The Cycling Mayor

By the time you’ve reached this elevated age, you don’t get a great many Christmas presents.  And Santa Claus is clearly not satisfied that I’ve been good, for goodness sake, and I didn’t find a Van Nicholas Chinook under the tree.  To be fair, I’d have been beyond gobsmacked if I had!  However I am the happy recipient of an “I love to ride” necklace, and a lovely snuggly crank hoodie.  Not a surprise, since these days the safest way for me to get Christmas presents I like is to buy them and then tell hubby what he’s bought me *grin*.  Best of all my brother and family have bought me, as requested, a Rapha winter hat .  Can you spot the theme running through my gifts at all?

So the Rapha collection (or addiction) grows…*grin*.  I also had a bit of a weak moment (I may have been drinking) when pointed at the Rapha sale last night…so there may be a Galibier jersey (I’m entitled, right?!) and black logo t-shirt  (black is so slimming) on their way to me too.  Oops .  Good thing I got a bit of money for Christmas too, no?  Actually my best gift is a pendant/keyring that MiniMe made me at school.  He’s very proud of it, has been dying to give it to me since term ended, and it’s lovely .  I just need to find a jump ring and a chain for it and then I’ll be wearing it a lot.  Bless his little cotton socks .

Clearly I’m not riding today.  In fact I won’t be back on the bike until the Turkey Teaser on the 28th, which I’m already looking forward to.  Time off is really not my thing…  In the meantime however I shall make the most of it, and there is carb loading (aka over-indulging), and resting to be done (falling asleep on the sofa after lunch).  Merry Christmas everyone!  Hope you all have a great day .

For the first time in a very long time, life and circumstances combined in such a way that MiniMe and I were able to go for a ride today.  For some reason his school thinks half term is three days longer than everyone else does, meaning that he’s at home until Thursday, unlike his sister.  The shopping and errands in Weston were surprisingly easily completed, and we were home with plenty of time to get out for an hour or so before lunch.

Today is the first day of November, and it would not be unreasonable to expect it to be cold, wet, and horrible out there, right?  But no.  The unseasonal continues.  It was mild, gloriously sunny, with very little wind.  Again!  Shorts, mitts, sleeveless top…the only concessions to the slightly less than summery temperatures were my arms and his gilet.  Result!

I won’t go pretending it was the world’s most exciting ride – in that we just did the Nyland loop, anti-clockwise at his request.  However it was a lovely one.  He’s been cycling to and from school every day for a couple of months, which isn’t far, but does seem to have improved his bike handling skills, and he was a little less wobbly than before.  I let him wheelsuck as much as possible but it’s not the easiest thing in the world for either of us.  He gets distracted and falls off the back, and I get distracted and speed up!  I made him sprint a couple of times, which was kinda fun.  Well, fun for me anyway  He still hates hills of any sort, but he was definitely a bit faster on the flat, bringing his average speed for our ride to 14.4mph, with which he’s very pleased.  It’s going to be hard to find time for us to get rides in between now and the Spring, so it’s great that this one was a good one

Cycling time: 0:52:23 hrs
Distance: 12.62 miles.
Avs: 14.4 mph
ODO: 10775 miles

In the meantime, since I can’t be on the bike as much as I’d like, I’m continuing to book events for next year to look forward to.  Up to 4 plus the big one now.  Mad March Hare (already sold out!), Tour of Pembrokeshire, Wheel Heroes (again) and the Dartmoor Classic (also selling out fast).  I’m hoping to do a sportive roughly every two weeks up until the Maratona, so I’ve pencilled in 4 or 5 other weekends I can do and shall be in search of sportives to match those dates as next year’s calendar gets more events added to it.  As for after that, who knows?

