How many things can you mess up in one week???

This week was similar to last week but also quite different. It has the same format; coach, be coached, road group ride and MTB group ride but...it didn't totally work like that. Also in a week of things going a bit wonky, my epic fail on Sunday was just par for the course!



On Monday we took the Cyclones to Milton Keynes Bowl for some road riding practise. A good session saw this kids make progression. We got to ride round too as chaperones were required on the circuit.

On Tuesday at Corby Capers, Phil set up another good course,with a different challenging hill. David still felt rough so took some more photos this week. The pictures tell the tale of a really good session where my heart rate monitor recorded a max heart rate of 219! I'm hoping that was a data blip rather than my actual heart rate. I did genuinely push up to 160 every time we did that hill. Phil stated at one point it was his mission to get us more fit! I was quite glad when we spent the last 15 minutes practising technique and it turns out I prefer to carry up hills than push, just need to nail that Sven Nys technique!

spooky hill

Push Rich!

Oooh I like to carry

Sam prefers to push

We didn't have hurdles this week so I couldn't show my rapidly improving bunny hop skills. Having only been able to do a roady hop before, I'm starting to get the timing right, just need to work on my height now! Here's some top tips on that too!

In between Tuesday night and my next ride I had a great week. We are dog sitting so Bruce has his cousins for company. 

I managed to think I'd lost Bruce's lead and returned to East Carlton Park to find it with no luck. Later that day I was cleaning the car prior to it's service and found the lead down the back of the boot cover! The car was a disgrace and I couldn't take it in looking like that. On Wednesday I took the car for it's service and we had to have it rebooked in for Friday because they needed it all day and I hadn't realised! When it was serviced on Friday, they gave the car a full valet as part of the deal...so glad I spent two hours on it then!

On Thursday the weather was simply stunning so Sam and I had our first fishing trip of the year. 

Here's Sam celebrating the one that didn't get away! Towards the end of the session he wasn't paying attention and a nice carp ran off with his rod! Check it out in the middle of the lake! Thankfully the good people of Desborough and Rothwell Angling Club took the boat out the next day and got it back for us!

That wasn't the end of the disasters. The Queen of Cakes and my daughter Niamh had spent the week in New York. I always like them to come back to a clean house so I set about my domestic duties. I gave the oven a once over and then set it for pyrolysis, a wonderful feature where the oven cleans itself with extreme heat. Once completed the oven became stuck in that mode and I couldn't reset it, not even cutting the power worked! However I did manage to fix it yesterday by just generally messing about with everything including pinging the door lock! Surely nothing else could go wrong!

Branston and Fudge guarding the dodgy oven

On Saturday I had another tight schedule, this time I had to be back for 11.30 so I could go and collect that lost rod. Thankfully another C&D Cycles CC shop ride was sympathetic to my needs and I met the group in Rushton at 09.00. The original plan was back though Rushton so happy days! We'd been promised a glorious spring day but early doors there was thick fog making clothing selection tricky. Even trickier was the hilly route including the infamous Neville Holt hill meaning no matter how cold we started, everyone would be warm by the top!

As we climbed the hill about 5 red kites were circling above me. I attempted to get a picture but of course it was no use at all! Neville Holt Hall itself is fascinating with it's impressive sculptures and now it has it's own opera theatre. Not my cup of tea but worth a look here Neville Holt Opera

I'm sorry about this picture. Yes it's a picture of my bottom! I took it myself so perhaps I've invented a new form of selfie, the 'arsey!' The reason I took it is to show the split in my shorts. I've had it it with this brand, Altura, I had several pairs of gloves returned once due to continued splits on the fingers and these shorts have literally been splitting at the seams all over. I know I'm a bit of a tubby but I expect road cycling kit to be tight fitting and have the durability to stretch! Andy at C&D will  probably want to send these back but I'm writing them off and sticking to other brands for ever more i.e. my C&D bib tights were excellent, anything I have had from Endura has also been top quality. Well that's like another disaster for the week, surely nothing else right...wrong!

As ever it was a splendid ride with my clubmates. The usual banter including a horse lady stating that we spook them because we're fast and quiet but as soon as horses realise it's a human on a bike they settle down. Andy P get's quote of the day with: "we're neither fast or quiet!" We also extended the route at the end due to us all enjoying ourselves so much. It was massive fun racing Andy Brown down the hill towards Harrington, as ever I was no match for him going up the other side!

