Spiritual Christmas Eve Dawn and Dusk #festive500 first miles

My day started with a ride to work. A journey that always begins with me tussling with my old foe Bunker Hill. It was a stunning morning on what turned out to be a bright Christmas Eve. My first fly in the ointment was arriving to discover a doctor had volunteered me for a home visit in Rushden! Oh well I got it all sorted and was lucky enough to finish everything by 3. So Time for a few miles before it got dark

I did the Kettering classic Deeble Road and set a personal best, which is nice! From there it was Warkton and then the beautiful Grafton Underwood. In Grafton the ducks were being overlooked by Christmas Yoda and Vader. If you click on the pivture below to make it big you'll get a better idea.

From Grafton I headed to Geddington, the sun setting over the Boughton Estate was just stunning.

Into Geddington, possibly my favourite village. It's got it all. Pubs, thatched cottages, stunning church once graced by royals, a ford and of course that stunning cross built on the site of a Roman Well most likely still holding artifacts left as offering to the gods, You can't top that really can you?

There are no crosses on any of the Elanor Crosses because it's a name lost in the translation. Elanor was a Norman Queen and it was a french phrase marking a crossroads. I was told one of her resting places was in the church behind and Geddington wasn't chosen by accident. It was a firm favourite of the King.

More here: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/eleanor-cross-geddington/

From Geddington I went over the A43 through Newton, then Rushton and Desborough. On my approach to Harrington the sky was amazing and there was a slender crescent moon. You can make that out if you enlarge the picture but to be honest I'm disappointed I didn't get a better shot.

I'm not sure what it is but I've always loved the tree on the hill into Harrington that was used as a Queen of the Mountain in the Women's tour. It framed that moon perfectly but once again that's not so clear in the picture. I was having one of those rides. It was a totally mindful experience, the fresh bite of the winter air, the whirr of my gears, the rolling noise of my tyres on the road. It was bliss. I guess this ride marks the end of four months solid of hard work since we got back from Australia. I really am ready for a break!

It was dark when I got back to Rothwell and that was spectacular in itself. The Town Council has made a real effort with the lights and the avenue leading to the famous old church is particularly good. it was nice to get home.

So on the one hand this marks the start of a break from work, on the other it's the start of some quality family time and finally it's the opportunity to achieve some cycling challenges. Over the next week I'm hoping to get the December Gran Fondo and the Festive 500 chalked off.

Happy Pedaling

a bit of commuting and all that

Well it's been a bit milder and we've settled into the new building so I decided it's time to get back to commuting. Every mile cycled instead of driven benefits the economy to an extent (that extent probably depends who you talk to and what their agenda is but it does definitely make a difference.) Parking is also at a premium so me cycling helps my colleagues and visiting patients. My only gripe being some of them live ten minutes walk away and would never dream of leaving the car at home. OK I know I'm the weird one here!

The last two days I've taken the 29er. It's great fun because I get to blast down the hill in prologis park and do a little jump out of the drainage channel then it all gets a bit disappointing into K town. I bumped into Steve on the way in this morning. Ironically it was exactly where he bumped into a kamikaze pedestrian on a club ride.

On the way home I go for a spin in the dark in Weekly Woods. I love the way the one23 extreme bright lights the place up and it's quite funny spooking the unsuspecting bunnies. The last bit of the journey was into a fierce headwind. Apparently that's a great training technique for improving climbing. I read that somewhere and have the ridiculous fantasy that someone after reading it here will repeat it too. I'm not sure how you test the theory though. Do you do loads of headwind riding then take on a hill to see if you're better? Should I ride up hills in a headwind to make them harder? 

I've also been spending the remainder of my birthday funds. I wanted some suitable trousers for the off road bike. You're not supposed to MTB in lycra so I had a look at the options in C&DCycles. They didn't have anything in but a quick browse through the catalogues and I settled on some endura Humvee zip off trouser shorts. They ordered them there and then. I think they're great. I don't like the padding you get in baggies because it never sits right but combining them with bib shorts feels like the ultimate in comfort, practicality and style.

So yesterday I popped back in the shop because I'd seen something else I really wanted. I've settled on not wanting a saddle bag but ultimately I'm dissatisfied with small carrier bag I use for essentials. It does fit perfectly in a jersey pocket but it's a bit naff. So I saw a Christmas gift idea list with the Lezyne phone caddy. This little pouch of wonder holds a spare tube, levers, a multi tool and a touch screen pouch for a smart phone. So I asked Andy if they had one and no was the answer, he tried to find me an alternative but my mind was set. So between Andy and Chris they set about ordering me one, which amazingly arrived today! it's perfect. I'm slightly disturbed that it also doubles as a belt loop pack (not on my watch not now not ever and I wouldn't have done that in the 90s either!) anyway you'll all be jealous when you see it.

