Pulling Power!

Hello blog lovers.

Forgive me blog readers, it's been a while since my last riding blog!  And today was just a perfect riding evening, clear skies, not cold, definitely no rain! What is not to like about this evening?

Me and the Old Boy eventually got ourselves ready and out of the door.  We were a little bit later that I wanted to be so were only going to go on a shorter ride, up to Downe Village and then Jail Lane before making our way home again.

I felt the A21 a bit tough today, don't know why, could be that it's been a while and I'm just not used to it again, but I kept it going.  We soon got to the turn off for Farnborough Village and then we have that lovely down hill to shire lane.  I kept my brakes on, I still don't just freewheel down here, not like I used to on my white Giant.  I don't know why, but I think I still get down it at a fair rate!

I was psyching myself up for that ascent to Downe Village.  I was determined to do it all in one go, no stopping, no pulling over, no moaning, just get up to the top.  After the lovely down hill we turned right and then left to make our way up to the top of the road, Downe!  I still find that ironic, I am sure who ever name the village had a sense of humour, maybe the little 'e' and the end of the name is the old way of spelling 'down'!  Anyway I digress.

We got to the top and then had a little break, the old boy was fiddling with his headlight, and I was much appreciative of the break!  But we soon headed up Jail Lane.  It's not exactly flat, but it's not as steep as the road we came up. There were some down bits, some up bits and some flat bits,  read on to find out exactly how I know this! We made our way steadily towards The Jail, but before we got there, the Old Boys bike made a funny noise and then the next thing was 'entrails' was scraping along the floor!  His chain had fallen off!

"Oh darn it, I was only just thinking about making sure I had a power link in my back pack" he said.  I am guessing that he hadn't actually acting on that thought!  So what to do now.  I certainly didn't have a power link in my possession nor did I have a spare chain!  Now to decide what to do,

1. Walk the rest of the way to the Jail pub, leave me at the pub and he can ride my bike home and pick up the car to come back for me (that was my idea!)
2. Call son to come and get us, but then his bike probably wouldn't fit in son's car, and that will also leave me cycling home alone.
3. Some how tow him to Downe village and then he can free wheel most of the way home, with just a walk up chicken farm bends.   

He chose option 3, something I wasn't looking forward to, even if it was for just half a mile!

Dragging yo' ass about with yo' entrails hanging out!

But once we got near Downe Village the Old Boy found those down hills, and he used those down hills to his advantage.  I just kept firmly behind him, just in case he needs another tow, and besides, I didn't want to go flat out on the down hills!

We had to walk up Chicken Farm bends, and then it was some more free wheeling all the way to trinity church!  Even on the path from turn around lamppost had some down hills and he kept on his bike virtually to Five Posts!  From about that point we both walked back together to the house.

Lovely evening, just unfortunate that his chain broke!  Oh well, there is always next time!

But It's Raining!

Hello blog lovers.

Can you believe that its been pigging ages since my last ride!  No wonder the whole biking mojo is hibernating!  But it's Monday, and me and the Old Boy used to always go out on Mondays, so he said, "Come on, just a short one, up to Downe Village and then Jail lane and back!"  "Ok" I said and then about 30 mins later he went up stairs to get changed into some Lycra.

I eventually came out of my blanket, and stood by the patio windows, my nose pressed against the glassed, looking at the rain!  I could still here him getting ready, maybe he hasn't looked out yet!  He came down the stairs, in his Lycra, telling me to go and get changed.  I thought round about this time would be good to draw his attention to the wet stuff coming down!  "It's ok, it's only passing"  I was a bit dubious!  I am not one for getting out there and cycling in the rain.  If it happens to start while I'm out then that's just too bad, I have to get home!

Some how I managed to drag my reluctant ass upstairs and into some lycra and warm clothing. If I'm doing thisthen I want to remain warm!  I decided to use my new running top as my base layer under my rain coat.  It's my consolation 'Sorry you didn't get VLM place" running top, as it is an autumn/winter running top I thought it would be perfect.

When I eventually got out of my house, my bike by my side, the rain had stopped, and it felt kinda mild out there.  Maybe it's not going to be too bad!  I decided to go along the dreaded A21 to the Farnborough right turn.  The rain had started again, I was sorely tempted to go back home, but the Old Boy persuaded me to keep going, "It's only a short ride" he said.  So on I plodded.

There was no speeding on this ride, there were wet leaves to think about, the rain coming down, the white lines will be wet, the yellow lines will be wet!  So I shall have to be totally focused!  The down hill on Church hill went without a hitch, I kept on my brakes all the way down. Then it was that up hill to Downe!  I didn't quite manage to do it in one go!  I stopped for just a quick breather, and I was virtually there!  But I am not going to beat myself up!

"Let's just go straight through to Keston" I said to the Old Boy "No, you're our now, might as well continue with the route,"  he said to me, I grumbled, like I usually do!  But as I was riding along Single Street and then Jail Lane I was feeling a lot more positive.  By the time I got to the other end, Biggin Hill, I was feeling bloody glad I did the route!  In fact I thought I even deserved a pint as well!  So off to the Greyhound we went.  Two pints of lager and a packet of crisps please!

Yup, pleased I went out!  Now lets try and keep it up!