2 weekends and 2 group rides due. 2 weekends passed and no group ride has happened. Last weekend we were called off by the snow and this weekend unfortunately Cleve had to pull out (i say chickened out but he says that he is truly dissapointed to have missed the ride!!).
Fortunately for me though, it snowed last weekend. I havent been able to ride as dedicated as i would have liked due to pulling a muscle in my back (sitting on the settee!).
Even though the group ride hasnt happened, today Jon and I still went out together. We started the morning with a big breakfast and on prepping the bikes we had given ourselves enough time to get ready to head off. We left the house at 8.30 and by 9.30 we had covered the same distance that a couple of months previous had taken several hours - a clear indication of how far we are progressing. We had 2 real stops to have our scheduled 'flapjack break' which does us all wonders and completed 36 miles with no real problem. Both of us didnt really feel that we were too tired and could have kept going - i am therefore really pleased at how well we are getting on. The most positive thing for me today was that there was no puncture!!!!! I did have a puncture the night before without even riding, but fortuantely no puncture on the ride!
Sunday, 30 March 2008
Thursday, 6 March 2008
Cleve's Version - 1st Team ride
So we finally got on with our 1st joint training ride .... as me & Jon powered on the A58 & i looked back to ensure the 3 of us we're still together, no sign of Matt! 1 tyre problem is unfortunate, 2 tyre problems is unlucky, 3 tyre problems & all the same person .... the man is jinxed!
Weird how the general public stare but don't actually offer assistance, must have been Matt's pink helmet, Jon tried to convince us it was mauve.
Enjoyed the 1st group ride, although probably took about 2 hours more than it should (Matt's tyres!), the flapjacks at Tesco's Harrogate went down well, for 3 energy staved boys. The planned 33 miles ended up nearly 4 miles longer (knew we should have turned left at that round-about in Wetherby).
Supplementing the training with jaunts on the turbo trainer & have sorted the route for our next group ride, 45 miles should suffice!
Cleve
Weird how the general public stare but don't actually offer assistance, must have been Matt's pink helmet, Jon tried to convince us it was mauve.
Enjoyed the 1st group ride, although probably took about 2 hours more than it should (Matt's tyres!), the flapjacks at Tesco's Harrogate went down well, for 3 energy staved boys. The planned 33 miles ended up nearly 4 miles longer (knew we should have turned left at that round-about in Wetherby).
Supplementing the training with jaunts on the turbo trainer & have sorted the route for our next group ride, 45 miles should suffice!
Cleve
Monday, 3 March 2008
Jons Blog - First Group Ride
Read my blog for February, read Matts for March and wait for Cleve's - there is a pattern that's emerging!!
I know that if you dont give a ship a name then its seen as being bad luck. Matt, give your damn bike a girly name and lets be done with it. I know that it wont look too tough when we are riding along and you are petting your bike and calling it "Charlene", but if US Marines can do it with their rifles, then I am sure you can do it with a bike. You re already wearing a pink helmet and people are already laughing as we pass, so I wouldn't worry!!
Speaking of being laughed at, when we were at the side of the road waiting for Cleve's wife to bring us the bike pump, an elderly couple passed in a car and the passenger actually pointed and laughed!! At least we are providing people with entertainment along the way!!
In all seriousness, Matt was just unfortunate. Im sure that it will happen to us all at some point. Met Cleve for the first time on Saturday and hes a top guy, however, might want to lose the cyclists skull cap thing Cleve, its not sexy!!
I just wanted to echo what Matt said about Cleve's wife as well. Thanks for that, we would have been stuck without you!!
Looking forward to the next ride now. Bring it on!!
I know that if you dont give a ship a name then its seen as being bad luck. Matt, give your damn bike a girly name and lets be done with it. I know that it wont look too tough when we are riding along and you are petting your bike and calling it "Charlene", but if US Marines can do it with their rifles, then I am sure you can do it with a bike. You re already wearing a pink helmet and people are already laughing as we pass, so I wouldn't worry!!
Speaking of being laughed at, when we were at the side of the road waiting for Cleve's wife to bring us the bike pump, an elderly couple passed in a car and the passenger actually pointed and laughed!! At least we are providing people with entertainment along the way!!