Sam and I were heading to the Saints on Saturday afternoon. We were just about to leave when I wondered where the kids season ticket was...oh...of course Niamh used it last week and the season ticket had enjoyed a lovely trip to New York and was currently in a car on the way back from the airport...luckily they can print you a replacement for just £5 so the day was saved...surely that's everything now right? Nope! However the match was a superb and the Saints recorded a 7th straight home win! No other rugby matches took place on Saturday...not even in Wales or anything. 

Apparently I'm even holding this pasty wrong

On a super bright Sunday morning I was packed and ready in time and drove out to our meeting point in Grafton Underwood. I sniggered to myself as I parked about an inch from Andy Pendred's van, he'd be frustrated by that little joke later and set about getting ready! Hmmmm this shoe is a bit tight...oh FFS! I had got one of my shoes and one of Sam's. We have the same Shimano CX shoes but his are size 9, I'm an 11! So I drove on  to meet everyone at the crossroads, told my tale of woe and then headed back home in a sulk!

Two left feet...

The only part of the route that I knew was that they were going to ride up Grafton Chase. Ridiculous for the best bit of downhill in Northants but hey ho, I figured out I could ride down it and meet them probably between 11 and 12. 

So I set out on my solo route with the aim of getting to the chase in mind. On the way I saw the Llamas at Rushton, who were in a photogenic mood. I then did a bit of exploring and found my way onto Prologis Park by going under the railway bridge.

At Prologis I checked out some of the terrain as we will be running both a KCC FNSS MTB race and another CX race this year. Busy times ahead planning all that lot! I stopped for a picture at the Red Kite sculpture because well you know...you can't get a picture of the massive birds any other way!

I then headed through Weekly Woods, where I used a log for some more bunny hop practise (don't imagine massive,) before riding into amazing historic Geddington. The cross gets a lot of attention but you should check out the history of the church too! http://geddingtonchurch.org.uk/our-church/history/

cross

lovely old tree

The chase was lovely and dry and really good riding except for a slight bit of clarty stuff at the bottom. I rode through, stopped at a bench at Brigstock, watched yet more camera shy Red Kites and waited. No sign of the others so I decided to do a hill repeat on the chase. It was a good hard ride back up and then an even better fast ride down. I then waited again but at 12.00, there was no sign of them so I headed off for another uphill of the chase. I later learned they came through after 12, due to punctures...even other people's misfortune was messing up my week. Anyway everyone...TUBELESS! Except of course, you'll know from this blog that even that fails at times.

I headed back through Weekly, onto Prologis and down to Rushton again. I was missing my mates but I also had a really good ride in glorious weather, so there's nothing to be down about! Quite the opposite, all that Spring air had put me in a very good mood.

I made one last attempt to snap a Red Kite at Rushton...that's the best shot...hmmmm...not good! Here's one someone else took, I'm guessing they weren't on a bike using a smartphone.

Well that's it. I'm hoping for a drama free week but...well it's me isn't it!

Happy Pedalling

7 days, 4 clubs, 3 bikes, 1 shop...loads of cycling friends

Maria Von Trapp said start at the beginning, it's a very good place to start! So, I'll start with Monday and work forwards to today, there will however be some deviations from a linear timeline! That will also be my last reference to a musical. I hate most of them, even the one quoted. My list of acceptable musicals is Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Blues Brothers and any of the Muppets movies. Erm...let's get back to cycling eh!

On Monday it was time for a coaching session with the Kettering CC Cyclones. My fledgling cycle coaching career has so far been very rewarding and I look forward to Monday nights with these amazing kids. I'm half way through my British Cycling level 2 coaching award. I would have finished in January but my Pap died the day before day 3 so I have it on hold.

This Monday was espcially rearding because we got to celebrate a £200 cheque from ASDA and due to my tweet to OTE sports nutrition the Cyclones won a load of drinks bottles. 

