So far this year I have managed to complete only two bike rides, this is despite attempting more than double that number. The fact that it’s such a low number may indicate that things are quite normal (I’d normally be a significant way into double figures by now). All of these have been attempts to commute; I haven’t even dared try anything more advanced yet.
Tag: cycling
There and, well, just there really…
Another ride ticked off the cycling bucket list so to speak – this time London to Brighton Off-road (once again a charity ride to make the pain of the ride at least worth something…). Once again it all went off without a hitch, it turns out that despite my worries I had done just enough training to complete the ride easily, which was nice.
Cycling through…
I really need to be training…
So, in just over five weeks I’ll be taking part in a charity ride (British Heart Foundation again) from London to Brighton and I’m feeling very unprepared for it. Sure, I’m managing to cycle to and from work a minimum of three days a week, but apart from one fifty plus ride, I’ve not managed to really crack out the miles needed to get used to the idea of cycling seventy-five miles. Hopefully later today I’ll be cycling over to the folks (nearly the right distance), but I really need to be putting my foot down and upping the ante soon.
The problem has been one of time – with everything that has been going on at home this year training has been pushed later and later and later. At one stage I considered cancelling the ride, I haven’t managed to raise any cash yet so didn’t feel like I’d be letting anyone down, but truth be told I’ve been looking forward to this for much of the year. This may all be a case of the jitters.
Hitting the dirt…
So it’s been a few weeks since I last wrote anything here and for the lost part they’ve been the usual January post-Christmas recovery period as I try to massage the world back in to a normal shape. The Client From Hell appears to have finally crossed the horizon, but work at the moment is the usual post-Christmas lull as clients decide their budgets for the forthcoming year. Still, not complaining as it gives me something of an easier time than the November / December madness.
Another big bike ride
So last year I set myself the New Year’s resolution of taking part in an organised bike ride (having never done one before). Group riding isn’t something that I get involved with on a regular basis, in truth a good chunk of the regular riding I do is merely blasting into work with the route length getting longer as the weather gets better. Whilst the day itself turned into something of a grinding pain –fest, it was an enjoyable grinding pain-fest so I’ve signed up for another one this year!
The Long & Grinding Road
Back in January I made some vague waffle about New Year Resolutions generally not being kept and wanting to do something different as a result, so I’d signed up for a charity ride and dragged a couple of other friends into the madness along the way, although various reasons meant that the final number had dropped to three. I thought I’d spent long enough getting ready for it all but September rolled around and then things didn’t quite keep to plan and a last minute trip to Edinburgh meant that I wasn’t quite as prepared as I’d like but there was nothing that could be done about that.
The almost inevitable “I saw The Tour!” post…
Well I did, but let’s face it that’s hardly a surprise to anyone who knows me.
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New Year’s Resolution: Take part in an organised bike ride
I’ve been serious about riding bikes for just over five years now, although like many people been able to ride a bike for far longer. In that time I’ve had two and a bit bikes, the first wasn’t much good to be honest (which lasted three months) but got me the bug and was quickly replaced by something a bit more substantial. These days I’m riding around on something I’ve built myself having firmly become one of those people who cycles and preaches about the benefits of doing so.
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The two things they never tell you about cycling
There are two things that they never tell you about cycling before you are seriously bitten by the bug. First of all no matter what you think, your bike is never finished. There’s always something that you could spend money on be it an upgrade or repair, or even the possibility of a new bike to cover up the perceived problems of your current ride, this is the addiction side of the hobby. Secondly if you have a major “off”, you’ll never quite recover to where you were before it happened, be it physically or mentally.
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As of last night…
I can say I have commuted from work on my bike…in retrospect a mid week cycle of that length may not have been the wisest of plans.
Midland Film Monkey 