February Gone in a Flash

I can not believe February is over already .. gone in a flash!

A business trip and wet weather has curtailed my Thursday night rides to just two of the four that I would normally have completed, but I have tried to make up for lost cycling time by getting out at the weekend and even procuring a turbo trainer for some off road spinning.

The first of the weekend rides was the February AVP Sunday outing from Axminster to Broadwindsor  on which Buster lead out 20 riders under glorious blue sky.

The AVP Sunday Riders

The next was a quick paced ride following this route http://ridewithgps.com/routes/7003472. We had a good turnout for the 8:00 am start, Shaun, Richard, Kelly, Bobble, Curtis, Kevin and Quiff. Apart from the initial huff and puff out of Seaton, Quiff reported that it really only had two climbs (both out of Upottery), the first being up to Aller Moor and the second up Sandy lane to the A30, the rest he said was very flat for this part of the country, enough said! Initially the weather was a bit cold and gloomy but the sun came out around 11ish and we finished the ride off with a more gentle saunter along the River Yarty.

The Traditional Roadside Puncture Repair

These two rides bagged me 90 miles which, together with 60 miles clocked up during a couple of week day rides, brought me nicely above my winter cycling 100 mile a month target.

To close the month, there was one more ride I just had to get in. Next week, I am down to lead out the March Sunday ride and have been struggling to find a suitable route. On paper I had a few ideas but to satisfy my mind, I needed to do a reconnoitre .. just to make sure it would be doable for the majority. The route I've settled on will be a 28 mile anticlockwise circuit to Kilmington, across the A5 and along the River Yarty .. I really enjoyed that stretch of road after the ride with Quiff a couple of Sunday's ago. After the idilic ride along the river, over relatively level ground, we have a bit of a climb out of Stockland before dropping down Northcote Hill. From here, the next 10 miles back to Seaton will be all down hill, so my fellow riders should be able to sit back and let gravity do most of the work!

I still need to share with you my first turbo trainer experiences, a little cycling art purchase and what should be an interesting ride that I have planned for April, but these will have to wait until next time.

A Closed Coffee Shop, Ice, Hills & 2 Punctures

Kelly and I went for a spin this morning. Meeting up at the Rousdon Village Bakery, with the plan to have a pre cycle coffee only to find that although there was a published opening time of 08:30, by 09:00 the proprietor was still arrive .. so, no coffee to be had! 

The plan was to cycle out to Otter Mill via Ottery St Mary and return to Seaton via Sidmouth, however, having to tread gingerly down through Rousdon to Musbury through crunchy frozen puddles and then with Kelly suffering her first 'en ride' puncture as we climbed out of Colyton, time was slipping away -- and I was not going to last without a coffee before we reached the Mill. We therefore, dropped in on the other AVP favoured coffee shop, the Colourwheel (fortunately, unlike Axminster Arts Café last week and Rousdon's offering earlier, it was open). 

Thawing out, we agreed a new plan; to cycle straight to Sidmouth and take on some hills .. starting with Observatory Hill and then take the hilly road through Branscombe and Beer. On the descent into Branscombe, Kelly's front tyre blew with loud pop! Puncture no.2. This was, however, no ordinary puncture, a flint had sliced the side wall! I must admit, despite the lack of in the field experience, I was most impressed with the way she handled the tyre changes - Kwik-Fit take note!

Finally retuning home, and giving the bike a once over before putting it away, I'd never seen it more filthy before and then when giving it clean down, I also noticed a massive thorn protruding from my front tyre .. I must have been just seconds away from our third puncture - what an eventful ride. 

AVP Saturday Morning Ride with Little Miss Bossy!

Being a very much last minute planned ride, only Kelly and I were free to meet up at the new Coffee Shop at Rousdon. I'd originally thought we'd have a pre cycle beverage but with the weather looking so good we just wanted to get out and on the road. May be next time I'll be better organised and suggest we meet at 09:00 for 09:30 to allow time for a pre ride coffee and natter.

My plan was to ride out to Shave Cross to check out the extent of the recently closed road on Marshwood .. well one has to have a goal. Also, being very last minute, the route was a bit fluid and while I had printed out a map and loaded up my Garmin, neither made made much sense once we were rolling - navigation has never been my strong point - watch out all for March's Sunday ride which I'm supposed to be leading, goodness knows where we'll end up!

Little Miss Bossy at the Library

As it was, we failed to get too lost. From Rousdon, we dropped down to Lyme, climbed out past the golf club to Charmouth .. then took the bridge over the A35, a much better decision than crossing further up, not just because of not having to dodge cars on the A35 but the views back to Charmouth and Lyme were spectacular. We rode on through Wooton Fitzpaine - stopping at the most unusual telephone box library - Whitchurch Canoncorum and returned to Seaton via Marshwood, Hawkchurch and Axminster.

