A few days after the event, but well done Team Sky and Wiggo!! I read a comment on some newpaper article or other, where lots of people were saying what a great day for cycling: indeed, but for me it has been a revelation, because until about Thursday last week I never really cared about watching sport and never really new the names of any pros. Now I've read up on road racing, know a whole bunch of cycle pro names, and have actually rushed back from a ride (on Sunday) to get the result and settle down with a brew to watch the highlights show. What is happening!? My OH thinks it's a little strange, and I agree with him. But you'd have to be a real reason-free zone to not be amazed by the achievement of those guys over that time period. Anyone who rides a bike anywhere at all or for whatever reason will know just how far and how hard that kind of riding is. I mean if anyone could do it, there would have been no need to invent cars and we'd all be thinking nothing of 50+ mile commutes over the Pennines each day. But that kind of riding is in another league and we are in awe.
With all that going on, there is one thing missing though. Any ideas?? Well, the only coverage given to women was the boring Twitter spat between two cycle WAGS, apparently bitching about their husband's prowess (oh, grow up girls), but this -- as usual -- represent women as whining, bitching, blobs of over-styled pointlessness and detracts from the many strong, talented, and dedicated sportswomen who also ride hard, push their own boundaries, and achieve great things. The recent documentary about Victoria Pendelton shows just what we can achieve when we work hard and dedicate ourselves to things other than celebrity babies and hair extensions, but also reveals what a mountain we have to climb to feel accepted into areas of life that still feel very much like a mans' world.
And what about women's races? I have Googled about a bit and found evidence of.. well, just one so far. I'll keep searching, and will report my findings shortly. For now though, forget all my sniping about gender balance, and repeat after me... Allez Wiggo!!!
Showing posts with label cycling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cycling. Show all posts
Wednesday, 25 July 2012
Tuesday, 17 July 2012
Politics and Road Safety
I came to cycling through my involvement in transport campaigning. While going around persuading my friends, neighbours and others living nearby that road building wasn't the answer to local traffic problems, I learned more than I ever wanted to about transport policy and took to two wheels in order to put my money where my big fat mouth is. Those <3 miles journeys turned into <5 miles, <10 miles, and now I cycle pretty much everywhere in any weather and try and make as many trips as possible by bike and train instead of car. The campaign got pretty heavy going, taking a heavy emotional toll, so it was lucky for me that it reached a natural conclusion, giving me the chance to bow out from it all. I was still pretty fired up about it though, so went on to do a part-time MA, focusing largely on the issues I observed during my campaigning efforts, with the end result being campaign fatigue and environmental policy burn out. Since then I've just been riding my bike and doing all I can to stay out of the way of anything vaguely political. But maybe that needs to change?
Honestly, I'm passionate about cycling but that has nothing to do with sport and everything to do with the environment: low-carbon (although not low-carb!) transport solutions, cities and streets designed around the needs of people, safe for all vulnerable road users, getting us to where we want to go, making us healthier and happier too; all these things make sense to me and I find it hard to comprehend why some folks think otherwise. But they do.
Then there are places like the Netherlands. Cycling is prioritised, it is popular. Cyclists are safe, they can wear normal clothes, ride to and from work on dedicated routes, go on trips with the family and (and the dog) at the weekend. You can move house by bike and no-one will think you're barmy! Bikes are everywhere. It is just a tiny slice of bike heaven dotted.
Then there is the UK. Car is king. The Government positively discriminates in favour of the combustion engine because cars, lorries, and vans burn fuel which creates income through taxation (fuel duty), whereas cars, bikes, and trains (the things greenies like me dream of) cost the Exchequer because every mile we do by one of those methods is fuel duty lost. Yes, it really does work that way. We don't have anything like an integrated transport system. Shows like Top Gear actively promote running cyclists over. Since we ran out of money to put actual police out on the streets to monitor speed limits, replacing them with speed cameras, everyone drives at pretty much whatever speed they want, irrespective of the limit, and motorists who knock down a cyclists are given a slap on the wrist (if they're really unlucky) and told not to do it again. Those of us who are crazy enough to get out there and ride on the roads feel the need to dress up in flourescent gear visible from space and ride like the clappers in the primary position in order to hold our own. It's a war out there folks.
