your daily bicycle log

Must be something in the air at the moment, or the curse of ILX, but I crashed today as well, in embarrassingly stupid fashion (though no magpies were injured). Will write about it later on the race log thread.

a light 30 mi today to keep my chops up & my rhythm tight for the big 100 tomorrow..

well there you go - bad luck comes in threes, looks like we've crashed for the greater good of team ILTRMB

Century was dashed by a leaky tube, the replacement of which led to a torn computer wire. Curses! It was a gorgeous day too, & I know I would have pulled it off, but I'll be damned if I'm going to lay claim to any such feat without having an odometer to watch. I may re-equip & set out again tomorrow, or I might wait until next week. I'll report back accordingly.

http://www.abc.net.au/science/scribblygum/July2002/img/f_postie.jpg http://www.sheldonbrown.com/images/scb_eagle.jpeg

http://www.sportingcollectibles.com/cphotos/c1076.jpg

100 miles today, thus certifying the achievement of a goal I've worked toward since the beginning of the summer. Overall current stats: One month (Aug. 1 - Sept. 2); 21 rides; 960 miles; Avg. 45.71 miles/ride.

On Friday, I'm heading up to northern MI & will be doing some putzing around on the NW coast. Hopefully the wind & the climbs won't be too brutal, but I'm seriously looking forward to it.

After that, it will be time to taper down what has been a great introductory season to road biking & start mixing up rides w/ some tennis & misc. upper-body training. Next year, I plan to turn my Flandria into a fixie & invest in some relatively contemporary road equipment for serious distance riding.

back on for the first time since the wipeout on sunday, thanks to new best friend 'ibuprofen'. usual commute in the morning, then did most of the capital trail after work tonight - pretty leisurely 20-something km. (well, went for it on the boulevard road and the stretch home.) perfect clear night meant the dark bits were quite moonlit.

Road back from the proms last night, it bucketed down. First time cycling in the rain for yonks, would've been ok if I hadn't been in me best troos.

960 miles in a month!

Road back from the proms last night, it bucketed down. First time cycling in the rain for yonks, would've been ok if I hadn't been in me best troos.

― ledge, Thursday, September 3, 2009 1:45 PM (32 minutes ago) Bookmark

Ugh, it was filthy last night. I just caught the tail end of it cycling home along that road past the Royal Festival Hall, then into Hyde Park. You can get some massive puddles spreading out from the drains there, which cause CHAOS and DANGER.

Fortunately I had the wind at my back all the way home so I was feeling pretty good about everything, apart from when a tool in one of those little urban cars tried to squeeze past me along Baker Street. Hey, your car's not THAT small.

This morning however it was a case of get as low over your handlebars as possible to get under that wind that's blowing from west to east. Hoping it's still there this evening for my ride back.

Only other riding I've done apart from my commute was a lovely sunny ride out from London over to Ide Hill and back with my brother (55 miles odd?). Normally he's too fast for comfort, so I just end up sucking his back wheel and gasping and looking rather wretched, but he's got a problem with his knee at the moment and I was able to go pretty much at my own pace, and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Swinley Forest again. Skidded to a stop at the end of the ride and apparently that was the first time I had really used my back brakes in anger as they locked up. Fortunately my friend who works in a bike shop was there to diagnose, I'd never have spotted it - the brakes were fitted with a 185mm brace for a 160mm rotor, so the pads were only engaging the top 5mm of the rotor.

Day off, Leith Hill and Holmbury hill, took in Barry Knows Best and Telegraph Road and Summer Lightning, amongst others, for those in the know. 6 hours 32 miles 6600 feet of climbing.

100 miles, Glasgow to Edinburgh and back again, on fixed gear! 6 hours riding, 9 hours total. I'm a wee bit knackered now.

Such an amazing day.

awesome!

