Steve and Rachels Weblog

Reivers Cycle ride

2011-09-25T11:23:00.000+01:00

A couple of pics from the recent Reivers ride that Rachel did. Start and finish.

Lincoln Sportive

2011-05-20T15:30:00.000+01:00

Well it was a couple of weeks ago now but it went well. Particularly as I beat my brother :) Ok his pedal fell off which delayed him but I don't think poor technical preparation is any excuse do you?

My knees have gone downhill since then so it's time for some physio and hopefully recuperation ready for the Reivers at the end of August. Failing that I'll be driving the support vehicle.

Steve

Injury problems

2011-04-22T00:13:00.000+01:00

Well it's very depressing to get to a good place fitness wise and then injure yourself and watch your weight go up, and your fitness level drop. I've 'sprained' my cartilage in my right knee. Two weeks to the Lincoln sportive - I'm gutted to be honest. I actually hurt my knee about 3 weeks ago and it's recovered to a degree but I can't really bike very far at the moment. I've got some physio to do but I don't really believe that will fix it which puts the Reivers ride in danger too. The NHS aren't really interested in fixing stuff like this - if you can walk you're ok :(

A new challenge...

2011-02-02T21:10:00.000Z

The Reivers Cycle route. 190 miles (ish) with 4 other peeps. This one's just for fun. We're going to do the Lincoln Sportive in May as well. I believe this ends by cycling up Steep Hill in Lincoln or the road next to it called Michaelgate. Cobble stones and road bikes don't mix so that should be interesting!

Steve

I DID IT!!!

2010-09-06T18:11:00.003+01:00

Wow, what an amazing experience. Yes I did it. I cycled from Blackheath Common in London to the Eiffel Tower in Paris :-) More importantly, I managed to survive the experience relatively unscathed :-)

So how was it? Generally, it wasn't half as bad as I thought it was going to be - or as it could have been. Because it was part of an organised trip, all I had to do was get on my bike in the morning, blindly follow orange arrows in the knowledge that at some point, someone would give me water & snacks, then a bit further on someone would give me lunch, then more water & snacks, and then I would get to a hotel where I could get a hot shower and some food. Even the evening meals were sorted (apart from the first day where we ate on the ferry). It was simple. When I've been training, I'm the only one that was kicking my ass to get on my bike & get the miles in, and I had to sort out my own routes, own food/water etc etc etc.

Having said all that, I still had to bike for 300 odd miles!!

So, breakdown on each day:

Day 1, Blackheath Common - Calais, approx 85miles
Wake-up call was 5am!!!! Anyone that knows me knows I do not do mornings. Period. So to see me getting breakfast (to be fair I can eat at any time :-) ) and then going outside at such an unearthly hour was slightly unusual. After a lot of faffing around & waiting on the common, we were given a briefing, had the orange arrow system explained, and then we set off.
Biking through London was horrible - we didn't get to go past any of the sites, so it was just a general slog through city-centre traffic, no-place suburbs, hundreds of traffic lights & junctions. A few hours later we were finally into countryside. Then of course the hills started - and there were some big and long hills. I was quite pleased that although it was hard work, there was only 1 hill that defeated me, and none of it seemed as hard as Buildwas Bank.

I arrived at Dover at 3.30pm, to then have to wait for about 3hours at the ferry terminal for our ferry. We got onto the ferry as 'cars', that is biking round the terminal which seemed to be the most convoluted route ever, and then up the ramp.

At Calais, there was a short ride to our respective hotels - biking in convoy was a relief given that it was now dark & the first time I had ridden on french roads.

Day 2, Calais - Arras, approx 80 miles

Wake-up call was 6.30am, so a lie-in compared with the day before. Except of course this was French time, and we were still on English time, so really it was still 5.30am!

Anyone that tells you that Northern France is flat is lying. Either that or they don't know what they're talking about. Alternatively maybe they've just never ridden it.
It is not flat. It wasn't as hilly as the day before, but there were still some long-uns, and given that I was tired from the day before it was hard going. Not surprisingly my average speed was slightly lower than the day before, but it wasn't a race, the aim is to get there and enjoy it.
The sun was glorious again, and this always helps. First thing was very cold & misty, going alongside a canal (ok, so this bit was flat!), but it soon warmed up.
I was slightly amused to arrive in one village, spot a cafe that would make a good toilet stop - seeing bikes out the front, and then seeing the scottish fire-fighters outside having a beer!!!! Of course what I didn't realise at this point was that their trip down from Edinburgh (which they biked via Belfast, Dublin & Cardiff) was an average of 130miles each day - so this was easy going for them :-)
Got to the hotel at a respectable time - I think about 4pm. Got showered and for the first time got to put some 'normal' clothes on! Everyone had a meal together for the first time, which was good - starting to chill into it, and knowing we were now half-way helped.

Day 3 - Arras - Compiegne, approx 77miles

Another 6.30am wake-up call, starting to get used to it now.
This was a lovely day, and probably the best of the trip. Riding was very easy going, with nice easy rolling hills, more downhill than up, and lots of flat open fields. Cycled over the Somme, which was cool, and stopped at various War Cemetaries. Went through some very pretty french villages, and saw some pretty good looking french chateauxs.
Got to the hotel at a respectable 5pm, having taken it easy all day. The hotel room was very funky - but we were all slightly amused by the shower which had clear glass for the one wall - an interesting challenge when you're sharing a room with someone you've known for 3 days!

Day 4 - Compiegne - Paris, approx 62miles

Last 6.30am wake-up call :-)
The morning felt really short - the first water stop was at 12miles, felt like I'd only just got going! Lunch was then at 30miles, and I ate for the sake of eating, rather than because I was hungry.
After lunch was ok for about 10miles, and then we got to the outskirts of Paris, which not surprisingly got busier & busier. I was fine until the last 5miles, which I found the most stressful riding ever - I don't like riding in Stafford and avoid it like the plague, so biking in Paris was a huge shock! However I got to the meet-up point, Parc De Monceau, and was pleased to see everyone there enjoying ice-creams :-)

The next bit was the most amazing experience ever! 132 cyclists all shouting, cheering & ringing their bells, cycling from Parc De Monceau, upto the Arc De Triomphe, round the manic roundabout, stopping the traffic on the way through the sheer volume of cyclists and then down the Champs Elysee was quite amazing. The noise was vast, and the tourists were very amused - I think our faces are on quite a few strangers cameras!
We went over the Seine at Pont De L'Alma, and round to the Eiffel Tower, ending up at Parc Du Champ De Mars. Lots of photos & hugs later, and a small amount of champagne, we then had to get back on our bikes and get to the hotel!

Would I do it again - yes and no. I've done London-Paris now, so not sure I'd do the same again, although never say never, but I'd definitely do a multi-day challenge like this again, just need to work out what!

