Retirement.

In shortly under 6 weeks time I will be redundant from my job, a casualty of the government cuts. For me this is a positive step and I am looking forward to it. I have plans and these include a lot more cycling.

A real pain!

Not being able to cycle because of the inclement weather is a real pain. But on the other hand, of the sum total of all the worlds pains it is not really that dreadful. And now I have to go back to work tomorrow, albeit for only one day. Having missed cycling, the holiday was still really great and I rearly look forward to going back to the office. Already plans are afoot for the June holiday. Hopefully going to Hereford and I have never cycled there, so something to look forward too. Also, my local Sportive in Swindon is around that time. So training needs to be done and will continue as soon as possible.

Back to it.

At last, today was warm enough, for me at least. Personal records show that this was to be my first ride of any substance for 4, possibly 5 weeks. The snow and ice had largely cleared and it was time to go. Nothing too difficult, a couple of hours would do it and definately stick to mainish roads too boot. The group consisted of 3 riders of differing tallents. One young and raring to fly the other two, old farts you may call them. Not a good mix for a group ride, but still a group of sorts.

Minor problems from the off when it seemed that Race Blade mud guards are not always compatible with all bikes, back tyre rub. Fixing this meant a number of stops en route and luckily the guilty rider was more than capable of catching up. Ten miles in, a puncture. Rider number 2 cursed. These things always take time and mostly involve only the ride thus cursed to fix it. I pushed on up the road to carry out an inspection of a local minor road regarding ice and to have a pee! Road surface not good so decided on a more main road back. More rubbing of said race blade and several stops later steady progress was still made. Did I mention another pee stop? Need to get that checked out!

Notwithstanding the various tribulations still managed 25 miles in just under 2 hours of actual riding. Not really good I know but at least it was 25 miles. Now I only have to another 300ish miles by the 31st to get the 6k in for the year. What chance that I wonder.

Car problems

Once again life gets in the way of cycling, or at least the car did. My 100 miles are rapidly slipping away for this week. It was turning out to be one of those weeks where, "every little helps". I missed out on 30 odd miles on Tuesday because of a bike mechanical as explained. So Wednesday and Thursday should have netted me about 20 or so miles and with a further 10 on Friday would have left me with 40 over the weekend. However, the car problems left me unable to use the bike at all. I am afraid that no car meant no riding. Odd really when you think about it! Usually no car equals loads of riding, but no this time.

Cycling cock-up.

Today was a cycling cock up from the start. What with cold and possibly wet mornings coupled with dark evenings, not to mention my age, I find the motivation to cycle the fifteen miles to work increasingly difficult to find. I had checked the weather forecast yesterday and it seemed just about acceptable for the morning ride. Got up, stretched on the Lycra and went to carry the bike through the house. A very flat, rear tyre. Not so long ago I would have changed the wheel and carried on. Not now though, just the excuse I was looking for and so took it. Out of the Lycra and in to the car. Prepped the spare bike intending to at least cycle to the office from an edge of town car park. Parked the car, out with the bike and on my way. Half way through the 3 mile ride I realised that I forgotten to bring a front light. I would need it to cycle back, legally, later in the day. Options, buy yet another light or return to the car and drive in. Having already enough lights I opted for the later option. Trouble was that there was nowhere to park. Ended up having to park a mile away, cycle in but push the bike back to the car in the evening.
The moral? I suppose it's, don't be so bloody lazey; the easy way out is often the most trouble in the end.

I recently bought a copy of Cycling Weekly's new publication Cycling Active. Don't really know why because it is mainly just a repeat of everything that I have read in Cycling Weekly. Still it is quite nice to have it all under one cover. My copy started on page 35 missing pages 3 - 34. It then started at page 35 again! Crap, really. Have attempted to contact CW about this but have had no luck via the phone or via email. So no big deal, it is only £3.99 after all! Still, I expect better than that from IPC. Just another massive company that doesn't give a shit about it's customers, I suppose?

It's really odd cycling in the dark again. I now have to use the Dawes and it feels so leaden and heavy. Since buying the Roberts earlier this year, I have been using the Pnarello for work. Areal treat. It always seems so fast and light, a real pleaure to go to work on. And now it is back to the Dawes and all the lights, darkness, huh, don't you just love it? Still, riding home on Tuesday was ok really, no, it was more than that I enjoyed it. Roads were dry, no traffic to speak of, it was fun and really who needs to go fast when it is dark? It is probably safer to go a bit slower what with dodgy road surfaces and stuff. Tomorrow though, it is finish work an hour early day, so no lights are required. So, one last chance to use the Pin, oh yeeeeeeeeeeeees!