Hot Hot Hot!

Hello blog lovers.

What a splendid day it was yesterday. Hot, hot, hot day. I do believe the summer is sticking around for a few days now.  Now me and the Old boy was supposed to have got up early to go for a bike ride, but sleep kept hold of us for a bit longer than we wanted.  Needless to say, we didn't get out in the morning, and then by the afternoon the sun was beating down and having us held prisoner in our home. 

We eventually got out in the late afternoon.  We decided to do just a little route, a very pleasurable, slow paced, enjoying the evening air type ride.  We went to Shoreham and then Farningham and eventually ending up at Chislehurst.  It was an uneventful ride today, and was just out enjoying the evening.  Now this is what cycling is all about.  Just out there doing it, stopping when you want, and pushing hard when you needed. And there were times I had to push hard! Those pesky hills still haven't be flattened out, despite me and everyone else riding up and down them all the time!

I went on my white giant , I am still having issues with my hands, and yesterday even my other hand was playing up, but I think that could have been when I fell of my bike on Thursday, in Hayes Common! (oh didn't I tell you about that!)

Well, Thursday I did some marshaling for the first Business 5k race in Normans Park, and I took my bike, because then I could ride to The George afterwards to meet the Old Boy for a swift one before going home for dinner.  But when I got there, the OB told me to go see who was sitting at the bar, and it happened to be an old pal of his and mine, who we have not seen for quite a while, so you can imagine what happened. Anyway on the way home, to stay safe we went across the common, with all those tire ruts and stuff....and plop! I  was off in the long grass, but it was a soft landing. But I think maybe I landed a bit heavily on my right hand, and so had a bit of pain there.

Anyway, back to Saturdays bike ride.  We took forever to do the short 20 + miles but it was a pleasant way to spend a very hot evening.!

Here is my geeky stats, you can see the start time, and the finish time! See what I mean about a pleasureable plod along!

What An Evening!

Hello blog lovers.

Today I am writing up about my exercise that I did yesterday, and tomorrow I shall be writing up todays exercise!

So to begin. It was a very pleasant evening yesterday and me and the Old Boy decided to ride out, through Shoreham, through Eynsford and a stop of at Farningham Village.  Our distance has increased before we stop for a beverage now!  I decided to use my gorgeous pink bike.  I need to get used to riding it again, and I love the cleats, and of course I can wear my shoes.

I felt comfortable all the way through to Halstead, there was no stopping there for a breather, or anything it was going to be non stop all the way to our first destination, but as I was climbing up the hill by the pig farm my hands started to become weak again.  I had pins and needles in them and I was hoping nothing like my last Friday Night ride was going to happen.  But it did!

My hands became weaker, and what you don't need when you are at the top of a hill, looking down the other side, is to worry whether you will be able to keep your brakes on with weak hands!   I just can't understand what the problem is.  I feel relaxed in my self, there is a bend in my elbows, ok, so no all of the time, and I do change position of my hands as well.  Maybe I don't change position enough.

It's all very worrying, and I am wondering, if buying my bike because it was pink and matched my cycling shoes, probably wasn't the best moves.  All though I did try the bike around the block a few times before I actually signed on the dotted line!   Maybe this old girls is only suited to the 'Sit up and Beg' style bikes, the flat bars.  Maybe I should have left the 'big girls bikes' to the more experienced cyclists.  I shall have to go and read up about this.

This is where we stopped.

A very welcomed pint here!

All though she is a very pretty bike, she can be a bi-atch!

Here she is, looking lovely against the flowers

Isn't she pretty!

I Have Missed You!

Hello blog lovers.

Well today being as it is a completely gorgeous summers evening, me and the Old Boy felt like a lazy little peddle about, just local, and enjoy sitting in the garden of a couple of establishments.  My Giant is still at my sisters house, so there is only one thing for it, I am going to have to forgo the healing process on my hands and take the bull by the horns or the Spesh by the handlebars, and go out on her!

It felt good to be back on my lovely black an pink bike, (my visions of the all gold bike I saw on Sunday, slowing going!) and of course getting my cycling shoes on again, the ones with the cleats!  I hope I don't forget that I have them on!  It has been a while now! But I am sure getting back into to those will be just like 'riding a bike'!

