Heavy Rain and Wind, oh dear

Sunday's weather forecast is not good. Cold, wet and windy!

New 26 mile PB

I wasn’t sure what sort of ride to do today as I have been concentrating mainly on increasing distances in the run up to the Essex Countryside ride.

So I decided to go for a new personal best over 26 miles. The weather was good, with not too much wind and the roads fairly quite which all helped me beat me best time over 26 miles quite substantially. I beat my previous personal best of 1:45:23 (average 15.5 mph) by 1 minute 22 seconds and achieved a new personal best of 1:44:01 (15.7 mph). I also beat the virtual partner on my Garmin by just over 1 and a half miles. The virtual partner is a device on Garmin which is a download of a course I have already done and can then race myself against.




Today I went on a leisurely recovery ride along the sea-front – of just over 16 miles. And it really was an enjoyable ride. It was a sunny, refreshing Sunday morning with scores of people out cycling, jogging, walking or going for breakfast in one of the sea-front cafes. A really ‘good to be alive’ feeling.

Southend sea-front

http://www.bikely.com/

All in all, I am feeling pretty good for next Sunday’s 60 mile Essex Countryside ride. So now all that is left is for me to start obsessing about the weather which, according to the forecast looks like it is going to be just about perfect – let’s hope it stays that way.

World Naked Bike Ride London 2009

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Lance Armstrong's bike

Lance Armtrong has published a photograph of the bike he will riding in the Giro d'Italia (the race it is strong suggested he wants to win). People are saying how amazing it looks but I'm sorry, I really have to disagree. To me it looks like some crazy, overdone, biker tattoo. But then what do I know as I am sure many others will love it

Sponsorship for children's hospice

On the 17th May, I am cycling 60 miles to raise money for the Little Havens Children's Hospice.

Little Havens Children's Hospice provides respite breaks, symptom control and end-of-life care for youngsters living with serious conditions and who are not expected to reach adulthood. It aims to make their journey - and that of the family - as comfortable as possible, creating special memories along the way. The love and care provided by the Care Team in the homely surroundings at Little Havens is as special and unique as the child. This could not continue without kind donations as it costs £2.3 million each year to keep the hospice open.

If you would be kind enogh to sposor me, please go here http://www.justgiving.com/tonysingleton

I am terrible about finding time to collect sponsorship money after events so have set-up a fundraising page with Justgiving.com. Donating through Justgiving is quick, easy and totally secure. It’s also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Little Havens Children's Hospice gets your money faster and, if you’re a UK taxpayer, Justgiving makes sure 25% in Gift Aid, plus a 3% supplement, are added to your donation.

Thank you very much for sponsoring me

Weather puts off female cyclists

Probably not exactly earth shattering findings!

More than a fifth of women in London choose not to cycle because of the weather, a survey has shown.

The poll by sustainable transport charity Sustrans showed 22% of women cited the poor climate as a reason they did not regularly use a bicycle.

About 10% said they were not fit enough to ride a bike and even though more than half had access to a bike, only 7% cycled more than once a month.

Sustrans has launched a website to help get more women cycling.

Sustrans' Holly Bruford said: "With many women spending vast amounts of money trying to lose weight, it seems we are still rejecting the cheapest, most efficient way of reaching target weight and shaping up - cycling."

Sustrans hopes its website www.bikebelles.org.uk will "redress the cycling gender imbalance" - as men are three times more likely to cycle than women in London.

Tour is a go for Armstrong - good news indeed

Tour is a go for Armstrong

By Cyclingnews.com

Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong will not face disciplinary proceedings from the French anti-doping agency AFLD.

The AFLD said Friday that it has "decided to take into consideration the athlete's written explanations and, in consequence, not to open a disciplinary procedure against him." It also confirmed that no abnormalities were detected in the urine, blood and hair samples taken during the control.