There was a short stop in Axminster to pick up a bag of Jelly Babies and while we had also planned a stop at the Arts Cafe for coffee, were shocked to find that it closes at 12:00 noon on a Saturday! Thankfully, The Broom Wagon - a favoured establishment of mine - back in Seaton, was more than able to satisfy our need for good coffee & cake

Kenilworth Icy Circuit

I've spoken before how that now that I have the Yeti for transport, being away from home is now no longer a reason not to have my bike with me.

This weekend, it was trip to Coventry which gave me the perfect opportunity to meet up with a very good work colleague of mine for  a run out on our Specialized Crosstrails .. yes some coincidence we have the same bikes. My Crosstrail, the hybrid I returned to cycling on some two years ago, has been very much put in the shade following the acquisition of my new road bikes, so it was great to have this excuse to revive our association.

With my friend based in Warwick, we agreed on Kenilworth Castle as our meeting point. I was impressed with Coventry's cycle paths which took me right into Kenilworth. I guess they do have more of a motorised traffic problem than us in and around Seaton, but Devon Council, take note, that Stop Line Way Cycle Path you've had in plan for the last 3+ years is getting a bit overdue!

As it was, the Crosstrail was the perfect ride for the icy conditions we faced .. although even studded snow tires my have struggled with one patch of ice which took me unawares, my front wheel slipping from under leaving me prostrate on on the ground! Apart from this, my friend puncturing and me losing a rear light, we had a great ride and finishing with a strong coffee and chocolate brownie was just icing on cake!

AVP 10th Anniversary Ride

It's been a slow start to the new year, what with the arrival of proper winter weather, the wind and rain has grounded all but those with turbo trainers.

Fortunately, today, one of the few clear sunny days so far this year, coincided with the AVP's 10th Anniversary ride. Back in 2005 the club was formed with 3 members, today we have more than 150 and over 30 joined the peloton as we rode out from our TIC muster point.

You'll note from the map below a rather convoluted route was taken. The loop to the right was a pre club ride that I rode with Kelly, taking in Stepps Lane, a killer of a hill at the best of times but after the festive excesses this was almost the death of me!

Time to get more training in ... I'm feeling far from cycling fit!

My 2014 Tour de Fitness

This week,  I joined millions of other Face Book users in publishing "the moments of my year" and in reminiscing through the selection of photos from 2014 it was clear that this has been another year in which my new found love of cycling has clearly dominated.

January

I kicked off with my first ride of the year on the 2nd January with a pre work cycle to see the evidence of the local winter flooding in Cowhayne Lane, Colyford. This was to set the scene for the remainder of the year, grabbing a ride when ever the opportunity arose.

Winter flooding in Cowhayne Lane

February

The RideLondon draw was announced and, having decided back in November that I would be riding for Team Diabetes UK, my mind was now focussed on getting in some serious training ahead of the August event. Things did not, however, start well with a rather disappointing first step into the world of Audax cycling. The 102 km Primrose Path event was to be my first ever sportive, but my then undiagnosed kidney stones were to force me to curtail my ride after only 60 km.

Primrose Path Audax

March

March was my first anniversary of getting back into cycling following some 30 years of lethargy. It also saw the delivery of my official Ride London jersey and me setting up my Team Diabetes UK JustGiving page, for which I braved the cool early spring air to capture some 'summer short sleeved' publicity pictures!

RideLondon Publicity Shot

April

Through the first few months of the year, I kept to the Crosstrail on my evening AVP rides, concerned that with roads covered in runoff debris, mud and rain hidden potholes, I'd damage the Roubaix. Not having a dedicated winter road bike, this was a risk I was not prepared to take ... until that was, towards the end of April, when I found myself very much the odd one out, the other Pedallers all on road bikes. The Crosstrail was stood down for the summer.

The Crosstrail and a typical AVP roadside workshop

May

With just 3 months until the epic London ride, I met up with my RideLondon buddie, Jason, to kick off some more serious road training. Before the RideLondon, however, I had my second sportive, the Dartmoor Classic, which I was going to be riding in June with my AVP buddie, Andy. To familiarise ourselves with the area, we completed a memorable hill climb training ride across Dartmoor, picking perhaps one of the best days of the year so far to do it ... if only we could guarantee similar weather for the event!

Training for the Dartmoor Classic

June

Training for the RideLondon continues and with kidney stones now successfully blasted to oblivion my second sportive, riding the Dartmoor Classic with Andy, is a great success. Both of us achieve a bronze medal; myself just 3 minutes or 3 months off a silver and Andy just shy of the 10 minutes I held him up en route! The medals were just icing on the cake, we had a great day and the weather could not have been better.

