And so the rain comes down

It has been raining for around 24 hours here non stop. Rubbish. I'm off camping tomorrow - I should have stayed at work for the week testing but I really didn't care about going away. Even if I get soaked for 4 days it will be better than writing dull test scripts.

On my return I promise to blog my cycling trip in one long entry. Then I will finish this blog and open another.

All by next weekend...after my return of course.

Adieu.

Job Done!

Three days of riding, a day in France and the Eurostar home.

All in all the ride was fantastic, a great experience and I would recommend it. My worrying was a bit excessive and the worst thing was the early starts (4am on the Saturday, 6am on the Sunday - chuck in some late nights as well).

I will relate some more stories soon but now I must get ready to cycle to work - not cos of some ridiculous urge to carry on the cycling bug but because there are no trains into town from SE London today...

t-2....

.....arrgh! such dreadful terminology to describe the 2nd day before an event.

Today I bought a bell, a real old fashioned one with a ting-a-ling-a-ling sound. Initially I got it for Clive but then I thought I'd keep it for myself instead as I liked the look of it. Sadly it doesn't fit my handlebars so it will have to go back tomorrow. Also I got some clever spray stuff which inflates a tyre with foam if you get a puncture - last Sunday I got two punctures and I only had one inner tube so had to call for a lift.

Some packing done tonight - there isn't too much to take but I tend to overpack so will have to be ruthless tomorrow.

Again, strangely calm...

3 days to go

and I am strangely calm. Is this what it feel likes pre-marathon run? Only time will tell.

I intend to stuff as much pasta down my throat over these three days to get the carbs up. I then hope to start eating as many bananas and nut bars as possible come Friday morning. I hope to have a few beers on Thursday lunch pre-nerves stuff, medicinal of course.

Work is far too busy - I had hoped to have a day off beforehand but no such luck - curse you meeting obssessed project persons!

Countdown to Paris really has begun!

Not cycling related

P3302015
Originally uploaded by OrangeCamperVan.

Former East German pedestrian "go" sign - still in use in Berlin today. Check out that hat and the position of the arms and hands - superb!

Less than two weeks to go

The start of our ride is now in less than two weeks. In fact at this very moment in two days we should be making our way across the Channel from Newhaven on the 6am ferry to Dieppe. We will have to be up at 4.30 which seems a bit harsh as it will be unlikely that we will be to bed early the previous night. I'm not sure if the 4.30 start could hav been avoided but it's too late now. We will still have two full days cycling to go at this point but it will be managable. I'm chomping at the bit to do this ride now. The bike goes in for a service on Tuesday and my new outfit has been ordered and I think we can do no more preparation.

Me and C did a few hours yesterday, 34 miles on a slight hangover due to excess of Guinness on Friday night after work. I felt a bit rubbish after the ride for the rest of the day but it was self inflicted I guess. I will attempt a further ride tomorrow as we have a Bank Holiday to celebrate the worker's uprising or, to dance around the maypole if you wish to b a bit more cosy about it.

I have worked out how to send photos back to my Flickr website so check out special invites to view photos as they happen during the ride - exciting! We it is to me.

Summer rolls on

And so we cycled on Saturday instead this weekend. The weather still glorious and sunny and the breeze was good to us in keeping out the heat. 40 miles with N and R who joined us for the day. We did some evil hills and R told us that we had all improved since we last cycled together about three months ago.

Praise indeed from R.

Not cycling yesterday brought on a huge sense of guilt even though I'd been out the day before. I spent the day washing old orange and reading the paper. I intend to cycle after work a couple of days this week.

Just over two weeks to go. We are ready.

I have installed Shozu on my phone and have been experimenting, loading photos to my Flickr website and this blog. Hence the entries in this blog below. I hope to send back photos to the blog from the ride if I can find a cheap GPRS plan to use in la France.

Old Sandwich power station

disused but what a beauty!

Same green camper

Green camper looking good

Green camper

Lovely green camper near grays inn road

Green camper

Lovely green camper near grays inn road

Country Life and Bank Cards

So we do 40 odd miles on Sunday and it's a boiling hot day in the Kent countryside. We feel we deserve at pint and so we stop off at Farningham at a local pub called The Chequers. I order 3 pints and 3 packets of crisps and present my bank card to pay...

