Loose spokes

But blues skies, so it all balances out.. Got halfway up the first hill with gears all over the place and was swearing at the whole concept of a bike with multiple ratios (wouldn't happen with a fixie etc) until I realises that a gentle twist of the barrel adjuster was all that was required to get things running sweet again..

Yves Saint Laurent Shirts and Tesco Underwear..

Looong break from cycling in, caused by laziness mostly..and some kind of zonal disturbance in the atlanstic leading to lots of sodding rain here.. Came in on the singlespeed today though as I'm going to hook up with the wednesday nightride crew this evening on my way home... It's a bit sliggish on the road though, a one geared fat tyred bike is not quite in the same league as a skinny tyred road bike..

Wet day

Nice to ride in though..

Finally..

Too long off the bike, mainly due to rain of biblical proportions, but also laziness and stress over a failing bike purchase of all things... Never mind, back in the saddle today.

Mileage

Well this week I have ridden into work 4 days.. Gone for evening road rides twice, and one evening off road ride. Including a trip or two to the shops, this means that at the moment I'm on 100.6 miles and by the time I get home this evening I'll be on 111.8 or so.. Luckily I'm riding this weekend too, though I do get tomorrow off :-)

Tired legs

After riding last night, this morning was a bit of a slog in... Looking forward to the ride home though, cos I get to go via another bike shop to look at a frame I've just (hopefully) ordered.. Fingers crossed it will be big enough :-)

Biking biking and more biking

Rode in and back yesterday, met amy on the way home and went for a 20 mile loop for fun.. Sadly her rear mech went into the spokes meaning I had to leave her at the pub and sprint home to fetch the car... Then rode in this morning, and of course it's the wednesday night ride tonight.. Good job I'm 'ard! ;-)

Went riding on the road for fun yesterday..

..I feel so dirty.. ;-)
Came in on the bike today though passing a huge traffic jam on the M4..meeting the missu on the way home for a recreational loop on top of my usual commute. Should be fun..

Logistics

Blimey, that was a bit of a gap. A combination of bad weather, other biking commitments and early morning meetings has led to me using the car a bit much recently.. Back on the bike to come in today (including a tit for tat race with a grumpy sod who works in the same office.. we passed each other at least 4 times, but not so much as a good morning grunt..) but might get a lift home (long story). Which means that over the next few days I might be half bussing, half riding..bit of a pain really. I should just put some lights on and ride every day.. hmmmm

Wet

Gonna get wet on the way home. Clouds a loomin' :-(

Bit of a break..

Had about a week off the commute. Partly due to time pressures, partly weather and partly cos I'm lazy... I also binned it off a jump at CwmCarn the other day so am still rather sore.. Rode in this morning though, blue skies and green fields. Very nice :-)

Bing

Nothing to report today. Fairly chilled ride in via an ascent of the big dipper. Not too bad a climb, but not worth it for the descent as the tarmac is too lumpy..

Ended up racing another roady yesterday, cranking along newport road in the big ring..he was a miserable bugger too, but even after the mileage I've done this week, I still toasted him :-)

The fear

The motorway roundabout by the office is starting to give me the fear.. I hope they finish the roadworks soon so I can get back to riding through the park instead of risking life and limb with the hgvs..

Heckled

Got heckled on the way in to work today. Nothing unusual in that, but this time it was a car load of girls shouting "Oi! Sexy rider!" ... Made a nice change from what people usually shout I can tell you..mnid you, they may have been joking :-(

Headwind

Nice ride last night, thougha bit humid. This morning was hard work though, sodding headwind all the way in. I seem to have lost my toughness in the arse area too.. Sitting in the saddle hurt a bit today..

Must stop swearing

A week and a bit off the bike, cos I was lounging around in Corfu.. Very nice.
Back in the saddle this morning only to get beeped by some twunt wile coming off the motorway roundabout. That exit is scary enough without HGVs bearing down on you beeping.. Sadly I think my raised finger may have been a little indisciminate, hope the guy in the car doesn't work at my office.. Ooops.

Zoom zoom zoom

Beat Amy from Sainsburies to home last night, that's 1.2 miles according to the Gmaps pedometer. Not bad against a 1.6l 16v Astra Sport.. :-)

Felt a bit more lethargic on the way in today though, ho hum end of the week and all that.

Today I bought stuff

I forgot my lock, but as I was popping into the bike shop for a tube anyway, I took the opportunity to buy a sturdier, yet still portable number.. Going to the shops on the way home so a decent lock will be useful.

Wore my old courier bag on the way in too. Despite telling everyone for years that they aren't as comfy as a rucsac, I actually found it ideal for the amount of stuff I was carrying today. Might have to use it more often. I wonder if the different position on the road bike makes a difference?