Armstrong's Astana team spokesman Philippe Maertens confirmed to Cyclingnews that the AFLD met Thursday, and said "the disciplinary commission checked the evidence and explanation from both Lance and the tester and decided not to take the matter further."
Posting on his Twitter account, Armstrong wrote: "the word from the French agency AFLD on the shower gate incident. Case closed, no penalty, all samples clean. Onward."
The AFLD had previously said that Armstrong did not obey the rules of the World Anti-Doping Agency's International Standard of Testing, specifically Article 5.4.1, which states that 'the person being subjected to an anti-doping control must remain within the sight of the doping control officer from the time of notification until the sample is collected'.
Armstrong could have faced a suspension from the incident which may have prevented him from racing the Tour de France. With the case closed, he will be free to attempt an eighth career victory in the Tour.

Armstrong is currently training in Aspen, Colorado, in preparation for his first attempt at the Giro d'Italia next month. He is recovering from a fractured collarbone that he sustained in the first stage of the Vuelta a Castilla y Léon.

Inspired Urban Cycling

Not that I would recommend getting round town like this, but this guy does some incredible stuff. It's a video of/by Inspired Bicycles - Danny MacAskill. Wonder how many broken bones he got learning this stuff.

Riding a bike is everything to a cyclist

“Riding a bike is everything to a cyclist. The friendship and camaraderie you have with other cyclists …to a cyclist, it was the be-all and end-all of your life.”

Tommy Godwin, double bronze medal winner in the 1,000m time trial and the team pursuit in the 1948 Olympics in London

Another fine half century

What a wonderful day it was today. I set out with the good intention of doing four training laps (54 miles or 87km – I’m going to start quoting km as it sounds further) and did it fairly easily – even I do say so myself. The only real problem was the sit bones which were pretty painful and put me off trying for a record fifth lap. The roads were fairly quite which I put down to the weather – it was very misty with a damp chill in the air. Not the sort of day you want to take the kids out anywhere. Which is fine by me . Mind you, I only saw one other bike rider which is quite unusual – that’s ignoring the families out on the cycle lane along the sea front.

I thought I might have to abandon on the third lap though as I was having problems with my left hand (or is that foot) pedal when it suddenly froze, nearly taking my foot off with it and me off of my bike. Being about 7 miles into the training loop I had little choice other than to keep going. I was though, starting to feel very disappointed at what seemed to be an inevitable early shower and kissing the fourth lap goodbye. Next the pedal started making a period crunching and squealing noise of metal against metal. Finally, the crunching and squealing noises stopped altogether and the pedal started to work fine again. I can only imagine what the bearings must be like and so will give it a service before I go out again.

As a brief aside, I came across this bizarre video which was produced in 1963 and is about bike safety. It actually starts to get pretty creepy and goodness knows why the producuers gave the kids they faces they did – sort of demented monkeys that wouldn’t look out of place in the Wizard of Oz. You can find it here: http://www.fazed.org/video/view/?id=229

Today’s stats

A bicycle made for one and a half

Seri and I used her trailer bike for the first time today. “What is a trailer bike?” I hear you ask. It’s one of these:

Bascially a small bike attached to my hybrid bike turning into a sort of a tandem.

We were a little wobbly at first but soon got the hang of it. I was surprised that Seri went as far as she did and we must have covered eight miles all in all. But then she doesn’t have to peddle if she doesn’t want to! Or maybe it was the bribe of an ice-cream that kept her going. Still, if she continue to like riding like this, then maybe we’ll do the Southend Bikeathon together.

Zen and the art of bicycling

‘A Zen teacher saw five of his students returning from the market, riding their bicycles. When they arrived at the monastery and had dismounted, the teacher asked the students, “Why are you riding your bicycles?”

The first student replied, “The bicycle is carrying this sack of potatoes. I am glad that I do not have to carry them on my back!” The teacher praised the first student. “You are a smart boy! When you grow old, you will not walk hunched over like I do.”

The second student replied, “I love to watch the trees and fields pass by as I roll down the path!” The teacher commended the second student, “Your eyes are open, and you see the world.”

The third student replied, “When I ride my bicycle, I am content to chant nam myoho renge kyo.” The teacher gave his praise to the third student, “Your mind will roll with the ease of a newly trued wheel.”

The fourth student replied, “Riding my bicycle, I live in harmony with all sentient beings.” The teacher was pleased and said to the fourth student, “You are riding on the golden path of non-harming.”