Thank-you everyone for your support over the past few months, and thank-you to everyone who has sponsored me - I'm upto around £1,600 now which is great!!

Rachel

It's been nice knowing you all... ;-)

2010-08-31T08:25:00.006+01:00

Well, this is my last post before the ride starts tomorrow morning. Have to confess to feeling a little nervous, but I'm sure it will be fine - to be honest, I'll just be glad to get on my bike and get it done & dusted!!

So, am I feeling prepared? Not really. The frustrating thing is I felt fitter in July - a combination of a holiday and minor accident a few weeks ago have completely messed up my training plans. So while I have been going out, and going to the gym and keeping on top of my fitness, I haven't done as many miles as I had planned.

But, I guess realistically I'd never feel ready for it - it is supposed to be a challenge after all!

Just need to wash my bike, make my car habital for the journey down to the Scasey's in Camberley who are then kindly taking me into London, pack my bag, remember my cycling shorts - oh and the anti-friction cream... (ewww was that too much information?!!) and I'll be off.

The sun IS going to be gloriously sunny but not too hot, the wind IS going to be blowing in the right direction, or possibly a gentle breeze to keep me cool, and there will be NO rain. I always find positive thoughts help :-)

See you next week

Rachel

Training resumes...

2010-08-16T21:22:00.002+01:00

Well, eventually got my bike back last week, and went out for a short ride with Steve - did about 11miles, and it made my arm hurt. Was starting to get a bit worried by this point, as if 11miles made my arm hurt, what was 320 going to do?!!

Still, rested it, went to the gym, and then went out on saturday. Managed 27miles, stopping en-route to put down the deposit on our new motorhome (another story entirely!), and didn't have too many problems - kept stretching my arm as I was biking along which must have looked a bit strange to everyone else!

Then went out again on Sunday afternoon - did 33miles this time.
Still no real pain in my arm, so that's a good sign. Average speed is still about 14.5ish mph, but I'm not too worried - it's more about stamina than speed really.

This week I've got evening meetings pretty much all week, which is a pain, but I'm going to try to go swimming at work tomorrow lunchtime, and then I'll be out again on Thursday night. Might try for some longer rides at the weekend, but I'll see how the week goes, and of course if we're picking up the new van that might change my focus atad!!!

Rachel

Best laid plans and all that...

2010-08-07T19:49:00.002+01:00

Well, two weeks on holiday at the end of July seemed like a reasonable plan when we booked it - it would give me a clear 4 weeks before london-paris to do that final training.

of course, that was the plan but then the reality seemed a bit scary when we got back from two weeks of pub meals, puddings & cakes, and of course beer & wine...

But, on with it I thought. Went out last sunday, did just over 30miles and it didn't seem too bad - just like a normal ride. Plan was to go out Tuesday & Thursday, then do some longer rides this weekend...

But then I forgot to factor in other cyclists...

Tuesday night, I got about 2miles down the road, just starting to warm up & work out where I was going to go, when another cyclist decided to do a u-turn just as I was about to overtake her.
I screamed, braked & swerved and then experimented with flying - landing in the middle of the road. I've discovered tarmac is quite hard & solid in case you were wondering. It tends to hurt...

Lots of swear words later, the paramedics arrived. I knew I couldn't be that bad when they asked me some simple questions to establish my level of consciousness - what day of the week is it, errrrr... and who is the current prime minister. Couldn't remember his name, knew he'd changed recently and more importantly - I didn't like him. My answer: A twat!!

So, they checked me out & took me down to A&E to check nothing was broken. A few hours later I was discharged with a box of strong stuff, and instructions to rest tonight, keep moving it tomorrow onwards & get out on my bike asap...

The pain killers are interesting - they make me fall asleep!!
The dead-arm feeling is starting to ease now, but the bruises haven't really come out yet, so I feel like a fraud!! My bike, which although it seems to have escaped relatively unharmed, needed to be serviced before london-paris anyway, and the saddle is at a funny angle. Easier to let the professionals sort it I figured, so off that went today.

Consequently, my training plans have been slightly interrupted - not at all ideal.
I've been to the gym, but it's not the same. Hopefully I should get my bike back by Wednesday and can start going out again - although it's getting a bit close now to over do it, so I need to be careful.

Hey ho - it all adds to the challenge!!

Rachel

Bingo Storage

2010-07-17T12:30:00.000+01:00

Steve

Bongo Storage project

2010-07-12T18:22:00.004+01:00

In progress. Both shelves will lift on hinges to enable easy access from inside the bongo....

Steve.

84miles done, but Buildwas Bank is still long and steep...

2010-07-11T20:18:00.005+01:00

yes, it didn't get any easier the second time round :-) The only thing that helped was the knowledge that I had done it before, therefore I COULD do it again... however as I was trying to complete 80miles this time, I had already done 10miles extra compared with last time at this point in the ride.

so, 84miles completed. I'm still in one piece, and I was expecting my hands to stop working this time - so less of a shock! Might change the height of my handlebars - I realised today that I grip them quite tightly. I tried shifting my balance more onto my saddle, and using the handlebars just to steady myself. That seemed to help, but ultimately I'm still struggling to type and it's probably going to be an interesting day at work tomorrow!!!

No HGVs this time, thank goodness :-) In fact, a remarkably incident-free ride...
went a similar route to last time, although I still managed to get lost trying to get to Wroxeter - hence the 10miles extra by the time I got to Telford. I did manage to avoid Telford until the route home though.

Ride time: just under 6hrs, out about 7hrs.
total distance 84miles - furthest ever ride again :-)
average speed 14.35mph

now a holiday for 2 weeks - see what state I'm in by August!!!

Rachel

260 Mile Cycle Challenge Video

2010-07-08T22:21:00.000+01:00

Paul's got a memory card somewhere with some more video on it so there's some bits missing from it but here it is (about 8 minutes long - 130mb).

http://cl.ly/1bJp

You'll probably need a decent media player to play it if you're on Windows.

Something like http://www.videolan.org/vlc/

All the music is licensed under creative commons or my own so it's all ok to publish as far as I am aware. If anyone reads this and thinks there's a problem, please let me know immediately and I will take the video down until a resolution is found etc.

Steve.

Round the Wrekin - both literally and figuratively...

2010-06-27T19:24:00.002+01:00

oh, and before I start, Buildwas Bank is long. And steep. and did I say long?? but more of that in a moment...

Well, it all seemed like a good plan. Go out for a long ride while the football is on, so the roads will be quiet. Except that to do 70ish miles is gonna take 6hrs-ish, so that means starting about lunchtime-ish. give or take.
So, new bike computer installed (well not new, but new to me - courtesy of Steve's bro who gave it to Steve, who then gave it to me :-) ), sandwiches made & drinks loaded, I set off about 12noon. oh it's only 25-30degrees, it's fine...