And that, in short, is why most ordinary people, those who just want to go to work, go to the shops, go out with their friends, and don't want to be at war with anyone aren't jumping over themselves to swap four wheels for two. It's not about the rain or the hills; it's about fear.
So it's with great joy that I read today about Early Day Motion 407, proposed by Lib Dem MP Julian Huppert, which attempts to bring to the attention of Parliament the current imbalance in the system, which favours the car over the human. The full text of the EDM reads:
That this House notes that many victims of road accidents do not feel that the criminal justice system adequately protects or supports them in the aftermath of their case; further notes that it is important that those who have suffered traumatic incidents are given effective and sympathetic support as they attempt to rebuild their lives; welcomes the work of British Cycling and other groups, including CTC, Sustrans, London Cycling Campaign, The Times, Cycling Weekly, RoadPeace and Brake to raise the profile of the issue; and calls on the Ministry of Justice to review carefully the evidence they have submitted and undertake a comprehensive review of each part of the criminal justice system, from crash investigation standards through to sentencing guidelines, to ensure that it is fairer for cyclists, pedestrians and other road users who are hurt or seriously injured on the country's roads.
Trust me. This is huge. It's a few carefully worded sentences away from calling for the ultimate ideal of "strict liability" -- the norm in Denmark and the Netherlands -- but it's a step in the right direction. So here's what to do...
Write to your MP. Do it now. It's important. You can save yourself alot of effort by going to this site here, aptly called Write to Them and putting something in writing. Write to your local Councillors too. They'll be glad to receive a letter that's not banging on about potholes or pointless cycle lanes (we'll save that for another time). For now, just write to your MP asking them to support EDM 407. Tell them why you think it's important. Tell them you're a cyclist. Tell them whatever you like really. It's no big deal. People write to them all the time. You should get a letter back, which will probably be fairly dry and not particularly informative, but a few lucky ones will get a proper letter written by a real human who geniunely shares your concerns. The thing is, if you don't write to them they'll never know you care. Make the bastards work for it, I say. So stop reading now and get writing. Thanks!
Honestly, I'm passionate about cycling but that has nothing to do with sport and everything to do with the environment: low-carbon (although not low-carb!) transport solutions, cities and streets designed around the needs of people, safe for all vulnerable road users, getting us to where we want to go, making us healthier and happier too; all these things make sense to me and I find it hard to comprehend why some folks think otherwise. But they do.
Then there are places like the Netherlands. Cycling is prioritised, it is popular. Cyclists are safe, they can wear normal clothes, ride to and from work on dedicated routes, go on trips with the family and (and the dog) at the weekend. You can move house by bike and no-one will think you're barmy! Bikes are everywhere. It is just a tiny slice of bike heaven dotted.
Then there is the UK. Car is king. The Government positively discriminates in favour of the combustion engine because cars, lorries, and vans burn fuel which creates income through taxation (fuel duty), whereas cars, bikes, and trains (the things greenies like me dream of) cost the Exchequer because every mile we do by one of those methods is fuel duty lost. Yes, it really does work that way. We don't have anything like an integrated transport system. Shows like Top Gear actively promote running cyclists over. Since we ran out of money to put actual police out on the streets to monitor speed limits, replacing them with speed cameras, everyone drives at pretty much whatever speed they want, irrespective of the limit, and motorists who knock down a cyclists are given a slap on the wrist (if they're really unlucky) and told not to do it again. Those of us who are crazy enough to get out there and ride on the roads feel the need to dress up in flourescent gear visible from space and ride like the clappers in the primary position in order to hold our own. It's a war out there folks.
And that, in short, is why most ordinary people, those who just want to go to work, go to the shops, go out with their friends, and don't want to be at war with anyone aren't jumping over themselves to swap four wheels for two. It's not about the rain or the hills; it's about fear.
