Despite poor weather in the rest of the UK the surrey hills were dry and unseasonably warm this weekend. Temperatures reached 13 degrees (high fifties Fahrenheit). We did over 100 miles and over 2000 metres of climbing over the two days and I am now in serious deficit on my Brownie point account.
Big G and I set out on Saturday to reckie some of the SWRC 100 Km course. It was a bit of a mystery tour but fortunately we took a map as Big G gets anxious because my memory of routes and laissez-faire attitude on directions it means we are not always sure whether we are on the right road or where the road leads, and we did have to consult the map a good number of times.
We went out through Leatherhead, Polesden Lacy, Ranmore Common, Leith Hill and Forest Green south as far as Ellens Green before returning through Cranleigh towards Guilford.
At Shere we stopped at the Lucky Duck for a refuelling stop and enjoyed a baked potato and coffee before returning home.
A good 55 miles and over 1000 metres of climbing, however, unfortunately I was out beyond my curfew (we got back at 3 PM, about 1 PM was my limit!). Trouble!!
Sunday S joined us from MK for his first venture into the Surrey Hills, and 48 miles and 1000 plus metres of climbing later he had put us to shame on his Specialized Allez. Our performance was somewhat affected by the previous days mileage (that’s our excuse).
We started same as Saturday but after Leith Hill we turned East and came back through Coldharbour and Dorking, back up Ranmore and on to Mont Box. I crawled up Mont Box at 5 mph rather than the usual 10-11 mph and watched S dash away from me as if it was his first climb of the day. I was truly grateful of the tea, bread and butter pudding and a SIS gel at the National Trust teashop.
On our way back down Ranmore we spotted two others from the Guilford Peloton and exchanged greetings (Of course it would be easier to spot each other once those shirts turn up).
Big G has equalled his longest ever ride and has by far exceeded his longest weekend mileage, S has proved to himself that he can ride with the best of them and will be contacting his local club in MK to ride with them going forward, and I proved the leg is getting better but that I need more fitness before I do any more racing.
My brother C has spent the weekend climbing the Peyresourde on his new iMagic as the weather in St Albans has not been as unseasonably dry as Surrey, and my usual partner in crime M was confined to barracks parenting due to the work commitments of his partner (though he did get 42 miles in on Saturday afternoon).
Sunday 20 January 2008
Tuesday 15 January 2008
Back on the Bike
On Saturday I ventured out with my mate Big G for a gentle Box Hill. It was a nice morning but when I left home at 9:00 am there was still ice on the cars, but the sun was out.
I had problems getting on the bike, I was very nervous clipping in to the pedals and I was daunted by the thought of the hills. I went by Big G's house and we went out through Epsom to Box Hill. I think we caught every set of lights at red and now I remember why of late we have been going to Box Hill via Cobham or Tadworth recently rather than Epsom. I panicked at a couple of sets of lights and nearly fell off.
Everytime I panicked I tensed and this pulled on my Hip injury but all in all we took it gently and got to Box Hill without incident. As the injury prevents me from standing up to climb the hill I started gently and as we got to the second switchback Big G had opened up a 20 metre gap on me. I felt that I should put a bit more effort in and increased my cadence to catch him. I seemed to go right past, but as Big G can sometimes be a bit canny I thought nothing of it. As we came to the last corner I could hear him coming up on me so I sped up - and left him. He was having a bad day because he usually beats me. More gym training and less cakes for him I think.
The tea and cakes were as good as I remember from before Christmas and we had a good chinwag. We also met another Dynamo and his mate. He had also done the Etap for the first time last year and we chatted for a while.
We went back slowly chatting whilst we rode through Tadworth and on via Epsom race course to Banstead.
We stopped at the bike shop, Corridori (Drift Bridge), their new shop, as I had to drop my bike off to be fitted with a triple. We spent a very pleasant hour and a half chatting to Brian and Guy who own/work there and they were explaining all the equiptment in stock and telling us about the new clothing coming in March.
Corridori stock Bianchi's and Specialized and Big G is very tempted to buy a Bianchi as a winter bike so that his fully loaded Look 595 does not get wrecked by the February/March foul weather. Lets see if that Investment Bank bonus stretches that far this year.
Overall the leg is getting better, albeit slowly, so I should be OK for the SWRC ride on Feb 24th but there is still a question about skiing in march.
Hope to get out again this weekend, weather permitting, and Big G and I might be joined by my mate S who has just taken up cycling and has set his sight on completing the dragon this year. There are very few hills in Milton Keynes where he lives so he is coming to try the Surrey Hills experience.
I had problems getting on the bike, I was very nervous clipping in to the pedals and I was daunted by the thought of the hills. I went by Big G's house and we went out through Epsom to Box Hill. I think we caught every set of lights at red and now I remember why of late we have been going to Box Hill via Cobham or Tadworth recently rather than Epsom. I panicked at a couple of sets of lights and nearly fell off.
