Wednesday, 21 July 2010

Daily Log #7: Honour

Time on Bike: 50 minutes
Distance Travelled: 13.75 miles
Average Speed: 16.5 mph

Totals: 5 hours 38 minutes, 92.95 miles, 16.5 mph

Much consternation in the Tour about whether Contador should have attacked Schleck when the latter's chain came off during the climb. My vote - he shouldn't. If the guy wants to win the Tour then do it fair and square and that's not by waiting for your opponent to puncture and then attacking while they are incapacitated...

As you can see the speed plan for the week is in operation and I managed to maintain a 16.5 mph average which, considering the wind speed and direction, I consider to be quite good. As long as it's not too hot tonight (or raining) I will "go for it" again !!

Monday, 19 July 2010

Daily Log #6 - Break

Distance Travelled: 13.52 miles
Time on Bike: 52 minutes
Average Speed: 15.6 mph

Totals: 79.2 miles, 4 hours 48 minutes, 16.5 mph

The sharp eyed will notice I took a week off. Many reasons (including a fair weather attitude) that would only bore you. Being in the car meant getting home in plenty of time to watch the Tour live before dinner though.
Read in Cycling Weekly about needing to push yourself. I think I do. My personal challenge needs to be either to push up my average speed or to take in a more undulous route to work on the climbing muscles. This week I'll go for speed as I'm doing a play in Coggeshall and need to be home in good time to eat and get out of the house by 6:30pm. Joy!

Friday, 9 July 2010

Daily Log #5: Cavendish

Distance travelled: 8.36 miles
Time on Bike: 30 minutes
Average Speed: 16.72 mph

Totals: 65.68 miles, 3 hours 56 minutes, 16.7 mph

Okay, you may have noticed it was only a short ride for this log - went to a meeting yesterday afternoon and was so late back to the office that I only had time to take the short trip home instead of the long one!

Bonus for the day was, of course, seeing Mark Cavendish win Stage 5 of the Tour and show some incredible humility with it.

Today it's going to be HOT. 31 degrees apparently so expect stories of sweat and heat exhaustion in the next log!!!!

Thursday, 8 July 2010

Daily Log: #4 - Summer Rain

Distance Travelled: 13.65 miles
Time on Bike: 50 minutes
Average Speed: 16.38 mph

Totals: 57.33 miles, 3 hours 26 minutes, 16.7 mph

There's nothing worse in the warm weather than having to suit up for rain. Admittedly on leaving work last night I took a gamble that it wasn't going to but took my yellow top just in case it rained this morning.

No sooner had I hit Bull Lane than it started to spit and then drizzle and it looked like it was settling in so I did the decent thing and pulled the yellow from my top and slipped it on at the bypass junction. Inevitably it then stopped raining....

There followed 9 miles of hard slog against a head wind that had me sweating buckets thanks to the yellow's fantastic waterproofing. Might have just as well exposed myself to the elements !!!

Wednesday, 7 July 2010

Daily Log: #3

Distance Travelled: 13.62 miles
Time on Bike: 48 minutes
Average Speed: 17.025 mph

Totals: 43.68 miles, 2 hours 36 minutes, 16.8 mph

Today was the first time since early May that I wore my rain top. Last time was when I went over to Shropshire / Cheshire to cycle for the day with my buddy Richard, who was taking part in a Lands End to John O Groats expedition, and then it was more for visibility than the state of the weather. Of course having put the bright yellow on it refused to even spit...never mind.

Tour De France has been very exciting with many spills on days 3 and 4. We've had slippy roads in Holland and Cobbles in Belgium with Frank Schleck suffering the most (out of the race) and our very own Bradley Wiggins benefitting from riding in the right group. This race could be the best we've ever seen!!

Monday, 5 July 2010

Daily Log: #2

Distance Travelled: 12.95 miles
Time on Bike: 50 minutes
Average Speed: 15.54 mph

TOTALS: 30.06 miles, 1 hr 48 mins, 16.7mph

The greatest bike race in the world started at the weekend - The Tour De France. I love July merely for that fact. And there's no better time to be a Brit following the Tour with not one, not two, but eight (8) British riders taking part and both Bradley Wiggins and Mark Cavendish in with a chance of real honours (overall and sprint respectively).

On a personal note, this morning some idiotic mother didn't even bother looking before turning right in front of me and I nearly caught the back of her car when she was forced to stop as she had nowhere to go. I hope her under 9's didn't learn any expletives from me!

Thursday, 1 July 2010

Daily Log: #1

Time on bike: 58 minutes
Average speed: 17.7
Distance travelled: 17.11 miles

Following the reset of the ometer following the 1000 mile breakthrough I have to rely on it's accuracy during it's first few readings - let's face it the mph fluctuates every time you slow down or speed up at such an early stage.
Yesterday's ride home was HOT! Had to strip naked to cool down as soon as I got in - not an unpleasant sight but meant I had to steer clear of all windows. This morning's journey in there was a cool wind which certainly assisted a bit.