Month: January 2012

Sunday: 60 miler today, much like last week but a lot colder and with no tail wind. Nice trip out to the ICF to see the lad and grandkids. Called in at the Tap on the way home and read some sages Xmas scroll on the noticeboard, it was brilliant. Magicshines on the way home and I was done.
Switched to a set of Bioracer winter bibs, which where a lot better than Coolmax which I have been having difficulties with.

Next up is: Vita Cycles “10 minutes of Hell” which is a unique Time Trial through the Mersey Tunnel . Some big guns signed up and I’m down as the turn marshall at the Liverpool end. Contact Vita on the  Link if you can help.
Raffle prize up for grabs for willing marshalls.
Open to all.
If we can sort it, a fastest downhill speed , radar checked if possible. It all depends on the day.
We need bodies, the tasks aren’t onerous  but You need to stay at your post for the duration of the event.  It is a unique event and we hope it will go smoothly for it’s inauguration.

Times flying at the moment and I was in work until Wednesday and generally can’t do much when I get in from work.
Thursday: Barbara,s spinning class at West Kirby. Thought I had the wrong day/time or some as there was nobody waiting for the class. Parking space was difficult to top it off.
It finally twigged when the Zumba class emptied out at about 10:30. There is only one PA system and the spinning class can’t have it until the Zumba class has finished. Decent class and I didn’t get a water bottle poured over me this week.
Friday: Tex’s spinning class at the Oval , more suited for blokes and cycling as there is more work out of the saddle and no chest presses. Weight machines and 2km on the Concept 2. Shower and home.
Saturday: Tempted to head out on the bike but stuck it out in the kitchen most of the day. At that stage where things need to be spot on before the worktop goes in. Cleaned the chain in the ultrasonic bath for tomorrows ride, lubed it with Goldline lube as it doesn’t pick up grit like some of the other lubes.
Forecast was windy and already a few were crying off on Twitter.
Chocolate cake was ordered on Twitter, if you don’t follow @EurekaCafe on Twitter this will all be over thew top of your head.
Sunday: Ride day, out at a decent time with the forecast being very windy.
Hit Talbot Avenue going to Thornton Hough and felt really rough, pedaling squares and I’m only a mile into the ride.
Thing’s were looking a bit better on the Chester High Road with a wind assist to the Eureka.
Ann had the Chocolate cake pre chilled when I got there with another piece taken already. This cake wasn’t going to last the day at this rate. Sat down with Vita Paul and Chris, Chris had been doing some Ten Minutes of Hell training in the Mersey Tunnel. Paul is taking it easy after going down with 2 others on the ice last weekend. All in all that was 5 falling in frosty conditions and just reinforced my view about cycling alone when it is bad.

Paul suffered a flatened Giro Atmos helmet when he went down along with some other damage, the new bike was Ok but a Sram lever damaged. Can’t stress the importance of having one even if ‘s a £30 low end one.  Saved me, saved Paul it’s not about the car accident it’s about the impact from what may in the end be your own fault.

Should have had the breakfast at the Eureka as in the long run chocolate cake was not the ideal start to a 63 mile windy ride. I headed out with Bobs CTC ride towards the Dee rail bridge where the Sunlight overtook us so I grabbed a wheel off them. My mind had been made up before hand about riding into the wind.

Instead I headed off down the Dee to Chester, saw 32 MPH on the Garmin and set a new Strava segment time of 47 KPH even beating Springy. Posted it as a wind assist but it still looks good.
Called in at the Specialised Concept Store and the Bike Factory and headed of to the Ice Cream Farm after picking up some carbon assembly grease. Good to chat with the staff as they speak the same language.

Cruised to the ICF where things are subtly changing, cyclists no longer keep the place open in the depths of winter. The playbarn, Sunday papers and free WiFi are starting to attract families in increasing number. The Ice Cream Parlor was pretty empty today.

Headed out towards Beeston Castle where the road down to “The Shady Oak” was closed which can only mean the bridge was closed. Did a loop around with a few bits I didn’t recognise, called by the Lock Gates Cafe but didn’t stop.

Next stop was the “50 p Shop” where I managed to spend £5.50 and had a hot chocolate drink at the Cafe. Nice place, if your into “Full Englishes” this is probably one place you ought to try. Clean inside with great service.

From here on there is a distinctly darker side to the ride. There is no hiding from a headwind and I’ve a fair bit to go. A sign of the times is that closed pubs are now becoming Tea rooms, a decent location is still worth riding to if it can survive.

