Month: October 2008

Monday: Work: I’ve had better days, another entry in the black book. Once your in the black book that’s it, your going to find it very hard to get out of it. 
That aside I spent an hour in traffic getting to Europa Pools, spent 30 mins in the Gym trying to get on machines in peak time.  9  in Louise’s Spinning class tonight, a couple that I do recognise and and a couple that are new to me.  Profile of the class looks good. Upped the speed work a bit but still can’t match Louises level.  Put this girl on a bike and she would fly.
Watched Ironman, better than I expected.
Tuesday: Morning spin at West Kirby planed with a gym session after. Wish I hadn’t signed up to Tesco Diets dot com or more specifically not given them my email address. They keep bombarding me with I should be 63  to 81kg rubbish and a BMI of 23. Dream on. BMI 26. I have stopped the mail for what it is worth by the way. Got the time of the class wrong and forgot the hand towel in the rush. Missed breakfast and had to have some fairtrade orange out the machine after the class. Gym afterwards. Weather grim. Lost a kilo. Washed two kits as I’ve got on tonights class too. A couple do the two back to back morning spinning classes which would take some doing.
Shouldn’t have missed breakfast this morning as I felt rotten in the afternoon.  Evening class had a couple more blokes in it, but doing two classes does take it out of you and you can’t do your best on the second.
Roads are gritted for the overnight frost so it doesn’t look to promising for tomorrow. Time to get the Tacx turbo out and do the Pyrenees.
Wednesday: Ride day, sort out the winter kit first.  Found one glove of three pairs  so it’s going to be that sort of day. Same with overshoes. I’ve a cupboard stuffed with the stuff. This sets me back a bit and a check with the weather forecast means it’s a dress warm day. This mean Crane Sport Winter Bib trouser from last year, Discovery Channel Winter Jersey and this years Crane Bike winter cycling jacket. This was it’s first outing and it proved to be very good, the chest pocket for a wallet proving a big improvement. Longer fitted sleeves with a zip mean they proved a good match with the pair of Crane Sports Cycling gloves. 
When I eventually got on the road I was cruising down the top road with the Edge bleeping away as I was still on a course from the other day.
You can imagine my surprise when Olympian, Barloworld Pro Cycling Team Rider Steve Cummings goes past along with Gavin. Opportunities like this don’t grow on trees so I grabbed a wheel. 
Should have took a picture of this. Eureka was packed with the 10 o’clock rides just about to go out.
A mix up with my order for breakfast meant I missed all the rides and there were 4 Northend groups going out today.
Looks like a group of big hitters were going out with Steve.

Breakfast in me it was time to get out on a solo ride. Opted to go to the Ice Cream Farm, went down Rake Lane for the first time to join more familiar routes later on.  Passed the Crocky Trail which was busy as it half term which was surprising at it was a bitter day. This was also the case at the Ice Cream farm but with toddlers.
There were a few cyclists but it was mothers, kids and grandparents mainly. The little lad on the table next to me blurts out ” Grandad are you going to take your teeth out in the car”  a couple of times. Well there is no answer to that and it did raise a few smiles. 
Just as I’m about to leave  Carol and Mary and the Northend arrive with two first timers with them.
One of them has a Trek 1.2 that I looked at last week. Made my own way back after the stop via Chester, the cyclepath and the new A5117 bridge. This gave good views of a snow capped Moel Vamau. This bridge is a godsend to cyclists using the Eureka as you don’t have to cross the dual carriage way anymore.

Back at the Eureka I have a chat with Keith Boardman who asks for one of the cards with the site address on it. It was Route56 on the way home via Willaston.

What I haven’t mentioned was how the clothing performed all day and it was a bitter day. Winter bibtights were good but I don’t get on with the chamois. Crane Bike jacket gets good marks, the jacket front is windproof, the arms are not totally windproof and you may notice it at times. That’s when you need a windshell. BBB neoprene overshoes performed well and the Crane Sports cloves were good up to a point.
With hail on the fields from the previous night there were times when the hands were cold, if things go any lower I’ll put another layer on and take a set of warmer cloves out.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/1207239
53 miles.

LifeStyle and Weight Management Course followup class. 5 off us turned up  to Ron’s class, I’m still learning things every month from these classes and tonight it was about crunches and what a waste of time situps are.

Picked up a puncture on the ride, not the phantom tacker but hedge cutting by the Thatch (Raby).
Still a struggle getting the Conti tyres off.