In all seriousness, Matt was just unfortunate. Im sure that it will happen to us all at some point. Met Cleve for the first time on Saturday and hes a top guy, however, might want to lose the cyclists skull cap thing Cleve, its not sexy!!
I just wanted to echo what Matt said about Cleve's wife as well. Thanks for that, we would have been stuck without you!!
Looking forward to the next ride now. Bring it on!!
Sunday, 2 March 2008
Matt - First Group Ride
The first group ride has happened and from my perspective it was a success. Jon and I were up at 6 making sure that we had our porridge before heading over to meet up with Cleve. We were met at the drive by Cleve dressed head to toe in lycra (not looking forward to dressing like that!). Knowing that Jon and I have never actually been prepared for a ride i was feeling content that our resident expert was going to take care of Jon and my slackness. Definately a wrong assumption!! Cleve had the puncture repair kit, but no actual pump! Dont know how we were actually going to pump up the tyre if we needed to! Cleve then attached a pump to my bike and we headed out. 10 minutes out and he remembered that he had left the door wide open and he garage door open with his keys in it - Excellent start and a comforting thought that all 3 of us are as slack as each other. How we will make it to John o Groats i dont know.
We powered to the end of the road and Cleve took the lead - i must say, my heart was then in my mouth thinking that he was setting a pace that Jon and I werent going to be able to maintain. However, as the ride progressed the pace evened out and everyone kept pace with the next person. That is until i had a puncture in my front wheel. My co-riders of course didnt notice that i was gone until half a mile down the road. So the guys turned around and we proceeded to take the tyre and inner tube off the wheel and took the thorn out that was sticking in my tyre. Unfortunately for us. Cleve had brought the wrong pump, so 9 miles down the road and at 8.30am we were stuck at the side of the road. We must however thank Cleves wife and daughters who had to get out of bed and head down the road with a spare inner tube and pump. Fixed and ready to go, we set off again. Just as the pace started getting up again and yep, my back tyre went flat! How unfortunate can 1 person be? Again, another thorn and we set about fixing the puncture. Another 15 minutes later and we set off again. 1 mile later and i asked the guys if that was a bumpy road because i was feeling something in my front wheel. Turned out that we hadnt put the tyre back on the first time we broke down and i had a bulge. Repaired we were off again and in the end managed 36 (nearly 37) miles. I am now considering adding an extra 3 hours per day for our ride to cater for all of our slackness and all of my breakdowns - i must say that i am just greatful that my dad is along to take care of us all!
All in all though a good ride, an even ride for all of us i think, and am pleased that we are all appearing to be at the same level.
So, bring it on guys - i am sure that the stick is coming my way now for keeping breaking down! I had it all day on Saturday!
We powered to the end of the road and Cleve took the lead - i must say, my heart was then in my mouth thinking that he was setting a pace that Jon and I werent going to be able to maintain. However, as the ride progressed the pace evened out and everyone kept pace with the next person. That is until i had a puncture in my front wheel. My co-riders of course didnt notice that i was gone until half a mile down the road. So the guys turned around and we proceeded to take the tyre and inner tube off the wheel and took the thorn out that was sticking in my tyre. Unfortunately for us. Cleve had brought the wrong pump, so 9 miles down the road and at 8.30am we were stuck at the side of the road. We must however thank Cleves wife and daughters who had to get out of bed and head down the road with a spare inner tube and pump. Fixed and ready to go, we set off again. Just as the pace started getting up again and yep, my back tyre went flat! How unfortunate can 1 person be? Again, another thorn and we set about fixing the puncture. Another 15 minutes later and we set off again. 1 mile later and i asked the guys if that was a bumpy road because i was feeling something in my front wheel. Turned out that we hadnt put the tyre back on the first time we broke down and i had a bulge. Repaired we were off again and in the end managed 36 (nearly 37) miles. I am now considering adding an extra 3 hours per day for our ride to cater for all of our slackness and all of my breakdowns - i must say that i am just greatful that my dad is along to take care of us all!
All in all though a good ride, an even ride for all of us i think, and am pleased that we are all appearing to be at the same level.
So, bring it on guys - i am sure that the stick is coming my way now for keeping breaking down! I had it all day on Saturday!
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