Author: frankkinlan

Monday: Tex,s spinning class at the Oval. Not as bad as last Tuesdays class which was 45 minutes of climbing which wrecked my knees for the week. Today was 4 minute intervals with 90 seconds of rest.
Weights after that, one of the girls said she nearly fainted in the class as it was that tough.
Trip to Vita to get a new Conti GP4000 which is heavier than the Attack that is coming off after yesterdays slow puncture. Carbon bars are now back on the bike but having a bit of trouble with the Nokon cable lengths. A lightweight inner tube went bang on me too.
Faffed around when i should have been getting stuck into the house but the Dummies Guide to the Edge 800 is now live but is going to need a lot of honing.
Contributions welcome.
Things are slowly getting better, the fitness is begining to return.
The links I get continue to amaze me such is the power of a Google search.
Need to sort out some of the links on early posts as the Steve Cummings Training Ride no longer exists as I posted it to MotionBased, now defunct.

Tuesday: Spinning at the Oval by the looks of things.
Spinning it was with the card breaking in two trying to get out of the back pocket. Turned out to be a very 70’s retro class music wise, first off was Gloria Gaynor “I will survive” then “Boogie Nights” followed by Tiger Feet.
Card got replaced and booked another class for tonight.

Lidl have got their Cycling offers  on at the moment.
http://www.lidl.co.uk
It’s OK if you looking for the basics . The £5 toolkit has a pair of tyre levers in it that won’t get a tyre off the rim.
Wednesday: Last day off, ride day.
Spent most of the morning getting the No1 bike in order  with the carbon bars fitted with re- extended Nokon cables along with new inners and new bar tape. I’ve been spoilt by trying the new Groupsets with a flat bar transistion, be it 105, Ultegra or Dura-Ace they all felt the same.
That said it’s all about the ride, felt good in  the big ring when I could see the cadence figures.
First time since November under 100 KG  and can’t  remenber things being this bad for a long, long time.

30 odd miles , 2 bike shops, there is only one Cafe stop and Rest Hill to boot.

Nothing stupid planned yet!
Thursday: Work.
Friday: Work. Picked up Cycling Plus on the way home  with the Neil Pryde bike on the front of it. A GPS review had the Edge 800 coming out top but overall the review again lacked a bit of substance.  The refurbed 705 is back too, turned around in a week so can’t complain about the service.
Saturday: Work.  A couple of things to sort out on Edge 800 routing for the guide. May look at sticking a half hour ride in after work when the clocks go forward. Magicshine bits came in the post from HongKong, cheap as chips.
Sunday: Booked a days holiday. Still the same weight  which is good.
Went to Chester and saw the spring high tide on the River Dee, it submerged the jetty for the rowing club.

Monday: Last day of the month at work so the pressure was on to get things sorted. Then comes the problem of what to do on my four days off. I’ve set myself a target of 120 miles for the week, which is 30 miles a day.  In an ideal world this would be over in 2 hours with the rest of the day to do all the other stuff.
Spent  some time looking at spares for the Magicshine and new Themes for the blog as the ones above annoy me but I don’t seem to be able to do much about it and it’s not for the lack off trying.
I’ve picked up a bit of sinusitis which feels like I’ve got a broken nose.
Tuesday: Up early with the intention of doing a spinning class or a ride. The Toy got cleaned and the Crud Roadracer mudguards got fitted or at least the back one with a bit of cutting. No such luck with the front one. Missed the spinning classes but did give the sinusitis a bit of treatment with Menthol and Tea Tree Oil in a bowl of water. It proved to be surprisingly effective.

First section of the ride was to see Colin Brick at Wheelbase, here I learnt Mavic haven’t had a presence in the UK for the last 3 years due to the likes of Wiggle and ChainReaction under cutting dealers with grey imports.

Forced to stop in Rock Ferry (not something you’d do if you had a choice) to secure the MagicShine battery. Got asked if I was racing in Birkenhead Park as I still had my Etape number on, that would be some race.

Next stop was Vale Park for a tea and cake stop. A chap walks up the hill with a Great Dane that you would have to measure in hands it was that big. The other dogs didn’t want to go near it. I had taken a shot of the new Liverpool waterfront but as I had taken the SD  card out of the camera it didn’t come out for some reason. Below are the swans on the boating lake, it would have been better if they didn’t associate humans with food.

http://connect.garmin.com:80/activity/embed/66215469

Next stop was Brian’s in Moreton to book the Polo in for the anti-rollbar to be changed. Talked bikes, the motorised kind,helped out on one of oddball jobs that he seems to attract. Then it was off on the bike to Hoylake, a bit of traffic bringing out what commuters must see everyday, bad driving.

West Kirby brought out the inner chimp, do I listen to the chimp and go through Caldy Village or head up Hilbre View and Column Drive. The critical point was the turn off to Banks Road. The chimp lost and it was up Hilbre View, the weight I’ve put on recently really telling.  Same thing at Montgomery Hill, I’m getting up OK but nothing like I was. Could be worse I remember times when I had to stop.  Next stop was Vita cycles in Irby but that will have to be tomorrow as it’s getting late.

http://connect.garmin.com:80/activity/embed/66339415

‘http://connect.garmin.com:80/activity/embed/66339415’

Thursday:  Had me fitting the Crud Roadracer Mudguards to the  Toy before heading out to the Eureka, now open on Thursdays and Fridays.

Friday: Last chance of a ride and by what  I’m seeing  on Facebook and Twitter  no one wants to risk it going out in the wind. Headed out on Route  56 and it wasn’t too bad until I turned into Talbot Road where I was downto 6 mph. Arrived at the Eureka just after 10 for another breakfast. The word needs to go out that they are open as I saw riders on Thursday doing a loop down Denhall lane when the Cafe is only a mile or so down the road.