Pics are on Facebook or G+, will include on this stream.

more to come, I’ve had the best of it.

Monday: Work Tuesday: Work, holidays booked at work. Had to take 2 days off for the Wild Wales in August. answered a few comments about the Edge 800. Wednesday:  Had planned to get out to the Eureka and join a CTC ride but had a change of plan. Dragged the Iceni out the shed for the first time in a long time. Pumped up the tyres, changed the Garmin mount for the 800 one and I was nearly ready to go. Had a query about the Cadence sensor  so tried to pair it with the Edge 800. It wasn’t having it so the battery got changed, still no joy. No magnet on the crank so that was on the shopping list. The Iceni felt good if a little heavy, it’s on 44cm bars which are a fair bit wider than the Trek and gives the ride a totally different feel. The other thing is the silence, no rattles or the wind noise that you seem to get with bladed spoke wheels. First time out for a long time with a HRM on, found the Edge 800 no problem unlike the cadence sensor. The cadence sensor menu’s are deep within the Edge 800.   http://app.strava.com/runs/3263553/embed/23106e1f678ef5506fd7685b2e98be98da133874

Thursday:  Spinning class at the Oval, Becky’s stand in had us doing some sort of pyramid  technique. It was quite hard but I didn’t expect to have a water bottle emptied over my head while filling my bottle at the cooler. My crime was saying it was “Okay but but would have been better with 8 sets of 8” .
2 Km on the Concept2 rowing machine and a few weights.

Put the cadence sensor magnet on the Iceni and gave it a test on the stand.
Should be able to give it a try on Friday.  Paid off the kitchen before the interest free credit runs out and cancelled the direct debit.

If your on Google + check out the Rubik Cube solving machine.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=_d0LfkIut2M

Sunday:  Set the cadence sensor up on the Iceni before venturing out into the cold. Temperatures were little above freezing with frost in the shade not thawing out allday.  I set  out to do the Wirral Coastal trail with a loop to Chester in it.
More a bit later.

 

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First post of the year, the end of 2011 proved to be a very subdued affair with very few prepared to set fire to £10 notes this year (fireworks).
I was in work New Years Day so no ride, proved to be an eventful block in work.

Tuesday: First day off, had a good go at the kitchen with the first all important corner unit going in. Didn’t like what I saw on the scales so time to get back on the plan.
On the website front the Dummies Guide  has taken off hit wise with the site having over 200,000 visitors so it’s time for a few changes.

Wednesday:  It was hard to resist going out for a ride but first things first.
Rather than watch paint dry it was time  for a BLT at the Eureka Cafe.
Signed up for the Wild Wales again, online and with PayPal now. RFID sign in last year just goes to show how far the CTC has advanced.

http://www.wildwaleschallenge.com

Late on I found out where all the traffic was coming from, 4th on a Google search for Garmin Edge 800. That is up against some very big hitters.
Called in at Vita with the newsagent across the road biting  the dust, things are going to get a lot worse before they get better.

Saw some of Springy’s work, would get a Google +1 from me.
More changes afoot.

Thursday:  Signed up for the Vita Cycles club, quite a productive session on the kitchen with  one of those fancy complicated corner storage units getting installed. It has to be millimeter perfect and you only get one chance.

Friday: Out for a bit of a ride, called in at Wheelbase to see if the tub puncture sealer was in , which it wasn’t and headed out for a loop around the Wirral. Took things fairly steady as I wasn’t getting a wind assist anywhere.  Good to see the Counsel sweeping the roads of all the hedge cutting over the last few days.
Went around the Marine Lake  at new Brighton which was a bad move as I had to wade through drifting sand that was about 4 feet thick with shoes with Keo cleats on.  It was like getting stuck in the Dakar.
Crunch time came in West Kirby, do I take the Grange Road climb out of West Kirby or do I wimp out.
I opted for the climb but boy was it a struggle, came 10th on a Strava segment which wasn’t too bad.
Strava.com is the latest cycling/running site where you can compare your times over a given “segment”.You can upload your entire history at one go to see how your doing.

It’s given me the chance to enter the “Col du Rest Hill” as a segment. Anyone that does it and uploads to Strava will get a time. It starts just after the bend, at a telegraph pole and finishes at the 30mph speed limit sign, 10m before the junction. Average gradient 5.6%.

Saturday: Work, no ride.
Sunday: Work, no ride.