This year seems to be flying by, must be getting old!!
This weekend saw another of my local MK FSoTM rides, this one was a 20 mile ride around the back of Linford Lakes to Newport Pagnel and back again.
10 others turned up on Sunday morning and a good ride was had with a stop for a pint at MK village.
Only 1 puncture this time at about the halfway point.
No photo's this time as I forgot to take my camera.
The next ride is on the 2nd of August, it starts from Furzton lake at 10.00 and takes the Sustrans path to Winslow.
Hope to see more people along.
Monday, 6 July 2009
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.
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.
Thursday, 11 June 2009
London - Edinburgh - London
As some of you know I've entered the 1400km Audax bike ride from London to Edinburgh and back.
It's a ride held every 4 years and this is the 6th running of the event.
There is a time limit of 116hrs and 40mins to complete the ride, this means that with an 8am start on the Sunday I have to be back by 5am on the Friday morning. It works out at about 300km (180miles) a day.
There are 600 riders from 30 countries (some from as far as Australia) that have entered so should be a really good ride.
As I write this it's only 43 days away!! To say I'm slightly worried about it is an understatement.
Well I suppose worried is the wrong word, but as I've still not managed to finish a 600km ride so far this year it's getting very close and the time is disappearing fast.
Audax rides over here are run by Audax UK and range from 50km calendar rides.
These are organised rides with route sheets that take you on a scenic loop (hills usually included) via cafes, village halls and garages. You also get a card which you get stamped/collect receipts or answer questions on it to prove you've been to all the places on the route.
Then there are permanent rides from 50km again up to rides like the 3315km Great triangle taking in all 4 corners of the UK.
All rides over 200km get points (2 for a 200km, 3 for a 300km etc') and at the end of the season you can see how far behind the points champion you are.
Last year I got 35 points. The top point scorer so far is Steve Abraham, he racked up 405 in the 2007 season. But he just likes a challenge!!
Be careful though they are very addictive, I started on a 100km event 4 years ago.
I now often find myself sat on a garage forecourt at 2am eating a cold pasty with a bottle of flavoured milk to wash it down. When not riding I often sit at home on the computer trying to work out 200km/300km/600km routes that go via these 24hr cafes and garages to then go out and ride. The joys of long distance cycling!!
If you want to read more about them or join in they are great fun (if a little challenging at times!!) take a look at the Audax and cyclosportive pages over on yACF.
It is a great cycling forum full of friendly people that will help you out and answer any questions you have bike related or not.
Oh well, back to the on-line route mapping. Now working on a ride that goes up to Scunthorpe and down through the fens of east anglia.
TTFN
It's a ride held every 4 years and this is the 6th running of the event.
There is a time limit of 116hrs and 40mins to complete the ride, this means that with an 8am start on the Sunday I have to be back by 5am on the Friday morning. It works out at about 300km (180miles) a day.
There are 600 riders from 30 countries (some from as far as Australia) that have entered so should be a really good ride.
As I write this it's only 43 days away!! To say I'm slightly worried about it is an understatement.
Well I suppose worried is the wrong word, but as I've still not managed to finish a 600km ride so far this year it's getting very close and the time is disappearing fast.
Audax rides over here are run by Audax UK and range from 50km calendar rides.
These are organised rides with route sheets that take you on a scenic loop (hills usually included) via cafes, village halls and garages. You also get a card which you get stamped/collect receipts or answer questions on it to prove you've been to all the places on the route.
Then there are permanent rides from 50km again up to rides like the 3315km Great triangle taking in all 4 corners of the UK.
All rides over 200km get points (2 for a 200km, 3 for a 300km etc') and at the end of the season you can see how far behind the points champion you are.
Last year I got 35 points. The top point scorer so far is Steve Abraham, he racked up 405 in the 2007 season. But he just likes a challenge!!
Be careful though they are very addictive, I started on a 100km event 4 years ago.
I now often find myself sat on a garage forecourt at 2am eating a cold pasty with a bottle of flavoured milk to wash it down. When not riding I often sit at home on the computer trying to work out 200km/300km/600km routes that go via these 24hr cafes and garages to then go out and ride. The joys of long distance cycling!!
If you want to read more about them or join in they are great fun (if a little challenging at times!!) take a look at the Audax and cyclosportive pages over on yACF.
It is a great cycling forum full of friendly people that will help you out and answer any questions you have bike related or not.
Oh well, back to the on-line route mapping. Now working on a ride that goes up to Scunthorpe and down through the fens of east anglia.
TTFN
Wednesday, 10 June 2009
Another DNF!!
I was looking forward to last weekends ride after entering it well in advance, getting cheap train tickets and a cheap room at a travel lodge.
After finishing work on Friday morning I managed to get a few hours sleep before my train up to Stockport at 11.50. Arriving at the station with ages to spare and an uneventful journey got me there in under 2hrs.
