Rapha Festive 500 2016

Wondering how I can do this while not seeming to be sad, dull, selfish or lonely !

Rapha Festive 500 2016

Give your legs the best gift this holiday season. Ride the Rapha Festive 500.

Join our festive tradition and ride 500km on the eight days between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. You'll be one of tens of thousands of riders around the world in getting up off the sofa and onto your bike. Document your adventures to win amazing prizes, and every rider that completes the distance will receive a woven badge.

Ideas welcomed, I want the badge!

Saturday Coffee Club

It's no secret that my love of cycling is only equalled by my love of coffee, so the act of combining the two brings the perfect environment for any meeting with friends!

It should be no surprise, therefore, to hear that over the past few months, a few good cycling buddies and I have formed a new group, the Saturday Morning Coffee Club. This involves us converging on a central coffee shop some 30 minutes cycle from home. Here we enjoy a relaxing natter over a strong Americano or Espresso before heading out on a 30-40 mile circuit.

Our Coffee Club Meeting Place

Yesterday's Saturday Coffee Club ride was the first bit of pedalling I've done in the last 2+ weeks and goodness did I feel it! You'll have seen from my previous blog that this time of year has really become my off-season!

For this ride, The Near Naked Man, Andy and I were joined by Coffee Club newbie, our Mr 'Who Dares Wins'! It was great to have another rider along as with Christmas party season now in full swing, regular Coffee Club pedaller, Nick was nursing the first of many a sore head / early morning balance problems and I always find chatting in peloton of 4 so much more cordial than 3.

Our rides await the Coffee Club

The route is now a regular one. We always have good intentions of trying a different one but after putting the world to rights over a coffee, we neither have the time nor inclination to change it, and let's face it, the anticlockwise Marshwoord / Chardstock circuit isn't half bad!

Where did November go?

Oh my goodness, where did November go?

This November is the first month, since I started blogging, that I've not shared anything! I almost feel I'm spouting off now just to fill the silence. I can't even use the excuse that I've been too busy cycling, far from it; historically, of all months, November has been the quietest of the year for me doing any cycling.

I have a theory.

November is traditionally the month in which average temperatures first drop below 10 degrees celsius after a period of 7 months in double digits. Could this be such a shock to the system that it takes time for me to man up, layer up and get back out on the road? November is also the month in which I got married and thus could it be that my attention is turned to my non-cycling soulmate in favour of my pedalling mates? I'll let you decide.

Anyway, the statistics don't lie; just check out my last 2 years stats ..

At least past performance (well last year's at least) bodes well for December. Return in January for for my annual report to find out how the year ended .. or earlier if you spot me becoming more chatty again.