First Tuesday AVP Evening Ride

As a preparation aid for this year's AVP 100 at the end of August, a couple of weeks after my RideLondon 100, it has been suggested that the club re-establish the regular Tuesday evening rides.

Five keen Pedallers, Buster, the famed mountain biker, Curtis, our North American member, Kelly, Shaun and myself were to be the first to take up this challenge. Our rendezvous was at the Round Orchard for 19:00. Our route was to be a 42 mile circuit out to Crewkerne and back, through 3 counties and along roads I'd never covered before on the bike, with or without the club. Quite a rarity these days.

Not only did this give me some enjoyable additional miles of training, it also gave me the opportunity to test out my new GoPro in a group ride situation. I've since been told, by my non-cycling friends, that this makes for much more interesting viewing, and I tend to agree. While I'm happy with the general camera position, now that I've cleared the brake and gear cables from view, the vibration noise is still too excessive for me to include sound in the playback. I have another mounting bracket on order but the solution may be to come up with my own soundtrack ... perhaps, Queen's 'Bicycle Race'? Other ideas gratefully received!

While out on the ride, my Roubaix's wobbly wheels - which I first noticed had been pummelled out of alignment by our disgraceful potholed roads, whilst out with Jason on the Taunton Circuit last weekend - became so out of alignment that I had to loosen the brakes off to almost their maximum; something which is usual to do only when removing them from the frame. This was not a good situation. They will have to be fixed before my next ride, I can put this off no longer. The dilemma is, how long will I be off the road and will my Crosstrail, sadly sitting in the garage with a puncture, have to be my steed for Thursday night's ride? I need another road bike!

Epilogue:  As I am a little tardy with this posting, I can add this epilogue to inform all that no new bike was required ..  not just yet anyway. On Wednesday morning, I phoned the local bike shop, Soanes, in Colyton and Jeff the mechanic was able to realign both front and rear wheels in quick time, such that I had them back on the bike later that afternoon! The poor Crosstrail will have to sit out another AVP evening ride, but I did buy it the gift of a new inner tube and I'll give it a bit of TLC over the weekend.