We really only just went up to Bromley, popped into the Red Lion at Bromley North, and then we headed towards Hayes, The George, for one last before going home for dinner.  On the way to The George saw Eve just pulling up out side Bromley South Station, in readiness for the Wednesday Weekly Wander.  It would have been perfect to join them today, if we didn't have other commitments later this evening! Oh well, next time! 

Just in case you have forgotten what my bike looks like, (and the fact that I just totally love my bike) this is it.

Without her new pedals of course.

London to Brighton 2013

Hello blog lovers.

It's fathers day, it's Sunday and it has been forecasted for rain! So what do we do? We ride to Brighton of course!

I know, it's crazy! Even the Old Boy said "Who gets up and does things like this on a Sunday?" Well, 25,000 registered cyclists do, plus all the marshalls, police and volunteers, not to mention all the spectators on route!

We were going to be taking it easy today, by getting the train to Herne Hill and then riding to Clapham from there.  We arrived at the station and carried our bikes down the steps.  After a few minutes another cyclists joined us, it was David "Marmite" Allison from Pettswood Runners.  He was all togged up in is Marmite jersey.  He was sensible, he had already parked his car at the seaside!  We were going to get back by trains while our bikes went home with Nagging Sister, and everyone else in the van, driven by my nieces dad, Roger, what a generous guy he is!

Our ride was just going to be a totally pleasurable ride, as there as so many cyclists the thought of a PB for this ride is just not possible, unless we had left at 6:00 a.m. from Clapham, and that was never going to happen!  Me, the Old Boy and Marmite all arrived at Clapham by about 8:00 ish. "Well, see you at the other end then" said Marmite, "ok cool" I expected him to be well on his way home by the time we even get half way!  We were to meet Nagging Sister and her crew at Clapham, but they had left about 20 minutes before we got there! They didn't have to rely on public transport!

We went through the 8:00 clock start, which was still just waiting to go, and then we were off! I wish I could say we sped through town like we were riding the 'Tour of Britain' but it was more like an army of ants traipsing through treacle!  "Don't worry, it will spread out a bit when we get out of London" said the Old Boy.  Now I know I am not one for speed, and I have been know to complain on one or two occasions about the fact I can't keep up, but even I found this pace, coma inducing drudgery!

I will just have to set my mind on 'Fannys Farm Shop',  that is our goal, our first stop and where we will be meeting N.S. and her man Dan.  Fanny welcomes in 25,000 cyclist and probably loads more spectators, volunteers etc. all in need of a cuppa and bacon or sausage roll, cakes bananas and what ever else is there.  In fact I heard one cyclist asking Fanny herself for one of her tea mugs to buy!  How she was going to carry it I don't know!  We arrived there, and I called N.S.  she had just left!  She must have been going through the exit as we were coming through the entrance!  They Old boy came back with the food, and then I went up to get some tea.  "It's really brilliant Fanny accommodating all these people" I said to the lady serving tea, in mugs, not plastic cups! I may add  "All the profits go to charity too" said the lady!  How cool is that!

After our refreshment stop we started off towards the next official stop to meet up with N.S.  Well, I say we started off! We got out onto the road and then was held up, one of the first accidents that was ahead of us today.  I hope who ever it was wasn't too badly injured. We eventually started riding again, very slowly. We passed by where the accident had happened, thankfully there was nothing to see!  But then just a little further along we came to another full stop!  Just a gridlock of bikes and cyclists, as far as I could see! I took some pictures of another hill, further along in the ride, (as I didn't remember to take some pictures coming out of Fannys Farm).  These pictures  were after Turners hill, but each hill that we were on looked like this!

Grid Locked

All the way up

So now you can maybe get an idea of the scale of the BHF Bike ride.  It took for ever to move just a few feet.  I called N.S. and she said that she had taken an age to get through, there was traffic lights at the bottom of the road!  "I shall meet you at the next official stop after the Pig in the Parlour, we want to get some miles in" she said to me, sounding like a cyclists now! "The Dog and Duck then" said the Old Boy.  So that would be, hopefully, where we will see them.  We also saw Marmite as well! Out of all these thousands of cyclists, and we saw him,  we had somehow managed to overtake him but he managed to get in front of us again.

