2009 Totals

Okay, this year I have cycled a grand total of 1 884 miles (both on the road and on the rollers) and lost 48.8lb.

Not bad really. I would have liked 2 000 miles and 50lb but I can not have everything you know.

Oh, my average speed is now around 12.8mph..just a push and I will get above 14mph.

So, what do I think about the year? Well, when you consider how unfit I was earlier in the year, I am pleased that I can do a 25 to 30 mile ride without problems. Now, lets build on that with some epic rides in 2010. see you next year eh.

Last ride of the year.....

Well hi there! Not posted for 11 days which, as we had a holiday to Scotland booked, isn't surprising..... until you hear that due to the heavy snow and very cold weather, we didn't make it to our holiday cottage stopping in Kinross and turning back.

Sooooo, we (the current wife and I) had to spend the holiday period at home :-(

So, did I do any riding over the Xmas break? Well yes, to a degree:

www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php?id=28877

It was very icy out there, resutling in a fall on the said ice down Sheepwash Lane....just after I had warned a cyclist about ice on the road!!!!

Today I headed out on the new bike (Boris the Boardman) which arrived yesterday. I spent time setting it up but have discovered the front brake catches and the gears need indexing. Oh, the right hand crank was also lose when it arrived!!!! Grrrrrrr

www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php?id=29256

Boris works well and is quite quick: the gearing made the main hill quite easy...actually, very easy. Perhaps on Saturday I will cycle to Newport and back along the disused railway line just to knock up a 35 mile ride??? Lets see what the weather is like....cold no doubt.

Not much to report.....

Its been cold so my trips out have been only to the gym and back....blimey its cold in there!!!! So much so, I could only do 3 miles yesterday (Saturday) before giving up; whilst today I did 5.1miles with the heater on making a total of 8.1 miles for the weekend....so much for my making 2000 miles this year....or indeed making 1900 miles! I might struggle to 1850 given that I am away now until the last day of the year and can't take my bike with me. Sob.

What else....oh, brought a Boardman.

What else.... sorry....yes, I brought a Boardman. No, not a new one (want to keep my bits) but a second had one which, according to the seller, had only been used twice....both times the person concerned fell off!!!! The item has a few scatches but nothing major and certainly worth it, with a list price of £499.... I got it for £215. As happens with all bikes, I have also brought a Boardman computer (£17.99 from Ebay) and have my eye on a new saddle....the seller had replaced the Ritchy one with some Halfords crap and then threw the Ritchy one away!!!! Berk.

Anyway, that should be with me next week....needs lights and a new lock for it (oh brought some spuds for it....don't tell Sharon as this has cost me over £300 now!!!).... so I will give you a report after my first trip out on it. I think I will head along the old railway line....brings back memories of when I first took up riding again in Jan 2007.... I remember riding along the disused railway line through puddles a foot deep.... I wonder who had the old MTB after I recycled it???

So, that's the news for today. As I said, not much to report.

Rollers Total 69.21 miles

Please forgive me....

But I haven't posted for a week.....(I am talking to myself I know but hey ho, it doesn't cost anything to be polite does it).

Sorry about not posting but, er, I haven't really got an excuse....its not like I have been Xmas shopping (did the little I have to do on line) or that I have been too busy (not been).... I guess its down to laziness. That, I suppose, is me all over.

Well after my epic trip to London at the end of last week, I headed out for a ride last Saturday...not that I really wanted to. It was cold, I was tired and her in doors was moaning. Anyway, this is the route....

http://www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php?id=28100

As you can see, this ride included the "epic" Hyde Lea Bank. Well, I must be improving as I did it in one go and overall, managed an average speed of 12.8mph. That's an improvement when you consider the slow rate at which I climb!

The following day (Sunday) also included a lunchtime ride.... it was cold and I didn't really want to go out but forced myself to. I gave myself two hours to do as many miles as I could...

http://www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php?id=28148

As you can see, the route is flat-ish with no real major climbs (although the last one back into Stafford still is a killer!!!!) so why did I come back with a huge smile on my face....could it be the average speed....13.4mph???!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yep, the fastest I have done a 20mile plus ride.

Monday and Tuesday came and sadly I couldn't face the bike (well I actually had to work on Tuesday) and by Wednesday the weather had taken a turn for the worse so it was really cold. I could not face hitting the road with temps of around 2c. Roller time then!