Thursday: Last nights Thai takeaway had me back where I started the week. 10 mins in the Gym morning spinning class, weights and ran a mile 10.5 km/hr to start but backed off to 10 km/hr after 1km.
Bought the comic on the way home and some cycling mags in the afternoon after I had repaired yesterdays puncture. Evening class, upload the data to Training Centre and out for a Northend club night. Sould be able to set up the Tacx in the office now it is clear of all the kitchen stuff. Gritters out again.
Friday: Changed the oil on the Polo which isn’t a five minute job as there is an engine cover to drop and clearance is restricted. Should have had this as a rest day as the Friday spinning class was well down. The bike has a resistance setting like a light switch.

Tested coursepoints at night for the 705 on the way home. Cheated by doing it in the car. BP OK.
Watched the UCI track champs on BBC2 digital. Some empty seats, and it was sold out months ago.
Saturday: Took the day off. Had a play on the Xbox and went to Maplin to buy one of the Camelion Cell Phone Powersticks for £3. Works well and even comes with a bag that you could tie to the handlebars.
Track champs on Beeb 2.
Sunday:

Monday:  First the bad news the blood pressure is up, I haven’t been checking it like I should have been assuming it was OK. The good news is the glass finally arrived. Read the CTC magazine and there was an article from Peak Audax about the the audax from Cheadle to the Eureka and back.
Don’t know whether it wise to drive out to Cheadle then cycle to the Eureka, cycle back and drive home.
It’s a nice ride by the way.
Managed to get a spinning class at West Kirby had a good go with a 177 bpm burst at the end.
BP not helped by frequenting takeaways while the kitchen is being done.
Tuesday: Booked in for Barbara’s first class, BP the right side of 90. Gym afterwards, did a program on the side stepper that proved harder than it looks much of it spent at 300 watts which gets a good sweat on.
2 Km row in 9:05 which is relaxed. Weights, shower and home. Told one of the class about this blog and the lifestyle and weight management course.
There has been a bit of a pattern in the weight swings over the last few months, I work 4 on 4 off. My weight rises on the days I am in work mainly due the the latte Costa Coffees and the complete lack of exercise. A twelve hour shift with 40 mins travelling each way doesn’t leave a lot of time for that 30 mins of exercise we all should be doing. 4 off no problem, it all goes down here.
New music for Barbara’s class tomorrow so no more finishing to dooby dooby do, dooby dooby da.
Aldi for some lunch on the way home had them dishing out mince pies.
Picked some bits up for the car, looked at some expensive stuff at the Cycle Surgery and went for another spinning class at Europa Pools. First class 6:30.
Still too many not turning up for classes here too.
Mapei kit tonight as the Disco kit is in the wash. You get a few odd looks in Birkenhead wearing this kit.
A couple of machines in the gym before the class. 
One newcomer in the class tonight with a couple of regulars. Louise’s classes are good as she is always on the bike and makes sure everyone has some tension in on the climbs.  Had some feedback from one of the class about the site. She turned up this week with her own fan, see what you’ve started Hanni.
Listened to Radio 4 on the way home and punctures came up again for the second time today. Stayed in the car to listen to the end of this one as it was so relevant to what’s happening. I’ll put it in the new CTC page when I get around to writing it.

The talk I had with the woman from Barbara’s spinning class did have some benefit. She wanted to go out with a group but not a club as club riders are too fast. I mentioned the CTC and the slower pace and did mention mudguards and punctures.  No mudguards meant it was a mountain bike so the tyre issue comes up. You need slick tyres to stay with a group on road bikes. Next thing is punctures. The phantom tacker came into the conversation. I carry two tubes and a puncture outfit as I have to be self sufficient on a ride.
A leisure rider carries nothing as it is a phone call or pack the bikes onto the back of the car if things go wrong.

The CTC ran women’s beginner rides this year as there is a picture in the Link mag I’ve just received.

If your a woman looking to expand your cycling you need to be self sufficent. There are Knights in shining armour out there but you need to be carrying a tube, a pump some tyre levers and a puncture outfit and a pair of tweezers. If you carry less it’s  a walk back to where you started and even 8 miles is a long walk. 
Practice at home first as there is a technique and a cold wet day is not the best time to try to fix a puncture, trust me.

