Hello Bikey My Old Friend!

Hello blog readers.

Me after the bike ride

Hello bikey my old friend,
I've come to ride on you again,
Because a vision of me in black Lycra
riding fast and passing cars
And the vision that was that was planted in  my brain, still remains
And now it's the sounds of traffic!

You will of course noticed that this is my cycling blog! Yup! That's right, I got my little bike out again.  NaggyNeighbour had asked yesterday, "If it's a nice day tomorrow, you fancy going for a bike ride!"  She did say ten miles out, do lunch, then ten miles back, but I knew I would struggle with just the 10 miles, let alone getting back again!  Baby steps, back to the beginning, and start again!  That's how I feel about my bike.  Last year I only did 9 bike rides, nine!  Pathetic!  I really have lost my cycling mojo!  But as I have said to some of my running buddies, finding your mojo is not going to happen on the sofa, or even hiding in my running shoes!  I know I have done that since September, a few times I have gone out for a run when I could have gone out for a ride instead.

Anyway, here we are, after church, after walking the dog, I got ready for a bike ride, remembering my commando training! It was to be a ten miler I might add, not the 20 she first suggested.  It was up to be me to think of a nice ten miler, with a hill or two.  I don't think she would really enjoy doing any one of my 'loopy' training routes.  Mind you, I must say riding out with your friends is so much nicer, it's great riding with friends, need to have friends to get me out on my bike!  It's more difficult searching for cycling mojo than running mojo! For a start, you don't have to worry about traffic so much.  I have got cleats as well, will I remember to clip out, can I remember how to clip in!?  It's a worry, but I didn't let it stop me.  The weather was just perfect for it, its the end of January, and it's really quite mild, so just perfect really for getting back out there.

Our bikes

I knocked on Naggy's door and we both just looked at each other....and giggled!  Just like blimmin school girls!  I am not sure if it was a nervous giggle or an excited giggle!  I had the route planned, it's an 'ease on back to riding' route, it's the North Bromley route.  With a hill up Plaistow Lane and then one at the other end of the ride, going to Keston.  We rode on through Jubilee park, all's well so far, getting back to is is just like riding a bike......oh hang on......that is what we are doing!  I was clipping in and clipping out just as if it's a daily thing to me.  The test will be going up hills.  I always go way to slow going up and I feel quite nervous because I go slow.  I feel as if I need my feet to be free just in case.  The first hill wasn't too far off, Naggy seems to be in her element on the hills, she just attacks them, I think I may need to dig deep and attack, but not today, today it's all about getting back.....and staying back on it!

I had tried to remember where the Old Boy used to take us when we rode through this route, do you think I could remember, I knew we went on through Bromley High Street, but then I kind of took us on a slightly different route and then thought we would just cut out that bit, so we rode on to Kentish way, I was going to look for the right turn that takes us to the path by the school.  I was telling Naggy "Here, it's this turning" as I indicated to turn right only to find out that actually it was not the right way!  In the end we ended up riding along the A21 and then turning right into Hayes Lane.  This is the other hill, it's  a slope all the way from The George to Keston, our destination, the Greyhound for a pint a a burger!  It was a tough old slog, my 'derriere' was taking a pounding!  Oh my goodness, I had almost forgotten about the sore arse!  But I was just so pleased to see that pub come into sight!  Just fantastic!  I was so looking forward to my reward.  A pint and a burger.  I got a picture of our drinks, but the burger, well I was just too hungry!

It was so good!

We made our way home going back the way we came, to get to Barnent Wood Lane, I think I had enough hills for the day, for the first ride of the year, in search of my mojo! Here's a picture of our geeky stats, I don't know about you or if it's just me......but it's quite an interesting....route, wouldn't you say so?

Geeky stats