More ramblings

Not updated for a while, and not done much in the way of long rides the last couple of weeks.
I did start on a planned 300km ride to Newbury and Marlborough the other weekend, I was up at 6 and ready to go out at 7.
On the way to the garage I noticed the new dérailleur I'd fitted the day before was making funny noises, turn around and back home to take a look at it to find I needed to take some links out and shorten the chain.
Put bike back in shed, put pedals on to the trike and off I went again.
As I got to Aylesbury the day was starting to get hotter and I decided I really couldn't be bothered with cycling 180miles over the ridgeway 4 times in 28c heat.
I put on the suncream and turned left instead of right and headed for the Ivinghoe beacon instead.
The trike being heavier than the Bacchetta was a bit harder to drag up the hills but not too bad but it's worth it for the eye watering drops down the other side. Stopped for a couple of pints and some chips in a pub in Stanbridge and made my way back home for early afternoon.
Total was only 50 miles, but I had a good ride and really enjoyed it.

This week saw me exchanging emails with the team at Bacchetta with concerns about the forks on my Giro 26. There seemed to be a line on the paint where the fork blades are bonded to the crown and the paint had started to bubble underneath. They have decided to change the fork without any problems, just to be on the safe side.
A trip over to D-Tek near Ely on Sat' morning with the bike to have the fork taken off and now have to wait for the new one to be sent over.
Back on the trike again for work this week, I suppose the extra weight helps the non existent training I've done for the long ride (L-E-L) at the end of the month. As I write this there are only 18 days to go!! Still a bit worried about it as it's the longest ride I've ever done and this year I've not done a ride over 400km yet.


On a sadder note I was surprised to read this from the Dept' of Transport the other day.
In 2008
28,567 people were seriously injured on the roads last year out of these 2538 people were killed.
1257 deaths were in a car.
2807 children were injured, 1784 of these were pedestrians and 124 died.
572 pedestrian deaths.
493 motorcycle deaths.
115 cycling deaths.

This is really astonishing reading, what other place would allow that many injuries or deaths go by with just an "Oh well, it was just an accident" attitude.

There's also been a lot of accidents in London recently with people undertaking left turning lorries and buses. 7 deaths in 5 months, 6 of which were woman.
For some reason these deaths don't make it onto the news, all road users including cyclists need to know the dangers of going up the inside of large vehicles.
Always go up the right-hand side when wanting to pass, NEVER on the left.