Dartmoor Classic Buddies

July

In the lead up to the RideLondon, my target had been to complete at least 100 training miles a week, peaking during July when I covered over 500 miles. It was during this month that I procured my GoPro camera, with the intention of capturing every second of the upcoming big ride. What followed were weekly video releases of our AVP rides as I perfected the art of film production! My favourite pre RideLondon film must be Les Maillots Jaunes, but I'd be the first to admit I won't be giving up my day job!

My GoPro Hero3+ Black

August

Finally, the 2014 Prudential RideLondon arrives. Riding with my good friend Jason through biblical rain on an event which even my video can not do justice! My sponsors raised an amazing £1,570.73, over 200% of my target, for Diabetes UK .. Thank you so much, everyone for your generosity.

Just one of my RideLondon press cuttings

September

After the RideLondon, the rest of the year could have been a bit of an anticlimax, however, not only did I have the annual AVP 100 miler to look forward to, but also, having delayed our summer holidays due to my sportives, and now with the Yeti bike transport, a late holiday in Mull during the most perfect of India Summers inspired me to continue cycling .. oh yes, I also had that small matter of my 'half a century and not out' to celebrate!

Cycling Mull

October

Way back at the beginning of September, before I headed off to Mull, I accepted the role of AVP Kit Master, with immediate responsibility for ordering in the winter kit. This was one of those decisions which brought mixed emotions of joy and despair! But when finally, at the end of October, the big box of shrink-wrapped kit arrived and sales seemed to go well, my relief was palpable!

October also saw me enter an impromptu and my third sportive, the Autumn Storm.

November

The patter of new rubber on tarmac is heard as I collect my new Specialised Tarmac 'summer' road bike and reap the benefits of my first ever professional bike fit. Not totally planned but I just could not resist its smooth lines, integral cabling and silver paintwork .. not to mention the 'buy me now' price tag. Roll on summer!

Specialized Tarmac Expert - my new 'summer bike'

December

This Christmas it was our turn to do the festive family tour and now with the Yeti, I was able to bring one of my bikes with me. Following the arrival last month of the new Tarmac and my Roubaix having been designated the winter road bike, it was an easy decision .. the Roubaix was deep cleaned and loaded for travel. While away, I had two wonderful rides with both my sister and brother-in-law.

Back in September, en route to Mull, we stopped off with some very good friends near Castle Douglas. Coincidentally they just happened to be competing in a triathlon and seeing how much interest I showed in the event, they suggested I may want to give it a go myself and gave a very smart wetsuit to try out. Why do I mention this? Well, one of the gifts I received for Christmas was book entitled "Triathlon for Beginners". I feel a seed has been sown for my next 'Tour de Fitness' challenge!

So, during 2014, I have again taken my Tour de Fitness to another level; 2013 was all about getting back on a bike, 2014 was focussed on doing a couple of sportives, and with the Dartmoor Classic and RideLondon, I had an amazing year. For 2015 .. who knows .. it looks like it could be the year for a Triathlon!

Thank you to all my cycling buddies, Andy and Jason in particular, my fellow Axe Valley Pedallers, Wiggle, Chain Reaction, Evans, Soanes Cycles, The Bike Shed and of course my wife for making 2014 another wonderful cycling year .. Happy New Year to all!

Festive Family Tour

With the acquisition of the Yeti back in April, I've been able to carry my bike with me on many an adventure and this year's festive family tour was no exception.

After celebrating Christmas in Milton Keynes, my sister and I decided to take a late Boxing Day spin just as the heavens opened! Sticking to the Red Way cycle paths, my sister on her mountain bike and I on my Roubaix, rode 5 miles out to Melbourne. The plan was then to cross over to Loughton and complete a circuit via a northern loop of the lakes, however, with the route unclear, darkness rapidly falling and only one of us having lights, we had little option other than to make our return along the outward path. Icy sleet and rain drove into our faces and froze my fingers numb, I've not been so cold in some time!



From Milton Keynes, we headed over to Norwich. By the Sunday, the weather had remarkably cleared following my earlier wintery ride out with my sister, such that I was able to head out on a longer ride with my brother-in-law.

It felt a little bit unfair, however, with my brother-in-law both unaccustomed to cycling and having to ride his classic Sun GT10 Tourer while I was on my tried and tested carbon Roubaix! We, however, took our time and completed a very respectable 20 miles, 2x our last ride together back in 2013 and enjoyed both fabulous weather and scenery. The Roubaix even coped well on the muddy "cycle path" following the old railway line, although it had picked up so much mud and debris that shifting between cogs became a little troublesome and a worrying grating noise from the running gear accompanied us on our return journey .. a deep clean will be required on our return to Seaton!