Richard's Cycling Blog: Great week on the bike

Four rides this week. Two early morning solo rides and two group rides with the brothers and sister of C&DCycles CC. My positivity remains and my legs are now feeling justifiably sore. Definitely good training with just 8 weeks to go until the monster 200 mile ride.

This is just one of my standard routes for a morning ride. Its a good burst if I only have an hour.

Whilst similar in places this ride takes me to some of the most beautiful places. The highlights for me are the road from Maidwell to Lamport via Draughton and Mill Lane out of Old. The icing on the cake is that fast road into Loddington where I am to stay over 20mph.

On Saturday I led the banter bunch for another of Andy Brown's excellent undulating routes. It took me to places I've never ridden before so despite my good memory and sense of direction I was glad of Jonesy uploading to his Garmin. Tail gunning was the man who dreams of pink tights, Mark, who I'm also sure was glad to have his road bike back this week. The best uphill was definitely Ashley to Stoke Albany. For me the highlight of the ride was the opportunity to descend East Farndon Hill for a change.

Group shot at the top of a lumpy bit (Church Lane out of Harrington)

Feeling ruined in Stoke Albany

Things didn't start well as we were all nearly wiped out leaving Kettering. A driver in the left hand lane, which is to turn left only whizzed up the inside of our group and undertook us over the hash marked area. It was incredibly dangerous. I've reported the driver of R897 CVV to the police so let's see what happens eh! The other sickening sight was me having to strip off my base layer for the second week running. Those leaders gillets are too hot and a base layer was the right choice yesterday but not with the gillet on. So sorry everyone, I hope you're not all too traumatized.

One of them is, the other two are my friends...

On Sunday it was just the four of us for one of Steve's Sunday smashathon's. He promised me 50 miles so 54 wasn't too far out. The other two in our foursome was Frank and my former friend Neil, I love riding with Neil. I really did think he was a top bloke but when I went to tag him in a facebook picture I discovered he had unfriended me on facebook! Me? I'm amazing on facebook. How can anyone live without Sunday Night Ironing? Apparently it's because he didn't like my prolific posting around the time of the Saints magnificent victory. He also unfriended people who post about donkey sanctuaries, anyone who wants sponsoring for a good cause, anyone who is having a nice time and anyone who rides their pride and joy with the off chance of a light shower. In short he's a fiend and will not be getting anymore jelly beans.

ps Neil

My legs really felt yesterday's ride so keeping up with these elite athletes (and Neil who probably takes EPO,) would be very difficult. It proved that way but I didn't make them wait too much and I'm pleased overall with the ride. Back at the shop I asked Andy to have a fiddle. I then quickly explained I meant with my bike due to the excited glint in his eye. As per usual he got stuck in and as I suspected I've worn through my 3rd FSA bottom bracket. As Justin says: "FSA bottom brackets are made of cheese." Well I've had it with these more expensive yet less durable components and will be swapping to a shimano system next week.