Rode home this evening (bike lives at work over the weekend) and my legs are still missing in action.
Just under 7 miles took 1 minute 30 seconds more than my average summer homeward commute.
If you have got my legs, can I have them back please?
If you see them skulking around somewhere, have a word with them and direct them home.
Thanks.
Monday, 27 June 2011
Where have my legs gone?
That was the question I was asking myself yesterday afternoon as I rode a gentle but steepening climb out of Stonor, near Henley.
The day started really well. I managed to delay the getting out of bed bit until gone 9:00 a.m. Result! Then it was into the garden for a bit of leylandii butchery. A couple of hours trimming a couple of trees in our garden resulted in a bin and two bags full of cuttings and me covered in scratches. I then relaxed with a coffee surveying my domain.
After lunch I decided it was time for a ride so kitted up and headed out. By this time, the warm day was getting decidedly hot so I was expecting a bit of a sweaty expedition. As I rode out of Marlow towards Henley I was passed by a guy who eased off once he was just ahead. I caught up and we had a nice chat for about 5 miles until we got to Henley. It turned out that he and a mate were out for a bit of an Iron Man training day. They had been open water swimming (very tempting in the heat!) and were finishing on the bike. He reckoned he would have done about 110 miles all told by the time he got home.
After we parted company, I turned right towards Nettlebed and, on reaching the right fork toward Pishill and Stonor, I followed this route. It was the climb up towards the junction to Christmas Common or Watlington that had me wondering what the hell had happened to my legs. They just weren't working. I was struggling to climb an ascent that barely registered normally. Hopefully it was the heat.
On reaching the top I turned left towards Nettlebed and got my oomph back as I rode the gently rolling road. When I got to Nettlebed I turned left onto the A4130 back towards Henley. As I did so, a peleton went past in the opposite direction, towards Wallingford. I guess a race was on as the peleton was followed by a few vehicles including an AW Cycles van (cracking bike shop in Caversham but don't enter if you have your credit card with you- you have been warned about the ensuing spend frenzy urge) and an ambulance.
I continued to recover as I rode into Henley and decided to turn left and retrace my route back to Marlow, planning to finish with a 30 mile ride. The best laid plans however tend to turn to crap when I try them. I got to Hambleden and should have kept going but, for some inexplicable reason, turned left. I knew I was in trouble as soon as I turned off and, sure enough, a few hundred yards up the road, as I saw the sign for the left turn towards Rotten Row, my bike inexplicably took this left turn. A couple of hundred yards of relatively flat road then it starts to go up. Once it has finished going up it goes up some more! There I was, standing out of the saddle trying to dance on the pedals. I must have two left feet however because the 'dancing' turned into me barely being able to keep going forward. My legs had done another disappearing act. Gits!
I just made it to the top and was able to keep rolling, with a few little descent s and minor ascents between me and home. It turned into a 32.68 mile ride.
Just to add insult to injury, on arrival home I stripped down to my bib shorts and sat in the garden to relax a bit. It was at that time that the sweat boost hit me and the leylandii rash started to sting like you wouldn't believe. Why do we do it eh?
The day started really well. I managed to delay the getting out of bed bit until gone 9:00 a.m. Result! Then it was into the garden for a bit of leylandii butchery. A couple of hours trimming a couple of trees in our garden resulted in a bin and two bags full of cuttings and me covered in scratches. I then relaxed with a coffee surveying my domain.
After lunch I decided it was time for a ride so kitted up and headed out. By this time, the warm day was getting decidedly hot so I was expecting a bit of a sweaty expedition. As I rode out of Marlow towards Henley I was passed by a guy who eased off once he was just ahead. I caught up and we had a nice chat for about 5 miles until we got to Henley. It turned out that he and a mate were out for a bit of an Iron Man training day. They had been open water swimming (very tempting in the heat!) and were finishing on the bike. He reckoned he would have done about 110 miles all told by the time he got home.
After we parted company, I turned right towards Nettlebed and, on reaching the right fork toward Pishill and Stonor, I followed this route. It was the climb up towards the junction to Christmas Common or Watlington that had me wondering what the hell had happened to my legs. They just weren't working. I was struggling to climb an ascent that barely registered normally. Hopefully it was the heat.
On reaching the top I turned left towards Nettlebed and got my oomph back as I rode the gently rolling road. When I got to Nettlebed I turned left onto the A4130 back towards Henley. As I did so, a peleton went past in the opposite direction, towards Wallingford. I guess a race was on as the peleton was followed by a few vehicles including an AW Cycles van (cracking bike shop in Caversham but don't enter if you have your credit card with you- you have been warned about the ensuing spend frenzy urge) and an ambulance.