So it's with great joy that I read today about Early Day Motion 407, proposed by Lib Dem MP Julian Huppert, which attempts to bring to the attention of Parliament the current imbalance in the system, which favours the car over the human. The full text of the EDM reads:
That this House notes that many victims of road accidents do not feel that the criminal justice system adequately protects or supports them in the aftermath of their case; further notes that it is important that those who have suffered traumatic incidents are given effective and sympathetic support as they attempt to rebuild their lives; welcomes the work of British Cycling and other groups, including CTC, Sustrans, London Cycling Campaign, The Times, Cycling Weekly, RoadPeace and Brake to raise the profile of the issue; and calls on the Ministry of Justice to review carefully the evidence they have submitted and undertake a comprehensive review of each part of the criminal justice system, from crash investigation standards through to sentencing guidelines, to ensure that it is fairer for cyclists, pedestrians and other road users who are hurt or seriously injured on the country's roads.
Trust me. This is huge. It's a few carefully worded sentences away from calling for the ultimate ideal of "strict liability" -- the norm in Denmark and the Netherlands -- but it's a step in the right direction. So here's what to do...
Write to your MP. Do it now. It's important. You can save yourself alot of effort by going to this site here, aptly called Write to Them and putting something in writing. Write to your local Councillors too. They'll be glad to receive a letter that's not banging on about potholes or pointless cycle lanes (we'll save that for another time). For now, just write to your MP asking them to support EDM 407. Tell them why you think it's important. Tell them you're a cyclist. Tell them whatever you like really. It's no big deal. People write to them all the time. You should get a letter back, which will probably be fairly dry and not particularly informative, but a few lucky ones will get a proper letter written by a real human who geniunely shares your concerns. The thing is, if you don't write to them they'll never know you care. Make the bastards work for it, I say. So stop reading now and get writing. Thanks!
Friday, 25 February 2011
A women-only sportive? What's not to like?
The internet is buzzing with the news that Victoria Pendleton, the heroine of British Cycling, has launched the Cycletta series of women-only rides. The write up on road.cc sent me racing to the website to see what all the fuss was about, since "Cycletta North" is only down the road from me, so it seems silly to miss it.
The idea is a good one, and I wholeheartedly support the sentiment behind the rides. I guess they're supposed to be like the Race for Life running series minus the charity element, which is no bad thing because it means you just pay your entry fee and turn up to ride, without having to spend weeks before nagging friends and family for sponsorship and weeks after feeling crap about only raising a tenner. Saying that, you can ride for charity if you want (it's optional, thankfully).
So here's what I think about the whole thing:
The good things: 40km of traffic free riding. Whoo-hoo!! And no blokes -- hopefully that means fewer club riders and more space when they overtake (which was a bit stressful in traffic on the Manchester 100k)
Oh, and Miranda is one of the ambassadors and Davina McCall isn't. Miranda was a real asset to the Comic Relief team, and I really enjoyed watching her; plus she's hilarious. Davina, on the other hand, is just a bit too loud and naggy for my liking. She has her own series of rides to promote anyway, as she's fronting the women-only Action for Medical Research series of rides -- Davina's Divas (ugggh to the name, yay to the idea though.)
The bad things: It's £45 to enter, yes you read that right, which seems a bit steep. Okay, so it will be traffic free, so on the day you'll probably feel like you're getting your money's worth. I could grumble about the fact that for your £45 there's only the one route length - 40k - ("only 40k") - and no mention of cake stops. Free Gatorade doesn't haven't the same effecct on my saliva glands as an offer of free tea and cake, sorry.
The wierd things: A free copy of Grazia? Well, I suppose they had to get sponsorship from somewhere, but Grazia!? I'll happily trade my free copy for a discount on the entry fee, and to be honest am not too fussed about Cycling Active magazine. I wonder whether they'll take £40? At least the hair clinic is an optional extra, It's easy too look on and make sarky remarks about that, but I'm sure I'll be tempted along on the day -- sometimes I get quite freaky helmet hair and, frankly, need all the help I can get.
