Weather to Ride - It certainly was Glorious!

The weekend weather was glorious, you almost felt summer was early with 13 degrees C (aprox 55 degrees F) and very sunny and dry, just a little crisp first thing as the frost lifted. Big G and I took full advantage getting 52 miles Saturday and 46 Sunday with over 1000 metres of climbing each day.

Saturday at 9:00 as usual (last three Saturday mornings) I was at the local bike shop (Corridori Banstead) to pick up my bike. Last week it had an Shimano 105 front mech that would only cover two of the three chainwheels. This week with no fuss or extra expense Corridori has swapped it for an Ultegra front mech. It worked beautifully and on Sunday my tired legs certainly appreciated the extra gearing.

At 10:40 AM Big G (on his Look 595) and I (on my Roubaix) set off from his place in East Ewell. A good 52 miles in the sunshine taking in the usual hills but as we went off Leith Hill, instead of going towards either Shere or Coldharbour, we went down Mole Street following the route of the SWRC 100Km course towards Ellens Green. At a nice relaxed pace we chatted until we met the junction of the A281 and A29. From there we rode back up the A29, up Leith, through Coldharbour, Dorking, through Dorking, over Ranmore and up Mont Box.

For a change I opted for the National Trust vegetable pastie with my coffee (choice of hot or cold (the pastie not the coffee!), I opted for hot with brown sauce). I can recommend the veggie pasties and will certainly be enjoying more of them (perhaps not a good idea when my Doctor told me this week that my Cholesterol level is 7.1 - yikes). The ride from the top of Mont Box home is always the best bit of the ride as it is more downhill than up and you can get quite a pace going (except up blasted Banstead Hill).

Saturday PM I spent up a ladder swearing and cutting my hands and arms to shreds trimming the Leylandi at the end of our garden.

Also Saturday PM, Big G went to collect his new top of the range Bianchi before having a late afternoon nap (oh the joys of the single man). It is a lovely looking machine. Bianchi has perfected the Italian styling, good looks and romance. Whilst it is not quite up to the absolute efficiency of a race trimmed Look 595, you buy the Bianch for the looks and at less than half the price the performance is still good. Big G thought it was heavy when he picked it up, but then a Helium balloon is heavy compared to his Look 595.

Gig G doesn't want to ruin the Look 595 riding through the winter so opted for the Bianchi for a winter bike. He has had it fitted with a comp and a better saddle and tyres. Corridori did him a deal and gave him a generous discount (seeing as we seem to be regulars in the store). Corridori fitted it so that the geometry is as near that on his 595 as possible.

Sunday morning I telephoned Big G at 8:30 to get him out of bed. He started the day complaining of the stiffness in his muscles from Saturdays ride. At 9:30 we started out from his house (Big G on the new Bianchi) and I promised him a slow easy ride (he believed me, 46 miles and 1100 metres of climb later he was able go home for his Mums roast and an afternoon nap!). I was a bit stiff myself, but you know the form - show no weakness to get the psycological upper hand.

We went over the hills one by one, and where as on Saturday Big G was up front, on Sunday he was tailing behind (I maintained just enough to stay in front so he didn't see the pain on my face). At the beginning I agreed we would think about Leith when we got there and Ranmore was definitely out, however, he gamely knocked each hill off with his new Comp as I reintroduced each hill to the route.

At the top of Mont Box my Wife and son together with her friend and her dog Zippy met us. They had parked at the bottom at Rikers and had walked up the hill. Fortunately they were near the front of the very slow moving tea queue when we arrived saving us from having to wait long for our refreshment.

After the ride home my wife, son and I went ten pin bowling. I won the first game and I let her win the second (OK, I admit it, I was bowling like a dozy and was beaten fair and square). A pleasant afternoon followed by a nice roast chicken dinner.

What of the others? M was on parenting duty all weekend. S went out with Team MK and managed to finish the 47 mile ride. My brother was parenting Saturday but got in 70 miles with the club Sunday. Recently he has been using his old Raleigh 531 but Sunday he saw the sunshine and got out the Roubaix, and he says that he appreciated the difference it makes.

Two weeks to go to the SWRC 100, time to get in those last hard miles this coming weekend before tapering for the race weekend.

PS: I write this for my own fufilment but if you think it drones on please let me know.