Bumper half term week off!

I was lucky enough to have the week off for our schools half term holiday and as the kids didn't need me much I decided to get some good miles in. 

My first ride was on Monday and I decided to go with a bit of a classic. I took a direct route to Market Harborough and then joined the Brampton Valley Way. Unlike the day before I'd remembered my lights so the tunnels would be no problem.

The direct route for me took me through the village of Braybrooke, on the Northants/Leicestershire border. I've always been amused by the trickle of a stream they grandly name the River Jordan. Those awful brown signs are inappropriate at the best of times. There's another brown sign in the south of the county which proudly announces us as the 'Rose of the Shires!' It is a pretty place away from the towns, why why why the brown signs????

Onto the Brampton Valley Way which runs on a disused train line from Market Harborough to Northampton. I grew up in sight of the Northampton end and remember when the odd train still ran on the track. These days the BVW makes a nice direct cycling route to my parents house.

Without doubt the tunnels at Great Oxendon and Kelmarsh are the highlight of this route. I can't ride them without lights, despite being able to see the light at the other end of the tunnel. I'm not scared of the dark, I just get disorientated when I can't see my front wheel!

That's a better sign. It's one fo the many National Cycleway markers. I left the BVW at Merry Tom Lane which goes up into Brixworth. It's a fun downhill or a good training climb. I might use Merry Tom Lane a bit more as I get ready for the Friday Night Summer Series.

From there I went round one side of Pitsford Water. I love this place. I've cycled it many times, walked round it, ran round it, sailed on it, fished on it and sledged down the slope from the original car park. When my mates and I started driving we used to have Friday night camp outs with a barbecue and a few beers here too. 

My ride name was 'Chasing the Sun.' That was literally the case as the Sun set on a crisp but dry day.

The next couple of days weren't as good weather wise so I was limited to dog walks as I waited for the dry days to come back.

I still had a good time with my super furry animals.

Thursday was another nice dry day and I decided to leave the MTB at home to venture out on my Giant Propel. Normally this bike stays under wraps until at least Easter but my winter bike was in the shop. I have to keep some of the bikes in the shed and this led to a very stuck seat post. I'd tried many things to shift but had to concede and I took it into C&D Cycles for Andy to have a go. I have to report that my good friend and top bike mechanic has indeed freed the troublesome seat post. This is very good news because I think it will be a good fit for my son Sam very soon. I was hoping for a couple of rides with SuperSam over the half term but he had bigger fish to fry including going to work with his brother for a couple of days.

I only did a little 20 mile loop using one of my favourite training routes. This one will feature heavily as a before work ride when the mornings get some good light. I've learned my lesson the hard way about trying to do this too early in the year as I've broken a wheel on a pothole in the dark and one one frosty morning took a tumble and ruined a rear derailleur. 

Once again my ride took me through the picture postcard villages we have around here with red phone boxes, impressive churches, thatched cottages and an abundance of Northamptonshire Old Red Sandstone.

Friday was not being my friend as we had some family issues to attend to. I had a good walk with the dogs and my wife Lee at east Carlton Park much later than we had intended. we also had an extra dog with us. Bruce our Black Lab had his first ever swim in the lake, once he'd worked out that swimming was just running with your legs off the ground!

We were home by 2pm so I decided I did still have time to ride afterall. I zipped around as quick as possible to get over to Wakerley Woods where one of our very few dedicated bike trails, The Scar Tree Trail, is a good place to test your skills. It's also a good place to work on the fitness as 'Cardiac Hill,' is very well named!

I gave myself a break from riding on Saturday as it was another dog walk with Mrs Lindsley in the morning and more swimming for Bruce. In the afternoon it was a home match for Northampton Saints who just managed to squeeze past bottom club London Irish. It's been a frustrating year following our great old Rugby Club! We'd got used to being a top team for a few years and in the wise words of James: "If I hadn't seen such riches I could live with being poor!"

Having questioned my sanity last week it will come as no surprise that once again it was time for a Sunday mud fest. I wasn't sure about going really, there was a good cricket match on the telly, it was cold and foggy out and did I really want to exhaust myself in the mud again? The ride to C&D Cycles to meet Andy and Josh Brown plus Chris B was all I needed to sort out my Sunday morning melancholy. It's weird how this affects me at times. I love cycling, why would I ever want to avoid it? I know if I had stayed home I would have been disappointed later.

This route was the reverse of last Sunday but without me getting bits wrong and Andy Brown is completely right. It's a much nicer ride this way around!

This selfie early into the ride shows how misty it was. We saw a few other groups out, mostly road riders and waved a cheery hello to the KCC social ride gathering in the bus shelter at Sainsbury's. Josh made sure he put on a good show by zooming past.

I'm not sure why someone has coloured in this bend marker but hey it's Saints colours! We were having a really nice ride as we'd passed through Rushton and made our way to Desborough. Chris was on a new steed which shows what great bargains are to be had if you go for the currently unfashionable 26" wheels. Having owned 26, 29 and now 27.5 I have to say my jury is currently out. My favourite MTB ever remains my 26" wheeled, no front suspension Orange P7. However my current MTB, which is way less expensive possibly only because of the brand, is very good too! That's the other thing on bargains. Some big or well known brand bikes are better. Not all of them though. On that...I really like Andy Brown's Forme Calver.

There goes our club mountain goat on that lovely CX bike.

In parts, some of us had to push....

Not all of us though!!!

Here's Chris's new bike. Sunn had quite a reputation in the MTB world. The history makes good reading here!

After a spin down the Brampton Valley Way we made our way back to Lamport and across the fields via Faxton to Mill Lane, still my favourite cycling road. I left the others and made my way home from here by road via Orton. I stopped at the church because there's a geocache there which keeps evading me. Amazingly on this occasion I found it in seconds. It was also a good excuse to take a picture of my bike in front of yet another impressive church.

Look at the state of the filthy beast!

Ten minutes later it was all shiny and I made sure the chain had plenty of lube!

Right then. That's a great week of cycling and a really big chunk of my #NHS1000miles completed. Back to work tomorrow and the rollers in the mornings. I can't complain though. My weight is going in the right direction and I'm feeling fitter.

Time to make Sunday dinner!

Happy Pedalling!!!