The first ride at lunchtime achieved a reasonable 6.19 miles at 13.1 mph. I decided to try to pace myself by going reasonably slowly at first and then build up to around 15mph. That seemed to work as I didnt zonk out after a few minutes. In the evening, I went for another ride managing 8.18miles at an average of 13.0mph over 42 mins. So, my total for the day was a reasonable 14.37 miles.

Well, again today its freezing today so I hit the rollers first thing....hummmmm.... not impressed by the lack of power in my legs. So much so that after 27 mins I had only managed 4 miles at an average of 10.8mph!!!! Terrible. After a short rest, I set off for the doctors to collect a, er, wee pot and for the 1.5 miles averaged only 8.7mph!!!! I think the cold effects me badly!

So after that start, what could I do at lunchtime....well MTFU of course....er, not really. I did another five miles over the 30 mins making 9 roller miles for the day. Sigh

Totals then

Road: Done in total 123.30. Height climbed: 1600 feet.

Rollers: Done in total: 61.13 miles

Post number 100....

This is the 100th post I have, er, posted since I started cycling again full time in May.. that's about two posts every three days or so. Sorry.

Anything to report....well managed to head out for a quick blast over lunch: well I needed to go to town to get some train tickets and thus, took the oppotunity to head for a quick ride as well. Oh, quick question, why did the silly women in the crap Nissan decide she needed to overtake me just before turning left? No sense moron.

The new tyre on the bike seemed to hold up well (its not actually a new tyre) and indeed, it seemed to be quicker than the old tyre. So much so that no one on the road (on a bike of course) could stand my QUAD POWER and were sent to dust as I flew past.... There are some crap BSO's out there which wobble along at 5 mph. I could not stand to go that slow. In fact, I don't think I could go that slow if I tried!!!!

Blimey.... what a snob I have become. I need to remember that while I am quicker than the "average" BSO rider, up against the fit young men in lyrca (hummmmmmmm....fit young men in lyrca....) I am sssssslllllllllllllllloooooooooooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwww, with a capital S. Nevermind, a few more months and a couple more stone lost and I will be up there with them (Hummmm... not sure about that but it would be nice to get to a stage where I average 14mph or more per ride).

Back to the ride.... nothing much to report apart from that really. The route is below:

www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php?id=27885

So that's 14.31 miles making a total of 75.01 this month.

Height climbed: 387 feet making a total of 1946 for this month.

Average speed. 12.8mph (getting better)

Carter USM

Are currently playing extremely loudly in my ears.... Not out cycling...no no no no no, that would be stupid! Anyone who listens to music, makes phone calls or generally doesnt hear what's going on around them is a moron IMHO.

So, what I hear you say has this got to do with cycling...well earlier on the rollers it was HMHB time.... that got me through 6 miles at 13.1mph is a reasonably good mood. Then, at lunchtime it was time for Radio 5 Live with a phone in on Global Warming.... now it really irritates me that there are some people out there who wont admit its happening. Bit like those people who said that the Nazi's didn't gas people in by books. Well, I managed to do the regulation 6 miles at 13.7mph whilst shouting at some of them. I wonder what will be my entertainment later when I do the final 7 or so miles to reach todays target???? Tune in later and find out.

Later the same day..... The noise I heard when cycling this time......hhhhhhhhhhhhhiiiiiiiiiiiiiiisssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss. Sigh, I got a pu*****re on the rollers!!!! Yes, the PF paid me a visit after 4.6 miles. Grrrr. I guess the tyre got hot and the spilt it has in it caused the inner tube to expland too much. As I didnt want to buy any new tyres, I simply took one off the BSO.

Overall then: Distance done today 16.4miles. Total for the month: 37.76 miles

The Fence...

No, not a dodgy bloke buying stolen goods, but three 6x6 foot panels which my current wife insists we spent the morning installing.... now normally removing some cold 3x6 foot ones and slotting in the larger versions would not take any time.... well that was the plan. However, the moron who put them in in the first place managed to put the uprights in half an inch too close! What a total pain it was trying to get the panel in a space which was half an inch too small for it!!!

Anyway, that over, I thought about going for a ride but instead: after cleaning the cow poo off the bike, I decided to go for a sleep. Sigh.... By the time I woke, it was getting dark so my exercise today was restricted to half an hour on the rollers at 12.7mph. Oh, 5 miles done.

Moving on, I have 271 miles to do to make it to 2000 miles this year (well since May). That works out (if you take the days out when I am in London or on Holiday) to be 19 miles a day....every day. Impossible I know but then, the impossible I do most mornings before breakfast!

Rollers done this month: 21.36 miles.

