22 Sep 2011

Just a bit of a heads up to let you know where I’m at:

  • Garminconnect. Now has a basic route planning function at long last. Nothing specatacular but at least it allows you to plot a Course.More in due course.
  • Spinning. Still doing  the classes, bumped into one of the first instructors who was filling in for one of the regulars. Shocks to the system can do you good.
  • Work. Still trying to get out of the place. Beset with a culture of closure. Dilbert sums it up.
  • Home. Still got a kitchen in the back room a month after delivery. Grand Designs it isn’t but the tiling is nearly done. 600mm tiles just add to the headache. Still waiting for the guttering to be done, if you don’t want the job just let me know just don’t let me down.
  • Aldi. Winter cycling offers on 29 Sep 2011. Separate post coming up, good stuff as usuall but can’t see no bibtights for some reason. Bibtights are what winter cycling is all about.  Don’t expect every store to have all the gear, there is a reccession going on and orders have beeen reduced in the last year or so. In short if you want it in your size be first through the door. Some stuff doesn’t move and gets reduced. Mega in the past but well worth a look in for the new cycle to work cyclist doing their first winter commute. Sizing is for a UK fit not Italian. Try it on in the store if possible, returns policy is generous but if you leave it too long the replacement size won’t be there for you. (hours in some cases).

Wild Wales 2011

The route for this years Wild Wales has been out out for some time and I hadn’t given it much thought. I sat down a couple of nights before the ride and tried to enter it. It’s written in handlebar shorthand and needs to be viewed with an OS map. Three hours later I was done, briefly put anything with double chevrons on an OS map was in the ride.

It’s two years since the last Wild Wales which ended in torrid conditions with a ride of 20 miles back through sheep slurry. This year a crud catcher went on the back. I also lost my dad the week after. In fact the funerals of father and father in law were within 24 hours of each other.

Then it hits me I haven’t been out in this neck of the woods  for two year.  I’m getting up the small 10% stuff in the middle ring but haven’t tested myself on the really steep stuff.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/110252799

First test of the day was trying to get money into the temperamental parking meter. Then I discovered I’d come out with 2 righthand gloves so no gloves on the ride.

Not as many pictures this year,  can’t find the ones where you could see the sea after the first Control.

A large queue was forming at the start but the new swipe in system meant you were in and out in seconds.
Setting out on the ride I tagged on the back of a group with Janet and Lowrie in it.  We seemed to be following a chap on a mountain bike so I moved up near to the front, where Geof Dutton AKA “The Dog” jumps on my wheel.  Geoff never misses a wheel that’s why he is know as the dog.
Wild Wales 2011 by frankkinlan at Garmin Connect – Details

Had to stop to take a picture of the Llama,s  they were really curious about what was going on, running up to the fence to see a group of riders go by.


Stopped before this steep descent as the valley looked really sharp and detailed, it hasn’t come out in the picture, must be the new Oakley,s.
What goes down must come up and the first climb had the rear wheel spinning out.  The next stretch looked even worse.


 Dave Newby the front Northender still on the bike.

Dave Newby has to dismount on this stretch taking the Doc with him.
Stopped here just after Llyn Brenig to remove the rain Jacket.

 Control at Llansannan 

Got a bit lumpy after this turn, opted to walk the steepest section getting back on the bike when a septagerarium/octagenarium came past me.
More nasty short sharp climbs had riders falling on them. On those I opted to walk there were guys hardly advancing on me at 2 mph in Keo,s.
Ros,s fella went down on a particullary bad descent and had to take the road back to the start.
A chap on a Planet X went down and broke his bike and another of the Sunlight went down twice, falling on the same turn.
It was about 1:3 in places and you could feel the high spots in the rim as you tried to make it to the bottom in one piece.

Got caught out by the route, saw a sign saying 20%  so got 30 yards up it and bailed off. Couldn’t see what was beyond the bend and the Garmin hadn’t told me I was off Course. Two guys went past, one of them saying “No shame in walking” only to see them at the next control as I was leaving.
Chris (who was riding to the routesheet) called me back as I had missed one of the fluorescent arrows.

