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

4/5/12 LEJOG days 4-7

As I type this Michiel should be enjoying a beer in Tintern having crossed the Severn Bridge today!
Tomorro I'm driving to Shrewsbury & will cycle south to rendezvous with his party at the top of Hope Valley (so long as I get my timing right!!)
The descent down hope valley for me back in Sept 2009 was the best descent of the whole LEJOG trip, as the car behind backed off & I had all the road to use. Ther surface was perfect & descent exhillarating..I hope it's the same tomorrow.
Then I an joining the group to Preston on Saturday, on to Carlisle on Sunday (over Shap again) and into Gretna on Monday morning. From there I will head back to carlisle station and home.
I am really looking forward to following in my own footsteps for a few days...
...more info when I can log in somewhere....
follow Michiel:-

http://www.wheelygreat.blogspot.co.uk/

and some vets on the ride too! Seem to knackered to write much!
http://www.ccvetscycleride.blogspot.co.uk/

22/4/12 Peterborough 100 (well 50 that is)

Met up with Michiel at Elton at 0700 & we parted at the bottom of Uppingham Hill.
He carried on to do the complete 100 miles whilst I headed back covering 51 miles.
Quite cold & a nasty N wind.

15th April THE QUATTRO!

In the past couple of week the weather has turned pretty foul, but I met up with Michiel at the start in Cogenhow on a bright but chilly morning. We set off with the first group at 0800, and due to some local nicking the MEDIUM/LONG route arrow we came back round to the start again after 10 miles!! There was a loop later we could omit & set off again completing the 59 miles in 3h51m @ 15.4 mph.
One more ride next week in the peterborough 100 before Michiel's LEJOG
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/1141443/edit

1st April SOLO ride to Peterborough & back

Was a lovely April fools day so I thought I'd get up early in the warm spring sunshine & knock off another ride.
I headed out pasth Fotheringhay, briefly pausing at the castle ruins, remembering Mary Queen of Scot's horrific execution there... Then on past Elton & through Ferry Meadows to the Rowing lake. I paused to watch a few crew training & remembered some fanatical coaches yelling their heads off in my younger rowing days!
The trip back picked p the helping wind & I was soon home after a lovely 61 miles.
Only a month till Michiel starts his LEJOG & I am planning to join him for two days...

25th March THE CHESHIRE CAT...AT LAST!!

This has been on my radar for a couple of years - Michiel & I had been keen to tackle the Mow Cop KILLER MILE. With the clocks going forward & an early start I decided to drive up in Ruby the night before. Strangley (!) Crewe doesn't have many campsites so I snuck into a quiet corner of the station Car Park - pulled the curtains round and fell to sleep (easy as I'd done the Friday night shift zzzZZZZZ!!!
Woke to a beautful morning as fellow cyclists arrived & unpacked their bikes. When Michiel arived I had tea bacon & sausages ready. Once registered (at Crewe Alex. FC) we even had time to return to Ruby for a cuppa before the off.
What a fantastic day - cool & bright without a cloud in the sky & light breeze only...perfect cycling weather!!
We sped out of Crewe and within 15miles the Mow Cop Folly castle came into view. I'd heard about the killer mile with it's leg sapping climb leading to the viscious 25% section past the pub. I kept as much reserve as I could & Michiel sped on ahead. With 2/3 of the riders stopping to walk I gritted my teeth and with much gurning wheezing panting gasping & groaning I MADE IT!! For a minute or two I just couldn't get enoug air in my lungs but I recovered quickly & soon we were over thge top and whizzing down the other side. My rear brake was closing but not opening so I kept the speed down as we zoomed over genarally crappy roads with rough surfaces & lethal pot holes galore. There were 3 more hills to climb so at the 37m halfway point we had climbed 3600ft. The second half was a magnificent fast journy back around to Crewe and a welcome cup of tea - and the MOW COP MEDAL!
77.1m 5h27m @14.1mph 4995ft 483m for 2012
http://ridewithgps.com/trips/564684

18th march 'no excuses' wiggle series ride

The opening wiggle event is free to enter, but if a no show then £25 goes to Charity
I got there early & being Mothers day put my foot down a bit getting back by 11 & home by 12!
Was grey dull cold and slightly drizzly - but it's a good route & one I'll do again..
44.2m 2h45m @ 16mph 2690ft climb