Thank you @OTESportsGB our bottles have arrived and on a freezing Monday night we were really excited to celebrate!#thankyou #cyclecoach @richardlindsley pic.twitter.com/zlIJ8orKZi

— Kettering Cyclones (@KCC_Cyclones) February 11, 2019

At Cyclones we have been focussing on Cyclocross over the winter. That's due to change as we have venues booked for road riding practise over the coming weeks including MK bowl and the Leicester cycle circuit. It's a fantastic and inclusive club where our riders have enjoyed a number of disciplines as well as volunteering and coaching. I was especially pleased to see the Mark Evans visit us on Monday, he was an inspiration in our early years and I hope he will come back to coaching some day. Everyone involved with the Cyclones is a volunteer, it's a big commitment every week and an even bigger one when we organise a big event like a CX race. 

Earlier that day I'd taken my Forme Ripley MTB into C&D Cycles for some TLC from shop manager Andy. My bottom bracket was wrecked, plus I needed new head set bearings and brake pads. 

As ever a really good service led to this Gold bottom bracket, the other bits and I asked Andy about cutting handlebars down. He duly obliged there and then! All for a great value price and then I got my club discount on top, making it super value!

I asked Andy for some tips on keeping my bottom bracket healthy and he advised to remove the seat post and turn upside down. Today's ride wasn't too extreme weather or mud wise but I did it anyway. Andy the picture above is for you mate! I'm glad to report, dry as a bone!

On Tuesday night I've been going to Corby Capers CX training, organised and coached by Rockingham Forest Wheelers, Phil Wilkinson and Sean Adamson with a great deal of support thrown in by Mike Deely. Just like Muddy Marvels, a set of the KCC Cyclones lights goes along to help our neighbours. 

A superb course was set up this week at West Glebe Park encompassing some of the technical terrain from their CX race. Phil decided to ride with us this week, leaving Sean to run the session, including those pyramids of pain!

I don't like my concentrate face

What's Deely smiling at?

Numbers were down this week, which is bad in one way but worked to the advantage of the six of us riding. Phil was able to offer some individualised coaching. I am especially grateful for his encouragement that enabled Sam to progress from running up the hill below, to riding up it with confidence.

Tricky slope

Dad not looking competent

Son nailing it!

I gained a couple of things from this session. Firstly it was a good workout. Secondly the opportunity to learn from other coaches benefits my own coaching. Phil at Capers, Dean at Marvels and my fellow coaches at Cyclones have really helped my development.

Phil introduced us to the idea that we could bunny hop the hurdle and we all gave it a go. As with most things my timing and coordination needs work and instead of clearing the hurdle I tended to smash it over with my back wheel. I'm determined now though and I WILL have a respectable bunny hop before the start of the next CX season!

Thanks to David Wilson for taking the pictures. I know you'd rather be riding, or collecting safety pins. I hope that awful virus gets lost and you get well soon mate!

On Saturday I was on a mission! I needed to walk the dogs, ride with C&D, visit my Nan and get to the Saints by 2pm!

No we haven't got new dogs. Branston and Fudge have come to stay for a couple of weeks. Branston can't manage a walk but Fudge needs a good run so I introduced him to Bruce's favourite woods.

Having spoken to Andy the day before, the route was sympathetic to my needs and I met the C&D clubmates on the market square in Rothwell. It's a great ride out to Sibbertoft via Kelmarsh. Then it's down that super fast hill and on to Theddingworth before an absolute grind up Mill Hill.

That's us at the top of the climb. It's a very quiet road, no traffic was held up by this picture! In fact no cars passed us between here and Theddingworth at all! 

The reward for all that uphill is the glorious downhill to Lubenham. From there it was up the hill to East Farndon, over to Great Oxendon and onto Desborough. It wasn't sunny but definitely milder and less windy than of late, making it a nice day to ride on the road.

I made it back to Rothwell at 11.15 and the day was right on track. Next stop, Nan's house!

Actually the day went totally to plan and following a nice visit to see Nan, Niamh and I made it to the stands in time for our traditional pre-match selfie and what was about to be a remarkable game of rugby. The Saints annihilated Sale Sharks 67 -17 with possibly the most exciting rugby I've ever seen.  After the match I got home, cooked and ate tea, fell asleep on the sofa and was in bed by 9pm! Whilst cooking tea, Nan rang! It's become traditional to discuss the game which she listened to on Radio Northampton.

