Monday: Matthew Street Festival. Great day, caught the sun. Saw some good tribute bands.
Tuesday: Work, OT. Gym shut.
Wednesday: Breakfast at the Eureka then a Wirral ride, 47 miles. Got a call from my mum that my dad was in hospital and my brother needed taking the airport as he is emigrating to Australia. Told him not to mention the GB cycling team.
Thursday: Started to lay the laminate flooring that I was going to start Wednesday. If your going to dig a hole for yourself you may as well make it a deep one. Bailed out at 9 pm with it 3/4 done.
Friday: Work, still aching in the legs from Thursday. Obviously using a totally different muscle group. On call.
Saturday: Same as Friday and I’m still hurting.
Sunday: Work. Better but it’s still there. Only had the one ride of note this week. Ordered a Tacx Imagic turbotrainer as I plan to do more indoors as the nights draw in.
A lot of it is to do with the work/life balance, last year it was in my favour, this year it is tipping the other way(if I let it).
Lost out on some Ebay items I was bidding for. A Discovery Channel shirt signed by the 2007 team including Armstrong went for $700. When I say the team, everybody had signed it. The other items were Dura-Ace for time trialing and I lost out by £1.
Ride wise a poor week if you exclude the Wild Wales last Sunday.
Buying a fancy Turbo Trainer is a turning point, I just can’t fit the miles in anymore.
Countless people say you need to do the miles and to a large extent it is true.
Next week promised to be better but a fair bit of catching up to do, still that floor lay.
Month: August 2008
Wild Wales 2008 (The ride)
What an event packed ride. Another great event organised by Merseyside CTC.
The weather forecast was a bit mixed, damp at first with sunshine to follow. It proved to be spot on. Rain overnight meant the roads were damp at the start. I’d opted to fit the raceblades to “The Toy” and although the rear was fine the front was on for the first time and it was a niggle throughout the day. Bending it in the car to the event didn’t help.
What made the ride was the other riders. Two years on I’ve met so many good people I wouldn’t know where to start. CTCers, Northenders, The Sunlight, people I’ve met at the Eureka, Ice Cream Farm, Audaxes and all those that know me from this site and the Garmin articles.
I’m about an hour early at the start but at least you get a place on the start carpark, it soon fills up and then you are in the carpark in Bala.
Time flies and soon it time to sign on and start the ride. Riding with Allan, the two Chris’s and Charles. Slightly delayed at the start we head out around Bala Lake, I took a few pictures of the group but the one with the lake in it comes out top. The weather is brightening up and the odd rainbow appears.
It’s been relatively easy until now and once past the caravan site we hit what must be the toughest climb of the day. Time to change down a gear or twenty. I didn’t get off to a good start, the chain jumped off the new granny ring and I was only about 30 ft up the climb. Time to ride back down and start again.
Had to stop to get the pictures is my excuse. A great climb, heartrate through the roof and we are only a couple of miles in.
Now there is a saying that Campag wears in and Shimano wears out and to a certain extent it is true. Shimano shifts faultlessly thanks to profiled teeth and the likes of chainlifters on the chainrings. Once you mess with it like I did it all goes out the window.
I wore the middle ring out after about 6,000 miles and replaced it with a BBB 7005 machined chainring. Looks great but doesn’t shift like the original.
It was a problem throughout the ride. Poor shifting or derailment just when you most needed it. Maybe great on a double but on a triple it just leads to trouble.
Back to square one.
With the steep bit over it’s a series of moorland climbs this was the final one with riders dotted across the hill. Came across a Northender walking and thinking it was Dave Large yelled at him to get on his bike as I had my camera ready only to find it wasn’t him. Oops. I’ve compressed the pictures on the site as they capture most of the ride but when you see the 6mp version there is an amazing level of detail.
Steep downhill section after these few onbike shots had me on the drops to get that extra brake modulation. Not enough leverage on the hoods to stop if something went amiss.
The first control at Llanelltyd. Lots of familiar faces here, can’t put a name to them all but you get to know people by their club or their CTC group or even just doing a ride with them.
The next section involved two river crossings and another stretch of climbing. The first river crossing was priced in the ride. Nice ride across the river and I missed the first turn left by 10 yards. Time to engage that low gear again. The initial climb was steep with a hairpin bend thrown in for good measure. Slackened off a bit after that but you knew it was always up. A couple of gates on this section held open until we all got through.
