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.