Called in to see Keith at Eureka Cycle Sports and then it was on to the Bike Factory to pick up the Mavic spoke holding tool. Our new cycle crossing across the Dee is down the pan as the money has to be spent by March, come to think of it what happened to all the other cycling facilities promised, a big let down from Chester City Council.
I got blown to Chester at 23 mph in places the trouble was finding a sheltered route back. After leaving the Bike Factory it was time to take to the cycle route out to Sealand but coming off at the Blacon exit.  Through Upton and over the A5117 where I was back down to 6 mph again as it’s very exposed.

More cars than bikes back at the Eureka with the wind back in my favour if I take the right route. I’m well up on the mileage target and now 150 miles plus seems do-able. Left the Cafe and headed to Neston with a strong buffeting in places. Took to the Wirral Way at Parkgate to be met with a fallen tree, below.

The Wirral Way being a disused railway lin from the Beeching closures is really sheltered on a day like this, had the mudguard clog up a few times but it is really close fitting. Called in at Morrisons in West Kirby for an afternoon tea and found it quite quiet. Once on the  front at  Hoylake I got blown along until Leasowe lighthouse. Normally I come off the sea defences here but continued on knowing it can get a bit soft.

http://connect.garmin.com:80/activity/embed/66594924

Probably my biggest week for a long time, 162.5 miles in 4 days. If you can call  Deeside, Wales I got into Wales for the first time this year, next stop some hills. If that is to happen I’m going to have to take some nutrition as once off the beaten track there is nothing out there for you.

Bit of a quiet week this week with only 37 miles under the belt. It did incorporate a Eureka Cafe stop and four bike shops. Cleaned the dirty Toy before I set out only to get it dirty again within a couple of hundred yards.

Sunny on the way out with a bit of a chill in the air it was another trip for the Shimano MW80 mountainbike boots. I’m really impressed with these as the battle with cold is about 50% won with warm feet and these stay warm all day with no overshoes. Got home to read a good review of them in Cycle, the CTC magazine which was waiting for me when I got in.

Once sated with a Eureka breakfast and the banter you only get at the Eureka it was time to head out for the purpose of the ride, a Mavic spoke holding tool. Took the Dee cycle path which was really quiet. One of the sights you get see which is unique is an A380 Airbus wing about to make it’s way by barge to Toulouse. No barge today but the loading is a sight worth seeing.

Once at Chester it was a trip around the Racecourse. I’d say this was one of Chester,s cycling secrets. It brings you out below the Courts and The Groves.

First up was the EdgeCycleworks, some nice Treks in there with Endura clothing. None of the highend stuff which is probably a good thing. Next up was Maplins for an Edge cadence sensor battery. £3.49 was a bit steep I thought.
Bike Factory next where the Mavic spoke holder was ordered. Caters for all abilities but there is some top end kit from Trek and Pinnarello. Next up was the Specialised Concept store, Grahame Cummings invited me to bring the Toy inside(I liked that).  Some nice kit including a Specialised Shiv that looks like it breaks the UCI 3:1 rule.
Might end up taking one of the demo bikes out at one stage to see if the zerts inserts in the seatstays work.

Next up was Keith at Eureka Cycle Sports. Here the new opening times for the Eureka were confirmed. From next week the Eureka is open on a Thursday and a Friday, use it or lose it.  I also got around to explaining about Twitter and 4Square. Twitter can work really well for a cafe or restaurant as I follow a few Wirral ones.

There’s the rub most of us are walking in with Smartphones and Satnavs, the Garmin bleep is quite distinctive at the Eureka. A bit like this site you need to stay with the times.

 
http://connect.garmin.com:80/activity/embed/65709383

Ride home was a bit bleak as narrow roads mean traffic can’t pass you cleanly and even on the dual carriageways traffic bunched due to the traffic lights. Once off it you are fine.

Next stop was Willaston for a Lucozade Sport as I’ve spent too much time yapping in bikeshops.  Perusing the post cards  in the Post Office window was one offering brazilians and other topiary. Where’s this leading you may ask.Well I’ve finally secumbed to some of the fake replica kit from Hong Kong.  Lycra doesn’t last forever even if it does have a Nike logo on it. No one is ever going to tell you your shorts are semi transparent in a certain light.
That should be the back row of the spinning class spared but just as easily applies to a club ride. Thinking about it, at least in a spinning class you can look the other way, on someones wheel your pretty much stuck with the view.

The shorts seem well made with a coolmax pad that seems a step up from the cheapest versions. Most of the top teams seem to have been copied with options of winter kit which in it’s original form is hard to get hold of or for team use only.

Had the battery fail on the laptop with two 18650 cells going down. These are the same cells used by the MagicShine  bikelight so I’ve ordered 4 from Dealextreme to be made into a new battery pack. A pattern battery for the laptop cost £50 from a UK supplier.
The battery failure is not a good sign for all those new electric cars coming onto the market as it’s useing the same technology.

Thought I’d add a bigger picture of the missing cobbles near the One O’clock Gun.
Thursday: Spinning class at the Oval followed by a trip to Birkenhead . I thought I’d overpaid for the cadence sensor battery as I picked a card of eight up in a £1 shop. Mind you I wouldn’t leave a £3K bike outside.
Managed to get Keith signed up for FourSquare in the afternoon with the Eureka to follow soon. Twitter is on the cards too. One advantage is your probably going to know what the soup is going to be on a given day.