As I had time to spare I rode along the A6 to roughly where the ride started the next morning and made my way to the Travel lodge so that I knew the route in the morning.
After a McD meal I managed to get another couple of hours sleep before Ben arrived to take the spare bed for the night. Forums are great for getting others to share the costs of rooms for events like this. Pizza was consumed and it was off for an early night in preparation of the early start.
Alarm went at 04.30, coffee was made and it was out the door at 5. We got to the start with just enough time to say hello to the other riders, collect brevet cards and join the back of the bunch as the group left.
It was raining, not too bad but enough to dampen. The start of the ride took us along lovely lanes around Jodrell bank (past the radio telescope) and across the Cheshire plain to Wem where it was a stop for a full breakfast and coffee to try and warm up as we were all soaked through.
Onwards through Church Stretton (still raining) to top up on supplies ready for the hills that started not long after.
First hard slog came as we left Knighton and it was up and down all the way to Builth Wells. 210km covered and 10 hrs of rain so far.
The next bit I was looking forward to in a funny way as I'd heard so much about the Elan Valley but had not as yet ridden it.
So it was away again (still raining) and just up the road I went to change gear and the cable snapped!! Bugger!!
Managed (eventually) to botch it by pulling spare cable through the changer and tying a knot in it. It worked just but I wasn't going to trust it to get me over the hills to Aberystyth in the dodgy weather as if it had broken again it would have left me stranded in the middle of nowhere cold and wet.
So as I got to Rhyader a few miles up the road I stopped at a pub and got a room with breakfast for £25. After a shower and dry clothes I spent the rest of the evening drinking cider.
This seemed a better way to spend my birthday than atop a welsh hill in the rain.
It was still raining outside.
Next morning it was up at 8 for a huge breakfast and out into the rain again for the 50km ride to Newtown to get the train home.
Total riding for the weekend was 280km and out of the 17hrs on the road it must have rained for 16 of them. Others that completed the ride said they had it for 27 out of 34 and a headwind for the last few. An epic weekend for the ones that did complete it.
Now it's a weekend off from long rides as the next one is the 30 mile FSoTM ride hope to see some of you along.
Oh did I mention the rain!!
After finishing work on Friday morning I managed to get a few hours sleep before my train up to Stockport at 11.50. Arriving at the station with ages to spare and an uneventful journey got me there in under 2hrs.
As I had time to spare I rode along the A6 to roughly where the ride started the next morning and made my way to the Travel lodge so that I knew the route in the morning.
After a McD meal I managed to get another couple of hours sleep before Ben arrived to take the spare bed for the night. Forums are great for getting others to share the costs of rooms for events like this. Pizza was consumed and it was off for an early night in preparation of the early start.
Alarm went at 04.30, coffee was made and it was out the door at 5. We got to the start with just enough time to say hello to the other riders, collect brevet cards and join the back of the bunch as the group left.
It was raining, not too bad but enough to dampen. The start of the ride took us along lovely lanes around Jodrell bank (past the radio telescope) and across the Cheshire plain to Wem where it was a stop for a full breakfast and coffee to try and warm up as we were all soaked through.
Onwards through Church Stretton (still raining) to top up on supplies ready for the hills that started not long after.
First hard slog came as we left Knighton and it was up and down all the way to Builth Wells. 210km covered and 10 hrs of rain so far.
The next bit I was looking forward to in a funny way as I'd heard so much about the Elan Valley but had not as yet ridden it.
So it was away again (still raining) and just up the road I went to change gear and the cable snapped!! Bugger!!
Managed (eventually) to botch it by pulling spare cable through the changer and tying a knot in it. It worked just but I wasn't going to trust it to get me over the hills to Aberystyth in the dodgy weather as if it had broken again it would have left me stranded in the middle of nowhere cold and wet.
So as I got to Rhyader a few miles up the road I stopped at a pub and got a room with breakfast for £25. After a shower and dry clothes I spent the rest of the evening drinking cider.
This seemed a better way to spend my birthday than atop a welsh hill in the rain.
It was still raining outside.
Next morning it was up at 8 for a huge breakfast and out into the rain again for the 50km ride to Newtown to get the train home.
Total riding for the weekend was 280km and out of the 17hrs on the road it must have rained for 16 of them. Others that completed the ride said they had it for 27 out of 34 and a headwind for the last few. An epic weekend for the ones that did complete it.
Now it's a weekend off from long rides as the next one is the 30 mile FSoTM ride hope to see some of you along.
Oh did I mention the rain!!
Monday, 1 June 2009
I want one of those, and one of those, and .....,
Bacchetta carbon aero.
WAW velomobile
Tri sled Avatar velomobile
Velokraft Nocom
Zockra Kouign Amann
Last one is also a Nocom but with a rear fairing fitted.
Choices, choices.
Just need to find the money now!!
Will have to sell the kids or my body! probably get more for the kids. Lol
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