But do they take cards? Do they hell as like. So I volunteer to go to the local garage to try and negotiate some sort of cash back but to no avail. A kind motorist and his son take pity and offer to run me to another garage 2 miles away (which I could have cycled in theory). I take him up on his offer and collect some cash from the Link till - I even forgot about the £1.75 fee to collect my own cash and headed back to the other garage and then cycle back to the pub. C and N had already downed the first pint and were waiting for me to furnish them with more funds for a second (the cheeky scamps).

Why did they not take cards? Even though Farningham is sort of in the country (though probably less than 20 miles from Piccadilly) it must be connected to a phone line. And the pub was full of moaning old gits who clearly objected to anyone in cycling gear or anyone without a beer belly.

Anyway I did 60 miles in the end which given the heat was not a bad result.

In other news I have finally decided to leave work in July. My boss took it well but I feel as if a great weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I will be free in 3 months time and have an idea about travelling round Europe for a while in the old van. We'll see how these plans come to fruition. I've got to get this ride out the way and then there's Glastonbury. And also there is the fact that I still have to spend 12 weeks at work.

The normal stuff

My reasons to post these days in relation to cycling are limited. Yes I did 40 miles this weekend with the team around Maidstone, stopping in a lovely pub for a shandy at lunch, and yes I'm feeling confident about the ride, 4 weeks to go now. And the weather yesterday was scorching for April, unnaturally warm for the time of year, and a sure sign of some sort of global warming catastrophe (although the Independent on Saturday now says 20 minutes a day of sunshine carries sufficinet vitamin D to ward off winter colds and flu, who do you trust these days?).

No my postings are limited cos I want to blog about other things and a couple of weeks ago I said I would set up a new blog. I am going to do just that (although I have just spent the last half an hour on the very rewarding pasttime of changing my theme in Control Panel/Display to Windows Classic Grey and fishing out an old photo of Ursula Andress as my desktop. Lovely. Now the eldest has been in asking to use the laptop but I have sent him away telling him I am busy. He is not happy - I will relinquish the laptop after this post.

The new blog will be here soon. And as for the big trek I have decided to blog my journey from London to Paris as well using my clapped out P990i (which I am stuck with for at least another year after foolishly signing up to an 18 month contract - what a rubbish phone, I want a Blackbery Pearl instead).

I have uploaded a pic of Ursula so you can see how lovely she is despite the picture being taken in 1964 - what a dish!

Four days

FBT is back and all is right with the world.

Four days of easter break heaven. Away from London town. Some cycling planned for the weekend (hopefully two days worth, Friday and Sunday.

More updates on Monday.

A very profitable weekend indeed

Work is rubbish, let's get that out of the way for a start. But this weekend has gone so well that I would be happy to go in tomorrow and tell them to poke it. I don't think that will happen but it's a nce thought.

Friday I watched "Spinal Tap" - one of my top ten and then me and the eldest played "Guitar Hero" on PS2. There is a song from the film on the game and I play it quite well, even if I do say so myself.

Saturday I put together a shed with the expert help of N1. It looks the nuts and there is something very satisfying about putting up a shed - perhaps it's one of the few projects I have undertaken recently which I've seen through to completion unlike much of my work (on the subject of work again - I keep getting layered with "Tasks" which I neither have time nor inclination to caryy out and management choose to ignore my protestations - until they realise the work hasn't been done then they complain. And all everyone ever does is chase me up - no one else appears to do anything of worth. I really do hate my job, does anyone actually do anything these days? And they want to change my contract saying I should be paid by the day rather than the hour, well they can eff off with that one - I'd rather leave straight away than agree to that outrageous proposal!)

Sunday I tried to get tickets for Glastonbury spending two hours without success - it all sold out by 11 but I noticed on the website that extra tickets were available by phone. After half an hour on the phone I got through and was able to book 6 tickets in a tippee. I am unsure as to what this involves but the main thing is we are going and I think the tippee option will be very interesting. Shame that the camper van can't come but it will get some other use this summer I'm sure. I am very pleased about getting tickets. I'm looking forward to seeing Shirley Bassey! She might come and visit the tippee.

This afternoon I completed 43 miles cycling with N1 around Biggin Hill and Westerham. We got cut up by some kn0b in a red ferrari but generally the traffic was kind to us. I shall attempt some more next weekend as we are getting closer and closer to the big day. Sunny but very windy...

So all in all a very profitable weekend.

Untitled

I am counting down the weeks and still feel confident about completing the ride. I rode 40 miles on Sunday and the weather was mild and sunny. All in all we are all feeling good about the final ride.

