August 2012

August started wet & horrible as the rest of the summer but things did get slightly better once the Olympics got going.
I met up with Andy (L2P 2011) in Stratford for the Gr8 Shakespear 100k ride on 12/8/12. Last year there was 800...this year there must have been 1200+ on the mass rolling start out into the wonderful warwickshire countryside. The route was the same as 2011 but this time I did tackle the big final hill..and what a lovely fast decent on the other side! A great ride & I hope to return next year (as long as it doen't clash with RideLondon100)
64.8m 4h13m @ 15.3mph 3926ft

Teneriffe
Whilst staying in Playas Las Americas I hired a crappy old 'Rockrider' cast iron girder gear slipping non-existing brakes banger of a bike!  Nice to get out & explore but hard work at 40degC!
About 70 miles @ about 10mph!

July 2012 Rides

Weather been pretty shit so not many evening rides for the time of year.
5th - harrington loop - 16.52m 58m14s @ 17mph
11th Harrington Loop - 16.52m 59m05s @ 16.8mph
15th A rare sunny Sunday am - Medbourne/Foxton/Market Harborough

41.6m 2h45 @ 15.1 1995ft

With fine weather forecast I thought I'd honour Wiggo's magnificent TdF win with consecutive evening rides.
23rd Harrington Loop - 16.52m 56m49s @ 17.4mph
24th South loop to Finedon/Addingtons/Woodford 24.5m 1h36m @ 15.3mph 1204ft
25th Up to Brigstock/Deene/Weldon (pausing at the US Army Air Force memorial at Deenethorpe, & fast back along the A43 through Geddington
26m 1h37m @ 16mph 982ft

26th Shorter ride to Rothwell - Cut short to brewing stomach upset! think I'll rest tomorrow!

10.9m 41m @ 15.9mph 598ft

28th Watched the GB Road race team get shafted by the 'non trying' german's & Aussies - they should be ashamed of themselves. Our boys did an amazing job to limit the breakaway to 5 mins, and bring it down to under a minute in the run in, but they needed Greipal & Goss's team-mates to at least try & give their men a chance. They didn't...obviously ensuring Cavendish didn't win was the priority. I'd be interested to hear the opinion fof said Goss & Greipal.
I am proud of the GB boys efforts - they gave all, and could have given no more.

29th - the inaugural Titchmarsh Castle Cycle Ride (www.titchmarsh.info)
Sunny morning before the showers & around 100 riders at this well organised event. It covered many roads I have cycled on at various times & as it was a shorter distance I pushed on, attempting to race some of the younger riders! A nice circuit & one to do again next year. Afterwards a fellow cyclist was recommending the BHF night London to brighton cycle...maybe another one for 2013?
45.2m 2h43m @ 16.7mph 1779ft
197 miles for the month and 1562m for 2012 in 101.3 hours pedalling!

17th June 'Flat out on the Fens' 152 miles

From Peterborough at 0700, anti clockwise I passed my previous furtjest of 118 miles.
SW wind so fast start, cery fast section, then a tough run in into the stiff wind on those long straight soul destrying Fens roads...more later...need sleep.
Don't think I'll do 150m+ again...would do this ride (112m) version) as it was terrific to avoid any serious hills & keep the speed up. Some excisting pelloton riding! There was a clip of wheels & crash behind us (I heard later no serious injury..)
152.9m  8h45m @ 16.3mph (1st 50m 2h40, 2nd 2h57, third 50 3h25)

10th June 2012 - nice clockwise circumnavigation of leicester

Met up at Michiels on a lovely sunday morning (not been many this 'so called' Summer).
Twice before we've done an anticlockwise route so we thought we'd go clockwise.
We breezed around enjoying the descent eastwards down into Rothley (where a WWII re-enactment was taking place  - lots of German Officers marching about in the lovely sunshine)
47m @ 2h55

5th June cycle to HULL

Just about to set off to see my daughter in Hull. (0815)
Polly finishes her three years at Hull University & time is running out for me to take on this cycle. She & Emma will be (weather permitting) doing a skydive on Wed 6/6/12..and with the Jubilee I have Tuesday off. So I decided to go for it. The route mainly on back roads had been in my garmin for over a year.
The planned route takes me through Oakham to Grantham,,,then flatter terrain through Lincoln to Hull.
the first part was spent on the main road to oakham, then keeping to B roads to Grantham which was only 42 miles away. Too early for lunc so I pressed on to Lincoln. There was a nice southerly wind helping me & soon Lincoln cathedral was spotted on the horizon. I decided to fuel up on a big mac meal with milk shake, and somehow managed to get up the hill out of Lincoln after this. The B1398 kept along the top of a ridge with terrific views to the left. Soon I was passing Forest Pines Golf course. I chuckled as I remembered how far north it felt when we drove there on golf tour....I had got there in 5 hours!!!
I carried on along Ermine Street thinking of the Roman Legions who would have marched along this road 2000 years ago.
I kept scanning the horizon..and there it was..Humber Bridge. I knew there was one last stiff hill out of South Ferriby & once over thatI was soon at the bridge. Going over the Severn Bridge in 2009 was very tough with a side-gale. On this bridge I was gently blown over by the southerly wind.
Down into town my route took me through the park with the Football ground in and soon I was at Polly's house. Tired but still with some legs left the large steak & a few pints went down very nicely.
Soon Ali Luke & Finley joined us in the Jazz pub round the corner.
Next day Polly & Emma did the skydive - brave girls! www.justgiving.com/pollyshackleton
116miles 7h5m @ a good 16.5mph 3300ft climb(pretty flat for the distance

Cycles in May

Been cycling but not blogging...will update later

406/5/12 LEJOG taste..

Met up with the group on the summit of Hope Valley on friday afternoon. Michiel cycling with Irish Jim and Phillip who lives 6m of the year in America.
We descended into Shrewsbury taking in a pint at the Cock Inn, much as we did in 2009.
An excellent meal was had. there are 44 in this group and quite a range of abilities & finishing times!
Saturday was the 90 miles to Preston, this time into a little bit of a Headwind. The roads of North Shropshire are rolling & picturesque, and the nightmare through Waarrington/Wigan retail wilderness was as awful as I'd remembered...Still it was a relief to get to the Ibis. Phillip had peeled off 800yds from the finsih believing in his Garmin. This took him tro a Premier Inn and an extra 8 miles! Today he said he should've continued arounfd the block a few times to get his 'century'. An excellent meal was eaten & a few pints of EPA as we watched scumbag Terry lift the FA Cup.
We set out this morning in a gentle but favourable tail wind and the early miles to Kendal were a fantasic & relaved 40 miles at >17mph...no effort! In the SPHERE cafe we managed to meet up with Simon \9from Lejog 2009) who was pout training with heavy panniers - felt like 6 bricks in each!
I then tackled Shap Fell for the second time - I'm not a fan of Hills but this one is special. And the lunch was most welcome.
The next section was fast & furious with iron man Simon powering on until he split off in search of more hills to climb.
After the waterstop Phillip suggested a 'warm down' into Carlisle so we all calmed down a bit & rolled in in good shape.
Well that's it for me - after Gretna I shall reluctantly wave the guys off and head for home.
Looks like it's wet in the morning..never mind