Lets just skip a few miles, but with one mention of the 'Dog and Duck' which is where we did eventually manage to meet up with N.S. and Dan.  On the way to here this fantastic bike passed me by, you couldn't help but notice it, it was all gold! My favourite kind of bling, (apart from diamonds)!  And there it was parked outside the 'Dog and Duck' of course I had to get a picture of it!  So blingy, so cool! *Sigh* Well, we didn't stop here for a drink or eats, this was only to meet up with N.S. and Dan, so we started on our way again.

Bling!!!!

Then it was Turners Hill.  A hill that I have ridden up in the past, but not today.  It's a great place, a great party atmosphere. And I just love getting to here, but again we didn't stop, only to regroup, and catch our breath from riding (walking) up the hill.  As we were waiting in the crowd to cross over the road I took a picture of these guys!  They just looked totally brill!  One of them even had some rock tunes playing on the back of his bike!  Also the Old Boy had said he had seen Marmite go through as well! How he managed to get behind us again I don't know!

Rock 'n' Roll!

Any way, to skip a few miles, of me and N.S. just chatting away, the two guys were now in front of us, no worries about us being alone, (or more than likely so that they can go a tad faster!) our next stopping place is going to be the bottom of Bitchling Deacon, oh dear, I have said it again, of course I mean Ditchling Beacon.  This is the very last hill before we get to Brighton, this is where we stop for our first pint of lager!  We stopped here last year and really enjoyed it.  It helps lubricate your legs to get up the Beacon. 

There was a couple on a tandem, they had gone the whole hog and did the whole fancy dress thing, here, this is them.  I thought it was rather good!  We enjoyed a few drinks and sweeties here, lounging outside in the beautiful warm sunshine!  I think this is where I managed to get a bit of colour to my legs,  its a pity about the whole silly 'shorts and socks' style tan that I have now! 

Lets be 'avin' you.

Oh and one more thing about this particular pub, it's the loos.  They have class partitioning and glass doors, ok you can't actually see anyone, only just the shadows....that is until you do this.

Scary!

And this is Dan enjoying his fruit cocktail.

Dan

And so now to the Beacon, the Old Boy had every intention of riding up here.  By now I was really exhausted, I had already had walked up some of the hills today, one reason being was because of the sheer number of cyclists, it was safer to walk! and two I just didn't have the legs today. But when we got there it was even more jam packed than all the other hills! It was positively ridiculous! You could hear the calls "Walkers on the left" but there really wasn't any room to even lift your hand to wipe your nose!  There were some people who were really trying to ride up the hill, but that looked more dangerous than ever!  They really were wobbling about as we slowly all walked up the hill. I think the Old Boy did manage to find a 'bit of road' where he could get back into the peddles.

Me, Nagging Sister and Dan decided that to pass the time we would play a game.  The game was to name a film or t.v. programme starting with the letter 'A' and then going all the way through to 'Z'  I believe we all managed to find at least one film or programme for each letter.  We also encouraged all that was in ear shot to join in!  It was a tough long sweaty walk up the hill.

Eventually after it seemed forever getting up to the top we had time to look out over the Downs.  A fantastic view from up there.  It also gave me and N.S. time to use the pit stop.  Several pints of lager at the bottom of the hill will do that to you.  We came back only to find the boys had 'moved'. How did they move with our bikes.  We walked up further than we thought they should have been, and then walked back to where we thought we had left them.  We couldn't see them anywhere!  We had to call our support crew to call Dan to tell us where there were!

What me and bimbo N.S. had done was actually gone to the loo through one entrance and then came out the other entrance!  Which we didn't realise!  They boys hadn't actually moved at all! Unless they really were playing mind games with us!

Here is a few shots at the top of the Beacon.

Brighton Football club

Dawn Dan and alan....ooops

Dawn Dan and Alan

And me, just to show to show you that I did actually get there

And it was beautiful. The sun was still shining and I was loving it.  Knowing we only had a few miles to go as well picked up my spirit as well.  I was singing all the way down,  Which by the way, for the last part of the hill was done at a snails pace!  And it seemed that way all the way into Brighton after that, occasionally managing to get a bit of speed on.  But me and the Old Boy crossed over the finishing line, hand in hand! 

