like the wind!

WOW, I was riding like the wind this morning. Admittedly it's only a 7.5 mile journey into work but I covered it in just over 15 minutes at an average speed of about 29mph. Unfortunately there's no hill like Streatley so I only managed a snail like top speed of 52mph.......
Perhaps my burst of performance was due to watching the tour de nugget last night?

Busy weekend, 26 miles on Saturday, 18 miles Yesterday with 3 cat 5 hills and a cycle in to work this morning with Jared. the legs are feeling it, but please to get 3 days back to back. Legs are hurting this morning though.

Longest route this year

Beautiful weather, 81 miles knocked off on Saturday. Feeling good!. It doesn't get any better than this!
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/96919945/?new_route=1

Woo-hoo!!! Fastest time in the world this year!!

I was fixing that puncture this morning and thought while I have the tyre off, I might as well swap my 28mm winter tyres for 25mm summer ones... and the difference it made was immense! I knocked 3 minutes off my best time this year for the ride in to work, making the 12.6 miles in 38'58" for an average of 19.4mph!!


Not much use getting up a hill in a 68 mile ride, but most enjoyable and very gratifying :)

Tired legs and sunburnt arms.....

I had a half day yesterday and so went for a little bike ride. I haven't ridden for 2 weeks so thought a 30 miler would be a good ride. It was glorious weather although the temp indicated on the bikes computer said 98 degrees!! this made it a little tougher than normal and i easily consumed all of my 2 bottles of water i'd taken with me.
I felt good to be back on the bike but next time will remember to apply liberal amounts of suncream.....

Daves are faster than Jareds! :)

32 miles on the way home last night, including an ascent of Chain Hill which, with two heavy panniers and what turned out to be a soft back tyre (started the day at 90psi, was 55psi when I got home!) was significantly harder than last time with a relatively unencumbered bike!!


The final stages included a dry-weather descent of Streatley hill, and before I chickened out and hit the brakes, I did get up to 46.4mph!! Felt quite quick on a bike :)

mid week cycling in the sunshine

Got out last night in the glorious sunshine and knocked off 30 miles. I managed it in 1hr 37mins. Avg of 18.6mph. Think I might see if Mark Cavendish needs a new lead out man! First time this year I have been out in short sleave jersey and short bibs! long may it continue...

Hydration and nutrition

I have just orderd some of these. Could be worthwhile some of you getting together to spread the cost for the big day.

Gels
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=36986

Eneregy bars
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=36973

Electrolytes
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=42650

May 19th weekend

My first contribution! better late then never...
62 miles in 3hrs 42mins on Saturday. felt great afterwards but now worried I may have peaked too soon! got a 75 mile circumnavigation of Nottingham planned for Saturday with 1000m of ascent. My wife did it this weekend so I have a time to beat!

pleased with route choice today

I couldn't quite decide which route to go for this weekend. I've got a hilly 45 miler which I've been meaning to do for a while which has a total ascent of approx 2300 ft. I've also got that 60 mile target looming which I should've crossed off by now, but I find that without the hills in they're really quite boring, so best done with somebody else. There's also a 50 mile route with a grade 4 hill in it. That would be nice but the rest of it is pretty flat.
I compromised and completed a 50 mile hilly route with a total ascent of approx 2100 ft so all in all quite pleased.
I do need to get back into midweek cycling as leaving it all for the weekends is a but of a challenge.
Lets see how the week goes......

Cursed

I think i'm cursed when it comes to bikes, after having my bike fixed the other week i now appear to of buckled my back wheel... another trip to Halfords i think!

A small rest for the legs

I've not ridden my bike for 4 days and i must say riding into work today took my legs a little while to warm up.
I plan on riding 3 days in a  row this weekend just to see where i am, 2 small rides today and Saturday and then a big 60 miles with Gary on Sunday including 3 trips up Chain Hill in Wantage (a fun CAT 5 climb). This could prove to be my undoing as i'll be attempting it on my mountainbike!
I'll update you next week on how it all went!

Happy cycling

busy bank holiday weekend

40 miles on Saturday, followed by 30 miles on Sunday was tough but encouraging. Shouldn't have gone for a brief run on the Monday, that was definite mistake which I was paying for, for a couple of days.

Looking forward to a long ride next weekend incorporating a bit of off road as well, back to the muddy stuff - should be fun!

waterproof jackets

I was going to add some information about waterproof jackets here.....

I currently have two ill-suited jackets. One is a cheap Lonsdale windbreaker which is ok, it's a bit big and flappy, it's a windbreaker so anything more than a brief shower just goes straight through it.
My other jacket is one of those cheap bright yellow construction style jackets which I've ripped out the quilted liner. It's a bit bulky, is waterproof but is in no way breathable so anything above 2 degrees and I'm sweating so much I may as well not be wearing a waterproof at all.

I've been looking at commuter style jackets from Bontrager and Altura, and I've been looking at lightweight stuff sack ones from Madison & Montana. I was due to get one this month but I've unfortunately blown my waterproof budget on a new tattoo, doh! Oh well, chances are it'll outlast the jacket anyway. Perhaps next month ;-)