Met up with Roz of the Sunlight on this section who was riding at her own pace, a bit like myself. Once at the top it was all downhill to Barmouth. Talking to Chris a bit later on two riders crashed and landed on top of each other on this section and when I came through there was a walker pushing a boulder off the road.
Roz taking a picture of Barmouth.
I slithered down the hill to the same point as Roz, Look Keo’s aren’t made for walking.
One of the big things with this ride is cattle grids. There are loads of them and along with them are punctures. I stopped counting but it was a question of not hitting them too fast or not enough air in the tyres or both.
A ride isn’t complete without a puncture picture and that is to come.
The footbridge to Barmouth was a special part of the ride, the views across the river where great, riding across it reinforced that and there was time to take it all in for the queue for the toll booth, which was quaint as it gets.(you had to wait for your return ticket even though we weren’t coming back) Little Britain sprang to mind.
This is the view of the estuary while waiting at the toll booth. Chance to chat with others that had walked across and explain the ride. For a lot the walk across the bridge was the only exercise they were going to do that day. Bala seemed a long way in a car never mind going over what we had for fun.
I miss a load out on these rides but I stopped for a Northend photo at Barmouth.
Spoke to Dave Large to see if they were stopping but continued on with Matthew who had stopped for me to go back. Once through the one way system there must have been about 2 miles of traffic going into Barmouth. Amazing what a Pelican crossing can do on a Bank Holiday weekend.
On this section a black Merecedes goes past and out of the window I hear ” Keep going, Frank”. I didn’t have a clue who it was at the time.
We caught Roz up again and she had a wheel until it started rising. Then it was a right turn that we missed by 20 yards and things got lumpy.
Most car drivers gave us enough room today, only had two close shaves of note. One skimmed Matthew riding to the wooden bridge on an A road and the other was on the hills above Harlech when a 4×4 didn’t want to slow down on a narrow lane which was uncalled for. Car comes by with two girls what I thought were leaning out of the sunroof. It was worse than that they were standing on a tow bar bracket clinging to the car.
We are now in bright sunshine, the wind is in our favour and it’s as good as it gets. Sweat is pouring out of me on the steep climbs, dripping off the peak of the helmet all over the Edge. Due to the high salt content it’s white in colour which is a cue to take on more of the electrolyte I’m carrying.
Found out who was cheering me on after Barmouth, it was Carolyn offering support for her brother who I met last year on a CTC ride. This was on a tree shaded steep climb. I did ask why she wasn’t doing it at the stop, too hard was the reply. She does have a point, there are enough warnings in the entry form.
One of the clubs has marked the route with blue arrows, these aren’t the CTC markings I was told at the start. I did make a few mistakes in the route planning, the most notable one being the second stop where I was in a pub carpark. Letting the software autoroute me instead of turning left the junction before. Whatever we are only talking a couple of minutes.
Now my route has me doing another few miles than the official route distance. I did end up in Tansarnau when I should have turned off earlier. Saw a Sunlight backup vehicle on the A494 and then it was on to one of the harder climbs of the day. As we approach the turning I hear a familiar Garmin bleep. It’s not mine though but the chap behind using a 305.
Full sunlight and I’ve still got my armwarmers on!. It’s signed as Magnox Power Station.
It is steep but I’m struggling with the shifting as it is stuck in 39×27 and just won’t have it. Any other day and it would be fine. I have to stop as the hill rears up and I’m not going to make it in the middle ring. I was doing fine until then but another couple of degrees of incline would have seen me off.
There is a big guy leaning on a farm gate half way up telling me I’ve done the worst but it is still steep to the summit. That sweat I mentioned, it’s just pouring out of me.
A bit of a mistake on the descent due to my autorouting but at least I make the village hall.
Met up with Matthew again, had some decent cake, filled the bottle and it was back on the road. Northend were coming in so it must have been down to the stops that I had got ahead of them. Now I’m not that strong a rider but if you know where you’re going that usually adds an edge to your ride. Heading back Tempo, Brad and Chicago pass us but turn off on the main A road to Bala (Gods road if you’ve ridden it on a motorbike), our turn is a mile further on.
By the log cabins they catch us up and pass us but as we are climbing Tempo is dropping off the back. We are further back but cresting one climb he is by the side of the road with a broken chain. Turns out it his second, I fish a section of chain out of the bag along with a Shimano pin. Can’t leave the club captain in the middle of nowhere. Looking at the chain I’m not surprised it broke, it was mass of grease picking up a load of grit and crud to boot.
Stopped at the summit for the next two pictures so lost touch with the other two then it was a fast descent until that first climb where it was back on the brakes.