As I arrived at Brixworth this morning the first conversation I had was about the Saints. Loads of the Brixworth riders had been at the match and everyone was talking about how brilliant it was. The rugby chat will stop now!

It was the same group as last week for MTB. Chris, Sarah, Dawn, Jim, Phil 'the beast,' Andy P and me. There was also a large group of road riders at the library meeting point. We had no planned route but a quick chat including lots of local knowledge produced a plan that worked!

We set out down Spratton Road which was nowhere near as cold as last week and turned right at the bottom. We rode to the Hanging Houghton crossing and then up to Houghton in glorious sunshine. The snowdrops are out, the daffodils are starting to show and it all feels like Spring has Sprung...which is what I thought I said this time last year! It was however the 11th of March when I made that announcement https://richardscyclingblog.blogspot.com/2018/03/has-spring-sprung.html in fact this time last year it was a bit hit and miss https://richardscyclingblog.blogspot.com/2018/02/bumper-half-term-week-off.html and then we had the Beast from the East!

From Houghton we cut across the fields to Lamport and then to the old airfield at Harrington. Chris and I gave Sarah a history lesson and she made us feel very old by not knowing about CND. For you Sarah: harrington airfield museum page and more from there with memories of the CND camp and the actual CND . For anyone short on time, Harrington airfiled was a WW2 airbase, in the 50's it also housed Thor nuclear missiles. It's now returned to farmland but you can ride on the old runway and there's a museum that I keep meaning to visit! There's some good offroad riding there and it has staged a Friday Night Summer Series MTB race.

From Harrington Airfield we rode onto Harrington village. On the way I bumped into Mark Evans who I mentioned above, out on a road ride. Before that we had seen our good C&D clubmate Justin Smith and moments before that we saw Tom Medley who helped me to complete my first ever 100 mile ride. So many nostalgic moments, I became quite reflective about how much cycling has given me!

From Harrington it was across the fields to Arthingworth. Along the way a competition had started for who could open the most gates. Little things and all that! Then it was back on the Brampton Valley Way. The week before Phil had put some tunes on and we cycled around the park near Spencer Bridge (it might be Spencer Bridge Park,) to the strains of Morrisey and Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now! This week I got my spotify playlist going and we emerged from the tunnels to the Dizzy Rascal/Florence Against the Machine - You Got the Dirty Love mash up! More eclectic tunes followed with the Wonderstuff, Seahorses, Charlatans, Stone Roses and the rest of my Indie dominated 'lads,' tunes!

Standard mean look, Jim still can't help smiling!

what a day

selfies

These rides always need a coffee stop. This time we went to Waterloo Farm Tea Room I had a superb strawberry cheesecake and latte. Banter flowed as did discussions of Jim's impending surgery. I hope his goes as well as Andy's bionic hip! 

Afterwards we put our helmets back on. This is unpleasant if you have naturally become more aero with age, but if you have lots of hair like Sarah it's no problem. There's nothing thing like being diplomatic about middle aged hair loss so well done to Sarah for being nothing like diplomatic. Only joking, top quality banter!

After the coffee stop it was a spin back down the track and through both the tunnels. I forgot my lights so had to shine my phone torch to see where I was going. We left Phil on the track as he set about turning this into an epic ride and then we went up the big hill into Brixworth.

This was another fantastic ride. Many thanks to the Brixworth Velo MTB group for letting us join them. It's clearly going to be a regular fixture. Next week we are panning a C&D off roader and Andy and I would like to extend that invite to our new friends.

Once home it was time for the big washdown and then I've been writing this! What a week of cycling. and like the title says 7 days, 4 clubs, 3 bikes, a great service from C&D Cycles.

Happy Pedalling!

Mud, sweat and gears...another week of wet winter riding!

The theme for today is mud and or sweat because if you ride outside at this time of year it's filthy and indoors...the more sensible option leaves you dripping. For me the outside rides are a great deal of fun and the inside ones are just necessary. I'm not going to elaborate on my training sessions on the rollers using GCN videos so that's the last time they'll be mentioned today.