Later part of the ride, there was a couple offering drinks by one of the reservoirs but most were just flying by. It was one of those parts where you just had to make the most of the road. It doesn’t get much better than this.

It was easy to make a mistake in the final section of the ride, even on the gated road section which featured in the previous ride.
Following  a Bala sign had me off Course and retracing my steps had me meet up with a chap that had rode the Etape. Chatted about Audaxes and such as another group went by and took the wrong turning through a farm. God knows where that led to but it wasn’t Bala.

Weekending 29 Aug 2011

Monday : morning spin class at West Kirby followed by some sign removal. Called in to see Brian about some car work but he was fully booked up so ended up doing it myself with only one skinned knuckle.
Only 4 in the spin class including a chap wearing a beanie hat and what looked like a fleece.
Called in at Vita where the winner of the Kuota Kebel was getting sized up for the frame.

Tuesday : Early start as it is MOT day.
Car fails MOT and I have a couple of hours to kill in Birkenhead. Writing this on the IPhone in McDonalds to kill some time. The plan is to do some more sign removal in the afternoon. Maybe fettle the bike for the Wild Wales.
As it turned out I spent most of the afternoon with Barry in the Vita shop doing a bit of post ride analysis.
It’s a good job I spent 9 hours signing the 86 miles route or the event wouldn’t have happened, the route sheet was unusable and this wasn’t picked up until it was time to sign the route.
Had a comment about a lack of marshals, I did suggest one for the Backford Hill crossing   as it is dangerous. Apart from Barry and Phil they only had help from 2 others. On any event you need bodies to run it. Marshals for Sportives cost money they don’t stand by the side of road waving you on for free.
You don’t get marshals on a club ride.
I know you’ve paid to enter but this was a true “charity” event, not an event organiser event with a charity tagged on.

Try riding an Audax.

Signage, there is only so much road furniture you can tie wrap a sign on. If you steam past a sign on a downhill section at 30 + mph I can’t help that. The chap I rode with did it but didn’t hear the shouts  and I was only 50 yards behind him.
This was approaching Heswall, missing out the lower loop.

There was a chap averaging 12 mph on the big loop who knew we we would have all packed up and gone home by the time he would finish but insisted on continuing.

There,s the rub, the first rides I did had a charity tag but wern’t as such.  Vita with a touch of naeivety dive in at the deep end but by and large pull it off.

Steve rang the shop on Monday to  see how things went,  it went off better than I had expected. Good trade supportfor a good good cause meant  the 1 mechanical got a lift back in a nice Merc. Neil Pryde and Barry manned the feed station at Delamere.

Spent 3 hours tonight removing signs and that was with the help of Val driving. Got as far as Delamere before it went dark.
Bumped into the Northend doing Keith Boardmans 5 mile TT,s  at Benty Heath Lane.
It’s dark around 8:30 pm now so cyclists need to start using lights. I know, it’s only August.

Keep the feedback coming as we  (we) need it to make next years event better.The  rides the ride but this years loop to Hoylake was unessesary, perhaps a bigger loop into Cheshire.  Feedback needed on the short ride as it sent you on roads I wouldn’t have sent you on. We can come up with a good route that doesn’t involve A roads. The new Wirral Circular coastal springs to mind.

Weekending 21 Aug 2011

Monday:  Tex’s morning spinning class at the Oval. Turned up as the online booking system is down. You can’t even book on the phone as they are using the same system. Finally got rid of the fridge by stuffing it in the Polo and taking it the recycling center.

Signed up for the Vita Steve Cummings Challenge Ride on Saturday after a short ride around the Wirral.  They new Oakley Split Jackets  are awesome giving a totally new outlook on everything. Opted for the polarised lens in black iridium. They add a surreal 3D effect to everything with a really strong depth of field.