So I'm not really sure if I can keep this blog up until then writing the same old business each week and I think I may need to start another one to allow me to write about something else. I'll still maintain it until the ride in 7 weeks...

And to top it all my laptop got some sort of virus on it and I had to reload all of Windows xp causing me to lose everything. However it's got a lot quicker.

Hmm now to get the new blog ready...

Weekend Off

A weekend away from the two wheels. My efforts of last weekend made me think I earned a couple of days off. Which I have enjoyed but intend to get back full on next weekend.

Plus it was mon anniversaire today so I felt even more justified in doing nothing other than reading the Sundays today.

Now to watch Little Miss Sunshine with a glass of beer. Luxury.

More to report later this week I promise.

Last weekend

I said I would update some details about last weekend earlier this week but I just didn't get round to it. Work is busy (but for once reasonably enjoyable - why does it come and go like that??). Anyway here goes.

C picked me up around 8 on the Saturday morning. The mornings are much lighter at the moment and make getting up early all the more easy. C looked terrible, the previous evening he had been to an 80's style Roller Disco which has opened at Kings Cross and he had got home at 2. The disco retro idea sounds awful but everyone I know who has been to it says it is marvellous and I think I may try and get there myself soon. We set off to Maidstone to N's house and started on the tea and toast which has become a pre-ride feature now. No Marmite but there was some Golden Syrup which is absolutely delicious if a little tooth rotting.

We set off just after 10, the sun shining and the wind behind us. Our route took us out of Maidstone towards Leeds Castle past some weird railway line where the level crossing was manually operated by some guy in a hut who came out to shut it just as I was passing. I wasn't aware that such oddities still existed, even in Kent!

We seemed to stop around every 20 minutes maintaining the Lance Armstrong idea of keeping up your fluids and food which really does pay dividends. The day got warmer and sunnier and I was surpriswd that it took us only 3 hours to reach Canterbury, our half way stop. We made the mistake of hitting a sandwich bar serving delicious sandwiches but which meant we ate too much and we struggled up our first hill out of Canterbury on our way to Deal. Man it was tough, I could feel the beef and coleslaw on granary hanging around just below my throat level as I pedalled ferociously up that hill!

The section to Deal was very enjoyable cutting across countryside riddled with quiet roads (part of our journey to Canterbury was on the busy A20) most of which I knew because I had covered them on the same journey on Boxing Day. The sun held out for the afternoon and we rolled in for a cup of tea in Deal chez in laws at around 3.30pm.

The final section of the first day was a short ride to the Gardener's Rest in Kingsdown, a superb little Guest House of which we had the whole upstairs. The place was stunning, a huge garden and spacious bedrooms with a small dining area between the two rooms which looked out over the garden and the channel. The owners were a lovely couple who had built the property from scratch and had recently started letting out the rooms.

We settled in and drew straws for who got the king size bed to themselves. C won and me and N settled for the twin room. Not that there was a problem with this - there was still loads of room. I ached and was tired but after a short nap we were ready to head out. After an evening of a mini pub crawl (including The Ship in Deal which would appear in my top ten boozers if I were ever to compile such a list) and an average curry we headed home and hit the sack at the Saturday night rock and roll time of 10.30pm!

Sunday morning and we awoke early, the sun streaming in and the owners ready to supply a huge breakfast which we had ordered the afternoon previous. I didn't ache too much having completed 60 miles the previous day. After a plate of bacon and eggs (all locally sourced apparently) we said our goodbyes, settled the bill and set off back to Maidstone. The wind was facing us and we knew the journey back would take much longer. We returned via Folkestone and Ashford and learnt the hard way that if you are not sure where you are going it's best to stick to more well known roads - the result of not following this was covering about 5 miles in an hour - not good when you are meant to be doing 60 in 6 hours.

An altercation with a farmer who said we were blocking the road led to an exchange of verbal profanities and resulted in us being chased by said farmer! He was spoiling for a fight shouting "come on then, let's 'ave some!" - if the Crays had some surviving family and they had gone into farming then this chap was clearly a close relative.

Otherwise the day was a pretty fast but uninteresting trip along the A20, stopping off for Mars Bars and tea and Ginsters Pasties from Esso garages. In fact I ate more choc over the whole weekend than ever before. The sun stayed out and I was surprised how quickly we got back. We returned tired but satisfied and optimistic about the full three days where we will need to cover 75 miles per day over three days. C dropped us back to Bexley and eventually I fell asleep at 8, woke up and had something to eat and then went to bed at 10.30.

