Commute commute commute

Todays lunch bag

I'm enjoying this ride to work malarkey. It's quite an operation though. My work clothes are scattered around the office as are a number of C&DCYCLES drawstring bags. Very handy for carrying my lunch in an not cumbersome like a rucksack. However I keep leaving them behind so today I had to borrow off the kids. Appropriately I had Niamh's bike ability bag. More on that in a minute. The other very helpful thing has been working in the same town as my wife. She's very handy for bringing bits and bobs to me, so I'm very lucky.

Niamh's bag comes from the course that all of her year at school had the opportunity to complete. Better still they did it in school time, so clearly the teachers felt it was important. Kudos to Rothwell Junior, I'm sure all parents would appreciate this opportunity.

Some interesting riding from a fellow cyclist today. In Kettering she just ignored the pedestrian at a crossing and carried on. I stopped, let the lady cross and then caught up with what appeared to be an oblivious woman on a bike. I told her what I thought and she smiled back blankly, so guess that was a waste of time. It annoys me though because those are the cyclists who give us all a bad name.

Then as I was watching traffic cops, a programme where we all get to laugh at the stupidity of motorists this happened...

They went under the police tape!

This bunch of potential Darwin Award nominees ignored road closed due to flood warnings and cycled through. They told the cops "we don't let a bit of rain stop us!" Twits. 

Right I know nothing about the tour today so fingers crossed I can enjoy the tour highlights in peace.

Happy Peddaling 

It's Wednesday it's vroom

Only four amigos for tonight's vroom. Jonesy, the vroom stalwart, injured his ankle being a tour maker. The clumsy clot fell off a kerb. Unlucky mate we've all been there! So he had a good excuse but being committed he still met us at the shop before the ride. So tonight, Andy (no not that one,) Rob (that's a definite confirmed Rob not a David in disguise,) and I were led by the magnificent Major on his Boardman flying machine.

The route was excellent. Very hilly for vroom but also not just standard fayre, which is nice. The only bits I didn't like were the urban bits but you can always avoid towns. With only four of us we didn't really get the benefit of group riding and there was a bit of a wind bringing averages down.

Nice new continental Grand Prix 4 seasons

I decided it really was time to replace that tired old gator so I've upgraded to a Grand Prix 4 seasons. It's a 25mm again so with the relatively new 23mm gator on the back my unintentional mismatch continues. Andy (yes you this time,) at C&DCYCLES will be very proud of me as I managed to fit the tyre without the use of tyre levers, just like the pros do...well apart from it taking twenty minutes! First impressions are good, I think I like this upgrade. I will get a matching back one when the rear gator has had a bit more wear. The benefits are supposed to be the same puncture protection but a lighter tyre with more grip and lower rolling resistance.

Not much else to say apart from I pretty much know about the tour being a wet old affair on the cobbles and Froome dropping out making it the poorest British showing in years. No need to watch the highlights then! Sometimes bike friends can be a disadvantage!

Happy Pedaling 

A tale of two rides

This morning I had a lovely ride to work. Beautiful sunny day. I felt pretty fresh and wham it's a 6th place on a target segment. Looks like Andy was right I can get a top ten! Cycling is awesome.



This afternoon I left work in the rain having forgotten to take my rain jacket, I punctured about half a mile from home and was locked out when I got home! Cycling can suck!


One of the nicest things is I announced my puncture on bike friends chat and straight away people were trying to help or checking I was ok. Andy offered to come and pick me up! Good lads at C&DCYCLES!

I'm disappointed that my front gator has finally failed, I was beginning to think it was impregnable but unfortunately it was beaten by a piece of glass.

The cut gator

The offending piece of glass

Someone once told me that superglue in cuts can prolong the life of tyres. So I've superglued that hole changed the inner tube and re-inflated the tyre. Then I did some reading. It appears there are two schools of thought on the superglue issue. One says it works the other says it doesn't. I guess I'm about to find out. If it doesn't work that gator owes me nothing.

In other news it looks like some of the C&DCYCLES riders have had a great time following the Tour de France. Some good pictures on Facebook and our very own Jonesy is enjoying being a Tour maker. I'm looking forward to the highlights later. I like to record the highlights and watch them over breakfast the next day, well I used to record them but now ITV player works through my telly there's no need. Life really has changed from setting the VHS to record the channel 4 highlights.

