Cold snap

Well, after a little good natured 'encouragement' from Amy, I actually rode in today for the first time in ages.. Been doing plenty of riding off road, but the dark nights and horrible weather have kept me from commuting. Good ride in, though chilly toes.. must get some new shoes soon.

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..