Much backslapping the next day and an all round good feeling which has stayed with me all week.

Bring it on!

120 Miles in two days

I have returned and completed my weekend task. You cannot believe how happy I am about this! But tired now oh so tired - so I will update this entry tomorrow with tales of the Kent countryside.

Adieu!

Marriage Of Figaro

My tribute to film scores has started and thanks to recently viewing a crappy Alfa Romeo advert I have downloaded a track from Mozart's "Marriage Of Figaro" (featured in said advert) , the one used in the Shawshank Redemption when he locks himself in the warden's office and plays music to the inmates while the evil staff look on and try to break into the room where he is playing the music.

I urge you to do the same.

Pre ride video

Home for a Friday evening in preparation for my weekend ride and the early start this will require. Bag is packed and loaded with as little as possible although the weight of it indicates I am carrying the equivalent of the contents of Imelda Marcos' shoe collection in the rucksack.

Loaded up with high energy snack bars and such like as well.

Early night required and all I have to do is get through the Borat DVD which was hired (not by myself) from the local Blockbuster (curse you global DVD conglomorate with your dull safe choice of films). I am worried I may find it funny even though I am trying to tell myself not to laugh at it and that I should follow the Observer's review of it and not entertain it at all. Oh well I am going to watch it with an open mind.

I'm free

The death of John Inman announced today brought a swathe of emails to my inbox this morning. I requested two minutes silence at 11 o' clock but this did not go down well. "Are You Being Served?" was rubbish but that doesn't stop it being part of my tv formative years and I probably split my sides laughing at it back in the 70s.

His demise covered on the 10 O Clock news where they implied that his character Mr Humphreys could have been gay! Ber-limey what a revelation! What next?

Anyway enough of this campery. This weekend is forecast to be good in the south (15 degrees and sunny on Sunday) so the two day round trip is looking good.

My racing colleagues and I have spent much time debating the few items that we need to pack and how best to pack them. So far we have decided on a toothbrush and a change of clothes for Saturday night and that's it. Everything else we can buy or will be provided by the hotel in Deal. The most cumbersome item is finding the lightest pair of shoes to take as I cannot wear my clip-in cycle shoes on Saturday night as they would look stoopid.

The only other requirement is directions. Which I must now go and sort out.

Random question of the day - Is there really any need to bring out a new version of itunes every two months on average? These downloads stuff up my laptop. Curse you, software snoopers.

Random thought - I have been attempting to grow a moustache for the last couple of days. I thought it looked ok but the youngest told me it looked rubbish. So off it came this morning.

A Few Good Men

Whilst filing this entry I am watching "A Few Good Men" which I find is still a good watch even after the 7th time of viewing. And it has Kevin Bacon in it who apparently can be linked to anyone else filmwise. Jack Nicholson is superbly threatening and all round you know it's gonna work out but it's still good.

Hotel is booked for the weekend. One night. I need to pack a bag with as little as possible as I have to carry it all on my bike for 120 miles. For the evening out I can't wear my cycling gear so I will have to pack just a pair of jeans and t-shirt and some clean crackers of course.

Roll on the weekend...

120 miles this weekend

I should be getting an early night in - not blogging at 11.30pm.

120 miles, 60 each way on Saturday and Sunday with an overnight stop in Deal on Saturday night.

A test for the real thing.

More details tomorrow.

Thong

Yesterday me and C (who had a stinking hangover) cycled through a place called Thong. I didn't get a photo. It amused us greatly and took our minds off the three times we were called female downstairs part profanities by the tosser drivers of NW Kent, mostly youngsters of course.

We also went through Cobham a lovely village close to Thong (how I still laugh as I type - I may need to get out more) which looked like it had a lovely boozer to visit come summer.

36 miles completed. and on a saturday....

this was because I had the youngest's 7th birthday party today - only 7 guests but a two hour experience nonetheless, mostly of shouting and hilarious gags about how the french say "oui oui" and that the french for dustbin is "poubelle" (anything with the sound poo in it is the funniest thing ever according to a room of year 2 types). Bit like a village called Thong...

Lance Armstrong suggests...

to always wash your bike if it gets muddy.

Also you must always degrease your chain on a regular basis.

All wise words.

However I've yet to get to the bit where he says cycling from London to Paris in 3 days is a piece of p*ss. I'm sure I'll get to it soon...

