Ok not been on for a while. Quick update. Padded cycling shorts sant arrive (accent on the last "e" as per French classes. I'm not that great with this thing and switching languages). They are soft and fit and are great and everything! Aaaand relax...aahhh.
Weekend before last (after my extended by cowardice ride) I did a 30 mile ride on Sunday. Managed to get through the hills of Dallington and Woods Corner, through Earlsdown and Three cups corner. Heathfield then down through Horam. Turned left (cos I can't turn Right) at the Boship roundabout on the A22. Back along through Horsebridge, Hellingly etc (as per cowards way out ride). Doing OK until he did it again. That bloke twice ...no possibly three times my age with the calves of steel...no wait probably Palladium whizzed past me going up the hill to Herstmonceux (see I told you it exists). I'm puffing away and in my moment of despair suddenly realise that I need a comfort break. Certain sports drinks are great on a bike but after 2 hours of riding and a few sips there are consequences. Luckily there is a public convenience in Herstm...the village with the French name. But There is a down side to cycling shorts!
Anywho. Got the SPD pedals on now too. The ride this weekend went well. The settings are OK so can get the feet out of the pedals relatively well. This time I did the same ride but this time at the Boship roundabout went ....wait for it....sraight on. So went down to Eastbourne then along the Marsh road back to home. 38 miles in 2 and 1/2 hours. By the way the cramp kicked in at about 1 am when I really wanted to be asleep but ended up dancing around the bedroom. Don't ya just hate it when that happens!
So had a couple of days off. 5 pm finish today so I rode to work. Level crossings still hurt as does that stretch of road in Westham with the potholes. Got to the gym. Had my Mr B steam session, jacuzzi and shower. All was going well on the short ride to work when I approached the crossing over the main dual carriageway. It was then I experienced my Firefox moment. Urban rides are a bit more troublesome in SPDs for the stop star factor.
Do you remember that fantastic cold war spy thriller starring Clint Eastwood as the Vietnam vet (not like us)? He was selected to steal a top secret fighter bomber codenamed "Firefox" from a top secret installation in mother Russia. The reason he was selected was because this piece of kit had a unique weapons release system. It was powered by the thoughts of the pilot. But the pilot had to think in Russian. Clint's character just happened to have had a Russian parent and was therefore fluent.
So there I am approaching the crossing, judging the speed of the on-coming vehicles. I thought I had a gap and then suddenly the car seemed to change speed. No I didn't have a flashback to when I was a pilot in a Huey over the Ashaw valley but I did get a bit of a cold sweat on. I thought...Oh heck I hope I can get my feet out of these SPD pedals before I reach the edge of the road or ......At that point, just as the thought had entered my head, my imaginary heads-up display in my wrap around shades flashed up " fail to release feet from new fangled pedally things, fall off bike (with a backwards "B" just as in Russian) to the Right hand side" Unfortunately the message did not end with..."and retain dignity".
This was not the last time the Firfox brain to outcome bike management system kicked in today either. On the way home whilst cheekily cutting a corner of a pavement (serves me right) I was faced with the heads up display " rear wheel clipped curb at odd angle, course correction required.... bail out.....lamp-post or hedge?" I chose the soft ,but slightly prickly option!
At least I havn't had the message "abort attempted Right hand turn at round-about 18 wheel truck approaching at speed"......yet
A bit more pracice with the clippy things required methinks.
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