good turnout of 11 riders at the bandstand.
Once out of Bletchley the traffic was almost nonexistent, a couple of steeper hills were walked up in the woods but most were ridable with a low gear.

The pint or two of cider went down well at The Red Lion in Salford (which has had a makeover since the last time I was in there) before the last bit back to the start.

Only bit that had me perplexed was the driving instructor who told me I shouldn't be on the road!!