At the bottom of the hill is the final cattle grid and it claims another victim, Barry. Only six miles from the finish too.
What I can’t work out is how they got in front of us. No ride is complete without a puncture picture so here it is.
Set off towards the finish and I had Martin on my wheel. Dropped back a bit to get a lakeside cycling shot in brilliant sunshine.
Martins jersey looks like he robbed it off The Riddler.
Missed out on a couple of good ones. Signed in at the finish and got the slate. Nice picture of Barmouth Bridge on it.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/647719
Garmin Connect has me at 3,300 metres.
Great ride, thinking about it we could do one of these a week if we put our minds to it. Nice to have a sag wagon, but what do the locals do.
8600 feet of climbing. Finish time 17:10
Finished the post a week later, again if you’ve done an event like this there is a load that doesn’t make it into anything you may write up. The memory stays though.
Lidl Saddle Bag
Put Lidl’s £5 saddle bag (with a full complement of tools) to the test. If you don’t do the miles it is great value. Should get you out of a fix.
If you do do the miles you probably have it already.
Changing a tyre with the plastic tyre levers was hard work. The curved end just wasn’t up to it not pulling the bead over the rim. Best to invest another £1.50 in a nylon pair that will do the job.
I carry nearly 1 kg of spares on an Audax and look to reduce it further.
Hex Wrench is fine. Chain wrench should be fine as long as you have a spare link or two for your chain.
Two cable ties and some tape and possibly some folds of Gaffa tape and you should be fine. At least one tube and a decent puncture outfit should see anybody cope with a ride misshap.
Weekending 24 Aug 08
Monday: Morning Spinning class at West Kirby, had a good go and took it up to 180 BPM at the end. Gym afterwards for nearly two hours. Had 45 minutes on the cross trainer which was 500 calories and intervals of 200 and 300 watts.
Watched the Team Pursuit on the flatscreen TV, awesome and another gold medal.
Rowing, 2000m half way through I remembered I’ve done this in 7:52. Well outside that so I had a go for the last 500m to peg back the losses. 8:50 nearly a minute down. Fell off the pace for the last 250m. Side stepper was about 350 calories.
Weights, shower and home.
MOT the car in the afternoon and out on the bike if it passes later. A two hour ride should see me around the Wirral. Well the car passed so it was off to Deeside for a a look at an all singing dancing Turbo trainer. They’ve stopped doing them.
Spoke to Chicago while I was there.
They had carbon fibre Raleigh’s for £800 (I think) which is an unbelievable price. Campag equiped it looked clean.
Throwing it down when I got out so it was off the Cheshire Oaks for Cycling Plus and a browse of the mags. Ended up buying another Fuji camera, now 12 megapixels for the same money.
Another class at West Kirby in the Mapei kit as I’d run out of Disco Kit. Another shower and home.
Tuesday: Booked a 9:30 class, leaves the rest of the day free. A chap comes in taking his mums ride not knowing what he had let himself in for. Bet he doesn’t go back home and say he got wasted by a class full of women.
Watched another great day at the track. Wrote a CV and sent it off so I could be on the move.
Wednesday: Ride day, last one before the Wild Wales.
Rode out to the Eureka wondering what to do not having had a decent ride since the Audax. Plenty of Spinning but no rides and spinning isn’t riding.
Went out with Carols group and and at one stage there were 14 of us heading out to what I thought was Delamere.
I was playing tail gunner, we had a little split at Cheshire Oaks where Lisa and myself got delay at the turn due to traffic. Caught up with the group a little later but there is a fair distance from the front to the back of a large group and the front doesn’t know whats happening at the back.
We went through Kingsley where Lisa went of the back again as she doesn’t descend too well, I was in no mans land watching the group cycle off into the distance but with no sign of Lisa having made the first turnoff.
It wasn’t until a gate at the River Weaver that I caught up and was able to tell the group.
Carol, Lionel and another went back. The rest of us continued on to the destination at Acton Bridge.
This was us crossing the River Weaver and the canal. Really nice for cycling around here and this was all new to me.
The ride.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/603470
Now we ended up at a Cafe where a F.E.B with chips was the order of the day. I’ve had mine at the Eureka so am looking for something that isn’t going to pile on the pounds.
Jacket with Tuna springs to mind and I have got to give credit where it is due they ask me if I want Mayo or butter. It came with neither and was just right.
The sun came out for the ride home and Lionel had joined us once he got passed the Swans and cygnets on the above lock gates.
