Ride entry, 1 April 2012

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Bike: Il Pompino
Distance: 55 miles
Playlist: Random

Spot The Bike CompetitionI’ve entered Rob Lees #1000miles in April challenge and even with a big ride planned later in the month the weather was too nice to miss. The Ronde Van Vlaanderen was being shown at Look Mum No Hands, which appears to be becoming a destination of choice for me, having been there three times since the end of February.

Rather stupidly I appear to have made it from North of Luton into the East End of London in just over two and a half hours. I wasn’t sure if I’d left myself the legs to get home. Oh, and thanks to the skate-boarding lads for the “nice balance” remark as I held a perfect trackstand at the lights on the ring road.

Belgian
Ronde Van Vlaanderen and Vedett

Statistics were being bandied about on the web that 1/10 of all Belgians would be out on the streets cheering on the race, with the other 9/10 at home or in a bar watching it on TV. I can vouch that most ex-pat Belgians in London were in the bar, excitedly pointing out where they lived.

When Boonen crossed the line in first place the result was definitely right.

Seeing as it was only just twenty to four it felt a little early to job out and take the train home, and I was sure that I had the miles in my legs.

I’d just climbed all the way up Edgeware Road to, well, Edgeware, when I started to feel some resistance in my riding. I stopped and checked the rear brake, then set off again. I could still feel some resistance, and was going uphill when suddenly the forks disappeared from under me and I found myself led in the middle of the A% looking backwards at a bus slowing down for the bus stop I’d just ridden past.

More heartfelt profanities
Heartfelt profanities

Fortunately was only doing 6.80 mph at the time of the crash*. So nothing broken, just a bit of road rash. Even my poncey white shorts and top came away unscathed apart from the blood. And Persil has even managed to get that out tonight.

I made it to the side of the road when a Met police car drove past a bloodied biker next to a snapped frame with the WPC in passenger seat staring/gawping at me. Did they a) stop to check I was OK and even knew who I was, or b) continue on their way?

There are no prizes for guessing a).

With more than 30 miles still to get home or a two mile walk carrying a broken bike to the nearest station I made a call to the cavalry for rescue.

Before the litigious amongst my readers wade in I should point out that these are nine year old pre-production prototype forks that On-One didn’t go with in the end. Their failure was an accident – “an undesirable or unfortunate happening that occurs unintentionally”. Such things do occur without other people being to blame!

55 miles for the day was 35 short of my target. With no road bike now I’ll miss a couple of commutes this week that would have got me another 75 miles too. I’m sure my upcoming e2e will see me reach the target.

Speaking of which despite being told to take two weeks off and ride at my own pace and finish when I can I have now been set an artificial, purely emotional blackmail deadline within this two weeks to be finished by. Encouragement to make time for myself and enjoy my riding is always withdrawn at the last minute.

*According to Endomondo; it’s like having your own black box recorder.

Ride entry, 31 March 2012

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Bike: Il Pompino
Distance: 38 miles
Playlist: New Order

Spot The Bike CompetitionBoth Grant and 360 were threatening my 4th place in the March Cheeky Challenge on Endomondo. Which would not abide.

Just shy of forty miles should cement my place unless either of them goes out for a night ride.

Danger panda
Cold not shown

Thanks to Piers Vallance, out on a triathlon training ride, for keeping me company for 15 miles.

Ride entry, 28 March 2012

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Bike: Il Pompino
Distance: There and back again, plus diversions
Playlist: Genius Bowie/Genius Blue Oyster Cult

Spot The Bike CompetitionFelt flat going into work today. The legs had steady miles in them, but no top end. Bit like a diesel really.

Thank goodness for strange part clothes that we have developed for cycling. I didn’t realise how cold my feet were until I got into a hot shower in the gym at work, but my arms and knees had been kept toasty warm by, er, arm and knee warmers. By the time I came to commute home it was definitely naked knees and elbows time. Being able to cover/uncover the appropriate bits rather than have to decide whether to commit to one length arm and leg for the day makes life so much easier.

...to make the girls wink
to make the girls wink

Rather pleasantly there were no knobs in cars on the way home.

Which was nice.

Can’t back out now

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I have just picked up a one way ticket to Penzance on Maundy Thursday. No idea at all yet whether I can even get a bike on the train. Maybe smuggled on in bits?