The fifth student replied, “I ride my bicycle to ride my bicycle.” The teacher sat at the feet of the fifth student and said, “I am your student.”’

Zen proverb

What a glorious ride that was

13 mile training loop

Cyclist in council pothole payout - About time Local Authroties were made to pay

Cyclist in council pothole payout

A cyclist who suffered broken ribs and other injuries after riding over a pothole in Berkshire has been awarded £7,600 in compensation.

Ian Davis, 49, was cycling along the B4000 between Lambourn and Newbury when he came off his bike in 2006.

A county court ruled West Berkshire District Council had breached its duty of care to inspect roads regularly.

The council said it has invested heavily in maintaining the road since the incident.

Mr Davis suffered broken ribs, a dislocated shoulder and injuries to his hands, hip and ankle.

'Triumph for cyclists'

After the ruling he said: "I didn't think I'd get that sort of money, maybe even half that.

"It was unfortunate for the council that they didn't have all the documentation to hand to prove what they claimed they had done."

In a statement the council said: ""Obviously we accept the decision of the courts.

"Regarding the road, extensive resurfacing has been done since February 2006.

"In March and April that year £155,000 was spent resurfacing the stretch through Wickham, and in 2008 a further £100,000 on other stretches of the road."

Enid Brenyah, Mr Davis' solicitor said the case represented "a triumph for cyclists who have suffered injuries due to poorly maintained roads".

The Local Government Association said that last year, councils in England and Wales spent more in compensation to road users for pothole-related accidents than they did in repairing potholes - spending £53m in payouts and £52m in repairs.


Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/england/berkshire/7979875.stm

Published: 2009/04/02 17:06:02 GMT

© BBC MMIX

A Marked Improvement

I am feeling pretty pleased with myself having knocked seven minutes off my 13 mile training circuit in under a year.

In May last year it took me 55:12 at an average speed of 14.5 mph. Today I did the same route in 47:58 at an average of 16.5 mph. Maybe not fast by some standards but hey, this is me so who cares

Today’s time was also quite a bit faster than my previous PB of 51:29 (15.2 mph) which I did over the same circuit in September last year.

18 May '08

2 Apr 09

1,000 miles and counting

Ah what a glorious day’s riding. After early morning cloud, the sun came out and warmed the air to a crisp 11C (52F in old money) and a not too fierce 11 mph windspeed. It was one of those days when it was great to be out riding and I had to force myself to stop. Ah well.

I also turned another milestone today in that I have ridden 1,000 miles since I bought my Garmin in May last year (9 months). Well, I probably completed the 1,000 before now as there were a couple of occasions when my Garmin stopped working.

And as for the stats to with it:

• If I had ridden non-stop it would have taken me 3 days, 2 hours and 47 minutes
• I averaged 14.4 mph
• I climbed a total of 40,019 feet – that’s one long hill at nearly 7 and a half miles high, or nearly twice the height of Mount Everest which is 29,035 feet high

40 miles and no punctures plus the phantom cyclist

It looks as though the new tyres have made a difference as I have just ridden 40 miles without a puncture. That’s not to say that this isn’t now my latest obsession while riding. What with wondering what this or that click is, I now have to worry about whether the tyre is going down because the road happens to be a bit bumpier.

I am pretty pleased with the progress I am making in getting back to my pre-accident level of fitness. I rode 40 miles last Thursday and 40 today, that’s 80 miles in four days. Mind you today’s average speed was down quite a bit (14 mph compared to 14.9 mph last Thursday). Still I was riding into an 11 mph wind which would have slowed me down a bit anyway. And I have to say the last five miles of today’s ride were something of a struggle with my thigh muscles threatening to give out any minute and my sit bones screaming at me to get out of the saddle.

I have just noticed that my gps went a little crazy today claiming I started at 88 feet below sea level and ended up 18 feet above. The 18 feet above is probably about right but as this was a circular ride, the starting altitude should have been the same and definately not 88 feet below.

Link to full data

Now to the phantom rider.