And now a quick grumble..
Charity entry: I just had a quick look on Just Giving, and it doesn't appear to be in their events listing. Maybe I'm too quick off the mark. Either way, it would be good if they could add it, because I'd be happy to pay £45 for the event if I thought I could raise my usual tenner on top for the MS Society (my charity of choice owing to fact that I seem to know so many MS sufferers).
Sign up: Well, it would help boost the numbers if the sign up page actually worked, but again, maybe the site's a bit too new and somewhere in a room without natural light a web developer is burning the midnight oil to get it working.
Follow up: It's hard to tell from the write up whether there'll be anything like this at the event or not, but at the Sky Rides one of the great things was access to the various stalls with info about campaigns, rides, etc. so that people could channel their enthusiasm from the day into future events. Maybe we could have a SheCycles stall, or maybe there'll be some independent retailers there, like Minx or BeOutdoors -- both great online stores supplying quality clothes for women. I'm sure there are other great women-specific sites/groups that would benefit from being represented on the day. It would a shame for just the usual suspects (i.e., the Big Boys, like Evans and British Cycling, to have a spot and for there not to be any representation from smaller clubs and companies run by women for women.
Only three things to whinge about? Not bad then. Will I be going? Possibly not for £45. But hopefully some true novices out there will be tempted. In cycling terms 40k really isn't far, so it's within the range of most new riders, and the traffic free aspect does sound appealing. I did miss out on my VP signature at the Sky Ride ven in Manchester, so maybe I'll ride over to soak up the atmosphere? If I can swap my magazines for a massage, Gatorade for tea and cake, and do a second loop for free, I'm in :-)
The idea is a good one, and I wholeheartedly support the sentiment behind the rides. I guess they're supposed to be like the Race for Life running series minus the charity element, which is no bad thing because it means you just pay your entry fee and turn up to ride, without having to spend weeks before nagging friends and family for sponsorship and weeks after feeling crap about only raising a tenner. Saying that, you can ride for charity if you want (it's optional, thankfully).
So here's what I think about the whole thing:
The good things: 40km of traffic free riding. Whoo-hoo!! And no blokes -- hopefully that means fewer club riders and more space when they overtake (which was a bit stressful in traffic on the Manchester 100k)
Oh, and Miranda is one of the ambassadors and Davina McCall isn't. Miranda was a real asset to the Comic Relief team, and I really enjoyed watching her; plus she's hilarious. Davina, on the other hand, is just a bit too loud and naggy for my liking. She has her own series of rides to promote anyway, as she's fronting the women-only Action for Medical Research series of rides -- Davina's Divas (ugggh to the name, yay to the idea though.)
The bad things: It's £45 to enter, yes you read that right, which seems a bit steep. Okay, so it will be traffic free, so on the day you'll probably feel like you're getting your money's worth. I could grumble about the fact that for your £45 there's only the one route length - 40k - ("only 40k") - and no mention of cake stops. Free Gatorade doesn't haven't the same effecct on my saliva glands as an offer of free tea and cake, sorry.
The wierd things: A free copy of Grazia? Well, I suppose they had to get sponsorship from somewhere, but Grazia!? I'll happily trade my free copy for a discount on the entry fee, and to be honest am not too fussed about Cycling Active magazine. I wonder whether they'll take £40? At least the hair clinic is an optional extra, It's easy too look on and make sarky remarks about that, but I'm sure I'll be tempted along on the day -- sometimes I get quite freaky helmet hair and, frankly, need all the help I can get.
And now a quick grumble..
Charity entry: I just had a quick look on Just Giving, and it doesn't appear to be in their events listing. Maybe I'm too quick off the mark. Either way, it would be good if they could add it, because I'd be happy to pay £45 for the event if I thought I could raise my usual tenner on top for the MS Society (my charity of choice owing to fact that I seem to know so many MS sufferers).
