Category Archives: Sponsorship

Happy Torq, keep talkin’ happy Torq…

6 days before an event is not a good time to discover that you’ve run out of fueling supplies.  My tub of energy was nigh on empty, and there weren’t as many bars floating around as usual.   It occurred to me that Torq have previously been pretty fast at delivery so on Monday evening I ordered a new 1.5kg tub (current fave flavour is Natural Pink Grapefruit) and a pack of 10 assorted bars.   Well, doing an event on unfamiliar stuff is a bad idea.  Best to stick to what I like and what I’m used to.  Oh, and that which works too.  Buying direct also gets you the best prices, and there’s no charge for p&p either.  So – a big plug for Torq all round 🙂

This morning it arrived.  One less thing to worry about.  Torq delivers 🙂

The wheels on the bike go ’round and ’round.

Training is getting a little predictable around here.  I did the same seaside loop today as the other day, albeit with G this time.  Stats this time, using the phone stopwatch and bikely again, are :

Cycling time: 2:11:42
Distance: 34.4 miles
Avs: 15.7mph
ODO: 523 miles

The aim this week is just to keep the legs going ’round – not to challenge ’em at all – which this ride achieved admirably.  We got rained on briefly but for the most part the weather was ok – not too warm, not too windy – even if not actually pleasant.  Which sounds wrong since it was actually a very pleasant ride – we had a good natter and a good time.  My legs worked – though I’m going to treat my left knee to a bath later as it still has a tendency to twinge and I’d like to discourage that.  My bottom bracket is creaking again (oo err missus) but that’s not a big issue, and I’ll ask A to have a look at it sometime.  Overall though, a good ride.

I’ve started taking the L2P sponsorship forms on the school run and have managed to raise a bit more, which I intend to keep doing over the next few weeks until I’ve collared everyone!  It does look like I’m going to reach my £1200 minimum target very shortly, which is great news.  Let’s see how much I can top it by!

Money money money…

My stint at today’s Farmers’ Market has left me freezing cold, and with achey knees but…

…raised a total of £289.38 in both donations and pledges.

That’s totally awesome, and brings me to within sight of my target.

Thank you everyone! 🙂

Keep rollin’ rollin’ rollin’

Another day, another ride, this time with G.  Which meant running errands, zipping around the levels, and chatting.  I’ve just used bikely to figure what our route was, and I used my phone as a stopwatch whilst out to guesstimate the trip time, so here goes:

Cycling time: 2:27:02
Distance: 37.7 miles
Avs: around 15.4mph?
ODO: 454.7 miles

It was actually further and faster than it felt, which is cool.  G had to zoom off up the A38 for the last bit – deadline at childcare – leaving me to come back in a slightly more leisurely fashion.  The weather was much nicer than predicted and not as hot as it has been, so rather nice really.  The bike went well, and I did some more down on the drops, which I’m quite liking.  More miles under the belt…

The Cycling Mayor will be taking a stand (or rather a stall) at the Axbridge Farmers’ Market on Saturday morning, complete with bike, kit, posters, the works…and hoping to get lots of new sponsors and raise lots of lovely charity money.  Pop by and say hello if you’re passing! 🙂

Fame

I forgot to link to it, but I made it into last week’s Cheddar Valley Gazette, with a really nice little piece written by someone who’s clearly been all over this website to get the details 🙂  Apparently I’m a “seasoned cyclist”.  I like that *grin*.  And they very kindly listed all my sponsors too – ‘rah!  Read it here.

I’m supposed to be riding today, but the extreme wind and the rain are currently proving somewhat of a deterrent – I’m going to review the situation this afternoon.  I’ve only been out once this week, and am going out on Sunday with the ACG, but I guess the week after an event I shouldn’t feel too bad about taking it a little bit easier.  Well, not that much easier, as I’ve been going to the gym instead! 😉

Cheddar Ales Beer Festival

And now a word from my sponsor:

The weekend of June 12th – 14th will see the first ever beer festival at Cheddar Ales brewery, at Winchester Farm, Draycott Road, Cheddar.  It will be a beer lover’s paradise that will bring together 40 award-winning beers from around Britain to create one of the finest selections of beers ever seen in one venue, all served in amongst the weird and wonderful vessels of a working brewery.  There will also be music, games and a barbecue.  No ticket is required, just turn up and pay on the door.  £5 entry includes a souvenir pint glass and your first pint. CAMRA members with a valid membership card will get a free pint on entry.
Opening Hours

  • Friday 12th June: 8.00pm – 11.30pm
  • Saturday 13th June: Midday – 11.30pm
  • Sunday 14th June: Midday – 5.00pm

For more information see www.cheddarales.co.uk or call the brewery on 01934 744193 🙂

a thousand beautiful things

I’m a ride report behind…life has been a little busy, and since Friday’s ride with G was only a short one, it nearly didn’t seem worth writing it up.  I must remember that an hour and half on the bike would seem like a long time to most normal people! 😉  G has this theory that if you’re not doing the hours/miles, then you should do speed work or hills.  Well, we all know that I don’t go fast…so apparently it was hills.  Note to anyone cycling round here – avoid anything with the word “Coombe” in the title.  Goblin, Burrington, Canada – all Coombes.  I rest my case *grin*.

Cycling time: 1:33:45
Distance: 20.620 miles
Avs: 13.2 mph
ODO: 9541.0 miles

I don’t go up hills fast either…as you can see!

Last night was the Mayor’s Banquet (not mine – that’s next year!) and my folks came over for that.  We’d planned to cycle this morning and stuck to our guns.  By 9:45am Dad and I were on the road.  I cycled with Dad back to Portishead where they live, via the back roads, and then came back again by myself, straight down the main road, to add a bit of variety.

Cycling time: 2:37 ish..
Distance: 42.792 miles
Avs: 16.2 mph
ODO: 9582.48 miles

(My cycling computer is still playing silly b*ggers, something in the house seems to set it going, so unless you write the stats down the minute you get in, you’ll come back and they’ve changed a bit.  Luckily I made a mental note of most of it…)

The ride went really well when you consider how much was imbibed last night, and also the time at which I got to bed last night!  The first 20 minutes were fairly hideous, feeling as we did, with the addition of drizzle to perk us up…  But that cleared as we warmed up, and all those toxins have now been sweated out.  My legs felt pretty good, it cleared my head, and I’m feeling much more cheerful than I did first thing 🙂

I’ve also been sponsored online by someone today, but can’t work out who it is!  How very intriguing *grin*.  Thank you whoever you are 🙂

All kitted out

Yesterday my kit order went into the lovely people at Kalas.  It took a couple of sessions and some mad to-and-fro ing of emails, but the final design is all agreed, sent off, ordered…now I have to work on the paying for it!  It’s costing me a small fortune – in some respects.  However when you consider that I would have to have been buying various bits of new kit this year anyway, plus the quality of what I’m going to be getting is greater than that probably would have been, then it’s actually not so bad.  Let’s face it, half my kit is worn out, and I can’t wear S’s jacket forever!  And let’s not forget the fact that having this kit produced encouraged my sponsors, hence the reason I’m half way to my target.  Besides which, it should last me a while (it’ll have too!), so it’s all good in the long run…

So, in 4 to 6 weeks, I should be all kitted out, a team of one, in my very own team colours, logos and all.  How cool is that?!  I wonder if it’ll make me go faster…*grin*.

I’m also on the hunt for a new bike which is proving proper problematic.

  • Too much:  there’s too much choice!  too many opinions!  too much advice!
  • Size:  working out what size you are is a nightmare.  It also appears that my current bike is actually far too big for me if you go by the usual rules – it’s a 56cm whereas I probably ought to be a 50 or 52.  After three years without notable problems, it does make you wonder about this whole sizing thing…  Either way, measuring my bike didn’t help with deciding what size the new one should be 🙁
  • Colour:  ok, so I’m a girl, though actually I know some guys who are just as bad about this!  I want my bike to match my kit…and a large number of them seem to be red, which doesn’t…

My two current favourites are the Focus Culebro Triple and the Cube Axial WLS Comp.  I’m not sure quite how to progress from here – and may have to go and see a man about a bike…  Same man as does the kit actually, which brings us full circle 🙂