For me this stage will always remain my favourite tour memory as Stephen Roche saved his yellow jersey with an epic recovery on L'Alpe d'huez

http://youtu.be/sQojh-wqL04

Happy Peddaling 

Andy's first day of the tour C&DCYCLES shop ride

Today's shop ride was simply splendid. Good route, iffy but bearable weather, good company and exceptional scenery, especially in Pytchley. Some exceptional banter too but this is one time when we really do need to stick to the rule: what goes on the ride to start the tour, stays on the ride to start the tour!

Andy (mention) had planned a slightly longer 36 miler to celebrate the first day of the Tour de France, for me it ended up as 48 miles. I had thought about taking on this month's Fondo and doing 80 miles but a combination of not liking the conditions and forgetting my jelly beans stopped me from doing that. In the end that's a good thing because this was a pretty tough route taking in hills at Naesby, Brixworth and Walgrave which teach your legs a lesson or two!

We were going to do two groups but ended up as one. Everyone in the club is making progress but non more than Rich McNab who a few weeks ago struggled on a much easier ride. If he keeps this up Ride London will be really enjoyable for him.

Andy (mention) was showing off his new bit of kit, the Garmin 1000. Apart from the fact none of us could access the planned route from the garmin site everything else about this GPS bike computer is very impressive. I'm not sure I'd part with 500 notes for one but I can see the appeal.

The obelisk at the top of Naesby Hill

Quick change of route in Walgrave

When we got back to the shop it was the usual tea and cake. Then we started having a look at Andy's (mention) new bike. Well the bits. First we handled the saddle which weighed less than the packaging, then the handlebars which were light as a feather and then finally the Boardman Elite 9.8 frame which weighed about as much as my shoe. My goodness that's going to be some bike!

The five miles home from the shop were very relaxing and I feel I had a sense of relief I wasn't going for the Fondo today. Nothing for it when I got home though. Clive was filthy after the damp start and puddly roads so a clean was in order. I know Andy (mention) will approve.

That's what I call a good day on the bike, now I'm settling down with a cuppa for the last 20km of the tour first stage.

Happy Pedaling

My commuting experience...

A bad day cycling beats a good day at work, oh hang on that might be fishing, or climbing, or sailing, or golf of 4WD. WHO KNOWS? I do know however that a good ride to work is a thing to be treasured and this week I've had a few of those. I've also achieved my goal of getting into the top 20 on one of my target segments. Also I'm saving loads on petrol. I can't ride everyday because I have to get around the county some days but just three ride to work days per week seems to be reducing my trips to the petrol station considerably. 

My ride starts really nice with the short sharp shock up bunker hill and into open country side. It's a fairly quiet road all the way to the cycle paths on the outskirts of Kettering. At that point the cycling infrastructure is good with wide paths and a smooth surface. It doesn't last. As you get over the A43/A6003 roundabout it all changes. The pedestrian pavement has had cycle path signs put on it and they installed drop downs at the numerous junctions. There's the first problem. If you use the cycle path it's a stop start negotiation of about ten junctions in the space of a mile. Secondly it's not wide and there's no segregated cycle pedestrian space. So I stay on the road. Half way between the old KTFC stadium and the town centre the path ceases to double as a cycle lane and there is a marked lane on the road. It's not well marked though and drivers ignore it, it's as lumpy as a ploughed field, buses have stops on it and people indiscriminately park all over it. It needs resurfacing, painting green and there needs to be enforcement of parking restrictions. As you approach the town centre there is a brief section dedicated green to allow cyclists to go through town on the bus lane at the top of the Newlands centre. That bus lane should just be named 'dodge the pedestrian.' I've always been bewildered by people stepping out across the junction by Iceland and then yesterday I noticed why. The pedestrian crossing goes green at the same time as the traffic lights that allow cyclists across the junction! What oxygen thief dreamed that up? After that it's not too bad but pedestrians remain a hazard because they can't see you they don't look for you. I guess the emphasis is on us the cyclist to be aware and look out for would be jay walkers. Anyone who looks like they're about to cross gets a cheery good morning from me which usually makes them jump out of their skin.