I have heard of other people speak of this phenomena. What happens is you hear a rider behind you. At first this is fine and I don’t mind someone slipstreaming me. But after a while it starts to get a bit irritating and I wonder why the person won’t pass. So I’ll speed up a bit. No difference, he is still there. So I’ll slow down, no difference and he still will not pass. Finally having had enough I glance back over my shoulder to see that there is no-one there. The sound of the phantom rider is, in fact, the sound of my own bike echoing back off of hedges or a wall – it only seems to happen very rarely so the air quality, wind, or something else must also have an effect. Either that, or it really is the spirit of some disembodied rider.

The Flintstones

Punctures seems to be a way of life for me at the moment. Probably something to do with the lightweight tyres that I am using. Although I popped down to my local bike shop on Friday and the guy there was saying that there is a lot of rubbish on the roads at the moment, including flint. Flint?! How the heck does that get there? I thought this was 2009, not 10,000 BC. Or maybe the flint has something to do with the recent road gritting that's been going on due to freezing temperatures. I doubt it somehow although it would never surprise me if the Local Authority turned round one day said they had gritted the roads with a nice sharp stone that can easily cut through tyres.

It is now a case of new tyres for old, and I have replaced them with Bontrager Race Lites. Now for the geeky bit:

The Race Lite Hardcase offers armor-clad flat protection without sacrificing high-end road feel.

Dramatically reduce the risk of flatting with the triple flat protection of Race Lite Hardcase tires: the bead-to-bead woven construction reduces sidewall cuts; anti-pinch ribs eliminate pinch flats; and a Kevlar belt provides outstanding puncture resistance.

And the Hardcase's high-speed tread compound provides optimal traction and low rolling resistance no matter what the weather, so this tyre is equally at home training and racing. Dramatically reduce the risk of flatting with the triple puncture protection of Bontrager’s Hardcase technology

So now if I get mugged all I need to do is simply shout "Stab the tyres, stab the tyres" and can then laugh and ride off into the sunset as they have a Kevlar belt. But will they stop the flint and punctures? I guess I'll find out tomorrow.

And yes, saddest of all, here's a picture of them!

Throw the Zimmer Away

I came across an article in Cycling Weekly about a man called John Woodburn who is still racing at the age of 72. Apparently he regularly breaks the hour for a 25 mile time trial, sometimes by several minutes. His times are impressive for a cyclist of any age. But, to get his times at the age of 72 is doubly impressive. He also still rides 200 miles a week in training.

I hope that I can ride that well when I get to 72.

40 Miles of Joy – Almost

The weather this morning was pretty bad – grey, grey and drizzle. Still the forecast looked hopeful with sun due later in the day (I’m starting to get worried about just how obsessed I am becoming with checking weather forecasts). So being ever hopeful, I sat back and waited it out. Well, I didn’t exactly sit back but never mind.

And I was rewarded. Early afternoon as I get ready to go out for a ride, the sun comes out and the grey disappears – for a while at least.

Then it’s off for a ride with the aim of getting in 40 miles which was my training distance before my crash. And I achieved it feeling remarkably ok. I was pretty pleased with my time too averaging 14.9 mph. But not without yet another puncture. So tomorrow it is off to the bike shop to get a new set of road tyres.

Link to the full data

Ahh the Irony

First it’s a broken elbow, then it’s snow. Today it’s…. read on

The day started well with the weather reasonably good, I was really feeling up for a long ride. I have also finally made a decision and have signed up for the 75 mile Essex Sportive – I’ll save the 100 miles for next year. So I now really have a couple of targets to aim for by way of sponsored rides:

• 60 miles on 17 May for a local Little Havens Children’s’ Hospice; and
• 75 miles on 10 June for male cancer

Today seemed like a good day to kick up the distance and aim for 3 training laps (39 miles in total). It was a bit chilly to start with, what with starting the ride into a headwind, but I soon warmed up and was thoroughly enjoying myself. My elbow didn’t play up much and when it did start to twinge, a quick stretch sorted it out.