Got down the road and onto the lanes, and was not so amused to see a great big articulated truck hurtling towards me. When I say lane, I do mean lane. The sort that you don't really want to meet a car coming the other way. Has grass growing in the middle, that sort of lane. And when I say articulated truck, I mean a gert big HGV complete with trailer. The sort you don't like overtaking on the motorway when you first pass your driving test. Except I wasn't in a car, and I wasn't on the motorway. But I did have my trusty Halfords bike helmet to protect my head, so it was all ok... he left some interesting tyre marks on the road where he slammed his brakes on!!

On I went, chuntering about farms being in the middle of no-where, should have bigger roads for access etc etc. But Pearl Jam came on the ipod, so singing took over and my karma returned :-)

After a very strange route, I eventually got to Wroxeter roman fort, 40miles in. Had a very good bottle of coke, sit down & toilet stop, and confused several people by saying I had biked from Stafford, and was now returning back there... really? they asked!!

Feeling much refreshed after my stop, I enjoyed the road down towards Ironbridge. And then it happened. I saw a local sign to the right to Ironbridge. Well, I don't want to actually go into Ironbridge, cos then I'll have a big climb out, I'll just carry on this main road to Telford - I knew I'd got the miles in, it was just a case of getting home...

You know it's bad when the hill has a sign to mark it, Buildwas Bank. Oh, and then there's the crawler lane... Nothing for it, gotta keep going. Got about half-way up and saw a sign that said 'parking 1 mile' - WHAT!!!! then I got round the corner, and saw the road, going straight up, a long way... I stopped and had a drink.
Getting back on the bike, I plodded on up the hill, swearing my way up. Getting to the top I had to stop briefly to take a picture of the sign saying 'end of crawler lane' - thank goodness for that!

Then I weaved my way round Telford, luckily the football was still on so the roads were still quiet. Got to Shifnal and then stayed on the main roads back home.

76 miles in total - my longest ride ever.
Ride time of 5& half hours, although I was actually out more like 6 & half
Average speed of 13.7mph - not bad given the heat & that I was trying to pace myself.

Am I still in one piece? Not sure - the fingers on my right hand are not entirely coordinated, and my thumb starts twitching of it's own accord every now & then. Makes typing interesting :-)
Moving around is generally hard work - but my legs feel ok, it's just the rest of me that's a bit of a wreck!

Could I do it all again tomorrow - don't be silly. Only foolish people would do something daft like that... errrr!!

Rachel

A gorgeously sunny day :-)

2010-06-20T17:04:00.002+01:00

Been 34.5miles today. Over Blithfield reservoir, and all round some lanes, very nice.
was out for 2&half hours - so average speed must be down a little, but not surprising given the heat.
bike computer seems to have packed up properly which is a little irritating - only had it a few months. Bought it online and can't remember where from, so not sure what I'm going to do about that one at the moment.

challenge for next weekend is to do 70miles at some point - that will be the furthest I've ever been so that will be interesting to see how I last!!

time for a bbq now courtesy of my dearest husband :-)

Rachel

it's official, it's gonna kill me!!

2010-06-14T17:10:00.003+01:00

yes it's true. some may call me deluded for not realising this earlier, but this is going to kill me!

best part of 50miles yesterday, and then 44.5miles today - I was shattered. not quite sure how I'm still functioning, but somehow I am.

So, did I manage to get my computer working? Nope. damn technology - just as you start to rely on it, it shows you who is boss. After an hour or so of faffing and trying to get it working, I gave up and just went out. Thought about doing the same route twice again, as at least I know the distance is about right.
I got about halfway round the first circuit, up onto the chase, and quickly realised that it wasn't going to happen. I was doing ok, just slow, and it was depressing. It was windy, cloudy, threatening to rain, and generally not the best.
I convinced myself that actually, just doing the route once, after doing 50miles yesterday was quite an achievement, and more than I've done before etc etc. I should just go home and put my feet up.

But then I got near to home, and didn't feel quite so bad, the hills weren't so intense, and I realised that if I carried on, but just went somewhere different it might be ok.
So, I soldiered on. Went halfway of my route to work, then turned off, and did a funny loop going back some of the way I had already been in the other direction. It was a strange ride. Not the best one psychologically, just damn hard work most of the way. But it's done now. Got 70miles to do in a few weeks...
So, does anyone want to sponsor me now???!!!

Did you know, if I cycled 320miles in this country, on normal roads heading north from home, I would nearly be at St Andrews in Scotland, north of Edinburgh ready for a game of golf??!!

If I did the same going south, I would actually drop off the end of the land in Cornwall!!!

Thank-you :-)

http://www.justgiving.co.uk/rachellouisetaylor

50 miles today, 50 miles tomorrow :-)

2010-06-13T17:25:00.002+01:00

well, 46miles at least...

my bike computer has stopped working - or rather, has decided to only work occassionally, for 5mins or so at a time. not much use really. thought I'd managed to get it sorted yesterday, but when I got my bike out of the garage this morning it wasn't working again.

hey ho, these things are sent to try us I guess.

So, plan for this weekend was to ride 50miles on 2 consecutive days. I was booked into go down to Stourbridge this afternoon for an interview on a community radio station, so had a tight timescale to work to. I needed to be out of the house by 1pm, which meant I needed to be back from doing 50miles by 12 so I could get showered, fed & watered etc, which meant I needed to be on the road by about 8am-ish.

I made it for 8.30, which given my feelings about Sundays and mornings isn't too bad!! I've got tomorrow off work (apart from a meeting I've got to go in for first thing) so I'll be tackling the second 50miles then. Hopefully I might be able to work out the computer - I think the sensor is moving about, but it didn't seem to matter where I put it yesterday, it just didn't work.

As the computer wasn't working, I decided to do the 23.5mile route over the chase, twice, changed slightly to put a few extra miles in. I've just plotted it on google, and it seems the diversion I did didn't make that much difference - hence the 46miles. Obviously don't know what my average speed was, but it took about 3.5hrs, including a few sandwich stops :-)

see how tomorrow goes - it will be the first time I've done this kindof distance on consecutive days, so will be a good test. Today was only the 4th time I've done close to this distance ever!!

Rachel

sunny weather is warm :-)

2010-06-04T18:01:00.002+01:00

biked home last night in an hour, and then back in this morning in 1hr 5mins. the fastest time I've done going back in the morning, so that's good. seem to be consistently doing the trip in about an hour or so now - which is better than a few months ago where it was taking about 1hr 15mins!

lovely sunny weather, does get a bit warm though.

Rachel

The hills are alive with the sound of me yelling!!!