Sign up: Well, it would help boost the numbers if the sign up page actually worked, but again, maybe the site's a bit too new and somewhere in a room without natural light a web developer is burning the midnight oil to get it working.
Follow up: It's hard to tell from the write up whether there'll be anything like this at the event or not, but at the Sky Rides one of the great things was access to the various stalls with info about campaigns, rides, etc. so that people could channel their enthusiasm from the day into future events. Maybe we could have a SheCycles stall, or maybe there'll be some independent retailers there, like Minx or BeOutdoors -- both great online stores supplying quality clothes for women. I'm sure there are other great women-specific sites/groups that would benefit from being represented on the day. It would a shame for just the usual suspects (i.e., the Big Boys, like Evans and British Cycling, to have a spot and for there not to be any representation from smaller clubs and companies run by women for women.
Only three things to whinge about? Not bad then. Will I be going? Possibly not for £45. But hopefully some true novices out there will be tempted. In cycling terms 40k really isn't far, so it's within the range of most new riders, and the traffic free aspect does sound appealing. I did miss out on my VP signature at the Sky Ride ven in Manchester, so maybe I'll ride over to soak up the atmosphere? If I can swap my magazines for a massage, Gatorade for tea and cake, and do a second loop for free, I'm in :-)
Friday, 18 February 2011
To race or not to race?
It's that time of year again, when the competition calendars start appearing along with information on training plans, gear advice, calls for teams, and so on -- oh, and glossy fliers. Since getting into mountain biking I've tried to steer away from any competition, stressing I ride for fun and that's all. But I have to say that lately I've been more and more tempted. Maybe it's because I'm getting fitter, and the thought of pushing myself harder feels appropriate whereas for most the time I was finding my feet it just seemed to out of reach? I know I don't really want to race anyone else, so I won't be joining any teams that are all hotted up and brimming over with the thrill of competition; if I do sign up it will be between me, me, and me -- to prove that I can, to look back and say that I did (the competition will come the next time.
That's what happened with the Manchester 100(k) last year. I signed up because a few friends were doing it. I figured it would be a (huge) challenge, a fun ride with friends (although I ended up doing it on my own, but hey), and just a great day out on the bike with organised stops on the way and not much to worry about. It probably helped that the sun shone all day, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and I'd sign up for another one tomorrow. Ask me about an off-road event though and it's a different story. I'm just not sure. Maybe it's the macho bullshit element of it, the boo-rah comraderie that seems to accompany talk of an event? I don't know.
The MTB marathon series might be a good place to start. I'll think about it some more. On a cold, wintry day the thought of 50k off-road somewhere in Wales doesn't appeal. But somehow it does. At least I have the training plan, although who on earth has time for 3-5 bike sessions a week!?
That's what happened with the Manchester 100(k) last year. I signed up because a few friends were doing it. I figured it would be a (huge) challenge, a fun ride with friends (although I ended up doing it on my own, but hey), and just a great day out on the bike with organised stops on the way and not much to worry about. It probably helped that the sun shone all day, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and I'd sign up for another one tomorrow. Ask me about an off-road event though and it's a different story. I'm just not sure. Maybe it's the macho bullshit element of it, the boo-rah comraderie that seems to accompany talk of an event? I don't know.
The MTB marathon series might be a good place to start. I'll think about it some more. On a cold, wintry day the thought of 50k off-road somewhere in Wales doesn't appeal. But somehow it does. At least I have the training plan, although who on earth has time for 3-5 bike sessions a week!?
Friday, 11 February 2011
Biking is always better
Without my bike, today would have been a wreck. I'm now only 4 weeks away from my dissertation deadline, so what I really needed to be doing today was working on it with 100% attention. Now, I'm quite easily distracted, so my approach has been to barricade myself into the University library, where I am cut off from the world: just me and my mission to produce 15,000 coherent words (I have 12,500 incoherent ones at the moment) by the deadline. After faffing about this morning, I decided to go into the library again, but with the heavy laptop would be coming with me the plan was to bike-train-bike it rather than ride all the way. Oh, what a foolish idea! I arrived at the station, 2 minutes too late for my train. Then I missed the next train (on the wrong platform!) and finally, 1 hour and 20 minutes from leaving home, I was on the train -- still 30 minutes away from the library! I could have ridden there in under an hour, so now I was rattled.