Weekend Update

35 miles on Sunday, which wasn't bad seeing as I've not been out on the new bike for three weeks. My journey around South East London and Kent was productive but my legs are starting to feel fatigued after hill riding. I have a new book by Lance Armstrong which sets you up for your best ride following a 7 week schedule. I am hoping my leg situation will improve if I follow this schedule.

Solo rides get a bit boring, there is no one to talk to when you stop for a break and you become more self conscious of the ridiculous outfit you are wearing. I shall insist on a team ride next week! N1 was in Dublin and C was in Cardiff to view the Arsenal defeat at the hands of Chelsea.

Less than three months to go the big ride - all the sponsorship is raised and we are ready to ride - but for three days? More training required....

New bikes for team members

N2 and C have invested in new bikes for the ride. As C pointed out they gave me loads of stick about the amount of cash I spent on my machine and here they are going to the same shop in Clerkenwell and investing the same, if not more money on their machines than I did!

Ah well it's a good thing really. They'd better not overtake me though on their new flash bicyclettes.

I intend to cycle on Sunday for two hours maybe three although I have a busy weekend with one thing and another (off to Brighton tomorrow might, out locally on Saturday night and bowling on Sunday at the heart of Essex). Sunday morning it will just be a local run out around 8am.

Let the games commence...

Inspiration, the lack of...

After several weeks away and the lack of blogging facilities I have not been so inclined to make any entries recently. This is worrying me because I don't know if I am losing the blog bug.

I am hoping that by making this entry I will get back into the swing of things. I've done no cycling for a couple of weeks which may explain the lack of contributions.

No this isn't working.

Inspiration please.

skiing tales

and so its been sweden since sunday. via oslo no less. The resort Tandadalen is superb and so snowy all the tlme. I've never seen somuch snow all the tlme!
My skiing has improved in 3 days.my 1st lesson!oday my 4th lesson I Have improved greatly.
my confidence was slightly dented by an impromptu trip up the mountain which resulted in a trip down the green and red runs. I was very nervous but made it down with a bit of effort. And swearing. lots ot swearing.
Everyone is so tired at the end of the day's action but its a great holiday. No cycling news but the skiing is improving my fitness; along with the morgans spiced rum which is being consumed each night. happy days.

Sent using BlackBerry® from Orange

A little break

A first trip to Scandinavia and also a first trip skiing. A week away and no cycling either. If I can blog I will, partly because if I can't get to the web then I won't be able to read blogs either.

My eldest's performance as the leper in Jesus Christ Superstar at school was superb. But I was disappointed to hear that the main character did not wear frilly knickers and a playtex bra.

More snow

Awaiting more snow - so excited. Thursday forecast is for worst (or best) snow for two years.

We shall see. It's midnight and still no sign of it. Minus three in the suburbs tonight.

I still ache a bit from Sunday but nothing serious.

45 miles, a puncture, hot cross buns

45 miles trek initiated by R, mad mad R who is cycling mad but is not joining us for the trek to Paris. We complain about the hills we get asked to do, and the first one is a killer. I have to get off which is a first for me and a disappointment. Still these are excessive hills (Surrey Hills, check em out) and the completion of 45 miles is satisfying.

My normal Sunday evening aches and pains are here. But I have raised my £1000 in three weeks with ease. City work may be rubbish but its employees are on the whole very generous. And the donations are still coming in!

We had a puncture today, C was going to head back home from Penshurst station as we had no pump to fit his tyres, but as we approached the station a kind man who was parking his car in his garage donated a pump and we were able to change the tube and get back on track. I think R had another 20 miles in mind so C did us a favour with the delay caused by the puncture.

Hot cross buns kept us going along with Mars Bars bananas and some drink I bought in Holland and Barratt which tastes vile but apparently gives you energy. Mmm the hot cross buns were good - although I prefer mine with butter and these were plain they were still lovely. But it is too early for such items? We are not yet into Lent, even. Sacrilege!

I attach a picture of puncture repair situation. I wasn't being very helpful by capturing the moment instead of assisting that I fear I may not get any help myself should I suffer the same fate.

I still don't know if I'm fit enough to do this...I need to do another 25 miles in one day! Help!

New Caff

This looks good, though not as good as my local.