2010-05-31T15:47:00.002+01:00

finally the wind dropped down, and I got out on my bike for the 24mile route I was hoping to do last wednesday. Not bad, except my computer says it was just under 23miles... anyway, managed to get all the way up the first hill without stopping, although it was only because I was determined not to stop that kept me going, not because I didn't need to stop...

averaged 14.7mph, which is the same as the last time I did that route, so I don't think I've lost anything from being on holiday.

time to step up the training a bit now though - it's about 14weeks to go before I do London - Paris, which doesn't seem very long really!!!

Rachel

back from hols, back to it :-)

2010-05-26T19:21:00.003+01:00

so, back from a week in the sun, back on with the training.
After a bit of faffing with my pedals on my new bike, just before we went to Santorini I went on for a long ride. Aimed to do 50 miles, but the chain kept playing up, and after it had come off for the 6th time I was starting to get annoyed. So, 43 miles later and 8 times of putting the chain back on, I finished the ride. Still, not bad and pleased that it didn't kill me, even though I've only done near that distance twice before, and not this side of christmas.

Of course, that was followed by a week in the sun, with much training walking from the hotel to the beach, and to the bar, and lifting the karafe of wine :-)

Today (we got back tea-time last night) the plan was to go out for a 24mile route over the chase - did it a few weeks ago on my old bike and knew it would kill me, but get me back into it. Of course things didn't quite go acording to plan!

Work kindof got in the way, and to cut a long story short, I didn't start looking at my gear/chain thing until about 4pm, (figured it all out though, so that's good) and didn't get out on my bike till about 5pm, by which time I was starting to think about that last episode of Lost...

so, I went up over the chase, but cut the ride short, and missed out a few hills. Still did 16.5miles though, and averaged 15mph, which given the one hill half-killed me isn't bad :-)

Onwards...

Rachel

Attacking on the Etape

2010-05-23T00:24:00.002+01:00

Final Thanks

2010-05-17T22:07:00.002+01:00

I just wanted to say a final thanks to all that sponsored us on the cycle challenge. Nearly 4000 cyclists took part in the Etape on Sunday, including professionals and Team Great Britain Cyclists, most of them were sponsored and overall the event is expected to raise over £250,000 for Macmillan, which is an excellent result.

It was quite a final day 81 miles over mountainous country, I gave it everything to get a good time result, hoping to come in under 5 hours and was delighted with 4hrs 37min, the hills were tough which meant on the flat I was consistently riding between 23-25miles an hour. The most exciting section was 3miles of descending at 40-45mph weaving around bends surrounded by other riders, trying hard to not rub shoulders, I nearly overcooked it once or twice.

So after 4 days of cycling, quite a bit of suffering due to very little training (injuries) I am pleased the challenge is over and that you've all made a difference to an important charity that supports cancer sufferers and their families throughout the country, thank you all.

Runkeeper issues

2010-05-16T19:35:00.002+01:00

Just a note on Runkeeper. Missed a couple of bits out of the route. I can't understand the mileage for the 2nd day either as it says we did over 100 miles (42.73+47.73+9.97) when Pauls Garmin showed 79 miles. Some of the route is slightly missing from this as well! Should be an explanation somewhere. The main problem is the use of assisted GPS in the iPhone and HTC Desire. It's not particularly accurate - although good enough. I love the app actually. Ok a Garmin's better if you had to choose but I already have the phones so it's a no brainer :)

There are some extra photos attached to the Runkeeper charts so have a look at that if ya want to.

*****************************************************
Thanks again for all the support and positive VIBES!
*****************************************************

We will be back.

Steve

Etape Caledonia

2010-05-16T19:29:00.001+01:00

Paul finished with a time of 4 hours 38 minutes. Excellent time. End of challenge.

Thank you everyone for sponsoring us. Unfortunate I couldn't do the Etape as well but best given the problems I'm still having with my knees. Hope you don't want your money back!

Just to note I lost 1/2 stone in weight over the 3 days despite a heavy intake of Dad's cooking (bonzer!) and lots of carbs.

Steve

Etape Caledonia

2010-05-16T10:50:00.002+01:00

Paul should be reaching the final hour or so now. Update later.

Steve

Birdoswald

2010-05-15T11:15:00.001+01:00

Birdoswald

2010-05-15T11:12:00.000+01:00

Team Taylor still going

2010-05-15T11:00:00.000+01:00

I've bailed. Driving and walking difficult.

Paul and dad have carried on to the Etape so the challenge is still on.

Sent from my iPhone

Cawfields

2010-05-15T10:12:00.001+01:00

Cawfields

2010-05-15T10:09:00.000+01:00

2010-05-14T21:27:00.004+01:00

2010-05-14T21:27:00.000+01:00

Pauls just finished

2010-05-14T16:31:00.000+01:00

Reached the end at Ravenglass.

About 15 miles more than I managed.

Sent from my iPhone

Not what we expected

2010-05-14T15:28:00.000+01:00

Pauls carried on. I had to push too hard yesterday to keep the pace
up. Having to cycle with my left leg today has done something to it.
Thick bands of pain below each knee cap. The left one is worse. V
frustrating.

Shall have too see whether this temporary or more serious before
trying the Etape on Sunday.

Not much else to say at this point.

Steve.

Sent from my iPhone

Call the medivac

2010-05-14T14:57:00.000+01:00

Been in agony all day. Got lost in Workington.

Wouldn't have started but for the sponsorship. Cheesed off.

Sent from my iPhone

We're off

2010-05-14T11:37:00.001+01:00

Day 3

2010-05-14T10:15:00.000+01:00

Got to drive back to Maryport before we can start today.

Knees now the main issue for both of us. Sore and painful.

Spitting with rain.

Sent from my iPhone

Day 2 - Ouch

2010-05-13T21:35:00.000+01:00

Paul is doing amazingly well given that he's done no training due to injury. In fact today he was faster than me on the flat particularly when we hit the headwinds of the Solway Firth.

As Paul mentions below we decided today to go as far as possible to diminish what we had to do on Day 3. This would allow us to recover quicker for Day 4 in Scotland. I was expecting a lot of flat today but it was not to be. The hills started early and were rolling and energy sapping. As a result we spent 2000 calories in the first 20 miles. Things picked up a bit as we came out of Carlisle after some very very rough (gravel/rocks) riverside tracks. Then we were on to the Solway Firth. I knew I had a problem when the trees were all pointing the other way due to the prevailing wind.

After a lot of cycling we finally pulled in at Maryport 20 minutes behind schedule.

36 miles to do tomorrow.

Steve

Tea time

2010-05-13T21:26:00.000+01:00

Sent from my HTC

Wind, Sugar & Lycra

2010-05-13T21:25:00.000+01:00

We pushed ourselves through to 79 miles today, to reduce day 3 to give us a chance at Day 4 as it has Scottish mountains in the middle of it.

