19/7/10 to Cambridgeshire...and Kimbolton

Up early for a Monday morning run.
Decided to push the bubble out & make the most of a SE wind.
Headed out through Titsmarsh to Kimbolton & back via Raunds
[Pic later]
48m 2h58 @16.1mph 1914ft climb

wish list next 1-2 months

few rides I'd like to do late Summer...
...unlikely to have time for all though..
8 aug - suffolk coast 60m bike-events.com- Booked - did in '09 - great ride
29 Aug ??
5 sep - Manchester 100m
12 sep Warwick macride 100k (but golf event that day too) macride.org.uk
19 sep Hampshire 48m bike-events.com - hope to meet up with Gerry Pacemaker
26 sep Cycle4cynthia - 50m from Northampton via Naseby etc cycle4cynthia.co.uk/
3 oct - Oxford-Cambridge 86m bike-events.com
10 oct Brum ride 60/90m evanscycles
17 oct Dunford Southern Sportive
7 nov Nottingham 45/65m evanscycles

11/7/09 Shackleton, Hackleton & backleton!

I've had Hackleton in my sights for a while. I awoke to a sunny but windy morning, and as it was a sou'westerly I thought I'd get there at last.
With The Tour de France on the tv the road was busy with plenty of other riders out there. I battled against the wind over now familier territory. Once there the return 20+ miles was a speedy whizzy experience & I was home in a flash!
Belle's feeling good and I now have >700 miles in 2010. Nothing to compare with Doo, mad Simon, or Andy Arsenal, but looks like I'll easily pass the 1000m target I set for this year!
Andy & Simon got from Gibraltar to Milton Keynes, and he's carrying on to Blackpool for some reason! These cyclists are crazy! And Doo's been doing 190m/12hr+ Audaxes.....

42.07m 2h46 @ 15.2mph 1933ft climb

4th July 2010 Manchester to Blackpool Mark II

After a 2 week hiatus (Golf Tour) I was glad to be back on 2 wheels again with Darren up North!
Last year this was the event that I fell off on the final straight, ended up in a CT scanner, and lost the memory of the second half of the ride!
I travelled up on Saturday arriving at Darrens house soon after 1800. Harry arrived shortly after - for the meal & beer, but not the cycle due to a broken rib (fell off mountain bike!)
After a nice Italian meal & a number of pints of real Ale (Including 'Titanic Special!') we retired for the night.
Up early Darren & I went against the flow of cyclists for 3 miles back to Old Trafford, and the official start. On a cool grey morning we flew past the many cyclists as we headed out of Manchester, skirting Bolton & onto the A49 past Charnley Richard. I remember this stretch from LEJOG 2009, but not from this event last July.
For the last bit past Preston we pushed on hard overtaking 100's of fellow cyclists, mostly on horrible wobbly knobbly tyred mountain bikes.
The last stretch up the seafront was tough as the strong westerly crosswind made progress difficult. Finally the big one & the tower were in sight, and the finish line. Literally as we crossed the line the heavens opened, soaking our tired bodies.
Darren & I carried onto the station via a very tasty Harry Ramsdens fish and chips.
The train took us to Bolton and we sprinted back to Manchester against a strong wind.
What a ride - magnificent views, not many hills and a great atmosphere amongst the scores of cyclists - I hope to do it again in 2011.
Thanks to Darren for putting me up & I hope we can do London to Paris in June 2011 together

59.6m (missed 1st 2 miles) 3h46m @ 16.2mph 1914ft climb
whole day 76.9m 5h01m @15.3mph 2333ft climb

Simon & Wicky have today completed day 9 of their Gibralter to Milton keynes cycle - Awesome stuff through baking Spain & now over the Pyrenees. Thay are totally bonkers!
AND
Brendan's nearly got to Rome - an awesome journey
http://brendan-biking2rome.blogspot.com/
AND
Tour de France has started (and Cavendish fell off....again!!)