Yartley Bank revisited.....

for some reason, it wont let me post a link....which is disappointing

www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php?id=27616

So I wrote it in....was it worth it? Well I thought so as, as rides go, it wasnt a bad one apart from the wetness of the roads; cow poo and the need to get home before the rain started...yes, it was dry when I sent out!!!!

So what was today's riding plan then...well, it was to climb the hill up to Midwich, a hill which I have never managed as I need to stop about 50m from the top as the hill ramps up to about 15%...at least. Did I make it.... no, as I didn't actually try....why not I can hear you say (hearing voices again.... they will lock me up if "they" find out!), because the "main" road towards Midwich was closed meaning that all the traffic took the back road I was planning to use. Don't fancy struggling up a hill at 10mph with cars of all shapes and sizes buzzing me. Nevermind eh, I will try again in a couple of weeks.

Instead, I did a silly tour down to Weston (no, didn't try to climb Weston Bank.... now that's a hill!) and then over to Stone Hockey Club and up Yartley Bank....

I can hear you shaking with fear at the mention of Yartley Bank.... (nurse, he is hearing things again!!!) well, actually its not that hard anymore. I didn't even use Granny, although I did go into the lowest front ring. Can't say I was breathless at the top of the hill, which is nice.

So, does that mean I am getting fitter???? I suppose it must but then again, the average speed of 11.7mph isnt that good.... thinking about it, there were a couple of spots where I was just freewheeling along at walking pace.... mostly past people walking dogs. I would run the little buggers over but it would take ages to clear the blood off the frame!

Moving on, I am trying to talk the current wife into letting me buy a new bike...why on earth do I need one...well, I wanted a Boardman Hybrid but at £500, they are out of my price range. Instead, I have found a Kona Dew Plus for about half that. What can it do that my Specialized can't???..... well it has disc brakes so should be better in the wet and can be used off road to a degree. Its descriped as a fast hybrid...and light....so sounds idea.

Talking about buying stuff, I have brought myself some overshoes to keep my feet warm (they almost froze the other day!) and some new winter gloves (ditto my hands!). Just to upset the neighbours (oh, the twat at number 4 almost backed into me yesterday lunchtime not looking when he pulled off his drive....that sounds a bit rude!). I have also brought a balaclava (sp?).... I'll look like a mugger with it on!

So, lets do the stats from today then: 24.71 miles. Todate: 60.70

Height Climbed: 704 feet. Total: 1561

Average speed... unimpressive 11.7mph.

Rain...what's that??????

Well, well, well....at long last a day without rain, so what better to do than go out for a quick ride at lunchtime.

Okay, so there wasnt any rain or wind, but blimey was it cold out there! I think my feet were going to drop off with the cold and when I got back and stripped off to change (don't try to visualise that what ever you do. It could turn you blind!) every part of my body was cold to the touch. I guess I need better winter clothing!

Anyway the ride itself was quite good apart from the "climb" back towards Stafford which I never have been very good at. I sent myself the challenge of getting back before 14.30 and guess what, I managed it by 2 mins.

The route: www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php?id=27556

Distance: 17.69. Done this month todate: 35.99miles

Height climbed: 438 feet. Total to date: 857 feet

Average speed 12.2mph (could do better)

On another subject.... I weighed myself this morning...251.8lb.... that's 17 stone 13.8lb!!!!! Wwwwwaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy! Pleased about that!

Rain, rollers, rollers, rain....

Sigh. Yet another day when the forecast is for rain, rain and a little more rain. Sigh. I might have my DNA changed so I become a duck and then will love the rain.... hum, a duck on a bike... I have heard of a bird on a bike but never a duck (although, agreed a duck is a bird so I am going no where with this am I?)

So what do I do...do I watch the BBC Breakfast article on cycling again, or do I ignore it as, to be honest, its nothing I haven't heard 100 times before. It seems that all cyclists jump red lights; go the wrong way down one way streets and never have any lights on their bikes..... er, I never do the first two and I have some 1 watt lights on my bike so I should be "see-able" from a 100 yards away! Nothing about twats in cars left hooking cyclists and being in such a hurry that they can't wait 2 seconds to get past a cyclist. There is little worse than some twat cutting you up, only to have to stop 50 yards away at a stop line or traffic lights. Get a life....actually, this turned into a rant didn't it!

Anyway, back to the rain. Well, the need for exercise grabbed me this morning so off I went on my rollers...when I say off I do mean off as I didn't balance the back wheel properly and rolled backwards off the rollers whilst clipped in.... well I laughed after I managed to unclip and remove the seat from my soft bits....ouch.

