Ride 24 of 100
Up late today, not sure what the day would bring
It brung a ride
It made me happy
Half an imperial century, 90% off road
Sunshine
Seaside
Curlews and Buzzards
No Coffee today.
Saturday 30 January 2010
Wednesday 27 January 2010
Watery light
Ride 23 of 100
This mornings ride was done for pleasure, pure and simples, basically I took the scenic route to work, exploring some long forgotten back lanes prompted by Sundays rememberances. Some of the old lanes have been upgraded due to the expansion of Manchester Airport but I soon caught my bearings and had an enjoyable ride.
That is until I saw the state of the road, hedge cuttings all over the place, no attempt to clean up, inconsiderate bastard, of course despite riding in the middle of the road and trying to avoid the trimmings I soon picked up a thorn, luckily it was a very slow flat that lasted all the way to work.
Even this couldn't spoil my ride and I was actually feeling something like a cyclist again, legs spinning freely and with a small amount of souplese, must have been last nights red !
I didn't even notice that it had started raining until I heard the buzzing from the overhead power lines and even then I wasn't bothered, an hour and half after setting off I pulled into work happy with my day so far.
This mornings ride was done for pleasure, pure and simples, basically I took the scenic route to work, exploring some long forgotten back lanes prompted by Sundays rememberances. Some of the old lanes have been upgraded due to the expansion of Manchester Airport but I soon caught my bearings and had an enjoyable ride.
That is until I saw the state of the road, hedge cuttings all over the place, no attempt to clean up, inconsiderate bastard, of course despite riding in the middle of the road and trying to avoid the trimmings I soon picked up a thorn, luckily it was a very slow flat that lasted all the way to work.
Even this couldn't spoil my ride and I was actually feeling something like a cyclist again, legs spinning freely and with a small amount of souplese, must have been last nights red !
I didn't even notice that it had started raining until I heard the buzzing from the overhead power lines and even then I wasn't bothered, an hour and half after setting off I pulled into work happy with my day so far.
Monday 25 January 2010
Sunday 24 January 2010
Faux Belgian
Ride 21 of 100
Looking out of the window provided zero inspiration, cold, wet and grey, just like yesterday, difference today though is that I NEED to ride for mine and my families sanity, lots of stuff going on thats conspired to turn up the white noise in my head to eleven.
Mouth parched from last nights red wine, cup of tea and a muffin was all I could face before reluctantly heading out of the door into the drizzle, rain coat straight on and thankful for the mudguards I set off.
Uncomfortable seating posture, tight legs, cold hands already, not enjoying this, headed into the countryside to be faced by roads shattered from the frost, heaps of mud everywhere brought into the road by the snow, clouds closing in, its 1230 and I need lights.
Twenty five minutes later and I'm starting to relax, posture has found its default setting, legs are stretching a little, hands still cold, noise levels already down to seven. Head for the trail, spy the conditions from top of the bridge and note the very very muddy couple climbing the steps, smiling, not smiling enough to make me want to take that trail though. Carry on along the lanes and start to relax into my past, these are the lanes where I first started my cycling club days as a thirteen year old, I know them so well.
Feeling quite the Belgian, enjoying these conditions, allbeit a fat unfit Belgian !
Fred Minshull pops into my mind, one ride in particular where this renowned hard man of the cycling world drifted back from the bunch to offer some wind resistance to a struggling slip of a lad, not one for many words was Fred, and even I knew enough to stay out of is way when the wheels were turning. He startled me into action by telling me how he knew the wind and rain was on its way because of the way the sky looked, pointing out the dark clouds ahead, the rain falling to the north, and how we were going to have a tough few miles getting home. It was of course a rouse to take my mind off the pain and before long I was on the back. Probably the longest conversation I ever had with him but one that I remember today as I'm struggling for momentum.
This thought was enough to see me through the next two hours, Fred was also renowned for his 150 mile clubruns, he took great delight in just riding his bike for as long as possible, I used to be like that, before life caught up and changed things, in fact there was a gang of us, spending all summer riding, everywhere, because we could.
By the time I'd turned for home I was completely soaked through cold and hungry, but happy, happy that the white noise was now back at its usual level of 2, happy that I'd had a great rememberance and happy that I'd ridden a bike, just like I used to do.
However the past hadn't yet completely gone, coming up to the river crossing and I could see a bunch of old timers ahead of me, I caught them at the bridge and instantly recognised some old friends, ex time trial champions, ex road race champions, ex cyclo cross champions, all now in their late sixties and seventies.......... but still out in this rubbish weather riding their bikes, putting the miles in ready for another season of racing, planning a trip to the sun next week to get some serious miles in, talking about the old days, not with rose tinted glasses but with merciless piss taking, and happy to see me out on a bike.
Looking out of the window provided zero inspiration, cold, wet and grey, just like yesterday, difference today though is that I NEED to ride for mine and my families sanity, lots of stuff going on thats conspired to turn up the white noise in my head to eleven.
Mouth parched from last nights red wine, cup of tea and a muffin was all I could face before reluctantly heading out of the door into the drizzle, rain coat straight on and thankful for the mudguards I set off.
Uncomfortable seating posture, tight legs, cold hands already, not enjoying this, headed into the countryside to be faced by roads shattered from the frost, heaps of mud everywhere brought into the road by the snow, clouds closing in, its 1230 and I need lights.
Twenty five minutes later and I'm starting to relax, posture has found its default setting, legs are stretching a little, hands still cold, noise levels already down to seven. Head for the trail, spy the conditions from top of the bridge and note the very very muddy couple climbing the steps, smiling, not smiling enough to make me want to take that trail though. Carry on along the lanes and start to relax into my past, these are the lanes where I first started my cycling club days as a thirteen year old, I know them so well.
