I wouldn’t normally go for a ride the day before an event.  However Andrew made some more changes to the bike yesterday and recommended that I get out and try them out beforehand.  He sorted the seat post – something to do with degreasing, the addition of hair spray and much tightening of various collar bits.  He also put a new chainset and chain on.  Apparently I now have a slightly lower bottom gear than before – can’t be bad – which means that when I switch (if I switch) to compact, there will be no noticeable difference.  We’ll see..  As MD had announced an impromptu ride for this morning – thus guaranteeing a better turn out than the usual ride – it seemed like the perfect way to see how it was all working out.

So, we gathered on the edge of the sand covered Square (it’s Pageant, remember?) in early morning Bank Holiday weekend sun.  Yes.  Bank Holiday and Sun in the same sentence, who’d a thought it?  There was me (obviously), GB, MD, DMC, IH and KG – a fairly evenly matched six.  We did a fairly short, keep it simple, loop which included a coffee stop at the barely open Sweets cafe.  They kindly did us tea and cake and so forth, but weren’t yet up to KG’s bacon roll…heinous *grin*.  I had the usual can of Rio (fizzy fruit water) possibly just to attract the wasps that wind him up so much… 😉  We keep telling him that if you kill them by swatting them, they give off a pheromone which calls in their mates…but then I keep telling my Mum that and I’m not sure she believes me either!

The weather was gorgeous, especially on the way out when the wind blew us across the Levels, averaging 17mph.  Going home was somewhat slower, but not a lot.  I did resist the temptation to race for home though, which I thought was very restrained of me…

Cycling time: 1:35:46
Distance: 26.80 miles
Avs: 16.8 mph
ODO: 5530

GB was flying today.  So much for keeping me company in taking it easy.  I’d have taken it a lot easier today if I wasn’t having to keep up with everyone trying to catch up with him!  Hardly saw him for dust….  Clearly very expensive bikes do actually make you go faster…either that or he didn’t want to be associated with our comparative mediocrity 😉

The bike is now clean for a change, and I’ve even used some proper paint to touch up the odd chip and scratch.  It felt pretty good to ride today.  I definitely feel a bit higher up and that bit lower than before when I’m on the drops.  I was just as high when I came back as I was when I set out – result!  Changing gear also felt very smooth, although I didn’t put the gears under much strain – no big hills.  All good stuff.

There is this theory (and there are many on the subject) that tapering should actually be doing the same as usual but less of it.  By which I mean the same intensity training for less time.  So I only did 90 minutes at the gym yesterday instead of the usual two hours, and today’s ride was only 90 mins not two hours.  I’d like to pretend I was tapering deliberately and being all sensible, but that’s rubbish, it’s just the way it worked out, and it seemed like a good excuse to do a bit less!  But hey, it was tapering by my standards..

I’m looking forward to tomorrow, and am nearly all packed up.  I’m looking at it as getting to spend a nice day out on the bike, rather than as a sportive.  Well, sportives don’t usually include a lunch stop!  If anyone is listening I’d like a nice strong westerly wind and a reasonable amount of sunshine.  I know, I’m very demanding 🙂

PS: The Cycling Mayor, being now an “ex”mayor, is looking for some form of part-time gainful employment so if you have any decent suggestions…let me know…