Tired, rained on, sunned on, and looking for something to eat!  We met up with the support crew, my nieces with their dad Roger, and had another pint with them.  We gave them our bikes to take home while me and the Old Boy went off in search of food.  We ended up at Fat Leo's, normally a very good meal in there, but today, not so good.  Maybe the chef was a bit tired as well!

Geeky stats, and my Garmin stopped before we even got on to Maderia Drive! But at least it still says we got to Brighton.

Out On A Giant!

Hello Blog Lovers.

Well this has been the longest significant ride since the FNRttC!  My hands have started to get better, praise the Lord! And just like my marathon, I have to virtually do the next long ride without hardly any saddle time!  I hope my bum and hands will survive the ride to Brighton on Sunday!

Today our little ride was just 20 odd miles through Shoreham Village and then on to Eynsford.  The weather was overcast, and a little chilly to start with, but the ride up the A21 soon warmed us up.  I am riding my white Giant Escape today, my hands are still a little weak and I didn't want to have any problems changing gears.  It's a hilly ride, well it is for me!  And my biking fitness has taken leave of me! I am trying to get it back!

I had to pull up at the garage to adjust my seat!  For some reason it no longer feels right! It feels just to high for me.  The Old Boy thinks I have worn a couple of inches off my legs with all my running!  So after the adjustment was done we carried on our journey to Shoreham and beyond!

It was a slow slog up the hill to the round about, but we eventually got there.  And then it was the couple of hills before the down hill into the village.  I tried to relax on the handlebars, no gripping too hard, keep my hands totally relaxed. I think I managed it, but occasionally I did have to grip quite hard, the road surface is not the best down there.

We went straight through Shoreham village and rode on up to Eynsford. This was our stop for a beverage, at the Plough.  Just stopping for the one, here, this is us.

The Old Girl



 

The Old Boy

                                               And this is what we were enjoying.

After this is was straight home, via 'Foo Kin Hill' I am very pleased to say that I pedalled up each hill! Even though I was so very tempted to get off, especially Foo Kin hill, after the stop at Eynsford it's always a shock to the system to get on the saddle have to pedal up a steep long hill!

But I am glad I managed it! I think Brighton is still a doable ride for me, and if I just treat it as a nice day out then I won't put any pressure on myself to get anywhere in a particular time!  At least this time we are not expecting the family to be down at Brighton waiting for us!

Geeky stats.

Chasing The Sun!

Hello Blog Lovers.

This blog is a little behind schedule and there is a perfectly good explanation for that, and it is because I was too tired to write it up yesterday, after I had finished a ride that I started on Friday night! Thats right, its FNRttC again!

You would think being as it supposed to be summer time (and someone did say in the group that the longest day is due shortly) that the warm weather would be here! But there we all were, just as the last time I did a Friday ride, all wrapped up, hats, gloves, and buffs with waterproofs secreted about in various pockets. Some even wearing theirs.

1. Hyde Park Corner - The Gathering

I was excited about the nights ride, I do like having a challenge to do, and I remember the last time I did this particular ride I didn't feel well, but I  managed to keep up with everyone. But this night I was feeling good and very confident.  I was also on my new wheels.  The first long ride for my beautiful pink bike, I know she will do me well!  (Sorry I called her she again!)  The Old Boy was also taking out his new bike as well, give them a good test run.

We met Big E along the A21 and then we all made our way to Hyde Park Corner. There seemed to be a ton of traffic about and it also seemed that we got caught up at every set of traffic lights! I am sure it took us longer to get to HPC than it had done before! But still, we arrived there about 11:30, plenty of time to catch breath, catch up with chit chat and join in with the safety talk by Captain Leggy.

There were about 60 or more crazy souls prepared to cycle to Burnham-on-Crouch, our destination for breakfast! There was a least a dozen newbies on the ride and quite a few faces that I remember from the other rides I had been on, Mice, and Susie and Long Martin are just some of the names that I can remember.  In this day of equality Susie was designated as our 'All up woman' and the tail end Charlies, Mechanics and WayFinders were all given their roles, all very important roles to keep the ride moving as smoothly as possible.

