Another week, now increasing the riding

After a few weeks of just going out for a ride at the weekend, I have decided to up the riding a bit.
i did a nice 35/40 mile ride along the coast on Sunday, and then decided to start semi-cycling to work.
I call it semi-cycling as I work 30 miles away and it is a very undulating route, I decided to cycle from home to St Leonard's station (17 miles), then get the train to Frant and cycle the remaining 3.5 miles to work in Tunbridge Wells, and obviously repeating it in reverse after my days work. From next week I plan on doing it a couple of days a week.
It was an eerie feeling cycling along a pitch black, un-lit road at 5:30 in the morning, even though I know the road very well I found myself slowing down as I knew there was a bend coming up but couldn't actually see it until I was practically on top of it.
As the ride in September includes cycling overnight to Dover, the more experience I can get cycling in conditions like that the better. Cycling on lit roads in the dark is fine, but when you hit unlit roads it is a whole new experience.
So now I have doubled the distance I am riding in a week. This is the thing with training carefully, you gradually lengthen the distance you ride and try to keep up the pace you set or improve it.

Still a long way to go, but I'm getting there.

Until next time.

Another Nice Ride - feeling it a bit though

Saturday might've been a washout this weeken but Sunday was glorious.
After spending a post bithday Friday re-packing and organising boxes of stuff ready for my impending house move, and a sodden Saturday helping my fiancee with her horses, I was ready for a ride.
I took the dogs for a nice long walk along the beach on a lovely sunny, slightly chilly Sunday morning, and then donned the lycra and got the bike out of the garage.
I decided on taking a favourite route of mine, along the Cuckoo Trail to Heathfield and back, a nice 36 mile ride. With a bit of a headwind on the way out I rode along the lovely countryside path.
I thought that as I would have the wind behind me on the return leg that I would return via the road and push it a bit harder.
Well I managed the return in just over 35 minutes, and I must admit that I think I pushed a little too hard. That said apart from slightly stiff knees I felt ok. Whether the stiffness is down to the ride or all of the lifting and carrying I have done in the previous couple of days, or a combination of both I don't know. But it's good to find that point and then go past it.

Here is a good tip that I have picked up from my previous rides. Cover your knees with Ibuprofen gel before you go on a long ride and it will prevent sore/stiff knees at the end of it

See you next week

Icy a chance to ride

With football called of on Saturday due to a frozen, snow covered pitch I took the chance, donned my thermals and got the bike out of the garage.
With new slick tyres on I knew it could get a bit dicey as it was still below 0 and there was still some ice around.
Nonetheless I ventured off and decided to keep it simple, straight along the A259 from Eastbourne to Hastings and back. A 35 mile round trip.The wind was light enough and I decided not to push it due to the conditions and being out of practice. Well just under 2 hours later and after only a couple of dodgy moments on unnoticed icy patches I was back home, and feeling good. A cup of tea later I thought I'd like to do that again, so I did!
Once again taking it easy, especially on the return leg as the evening approached, and the temperature fell further, but the bike and rider came through unscathed and feeling a lot better than expected, after a 70 mile ride on the second training run and the first real test of where I am fitness wise in preparation for the ride.
I now have a bench mark to work from.
I have to say how much of a difference having the thermal tights made from my first venture out a couple of weeks ago, I hardly felt the cold, apart from on my face, when i had my snood down for better breathing.
the only downside, if it could be called that is that I lost the little pastic stops off the edges of my cleats when I had to rapidly re-gain my balance after a couple of slips on icy patches, but that is merely a cosmetic problem.
If the weather starts to improve, as in the mercury going upwards and not plummeting downwards, I am going to start trying to get out for an evening ride or two during the week, along with a good long ride at the weekend.
Still a long way to go, but I feel more confident now of reaching the level needed for the ride in September.

More next week.

Snow cycling this week

Well as I feared this weekend cycling was snowed off .
Not to be put off though I have got myself some new tyres and a few more bits and bobs for myself and the bike, sorted out the new kit and ordered some new full length winter cycling outfits - I'll look the part even if I don't cycle the part!!

On the upside though, my fiancee and I have set a provisional date for the wedding - 24th November ( I am now under strict orders not to kill myself on the ride !!), and the house move is looking good for early March.

Hopefully this weekend will be snow free, so even though I will be facing sub zero temperatures, I intend to get out for a good ride to break in the new shoes and tyres and see just how good the thermal tights are.

And so the training starts

This last week has seen my bike get it's service, and it now feels like I've got a new bike. Cables replaced, wheels trued, brakes fixed and everything nicely greased. I have to say a big thanks to Phoenix Cycles, Eastbourne for the great job they have done. I went out Sunday for a shakedown ride, and very quickly realised that I need some new gear. Thermal cycling tights and a thermal top! It was bloody freezing!! Nothing seemed to work, the faster I went the colder I got. So I cut the ride short at about 15 miles, but it felt great to be back out on the road. I now have some thermals so hopefully if the snow holds off I will be out again this weekend for a more serious ride. I intend to keep to about 30 mile rides for the next few weeks and then start upping the distance and frequency of the rides, as I stated before start easy and build up. Off the bike, I am working on some ideas to help the fundraising, and also looking for different routes to use for practice rides to alleviate the boredom cycling past the same places time and time again. Just to make this task even more of a challenge, I am moving house (hopefully, fallen through twice!!) early March and also will hopefully be planning a November wedding! See you next week Daniel