Yes, Thursday has come around quick and it is lucky that I did break the curse of the reluctant cyclist last week, as with the clocks going back on Sunday even my afternoon tea breaks are now taken in the dark. Building the motivation to cycle out in what one can only consider to be the middle of the night is taking some effort!
Feeling like that French tyre manufacturer's advertising fella, I waddled in goat feet to the road wheeling my trusty Roubaix, rear wheel still complete with its mighty dent which has the effect of blurring the transition between smooth and bumpy road surfaces. Arriving at the Kings Arms, I team up with 8 other Pedallers. It is always interesting to see who is going to be out, as rarely are there the same faces. Tonight we are joined by Glenn, Airfix and Andy but have lost Steve, Peter and Derek. The faces also determine the style of ride. If Clive had arrived, he would have joined up with Glenn for a sprint ride and I would have to make the decision to join them or stay with the slower ride. Had my old friend Andy turned up, he too would have joined the speedsters and the decision would have been made, the slow ride would be the only way I would live to see another day!
As it was, these 9 riders who had found this dry gap in the weather were happy to stick together and temper the speed for another day. The route we took was hatched by Barry following last week's ride, over an apres cycling beer. The first 11 miles took us up a steady climb, through Colyton, Shute, across the A35 and along the full length of Stockland straight turning west just before meeting the A30. The second half of the route should have been all down hill, had, Glenn, Airfix, Gillian & I not been deep in conversation so as to totally miss the Golf Club turning (Note: this is the third time I've done this!). As it was, the four of us, with Tigger & Relay forced to follow in our wake (although wondering where on earth we were going), descended almost to the bottom of Northcote Hill before realising Honiton was not our intended destination! All six of us then had the unplanned additional hike back up Northcote Hill to rejoin Barry & Andy who fortunately had bumped into Kelly, out on a later solo ride, and so was delayed talking else we'd probably not have seen them again that night!
Our return to Seaton was a mirror of last week’s ride, with a quick blast across Farway Common and back along the A3052. This did wonders in bringing up our overall average speed from 12 - 14 mph, a much more respectable figure. It was a great route, although may be a little testing on the long straights - I'm going to have get some turbo training in - and the views were apparently stunning, so we're going to have to repeat it again in the summer when we can see them! I wonder where next week will take us ..
And the stats: 29 miles covered in 2hr 3 min an average of 14 mph 1,737 ft of ascent, and the route ..
Friday, 30 October 2015
Friday, 23 October 2015
Motivation Needed
After returning to work, following my 3 month sabbatical, I am certainly feeling less than motivated to get out on the bike. The temperature has dropped, the nights start before I down tools and the layers of kit now required feels heavy and restrictive. Having missed a series of Thursday night rides because of business commitments, I could very well decide to just take the winter off and hibernate until Spring!
I coincidentally bumped into Jolly, my club cycling buddy who guided me through my first chain and cassette change earlier in the year. He was leaving the Broom Wagon as I arrived for my long very black caffeine fix. He too had missed a number of rides and we empathised over the arrival of winter. A pact was made, however, that if both agreed to go, we'd attend this week's evening ride.
The day, Thursday 22 October arrived and reluctantly I suited up and rolled down to the Kings Arms where I joined 8 Pedallers in the dark under a silvery moon: Barry, Derek, Gillian, Handbag, Peter, Relay, Steve, and Tigger. No Jolly! But the good news was that ‘routemaster' Tigger was back. We'd been lacking a ride leader of late and even I, one who has the route sense of a lemming has had the dubious honour of stepping in. So this was great news for me. The route Tigger crafted took us over the new Stop Line Way Cycle Path, too dark unfortunately to see the river bridge, such that I did not even notice we’d crossed it! There was then the ubiquitous climb which today took the road up from Colyford, through Shute Vale, briefly across the A35, and then the down hill return to Seaton via Wilmington, Offwell and Farway Common.
Handbag & Gillian peeled off after Colyton to join the 7:30 ride, leaving the the remaining seven to continue the climb. Some of the back roads to the A35 hardly deserve to be named as such, with central grass patches and broken tarmac. It is becoming a real challenge these days to find traffic free routes with quality surfaces. The Roubaix, however, nimbly traversed the moonscape, with its gel suspension and newly shod winter tyres; its dented and squared off rear rim, however, does now need some attention; I’m sure I was feeling bumps where there were none!
After the slow and steady climb, we then had the joy of that gradual descent over the swift and smooth surface that spans the 10 miles from Honiton golf club to Seaton. Barry, Peter, Steve and I (now christened Tacho, something about being the single true source of ride telemetry!) took up point, performing a pro style chain gang that even a hooting car could not upset. An array of wildlife was also out and about. A luminescent barn owl crossed between us as we made our way to the common and a pack of baying hounds was released as we paused too long at the Northcote Hill junction of the A35, although fortunately the owner’s perimeter fence was sufficient to keep them tethered.