Today I aimed to increase my distance to start building up to my first target of 60 miles. This was quite a bit different from recent rides where I had been trying to improve my time racing aging the virtual partner on my bike computer. At times though, I still felt myself pushing my speed and had to reign back.

Talking of reigning, I freaked out a horse today. Well, when I say I freaked it out, I think it was more the case its inexperienced rider freaking it out. There were four horses in a row and I shouted a merry “Good morning” as I passed the first one – ok, well more of an exhausted “Good Morning”. As I passed the third in line, its rider start waving a bit too frantically to be a friendly “Hello” and more like a frantic “Stop!” I pulled on the brakes, slowed down to a crawl and the horse started to skitter a bit. I still think if I had kept riding, the horse wouldn’t have been bothered in the slightest – none ever have before and I am riding a silent bike, not a roaring motorcycle!

Now, back to the title of this blog. Why the irony? Simply that I was feeling really good, coming to the end of the second loop (26 miles) when my rear tyre started to slowly deflate. Yep, puncture. I always care a spare tube but the pump I have just isn’t strong enough to inflate the tyre anymore than just about hard enough to ride home. I have a proper track pump at home which makes light work of inflating a tyre to 120 psi but not my bike pump. As luck would have it though, a friend of mine drove passed and stopped – how much of a coincidence was that? And to top it off, he was on his way home from his cycle club ride and had a decent bike pump with him. So with a fully filled tyre it was back on the road again.

The problem was though, that by this time, I had cooled right off. And with the weather being quite cold I just couldn’t get back into my stride. So after 26 miles I decided to call it quits.

After a hot shower and having cleaned my bike, one of the first things I did was to order a decent bike pump! This one to be precise - exiciting isn't it (NOT) (it’s supposed to get to 100 psi in less than 250 pumps)

Topeak Master Blaster Mini DX Pump with Gauge

Today’s Stats

Snow Go

I am sad to say (that's a little bit worse than 'sorry to say') that there will be no cycling from me this weekend. No I am not a fair weather cyclist but 35 mph winds yesterday and now this today:
which is also bit too much to battle through. So I will get the turbo trainer out and do an hour's cycling going nowhere. Boring!

This is a turbo trainer.
You hook your bike between it so your bike becomes a cycling machine

I have though signed up for my first sponsored ride this year which is the delightfully named Essex Countryside ride taking place on the 17 May. I'll be opting for the 60 mile ride. The good thing about this year's ride is that it is a lot earlier in the season - last year it was the week before the London to Southend which meant two 60 mile rides, one a week before the other. The downside of course is that there is less time to train for it. Still I do have 3 and a half months to prepare which should be ok, even with my enforced break in training.

Are Cycle Lanes for Cyclists?

There is a cycle lane which runs along Southend seafront that I refuse to use. Some of the car drivers who pass me make their views pretty clear and think I have no right to be cycling in the road – even though I am riding at between 20 – 25 mph.

The cycle lane runs the other side of the curb between the two sections of pavement

When the government were consulting on the new Highway Code last year they seemed to be in agreement with the motorist who thinks he or she has the sole right to the road by making it compulsory for cyclists to cycle in cycle lanes where one exists.

“Am I just being bloody minded or showing off in some way?” “Why should this be a problem?”, you may well ask. “Why shouldn’t cyclists ride in cycling lanes”.

Well the answer really is quite straight forward. Cycle lanes are not only used by cyclists. And if I am riding at 20 miles and hit someone, then I am liable. No matter that it is a cycle lane and they shouldn’t be there. So it’s a matter of slow down or not use. And I see no reason why I should spoil my ride just because I might be riding at between 5 and 10 miles below the speed limit.

Take last weekend for example. I thought I would be a good citizen and as there weren’t that many people about, thought I would use the cycle lane for a change. First I had to stop while a 5 year old decided which side of the lane she was going to ride or, indeed, if she would even bother to give way. Then there are the joggers who think that the 9 foot wide pavement which runs alongside the cycle lane is not for them. Then there are dog walkers. Or people who clearly think that the risk of being hit by a bike in the cycle lane is more of an appeal than walking on the pavement. And when I shout “Bike” or something like that, I am the one who ends up with the torrent of abuse!