Last night’s forecast for this morning was “hint of autumn” which I suppose the fog probably was.  So when it brightened up and became positively summery, and MiniMe and I had a chance to ride, it would have been downright rude to refuse.  Although I was initially a bit reluctant, feeling a bit tired after yesterday’s longer ride, I was reliably informed that it would count as a recovery ride, so I had no excuses left.  Let’s face it Autumn will be here for real soon enough…

We did the same loop as the other day, just in reverse.  MiniMe has now been UP Rug Hill, and DOWN Notting Hill.  He’s learning to enjoy descents which might just motivate him to go up the ups with a little more enthusiasm now.  Even I had a blast going down Notting Hill *grin*.

However the traffic on the more main roads was doing the usual job of making me even less likely to let MiniMe out on his own.  One particular large lorry went past us on the bypass close enough to make me duck…like that would help.  I mean really, would it kill you to give us a bit more room?  Because if you don’t it might kill us, and I’m thinking that might delay you more than the 30 secs that taking the time to go ’round us properly would.

Cycling time: 1:06:28 hrs
Distance: 14.65 miles.
Avs: 13.1 mph
ODO: 9962 miles

That not withstanding, it was actually a lovely ride.  Warmth, sun, no wind…see look, I’m all recovered!

Yep, no mp3 player today, as it was a MiniMe ride and I felt I should be paying attention to what he was doing.  We spent an hour this morning with Andrew, getting his new (shorter) stem fitted.  His saddle also had to go up – 4cms!!  4cms since June!!  OMG!  It’s no wonder I can see his ankles all the time, and that my cycling shoes don’t fit him anymore…*gulp*.  It’s a darn good thing we bought him a decent sized frame to future proof it a bit!  He’s not been on a bike for quite a long time so today’s ride was just about getting his legs going round again, and testing that the changes made have made things better.

Anyway, we did an loop for an hour in the sun, with which he is mighty pleased.  There was barely anything that counted as a hill, though he may disagree with that.  There were lots of nice quiet country roads, very few cars, nice weather, and, well, what more can you ask for?  I am ignoring the little voice that says longer, faster and hillier would be good, on the basis that it wasn’t about that, and that I plan on doing those things with GB on Sunday.

Cycling time: 1:04:32 hrs
Distance: 14.26 miles.
Avs: 13.2mph
ODO: 9880 miles

I do think I’m going to miss those Cornish hills though, and if I end up doing another big event next year, I’m thinking a training camp session down there beforehand could well be the way to go.

Wednesday’s child is full of woe.  Or at least he was threatening to be if I didn’t take him for a ride.  So I did the only thing to be done in such circumstances - I took him for a ride.  Well, I would have, if he was better at sitting on my ar*e and getting a tow…

As it was I mostly sat behind him or in front of him, wherever was most useful to make us visible to the inattentive car drivers.  It’s clearly very important that they get home as quickly as possible, and they’re doing it on auto pilot.  This is the downside of cycling after school – it may be light, but it clashes with rush hour.  In fact we were very nearly run off the road by a flat bed truck with van on the back on the single track back road into Banwell.  I don’t know what he was doing, but I don’t think he saw us at all…and he certainly didn’t move.  Luckily he missed us.  This however implies that he did something in order to avoid us.  All it actually means is that the gap that we were forced into between him and the hedge happened to just fit us.  And it was bl**dy close!  We had to pull over and take stock for couple of minutes afterwards.  Which is one of the reasons letting MiniMe cycle on the road is so scary .

Other than that it was a perfectly pleasant ride, though MiniMe was on a bit of a go-slow, and his gears means he was struggling going up hill, though he did his best.  There was a bit more wind that we’d have liked, but lots of low evening sun – which has it’s pros and cons.  Yes it’s pretty, and the views are long, clear and lovely, but the light tends to blind the aforementioned drivers.

As we came back up the hill past the Webbington, MiniMe informed me that he wants to be as good as me.  Which is sweet.  I pointed out that a) I wasn’t really very good as these things go and b) it won’t take him long since young boys get better faster than old women do.  He said I wasn’t old.  Aw bless *grin*.  I wonder if he’s after something? .