So, after a little early trepidation, a very enjoyable ride was had and to top it all were back at the King’s Arms for the strike of 9:00 to join the MTB and 7:30 riders in a round of drinks, chips and chat, the perfect way to end a day in the office and may be my motivation restored!
Oh yes, and the stats .. 23 miles covered in 1hr 46 min an average of 13.3 mph 1,644 ft of ascent, and the route ..
I coincidentally bumped into Jolly, my club cycling buddy who guided me through my first chain and cassette change earlier in the year. He was leaving the Broom Wagon as I arrived for my long very black caffeine fix. He too had missed a number of rides and we empathised over the arrival of winter. A pact was made, however, that if both agreed to go, we'd attend this week's evening ride.
The day, Thursday 22 October arrived and reluctantly I suited up and rolled down to the Kings Arms where I joined 8 Pedallers in the dark under a silvery moon: Barry, Derek, Gillian, Handbag, Peter, Relay, Steve, and Tigger. No Jolly! But the good news was that ‘routemaster' Tigger was back. We'd been lacking a ride leader of late and even I, one who has the route sense of a lemming has had the dubious honour of stepping in. So this was great news for me. The route Tigger crafted took us over the new Stop Line Way Cycle Path, too dark unfortunately to see the river bridge, such that I did not even notice we’d crossed it! There was then the ubiquitous climb which today took the road up from Colyford, through Shute Vale, briefly across the A35, and then the down hill return to Seaton via Wilmington, Offwell and Farway Common.
Handbag & Gillian peeled off after Colyton to join the 7:30 ride, leaving the the remaining seven to continue the climb. Some of the back roads to the A35 hardly deserve to be named as such, with central grass patches and broken tarmac. It is becoming a real challenge these days to find traffic free routes with quality surfaces. The Roubaix, however, nimbly traversed the moonscape, with its gel suspension and newly shod winter tyres; its dented and squared off rear rim, however, does now need some attention; I’m sure I was feeling bumps where there were none!
After the slow and steady climb, we then had the joy of that gradual descent over the swift and smooth surface that spans the 10 miles from Honiton golf club to Seaton. Barry, Peter, Steve and I (now christened Tacho, something about being the single true source of ride telemetry!) took up point, performing a pro style chain gang that even a hooting car could not upset. An array of wildlife was also out and about. A luminescent barn owl crossed between us as we made our way to the common and a pack of baying hounds was released as we paused too long at the Northcote Hill junction of the A35, although fortunately the owner’s perimeter fence was sufficient to keep them tethered.
So, after a little early trepidation, a very enjoyable ride was had and to top it all were back at the King’s Arms for the strike of 9:00 to join the MTB and 7:30 riders in a round of drinks, chips and chat, the perfect way to end a day in the office and may be my motivation restored!
Oh yes, and the stats .. 23 miles covered in 1hr 46 min an average of 13.3 mph 1,644 ft of ascent, and the route ..
Friday, 2 October 2015
End of My Sabbatical
If you workers out there ever get the opportunity to take an extended time away from the office, just do it! Back in July, after 25 years with my employer, I embarked on a 3 month sabbatical. The word sabbatical comes from Latin: sabbaticus, from Greek: sabbatikos (σαββατικός), from Hebrew: shabbat (שבת) (i.e., Sabbath), literally meaning a "ceasing". Sabbatical is mentioned in the Bible, Leviticus 25, when God spoke to Moses at Mount Sinai, instructing that in the seventh year he should let his land have a year of sabbath rest. Thus, I probably waited a little long and took too short a time! Either way, I had a terrific rest and completed the majority of those things I set out to do, those things that work just gets in the way of. My final act, and it had to be this, didn't it, was to go for a long cycle ride with my friend and favorite Broom Waggon coffee shop proprietor, Glenn .. also known as the Near Naked Man.
Glenn shut up shop to ride with me, on this last day of freedom, what a way to end my sabbatical!
Glenn shut up shop to ride with me, on this last day of freedom, what a way to end my sabbatical!
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| Glenn shuts up shop to ride with me |
The weather was fantastic, more like summer and it turned out to be not only the last day of my sabbatical, but also the last day of wearing shorts and t-shirt!
Our destination was Bridport where we refuelled at the amazing Soulshine cafe.
Thank's Glenn, much more that I can say about this ride, it had the weather, company, great food & coffee and terrific route .. cycling at it's best. Back to work next week :-(
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