Lack of blogging, Visions of Jesus, The Mafia

I've posted nothing since Sunday this week has flown by - the intention has been there to blog but it just didn't happen and now I can't recall the monumentally hilarious moments of the past few days (that could down to the fact that workwise, the week started off so bad but by today it had improved vastly).

Anyway summary of the week:

Last night - eldest's parents evening. 11 teachers in an hour, 4 minutes per teacher. A bit like speed dating. The Religious Education teacher looked like Jesus. Apparently the kids in the eldest's class teased him in December saying his birthday must be coming up on the 25th. A bit cruel really, but quite funny as well. I didn't get to speak to him, he wasn't on the list but I wish we had. I would have checked his hands and feet subtly for signs of stigmata.

Eldest doing well but could be doing better. Sound familiar?

Also I had Beers with the PTA at the Bugle Horn- chair and secretary resigning and no one to replace them. Never cross the PTA, they have connections like the Masons or the Mafia. Which reminds me of when I worked at another brokers a few years ago, there was this group of scary and hard east end women, all managers and quite intimidating - they were collectively known as The Muffia, which I thought was quite amusing (I'd like to take the credit for that name but I can't)

Tues night - nothing

Mon night - can't remember

Tonight - Watched some program on BBC2, the Truth About Food which said that if you consume low fat dairy products the calcium helps you excrete fat from the body. They also said that home made soups are the best because they are low fat and stop you feeling hungry for longer.

Nothing to say about my cycling. Apart from the fact I'm just £70 off my total of £1000. Sunday ride this weekend. 43 miles. No sweat.

Listening to: Belle and Sebastian - "The Life Pursuit". Bloody excellent

Weekend Progress

After last week's effort of 44 miles in two days this weekend's total has increased to 58 miles over two days. The aching is disappearing and the process of increasing stamina is getting better. Although I'm not near the 70 miles a day yet I feel this will be manageable by May.

Yesterday was a two hour session with C and resulted in 25 miles in two hours - a significant increase from 10 mph to 12.5mph average. This is better than it sounds as it could save an hour's biking in one day (assuming we will be cycling around 7 hours each day). Today me and both the N's cycled around Maidstone and Tonbridge and covered 33 miles in two and a half hours. I can't work out the average speed for this trip. Lots of super sweet drinks, bananas and oat bars (plus the obligatory Mars bar) got us round. I reckon I could have done a bit more.

Next week a 5o mile trip to Ditchling - some sort of round trip affair. Then no more cycling for two weeks as I am off skiing for a week in Scandinavia. First time ever. For both skiing and Sweden. We have some sort of gathering with the charity and the trip organisers on the 10th Feb but it's at some pub near London Bridge so I think that may turn into some sort of booze up.

I have no photos to show tonight , I intend to load a few this week. I need to make some skiing purchases this week and sort out my holiday wardrobe so the cycling may take a back seat. Just for a little while though.

Listening to: "Alone Again Or" by Love which I heard on BBC6 this morning and hadn't heard for about ten years, cos it's on a cassette and who plays those anymore? So I got straight on to Itunes tonight and downloaded it. Smashing.

Red wine and roast beef tonight and 3 games of cribbage. Smashing day all round!

Lovely white stuff and the joy of mudguards

My garden this morning at 8am! It would be a good day to show potential house buyers round if I was selling as the garden looks fantastic and all the rubbish etc is well hidden.

As the years pass I still get excited about the fall of snow on the rare occasion that it happens in London and even though it's only about a millimetres* worth and the whole of the Metropolis has ground to a halt I share the joy of my youngest who somehow sensed it had snowed during the night and woke up an hour early to experience it.

To prove the level of excitement generated, XFM asked people who had not yet opened their curtains/blinds this morning to open them on air to see if had snowed in their area. I can tell you that it had in Putney, Plumstead and Ruislip but in one other place it hadn't and the sound of disappointment in the caller's voice was too much to bear.

More snow is forecast this afternoon. Excellent.

And any cycling news you ask? Well none really, not in this weather. I hope to do 40 miles in one day this weekend. I have some new mudguards which means, in basic terms that I maintain a dry @rse** for the duration of my ride, the joy of this I cannot begin to explain to you but I'm sure you can appreciate it.

And so to work...

*sadly I can't work out if there should be an apostrophe here. This is a bit anal** isn't it?