Everytime I panicked I tensed and this pulled on my Hip injury but all in all we took it gently and got to Box Hill without incident. As the injury prevents me from standing up to climb the hill I started gently and as we got to the second switchback Big G had opened up a 20 metre gap on me. I felt that I should put a bit more effort in and increased my cadence to catch him. I seemed to go right past, but as Big G can sometimes be a bit canny I thought nothing of it. As we came to the last corner I could hear him coming up on me so I sped up - and left him. He was having a bad day because he usually beats me. More gym training and less cakes for him I think.
The tea and cakes were as good as I remember from before Christmas and we had a good chinwag. We also met another Dynamo and his mate. He had also done the Etap for the first time last year and we chatted for a while.
We went back slowly chatting whilst we rode through Tadworth and on via Epsom race course to Banstead.
We stopped at the bike shop, Corridori (Drift Bridge), their new shop, as I had to drop my bike off to be fitted with a triple. We spent a very pleasant hour and a half chatting to Brian and Guy who own/work there and they were explaining all the equiptment in stock and telling us about the new clothing coming in March.
Corridori stock Bianchi's and Specialized and Big G is very tempted to buy a Bianchi as a winter bike so that his fully loaded Look 595 does not get wrecked by the February/March foul weather. Lets see if that Investment Bank bonus stretches that far this year.
Overall the leg is getting better, albeit slowly, so I should be OK for the SWRC ride on Feb 24th but there is still a question about skiing in march.
Hope to get out again this weekend, weather permitting, and Big G and I might be joined by my mate S who has just taken up cycling and has set his sight on completing the dragon this year. There are very few hills in Milton Keynes where he lives so he is coming to try the Surrey Hills experience.
Tuesday 8 January 2008
Happy New Year
I have, as have most people, been rather busy over the Christmas period - and unfortunately not cycling.
I trust Santa was good to you all and brought you flashy new cycling gear - if not, I am sure Wiggle will have something on sale you could buy to console yourself with. Myself, I got a new dhb rainjacket and my brother got a new imagic fluid trainer.
I am still suffering from the crash which was in November. This was not helped by someone running up the back of my car in mid December which not only put the car out of action (still not back from the repairers yet) but also twinged my back for which I have had physio.
Currently I am still limping from the bike crash and my physio thinks that I may have torn the ligament and muscle away from where they are attached to the pelvis/hip. He reckons it could be up to 9 month to heal. I have decided that I would rather be safe than sorry so I am off to the quacks to get referred to a specialist. Need to get this fixed before we are due to go skiing with the school in March.
The injury means that I cannot get on or off the bike or when on the bike I cannot stand on the pedals to go uphill. Once I get on the bike then I can pedal comfortably. Over the last fortnight I have had 6 sessions of up to an hour on the gym bike (but it does not seem to be shifting the tummy I have developed or the 8 kilos I have put on since the etap in July)
To give myself some goals and on the assumption that I will be able to cycle this year I have entered some races. The first is the SWRC 100k on Feb 24th, the next is the Hampshire Hilly Hundred (100 miles which I completed in 5 hours 50 mins in 2007) in May, followed by the big one - the Dragon Ride in June.
The Dragon Ride is 180 Kilometres in Wales (bound to be raining) with 3000 metres of climb. A number of others (including the Guilford Pelaton) have also entered and we have all booked into the luxurious Premier Inn at the Junction 35 Services on the M4 the night before.
Happy cycling
I trust Santa was good to you all and brought you flashy new cycling gear - if not, I am sure Wiggle will have something on sale you could buy to console yourself with. Myself, I got a new dhb rainjacket and my brother got a new imagic fluid trainer.
I am still suffering from the crash which was in November. This was not helped by someone running up the back of my car in mid December which not only put the car out of action (still not back from the repairers yet) but also twinged my back for which I have had physio.
Currently I am still limping from the bike crash and my physio thinks that I may have torn the ligament and muscle away from where they are attached to the pelvis/hip. He reckons it could be up to 9 month to heal. I have decided that I would rather be safe than sorry so I am off to the quacks to get referred to a specialist. Need to get this fixed before we are due to go skiing with the school in March.
The injury means that I cannot get on or off the bike or when on the bike I cannot stand on the pedals to go uphill. Once I get on the bike then I can pedal comfortably. Over the last fortnight I have had 6 sessions of up to an hour on the gym bike (but it does not seem to be shifting the tummy I have developed or the 8 kilos I have put on since the etap in July)
To give myself some goals and on the assumption that I will be able to cycle this year I have entered some races. The first is the SWRC 100k on Feb 24th, the next is the Hampshire Hilly Hundred (100 miles which I completed in 5 hours 50 mins in 2007) in May, followed by the big one - the Dragon Ride in June.
The Dragon Ride is 180 Kilometres in Wales (bound to be raining) with 3000 metres of climb. A number of others (including the Guilford Pelaton) have also entered and we have all booked into the luxurious Premier Inn at the Junction 35 Services on the M4 the night before.
Happy cycling
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