Feeling deflated

With the King of  The North Down looming large next Sunday I realised that with a new rear changer and cable fitted and the Brooks Swallow saddle back on the Pearson Palace carbon I should really take it out for a spin.

My old Ironman training instilled in the me the foolishness of riding an event on new kit so a test ride was in order. It wasn't until about eight o'clock in the morning this Sunday on a quiet country lane that I realised how lucky I had been with my carbon bike.
It was at that point, thankfully close to home, when I got a puncture. Not a problem I thought but it was then that it dawned on me that the puncture kit I had with me included the Pro Flate 16 kindly given to me by those nice chaps at Transitions during one of the Swedish Bike Ride events. A carbon dioxide inflator I had never used before.
I'm not scared of technology so I got out the tube and the carbon dioxide inflator and put the little capsule up the right way and screwed it home --nothing. I checked the gizmo over and it looked fine but no hole in the top of the CO2 bomb. Did the capsule have a fault, was it not being pierced? Who knows. All I knew was I had a flat and nothing to pump it up with.This is when you wished you had:
a, Stuck with btried and tested kit
b, taken a busier route so you could flag down a  passing cyclist

I was left with no alternative but to phone Mrs Optician Editor and ask for a lift home.

Once there I decided to take the fixed bike out and bombed around  a few local lanes and even made it up (just) onto Ranmore. Passing hordes of Sunday cyclists on their carbon multi-geared machines as I went.

I was well and truly knackered when I finally got to the top so called the foolish hill climbing ( Box Hill was next on my list) to an end and stuck to the flat roads. I had forgotten how great it feels to ride fixed especially when you are feeling good and most of those around to are just out for a Sunday pootle. My moderate fixed speed was accentuated by my fellow riders' leisurely pace so I soaked up the feeling and returned home.

But how ready will I be for the King of the North Downs? Who knows. As long as it's not raining I will enjoy it all the same.

Hail and hurty

With little prospect of the weather settling down and lots happening at work I am finding myself  bike commuting on days I might otherwise have decided against. This means I have also had to become resigned to the fact that I will be getting a soaking now and again. That's not really a problem as its good practice for a rainy race day. However....

This Monday tested me a little more than expected. I didn't mind getting wet but then the rain turned to hail, quite big hail. It was being lashed around by the wind and ( not wishing to sound like a whimp) it was beginning to hurt a bit. I was cycling into a headwind so I suppose that increased the impact speed a bit too. In the end I had to admit defeat and shelter under a tree while the worst of it passed through.

When it cleared there was a fantastic rainbow, which all goes to prove cycling is always worth it in the end.

Blood, sweat and gears

It's official I'm scared.

After seeing Paul Maxwell's lean physique and rippling muscles at the Optician Awards I decided my bike needed a few more gears.
I had a week at home last week (chores mainly, great weather) but I squeezed in some time to give the bike a good tinkering with. First on was a ludicrous 12-32T rear cassette. Despite frantic fettling with the B screw on the rear changer it just wouldn't get onto the big cog so I had to invest in a longer cage derailleur.

Once arrived and fitted I took the bike out into the hills. It changes like a dream and the range is incredible. But is it enough to keep pace with the Cheltenham Flyer?  We'll find out on June 2.

Pictures and Garmin print out to follow.........