Popped in to Vita in the afternoon where the Route was going to be mailed to everybody. Screwfix for some sockets and managed to book a spinning class at West Kirby once the booking system was back online.

Off work on Wednesday as the kitchen coming a.m. and I’m behind schedule.

Sundays route is in the Garmin only thing to do now is put air in the tyres ride out to the start and do the ride. Hope the weather is good.

One other thing clubs riding the Route without entering will be named and shamed. This event is a charity ride with profits going to Claire House. There are some good prizes in the raffle including 2 bikes and a signed jersey.
Claire,s mum called in at the shop on Saturday publicizing another event, I’d hate to see a true charity ride besmirched by some freeloading clubs.

Wednesday: rode the  Vita/ Steve Cummings Sportive.  Ended up doing 95 miles , picked up a puncture just after Dark Arc lane. The patch glue had dried out and the Park glueless patch was a let down so had to swap the tube.

Saturday: Volunteered to put the signs up for the long route.  Knew it was a fairly big job after riding the route on  Wednesday but didn’t thing it would take 9 hours. Was getting short of cable ties at the end of it.
Many thanks to I R McGarvey Opticians of Prenton for donating a pair of Team Sky Split Jacket Oakleys into the raffle. Same as mine but without the prescription lens.  A really nice piece of kit. There are 2 bikes in the raffle  along with a signed Sky Jersey, a helmet signed by Mark Cavendish.
All in aid of a good cause.
Next year promises to be even better.
The route sheet is next to unusable being computer generated it sticks the wrong turns in. The route wants a tweek here and there but is pretty much OK.  Bear in mind the abilities of people who sign up for this sort of event.
Haven’t seen Phil or Barry since I left the shop this morning but can imagine they are up to their necks in it.
Promises to be a great day. Hope the signs are still up in the morning.

Sunday: 4 AM A big heads up to Phil and Barry for sticking their necks on the line. Another heads up for all the sponsors. Next year will be mega.
Enjoy the ride and above all stay safe.
Most will be starting before the general population are up for their Sunday papers. Most of the roads are never busy but do follow the highway code and avoid riding two abreast when there are double white lines. (Mickle Trafford)
It’s not a race, but a great ride in a worthy cause.
You can do this sort of ride on any day of the week, it’s the Cause that counts.

The Ride: Got a lift to Ness Gardens as I overslept. I was still patching the tyre at 10 pm from the Wednesday recce. Things looked a bit chaotic as the security guard to open the gates didn’t turn up until 8 instead of 7 so there were no breakfasts to dish out. Signed on and headed out at 9 am. The sign in Burton was still up thankfully.
Picked up a guy in Woodbank who had latched on to a group not on the ride and backtracked to find the arrow.
Didn’t get his name but we rode together until the feed station at Delamere.
There were a couple of Tri guys looking lost at Backford as the route was going over the dual carriage way.  Steamed past us only for us to pass them in the lanes having a comfort break.
There were a couple of punctures around Wervin with one needing the Vita Assistance van.  Other than that there didn’t seem to be many problems. Passed the Tri mob again at the shop at Delamere when the feedstation was just a mile down the road.

Talked to Barry at the feedstation and ended up setting off on my own.
Had two lads on my wheel after Cob Hall lane  all the way back to Cheshire Oaks, where I took to the cyclepath. It was all big ring stuff and the legs feel like they can hack it. I’d signed the route as per the GPS track but opted to take the Missing Link it’s a no brainer, saw the 35mile group the other side of it.

Stopped for a pint of Wainwright at the Thatch the bulk of the ride completed.
Called in at the shop to have a chat and a look at the Parlee frame they have in.
Probably one of the last lugged carbon fibre frames around it looks really nice.