I've had some mad work chats about cycling recently. Firstly a colleague revealed the furthest he's ever ridden is 6 miles. He did this as a daily commute on a bike that cost £50. As he was saying this I glanced at my £120 helmet on my desk which held at the time my Garmin Virb, gloves and eyewear. All told about £500 worth. That thought lingered and I realised as I rode on my bike that is an absolute bargain at a lot more than £50, that the kit I was using including lights and bits of clothing is flipping expensive. The bigger thought though is that I've got some really good stuff and there's virtually nothing I've regretted buying. Also I'm really glad of that club discount!

Another chat was even more hilarious. One of the secretaries who is actually retired but keeps coming in anyway was highly concerned that I cycle "all the way from Rothwell!" She worried that I was riding down the A14, as you know from above, I don't. Then she was fascinated with my big bike and especially the 'furry' wheels (the spiky bits you get with new tyres still haven't worn off.) I love her, she's hilarious. Even more than that I love talking cycling to non-cyclists. They look at me like riding ten miles is madness and should take half a day and to a person they believe that cycling on our roads is as dangerous as juggling rattlesnakes. Yesterday someone actually said: "Richard's brave, he cycles to work!' That's right, in another life I was in the charge of the light brigade!

Happy pedaling

Sunday Quick 29er Spin

I don'y know quite what's wrong with me but I'm suddenly not wanting to get out of bed early at the weekend. For that very reason I missed out on a Sunday club ride. To make up for this I decided a quick spin on the 29er was required and making use of some local trails made for a very nice ride.

Things did not start well. I was surprised to find a flat front tyre. I know I filled it with 'no flat' gunk so this was very weird. I pumped up...it went down...I pumped back up...it went back down!So I worked out where the leak was and span the tyre so that bit was on the floor and hopefully gravity would put the sealant right on the hole. I pumped back up and hey presto that did the trick.

Prologis Park

I strapped the garmin virb to my handlebars and set off up the best that is bunker hill. At Glendon I turned onto Prologis Park, a lovely bit of hard tracked public space. The surface is a bit loose which makes for fun riding.

Weekly Woods

After Prologis it was a quick trip over the A6003 into Weekly Woods, another piece of well laid out public space. Dodging dog walkers becomes the only issue and it was great to catch up with Nathan, the oversized copper and his tiny spaniels, well in reality they're normal sized they just don't look like it in his hands. Some good video footage to come. I didn't have time to explore but it also looks like they've improved bike access on the Boughton Estate with hard surface added to the previously heavily rutted mud tracks. That's another ride for another day.

Glendon to Rushton

After the woods I went back over the A6003. A bit of advice here, don't trust the cars to stop at the crossings. The roundabout is weird, people get it wrong and they also race the lights. I've had a massive near miss here. Just make sure they're stopping. From there I took the track from Glendon to Rushton. I'm hoping I've got some footage of a buzzard taking off from a hedge and some of the red kites too. These birds are now prolific in our area. The kites were deliberately reintroduced but the buzzards have reappeared of their own accord. The reason for their success is apparently cars! That's right the evil gas guzzlers have benefited wildlife! The bunnies, badgers, deer and squirrels disagree though. Because the secret of the raptors success is in fact roadkill!

Flat tyre? How very me!

Thankfully in a punishing wind this really was only a short ride. When I got back my front wheel started hissing again and was quickly flat. So after I hosed the bike down, I re-inflated the tyre and once again let gravity lend a hand. Hours later and the tyre remains at full pressure. Bizarre!

To recover from all that it was a trip to the Thornhill Arms, Rushton for Auntie Ann's birthday lunch. Good ale, nice steak, service was a bit slow but they were ridiculously busy. Perfect recovery food! 

Enjoy the video and happy pedaling.

Lovely Saturday Club Ride - Pitsford Classic Route - A firm favourite

Group shot at Old

Well what a great ride that was! I haven't been out on the bike for nearly two weeks being stuck indoors on the turbo. Now I don't mind a bit of turbo, so far I've done a couple of sufferfest videos, done my own thing and I've also started watching True Detective whilst I ride the road to nowhere. 

Ben is bemused by the turbo

I was a bit reluctant this morning. I don't know why, I guess I had a lot to do but cycling didnt really appeal. However as soon as I got out I was loving it.Once I got to the shop I discovered there was one group, I was leading and at my request to get home early we did the pitsford classic. Thanks everyone. Also at the shop Nathan and Steve who wasn't riding turned up to see us off. Brilliant to see the big man, a true gent and also Steve with his promise of a Sunday beast of a ride.

So we set off. By Tescos we lost Alan as his tyre went bang! Conveniently he was near home so at least he could get home easily. The rest of the ride was a dream. We didn't need a leader, this was a great group and a delight to be out with. I'm going to let the video do the rest of the work as I'm short on time. I've been rushing around all day and it culminated in my eldest son, Joe and I enjoying Saints v Tigers at the Gardens. Business as usual, the champions are still the best team in the Midlands!

Where did you get that hat?

Enjoy the video and Happy Pedaling!