Les struggled on one of the climbs on the way back, if you think you are having a bad day there is always someone who IS having a bad day. Fairly straight forward once you know the lanes. Once back at the Eureka we are wondering what had happened to Lisa for her to turn up 20 minutes later. She had gone to the ICF and made her own way back.
Home via the missing link and I even managed to put 0.2 mph onto the average to take it up to 15 mph.
Great day.
Gym at West Kirby and managed to get the last bike on the Spinning class. Hot class and I’ve got a woman who looks like she is training for a triathlon next to me. The two girls behind are on their second class , which is good as many don’t make it past the first.
Shower and home to round off an even better Great Day.
Thursday: Work. Keep the site up to date. Picked up Cycling weekly on the way home. Really good press for the track successes. Tending to downplay expectations when the training results seem to see us on on top form on a regular basis.
Gave an analysis of the funding and it was significant it the track success.
Part of that success is that ordinary Joe’s like me can have a go for the princely some of £12 including the bike.
For this you get the basics of now World Class coaching. It struck me as highly disciplined right from the start. You did as the coach told you or you were out of there. Not quite decided on whether to go for a pink slip yet but Northend club nights may suffice.
Friday: Work. Home and sort the bike out for Sunday as there is going to be no time tommorow. Finnished the route at 11.30 pretty sure this is the right route, it’s took me long enough. Just had a look at the Google Earth link, absolutley stunning. The full route from a helicopter.
Saturday: Work.
Sunday: Wild Wales day, praying for good weather.
Look Keo Recall
Look are recalling a lot of their Keo pedals.
Now I really like my Keos as they are a really positive clip in.
Ran out to have a look at mine but will have to use a magnifying glass to look at the year of manufacture. Month OK but two different months on either pedal.
Go through cleats fairly quickly but the lastest version have a rubber insert that costs you another fiver. Don’t know if it’s durable yet but it’s supposed to stop you ending up on your ear.
Dave Lloyd Mega Challenge 2009
Didn’t ride this year but toyed with the idea. Next year is even tougher.
http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/dave-lloyd-mega-challenge-gets-harder-17965
I’ll see how I go on the Wild Wales. Even the mini is going to be tough.
Same hills that the Wild Wales and the Audaxes go over just that it does them ALL.
One to train for.
Weekending 17 Aug 08
Monday: Morning spinning class at West Kirby followed by the gym for some weights crosstrainer and the side stepper machine. Evening spinning class also at West Kirby.
Tuesday: Morning spinning class at West Kirby. Really suffered on this one, wasn\’t up for it at all. Gym for some weights then shower and home. Looked at some camera,s in Chester in the afternoon then home.
Louises Spinning class at Europa Pools, got a space as three canceled. Weights in the gym before the class.
Can see why Louise went down well at West Kirby when she was covering Barbara.
If she’s meated out 8 sets of 8 for the final sprint followed by 6 sets of 8 it will have caught a lot off guard. Some like it fast with next to if no resistance.
I do tend to check my workout against the HRM as no resistance means no benefit.
A better class than in the morning, shower then home.
Wednesday: Work. Re do some of the Wild Wales Route.
Thursday: Work. Northend meeting night.
Friday: Work.
Saturday: Work. No ride, throwing it down when I got home. Blog, watch cycling and thats about it. TacX turbo looks good. Awesome day at the track, glad to have seen the prelude at the velodrome.
Sunday: Had planned an early ride, but the Olympics are on and the weather is bad and it is a Jack day. Feed the ducks. Looked for a new camera.
Changed the front tyre on the winter trainer as I need to get out on it. Summers been a bit of a washout with me avoiding going out. Continental Multisport going on this time to replace the Rubino Pro.
Spinning class at West Kirby and I forgot to put the water bottle in the bag.
Another good day at the track.
Wild Wales 2008
Just got the Route today and here is my interpretation of it.
If your using Internet Explorer and having trouble with it loading try using FireFox
it is a lot lot quicker when using BikeRouteToaster.
13 Aug 08 tidy the route up a bit. A few problems around the 80 Km mark as I’m 50 meters down on the route profile at that distance.
Another one is which side of Afon Wen (river) are we on.
http://bikeroutetoaster.com/Course.aspx?course=16188
http://bikeroutetoaster.com/Course.aspx?course=17548
17548 is the final version. It’s the route I’ll be riding on Sunday. I’ve cross referenced it with Tracklogs for the telephone box turns.