A scenic ride that was titled Hadrian's Cycle Route, of which we saw very little, 140 miles in two days we're pleased with, the council estates of Newcastle were interesting, haven't seen purple shell suits since I last visited Liverpool, navigating a secondary school crowd in Carlisle came close to collision but ended well, countryside was stunning, the wind was crippling and I knew my brother (Steve) was tiring when he stopped worrying about the 3 camcorders, 2 phone and wifi!

Steve's impression of John Wayne was the best I've seen for many a year. That anti-friction cream needs more application tomorrow, Dad has turned down the opportunity to become the applicator.

So more pain more suffering, a lot of concern about sore buttocks, nothing surprising really, no badgers with shotguns (disappointing) and a windy finish with Dad's spicy offerings.

Toodle Pip!

P

End of day 2

2010-05-13T19:00:00.000+01:00

79 miles. 4500 calories.

Sent from my iPhone

Switched runkeeper to other phone

2010-05-13T16:40:00.000+01:00

On target for Maryport. Flat. Would be quick but for persistent
gusting wind.

Sent from my iPhone

It was murder

2010-05-13T15:57:00.000+01:00

The winds a killer. Headwind all down the coast. 52 miles so far ...

Off again!

2010-05-13T14:26:00.000+01:00

Cold. Gotta get moving.

Stopped for a break

2010-05-13T13:56:00.000+01:00

Had to start runkeeper again. Actually done 35 miles. First 20 were
rolling hills. Used up 2000 calories already. Headwind on and off.
Just past Carlisle sat outside a pub. Paul talking about picking pace.
Must be having a laugh! :)

Sent from my iPhone

2010-05-13T10:49:00.001+01:00

Start of the 2nd day

2010-05-13T08:59:00.000+01:00

Rather predictably we've both got quite a few aches and pains this morning. De-hydration is a problem. Despite my best attempts I'm still dry this morning. At least the sore throat has abated.

Pauls shoulder is very sore this morning but at least the bike's sorted so we should avoid a repeat of yesterdays problems. We'll have to see how his wheel copes today. It sounded yesterday like the bearing's had gone although we decided to carry on and not replace it in the end.

Todays goal is to get from Haltwhistle to Silloth. We're actually a few miles from Haltwhistle so we'll probably do around 67 miles today. If we can get further that's a bonus as we should be 2 hours by car from Haltwhistle by the end of tomorrow. 2 main hill climbs today both at the beginning of the ride. That will be tough on aching limbs.

Didn't have mains hookup like I expected so struggling to charge stuff using just my 12v power pack. We also seem to have lost the lead to charge the battery extender so not sure what filming we can do today. Some of the video files have corrupted as well although I think I can retrieve these later.

In theory when we get on the road bikes we should be really fast after riding the mountain bikes - if we have any energy left.

Should be starting in the next hour or so. Neither of us rushing into an early start today.

Steve

Hot curry for tea

2010-05-12T19:50:00.000+01:00

Oh no. Gotta do it all again tomorrow.

End of first day

2010-05-12T19:37:00.000+01:00

Nice day in all. LOTS of stopping. Runkeeper lost some miles. Done
about 60 in total today. Total of about 5 1/2 hours actual biking.

A few issues with Pauls bike caused further issues with his knees. All
ok now though and bike fixed.

Newcastle was really nice. Hardly saw a car as it was mostly on cycle
track. Mountain bikes were a good idea as the tracks are too rough for
road bikes. Mainly riding down by the river. We had dinner at
'Tiffanys'.

Various issues with the cameras. IPhone lasted all day just (running
gps).

Got my 2nd wind on the stanegate (Roman road near Vindolanda).
Unfortunately that's where Paul had issues with his gears.

Time to recover now with food and more food...

Sent from my iPhone

Leaving Vindolanda

2010-05-12T17:43:00.000+01:00

Last 8 miles or so ...

Sent from my iPhone

Looking fow a wheel

2010-05-12T14:38:00.001+01:00

Slow and steady

2010-05-12T14:37:00.000+01:00

Quite warm now.ight be changing Pauls front wheel. We think the
bearings have gone. Runkeeper screwed up in Newcastle and lost 3
miles. Seems ok now. In the country proper now :)

Breathing difficult.

Sent from my iPhone

2010-05-12T13:18:00.002+01:00

2010-05-12T13:18:00.001+01:00

Quick cuppa!

2010-05-12T12:58:00.001+01:00

The beginning of the war will be secret

2010-05-12T12:07:00.001+01:00

Newcastle 1

2010-05-12T11:35:00.001+01:00

Start pt2

2010-05-12T10:57:00.001+01:00

The start pt 1

2010-05-12T10:56:00.000+01:00

Fit and well

2010-05-12T09:47:00.001+01:00

As you can see Paul's fit and well. Clearly his whiplash isn't
bothering him atall. Forgotten his waterproof as well. Oops.

Just winding our way through Newcastle to the start at Tynemouth. 7
degrees.

Base camp

2010-05-12T08:39:00.001+01:00

Change of plan

2010-05-12T08:37:00.000+01:00

Starting from Newcastle. Doing the route in the opposite direction due
to weather. Chilly but dry at the moment.

Should take an hour or so to get to start. Will ride back to
Haltwhistle today. Should be around 50 miles on a bike. Plan to have a
longer day tomorrow (however, best laid plans ...).

Sent from my iPhone

On the pennines

2010-05-11T13:14:00.000+01:00

Sun is shining at Lancaster

2010-05-11T12:02:00.000+01:00

On my way

2010-05-11T09:59:00.000+01:00

Today's the day !

2010-05-11T07:34:00.001+01:00

Just packing the final few bits and pieces then it's up north for me. Hurt my knee somehow yesterday. Must have been the 40 minutes of ironing - dangerous stuff ironing!

Steve

A mans best friend is ...

2010-05-10T18:07:00.005+01:00

... antifriction cream

Steve.

Etape Caledonia

2010-05-09T18:07:00.001+01:00

This will be our final day. Most people will be fresh, we'll have already done over 170 miles.

Steve

Final list of kit

2010-05-08T19:05:00.000+01:00

I'd probably go faster without this lot but...

Apple iPhone (Runkeeper GPS tracking)
Mophie Juice Pack for iPhone
HTC Desire (Runkeeper GPS tracking)
Archos 405 with Sony bulletcam
AnyPower power pack for above
El cheapo action camera
USB battery extender
Specialized Hardrock mountain bike
Boardman CompPro road bike
Specialized Allez road bike
Custom built mountain bike/hybrid
Antifriction stuff
Apple Macbook (for removing the embarrassing piccies from the blog - eh Paul?)
Camcorder
Sony A200 DSLR
Lots of Zipvit bike nutrition
Lots of batteries
Lots of tight shorts ;)

So y'know after that lot it'll be VERY embarrassing if something goes wrong and we fail.

Gotta love the tech!

Steve

260 Mile Challenge - almost ready...

2010-05-08T16:33:00.002+01:00

More mountain biking...