Not the best commute in..

First I get dropped by a Napoleon Dynamite lookalike at the lights, my legs are really feeling the last few days so I let him wobble off up the road uncontested..
Then I get a puncture on the dual carriageway, bit of glass through the tyre..
Then I get beeped at and cut up by two carloads of chavvy families on the motorway island. All in all a bit of a pain in the arse..

Oh well, time to order more inner tubes..

Rode a long version of the gap yesterday

A great day out. Made the ride in this morning a little hard work, but not too bad all in all...

Soaked

On the way in this morning, much rain... Oh well, sun is out now.

3/4 length trews..

Some Humvee 3/4s arrived in the post eysterday so I got to ride in wearing proper pedal pushers today.. They're pretty cool, comfy and warm.

Mobiles...grrr

NEarly wiped out by a 4x4 this morning..dozy bint of a driver on her mobile. WHY ARE THESE PEOPLE NOT MADE PARIAHS AND HOUNDED FROM POLITE SOCIETY? I mean, we did it for drunk drivers, let's get these morons off the roads too..

Spots of rain

While riding in this morning, I almost got wet.. It was actually quite nice.
Roll on winter, that's what I say..

Slipstream

Slipstreamed a HGV all the way through the roadworks today, must have been pushing 25 miles/hour for a mile or so flat out.. Great fun..

Wetter than I thought

It was drizzling when I left home, but by the time I got to work it was almost proper rain.. Makes a nice change actually..

Music while you pedal

Tried listening to my MP3 player on the way in this morning. I'd always thought it'd be bad idea, less ability to hear traffic, less aware etc... and I was right. It was nice to have a soundtrack though, some songs got me peddaling like crazy. The worst thing though is the wind noise in the headphones. As riding off road with tunes would be nice, I might see if I can find some better earbuds.

Zoom zoom zoom

Well, after a hard three days peak bashing in the lakes, I had a day out of the saddle before getting back on the road bike today. The ride in was super quick, even the longer way via millionaires row takes less than 45 minutes now.. That bike is so speedy.. or maybe it's me. Amy pointed out at the weekend that I'm getting split calves..hardcore.

Sodding kids

Local kids are pissing me off again, throwing stones into our garden. :-(
Had a nice ride in though, 50 minutes to do the long way via millionaires row, not too shabby.

Had a good ride last night too, proper shonky north shore seesaw and gap jump, nailed both first go, although not without a facial expression of sheer terror..

Almost a rest..

Ok so I did a short ride both days at the weekend, but I had the whole of monday off! Predictably baked in the car and sat in traffic jams, so no regrets about being back on the bike today.. Just agonising over whether or not to buy MTB number 4.. You see I've got the singler for winter and enduros, the PA for summer all round XC, trailbashing and racing, the Scott for touring and winter commuting, so a Patriot 6.6 would be just the ticket for jumping off cliffs? It'd be a bargain price too, but still having trouble justifying it to myself.. Watch this space.

Bird of prey

Saw him again today, sat happily on top of a telegraph pole between millonaire's row and the top of coal pit lane. Quite a big fellow, maybe a kestrel..will have to do some research.

Clouding over

It's finally getting cooler here, although I still rode to work in blazing sunshine. It'd be really nice to work out a route that avoids all of the dual carriageway like the route through the park oppoiste the offic but without the offroad/dirt track bits.. Either that, or I'll have to buy a CX bike..

Duathalon day

1/2 Marathon training started this morning, so a 3.2 mile run at 6.30 round the local park, a quick breakfast of an apple and a bannana, and then the ride in to work.. Strangely although the run was hard, I found the ride into work fine afterwards..even sprinting up the hills in quite energetic style..

My running shoes rubbed my heel again though, luckily I ordered some new ones yesterday, so hopefully they'll be better..

Rhayader weekend

Just had a good weekend biking in Rhayader, so took monday off and drove in. Back on two wheels now though, with an excruciatingly hot commute today... It's meant to get hotter tomorrow too.. :-(

Sqeauk squeak

Bloody seatpost clamps, they always squeak. Nice ride in though, and the weather is gorgeous so I'm quite looking forward to a good pootle home via the video shop and possibly the chippy :-)

Pedal wound

Got me right in the back of the leg, leading to pain, a little blood, but most importantly, losing my usual racing start from the traffic lights.. Otherwise an uneventful ride in..

Logistics

Nice ride in today, just a little wet. Trying to work out if I can ride in tomorrow though, and still manage to get to the Assembly building in Cardiff bay and back..Hmm

Rode in yesterday..