We soon had the call for the 'off'. The excited chatting group of cyclists, hunched up at the side of the road, ready to cross and leave HPC. The lights were green for us, a Wayfinder stood in the front of the traffic to make sure that we all crossed this first set of lights together, after that, we all obeyed the highway code, just as all other road users.   We snaked our way through the traffic,  passing our great tourist attractions, Big Ben beging one of them.  I recalled the last time I was passing Big Ben, it was on April 21st, as I ran/walked towards it, 3 miles left to do of my very first marathon! I big smile came to my face as I remembered.

Heading down the embankment I noticed some young girls, who obviously had been out partying or maybe even on their way to another one, three of them had flat shoes on but one didn't. This one in particular had a very high pair of stilettos on, "I bet she wished she had flats with her now" I thought to myself" Just then I watched her as she took a step, her heel didn't quite make a straight landing and I saw as her ankle twisted.  She fell over, her bag spilling on the pavement as her friends quickly came to her aid. Yup, I really think she wished for some flats heels now! 

We carried on our way through the streets of London stopping for a regroup near the Tower of London. The Old Boy pointed out the pub that he and the rest of my family had been in while waiting for me to come pass at mile 22. Again another smile came to me as I recalled that moment I saw them all, 18 of them! A great and welcoming sight they were too!

We weaved our way through the traffic, stopping to regroup one or two more times, we had use of the mechanics today as a puncture was fixed before we even got out of London.  I do love riding through London at this time of night! Just for the people watching!  'Gents' having intelligent  (beer fueled) conversations over the last cigarette of the evening, with fingers drawn! Girls tottering out on the high heels! Will we ever learn!

Going through Essex was just as interesting! The night life there just as bustling.  A young lady, again, in high heels, was having difficulty walking, her young man very sweetly took off his trainers and gave them to the young lady to walk home in, he walked in his socked feet!  (I didn't actually see this, it was retold to me at our Stock stop). Another group of very young looking girls, walking through our throng of bikes as we stood waiting for the regroup, talking about some young lads and the f's and blinds' coming from their innocent looking faces, just didn't fit! So very Essesx!

I was determined not to be the last one that holds up the ride, over taking some of the group to make sure.  I was most pleased with myself when I actually overtook some one on a flyover! And not on the decline side either!  It felt good to actually do that manoeuvre!  But there was no time for patting on the back, there was still plenty of miles to go.  I was determined this time I will see the sun rise in His glorious splendour, over the trees!

It seemed quite a fast paced ride, not quite the genteel ride as it was the first time I went on one of these rides, or maybe, I was just tired. I know I hadn't been in the saddle as much as I would  have liked to, but I have done a couple of long rides to help me prepare, I hoped they will hold me in good stead!

I was concentrating on keeping up with everybody, not being the last in the group, I hardly noticed the transition from town to countryside! It was just so peaceful. Shooshing through the lanes, enjoying the peace, the traffic free roads, and if by chance there were any cars about at this time in the morning then you could hear the calls of the Fridays, "Car up" or Car down" everyone was well briefed and kept to the safety instructions, pointing out "Hole" as they spotted them. The winter had taken it's toll on our roads, that was for certain!

I started to develop problems with my hand! Weakness, numbness! Trying to change gear was getting very difficult! Thankfully I was able to pull the brakes on with no problem!  I pedalled out going down some hills, changed gear to the big cog so I didn't lose momentum, Then changed again with difficulty to the middle cog.

2. The Moon was full!

But then I came up hill, I tried to stay in the middle gear, it was just too hard. I pushed over to the small cog to get me up the hill, I only just managed it as my fingers buckled from the pressure! What was going on!  I was getting a bit concerned.   When we got up the hill I tried to change back to the middle cog and found that I couldn't do it!  I really had to concentrate hard and push it as hard as I could to get back to the middle gear.  This time I will stay in the middle cog! My right hand had no problems, and thank goodness for that!