So, I arrive in Manchester, tootle off to the library, get totally intimidated on a short section of dual carriageway so miss my turning, so another delay, arriving at the library at 6.15pm to see this sign: The library closes at 6pm today. Oh what an idiot! After briefly toying with the idea of riding back then deciding that 6.30pm on a Friday is probably not going to be the most relaxing bike commute home, I headed back to the station, and luckily hopped on a train straight away, heading home again!
Anyway, the point of this mindless ranting is to praise my bike. After an entirely pointless trip into the closed library and back, I got off the train a stop early and decided on a nice round-about detour to get me home. It was dark, the roads were quiet, my lights were blinking away, there was drizzle in the air and a slick glisten to my tyres from the rain. Perfect.
So, I arrive in Manchester, tootle off to the library, get totally intimidated on a short section of dual carriageway so miss my turning, so another delay, arriving at the library at 6.15pm to see this sign: The library closes at 6pm today. Oh what an idiot! After briefly toying with the idea of riding back then deciding that 6.30pm on a Friday is probably not going to be the most relaxing bike commute home, I headed back to the station, and luckily hopped on a train straight away, heading home again!
Anyway, the point of this mindless ranting is to praise my bike. After an entirely pointless trip into the closed library and back, I got off the train a stop early and decided on a nice round-about detour to get me home. It was dark, the roads were quiet, my lights were blinking away, there was drizzle in the air and a slick glisten to my tyres from the rain. Perfect.
Thursday, 13 January 2011
The joy of the basket
So it's not cool, and won't me score points with the sporty crowd, the fixie crowd, the downhill crowd, or pretty much any of the cycling cliques that exist out there, but for getting my shopping and other errands done on my bike it's the best £20 I've ever spent! If I think of all the journeys I've done on my bike in the last 2 years and the money I've saved in petrol and parking fees, my commuter hack bike has already paid for itself many times over. With a basket in the mix, a whole new range of journeys have opened up to me. Need a trip to the tip (which I do)? Well, now I can go on my bike! Need a bag of logs for the fire? Yup, let's take the bike. I know, I know -- it won't be long before I'm hankering after a trailer or a cargo bike (actually, I've had a hankering for these :-) but as an upgrade from the humble but ever-so-useful in its own way pannier, I can't recommend the basket highly enough. Urban cyclists know this secret already, but somehow those of us out in the sticks a bit more, the drop bar, weekend ride riders have let this pass us by. But as much as my road bike is about travel, exploring, tea shop missions, and fitness, it's also about transport, right? And that means it needs to get the job done. And one of the best parts about this (and probably one of the reasons most cyclists won't be seen dead with a basket on their pride and joy) is that the weight it adds turns my 20 minute ride into a 40 minute workout. Who needs carbon when you can have log carrying capabilities!
Mine's mounted on the rear rack, which has the added advantage that I'm no longer forced to stand there for ages trying to balance panniers, or catching my bike as it tries to flip over if I'm pushing it along the street.
Do I dare take it to the next level and fit a front one too? With drop bars? Is is even allowed!? Would the bike fashion police lock me up and throw away the key? Could they be the next big thing?
It would look as daft as hell on my bike, but this is a lovely looking one:
If I had an upgright, I'd be buying it online right now.
One thing that I considering as a compliment to my basket, is a "grocery pannier". I've got my eye on this one:
I wonder how much I can carry with that AND the basket. Happy days.
Mine's mounted on the rear rack, which has the added advantage that I'm no longer forced to stand there for ages trying to balance panniers, or catching my bike as it tries to flip over if I'm pushing it along the street.
