On Saturday I decided to go for a more substantial ride. Before I left I checked the bike to find that the tyres were going a bit soft. So I got my pump out and inflated the tyres as far as I could. This would also hopefully reduce friction and increase speed.
I did the usual weekend route; Netherfield, Heathfield,Horam,Polegate but added an extra bit. Instead of coming back through Hooe I carried on to Bexhill and came back through Sidley. That was a total of 45.2 miles and in just over 3 hours. Could have knocked off 5 minutes as I had to stop for an "Gentleman's adjustment break".
That is the longest training ride I have done so far on the road bike. The last 5 miles were pretty horrible and slow. I was more than a bit "jelly-legged" at the end of it. I have to say that I am starting to question whether I am going to be up to this. We will be doing 70-80 miles a day, that's twice what I did on Saturday and yeah OK I did it in 3 so 80 should be possible in 6 hours right?? But every day for 2 weeks.....wow. I am also more than a little worried about the fund raising side of things as that is not exactly flying at Eastbourne. I'm getting lots of people asking how the training is going but not as many actually donating. I will not be able to finance this personally so I am worried I may have to pull out if things don't pick up.
The extra air in the tyres may have helped with the speed and friction but it does nothing for the list of things that hurt on a road bike. Basically everything when your tyres are blown up so you can feel every bump. I have to say that it's not the seat that suffers the most either. Lord know's I have enough natural padding. It's the hands and arms. The vibrations through the hands and arms are something to atch for. White knuckle disease is a distinct posibility and I kind of need my fingers to operate and stuff! So I have bought some padded handle bar tape and added and extra layer. We'll see if that helps.
Monday, 26 September 2011
Thursday, 22 September 2011
Harry Potter app?
I have been worried about S.M.I.D.S.Y for a while now. This is the acronym which strikes fear into the hearts of anyone on two wheels and the public highway motorised or otherwise. It is the phrase uttered by motorists as they are standing over your bloodied and battered body and help you to your feet, while trying to bend your bike wheels back into shape. Quite simply "Sorry Mate I Didn't See You".
So I thought I'd better make myself a wee bit more visible. I toddled off to sports Direct down the road. Saw the appropriately garish coloured top and duely purchased. Now being polyester and designed for outdoor use I had also assumed ( never assume) that this would also be somewhat waterproof. However yesterday morning while cycling to Mr B's Steam and Sauna emporium, into a 10 mile per hour headwind and persistant drizzle upon arrival I was saturated. So I have reserved this one for summer use and bought a waterproof equivalent.
Having dried off (thank goodness for Meile industrial sized tumble dryers) and done my day at the surgery I left for home. Whilst the weather had brightened up considerably by now the blasted wind had changed direction, and instead of a helping tailwind I was up against it again!
There is a cycle path and pavement running parallel to the dual carriageway out of Eastbourne. I tend to use this until I get to the padestrian crossing and then get onto the road. By the way wind is a hazard in SPD clips. I am just mastering the getting out of them in time to stop thing, but yesterday while waiting to cross the road, I had my left foot out, toe touching the floor and Right foot in ready to go, when a gust of wind hit me from the Left and still nearly blew me over as I struggled to get my Right foot out! Anyhoo. I have identified a further hazard. Pedestrians.
There is a floor in the high vis plan. In order to be seen (and who could miss me in that thing?) you have to be looked at. Now the mobile phone is a marvellous thing. But I now consider it deadly to cyclists. When you are cycling towards someone who is texting away or reading something on their phone their eyes and brains are somewhat preoccupied. Unfortunately the other problem is that you tend not to be able to hear a hi vis jacket either. Especially if you are the sort of person who is so obsessed by their phone that you have to text while walking, because you will almost certainly have earphones plugged into the thing too so you can listen to music, whilst texting and walking simultaneously. Immersed in your sensory paradise you may for instance fail to notice the 20 stone bloke, glowing like the core of Chernobyl coming at you on a bike at 15 m.p.h.
I very nearly broke the dinger off my little token bell supplied with the bike (well now I know why it's there) trying to get the attention of the approaching hipster, and imagining how much it's going to hurt hitting him, then the ground with feet still attached to the pedals. There would be blood, designer labels and knitwear scarves everywhere. Luckily some sort of 6th sense (or gap between tracks) allowed him to hear my frantic dinging and he stepped to the side just in time. I also had occasion to thank the shortening days when I approached a simliarly oblivious fashion/technology victim however this time walking away from me. Luckily the sun being so low and behind me cast a long enough shadow that he saw me (or my day-glo shadow) approaching way before I deployed the dinger and got out of the way.