Cycling time: 1:35:11 hrs
Distance: 20.01 miles
Avs: 12.5 mph
ODO: 9268 miles

I know I should probably be taking it easy, so this was a good ride for that, but I was champing at the bit slightly.  My legs were feeling the need… It would appear that my DOMS isn’t Delayed, it’s just not coming, not that I’m complaining you understand!  Anyway, I never have been renowned for my patience, but I, like MiniMe, did my best .

Variety is the spice of life, or so they say, which this week meant that MiniMe and I gave our Wednesday ride a miss, and went out today instead.  Which gained us a couple of degrees and dropped us a couple of knots, so it was clearly a pretty good call.

Now it’s all very well cycling in circles around the Levels, but after a while it does get a tad boring, and whilst it puts miles on the wheels, it does not put hills in your legs.  The time had come, the walrus said…   Unfortunately that makes me a walrus and I’m not sure I’m very happy with that!  Having said that I have heard that walruses are grumpy creatures, so perhaps there’s a grain of truth to be found there…  And according to wikipedia, it’s a long lived and social animal, so there’s something to aspire to.  So maybe I am the walrus?  Goo goo g’joob! *grin*.

Now, where were we?  Ah yes.  About to take eldest up hills.  It had to happen some time and I did warn him in advance so as to give him plenty of time to throw a teenage tantrum and refuse to go.  He didn’t, we did.

Out of Axbridge we went, up the hill to the bypass, and then up the A38 to go up Winscombe hill.  Round the back through Barton to the Webbington and then up the hill past there to go back to Cross.  Through Cross, over the A38 and up Notting Hillway.  We did consider going the longer less steep way but, ignorance being bliss and knowing no better, he chose the short (ish!) sharp shock way.  I think he ground to a halt half way up and had to get started again, but he did a fine job of getting to the top without complaining half as much as I would have done in his place!

From there it was past the windmill, down Rughill, and back home the usual way.  Apparently it wasn’t his back that was hurting as we went up the Cheddar Road this time, it was his legs!  So there’s progress for you .

My cycling PC has new bunny batteries – both halves of it – so hopefully my figures will be a little more accurate.  Having said that, they didn’t seem to add up, but maybe I set it up wrong, so I’ll give it one more chance…

Cycling time: 1:21:13 hrs
Distance: 17.43 miles
Avs: 12.9 mph
ODO: 9107 miles

It was good for me because I’m supposed to be tapering, and just spinning my legs.  It was also good for me to go up hills at someone else’s speed, sort of a reminder that it’s ok to go up them really slowly, and that actually, if you do, they’re easier!  I guess I tend to try and go up them the best I can, which is all well and good, but sometimes it’s just not necessary .

So, roll on Sunday.  The forecast is currently ok, but I have little faith in forecasts…so we’ll see .  It’s a very hilly ride *gulp*.

It’s Wednesday.  Wednesday would appear to be the day I ride with MiniMe.  Wednesday is also, one week out of four, the day I deliver Avon.  The chances of it raining on a Wednesday are thus greatly increased and today was no exception.  Yep.  More rain.  Really.  Maybe people will stop talking about drought now?

But MiniMe was raring to go, and there wasn’t any wind, and it was distinctly humid, so all it was ever going to be was wet.  And last I checked skin is essentially waterproof.  But just in case it isn’t, I dragged out the waterproof for the second time in a week.  Which at least means it wasn’t hidden away.  And it proved unexpectedly useful in that being fluorescent yellow, I was far more visible than usual, a fact for which I was very grateful as I escorted him down the A38.

Well he wanted to do a flat loop.  Longer than the Nyland loop, but not as long as the last ride, so as not to make his back hurt.  He’s also not quite ready for hills yet.  Given all of that, options around here are a little limited.  The easiest way to do flat is straight down the A38, and left after Tarnock to go straight across to Mark, so that’s what we did.