My first outdoors ride of the week was at Corby capers...a CX training session run by the excellent Phil Wilk. The series of dramas that have befallen us this year has meant this is only the second time we've made it to the capers. Yet another drama threatened to ruin it for us this week but Sam and I rose above and made it...all be it a few minutes late. These sessions lead us with a dilemma. We also like Dean Barnett's muddy marvels which start again on Wednesdays in April. With Cyclones on Monday I can't see how we can do both.  Maybe we will have to alternate! Tuesday was a great session because it feels like CX conditions have finally arrived  after the season has finished. It was tough and slippy and usual the kids were showing us how to do things!

Today Andy P and I got around to trying something we have discussed for a while. For months we have been organising off road rides on Sunday with our C&D clubmates and they don't have much of an attendance. We will continue to offer these but we're also looking for more MTB friends (oooh MTB fwends!) So this morning we met up with Phil 'the beast,' Broxton and the good people of Brixworth Velo. The meeting point was Brixworth Library and as usual I sped in with moments to spare. I'd been up since 5.30 so no excuses...just loads to do. At the library there was a road group and an MTB group. I feel sorry for the roadies because the rain was lashing down and freezing cold...a nasty day to be on a bike! Introductions done Andy, Phil, Sarah, Dawn, Chris and I set off down Spratton Road to the Brampton Valley Way. It was horrible. The wind chill from that usually joyous descent was excruciating. Once on the BVW we soon warmed up and started the theme for the day...puddle splashing! At Boughton crossing we met the final group member Jim.

For me this was like coming home as we passed close to my parents house and then I could see Dad's old smallholding in Kingsthorpe village. As we entered Kings Heath I mentally waved hello to my Nan before some baling twine wound itself into my cogs. luckily it came out without any damage. The group was similar to a C&D ride with plenty of banter, Andy and I were on our best behaviour, not wishing to unleash our full selves on week 1!

We took a route through Dallington and Far Cotton, through the Impresive new Northampton University campus and up to Delapre Golf course and then through to the woods near Delapre Abbey. I've ridden here a couple of times in the Friday Night Summer Series MTB races. I had my Garmin virb and tried to take a video...look if you want but it's a sludgy mess!!!

At Delapre a few of us had a go on the technical bits but it was too wet and messy to really go for it. The same is true for Harlestone Firs which we made our way to via Mereway, Sixfields and Upton. The firs were just filthy and we stuck to the main tracks through to Northamptonshire Golf Club. On the way through we saw my good friend Martin who confidently stated it was clearing up and he'd start a round of golf after a coffee in the clubhouse...annoyingly he wasn't wrong.

By the time we arrived at Cafe Monde we were soaked through and very cold. They kindly allowed the dishevelled messes into their cafe and we warmed up on good coffee and cake. Having held back with the banter we learned a few things in that cafe - what goes on the ride stays on the ride (this time.) We also had a 'professional,' photograph taken, the one above being the best of those shots. We left quite a muddy mess behind us, so thanks again to Cafe Monde for being so cyclist friendly.

Outside Andy introduced BXV to the mean and moody inglorious bastards shot. Putting the kit back on was horrible but at least it was only a short journey to Merry Tom Lane and up to Brixworth. we said our goodbyes at the library and then I had the not so fun task of getting into the car. I had a change of clothes and a towel thankfully it was still hard work getting the wet stuff off.

Once home I got the bike on the stand and gave it a good clean. It's still there now because I want it to dry out in the sun. The cleaning confirmed something I suspected...my bottom bracket is worn. I'm not surprised. That bike has been put through atrocious conditions, for the BB to last this long is a miracle! So it will be a trip to C&D to see Andy tomorrow!

Weirdly when I got changed I was muddy under my cycling kit. That's not happened before! As predicted in the cafe, the shower was painful and then my feet, the coldest of my extremities became incredibly itchy! Last week I wished I'd put SPD cleats on my winter boots...this week I wished the same!

So what's the plan then? well I need to get back to the Saturday shop rides with C&D and I think that's likely just like last year. I think I'll be joining BXV more often on Sundays for those off road rides. It's going to be rollers in the mornings until April but Spring is coming!!! Same stuff as usual...train, diet get in shape for some Sportives and some XC MTB races.

Thanks to my new friends for a great ride today.

Happy Pedalling