Posted in e2e

Ride entry, 27 March 2012

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Bike: Il Pompino
Distance: 37 miles
Playlist: Shuffle/Genius of “Aces High”

Spot The Bike CompetitionTwo dawns this morning. The first as I made it to the top of the hill in the photo below. Then I rode into another valley and had second dawn as I climbed out of that one. I felt good and fast going in but my commute time would indicate otherwise.

Destination
First dawn

I was pleasantly surprised to discover that some of the music Kirsty has bought from iTunes has been automatically synced to my phone and just after dawn I found myself listening to the Ride of the Valkyries. “Charlie don’t surf”.

Representing the 'cake
Representing the cake

The ride home was also fast and uneventful. I did try and pace myself at the end for a good time up the local hill where I am currently ranked 4th on Strava, but I started my final effort too early and legs turned to jelly just before the top.

Still, there’s always tomorrow.

Ride entry, 25 March 2012

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Bike: Hunter
Distance: 33 miles
Playlist: Rock
Wildlife: Herd of deer, see below

HunterJust a few miles playing out and exploring cheek in Woburn.

After Fridays near encounter with a herd of deer I had another in Woburn deer park.

Fake timelapse
Fake timelapse

I can confirm that with sufficient run-up the deer can cross the road in a single bound.

I rode to Woburn because some people on the Singletrackworld forum are trying to excuse “all the gear and no idea” mincing on the Gisburn Slab. By “mincing” I mean “chickening out” because it’s all of 36°s and apparently that’s “steeper than it looks”. Forget that it has a nice roll in and out and reaches that figure only on the middle section. Anyway I just wanted to measure the angle of the apex of some of the Woburn switchbacks for comparison. They reach 40°. Even the Southerners I encounter these days don’t mince about and walk down those. What happened to Northern MTBers? If you have a four inch travel bike with wide bars and fat forks and sticky rubber and can’t ride the Gisburn Slab just sell the bike now and take up something like golf.

Alternatively instead of spending money on skill compensating parts these riders could spend money on a skills day. Two problems. Firstly they all think they are “good enough” and don’t need teaching anything. When patently their inability to roll down a slab says otherwise. And secondly Patches O’Houlihan and his bag of wrenches came to an untimely end in a tragic accident in a Las Vegas casino. And he’s the only coach I can think of with enough MTFU to spare.

TK-421
TK-421 enjoying the singletrack

Anyway we found some new downhill cheek today in the woods near Brickhill. New to me at least. It’s obviously been there a while but doesn’t look like it’s been ridden lately. Like all the trails it was already dry and dusty.

There are some benefits to living in the South.

Ride entry, 24 March 2012

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Bike: Il Pompino
Distance: 35 miles
Playlist: Shuffle

Spot The Bike CompetitionA gentle ride to just keep the muscles loose. Oh, and try and catch Grant Doig in the March Cheeky Challenge. Not only has he put effort in to try and stay ahead of me but Callum Sword has appeared from nowhere and is chasing me down. Still, if I do lose a place I will at least get a chance to use my quote from the Prisoner.

Naked knees
Naked knees*

Nice and sunny, no knee warmers straight from the off, and lost the arm warmers after just a mile.

Oh, thanks for the peptalks Simon; I appear to have found some combination of settings that lets them through.

Spring is good.

* and silken calfs. Do you need brain bleach?

Ride entry, 23 March 2012

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Bike: Il Pompino
Distance: 37 miles
Playlist: Shuffle

Spot The Bike CompetitionFoggy on the way home, nice and sunny on the way home. It was definitely too cold for short fingered roadie gloves on the way in, and almost too warm for arm and leg warmers on the way home. What’s that all about then?

Both commutes were without incident apart form the herd of roe deer, including a white hart, which tried to cross the road in front of me in the fog but thought better of it.

Foggy Panda
Foggy panda

I’m currently running Endomondo to track my routes, and then uploading them to Strava to see which is best. I like the range of sports offered by Endomondo. It covers everything I need, and more besides. Such as golf. Golf is not exercise FFS. It’s barely even a sport. Strava on the other hand has a narrower selection but does allow me to compare my times on the local hills with other riders. Which can be a bit of an arse as I’m a competitive bastard. Just 18 seconds to knock off the local killer climb and I’ll be on the podium. Not bad on 44:16 if I may say so myself. And I do.