Sunday 7th December

Four handsome chaps

My family was amused at my muddy state

Even the close up doesn't do it justice

Well we went for another muddy, soggy, cold and windy Sunday mystery tour courtesy of big Steve. There's no such thing as bad weather just the wrong clothes so today it was bib tights, base layer, seal skin socks and overshoes,  buff and the best bit my C&DCycles  winter jersey. These are pure genius from Andy with a warmer fleecy fabric,  long sleeves and partial weather proofing meaning you don't need a jacket unless there's a proper downpour. My other bit of kit was altura gloves which are nearing the end of their life and I really haven't found anything I'm happy to replace them with. A look through the catalogue at the shop is probably required. 

The ride started great bit we had a tailwind. The only problem was Mark's squeaky shoe!  Well predictably for me there was a couple of issues. I'd forgotten to charge my phone and my cateye bike computer. Luckily for me the garmin virb is more than just a camera and I uploaded to Strava at the same time as editing the video. 

When we turned into the wind my legs just died.  By the time I got home I felt dreadful and was convinced I'd ridden poorly. A load of PRs says different. For me I started to feel as horrendous as when I did the circuit breaker sportive. It was windy that day too but I was also recovering from a cold. This week everyone I know had been suffering. Niamh went into school on Monday won the indoor athletics and then promptly came home for a week. So at the risk of sounding like baron von munchausen, I'm sat here with a sore throat and stuffy head and everything makes sense. 

As ever with Steve it's a mystery tour. I know we went out to Thrapston via Warkton, headed into Cambridgeshire and back to Oundle via Polebrook then we went to Benefield,  Brigstock, Grafton and Geddington. By then the others were waiting for me a lot.  They waited at the top of the bumps and again at the cross in Geddington. I just wanted to get home at this point so I left the group and went home via Newton and Rushton.

Big kudos to Steve Duke today on his longest ride ever and even more on being the last man in the club still in shorts.

I'm hoping to do my usual and throw this cold in a day or two then at least it's back to sufferfest on the turbo. It might amuse you to learn that in the video I did, "the hunted," has a bit where you get a puncture.  Typical I thought, I puncture even on a training video! 

Today's recovery lunch was provided by my Mum and I'm currently quality controlling dad's cider! 

Happy pedaling

Sam and Dad Day 6th December 2014

Sam asked me last week: "when are we having a Sam and Dad day and when can we go and make a bike video for youtube?" Well I looked at the forecast and saw it was dry today and then there was no other choice: "Saturday Sam, how about Fineshade?" He agreed and that was that. Normally I'd do the club ride on a Saturday morning but kids come first. As it happens we had a sharp frost and I wouldn't have got the road bike out anyway. This time last year we rode in these conditions and three of us took a tumble on black ice. I lost a 105 derailleur that day and another one a few weeks later doing the exact same thing. I won't make the same mistake again and my rules are: if there's frost on the car I don't ride on the road.

So off we went to Fineshade to do the skills loops and because I haven't used it yet I thought I'd use the helmet mount for my Garmin Virb. Big mistake! Instead of getting loads of great video I mostly took footage of my front wheel. Sam was gutted when I said the footage was no good so I've put something together for him. It's a real shame because the video should reflect a brilliant ride in brilliant sunshine and beautiful woodland. We will go back because I've neglected Sam's cycling to focus on my own. That's not good enough for me. I need to get him good on his new bike and then I want him to master those blue trails and progress to the reds over the road. 

The virb may have been pants on the ride but one bit of equipment was a pure joy. Franz, my Focus 29er was tonnes of fun. The difference those big wheels make was so obvious. It's not as agile as my Orange P7 was but the pace and comfort of the ride was an absolute joy. I can't wait to test it on more challenging terrain.

Well I have pizza to make so that will have to do!

Happy Pedaling.

Rule #58 support your local bike shop

I haven't ridden today but may do a bit of turbo later.  I'm blogging as I'm surprised and a bit disappointed for my favourite bike shop manager, mechanic, bike fit expert and consumer of quality cake.

I strongly believe in freedom of choice but also in loyalty.  So this isn't a judgement of others but a statement of position.

I went to C&D Cycles first in April 2013 as my bike needed a service and I felt I'd been messed about by another shop. This led to me joining the shop rides and as we are now becoming an active club member. I have said this before but I feel C&D Cycles changed me from someone who rides a bike into a cyclist. My pastime had shifted through this association from a pastime to a passion and has probably settled as a way of life.

Since that first meeting I've spent a lot of money in that shop. Every penny of it I consider to have been well spent, good value and an enhancement to my cycling (with the exception perhaps of that dodgy GP4S tyre!) With our generous club discount plus the numerous times small jobs have just been free I really can't complain. On top of that Andy and Chris bend over backwards to help me out. When I thank them they always say it's the least they can do after all I do for them! I see every mention in the blog, every ride led and every cake provided in the same way. It's the least I can do for them.

I mentioned freedom of choice. Others can choose to see it differently. It's their money they can spend it where and how they want.  That's none of my business.  There are times when you can find a better deal and promotions the shop can't match. At these times they hold up their hands and say "I don't blame you, I'd go elsewhere too." If I could afford a like for like replacement of my orange P7 I'd have done so and they don't stock Orange.

Where's this going? Well right now we are fortunate to enjoy this quality of service and value for money. Taking it for granted will be at our peril.

Happy pedaling