Do I dare take it to the next level and fit a front one too? With drop bars? Is is even allowed!? Would the bike fashion police lock me up and throw away the key? Could they be the next big thing?
It would look as daft as hell on my bike, but this is a lovely looking one:
If I had an upgright, I'd be buying it online right now.
One thing that I considering as a compliment to my basket, is a "grocery pannier". I've got my eye on this one:
I wonder how much I can carry with that AND the basket. Happy days.
Monday, 29 November 2010
Tuesday, 21 September 2010
Land locked
Grrrrr. So many other pressures mean that I haven't been out on the bike since last Thursday! Having been to Wales for strictly-no-biking (walking) holiday with my partner, who doesn't ride, then cancelling Monday's ride due to work pressures, then Tuesday morning's plan to get out failed because of work pressures... And tomorrow looks to be much the same too, with my best laid plan for a ride early in the morning about to be scuppered by work work work. Darn it. Sunday is the SheCycles easy ride and I can't wait to get out!! I'm already working on a calendar for next year's riding. Once my Masters is out of the way there'll be no stopping me!!
Monday, 6 September 2010
Manchester 100K - one day on
Yesterday I took to the road on my trusty Kona dew drop to attempt my longest ever ride: the Manchester 100K. Some of my pals had opted for the 100-mile route, and good on them! but as I'd not covered anything over 40 miles in a day before (and even then with some rests in between) I decided to settle for 62 miles for my first organised roady ride. And what a great event it was! There were welcome food stops at great locations, serving hot tea, at roughly the 20 and 40-mile points, the weather (minus the head wind for pretty much the last half of the ride) was perfect for cycling, and lots of lovely people were out on all different bikes, demonstrating varying levels of committment to lycra, and everyone enjoying themselves, even when it was hurting.
The first 20 miles went relatively quickly. I was getting into a rhythm, finding a pace I was comfortable with, trying to drop back from the girl with a pink top who'd overtaken me on the hill in the first 5 miles (did I really need to be chasing another rider with a full 55 miles to go!), and enjoying the weather/scenery/vibe. At about 19 miles, we came to the first pit stop. A very welcome hot cup of coffee and a slice of malt loaf later (though their cakes were very tempting, I managed to resist) it was onto the next 20. This section of the route passed through some very pretty villages. I was starting to feel it in my shoulders more than my legs, so trying to keep my back moving, and keeping a nice steady pace up while having a nosey round me and watching out for the racers who would occassionally whoosh past on my right. The 40-mile stop was very welcome. After a good long rest (The Kings Lock, Middlewich), including a nice cup of hot tea, my homemade sandwiches, and a packet of crisp, I felt ready for the final 20 and was glad to have bothered with the pannier and packed lunch, even if it meant a slower ride dragging more weight around. The last 20 miles showed me it's more about mind than matter, as it would have been easy to lose all enjoyment in the final miles by thinking about how far I'd come, rather than focussing on just how few miles there were to go. With the latter mentality, I was able to ride fast into the park at the end, to cheers from the small crowd of strangers who lined the finish.
Along the way I exchanged a few texts with the others: one friend racing in a pack with her club, maintaining between 18-20 mph! and another whose plan was to plod away around the full 100 miles riding with the attitude "we'll get there in the end - as long as it's before they pack up the certificates." For me, being on the road with all those cyclist was an experience. Hanging back with a few other riders, then bolting on ahead every now and again, trying to take the lead, but occasionally getting the bit between my teeth and bolting off after another fast group who had overtaken me and given me a spurt of energy as they passed! In the end, I made it round in 6 hours (with 1 1/2 hours rest time), so 4 1/2 hours. My average speed was 13.5 mph, which isn't bad considering the head wind, panniers etc. The only downside is that I have now added a fast, race-ready road bike onto the bike wish list. What is it with bikes!?