I have now concluded that there is a Harry Potter style invisibility cloak app on android phones. I think it's a bit like the spell that makes people by yoghurt drinks thinking they will be healthier. You know the one "Bifidus dygestivum". Likewise I think this one goes "Hi-vis obliviosum" and renders the wearer of anything reflective or brightly coloured completely invisible and in-audible, no matter how frantically they are dinging their ickle bell.
Friday, 9 September 2011
The Hokey Kokey.......in a nappy.....in Russian?
To say that today at work has been a bad day would be a masterpiece of understatement.
Today has been the only day I have been on the bike this week. Last week I did a total of 83 miles, so feel extra guilty. I did nothing on Sunday except pootle to the local (only at the end of the road) for a pint, on what is now a noticably heavy mountain bike. But without suicide pedals. This is much safer for the pooo(hic)ttl(hic)e home melud. Wednesday was so washed out down here I didn't cycle to work as I have not yet purchased the appropriate fluorescent waterproof (skin tight of course) cycling top. I have not even managed to get to the gym to sit in the warm half heartedly pedalling while watching Kylie (mmmmm Kylie) on VH1 classic or the Vault. So this morning I made myself get up, despite the near sleepless night and bad dreams and get on the bike.
It was flippin misty at 6.30 this morning. But Off I went with as many high viz strip thingys as I could find attached to my person somewhere and praying that whoever came up behind me would see my flashing light before they hit me. The level crossing barrier gates were down so rather than go the long way round (zero enthusiasm) I got off and waited (yes folks I got my feet out of the clips in a controlled and dignified manner). Got to the gym had my Mr B steam, sauna, jaccuzzi and shower. This was especially nice as the wet road had mostly been transfered into the seat padding of my cycling shorts as I have not yet bought a mud guard either. In fact I am frankly ill equipped for moisture.
The day from hell, completing the fortnight from Valhalla ensued.
I usually wash my cycling kit in the surgery machine so it can get dried in the tumbly dryer ready for the ride home. However as part of the day my shorts had not really dried well. Too late and I really wanted to get home I change anyay. Well what the heck I'll going to end up all sweaty anyay by the time I get home so start damp.....no big deal.
Now I should now mention that because of the day from hell and the forthnight of damnation, my mind was not 100% focused on riding the bike. Knowing this I was being careful. I dismounted when the cycle paths crossed the dual carriageways getting back on only when safe to do so. Then on the climb up the hill towards shinewater and allowed my mind to wander and review and try to somehow change the day's events, when in my distraction I sensed a Firefox moment again. Aside...wasn't that freaky. No sooner do I mention it in a post on here than it appears on TV over the weekend. Another excuse (nearly said reason ha!) for not getting out on the bike. Anyhoo. I am getting to the end of the cycle route. Directly in front is a high curb, the cycle route turns sharp right onto a dropped curb but then I have to go sharp left once on the road , onto and over a mini roundabout (it's OK I can do those). For a split second I considered the straight on option dropping off the curb. But then remembered Sinead's comments about several innertubes as a result of such mammoth leaps. So I decide to turn right and then sharp left onto the mini roundabout before being struck by the approaching mondeo. My left foot is out of the pedal in readiness in case I do need to stop. But the slightly damp seat padding in my shorts was somewhat less closely conforming to one's contours, and had by now taken on all the characteristics of a moderately full pampers. The bike is slowing...and slowing and I find that now standing in the right pedal, left foot free, the pampers are hooked over the front end of the saddle. I tried to regain may seat, however this seemed to make the situation somewhat more urgent as I failed, and was duely presenting whoever was behind me with a visual represntation of somehere to park their own bike... if you know what I mean. So, whilst slowing with pampers hooked up like a failed parachute, and turning very, very slowly to the right, Mitchell Gant's face (Clint Eastwood's Firefox character) popped into my head muttering the Hokey Kokey into his helmet. He said something to the effect of "your Right foot's in but your left foot's out". Major Gant could obviously see that as I was slowly toppling to the Right, the tactical descision to remove the Left foot from the cleats before the curb was by now fatally (almost) flawed.
I think that in the blind panic of trying to un-hook the dry-nights I forgot to think in Russian!
I can only hope that next week will be better.......? Maybe if I just tweak those pedal releases a bit more??