2010-05-05T21:34:00.000+01:00

Another trip out on the mountain bike. Followed my 23 mile route that I usually do on the road bike. Hard work with a heavier bike. Lots of climbing.

Steve

I don't believe it!

2010-05-05T21:20:00.002+01:00

Right then 5 days to go - officially I'm allowed to start gentle cycling hmm, torn cartilidge in my right knee is causing considerable problems and today I fell backwards out of a van and got whiplash type injuries on my neck, doc said xray tomorrow if the pain hasn't reduced.

Firmly expecting to loose a limb before Tuesday at this rate..

First ride on Hado-ready Hardrock 'Woolly Mammoth'

2010-05-02T17:50:00.000+01:00

What's a Woolly Mammoth you ask? It's a Mammoth that's been fettled with of course! Since I got my Hardrock from Mammoth it has Mammoth written in big yellow letters on it. Anyway ... :)

It's now got the pedals from my Giant installed. They're SPD pedals so I can use my cycling shoes. It's also possible to use them as a normal pedal as well. Perfect for this bike. Only thing left to do is install the cycle computer once I've got some batteries for it tomorrow.

It rides well. I managed to do a quick mile test ride today on my usual short route c. 12 miles. Average of 15.7 mph which is alright for this weight of bike. Headwind and hills affect this bike a lot more than my Boardman (no surprise there then). It's very comfortable though.

No more road bike now until it's needed in anger. Gotta get used to the weight of my Woolly Mammoth. It's more like a fighter bomber than the Spitfire like agility of the Boardman. :) Dream on.

Waiting for the ride is now like waiting for Christmas when you're 5. Nothing else matters. It's an obsession.

Steve

A meeting, a new bike to build, and an old bike modded.

2010-05-01T20:40:00.000+01:00

I went over to Lincoln today to see Paul and Dad to discuss various rather vital things like, "What are we doing?" and "When are we doing it?". Oh, plus what bikes we're probably going to ride etc. It was a pretty loose discussion ending with a very flexible plan with flexible endpoints. But yes we did actually achieve something although it doesn't sound like it!

Paul cannot currently ride a flat handled bike. Five weeks ago he dropped off a frame with some pieces at a bike shop so that it could be built up into a proper bike. Normally he would do this himself but it's difficult when one arm doesn't work. Unfortunately the bike shop hadn't really done anything with it in that time so today we picked it up. It's due to get drop handlebars so he can actually ride it without being in agony. As mentioned previously this will probably only be used for the initial 1 or 2 days depending on the terrain then we'll change to road bikes.

I'm currently also altering my Specialized Hardrock to include SPD pedals and new kevlar road tyres for abit more speed on the tarmac bits. The tyres should still be chunky enough for any rough stuff. I've also put some new handlebar grips on as well which are brilliant. Oh, and a new seat. It's getting there. Pics when it's done - tomorrow weather being good.

Had a look at all the energy bars and stuff today. We ordered it all a while ago. Seeing it made me feel like it's really going to happen (which it is but I'm like that). Dad of course is very prepared and has all his camping gear and food in the back room ready :) He's got a lot of driving to do. 190 miles to Haltwhistle. 2 hours driving to Ravenglass in the morning to drop us off, then maybe 2 hours back plus an hour to pick us up depending on how far we get. Then it will be the 2nd day and more driving etc. until we move another 190 miles up to Pitlochery in Scotland to register for the Etape Caledonia. Ya get the idea. I shall be in my own car to cut down his driving and leave room for all my bikes and uber gadgets. On that note I've got a handlebar mount for the camera this time. I'll feel less silly than wearing it on my helmet ;)

The route looks navigationally complex passing through quite a few towns including Carlisle and Newcastle Upon Tyne. Lots of notes already included on the Sustrans route map. In fact it's probably worth mentioning that we are doing an official Sustrans route just as we did for the W2W. We're not just riding alongside Hadrians Wall. This route is twice as long as Hado's Wall ever got. It starts at the lowest of the coastal forts that run north to link up with Hadrians Wall. We don't just pick a straight line on the map and go from A to B, it's a bit more complicated than that. Not much, but a bit.

Cross your fingers for good weather for us :)

Steve

Saw a Woodpecker :-)

2010-04-28T19:48:00.003+01:00

wow, that was a good ride home tonight - did it 1hr & 1min, so I'll call it a round hour :-) It's my fastest time for this route this year and only the second time I've ever done it in an hour :-) average speed was 16.62 mph which I reckon is pretty good going. I was soaring up them hills.
despite me going so fast, I did spot a woodpecker on a telegraph pole, trying to find a suitable spot for a nest...

be interesting to see if I'm still alive biking back to work tomorrow morning...

Rachel

Round the Wrekin

2010-04-25T15:48:00.002+01:00

At some point I thought it would be a good idea to bike out to the remains of the Roman city at Wroxeter. I also thought this would be a fairly flat ride. It wasn't :(

63.5 miles with a 4000ft ascent. Didn't have any water for the last 20 miles so I felt a bit unwell by the time I got off the bike. Silly mistake to make really. Amazing views near the Wrekin which I didn't stop to capture as I'd just back into a rhythm after a puncture.

My iPhone coped well with the Mophie Juice Pack enabling it run for 4 hours and still have 44% battery life left. Not bad considering it runs GPS to track my position/speed, iPod for fun, and I used it to take some pictures as well. Should have a HTC Desire as backup on the real thing so I can just switch to Runkeeper on that if needed.

Steve

Cannock Chase is hilly :-)

2010-04-25T15:22:00.002+01:00

Well, after the windscreen man turned up nice & early, I managed to get out on my bike before the showers started :-)
bit of a catch-up over the past week:

biked to work & back in one day on Tuesday. Discovered it's loads easier doing it that way (rather than biking home one day, to bike back in the next morning). The hardest time I find for riding is first thing - not awake, no food to keep me going, and it's even harder if I've biked home the day before. Unfortunately my work diary doesn't allow me to do it very often :-(
so quite a positive day, felt good - got my 'to work' time down to 1hr 10mins :-)

Friday night went out for a short spin, nice sunny evening although by the time I was out the clouds had come over.

Today, did 22miles over Cannock Chase - nearly Steve's usual route except for a slight difference early on, which meant it was 2miles shorter. First time I've been that way for about 6 months, so I was quite pleased that it wasn't as hard as I remember it being. Averaged about 14.7mph, and reached a top speed of 36.5mph!

might now try to persuade Steve to go to the Specialized store in brum to have a look at a new bike :-)

Rachel

Cat and fiddle

2010-04-20T18:21:00.002+01:00

Biked up the Cat and Fiddle in Derbyshire on Sunday. 20 mile round trip with the 7 mile climb stuck in the middle (longest climb in England I believe). Not as bad as last time as it was lovely and sunny. You can see the hill in the profile below. Worst bit is at the bottom when you know have 7 miles of hill to climb. No stopping allowed.