Wednesday: Ride day, desperate for a ride. Definite chill to the air these days may mean going out in the winter kit. It started off bad as I was running late jumped on the Toy only to find the battery flat on the 705. Luckily the 305 was charged up but it took an age to get satellite lock.
The Eureka was packed when I got there and it looked like I wasn’t going to get a ride as I hadn’t had breakfast. Ray came over to rib me about it. I was going to go out with Barry and Stuart to the Ice Cream Farm but caught up with Carols group going to Rose Farm Cafe. There were 13 of us in all and it proved to be a good day. It was a steady pace sticking together until the hills where you could see who was on form and who was not.
Once at the Cafe it was full of Northenders and another cycling club who were into all day breakfasts. With the economy going tits up this cafe would have had 1 customer not 20 odd.  Back to the Eureka is all downhill, Carol takes us on to the Chester Cycle path and we went across the new A5117 bridge which has really smooth tarmac. Once the sort the rest of the lane out this promises to be a top class route. Maybe the last time for bibshorts as most were dressed for rain .
About 57 miles as I forgot a stretch of logging to Backford.  Back home through Willaston and Route 56.  A great day out at the end of the season.

Shopping for bits for the new kitchen then booked a place on Barbara’s spinning class.
Run Fat Boy Run has brought about a spinning class boom here. 6 first timers tonight, two groups of three. Give Barbara her due she did look after them and they weren’t wasted at the end of it.
They did have to sign the death warrant though.
New music tonight, but it’s basically the same format sprint, hillclimb, chestpress etc finished off with a big sprint.
Great day out, woke up the right side of 86 Kg so the plan does work.
One of the Sunlight was on the bike next to me at the Gym.
Thursday: Weight the right side of 86kg and the BP the right side of 90(high normal) so back on the Ramipril. Weather turning for the worse means the car won’t get it’s service today.
 Spin, Gym. Garmin at the Bike Factory in the evening. Get your questions in fast if you want me to bring them up.
Phantom Tacker claimed another victim in the same spot on Telegraph Road cycle path that claimed me. I was under the impression I’d missed the extra tacks by not examining the repair thoroughly , this put a new perspective on this nutter.  10 minutes in the Gym and then Barbara’s spinning class.
With the new music and a sprint early on the profile is quite different to the way they were.
Picked up the comic on the way home.
Off to the Bike Factory for their open evening, Madison who distribute Garmin were there along with memory map.  Hopefully they will get back to me having viewed the site. Garmin themselves weren’t there unfortunately. Explained the importance of CoursePoints and how Garmin don’t support them with any of the planning software. MemoryMap is in the same boat.
Then Dave Newbie came in raised the missing 3rd bike problem on his 305 and said Garmin should be giving me free stuff for the amount of effort I put in helping them out.
The brocken bracket problem got raised as everyone is suffering from the odd broken tab.
Then it was in to tryout the Elite turbo trainer they had set on Alpe de Huez. Very similar to the Tacx unit I have i.e hard work if you do the full ride.
Spoke to the SIS chap about the different energy drinks and then it was home. Some very nice bikes on show with a Trek 1.2 with mudguards and lights being sold as a winter trainer.
The Specialised Time Trial bike in the window was £4500, I make do with a £30 set of tribars.
Friday: Work
Saturday: Work
Sunday: Work

Audaxing, originally uploaded by Frank Kinlan.

There was an article on audaxing in Sunday Times Ingear section. It features a weekly cycling section which isn’t a bad read.
This was the Cartoon to go with the article. Thought it that good I cut it out.