I didn't really have any target in mind for the "ride" but did find it hard to get warmed up so the first two miles were a struggle but I managed 5 miles in the standard 30 mins (actually, just checked, it was 33mins). The average was a bit slow at 12.7mph but then, as I said I didnt really push myself.

Later the same day.....well the rain has gone but the wind has increased so instead of hitting the road, I went back into the gym and hit the rollers again.

I managed a bit better this time making a total distance of 5.81 miles in 30 mins with an average speed of 14.1mph. I topped out at 20.2mph......

And again later the same day...well after an afternoon at looking on line at cheap hybrids, I did another half an hour on the bike while the current wife was cooking a lethal curry for tea. Didn't feel quite a good at 5pm as I did at lunch time so only managed 5.5miles at an average of 13.5mph.

Today then: 5.00 + 5.81 + 5.50 = 16.31 miles..... Total for the month...16.31.

Bell End.

It seems I am a "bell end." Whatever one of those is.

To explain...after a pretty busy morning, I received an email from my line manager saying he had had to go home so taking a chance, I headed out for a quick 20 miles or so as....are you sitting down...it didn't look like rain and the wind had dropped!!!!

So, off I went and an impressive 22 mins later I was in Penkridge! That's one of the fastest times I had done for that trip. I don't think it was anything to do with the fact that the current wife and the monster in ....sorry Mother in Law were going to Penkridge Market today and I wanted to beat them there??? Well, not sure if I beat them there, but an average of 13.3mph was achieved. Pleased about that!

As you know, Dear Reader (as if anyone reads this rubbish!) there is a backroad I like from Penkridge towards Cannock Hockey Club. Well off that way I went today only to find the roads to Heatherton closed. Not sure why but it ruined the distance I was planning to do. Nevermind eh, I got some nice speed up on the way back to Penkridge...well it is slightly downhill for a mile or so.

On the way back, instead of going via the quiet back roads, I tend to go via the chav streets of Penkridge and then along the semi main road to Acton Trussell.... that's when it happened and I became a "bell end."

It seems, you see, that when a chavet in her crap 51 reg lump of rust pulls out on me when I am less than 5 yards from her doing 15mph, I am not supposed to wag my finger at her and shake my head...no no no... Bad Man. I mean, I should just let the chavet: whose car is worth less than my cycling shoes, own the road. After all, she more than like might have insurance and perhaps even pays her VED.... perhaps.

Anyway...it seems I upset the poor chavet so she turned around and next thing I know I have the chavets latest slag hanging out the window asking me if I have a problem. I must admit I did laugh at them and came out with the priceless line..: "Sorry, I didn't realise I was stopping you from getting to the Job Centre to sign on.".....well I would have done so if I had thought of it at time, rather than half an hour later. No, all I said was my own problem was with him, as he was so funny. Well, I suppose he could have stopped the car and looked to see if I was hard enough to follow it up...now that would have been stupid as I would have d locked the twat...but as he had less balls than our three cats (none of which have all balls) they drove off. Twat.

The rest of the ride back was uneventful, although I did get up the last hill into town without much of a struggle... I am improving on that hill thankfully.

http://www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php?id=27427

Distance done: 18.36 miles.

Height climbed: 419 feet.

Average speed. 13.2mph (pleased about that!)

Happily, I was back at my desk before anyone had noticed I was out!!!

Oh... a slight downer on what was an enjoyable ride (despite being a Bell End) is that my right knee is now hurting quite badly. Nevermind eh.

December Targets

I mean, is it really worth me trying to set any??? I don't have a hope in hull of making them as I haven't done so since I started writing this blog. Sigh.

Okay... lets try.

Distance:....well I have 361 miles to do to make 2000 this year (well at least from May) so I would like to do that.... my chances of doing so are very slim given that I am away for 9 days over Xmas and have been told in no uncertain terms that I am not taking my bike with me AND I wont be allowed to hire one when I am there.

Weight loss.. well I am now 254lb. A three pound loss would take me into the 17 stone something bracket, whilst 6lb or so would mean I have lost 50lb this year...shirley (and don't call me Surely) I can make one of those???

Height climbed....yes please. Some climbing would be nice...just some.

Not holding out great hopes for this month...just dont want to lose any fitness.

November Targets revisited.

One word. Failed.

Nothing more to see here...failed the lot of them, not helped by some crap weather and a sore knee or two at the start of the month.

Disappointed yes; surprised, no.