The long route crosses course at the shop so was hard to mark up with a few calling back in to see which way it went. Left at the junction and pick the arrows up again. Missed the Hoylake loop out as it was a bit pointless and probably won’t feature in the ride again.
Likewise , busy roads.
Nice to go along the front at Parkgate, then it was through Neston to the finish.
No signing back in, that needs addressing in future as you don’t know who is still out on the road.
The raffle went really well, fairly unique in a Sportive.
The breakfast porridge was been given away and I took a tub, saw another one on Route 56, must have fallen out of someones jersey pocket.

What doesn’t fall out of jersey pockets is discarded gel wrappers, there weren’t  too many but they were ours. I like my Cheshire countryside unspoilt  my wrappers went in the  Disco Channel Musette.
Rule #77.
Perhaps Vita musettes for next year?

There is going to be a next year, with all the bugs ironed out.

Weekending 07 Aug 2011

Monday: Work
Tuesday: Work. Watched Tour of Poland. My Colnago got a mention on Eurosport as it was a Kazak team bike on the 1992 Milk Race. Graham Weigh as got a mention too as that is where the bike originally came from. Needs the rear triangle repairing as the bonding on the chainstay has parted company with the lug.
Wednesday: Work, last day.  Seen and heard some  daft challenges in my time but a one mile race on a new cycle to work bike is the latest. £20 is at stake which wouldn’t be too bad if the guy knew what he was doing. Only ridden 2 1/2 miles on it, took the toe clips off because he doesn’t need them. Bought a gel saddle rather than a pair of shorts. Planning to ride into work (20 miles) in an hour with no spares other than the Kevlar tyres he had fitted.
I’d have come in on my day off to watch this.
Thursday: Spinning class at the Oval, Tesco meal deal for lunch. Had to go to the Coop for the comic as there is no space for it at Tesco no wonder circulation is static.
Started to rip up the  tiles in the kitchen along with the plaster. An SDS drill makes short work of it. Cleaning it up is another matter.
Evening  spinning class at West Kirby, was throwing it down when I booked it but brilliant sunshine on the way to it. Should have got out on the bike instead.
Ordered a chisel from Screwfix so will have to pick that up.
Weight has stayed steady, dropping 100g from the last reading.
No sign of the new Oaklies yet or should I say the rest of the order.
Friday: Booked an evening Trixster bike class. Might get a short ride in and there is the kitchen to do. Entered the Steve Cummings Challenge ride.
Route is still a bit vague and it’s done in reverse. The original is a cracking ride as once you’ve made it up Primrose Lane it is mostly downhill. You can use momentum on the downhill sections to attack the climbs.

Saturday:  Short ride out to the Eureka visiting a tile shop on the way out as the kitchen is in bits. Met up with Dave who had just got back from Llandegla.
28 miles and got caught in a shower. Daves found a new screen while riding a GPX Course so the Dummies Guide is going to need an update.

Weekending 31 July 2010

Monday: Website down over the weekend so time for a fresh start.
Time again to go on the wagon and take alcohol out of the equation again and start afresh. Booked some spinning classes and pressed on with all those little bits of jobs that need sorting.
Tuesday: Tex,s morning spinning class which unlike the others  are likened to a 45 minute climbing session. If your spinning at 200rpm instead of 60 you will get your tension increased.

Of out to look at curtains which involved calling in at Eureka Cycle Sports. No curtains but it did allow me to put a coat of paint on the front door.

Becky’s evening spin class at the Oval, notable for the entire back row filling up with me on the front. You could almost feel them wishing for a row of corner bikes. Filled up a bit more before the start so it didn’t look so obvious.

Becky has a new class at West Kirby on Monday at 7.15 pm after the 6.00 one.
Sweated buckets, weights, shower and then home. Incidently the showers downstairs must be the worst around. Mould in the grout, dirty, next to non existent suspended ceiling. A hygiene hazard at best.

Started to read “Eats Shoots and Leaves” a 2004 best seller so hopefully the punctuation should improve. That is if I find the bit that actually says what the rules are.