Monday: Waited in all day for the windows to turn up, did some plastering. Windows came at 5 but no glass. Got a place in the 6 o’clock spinning class thinking it was a 6.15 start so missed 5 minutes of it.
The lack of glass could mean me missing my class tommorow morning.
Just had a go at the TescoDiets.com BMI calculator which puts me in the overweight catagory with a BMI of 26 and also comes up with a healthy range of 65kg to 81kg. With a calorie input of only 1800 cals a day.
65kg seems unreasonable as I would be less than half my max weight.
I was 82 kg last year and had top form, to get down to say 80 kg would mean a change of plan with a lot more exercise built into the plan. 65 kg is just out of the question there would be bugger all of me.
I can live with a BMI of 26 there are a lot out there that are in a lot worse shape than I am. It also had me on 1800 calories a day which is 700 less than what I’m on now.
Back to Work on Thursday, hope to get in a Northend Ride on Wednesday.
Tuesday:  No glass delivery today. Now scheduled for Wednesday so no ride tommorow by the looks of things. Spin and gym at West Kirby. CTC section AGM at Willaston tonight. Had word back that the Mills Hills Audax is 3050 Metres of climbing. It looks like I threw in an extra loop around Derwen.
Two Mills section going as a sub group of Chester and NorthWales Da.
I’ve rode the events this year but little else.
Wednesday: Another wasted day waiting in for the glass, turned out the order hadn’t been processed. Now due on Monday.  Read Cycling plus with a patchy GPS shootout. Much the same findings as here, phones OK but poor battery life. Doesn’t go into enough detail IMHO.  Read the reviews of next years bikes.
Europa Pools for the Gym first then a spinning class. West Kirby full but last week there were 9 empty bikes. I need a change of music too.
The phantom tacker has made the Wirral Globe so there must have been a lot more victims than me, Dave and the chap in the article.
Back to tonights spinning class, the bikes were not set up and we are not allowed to set them up.
Sheila gave a good class with plenty of attention to posture, also splitting the class in half to have one half out the saddle with the other half seated for sets of eight, four, two and singles in no particular order.
The blog gets a mention so I’m under threat if don’t give it a good write up. Dasah was back spinning five months after giving birth to a baby girl.  2km on the Concept 2 rower beforehand. Gave the link out to the girl on the next bike seeing as Sheila kept on about the blog.
Just what I needed, a change of pace. Shower and home.
Thursday: First day back at work. Been off for 12, felt like I was retired. Nowt has changed, stuck with signing and dating empty boxes by the score. No kitchen means another takeaway. Iceroad truckers for TV and catch up on the comic. Updated Blog. Tour route for 2009 is leaking out and with a Monaco start, a finish in Barcellona and a Ventoux finish. Armstrong sounding doubtfull of a start for the Tour is ominous.

Interesting piece in the comic by Dave Lloyd riding the Spud Riley Memorial Ride. Written in the CW style of always being in the break it panders to the CW regulars. You get to see Dave if you ride  Cheshire or North Wales. A set of aero wheels and riding on his own are his style. Not to everyones taste but who can dispute his record. It fills column inches and links in to those at the top of the tree.
For the likes of me where riding the Mills Hills Audax was up there in the top 3 rides of the year it doesn’t compare. About 12 of us rode the event, I was out there for 10 hours 20 minutes. There is no break in a field of a dozen. I had a really good day with just me against North Wales and Snowdonia’s finest.
I like to read about it but the reality is I’m the guy who has a puncture and is struggling to make the time limit. I had a really good day and still rate an Audax over a Sportive. Costs less, you get a cafe stop or two and get a brevet card at the end of it. I’d hate to see this ride fold through lack of support. The problem being it is up against the Cat and Fiddle Challenge on the same day which with sportive tag attracts hundreds.  
Friday: Work. Woke up to the computer having updated itself and AntAgent working again as the Forerunner 50 paired with the computer for the first time in a week. I spend about an hour a night  getting to grips with reader comments. Some sections are really busy like the 705 page. Others get a constant stream of hits like “Aldi cycling gloves”. This is an old post for me but it still there in the top ten. Spending an inordanant amout of time trying to get grips Garmin .CRS files as they are not 705 friendly.
Saturday: Work. On call. Blog.
Sunday: Work. Sorted Garmin Course conversions out for the 705 section. Added the above Audax cartoon.
Going to add another page to Cycling Section  in due course.
Ride wise a dire week, should have been out Wednesday but wasted a day waiting for glass that wasn’t ordered never mind made. It should turn up tomorrow morning and I’ve got that appointment for my blood pressure.

