Easter week has been a bit of a washout but I still managed to get out on the bike a couple of times. I also attempted some challenges on the rollers on one of those wet days!
On Wednesday we were planning to have a club ride but everyone's appetite for riding in the rain was diminished. So instead o going out I got on my rollers. SuperSam manned the video camera and we got some footage of me practising jacket on and off whilst riding no handed. I'm really not the most skilled rider so it surprises me I can do this. Not on video is my failed attempt at the Rochelle Gilmore inner tube trick. Since my attempt though I've watched the video again and I think I can do it!
So watch this space, I may have a video of this challenge soon! I suggested to Nat that I should really rise to the occasion and get the team Wiggle Honda Kit and a ponytail wig. Her verdict: "please don't!"
On Thursday there was a club road ride but I had promised Sam and his friend a trip to Wakerley to try out the Scar Tree Trail. I was hoping that a lovely day would dry out the trail and although it was certainly better than recently it was still a little too slippy to really enjoy!
Sam always like to end a lap with the skid challenge. You take the unofficial jump and then leave as big a trail as possible in the car park. I tried my skid but the back brake just would not lock, leaving me feeling quite disappointed. So I did what all good cyclists know is a mistake. I fiddled with it and ended up losing brake fluid and making it worse!
Despite my brake woes I still did another couple of laps with the boys. It was a very enjoyable day out and having paid for adrenaline alley earlier in the week they appreciated that fun can also be had for free!
SuperSam was on my old Focus 29r and found those huge wheels both challenging an good fun in equal measure. He was amazed at how easy he could roll over things but also (like me actually,) was less keen on the twisty turny climb of Cardiac Hill.
So what did I do about that brake problem? Well I did the best thing I could and messaged Andy at C&D Cycles. Within a day I had my brakes back to tip top order with new pads and the line bled with new fluid. Andy is also concerned I may have a small leak which may have caused the problem in the first place and has ordered the part to be on the safe side. Once again I am spoilt by magnificent service.
I didn't ride on Saturday because we went to Conflict Paintball at Grendon Lakes, for Sam's 13th birthday. It also meant I missed the Saints v Saracens match, for which, given another appalling performance, I'm very pleased about! Paintball is a really good activity to take a bunch of 13 year old boys too, especially if they're sleeping over the same day. A fantastic day left the lads absolutely shattered and they actually slept really well (not my previous experience of poorly named sleepovers.) It's not the cheapest of activities but I'd won six places in a raffle organised by a work colleague who is suffering from breast cancer. In addition to several other birthday groups there was a small group of 'walk-ons.' These are paint ball enthusiasts with their own kit who play regularly and are always looking for practise. Just like us enthusiastic cyclists they had a load of impressive equipment which looked very expensive!
That brings us to today. I met up at C&D Cycles with Nat, Andy P and Ben. Only four of us this week but the club had done a 100km ride the day before and the weather looked iffy so it was no surprise to see a smaller group. Before we set off Andy checked 'bum-cam,' his impressive backwards facing go-pro. I hadn't brought my Garmin Virb because it was charging in the room where all those teenage boys slept soundly!
Nat had used the 'out an back ,' function on her Garmin and had two routes. A flat one or one that she called a 'bit of climbing,' only 'short sharp climbs.' Yes well we ride in Northants so a climb of over a minute is long for us! Also the route took us out to Rutland and into Leicestershire where the lumps and bumps are!
Out on the road, it turned out that Ben was a fellow Northampton Saints sufferer. We had a good chat about this car crash of a season and our hopes for better things! Enough of all that egg chasing though!
Our route took us out to the famous viaduct at Harringworth which featured on Top Gear recently. It's a great ride there from the Airfield at Spanhoe down a very fast hill. Going out though there is the nastiest sharp climb up to Seaton.
Thanks to Nat's Garmin I went to some places that I'd not ridden before. There's just so many good road cycling roads around here and even though it was a horrible soggy day again it was an absolute pleasure to ride.
For those reasons it's no surprise that planned cycling routes and places like Cafe Ventoux are nearby (never been, not heard the best reviews, it is however very popular.)
I'm really not sure what's got into my legs but once again I really enjoyed the hills today. I did allow Andy to pass me occasionally though so that I got caught by bum cam. I'm looking forward to those pictures later. After all that grinding in the granny ring it was nice when we got a good fast rolling piece of road. The blast from Alexton to Hallaton absolutely made my day. It did get the usual requests to fit mudguards but I'm never ever doing that to my beautiful Giant Propel!
The route looped back round to Rushton so I went home from there rather than head back to Kettering. We did a little more than 50 miles and my legs definitely know they had a bike ride today! That's good because I have a feeling that our 100km off road ride in the Cotswolds next week will have some proper hills on it!
Whilst I've been writing this I watched Paris-Roubaix, the best one day bike race in the world. Having discussed Sagan out on the ride (Ben works for one of his sponsors,) it was no surprise that the world champion has finally won a famous cobble trophy.
That's it then. Back to work next week, so time to re-focus on the diet and the early morning roller sessions. This great week of cycling has also really made a dent in my #NHS1000miles .
Happy Pedalling
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