The first 20 miles went relatively quickly. I was getting into a rhythm, finding a pace I was comfortable with, trying to drop back from the girl with a pink top who'd overtaken me on the hill in the first 5 miles (did I really need to be chasing another rider with a full 55 miles to go!), and enjoying the weather/scenery/vibe. At about 19 miles, we came to the first pit stop. A very welcome hot cup of coffee and a slice of malt loaf later (though their cakes were very tempting, I managed to resist) it was onto the next 20. This section of the route passed through some very pretty villages. I was starting to feel it in my shoulders more than my legs, so trying to keep my back moving, and keeping a nice steady pace up while having a nosey round me and watching out for the racers who would occassionally whoosh past on my right. The 40-mile stop was very welcome. After a good long rest (The Kings Lock, Middlewich), including a nice cup of hot tea, my homemade sandwiches, and a packet of crisp, I felt ready for the final 20 and was glad to have bothered with the pannier and packed lunch, even if it meant a slower ride dragging more weight around. The last 20 miles showed me it's more about mind than matter, as it would have been easy to lose all enjoyment in the final miles by thinking about how far I'd come, rather than focussing on just how few miles there were to go. With the latter mentality, I was able to ride fast into the park at the end, to cheers from the small crowd of strangers who lined the finish.
Along the way I exchanged a few texts with the others: one friend racing in a pack with her club, maintaining between 18-20 mph! and another whose plan was to plod away around the full 100 miles riding with the attitude "we'll get there in the end - as long as it's before they pack up the certificates." For me, being on the road with all those cyclist was an experience. Hanging back with a few other riders, then bolting on ahead every now and again, trying to take the lead, but occasionally getting the bit between my teeth and bolting off after another fast group who had overtaken me and given me a spurt of energy as they passed! In the end, I made it round in 6 hours (with 1 1/2 hours rest time), so 4 1/2 hours. My average speed was 13.5 mph, which isn't bad considering the head wind, panniers etc. The only downside is that I have now added a fast, race-ready road bike onto the bike wish list. What is it with bikes!?
Friday, 3 September 2010
Sundown by the reservoir
A nice easy ride tonight, pootling around the reservoirs scouting for blackberries (picking session scheduled for tomorrow) and out with our new ultra-portable barbeque for dinner cooked in the open air. We had planned to ride all the way to river near Woodhead, but worries about my partner's back (biking doesn't always agree with it) meant we headed for a spot about half the distance instead. Still, it was a lovely spot, and I achieved my main objective, which was to introduce my OH to the wonders of night riding in the hope of getting him out onto the bike too. Mission accomplished?
Thursday, 2 September 2010
Rock on Rowarth!
Fab ride out with riders from the NW ladies group last night. Just the four of us out to enjoy one of the nicest, summeriest evenings we've had for some time. We did the "usual" Rowarth route but started from Birch Vale, ascending via the PBW, which meant tackling the "39 steps" in the couple of miles rather than towards the end. As it turned out, this was a very sensible approach. For the first time I cleared the "crux move" - yay! - then... well, let's just say that in my excitement I forgot to look where I was going, and so ended my faultless descent. From then on it was climbing all the way: climbing, climbing, climbing. I made it through the small ford (by the trail connecting to Smithy Lane), and over the step on the way down the PBW from Picking Rods (no idea why, but I stopped and look at it last time, and it's not even very high!) Then, no issues going across Matley Moor, and a confident descent to the car, culminating in a pinch flat! All in all, a great ride, perfect weather, and lovely company. All is well with the world.
The route is here: http://www.bikeroutetoaster.com/Course.aspx?course=174404
The route is here: http://www.bikeroutetoaster.com/Course.aspx?course=174404
Monday, 23 August 2010
Out tonight, come rain or shine
Another day staring out of the window, thinking about riding later on, wondering whether I'm going to get soaked - again. On days like today I'm glad I didn't bother cleaning my bike too well after the last ride, but I will be out tonight - rain or shine - after spending the weekend studying (ugh) despite the glorious weather. Tonight's route is here: http://www.bikeroutetoaster.com/Course.aspx?course=170464 - a quick blast from New Mills with some good climbs and fast descents. That's the plan anyway.
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