Monday:Felt OK despite it being a bit of a grueling ride yesterday. Busy morning spinning class then the gym. Lost nigh on 2kg on the ride yesterday. Evening spinning class as well. Start writing the new 705 page and yesterdays ride.
Tuesday: Spin and the gym, haircut, dentist. Order 3 new double glazed windows for what I regard as silly money. Watch the economy collapse.  Update blog. Get ride pictures off camera.
Wednesday:Sun is out so it is ride day possibly one of the last rides in shorts. A late breakfast at the Eureka had me trying to catch a group. I’m now known as Garmin Frank after Anne bought Keith one for his birthday and he spent a week going through the site getting to grips with it.
Good ride to Acton Bridge for 7 of us.  
Spinning at West Kirby.  Got the last bike in the class only to find 9 empty ones.
A Festina retro shirt  arrived in the post. Looks good.
Thursday: Spinning class at West Kirby. First try out for a new Slipstream top and matching socks. Gym and weights for 30 mins. Picked up the Comic on the way home from Tesco gave the soft fruit a miss as it now £3 a punnet. Iceni front wheel to Wheelbase for a new rim.
Booked another spinning class at Europa Pools as I needed a change. One of the girls has a new bike a Scott CR1 Contessa. It has an integrated seatpost which means you only have one chance.
Four first timers tonight get the shock of their lives, two possibly tree won’t  be coming back. They were off the bikes  at 20 minutes. Run Fatboy Run is on Sky at the moment there is a section in it that sums up what a spinning class is all about for a first timer.
They wern’t used to getting out the saddle for one, that’s the problem with sitting in the gym on a recliner with a low resistance watching TV. Your just turning the legs over and not doing anything.
Saw the same thing at West Kirby in the morning.
It’s a pity really as the benefits are great for this sort of workout.
Louise does go through everything with them and tells them to take it easy  but it is still a shock. One of the girls wants a sculptured thigh muscle, well it isn’t going to happen with zero resistance in.
Hard class in that I sweated a bucket load.
Shower.
Northend monthly meeting. Much talk about the club website. It needs an update but content is king.
A bit like this site.
Home to Ice road Truckers.
Blog.
Friday: Recovery day, sort out a years worth of cycling magazines. They were about 3ft high. New tyre for the Scenic. Managed to get some pictures back on the site. Repaired two tubes for the saddle bag. Binned one tube as I was running  out of patches.
Spinning class at West Kirby and one of the women asked me if I was there last night, there had been a right set too, missed a cat fight in West Kirby, had to settle for Louise chasing off a bag head at Europa Pools. The class was overbooked and the usual suspects didn’t book in so their bikes get sold. Saw it happen again tonight.
Wore the Slipstream kit tonight and had planned to have fish and chips. One problem, forgot to pack my pants in the gym bag. Only found out after the shower so had to put it back on. Took one look at the queue in the chipshop and headed home to change. There was no way on God’s earth that I was going in there in Slipstream kit.
Saturday: Wanted a ride but maybe best to take a day out and get sorted for winter, Iceni needs it wheel picking up and the brake blocks swapping. Didn’t quite go to plan. Locking screws are solid.
Sunday: Jack day. Halfords for some brakeblocks. West Kirby busy so I called in at the Wirral way only to find no parking spaces in the main or overflow carpark. Home to watch Paris-Tours.
Spinning class at West Kirby, managed to get a bike even though I hadn’t booked on.
Read the Bradley Wiggins article by Paul Kimmage in the Times. Might just have to buy the book and I don’t buy books as a rule except off Ebay. Nice weather saw all the rag tops out on the road, could have done a small ride today  but I’m looking a couple of months down the line now when the weather is bad and you wouldn’t normally want to go out.
Time to start planning for next year.

Monday: 30 mile ride around Wirral, 3 punctures. Spinning class at West Kirby.
Tuesday: Work. lashing down, blog. Had a look at CourseMapper.
Wednesday: Work. Lifestyle and weight management course followup. Five turned up. Went to Europa Pools. Ran 1km at 10 km/hr, row for 1500 mtrs and some weight machines. Still trying CourseMapper out.
Thursday: Work. Pick up the comic on the way home. Change of plans. MIlls Hills entered online. Have two days to plan the Course for the Edge. Can’t  really do much tonight. AAA points mean a hilly ride, with 2430 mtrs of climbing.
Friday: Work. Long days mean the cycling or exercise part that I managed  to fit in is next to nothing on a work day. lost my route for Sunday so it is all down to Saturday and that is a full day too.
Saturday: Looks like a sort the bike out day. Fix punctures and maybe go to the Cycle sale at Northgate arena.  A decent waterproof jacket is on the list. The route for tomorrow  includes  the Old Shoe  which is a serious climb. Toy weather forecast( no mudguards), I hope it holds true.
Went to the Edge and the Bike Factory for a jacket and then on to the Northgate Area where I bought an Altura night vision jacket. I tried loads on and most were too short in the sleeve. These are well known makes so they should be getting it right by now.

Called in at Eureka Cycle Sports and ended up buying a Montane jacket. Walked in and Keith immediately said he been on the site for a week reading all the Garmin posts. Every search he did ended up here and he ended up spending an evening reading all the posts. Another Edge user not very impressed with Garmins none existant support for the device.
Sunday: Chester Zoo. Should have been riding Mills Hills Audax. Chester Zoo cancelled, Mills Hills it is with an online entry.
Wet ride by the looks of things. Somebodys BMW submerged at Brimstage. Arrived with minutes to spare.
Remarkable day, finished with minutes to spare.
Ride write up to follow.