Feeling quite the Belgian, enjoying these conditions, allbeit a fat unfit Belgian !
Fred Minshull pops into my mind, one ride in particular where this renowned hard man of the cycling world drifted back from the bunch to offer some wind resistance to a struggling slip of a lad, not one for many words was Fred, and even I knew enough to stay out of is way when the wheels were turning. He startled me into action by telling me how he knew the wind and rain was on its way because of the way the sky looked, pointing out the dark clouds ahead, the rain falling to the north, and how we were going to have a tough few miles getting home. It was of course a rouse to take my mind off the pain and before long I was on the back. Probably the longest conversation I ever had with him but one that I remember today as I'm struggling for momentum.
This thought was enough to see me through the next two hours, Fred was also renowned for his 150 mile clubruns, he took great delight in just riding his bike for as long as possible, I used to be like that, before life caught up and changed things, in fact there was a gang of us, spending all summer riding, everywhere, because we could.
By the time I'd turned for home I was completely soaked through cold and hungry, but happy, happy that the white noise was now back at its usual level of 2, happy that I'd had a great rememberance and happy that I'd ridden a bike, just like I used to do.
However the past hadn't yet completely gone, coming up to the river crossing and I could see a bunch of old timers ahead of me, I caught them at the bridge and instantly recognised some old friends, ex time trial champions, ex road race champions, ex cyclo cross champions, all now in their late sixties and seventies.......... but still out in this rubbish weather riding their bikes, putting the miles in ready for another season of racing, planning a trip to the sun next week to get some serious miles in, talking about the old days, not with rose tinted glasses but with merciless piss taking, and happy to see me out on a bike.
Thursday 21 January 2010
A good year is needed this year
Ride 20 of 100
Actually two rides, but both so short that I can only count them as one, road ride into work, legs feeling surprisingly fresh ?, then coming home I found out why, the slow invisible wind.
Its yet another start to getting some fitness back before the summer and long days in the saddle, lots of plans forming, lots of stuff to do, its gonna be a good year this year.
Actually two rides, but both so short that I can only count them as one, road ride into work, legs feeling surprisingly fresh ?, then coming home I found out why, the slow invisible wind.
Its yet another start to getting some fitness back before the summer and long days in the saddle, lots of plans forming, lots of stuff to do, its gonna be a good year this year.
Losing fatness
Ride 19 of 100
Riding home in the dark is fun again, the roads feel safe as they are dry, the trails are far too wet to contemplate, even went the long way as it was so nice
ouch !
too fast for my fatness.
Riding home in the dark is fun again, the roads feel safe as they are dry, the trails are far too wet to contemplate, even went the long way as it was so nice
ouch !
too fast for my fatness.
Wednesday 6 January 2010
Trying to get home
Ride 17 0f 100
Decided to try an exclusive off road way home as I'd had enough of car issues by the end of the day, started out just fine but after a mile or so of slogging away at the 2-1 ratio my back was breaking, got off to push and sunk to my shins in powder again, ah, thats why its so hard.
More snow falling, almost a blizzard now and I'm starting to get disorientated, decided to head for the trees to try and get some shelter, this is ridiculous, I'm less that three miles from home on the outskirts of a major suburban city and I'm getting lost !.
I see a dog walker coming towards me and my bearings are restored, minor panic over and I'm away again, looking for the shortest route home now as this isn't actually much fun, I've been outside for 45 minutes and now I'm getting cold.
Everywhere is monochrome.
Decided to try an exclusive off road way home as I'd had enough of car issues by the end of the day, started out just fine but after a mile or so of slogging away at the 2-1 ratio my back was breaking, got off to push and sunk to my shins in powder again, ah, thats why its so hard.
More snow falling, almost a blizzard now and I'm starting to get disorientated, decided to head for the trees to try and get some shelter, this is ridiculous, I'm less that three miles from home on the outskirts of a major suburban city and I'm getting lost !.
I see a dog walker coming towards me and my bearings are restored, minor panic over and I'm away again, looking for the shortest route home now as this isn't actually much fun, I've been outside for 45 minutes and now I'm getting cold.
Everywhere is monochrome.
8 inches of snow
Ride 16 of 100
Like much of the rest of the north west the predicted snow came, a full 8 inches of it, most in living memory and very unusual for the north of cheshire, I'd fitted the flat pedals to the 69er the night before, dropped the seat an inch and taken the tyres down to 25 psi.
Riding in virgin snow is one of life's little pleasures usually, but this was just hard work, a powder day that would have been ace on skies in the hills.
Ride 400 yards, get off and push 400 yards, stop for breath and to ease my back, take photograph, laugh at the snow still coming down and then repeat, a 5 mile commute that normally takes twenty minutes took a hour and a half, not another soul around.
4 cars needed help, rear wheel drive wasn't working for them, cars pushed to the road side and abandoned, feeling smug as I rode away on to work.
Like much of the rest of the north west the predicted snow came, a full 8 inches of it, most in living memory and very unusual for the north of cheshire, I'd fitted the flat pedals to the 69er the night before, dropped the seat an inch and taken the tyres down to 25 psi.
Riding in virgin snow is one of life's little pleasures usually, but this was just hard work, a powder day that would have been ace on skies in the hills.
Ride 400 yards, get off and push 400 yards, stop for breath and to ease my back, take photograph, laugh at the snow still coming down and then repeat, a 5 mile commute that normally takes twenty minutes took a hour and a half, not another soul around.
4 cars needed help, rear wheel drive wasn't working for them, cars pushed to the road side and abandoned, feeling smug as I rode away on to work.
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