Steve

I broke a speed limit on my bike :-)

2010-04-17T16:23:00.002+01:00

RESULT!!!
Today I broke a speed limit on my bike :-) just need to do it in front of a policeman so I can get a ticket for speeding on a bike - tee hee!!!!!

Lovely day out there, did just over 18.5miles, at an average of 15mph, so quite pleased. Went a very different route, down some lovely lanes which made a change.
Main thing is this sort of distance is starting to feel a bit more normal now. will have to start increasing it in the next month or so.

Rachel

Afternoon ride, grey sky and wind :-(

2010-04-15T20:01:00.002+01:00

well, I'm having a funny week at work this week. Monday I had to finish delivering my polling cards (gotta give people the vote!), Tuesday night I decided to have an evening chilling after an energetic weekend, and besides which got caught up doing work till 7pm anyway... Wednesday evening had a meeting, tonight had a meeting also. So I decided to have a few hours off this afternoon and go for an afternoon ride :-)

First I had to clean my bike which was absolutely filthy after my last ride.
then I finally forced myself out - although the skys were still grey from the ash cloud, and there was quite a bit of wind. Got up the road & round the corner a little, and discovered I'd left my helmet at home - clearly wasn't really with it!

So, headed back home, collected helmet and went back out again. Did just under 17miles in total, average speed just under 15mph, so not bad considering it was windy, but still need to increase it.

Got home in time to send a few more work emails, get showered & suited & booted, ready to deliver a presentation to a Parish Council meeting... joy!!

Rachel

A broken record

2010-04-13T21:44:00.000+01:00

Sorry to sound like the above title but it was very windy this evening. Combination of that and stopping to take photos slowed me a bit but hey ho. Felt fine after ride - only a short one as the Giant has no lights on. I expect to get the Boardman back in the next couple of days.

The weird landscape is in fact plastic. The ground is covered in plastic sheeting. I guess this is to stop the frost getting to whatever's beneath maybe?

Should be out again Thursday before the big climb on Sunday up the Cat and Fiddle.

Steve.

4 weeks to go - an update

2010-04-11T18:42:00.001+01:00

There are just over 4 weeks from now until we drive up to the north of England to start our challenge. So far I've done 226 miles in training on the road which translates to about 14 hours on the bike. There's obviously some gyming in the mix as well. To put that in perspective we'll be doing a total of about 260 miles in 4 days. The first 3 on mountain bikes, the last day on a road bike. Each day will be at least 60 miles. So far I've not gone more than 34 miles and that left me very tired. Still a lot of work to do then.

We've got some things to do before we get to the start:

1) I've got to get out on my mountain bike and make sure that's ok. Change the pedals to fit my cycling shoes and change the saddle which last time I rode it tried to severely injure me.

2) Decide which road bike to ride. My Boardman Comp Pro is being serviced at the moment. It has numerous problems. I'll decide what's happening to it when it returns next week. The Giant OCR2 is well worn in as I've been using it for a year and half so all the little niggles have been worked out. However, it's heavier and less comfortable for some reason.

3) Get all my tech stuff delivered and working. I'm going to be using my iPhone to dynamically update our position to the web as we ride (signal allowing). You should be able to view where we are on Runkeeper. This will also allow our support team (Dad) to see where we are at any time in case we have any issues (broken bikes, broken people that sort of thing). It will also allow anyone that's interested to see how we're doing (does anyone actually read this?).

Issue for the iPhone is battery life, so I've ordered a Mophie Juice Pack (cool name eh?) which as you can see above is like a bigger case that works like a second battery. Problem is I ordered it a month ago and it's not here yet.

Also looking at using a headcam again. For this I'll be using my Archos 405 with a Sony camera. The Archos is like an earlier version of an iPod Touch. But it allows you to record video via an adapter. It's an ugly solution but it's cheap (I already have it). Batteries are again an issue but I should be able to use the battery extender that I ordered for the last ride which didn't arrive in time - spot the trend eh?

Now all I need is a load of windmills to generate electricity as I ride... Only joking, that would silly right? :)

4) Do some more biking. Nearly forgot that one. Should be doing the Cat and Fiddle this coming weekend and I'm not looking forward to it. I've done it before as part of an organised sportive. It's basically a 7 mile climb up onto the top of Derbyshire's peaks and moors. It will give me some idea of how well I'm doing with my training.

5) Get more sponsorship. Give us yer money. This will help motivate us both. I've got to do some training on my mountain bike at some point and I'm not looking forward to it. I like it as a tough go anywhere bike but for distance a road bike is my steed of choice. I don't want to be doing this on a mountain bike. It's slower and heavier. Blame the taxi drive that ran Paul over I guess.

Hopefully Pauls 'swiss cheese' style shoulder (screw holes) will have healed enough as well.

Wish us luck.

Steve

STOP PRESS: Energy drinks give you, errr... energy :-)

2010-04-08T21:09:00.002+01:00

I biked home last night and found it hard work. forgot my bike-computer, and it was very windy, and generally found it a bit of a long slog. still, I did it and got home.
got up this morning, lovely morning but was absolutely shattered - decided to put an energy drink in my bottle instead of normal water - much better, helped by the sunshine of course :-)
Managed to get to work in 1hr 13mins, 5mins faster than my previous 'to work' time (always slower in the morning, never awake at 8am!!), so was pleased with that.
think I'll use energy drinks a bit more when going to work, just to try and get my speed up & improve my fitness - it's just too much hard work otherwise.

Rachel

Lovely morning, heard a skylark :-)

2010-04-01T11:18:00.002+01:00

Spring is definitely in the air, despite the snow & heavy frost!!
heard a skylark as I was riding along this morning - a lovely sound if it did distract me a little! I blame my low average mileage on it :-)

so, 20 miles done, average speed just below 14mph, so a bit low but not bad.
off to pack the Bongo ready for Cornwall now :-)

3 rides in 4 days is too much - doh!!

2010-03-23T17:28:00.002Z

well, biked back into work this morning. was cold, but not as cold as last time. slow again - using the cold as an excuse!
I've then spent the day at work being absolutely shattered - I think 3 rides in 4 days is too much, which is a problem really all things considered!!
still, plenty of time to go before I do 4 long long rides in 4 days :-)

Rachel

not bad evening for a ride :-)

2010-03-22T20:38:00.003Z

biked home from work tonight, after an afternoon of rain it stopped for a short while to allow me most of the way home in the dry, although still got covered in mud. Lovely sunset too :-)
did an average of 15.4mph, and got home in just over an hour, so loads better than last time I biked home - just gotta get back to work in the morning now, here's hoping for a good sunrise too...