Riding it as a Course this year on the all new singing dancing Edge 705 with Maps!!!
Don’t forget your quid for the toll at Barmouth.
Horseshoe Panorama Audax.
I’d toyed with the idea of riding the 220Km event to settle on this one as I thought a couple of new climbs was enough fun to be having in one day. I’d got up early enough for the longer ride and only realised the event started at 9 AM when I checked the routesheet. Had the Nuvi guide me there and it did a great job in getting me there with the time of arrival very accurate.
Time to sign on and watch the 220km riders set off. There is also a 400km ride going on that rides the 170 km event too.
All pictures blow up to fullscreen if double clicked.
Met Joe who comments on the Edge 705 page in the car park. It seemed like a sensible idea to ride together so we did. There was another chap doing his first Audax, new to cycling, hadn’t ridden that far before.
Once we had set off there is jockeying for position as various groups of riders settle into their own pace. It’s about 18 to 20 mph at this stage and then a small climb sorts us all out. The chap doing his first audax drops off. Club riders start moving up towards the front and it’s about staying on a wheel. There was a chap in a PDM top that was always just out of reach.
Then we had a bit of a log jam with a combine harvester blocking the lane. PDM chap squeezes through then the group with Joe got through and I was near the back and with a bit of hesitation a break had formed. There was a last minute alteration to the route that didn’t do me any favours so I ended up following a group of four.
Untill they got the route wrong and did a U turn. Guess who left his route sheet in the car. Then it was into map mode on the Edge and see where I could rejoin the route. Rejoin it I do and the Edge picks it up again and recalculates the Virtual Partner.
I’ve been on my own for a few miles now but recognise parts of the route.
This roller coaster has been in another Audax that passed through Chirk. We missed it because we followed the road down the steep hill to the river. There was no missing it this time as it is a short steep climb on the turn by the farm buildings.
After two humps of the coaster it was left turn and into that granny ring again. A track that defines the word rough. Picking a fine line up a steep climb that will have you spinning out on the loose stuff.
Glad to get back on the black stuff and after negoticating the roundabouts there was a stretch downhill on the A55 that was a blast.
Opted not to take the aqueduct foot bridge as the Aqueduct 200 will take some beating but wanted to do the hill that we came down. Stopped at the top with two others in front to take in an energy bar.
Steepens up by the canal bridge. You don’t see too many people down the bottom as it easier to take the path on the aqueduct.
Before we got to the bottom of the Old Shoe we saw a group of Merseyside CTC coming the opposite way. Peter from the Northend informs me that no one from the 400k returned any greeting to him as he greeted them all. A 5 am start on Saturday morning may explain it.
This was early on so it couldn’t have been the group I rode out with. Just goes to prove you are never alone out there.
The Old Shoe is a genuine 1:5 ,20% gradient from this point. Minimum gradient is 1:10 or 10%. I stopped at this point as one I was maxxed out and two it was a good location to take a picture. Upwards to the Ponderosa was a 20% climb with riders walking, below was slightly less steep with riders walking.
Now I’d gone down to a 26 tooth sprocket on the granny ring and I’m still in trouble on these climbs. Somewhere in the downward picture is someone walking, it’s an impressive climb whichever way you look at it.
Stopping to take the photographs has sweat dripping off me, rolling of the front of the Atmos. There is this further 20% effort to go to the Ponderosa which is now doable but still hard work.
Once there it is a bit surreal, the place is packed. Randoneurs looking to replenish some carbs in quick time, Bikers on all day breakfasts and car drivers that could do with a walk never mind an 80 mile hilly bike ride. Ex-biker myself, haven’t been on it for over two years. I get a better buzz these days using my own steam.
Further on North Wales Police are pulling bikers for whatever they have done wrong.
Took a panoramic multi shot that I need to work on.
Going down the Shoe was quick and I got buzzed by a biker that I wasn’t expecting.
Llangollen was busy with traffic but I was soon through it.
Had to stop for this shot of the bridge before the Aqueduct, missed a better one a bit further back that was obscured. We went over the bridge twice on the route once in each direction, next up is Methodist Hill.
The second picture is just after the first turn as at 18% I’m in no position b to take pictures.
This is the last climb of the audax and from here it is all downhill so to speak.
Couldn’t beileve how quiet Chirk was, the whole ride was virtually traffic free and even on the ride back to Upton Magna the roads were remarkably quiet.
On the last stretch I’d been on my own since the top of Methodist Hill. Not a bad thing as I’d been passing fields off rippening corn wondering whether to take the shot. I didn’t but the immageary was superb, a bit like the Tour de France and the sunflowers.