I continued to recover as I rode into Henley and decided to turn left and retrace my route back to Marlow, planning to finish with a 30 mile ride. The best laid plans however tend to turn to crap when I try them. I got to Hambleden and should have kept going but, for some inexplicable reason, turned left. I knew I was in trouble as soon as I turned off and, sure enough, a few hundred yards up the road, as I saw the sign for the left turn towards Rotten Row, my bike inexplicably took this left turn. A couple of hundred yards of relatively flat road then it starts to go up. Once it has finished going up it goes up some more! There I was, standing out of the saddle trying to dance on the pedals. I must have two left feet however because the 'dancing' turned into me barely being able to keep going forward. My legs had done another disappearing act. Gits!
I just made it to the top and was able to keep rolling, with a few little descent s and minor ascents between me and home. It turned into a 32.68 mile ride.
Just to add insult to injury, on arrival home I stripped down to my bib shorts and sat in the garden to relax a bit. It was at that time that the sweat boost hit me and the leylandii rash started to sting like you wouldn't believe. Why do we do it eh?
Monday, 13 June 2011
Trophies and Medals
Well done to Bradley Wiggins and Team Sky for his GC win in the Criterium du Dauphine. Wiggo is only the third Brit to take the trophy after Brian Robinson in 1961 and Robert Millar in 1990. This was a tremendous performance by him and his team, some of whom roded themselves into the ground keeping him safe and defending the gold jersey.
Another shout also goes out to The Secret Cyclists adopted Pro Cyclist. None other than my boss, Queen Elizabeth II has seen fit to declare him a good ol boy by awarding him an MBE (Member of the British Empire) in her Birthday Honours list. Well done Cav.
Another shout also goes out to The Secret Cyclists adopted Pro Cyclist. None other than my boss, Queen Elizabeth II has seen fit to declare him a good ol boy by awarding him an MBE (Member of the British Empire) in her Birthday Honours list. Well done Cav.
Tuesday, 24 May 2011
Mark Cavendish
The Manx Missile
I have just finished reading his autobiography- Mark Cavendish, Boy Racer
and thoroughly enjoyed the read. The opening few pages, aptly named the prologue are him talking through the final 100 kilometres or so of a stage in the TdF where he feels he can take it. As the stage winds down to the last few hundred meters the tension climbs and for me, I was right there with him.
The book then goes on to take you through his involvement in the 2008 Tour with each chapter represented as a stage, each stage also looking back to a particular period in his life and his development from a keen young rider, through amateur to the fastest sprinter in the world. The edition I have also includes a chapter taking in his epic 2009 6 stage wins. I recommend this book.
One thing about reading this book is that my opinion of Cav has changed. I always liked him but, I thought that he was a somewhat arrogant bloke. He says in the book that a lot of folk have him twigged as an 'arrogant prick', well, I didn't take it that far but arrogant was in my description. Before the book, I thought this was the natural, necessary arrogance for someone who is and wants to remain, the best in the world at what he does. I now understand that he isn't so much arrogant, as driven. Driven to repay the balls out effort and suffering of the team mates he loves and knows are so important in his ability to get the results he does.
Mark Cavendish has now been officially adopted as The Secret Cyclists supported Pro Rider.
Others will get my support but Cav is the main man.
Mrs Secret Cyclist has booked the hotel and flights for us to be in Paris for the weekend of 24th July 2011. Hopefully I will be cheering Cav across the line on the Champs Elysées for his third win on that stage in succession.
Go get em Cav.
I have just finished reading his autobiography- Mark Cavendish, Boy Racer
and thoroughly enjoyed the read. The opening few pages, aptly named the prologue are him talking through the final 100 kilometres or so of a stage in the TdF where he feels he can take it. As the stage winds down to the last few hundred meters the tension climbs and for me, I was right there with him.
The book then goes on to take you through his involvement in the 2008 Tour with each chapter represented as a stage, each stage also looking back to a particular period in his life and his development from a keen young rider, through amateur to the fastest sprinter in the world. The edition I have also includes a chapter taking in his epic 2009 6 stage wins. I recommend this book.
One thing about reading this book is that my opinion of Cav has changed. I always liked him but, I thought that he was a somewhat arrogant bloke. He says in the book that a lot of folk have him twigged as an 'arrogant prick', well, I didn't take it that far but arrogant was in my description. Before the book, I thought this was the natural, necessary arrogance for someone who is and wants to remain, the best in the world at what he does. I now understand that he isn't so much arrogant, as driven. Driven to repay the balls out effort and suffering of the team mates he loves and knows are so important in his ability to get the results he does.