We were having a stop for tea at Stock, the Tully family very kindly opened up the scout hall for tea, cakes and savoury roles! And the muffins! Oh what can I say about the muffins! "You can fit at least 20 candles on these" the Old Boy said when he saw them!  I was very glad of the rest, and the warmth!  At least this time round getting to this point I didn't cry, or puke up! But I wasn't feeling too well! Maybe that will pass after something to eat, and a nice cup of tea!

There was a good buzz in the room, people chatting, taking pictures, eating and saying hello to everyone. One chap was fixing his bike after a puncture, it seems this trip has had a few victims to the dreaded puncture!  I helped the Old Boy see off the giant sized muffin and I managed to eat a roll.  The Old Boy managed about the same as me, and we both had two cups of tea.  Big E was his usual self, devouring two rolls, huge muffin and two teas!  How does he do it?!

3. Stock tea stop.

As we sat in the room I looked out of the window! The sky was getting lighter, the sun will be making an appearance soon!  Time to go. Captain Leggy gave the orders, he thanked the Tully family for being up at silly o'clock in the morning to deal with the ravenous cyclists crazy enough to cycle from London to the sea side over night, and we wrapped up and said our goodbyes.  The money raised from the proceeds of our feast will be going to their new changing rooms I believe!

Now it's time to chase the sun! I want to see it rise, show its glorious splendour in the morning sky! I have yet to see a magnificent sun rise, the other times it was cloudy, or we were stuck in a motorway services keeping dry while the heavens opened!  My hand, however, didn't get any better with the rest! I really didn't think it would! I was just going to have to do the rest of the ride in middle gear, at least I still had the right hand side gears to get me up and down the undulations that I knew were to come.

The midway snack and tea was very unsettled in my tummy! I hoped that it will stay there!  This ride seemed to be taking it's toll on me. I was wondering if I am just not cut out for the long haul, no sleep, cold weather crazy rides with the Fridays.  All though I was keeping up, and I wasn't at the back with the tailend Charlies and All up Guy, I was finding it tough going.  Speeding along,  as it seemed to me anyway, I was concentrating on my legs to keep them spinning all the time!  My new pedals were beginning to really annoy me as well, the whole 'dual use' thing is the most annoying thing, ever! I couldn't clip into the left foot! Looking down to try and spin the pedal was not an option anymore, as I really needed to concentrate on just moving with the flow.  I think now I have cut my teeth with the clippies I need to invest in the 'real thing'.

The WayFinders marked our route as we turned left and right, heading towards the rising sun. When I saw it, it was just beautiful! An orange orb bobbing up from the horizon turning the sky red.  I wished I had enough energy to stop and take my phone out to take some pictures, but all I wanted to do was to keep on going to our next stop!  I am sure there will be the front riders who will stop and take pictures, maybe I can post them up when I speak to them.


4. Stunning picture of the rising sun!

As you can see, I did speak to Mice! She chased down the sun and captured this beautiful picture, with the "wisps of clouds, like christmas dectorations" as she said.

We took another right turn to face a huge mountain! Well it certainly looked like a huge mountain to me, I just knew there was no way I would be cycling up this hill, I am sure there was also another hill that I walked up, or maybe I am jumping the gun at bit, but I know there were two hills that I walked up. But this particular one the Old Boy said that he had a puncture.  Boy, was I glad about that! I nice rest before I even walked up the hill!  As he started to change his inner tube, I suddenly didn't feel very well at all.  I just knew that the roll and half muffin I had eaten was not going to go to Burnham!  As the Old Boy changed his tyre I was chucking up chunks in the greenery!

5. Me and the Old Boy

I told the Old Boy that I would start to walk up the hill.  The back riders had still not caught up with us and I really didn't want to be at the very back.  I walked up the hill, looking at the sun as it rose colourfully in the sky! I was soon at the top. Back on my bike I started to ride along. This time I was by myself. There was no one in front, no one behind, not a sound of cars or aeroplanes to be heard, only the wooshing of the air as I flew down the slight hill.  A sparrow started to fly just in front of me, it felt as if we were having a race. I pretended that we were as I pedalled just a little bit harder to try and catch up with it! Of course, even the sparrow was faster than me. He was probably just teasing this Old Girl.  It seemed ages before I heard the Old Boy behind me "You did quite well getting this far" he said to me.