I’m chugging along at my pace expecting a chaingang or two to come steaming past but it doesn’t.
With around 10k to go I catch up with another rider who turns out to be on the 400km event. I didn’t get his name but we have a chat and my arrival spurs him on not only upping his pace but dropping me for a section. He’s a lean guy riding a steel bike with a saddlebag and a routesheet. His route following is equal to the GPS. I still have a lot to learn. Puts my effort into perspective, come across a guy who is doing it for 400 km.
Now in the early section of the ride there is a chap in PDM kit who is always off the front and is in a break (not surely on an Audax) when a combine harvester blocks the road.
Next thing with a couple of Km to the finish he is at the back of a group of four.
“No Prisoners” this time to some protests. 400km guy is spurred on again, no slacking in pace with the end in sight.
Lots more to write up, but at least the pictures are now up.I’ll try to fillin the gaps and there are lots. A great day out.
Saw Joe at the finish, everyone had a good ride. Saw bits of Britain at it’s best, first Audax where I was on my own for a decent part of it. The 400k guy put a different perspective on things, rode to the route sheet, steel framed Mercian with a rack.
Me bling Carbon bike, satnav, good for a day ride but little else.
Weekending 10 Aug 08
Monday: Morning spinning class at West Kirby followed my a session in the gym. Went on most of the equipment along with a 30 minute session on the crosstrainer.
This had me burning off a paltry 275 calories or a Mars bars worth.
The plan is to loose 4 Kg to get back to what I was last year or at least get close to it. We are looking at close to 5% increase over last year. No wonder I’m finding things hard in the hills.
Now we are talking 36,000 calories in 4 Kg so it isn’t going to happen overnight. As I’m supposed to be on around 2,500 calories a day It’ll mean watching what I’m eating and especially what I’m drinking.
Bought a window that is coming Thursday so that’s taken care of.
Had the chance of making another spinning class to get off to a good start but decided to make sure the window job wouldn’t get delayed.
Carted a bag of plaster and a bag of sand an cement into the house each weighing 25 Kg. One is heavy enough but two is truly frightening.
Camera has packed up as I was trying to download the ride pictures so no audax write up yet.
Tuesday: Morning spinning class booked. Hot class even with the fan. A lot are doing the two classes. Gym for an hour, weight machines and ran a mile at 8.5/9.0 Km/hr. Shower, then home. Seeing as it was throwing it down I booked another class in the evening.
PM work on the house. Looks like the ride is out the window as I need to urgent work before the window arrives on Thursday.
Spinning class at West Kirby. Really hot, no fan. Lots of banter.
Wednesday: Big ride day. Worlds End if the weather is good. The weather not looking good, rode to the Eureka for Breakfast. 85.3 Kg this morning, so the weight is going in the right direction. Home, sort the window out. Spin and maybe the gym.
No gym as it is shut for two days for a refurb. Sheila’s spinning class after a wait. £1 an hour to park is steep. Good class, no second guessing Sheila again. Intervals and pyramiding on sections of the class were hard work for everyone. Hot and humid due to it absolutley lashing down outside. Shower, run to the car, home.
Thursday: Fit a window day. It could have gone a lot worse. No spinning today but bought a Chris Carmichael Time Trial Training DVD. Looks like I’ve got a lot of work to to on my cadence.
Found this on Velonews. http://www.velonews.com/photo/81438
Friday: Depends how Thursday goes. No ride by the looks of things. Finished off the window, found the receipt for the duff camera. Gym and a spin at West Kirby. Had planed on a training ride with the Northend but the Olympics are on and it’s cycling first thing.
Gym was full of guys hogging machines and not moving on. Bad time five on a Friday. Margarets spinning class, sweated a bucket, a steady build up of intensity followed by a great stretching routine.
Saturday: Cycling at the Olympics first thing. Had planned on a training ride but it can wait. Rain put me off a ride. Wild Wales route came in the post will plot it as a Course. Got a full refund from Costco for the camera but what to replace it with.
I like the look of the Panasonic FX35 with a wide angle lens but it feels a but lightweight. The Fuji F40fd did have a robust feel to it.
Lost the Wild Wales route as I forgot to save it first.
Sunday: Watch the womens roadrace and a Jack day. Means no ride. Maybe a spin. Feed the ducks on the Liverpool Leeds canal.
Margarets Spinning class at West Kirby.
Frank Kinlan's Blog 