To give him proper credit he did a really good job of leading all the way to the turning.  See, if I ride just behind and slightly further out from the curb than him, then the traffic sees us, has to go round us both, and also has to make a definite effort to do so rather than just squeezing past.  And, hey, if the worst comes to worst, they hit me first!  So I sat back there scaring the traffic, and in the meantime he kept a straight line, didn’t wobble, or waver, and was less worried about the traffic than me, though he did exclaim at what he thought was their proximity from time to time.  Sadly what he thinks was close is nothing like as close as they can get!  Ignorance is bliss, right?

Once off the A38 the rain eased, the roads dried a bit, and we had an uneventful and actually fairly enjoyable ride.  We were damp but not downhearted.  MiniMe even invented a new verb – to crest.  This is when you go down a hill fast enough to have enough momentum to get over the next hill – thus “cresting” it.  I like that.  So did he  Today’s other big achievement was learning how to drink whilst riding along.  First off without pedalling simultaneously, and then whilst pedalling too.  Who says men can’t multi-task? … I’m sorry, you’re reading, and I asked you a question…are you back yet? *grin*.  Time for the stats then:

Cycling time: 1:11:53 hrs
Distance: 17.23 miles
Avs: 14.3 mph
ODO: 8908 miles

This teaching cycling lark is tricky.  I want him to enjoy it, which he is doing.  I don’t want him to have an accident, so I have to warn/educate him about the risks and dangers, but I don’t want him to be unreasonably scared.  I’d rather he learnt by my mistakes than his own!  Fine line…  But he had a good ride, he was faster, less tired at the end, less achey, and more amenable to helping me deliver my Avon afterwards.  Result all ’round!

(PS: hello to my new readers!  Feel free to comment even though we don’t (yet?) know each other.  Hope to meet you all on the road one day… )

“The rule is, jam tomorrow and jam yesterday – but never jam today”…

If you think rain, and not jam, and the fact that frequently that’s not true either since rain today is equally likely…and you find yourself on a sunny Saturday morning without a ride planned, there is really but one choice ahead of you…

OK, yes, I’m riding tomorrow.  But that’s going to be more like canoeing, and there’s a waste not want not principle to be adhered to.  Besides which there were several birds around, and a ride sounded like a good all encompassing projectile.  It would replace a likely to be tedious gym session, get me out of the house, and more importantly still get MiniMe out of the house!  There is this theory that he’s less likely to be objectionable if he’s worn out…

So we went for a ride.  Following the last two successful rides, it was time to increase the mileage if not the gradient, so I took my usual training loop and abbreviated it somewhat.  Riding with MiniMe is hard work.  I have to pay attention to all the usual stuff for both of us, as well as to what he’s doing.  I think he enjoyed this ride more though – it’s a more scenic route.  Up to Winscombe and down the hill, round to Loxton, over the Levels to Rooksbridge and beyond, to Mark, and home via Chapel Allerton and the Wedmore Road.  Somerset was busy being sunny, scenic and still, pretty much ideal cycling conditions really.  A tad too much traffic though, not good for his nerves or mine!

If you consider that this ride was more than 50% longer than his previous rides, and also that he did it faster, you can see how much progress he’s making.  I think we reached his current limit though, as he did get tired, but he also developed a really painful back as his stem is too long and over-extending that far for that long is not good.  I need to do something about that sooner rather than later then – *note to self*.

One of the main things we need to work on is parallel feet – as his tend to be a bit splayed out.  This will be easier when he gets into cleats but we’re not rushing that.  He also needs to work on keeping his line, and on indicating, but he’s doing really really well .