So, for cycle lanes read ‘anyone who feels like using it’ and ‘ll carry on using the road – safer all round.

On the Road Again

Well it has been six weeks since that fateful day when I was out riding, hit a patch of black ice and ended up of the tarmac with a broken elbow. I did wonder if the local authority had a responsibility to grit the roads and so could in some way be responsible. If they were maybe I could sue for compensation – who cares about a compensation culture, just give me the money. Sadly none of the no-win no-fee companies I contacted were interested. It seems as if there is no clear cut answer as to how far their duty to grit goes. Ah well, not to worry.

Ok, back to the subject at hand. Today's weather forecast was good and tomorrow's said rain, so today would be the day I ventured back out on my bike. I was up nice and early for a reason not related to my ride which just as well because the temperature was only just above freezing and there was a thick frost. Luckily we had to do the shopping first and so the day had warmed up by the time we were finished.

Before I could go out though I needed to first replace the rear inner tube which had blown during the accident, then it was off to change into my cycling gear, including the new jersey I had bought myself for Christmas the chance to wear yet.

Assos cycling jersey

It felt great to be back out cycling again. Without blowing my own trumpet I was pleasantly surprised that I got in two laps of my training circuit (26 miles in total) and that the average speed was 14.5mph. Even more surprising was that my sit bones didn’t hurt at all. I have to say though that I approached left hand curves with more than a little trepidation and slowed to a walking pace when I went round the bend where I had had my accident. I would have liked to have tried for a third lap but my arm was starting to get rather sore and it seemed better to build up slowly rather than risk any damage that might put me back even further.

So now begins the road back to my previous level of fitness and with four months to prepare for my first sponsored ride of the year – 60 miles of Essex countryside for Little Havens Children's Hospice.

That’s all for now as I need to give my bike a well earned wash, clean and relube.

Full ride data

No More Early Morning Rides for Me

I have always enjoyed early morning rides. The air is fresh, in the summer there is often a crispness to it that makes riding that bit more enjoyable. On the weekends, especially Sunday, there is very little traffic on the road. But then I read this in the february Cycling Plus magazine. Is there really a risk of heart attack or stroke the early in the day one rides? But still, it is a very useful guide to when to ride and certainly hard evidence on stopping at that café for lunch!

MORNING GLORY OR AFTERNOON DELIGHT?

Early Morning: Go steady
Virtually all bodily functions are at their worst when you wake, plus you’re unlikely to have had any substantial food intake for 10 hours so energy stores will be depleted. To top things off, exercising early will leave you more prone to injury – or worse. “Research shows this is the most common time of day for suffering heart attacks and strokes while exercising” said Professor Waterhouse of Liverpool John Moores University. If you’re heading out early make it a steady ride and focus on the mental strength that goes with toughing it out when your body is at its worst.

Mid-morning: Pump iron
Though most functions that benefit endurance exercise will be improved from early morning may be a good time for strength training adaptations may be better. “There’s a strong argument for doing weight training in the morming if you’re trying to build muscle” said Dr Stephen Bird of the School of Human Movement Studies in Australia, “because testosterone, the hormone most responsible for muscle-boosting is at its highest around this time”.

Lunchtime: Give it a miss
Nearly all bodily function experience a lull in the middle of the day, particularly lung function and body temperature, which are crucial to cycling. Ideally avoid lunchtime for training but if there is no other option than make it a steady ride and save the tough stuff for a day when you can train later.A lunchtime ride may not do much for your cycling, but it could do wonders for your work. “Exercising during a working lunch break perks you up and is likely to make you more productive in the afternoon” said work-place psychologist Mike Clinton.

Mid-late afternoon: Speedwork and time-trials
Physically there are no negatives connected with this time of day – the only drawbacks are likely to be psychological. Mentally we’re at our best shortly after waking and things just get worse as the day goes on. Consequently, many people report that the hardest part of training in the mid-to-late afternoon is simply getting out of the door. But if you can summon up the mental strength, you should find you go faster at this time than any other, so it’s ideal for time-trials or speedwork, where you’re looking to get the best out of yourself.