...and rode in today. Nothing much to report, but feeling a bit sore of back today. I really must start doing the core excercises my physio gave me..
Got a day off the bike tomorrow for the DTI sports day, though I should be riding off road tonight if my bouncy bike is still working after being ignored since the mountain mayhem...

Buckled wheels

Well, buckled the back wheel of my new race bike already, but tweaked it straight in time for todays run in. nothing too exciting to report, just knackered after our sodding neighbours kept us up all last night breaking in to their own house.. :-(

3 days a week..

Well, after wednesday's slightly painful ride in, I went home via Caerphilly (Up Pound Hill, thence to Rudry etc..) and met up with the evening night ride crew. I fancied a pint or two so followed their off-road route on-road before dropping down off Caerphilly mountain at a million miles an hour back in to Cardiff at midnight or thereabouts..

So riding in Thursday was a pain. Did the A48 direct in both directions as I was pressed for time, had a half hearted crack at breaking the 30minute barrier on the way home, but missed it by a mile. Tired legs..

Rode in this morning along the coast road (first time in that direction) felt fairly strong and quick though I hate the bumps along there. Being picked up from work today though so don't get to ride home :-(

Back into the groove

After a few days rest to recover from the SSMM 24hr race, I rode in this morning. Legs feel fine and the new bike is pretty quick. It even put up with the pot-holes pretty well for a skinny wheeled machine, so it might turn out to be a good little commuter..

SSMM 24hrs

Well, I managed 8 laps, and our team pulled in 30 over all. Not bad, but a little way off the podium places ;-)
A great weekend, but I'm going to need a few days off the bike to recover.. Oh well. it's raining anyway.

Tired legs

Riding in today was hard work. Then I've ridden everyday for the past 9 days now, not quite up to Tour de France standard yet, but improving.

The loooooong way home

I went home via Caerphilly yesterday. Lots and lot of steep tarmac hills, but quite satisfying and a pretty ride... Met up with the wednesday night ride boys at the Lewis for a pint or two, then carried on home down the Taff.

Free bacon roll this morning

..for cycling in. It's apparently national bike week again. The bacon roll was very nice, shame they can't find one for me the other 200 days a year I ride in... Oh well, mustn't grumble. I got a cup of choco-coffee too.. :-)

It rained on me this morning

It was actually quite pleasant regardless, but it does bring the prospect of a few wet days ahead...oh well.

Friday at last

..and I'm actually feeling better with each day that passes. At this rate by november I'll be able to give international pie eater Jan Ulrich a run for his money. Came in via Coal Pit Lane again, a nice compromise route that minimises the amount of unpleasant dual carriageway I have to endure. Dabble briefly with the idea of buying a lovely singlespeed road bike (an old track frame) from an acquaintance, but sadly I think it really will be too small :-(

Starey scarey man

Well it was hard to get out of bed and pedal in this morning. Something to do with the late session riding and drinking last night.. Oh well. Felt fine as soon as I got going, though my arse is a little sore not being used to such prolonged time in the saddle these days.. Nice ride in on the whole, came the Coal Pit lane way which is very pleasant. Filtering through traffic on newport road though and some weird old guy tried to squish me very deliberately...and then just stared at me as I remonstrated with him light heartedly..

New routing

Well, last night's ride home was good. Apart from getting briefly lost in the park, the new route via Baessleg was great. Lovely quiet lanes, big swoopy descents and great views. It does take 15mins longer than my usual route, but it does circumvent the roundabout of doom in St Mellons..

Coming in this morning I tried to follow a slight variation of last nights route and came in via coal pit lane. I was aiming for pound hill, but that'll take a little more work. I might try to find it this evening...

Cloudy morning

So the good weather might be coming to an end..just as I get back to riding every day, bummer :-(
Oh well, going to console myself by trying a new route home today, watch this space..

Andy flying

Andy flying
Originally uploaded by hairy_matt.

Last wednesday's night ride was a good un. Very dry trails and lots of fun. I've been getting more interested in photography again recently, so hopefully should have some nicer pics up here soon.

Start of a cycling summer..

Well they've started building a new multi story car park at work. This means a couple of hundred spaces are out of action til novenmber and a nice incentive to get back into the groove of cycling to work.
Luckily my back is much better now, so as long as I do some core exercises, it should all be groovy. The ride in today was very pleasant too, looking forward to much more of the same :-)

35 miles and 12 pints

Top of the Garth
Originally uploaded by hairy_matt.

Mine and Dom's joint stag do/ride on saturday. Despite ingesting a gallon and a half of beer, everyone made it home in one piece, albeit slightly muddy.. Great fun.