Wednesday: Up early to clean and fettle the bike. New Dura-Ace brake blocks in the rear as the old ones were beginning to pick up, had them a while as they have an old price on. Lost a kilogram to boot.
Headed out to the Eureka with an eerie quietness to the roads, there was no school run as the schools have broken up for the holidays.
Not too many there when I arrived apart from a couple of Northenders. It soon filled up later on with the Northend out in force. Opted to go out with the CTC as it is exactly 5 years since I started going out with them.
Saw Ray who is on his 52nd 100 miler this year.

Todays ride was to Handley and should be here.

‘http://connect.garmin.com:80/activity/embed/102160746’

Met up with Colin Bell who is the brother of Dave Bell who I served my apprenticeship with at Associated Octel.(now Innospec)

The route was through the lanes including a few I hadn’t been on before, finally ending up at the Calverley Arms, avoiding the A41.

Good service, my baguette was nice and so was the pint, it would have been rude not to have one.

The pace had slowed a bit so much so that at the cottage with a pond in the garden on a bend at Huxley, I went off the front.
Route back was Waverton, Christleton, cycle path through Chester coming off it at Blacon, Upton and across the A5771 and back up Woodbank.
Plenty to talk about at the Eureka, Garmins as usual and the Ventoux popped up once or twice during the day without my prompting.
74.6 miles, couldn’t go that extra half mile so to say.

Kev Charlie and Bob at Chester

Seen a request for pictures of Charlie Dipple on Facebook but can’t get in touch due to a blocked facebook profile.  Here is one of them. Comes out bigger than the original when I paste it here at least when I edit it.

Thursday: Barbara,s Morning Spin class at West Kirby . Delayed 15 minutes because another class was using the amplifier. Hot class sweated buckets, called in at Vita on the way home to pick up some Nuun salt tablets as I want to replenish the salts lost but not the calories. Shop full of new Bianchi,s to look at and start at a resonable price in a shop that has a £12,000 bike on display.
Tesco,s for the comic and a sandwich and a trip to see my mum.
Booked a pm class at West Kirby, tried the Nuun tablet which guess what? tasted of salt.

Friday: Lost 2 kg since Monday mainly by knocking the alcohol on on the head. The scales say my body composition Water % has gone up from 43.9% to 44.7 in 4 days. Time to finally put it all in a spreadsheet.
There have been complications mainly insomnia which was probably why I hit the bottle again.  Will have to see how it pans out as I don’t really want to see the quack at this stage.
More later, off out to the Eureka for lunch.
Headed out to a cash machine and then down Town Lane practicing bunny hops on the sleeping policemen. Works quite well once you’ve done a few.  Called in at Aldi for a punnet of plums and headed out to Eastham Ferry calling in at CycleSurgery for a Sky waterbottle.
BLT toastie at the Eureka where there was another one having Garmin problems.
Vision is one of them, if you can’t see the screen of a normal computer you are going to be in real trouble with 705 or 800 on the move.
I’ve just switched to prescription glasses so a ride is now like seeing HD for the first time.
The FourSquare app on the Iphone has locked up for the last week.
Called in at Vita on the way home then back via Landican lane to practice more bunny hops. That was until the bottle toolbox forced it’s way past the tang on the carbon fiber bottle cage. Forced the pump out of it’s mount, hitting the crank every  revolution.
I don’t know how many vans Gunform have but got buzzed by another at the Woodchurch flyover making a beeline for the motorway. That’s the second time it’s happened to me. Someone there is riding their luck.

Called in to McGarvey,s Opticians to see how the custom Split Jackets were coming on. Well they were in but awaiting the case and the rest of the bits you get with the real thing. They are a better fit than the Radars on the Kask Vertigo.

Probably worth doing a post on prescription sports eyewear at a later date.