**I appear to have used two rear related words in this entry***

***Oops there's another one ;-)

Result times two

Result 1 - Managed to fit in cycling on Saturday and Sunday this weekend, 22 miles on each day. This is a milestone really as it proves that I can cycle two days in a row without too much trouble (although I will have to get nearer to 70 each day at some point!). Still it's a result at the moment. Mind you, it's only Sunday night at the moment - ask me how I feel tomorrow morning! I was unable to join in a kick around in Greenwich Park this afternoon. Well I went in goal but I didn't move much really. My leg muscles are suffering. I need some advice on to how to improve my leg muscles as they are really stiff and achy each time I ride and this wasn't the case when I started my training all those weeks ago.

Result 2 - I am over 70% of the way to my fund raising total after only two weeks. After all my worrying I may not need to donate as much myself or ask my readers to donate at all! Another result...

Listening to - Green Day, "Welcome to Paradise" (not by choice though).

PS Interesting article on how to reduce your carbon footprint in The Observer mag today. Simplest thing to do - stop buying and using those bloody patio heaters that everyone appears to have in the summer despite the warmer nights we have. Also, no need for a second fridge to keep beer and wine in. But the top one for me was use the car less and cycle more! I am feeling a bit holier than thou at the moment...

How to waste a day on a bike service

As part of the deal of buying a new bike, Condors give you your first service free so that all the cables can be tightened and an inspection made of all the moving parts. After what I paid for it it's the least they can do.

I booked it in earlier this week on account of the problems I had with the gears on Sunday so they told me to bring it in today, Thursday. My plan was to take it in by train and ride the small distance to the shop. The I realised that I couldn't take it on the train before 10 so I thought I would ride all the way instead - not realising that today is one of the windiest days for about ten years. So I decided to bung it in the back of the car and drive in.

I left at 10 and got to the shop an hour later, 7 miles in an hour, how rubbish is that. Then I had to stick 80p in the meter for 12 minutes parking. 12 Minutes?! Then I dropped the bike off and asked to pick iy up again at 1pm. So with just under two hours to kill I went to draw out some money and get some change for the machine. Not enough change so I went to another shop to get more change, bunged £8 in for two hours and then went to pay the £8 congestion charge.

I found a superb little coffee shop on Clerkenwell Road, full of arty film types which served the finest cappucino I've ever been served. The staff were friendly and the atmosphere was relaxed. It was joined to an Italian deli and I would definitely recommend the Apricot Danish. All for £3.40.

This killed an hour. The wind was really kicking up by this point and I headed down to Holborn to sample the exclusive shopping facilities (WHSmith, Boots, Rymans, Robert Dyas). After some very dull retail visits it was time to return to collect the bike. I chucked it in the back of the car and spent another hour getting home. The wind had caused pandemonium by this point and the A13 was littered with collapsed hoardings and even the roof of one of the local schools had blown off causing the building to be abandoned and the children to be relocated to another local facility.

My point about all this is that I lost a day's contract cash to get a free cycle service when I could have just paid for one at a decent shop over in Sidcup at the weekend and had a day's wages instead.

Oh well. Here are some photos I took around the area while killing time:

Missing an "E" and a "T" I think. Nice to see an old MACE shop in Leather Lane. You can just about make out the smart white coat of the owner.

Peters in Leather Lane, the red and white barber pole says it all. I don't think you can get any of those cuts in the pictures.

This driving school in Clerkenwell Road has a translation in case you didn't know what the red L's mean.

The sign of Condor Cycles in Greys Inn Road, no mistake as to what goes on here!

Dodgy old place in Commercial Street, no prizes for guessing what goes on here either!

This is the Poplar Public Baths building on the A13, a sorry state but it interests me because the windows and the square design remind me of Bankside, home to the Tate Modern. I wonder if they were both designed by the same person, possibly the chap sitting on the chair?

I'm gonna take more days off and take some more photos of unusual London scenes! But no more central London bike services...

Listening to: Ray Lamontagne - "Trouble"

Writers Block

Clouds or plane trail? Taken on Hythe Beach on new year's day...

Midway through January - writer's block has set in. No entry tonight.

Inspiration please.

Still toying with publishing my charity website address.

Watching: CBB

Rude behaviour towards car drivers

A sunny if cold morning start at 8.30 at C's house. This was the first day that all four contestants had ridden together. We completed around 32 miles and N2 reckons our pace will be good for the three days that it will take us.

