Great fun last night. I did the Liver Hill race oop in Rawtenstall. Simon was there and my little sis had a go too. She’d apparently started nattering to some bloke on the way back down off the moor and I suspect that might have cost her a few places….hmmm. Still, I enjoyed the change and I’m definately feeling better on the climby bits. I lost my bottle a bit on the descent, especially the bit that was like running through a builder’s skip.

Simon did very well as usual. I’ll catch him one day. 😉

Following Simon’s mileage total for last week, I’m going to start my own running total. That’ll be fun. Up to now I’ve done one ride this week (if we’re starting on Monday). That ride was ONE MILE LONG because my chain snapped. A KMC BMX chain too. Bastard. I’ve got a few bikes as my loyal readers know, but I was too gutted to get another out of the stable and sulked instead.

After I’ve painted my downstairs loo in a bit I’m doing an intervals session on the turbo. That’s gotta be worth 20 miles at least! So that’s 21 miles by Wednesday. I’ll get a couple more rides in this week before THE BIG ONE on Sunday. Me and Simon are doing a recce of the Fred Whitton route. Well, we’re doing most of it including the hardest bits. My mapping software reckons it’s a total of 84 miles with 3500 metres of vertical. Gulp. That’s gonna hurt. The bit I’m most worried about is descending on a drop-barred bike down a 1 in 3 hill with a ditch at either side. I’m shitting it to be honest. 

I’d planned a route over to Deb’s mums house “the long way round”. I rode it yesterday once I’d put the slick race tyres on the ‘cross bike. Middleton/Oldham/Ashton/Stalybridge (bloody big hill)/Glossop/Hayfield (even bloody bigger hill)/New Mills/Kettleshulme (ridiculously bloody big hill)/Bollington/Prestbury. 70-odd k’s altogether with 1300 metres of climbing. There was a headwind for the most part but the sun came out and it was just a nice ride (even the urban early bits). I made it to Kath’s in just over 3 hours including a stop for a ‘nana in Hayfield which wasn’t too bad I ‘spose.

It’s Rachael’s first birthday today. She’s celebrating it by opening loads of presents, having Dad take a day off work and take her to the swings and eating chocolate biscuits. Time really does fly, blink and you’ll miss the best bits.

The house is like a bombsite at the moment. We’ve got a joiner in who’s replacing all the doors and doing some other stuff that if I attempted them the place would look like a scene from a Vietnam film. John the joiner seems like a good bloke though – he’s doing all the bits normal folk wouldn’t think of, like making the edges of the door slightly rounded and actually making stuff look like it’s been done with the appropiate tools instead of my usual approach that involves mostly smacking stuff with a half brick.

Not much riding this week really. I’m supposed to be having a rest week next week but I’m cancelling it and I’m going to push hard instead.

Also this week I helped Budge spend a wedge of cash on an Inbred. He’ll have fun wid dat fo’ sho’. It’s a secondhand one, but looks like its in mint condition. New bikes are great.

Ok, so I’m late posting an entry about my exploits in the last week, but I’m busy innit. In the last week…blah blah blah, I’ve ripped a tyre! Yep, RIPPED IT. I’ve never done that before. I’ve repaired it too (I hope). I went out on the ‘cross bike for a road ride, got back and noticed a half-inch slash in the tyre. Presumably caused by a piece of glass.

Anyway, I superglued a piece of innertube to the inside of the tyre (a Maxxis Locust, trivia fans) and filled the hole on the outside with some more glue.

Hopefully it’ll hold.

I still can’t get over how much fun this bike is though. Riding on the road, even using knobbly tyres is soooo fast and soooo much fun. I’m using my 35 watt halogens on it too so cars actually stop to let me through, rather than aiming for my ass.

Later last week I went for a ride with Budge and Phil on the singlespeed. Oh what fun it was trying to catch them on the downhills and flat bits on a bike with one gear and no suspension. Left them on the climbs, mind 😉

Work’s really busy at the moment too, and late last week I was given an unhealthy dose of office politics. Nothing too serious but it did my nut in all weekend. By Sunday night I was like a coiled spring and decided the only thing that could save me now was a ride. I was getting right on Deb’s wick too. So…off I went in the wind and snow. The snow wasn’t too bad when I set off but by the time I’d reached Hurst Wood is was a proper blizzard. A HID lamp isn’t very good in snow either ‘cos all it does is turn each flake into a eye hazard. The contrast of pitch darkness and 60 watts of white straight down the optic nerve starts to take it’s toll, especially when one is trying to ride roots. Soon, the trail itself was starting to disappear under the winter blanket and the wind was really picking up.

By the time I’d got home though, my internal turmoil had turned into a dogged determinedness to get things sorted in the morning. Which I did, after a good night’s sleep.

Where would I be without cycling eh?

Fat And Depressed Camp, that’s where.

I’ve had a hectic week. Not only have I painted my kitchen, put some shelves up, announced to far more people that I should have that Deb’s expecting again and done all my usual other shit but I’ve done some proper mileage on the bike(s). Road riding, offroad singlespeeding, running, big hill riding in the Lakes, I’ve done t’lot.

Anyway, yesterday’s Industrial Fell Biking-arranged ride in the Lakes was a bloody corker.

I came off a couple of times actually so “a bloody corker” is apt in more ways than one.

The climb up the Walna Scar road was steep and hard. Another for the “must go back to ride a few times before Cristalp” list. I enjoyed it actually, which made me feel a bit of a pervert.

The downhill is regarded as a classic, and it’s easy to see why. Switchbacks, VERY steep sections, billions of big rocks (that move), high winds, big views and a really nasty bit at the end (just before the twee little tearoom in Coniston).

The last part of the ride was that great undulating trail in Grizedale with views of Coniston Water.

As usual, more guff and pics from this ride from the older-than-he-looks Simon Jarvis on Industrial Fell Biking… 

On the way home I got a call from the VW dealer telling me the mid life crisis mobile has arrived! It’s being delivered on Saturday!