I came home a different way last night. I used Northampton Road, Bowhill, Gypsy Lane, A14 bike path, violet lane and the back to the more familiar Glendon road. It's quicker. There's no pedestrian issues. It's a bit of a dash across the A14 junctions. The A14 path isn't as wide as the newer ones I mentioned earlier but is still ok. Amazingly I have seen cyclists riding on the A14 next to this path. Not clever! With all the lorries it's blustery enough on the path let alone sharing the road with them! Then Violet Lane which traverses the Slade valley meaning it's a down then an up. Because it's quiet you have to watch for cars, you're not expecting them and they're not expecting you, which can be an issue.

I like my commute but it's not perfect. More could be done to the Kettering cycling infrastructure. I'm hoping we get a forum as cyclists to present our thoughts to the local authority.

There's some relevant articles below and a link to this months bespoked podcast.

Happy Pedalling.

aura-trott-ridelondon 2013

laura-trott-changes-her-mind-helmets

Cycling_in_Copenhagen#Economic_impact

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-2401456/Get-cycling-cheap-taxmans-help.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b047wnzt#programme-broadcasts

Commuting, vrooming, over the chimneys step in time!

Two rides today. The first was my standard ride to work with another PR on Glendon Burn, the second was the supercalifragilisticespiallidocious event that is C&DCYCLES vroom Wednesday. So why the delay with the blog, well frankly I've been distracted by Mary Poppins which has just finished on Disney Movies. Quite a lady, I'd love to take her for a ride!

Photo bombed selfie outside the shop

Vroom is the quicker ride and it lived up to it's name. I never enjoy the start though. Firstly there's too much traffic and secondly I need a bit of time to warm up, others seem to instantly switch on to vroom pace and I get left behind. I don't think I'll ever be the quickest, I'd just like those instant legs everyone else seems to have.

Tonight's leader was our own Burt the chimney sweep, Jonesy. However as Andy (mention) was there too we had our Mr banks to set the pace. Steve who could only be the talking umbrella was also giving his splendid new Boardman an airing. Just what our most improved rider needs, a quicker machine. He deserves it though. One day I'd like to be good enough to justify that sort of investment.

Steve's new beast

The route was enough to make me want to go fly a kite and the hill to a east Farndon definitely goes up through the atmosphere. Like I said I'm not the quickest the 22 PRs is definitely the sugar that makes my medicine go down. At the top of that decent climb, newbie Derek had spd moment and took one of those clipped in tumbles. Thankfully no harm was done.

Top of East Farndon Hill

My gripe of the evening is with my cadence sensor. I have no idea what rpm I was spinning because the battery was dead. So that's two weeks and I've killed the first battery. I'm not that impressed with that. I'd have liked to have known how hard I was working trying to catch the quick lads once again, out of Harrington I felt like I was making an impression when, wham, I got cramp in both calves. Never mind eh!

Another great night with C&DCYCLES cheers all...chim chimerney chim chim cheroo!

Standard commute plus strava mystery solved!

Quite pleased today. As it's Monday I had to lug a big old rucksack to work so the PR on Glendon Burn was a pleasant surprise. Even nicer was the beep beep from Andy in the C&DCYCLES van as I got into Kettering.

On the way home I decided to keep going with the 90rpm obsession but only from the roundabout at Glendon Industrial Estate because town traffic is a pain! During that whizz I hap an epiphany. The missing strava segment from last week is probably because it finishes too near my house. That's exactly the problem so I've recreated it outside my 'privacy' zone. I've also created a segment for the bit I was trying on this evening.

So last week I set myself two commuting targets and now I've got four. Numbers, numbers, numbers!

In the world of pro cycle racing it's been a bit interesting. Firstly big kudos to Laura 'the giggle' Trott and Peter Kennaugh on becoming the road race champions of Britain. No shocks really as they represent the big two in a British Cycling of Wiggle Honda and Team Sky. What is a big shock is the number of British riders in this years Tour de France. It's 3! I thought those days were way behind us. British cycling has been on a meteoric rise which I didn't think had peaked with sir Brad but there's the facts. In the year that two out of three grand tours started in the UK it's the lowest number of British riders since 2008. Is this the decline of British cycling or just a blip?

Happy Pedalling