Just a little further on, after the various WayFinders pointed us in the right direction we came across the main group. They had waited for us.  I started to ride a bit faster,  The Old Boy and Big E were behind me, both of them with their Garmins, and of course both of them commented on the speed I was going! I am so going to have to get one of those.  I deliberately left my one behind, as I just knew I would forget to turn it off and on again, and it really does annoy me when I have just half a journey to log. 

Just then some of the tailenders came up and spoke to Big E "I had a puncture, I wanted to catch you up and then do a fast bit of pedalling into Burnham for breakfast" He said. And with that they rode off.  They looked as if they were just poodling along, no effort, but I had no chance to keep up with them!

A very quiet sleepy Burnham! Hope the cafe is ready for us!

Burnham-on-Crouch sign stood proudly boasting its name! I had made it! And I wasn't the last one behind, ok, so I wasn't in the front runners, but I had made it.  Tired, completely dodgy hand, but feeling good that I was there! I saw the sun rise and raced a sparrow. I rode along with 60 or so people and I rode along in complete silence by myself! The rain stayed away for 95 percent of the ride, only rained on the way to HPC.  And I felt the warmth of the sun as I rode towards it, warming up my cold bones.  It's just so good to be able to do this!




 

This is me trying to make myself look glamourous before the Old Boy took another unflattering photo of me!

 

 

 

 

 

7.. Breakfast at Burnham-on-Crouch

After breakfast though it was time to make our way back home. Three option were given to us, or for some, four options!

1. Get a train from Burnham, then change and get another train to London
2. Ride another 17 miles to Witham and then get a train from there direct to London.
3. Get on the ferry and ride to Hockly or Rochford.
4. Ride all the back home (And believe me, there were a few certifiable's doing this option)

I opted for option 3.  It's fun to go by ferry.  And it was only another 6 miles riding to get to the station.  A newbie to the Friday rides was also taking this option, and she asked if we were going to be going fast! Me! Fast, after all those miles, no sleep and a completely dodgy hand, no, fast is out of the equation.  But maybe I should have asked her that same question though, as she was quite speedy as she led the way to Hockley using her IPhone maps to get us there.

8. First boat load of intrepid cyclists.

Geeky stats






Photos 1, 2, 4 and 5 and the very top one curtesy of Mice, a regular Friday nighter, and doing her part as Way Finder and photographer!  Read her blog here the5milecyclist.blogspot.co.uk

Mid Week Plod!

Hello blog lovers.

It's not that long now before we have to get our selves sorted for the London to Brighton bike ride, trying to tackle that huge horrible Bitchling Deacon!  I really do want to try and get up it again! I know, crazy eh! I think that last time I attempt it I was not a happy bunny! I could have quite easily have had some cycle road rage thing going on, with .....shall we say two particular individuals that were really only trying to get me up the hill!

Any way, today it was the usual Halstead and Biggin Hill route, but I really do need to try and push hard up the hills, something that I really don't like.  And, to be honest, I didn't quite achieve it. I still plodded up the A21 and the Knockholt road! But still, there is still plenty of other hills that I can practise getting up at speed and with power! Fortunately they are short and sharp hills, interspersed with some flat sections and even some down hills.

Our goal is to get to Keston, The Greyhound pup, and I hope it can be within my fastest or maybe even a pb for this particular route, even with the 3 minutes stops at the top of Halstead, by the round about, then at Cudham north lane, for another 3 minutes, and the at the Shampan!

The thing that I was quite pleased with about todays ride was the bit just before we have to turn left to get to Keston.  After all those long hills, and the little undulate hills, then the long rest as we flew down Biggin Hill, usually, by the time I get to that particular hill there is just no power left in my legs.  But today, I found a bit of energy to push myself up these last bits of hills.  I could hear the Old Boy behind me saying "That's it, keep it going, you're doing well!"  I just wanted to get to the top as quick as I could!  Lets check the geeky stats out, see if I did just that!  (I nice link into my geeky stats, I thought)