Back in the saddle

After our holiday in the states, I needed to do the club easy ride to Buntingford to get me going again. 15 miles going out in 75 mins, a nice cafe stop and then I went ahead of the group as I had to get home. It was slightly windy and I could tell I hadn't cycled for 3 weeks as I was under 15 mph ave on the return leg, but it got the blood circulating again.

Ride Around London

While away on holiday, I finally signed up for the ride around london challenge which is a 115 mile route starting in south london at Herne Hill Velodrome before heading south west to get out, then up the west side to the Chilterns before going over through Hertfordshire and to the Lee Valley olympic park which is only a few miles from home. So I should be able to get home at the end, and if I can't, it's not too far to be picked up. So I need to do this to get back to match fitness after a holiday in the states and to do one final big challenge before the winter months. I have cycled 110 miles in a day, and did it again three days later after a cycling weekend in Normandy in may this year, so unless the weather is horrible, it should be achievable, but it will take all day and at the moment I am entering on my own.

Normandy 2011

Tubby T 100 miles

With less than a week to go before I cycle to Portsmouth (113 miles) for a weekend in France and a cycle back, I needed to get some miles in. The club ride was from Thaxted, so Paul suggested a group to cycle to Thaxted (25 miles each way) making it a 100 miles day. All was well setting off from War at 7:45, though by the time we reached Takely, we realised we were going to be late, so we upped the pace significantly and arrived at 9:40 to join the club ride to Tubby T. Thirty miles and 2 hours later we arrived at the Cafe which is just down the road from a prison, so there was a rare mix of clientele. Cyclists, bikers, prison guards and visitors. We headed back and managed to avoid any showers. Just before Thaxted the group split in two with 9 of us forming a breakaway and missing the route JOhn F was leading us on. I was beginning to feel the miles by now, but after 5 mins the six of us headed for home, leaving those behind who were driving back. I was ok until we reached Bisphop Stortford when I really began to suffer, so after climbing out to Tye Green I suggested a stop at Perry Green where we had a refreshing coca cola and 15 mins off the bike. The last bit home was slow but on familiar roads, and we got home just before six pm after just under 8 hours in the saddle. Shattered. I had an early night and slept soundly, waking up to find my arms were a little sunburnt (I had completely forgotten to use sun cream). My legs were ok, but I was tired most of the day. Roll on friday.

link to the route

Back on the bike

Couldn't go on the sunday club run this week, but I was able to nip out for a quick 15 mile loop yesterday - taking just over an hour door to door to go up to Standon, across to the old A10 and back home. Had to be careful becuase on the two narrow places on the lanes I came across two cars going fast towards me. Still I went 10-15 mins faster than the same route last year, which is great. Also it was the first time for a month that I felt ok before I went out. The only downside was that I was very tired later on so had an early night. Must go to the gym at work like last year.

Paris to Geneva?

I need to decide whether to do Paris to geneva this year and sign up. Thinking of raising money for cancer research as one of my friends from UEA is in recovery from stage four throat cancer. Bit of a shock that.

Tme trial

It was t'he first time trial of the year, 72" restricted gear 10 mile circuit at cole green. I did it last year too, my very first race. This year it was my first time on a bike after 4 weeks off - a cough and a cold that turned into a cheery cough that needed ten days of anti-biotics - so I wasn't at my best. So I did it in 33.38 mins, 2 1/2 mins faster than last year! Still was the slowest man but it's still progress. Tony joked I would be faster if I didn't wobble all over the place...
I set off on the club run afterwards but turned home with Tony after 15 mins. I was quite tired and didn't fancy a 40 mile ride. Going to send my entry for the Stevenage start of summertime ride tomorrow.

Sunday to Saffron Walden

I went out on the club ride today - setting of at 8:50 to get to Much Hadham for a 9:30 start. It was really tough at first and I was really struggling, until I realised my back brake was rubbing against the wheel and slowing me right down. Once that had been sorted, it was like riding a different bike. Still I missed the start and set off to follow the group heading north. After about 30 mins I caught up with everyone near Stocking Pelham. Luckily I caught them there as just after that the route turned off the direct road to Saffron Walden to begin a northerly loop. It was quite cold and there was a northerly headwind, and I cooled down a bit at the slightly slower pace of the group. We did pass Audley End which I had never seen before and it looks impressive. One day we may visit there or go to a concert in the grounds. Then we arrived in Saffron Walden and the Cafe Mocha where I had a ciabatta bacon and egg sandwich and a large capuccino. Heading back it got a bit drizzly and it was quite hard work over the top between Ugley and Ardley, but I got back to Much Hadham by 2:15 - no punctures by anyone, and headed home with Steve, Barry and Paul, slowing down a bit through tiredness, getting home by 3 pm.

turbo trainer tuesday night

Went to the first Tuesday night turbo trainer session. Only one other person was there but I enjoyed it all the same, riding for 40 mins or so at high speed indoors.

Black Ice

Not such a good day today. Yet again I had to fix a flat before I set off as my valve exploded when I was about to top up the pressure in my front tyre. So I contacted Peter to say I would meet the group at Clavering Lakes and he told me that answering his phone made him fall on the ice. Anyway I set off and it was a bit cold and icy, so I was being careful. With hindsight I should have stuck to main roads, but I got as far as Wareside turned left, and after another couple of hundred metres, hit black ice and went over - bike ending 10-15m in front of me, lying on the cold icy tarmac, hurting on my left side. I lay still for a half a minute, and then gingerly got up. Phoned home to ask for a lift back home. A few mins later I was feeling much better, and the bike was ok (handle bar a little knocked out of shape but ok) so I turned back for home and carefully set off. This time I hit more ice going back out of Wareside up the hill (that I had come down 10 mins earlier) and hit more ice going over on my right side. So after a short while on the ground, I walked to the top of the hill and waited a couple of mins for Montse and the girls to collect me. I got home, had a long shower and checked for more damage - just hurting hips/thighs and a grazed hand and knee so far and an ache all over for the rest of the day. Lesson - don't risk it when there is ice!

New Year ride

Jan 2nd - ready for a new year of cycling. This year's aim to cycle Paris to Geneva (in June). Back to today, I got ready and went to the bike just after 9 ready to go to hertford for the start of the run to find my back wheel had a flat. Lesson of the day, always check your bike the day before. 20 mins later with a new inner tube in place I was almost ready to go, only had to get the final bits and bobs ready, called ahead to say I would be late and set off to try to catch the group. I got a phone call coming out of Hertford saying everyone was in Bramfield. I thought I was a few hundred metres from Bramfield but was actually 2 miles away! Peter hung back and I caught him 10 mins later and we rode together. We rode a fairly fast pace in the cold but dry weather and all was going fine until I punctured. Lesson no 2 - always check that you have the CO2 cylinder pump with you before you leave! We fixed the inner tube and cycled on, but then Peter called me to stop. Lesson no 3 - always close the saddle bag to stop inner tubes falling out and remember to pick up the tyre levers when you have finished a repair. So being cold and not sure of the exact route, we headed for the cafe stop at the Tea Green Golf Course arriving at the same time as the main group. A good english breakfast later and we set off for home, past Luton airport (where someone punctured and we sat at the end of the runway watching several planes land). After that the journey back was fairly uneventful arriving home just after 3 pm to find Montse and the girls in the rugby club carpark on their new bikes.