Mark Cavendish has now been officially adopted as The Secret Cyclists supported Pro Rider.
Others will get my support but Cav is the main man.
Mrs Secret Cyclist has booked the hotel and flights for us to be in Paris for the weekend of 24th July 2011. Hopefully I will be cheering Cav across the line on the Champs Elysées for his third win on that stage in succession.
Go get em Cav.
Monday, 23 May 2011
The hills are alive with the sound of- PAIN!
I have been watching the highlights of both the Giro d Italia and the Tour of California over the last few days. The last 2 days of the Giro and Saturday’s stage of the Tour of California both involved some rather 'lumpy' territory.
Watching the Radio Shack duo Levi Leipmheimer and Chris Horner as they went up Mount Baldy was a sight to see. How the hell Horner can keep smiling whilst he does this is beyond me. Plus this dude being 39 years old! Well done that apprentice pensioner. Respect. The mountain name is quite apt as well considering the tonsurial elegance of our two heroes.
Levi
Chris
The climb of Baldy looks to have the potential to become the ‘Mythical Stage’ for the ToC that all tours need- Ventoux/ ď Heuz in the Tour de France, Zoncolan/ Mortirolo in the Giro. The fans were all over the place on this climb, right in the face of the riders- like they are in the other classic climbs. Just the sort of spectacle to improve the feel of the ToC.
As for the Giro, Watching the suffering going on on Monte Zoncolan was awesome. Some of the sections looked like they were almost vertical. The climbs in the Giro are not as long as they are in the TdF but they are certainly steeper. To add insult to injury in the Giro, some of the climbs they use finish on unmade tracks. The riders can’t stand up in the pedals and honk up the hills as the wheels spin out!
I love it.
Watching the Radio Shack duo Levi Leipmheimer and Chris Horner as they went up Mount Baldy was a sight to see. How the hell Horner can keep smiling whilst he does this is beyond me. Plus this dude being 39 years old! Well done that apprentice pensioner. Respect. The mountain name is quite apt as well considering the tonsurial elegance of our two heroes.
Levi
Chris
The climb of Baldy looks to have the potential to become the ‘Mythical Stage’ for the ToC that all tours need- Ventoux/ ď Heuz in the Tour de France, Zoncolan/ Mortirolo in the Giro. The fans were all over the place on this climb, right in the face of the riders- like they are in the other classic climbs. Just the sort of spectacle to improve the feel of the ToC.
As for the Giro, Watching the suffering going on on Monte Zoncolan was awesome. Some of the sections looked like they were almost vertical. The climbs in the Giro are not as long as they are in the TdF but they are certainly steeper. To add insult to injury in the Giro, some of the climbs they use finish on unmade tracks. The riders can’t stand up in the pedals and honk up the hills as the wheels spin out!
I love it.
Friday, 20 May 2011
(Not) On Yer Bike
This month is proving to be absolutley abysmal on the commuting front.
Because of stuff I have going on at work, I am spending far too much time driving to and from work and various other locations.
To date, I have commuted 2 journeys, one to and one from work. That is out of a possible 16 journeys.
How crap is that? The way things are going, it isn't going to improve any time soon.
Because of stuff I have going on at work, I am spending far too much time driving to and from work and various other locations.
To date, I have commuted 2 journeys, one to and one from work. That is out of a possible 16 journeys.
How crap is that? The way things are going, it isn't going to improve any time soon.
Tuesday, 17 May 2011
Cruel and Unusual punishment
Thats what I call it anyway.
On Saturday afternoon, Mrs Secret Cyclist and I were walking along Maidenhead High Street when we passed DNA Cycles. I stopped in my tracks because, hanging in the window was this beauty-
"That is a gorgeous bike" says I.
"Yes it is. Do you want it?" Says Mrs SC!
Do I want it? Of course I want it!
Bank Manager says No at the moment though.......
Cruel and Unusual.
Secret Cyclist activates Scheming Mode.
On Saturday afternoon, Mrs Secret Cyclist and I were walking along Maidenhead High Street when we passed DNA Cycles. I stopped in my tracks because, hanging in the window was this beauty-
"That is a gorgeous bike" says I.
"Yes it is. Do you want it?" Says Mrs SC!
Do I want it? Of course I want it!
Bank Manager says No at the moment though.......
Cruel and Unusual.
Secret Cyclist activates Scheming Mode.
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