Had a drive around looking to pick up bits for the kitchen installation to no avail. What was noticeable was  riders in team kit, so here goes Discovery Channel, Astana(brave), Team Altura(plain kit) and US Postal.
Saturday: Stayed steady, Alcohol units 0, disrupted sleep. Time for a ride as the suns out and it’s the last day of the holiday.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/102829216#.TjRLKsE8bAc.wordpress

40 mile ride around Wirral with a few bikes shops and motorbike shops thrown in. Still looking for a new pair of shoes. Met up with Dave at the Eureka who ordered a bacon sandwich with a brown crust and a white top with the crusts cut off tongue in cheek.  Low  and behold that’s what he got apart from the crusts being cut off.
Lot’s of the big hitters were doing short rides as it is race day on Sunday

Sunday: Work so no ride, weekly total 141 miles. Alcohol units 2.

July 2011

Decided to consolidate 3 weeks posts in to one for the month.
Not a lot going on ride wise other than a couple of trips around the Wirral.
The only other thing of note is a need to wear glasses for driving and riding for that matter.  Not done anything about a trip to the Tour but offset this by watching it on Eurosport in HD. With the new specs it is truly stunning, just like being there.
Ordered a replacement prescription lens for the Radars at the heady price of £165. Other than that I’ve been doing spinning classes at the Oval, West Kirby and Leasowe subject to availability.
New helmet is a Kask Vertigo in Sky colours, far better than the old Giro Atmos. Much better protection for the temples as well as being better finished for what at the end of the day is injection moulded foam and plastic which costs buttons.

Protection wise there is nothing different between the £6-7 budget helmets to the eye watering price I paid, they all have to pass the same tests. No VAT  so some one is making a killing.

Met Dave at the Eureka on Friday  and chatted about the recent Twitter wars, rode back to Vita and had a look at the Lightweight Wheels, lightweight is an understatement. They are feather weight and come with a 120KG weight limit.

Called in at Prenton to check out the Oakley SplitJacket glasses, they are on order.

Saturday:  Got a call from Vision Express that the Radar lens was in so out on the bike to pick them up and put another lap around the coast. Sunny but a bit breezy. Back home to watch the Tour time trial.
Sunday: Day out at Llandudno doing a spot of trainspotting.
Got caught up in the traffic jam following an accident at Two Mills, had to use a bit of local knowledge to get around it.  Had a radio blackout as I didn’t want to know the result of the final Tour stage as I’d video plussed it for watching later.

Weekending 03 July 2011


Liverpool Chester Liverpool 2011
Nice day for a nice ride.

Should have rode the 87 mile event as I was back by 11.45

Bumped in to Paul from work, still waiting for his bike on the cycle to work scheme.


 

Nearly everyone freewheeled down to the midpoint where the speed differences started to show on the climb out.
Quite a few stop at the tollbooths to rest/regroup.
It’s always great to ride through to tollbooths for free.

 

Big ring after this and I’m flying. Met up with Team Wallace and Grommit who bummed a free ride from KFC. At least they didn’t have the cheek to do the tunnel unlike the usual suspect Liverpool clubs.

Marshalling was  a bit hit or miss with riders getting waved through red lights even though the ride organisers stressed not to do it.
Likewise riding 3 abreast on the Chester High Road before theThorton Hough turn off is not sensible.
The traffic calming islands just exacerbate the situation.

Nice section of the ride going through Thorton Hough, pity the oak tree outside the Smithy had to be cut down. 

Pretty much on my own at this point but grabbed a wheel from a handy chap on a Pinarello who was on the 87 mile ride. Looked to be behind schedule if I had caught him up.

 

The gated lane with 5 gates, could have done with marshals on these but it went ok. CTC have this down to a fine art.

The stop at Chester had me meeting up with Team Wallace and Grommit and heading to the Claire House Gazeebo for some sun tan lotion.  Saw one of the Vita Cycles Team heading out on the Delamere loop.

 

Had a bit of fun in the tunnel on the return leg, tucking in behind a guy using tri bars doing 30+. Surprised to see bottles being discarded in the tunnel with about a 1/4 mile to go, it’s not that steep a climb and it’s not the Tour.





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