Rachel

Light rain on Saturday

2010-03-20T16:31:00.002Z

Well it may not weigh much but it's still wet. 2 hours in the rain today. Have a look here. Realised today that Runkeeper keeps going when you're sat at traffic lights. So your pace drops. Bit annoying that. Regardless, pace was better today.

Steve

wow, it's wet out there :-(

2010-03-20T14:12:00.002Z

blimey, it is certainly wet out there!
not entirely sure why I thought it was a good idea to go out today, but out I went and I can now confirm that it is very hard to see when on a bike in the pouring rain... soaked through to the bone, my socks, bike trousers, top & gloves are now all in the washing machine quietly dripping...

Still, I did just over 19miles, at an average of 14.9mph so not bad going all things considered. My furthest ride for ages :-)

Rachel

Short spin - lovely evening :-)

2010-03-17T18:49:00.003Z

Was working locally today, so managed to clean my bike up (which was covered in mud & grit and chain was coming off), and then got out for a short spin too.
First time since I rode home from work last Thursday, so was good to get out.
Only went about 13 miles, which is fine - main aim at the moment is to keep going out regularly rather than focussing on the distance - after all, I've got a lot longer to train for my challenge than the other Taylors have!
Increased my average speed though, nearly at 16mph, which is good. Generally felt stronger too. of course the lack of ice helped :-)

Hopefully the weather will be reasonable at the weekend, and I can get out for a longer run...

Rachel

Racing School

2010-03-13T18:51:00.004Z

A good day out driving a Formula Ford at Seven Sisters racing school. Low down and amazingly quick. I did 3 or 4 training laps in a Mini Cooper S first of all, which was ok, but then you climb into a number 4 racing car a few inches off the ground. Tiny gear stick on your right. Pedals somewhere in the front of the car with your legs straight out. Fibre glass body with a space frame chassis. Good ole basic engineering. Very light. Grips like a Yorkshire man holding onto a fiver.

biking on ice...

2010-03-11T19:52:00.002Z

well, I biked home from work last night (left car at work), and then had to bike back in this morning. All was fine - last night took 1hr & 15mins, so not bad for first time, had recovery drink last night, feeling good. Then got up this morning, saw the fog in the back garden and thought - aggghhh I have to get to work on my bike, as my car is at work!!!!!
The ice was a challenge, the tractors were negotiable and the workmen chuckled - can't imagine why!
but I ploughed on through, found some sunshine which was lovely, and more fog which was definitely not, and 1 very cold hour & 20mins later, I arrived a shivering wreck. Had the best bowl of porridge from the canteen ever though :-)
someone remind me again WHY am I doing this???!!!

Rachel

Ill again

2010-03-10T14:53:00.001Z

Bah. Well it's the usual sore throat and chest, dizzyness, tiredness, thick head and I can't see. Probably just another cold but I'm getting fed up of this. I've been like this on/off since December so went to see the doctor today. Blood tests Friday. Ho hum.

Steve.

The routes me and Paul will be taking

2010-03-07T16:53:00.000Z

Back to Cannock Chase

2010-03-07T16:40:00.000Z

Up onto Cannock in the sunshine. Down to two layers of clothing today. Mean lean black speed machine - well nearly :)

Here's what I did today:

http://bit.ly/bHDFkS

Steve

A lovely day :-)

2010-03-07T14:44:00.002Z

What a lovely day for a bike ride :-) sun shining, spring is in the air (ssshhh don't tell anyone!) - it even felt slightly warm!!
Been slightly further than last week, and slightly faster - 13miles & 15.3mph so not bad considering it's only 2nd ride so far...

of course the sunny weather didn't help the idiots that were trying to run me off the road to remember their brains...

Rachel

Mumford and Sons and a fiver!

2010-03-07T00:01:00.001Z

Hi all

Went to see Mumford and Sons tonight at Wolverhampton. Absolutely brilliant. Good support acts to - Fanfarlo and a guy with a guitar whose name I can't remember. Oops.

Had to queue up in the usual way to pay the parking ticket at the end of the night. Met a guy called John who very kindly started the ball rolling by sponsoring me a fiver for our bike ride in May. Thank you John. I think you'd make a good Morris dancer! We may see you yet down in Oxfordshire.

Steve.

First sunny ride of the year

2010-03-04T20:47:00.000Z

A quick 13.7 miles tonight as I was home early today. 4th ride so far.

Steve

A short ride tonight

2010-03-02T19:47:00.001Z

Got Runkeeper to work on my phone tonight. Great app. Shows me my elevation and pace etc. Got abit cold waiting for Runkeeper to find the satellites, but soon warmed up. Gives me something to measure my progress against. Going to get a battery for my heart monitor at the weekend.

Now to go and wash up before Rachel gets home :)

Steve

I can't feel my toes anymore

2010-02-28T18:51:00.000Z

I went out for a ride today doing my usual route over Cannock Chase. Total distance is about 24 miles with total ascent of about 750ft.

It was very hard work today. The wind was blowing a breeze and being only my 2nd ride I struggled with my breathing. It's just a case of clearing it over the next few rides.

At mile 6 I looked down to see that I'd forgotten my overshoes. They basically keep your feet warm in cold weather by fitting over your breathable cycling shoes and stopping wind and rain getting in. By mile 11 my toes had lost feeling altogether. I won't forget them again LOL.

Still getting used to the bike. It's perfectly stable at 30mph but develops abit of a wobble at 34mph. Should be simple to tweak the bike to stop that. The brakes also need adjusting as they don't really work at the moment!

Steve

1st ride of the year :-)

2010-02-28T13:18:00.002Z

Well, I've just been for my first ride of the year - in fact since November... legs are a bit shaky now!!
just been 11miles, average speed 14.5mph - not bad all things considered. quite a way to go before I bike to paris though!
the nice thing is I can actually breathe through my nose - at the moment anyway...

Rachel

Hooked but down a limb or the 3 limbed cycle challenge

2010-02-23T21:12:00.007Z

Hospital visit today, my operation is set to remove
the metalwork (see right, thanks for the pic Doc).
31st March, I'm not supposed to be out on my bike until 6 weeks after the op at the earliest, which is a bit of a problem as the 4 days of riding are planned for 5 weeks after (not expected to not come back for 4 days either).
The bone won't have grown over the screw holes by then and if I put pressure on it early in will be prone to cracking, apparently. September is the earliest they will consider it fully recovered.
Further good news is they expect to have to cut through my muscles again to get the metalwork out, yes that is the same muscles I've been painfully rehabilitating for 4 months now, bugger.
I still can't lift more than a cup of coffee with my left hand and they expect I will loose permanent movement in my shoulder joint.
Annoying really as most clavicle breaks are straight forward, trust mine to be complicated.
Right I'm off to google one armed cycles with a morphine drip attachment. Any ideas other than a tricycle please share!