Dyfi Enduro

Well, despite my back pain grumbling on, and despite having not ridden further than 15 miles in one go for over a month, I still enjoyed the Dyfi Enduro.
21st out of 36 in the Luddite (singlespeed) category ..and 293rd out of 592 starters.. I'm happy with that. That'd be equivalent to 205th in the Male 18-40 cat if I'd been riding a bike with gears.
Not been on the bike since (or cleaned it..) as I'm still suffering with my back. Got my stag do/ride next weekend though, so fingers crossed I'll be fit(ter) by then..

Back on the bike

After nearly a month off.. I suffered a spasm in the muscles of my lower bacl, hospitalising me and keeping me off the bike for weeks and weeks.. Made it out for a night ride last night with no problems so am racing the dyfi Enduro on sunday.. It's good to be back.

Easy riding

Rode in this morning and it was actually quite pleasant. I was half tempted to go the long way in, but due to time plugged it straight down the dual carriageway as usual. It's rained a bit since I got in, but hopefully it will all clear up again before it's time to ride home..

It was raining this morning..

..another diesel day. Nice ride though as the wind had dropped, by the time I got to work I wasn't actually that wet either..

Dead legs..

Uneventful ride home last night, just in time to nip up north of cardiff for a nice ride up the Garth and a few pints in the Gwaelod. Excellent. Legs really felt dead this morning though, commuting everyday and riding in the evening is a bit much..

One more day to go and I get a whole day off the bike. I'm ashamed to admit I'm kinda looking forward to a rest.

A tailwind!

So for once, last night's ride home was assisted by a tailwind. The same wind was in my face on the way in this morning, so hopefully I'll get an easy ride home again..

The legs are feeling a bit leaden already this week and I have 7 more commutes and once nightride to go. I think they'll perk up a bit though, the first couple of days in a row are always the worst..

Headwinds

Predictable, just what you don't want on a monday morning..a strong headwind all the way. I hope this isn't setting the mood for the week as I think I'm going to be riding in everyday. (Amy is taking the car down to Devon..) Oh well, it makes me stronger.

Snow!

It snowed on me on the way in today.. Icy stuff though, not nice and fluffy. It really hurt when it got in my eyes..
On another note check out this quiz Cycling skills test . I got 8/9..not bad.. :-)

One and a half rides..

Rode home yesterday (the second half of Tuesdays ride) and did a nice 5 pint/20 mile loop offroad in the evening..
Rode in and back today too, all fairly uneventful except for a massive bird of pray swooping out of the bushes near Castleton this morning and flying alongside me for a few seconds..It was pretty impressive.

Looks like I'm riding in tomorrow to as the car is still not fixed, oh well. At least I'm getting my legs back..

One way trip

Rode in this morning (just mmissing the rain) but am being picked up by the better half to nip off for a meal in Bristol. Not sure what is going to happen to the bike, think I'll leave it at work...

Sodding wind

Rode in and back yesterday. Fairly uneventful apart from an absolute sod of a headwind on the way home.. Still, I managed to overtake an Aston Martin, so it wasn't all bad ;-)

Rode north of Cardiff wednesday evening so my legs were a bit dead, but not too bad overall.

Confrontation

Rode in yesterday as well (too busy to write in here though) which was cold and blowy but mostly uneventful. Confronted a driver who cut me up on the way home but he was so apologetic, obviously hadn't seen me, there was nothing much I could do.. A 6'3" bloke in a fluorescent yellow jacket riding a pink bike...what exactly does it take for people to notice you?

In other news, car cost 240 quid to get through it's MOT. I could buy a nice new commuting bike for that..sadly still need the car for weekends..

Headwind

20 mph headwind all the way in to work, so what you might think, at least I get a free push home... Oh no. Sodding thing has just changed direction 180 degrees at exactly lunchtime...Grr. This intelligent design argument might have a point, but I tell you, if there is a god, he's a cantankerous sod..

Blue skies and only one major threat to my life..

Lovely morning to cycle in today. Despite feeling knackered from climbing and biking in the evenings this week, the blue skies gave me enough encouragement to make the effort. One pillock tried to turn right across me, but apart from that it was a lovely ride in..

Back on the bike

Well I'm back on the bike. It's been quite a long lay off, due in part to the freezing winter weather, partly due to having to put in long days at work and partly due to training for the toughguy event.
That's all behind me now (and the Toughguy was great fun if you like mud, water, barbed wire and more mud..) so I can finally get back into the rythm of commuting under my own steam.
A nicely non-eventful ride in to welcome me back. The roadworks at the Newport end of the old A48 are still in progress and stil have a long single lane stretch meaning cyclists must rely on the patience of car drivers to avoid unpleasant overtaking related disasters. It was damn cold too, my toes were like ice cubes when I got to the office..
39minutes 37s door to door, I want to get that under 30 minutes by the summer.