Here's the computer evidence:

http://krakow.zenfolio.com/img/v0/p551697678-3.jpg

and a highly flattering portrait of what I looked like afterwards...

http://krakow.zenfolio.com/img/v0/p1065794824-3.jpg

http://www.comicbookmovie.com/images/users/uploads/8133/Bishop-Aliens_l.jpg

; )

had a nice night last night if only because an otherwise okay party was bookended with a ten mile to and from

sorta my ideal ride, in a way: ten miles is long enough to be real work (we were going v fast the whole time), but short enough that it's still just commuting. we def would've gotten there quicker if we'd driven, but not quick enough that it would've outweighed the pleasure of riding bikes fast on a cool summer evening

xp lol @ caek

struggled along on saturday into frankly DISGUSTING headwind for best part of 20 kms. got past what i'm sure was the same magpie as last time, wind was too much for him to divebomb effectively though, ha. then ran on mostly flat and fast path following ring road, then narrow riverside path, then hopped a train to connect up with another path two stops away, then followed another more squirmy part-gravel path back to city. got a slow puncture just as i approached a train station, so aborted rest of ride.

In Italy for two weeks I only rode twice, on a crappy MTB up not insignificant hills in northern Tuscany (granny ring, I love you), and not for very long each time. But hopefully it'll have just about kept me ticking over - I didn't struggle too badly on the commute in this morning, though also I didn't try very hard! I hate the thought of losing my bike fitness, even a little bit - it's been fairly good this summer and I'm definitely better on hills than I used to be. The fixie's been good for strengthening too.

Mark - which sportive is it that you're doing in Essex? There are actually two on consecutive weekends - I'm doing the one on the final weekend in September.

It looks like I'm not doing it any more - my friend has a family commitment that day and so we agreed to find something else to do some other time.

caught train across town to pick up replacement jersey from shop - stitching coming undone from back pockets after one wear, i ask you - then made 25km run back home. had to scramble to avoid the weather turning really shitty all of a sudden!

3 miles return ride out to and from my run today

then later in the afternoon 6miles, 25 mins, up some pretty mean hills on terrible roads
http://img.skitch.com/20090919-jna3hjqir71xbw7fm56pwudg3t.jpg

beautiful, beautiful day here in glasgow. just clocked 25 miles going out to the erskine bride along the forth and clyde canal (stunning on a day like this) listening to this week's football weekly. hour and a half which is not speeddemonish but for my first 10mile+ ride I'm happy. fuck a 1+mile 'climb' tho and fuck a road divot

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2153/2524348883_82ab0c0dc1.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3281/2525147512_8476d400c5.jpg

What bike do you have cozwn?

I rode to the Erskine Bridge for the first time back in the summer and thought it was grand sitting up in the middle there, even with the traffic. The descent down to the bridge is bloomin fast too. Hit 34mph or so down there!

old re-conditioned 3 speed roadster from the common wheel; would maybe like something lighter and faster but have to log some more miles on this before I can justify the outlay :)

that first pic is kinda trippy

Good stuff; I'll watch out for you out and about.

there's a pic on the WYBLL thread

crow road loop for me next, I think

Going all out! When do you reckon you'll tackle that? I've never done it, though don't know if fixed would be the best idea...

P.S. my bike's on the WYBLL thread as well for spotting purposes, though it's a lot less shiny than that now.

yeah not sure, probably won't be my next next big ride if you know wht I mean but my next target. my olds' house is 28 miles away in ayrshire so I might cycle out their next weekend. got a computer winging its way to me which I'm looking forward to

*out there, gah

managed to snag a set of bib trousers in tht aldi sale; what a difference it makes

feels a bit like I'm wearing a massive nappy tho; hellacious winds in glasgow today so the switchback road ws horrible. wind almost took me off my bike at the bottom of its last hill. think I may be addicted to riding my bike

actually rode with bibs yesterday for the first time yesterday myself: wow!

jean bibs?

http://www.aruotalibera.it/foto/2407/i_chiappucci.jpg

wow how, gbx

i mean, i'm not going to get any, but, i guess, i'm bib-curious ;)

Real comfy. Better cham than I'd used in the past, no pinchy waistband

rec riders fear of bibs is beyond me

gotta have all carbon everything. but bibs? im not that into it man.

they might pinch my parts.

my gf did lol at me when I showed her them on but so so comfy

no fear just not into wearing them at school you kno

Only rolled up jeans are true.

the bibs with hairy legs is not a good look though ;)

mine are full trouser so not a problem

I am not shaving my legs