Having said all that, I’m reminded that there’s a reason I never went into teaching.  I’m doing my best, but my patience is a little limited when I’m aware I should be training for other things…and it’s sunny, and my wheels want to go ’round…(it’s them, not me, honest!).  It’s also hard to let him draft me to make it easier when he’s tiring, because his speed isn’t constant and neither is mine – I get distracted and speed up!  I guess we’re both learning

Cycling time: 1:42:06 hrs
Distance: 23.36 miles
Avs: 13.6 mph (13.2 for him)
ODO: 8831 miles

Time to pick myself up, after the Dragon Ride fiasco, and get back on the bike.  To be fair I’ve been training at the gym, thanks to the less than ideal weather, but today was the first time back on the bike.  I didn’t even have my usual rest day on Monday as I didn’t feel like I’d earnt it.  I know – that’s not at all logical .

Today doesn’t really count in some respects, as it was a MiniMe training ride *grin*.  In fact it was almost identical to last week’s ride, although, possibly due to the nasty wind, he seemed a bit slower this time ’round.  Apparently he was less tired both during and after though which is good because maybe that means next time I can make him go further.  Or up a hill *grin*.

Cycling time: c1:00 hrs (my computer wasn’t hitched up properly to start with)
Distance: 13.2 miles
Avs: 12.7 mph
ODO: 8779 miles

However when you compare the stats he turns out he was actually a bit faster!  I shall have to apologise to him for suggesting otherwise.  I think it must have just been me finding it harder to keep to his speed, and to resist the urge to go hurtling off down my favourite straight bits!  I can’t help it – it’s the new wheels!  Anyway he was definitely a bit more confident, a bit more stable, and a bit less accident prone, so I think we can safely say we’re making progress .

While I’m here – hello to any new readers I’ve picked up courtesy of my Dragon Ride rant, for which I still make no apologies.  Welcome!  :).  GB and I have both emailed the organisers and have heard nothing in response, and all the website has is some blurb blaming the timing failure on the timing company whilst not addressing any of the other issues which they surely must be aware of by now!  We are not amused…*grrrr*.

However, whilst I shan’t be letting that drop, I have other fish to fry.  There’s something very nice about knowing that every weekend for the next few involves cycling.  This weekend is Bristol’s Biggest Bike Ride, the following is the Somerset 100, and then it’s the Dartmoor Classic which is looking fairly hilly…*gulp*.  That takes care of June then .  Of course, that said, I can virtually guarantee that the sun won’t shine until at least July so I hope none of you have barbeques, summer parties or weddings planned.  If you’re desperate I can be paid to stay home…my rates are very reasonable .

Today was the first proper outing for MiniMe’s new road bike.  Yes – eldest has been unleashed on the road.  Be afraid, be very afraid…*grin*.  Mostly of the fact that he’ll be outclassing us all in no time at all!

Andrew, of Scorpion CS fame, has put him together a lovely bike, as you can see below.  It may need a little tweaking – the stem is a bit long – but hey, the lad is constantly growing so that’s not going to be a problem for long.  Other than that it seems to fit him pretty well.

We did the Nyland Loop, which is mostly flat apart from the hills on the back road to Draycott and the on back up on to the Wedmore road.  And to avoid the main road we did the last stint home via the reservoir – probably more for my nerves than his!

He has double sided pedals for the moment, and other than one instance of accidentally clipping in on the wrong side and then not being able to unclip (we’ve all been there!) it went well.  Mind you, the large sprocket seems to be pretty sharp – poor lad has got war wounds from that.  I think they’re for bragging about though .

Anyway, apart from that he did a grand job.  There’s work to be done on his road sense, and so on, but that’ll all come with practice and experience.  The bike itself however seems to be working pretty well, and he had a great time.  He even ate a couple of flies.  Hey, we even got tooted at for being on the road, by (predictably) a white van, so I figure his initiation ceremony is complete! *grin*.

Cycling time: 1:04:12 hrs
Distance: 13.29 miles
Avs: 12.3 mph
ODO: 8661 miles

For his first training ride, I think those stats pretty much rock .  But then I would say that, wouldn’t I? .

Chip off the old block blah blah