Today has been the only day I have been on the bike this week. Last week I did a total of 83 miles, so feel extra guilty. I did nothing on Sunday except pootle to the local (only at the end of the road) for a pint, on what is now a noticably heavy mountain bike. But without suicide pedals. This is much safer for the pooo(hic)ttl(hic)e home melud. Wednesday was so washed out down here I didn't cycle to work as I have not yet purchased the appropriate fluorescent waterproof (skin tight of course) cycling top. I have not even managed to get to the gym to sit in the warm half heartedly pedalling while watching Kylie (mmmmm Kylie) on VH1 classic or the Vault. So this morning I made myself get up, despite the near sleepless night and bad dreams and get on the bike.
It was flippin misty at 6.30 this morning. But Off I went with as many high viz strip thingys as I could find attached to my person somewhere and praying that whoever came up behind me would see my flashing light before they hit me. The level crossing barrier gates were down so rather than go the long way round (zero enthusiasm) I got off and waited (yes folks I got my feet out of the clips in a controlled and dignified manner). Got to the gym had my Mr B steam, sauna, jaccuzzi and shower. This was especially nice as the wet road had mostly been transfered into the seat padding of my cycling shorts as I have not yet bought a mud guard either. In fact I am frankly ill equipped for moisture.
The day from hell, completing the fortnight from Valhalla ensued.
I usually wash my cycling kit in the surgery machine so it can get dried in the tumbly dryer ready for the ride home. However as part of the day my shorts had not really dried well. Too late and I really wanted to get home I change anyay. Well what the heck I'll going to end up all sweaty anyay by the time I get home so start damp.....no big deal.
Now I should now mention that because of the day from hell and the forthnight of damnation, my mind was not 100% focused on riding the bike. Knowing this I was being careful. I dismounted when the cycle paths crossed the dual carriageways getting back on only when safe to do so. Then on the climb up the hill towards shinewater and allowed my mind to wander and review and try to somehow change the day's events, when in my distraction I sensed a Firefox moment again. Aside...wasn't that freaky. No sooner do I mention it in a post on here than it appears on TV over the weekend. Another excuse (nearly said reason ha!) for not getting out on the bike. Anyhoo. I am getting to the end of the cycle route. Directly in front is a high curb, the cycle route turns sharp right onto a dropped curb but then I have to go sharp left once on the road , onto and over a mini roundabout (it's OK I can do those). For a split second I considered the straight on option dropping off the curb. But then remembered Sinead's comments about several innertubes as a result of such mammoth leaps. So I decide to turn right and then sharp left onto the mini roundabout before being struck by the approaching mondeo. My left foot is out of the pedal in readiness in case I do need to stop. But the slightly damp seat padding in my shorts was somewhat less closely conforming to one's contours, and had by now taken on all the characteristics of a moderately full pampers. The bike is slowing...and slowing and I find that now standing in the right pedal, left foot free, the pampers are hooked over the front end of the saddle. I tried to regain may seat, however this seemed to make the situation somewhat more urgent as I failed, and was duely presenting whoever was behind me with a visual represntation of somehere to park their own bike... if you know what I mean. So, whilst slowing with pampers hooked up like a failed parachute, and turning very, very slowly to the right, Mitchell Gant's face (Clint Eastwood's Firefox character) popped into my head muttering the Hokey Kokey into his helmet. He said something to the effect of "your Right foot's in but your left foot's out". Major Gant could obviously see that as I was slowly toppling to the Right, the tactical descision to remove the Left foot from the cleats before the curb was by now fatally (almost) flawed.
I think that in the blind panic of trying to un-hook the dry-nights I forgot to think in Russian!
I can only hope that next week will be better.......? Maybe if I just tweak those pedal releases a bit more??
Monday, 5 September 2011
money money money
Office dog Honey has been down to Lands End to check out the conditions for us this weekend - very hilly was the verdict!!
However the fundraising has got off to a better start thanks to my official fundraising manager Debbie who has an eye for sniffing out a money-making opportunity whatever the situation!
We have a National Lottery bonus ball competition every week, various sport sweepstakes, and soon to come the launch of the jams, chutneys and pickles sales - the perfect Christmas presents for your friends and family!! thanks to the Support Office staff who have been donating all sorts of fruit for Debs and I to cook up. I am sure the resulting produce will be interesting!
Please don't forget to check out our Just Giving page - http://www.justgiving.com/teams/ccvets we still have a long way to go to get to £50,000.
Am also meeting with the Dogs for the Disabled PR team next week to get the PR ball rolling - watch this space.
I hope that next time I post it will be a picture of me on my bike....
Jen
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