C was coughing up much sputum (mm, nice) suffering from the after effects of a cold. N1 has a lovely new bike and appeared to be used to its 30 gears by the end of the ride. We stopped for Mars Bars and bananas in Meopham. My chain came off four times and I am having trouble getting into 1st gear due to the cables. I must take up the offer of Condor's free service very soon. I also fell off when I forgot to take my right foot out of the pedal clip when stopping! Luckily no injuries and I suspect that this fall may have mucked up my gears. And what with N2 getting a puncture the day was filled with drama.

Today's other event was a misunderstanding in relation to a car driver who N2 had kindly waved at to go past and as a thank you he bibbed his horn at us. C, who was at the front could see none of this and assumed that the beeping of the horn was a driver getting the ache with us and so he decided to make a rude hand gesture at the driver as he passed (which was kind of reasonable as in recent weeks we have had all sorts of bad behaviour from Kentish Drivers including deliberate puddle splashing, revving and horn sounding). However the old lady in the passenger seat looked mortified as her car passed him...

A misunderstanding I guess. I will tell C to keep his hand gestures to a minimum and reserve them from BMW Boy Racers and suchlike.

We may have one more attendee. I shall find out this week. Exciting.

Listening to Damian Rice, "Cannonball"

French Revolutions

I am reading "French Revolutions", not set in centuries past but in the current millennium and is about a British journalist who decides to follow the route of the Tour de France prior to the actual event. I have to say that I haven't laughed so much while reading a book for ages, and I have been receiving weird looks on the train whilst reading it.

The subject matter would generally not be of interest to me but the fact that the author had no previous experience of cycling, did not know all the terms and was not familiar at all with all the technical wizardry associated with a high spec racing bike all struck a chord with me. He was also as unfit as I am now and he's managing to get round so far (I'm only on chapter 3) but it's giving me encouragement for May. It's very well written and highly amusing, although the French are not coming out of it too well at the moment; the author has a particular disdain for the Tour de France press office....and rightly so due to their obstructive ways!

I'm also reading The Cloudspotter's Guide which I would recommend as an occasional dip. It's also very well written and amusing. Not cycling related but there again I would now recognise an approaching storm cloud and that could come in handy when in Northern France.

only 18 miles

Today we met at Westerham, me, C and N2. R was there also to guide us round the course - so handy to have someone who knows the locale and doesn't need to stand at the roadside gawping mindlessly at country direction signs. We climbed some very steep hills and negotiated some wet and muddy lanes, I really need some mudguards - more purchases to be made at Condors!

It was quite mild but a bit drizzly - wet cycle shorts all round. We did around two hours - all very satisfying.

C has set up his website - we are both fretting about who to ask, neither of us is keen to "beg" - not in our nature!

Watching "Kill Bill" on BBC2 as I type, it's a bit more violent than I thought it would be but still quite watchable. I am fairly squeamish you know!! The humorous bits in it mark it out as Tarantino - who else has employed Uma Thurman as much?? Interestingly some of the music in the film has been stolen and used in "X-Factor". How wrong. I'd rather be watching "Lost In Translation" if I'm honest, too much martial arts in this one for me.

Missing Post

My missing post just turned up when I posted my last entry. How does this happen? Also where is my flickr badge?

New blogger is trying my patience...

Same rubbish different day

New Year ’s Eve has come and gone and all those drink fuelled thoughts of improving one’s lot have taken a back seat. At one point I was going to mount a one man campaign to take charge of this company and then carry out some sort of coup to take the business elsewhere with a bit of help from former employees. This is still uppermost in my mind…however I would really just like to leave here now. I don’t even have a contract in place at the moment! How rubbish is that!? How can I seriously carry out a revolution without a contract?

The eldest has discovered this blog so I will have to watch out for swear words and negative content from now onwards! That’s what I get for using his XP login to view my blog – he checked his browser history and bingo – the blog was no longer just mine. He’s even gone and set his own up now. If his makes for interesting reading I will set up a link although from what I’ve seen of it it contains far too much youth speak ;-)

Cycle wise (and let’s face it that’s what this blog is really about) I have made no further progress since last Thursday’s jaunt around Westerham. Unless you count eating mince pies, copious amounts of bottled beer and peanuts and large roast dinners as being part of my vigorous training over the past 6 days. Today my first day back at work was going to be a detoxify type of affair with fruit and water as the staple diet. I started well with a bowl of porridge but the temptation of a cappuccino was too great on arrival at Cannon Street due to a disturbed night’s sleep. So bang goes the healthy option for today but I still intend to make for a healthy dinner of fish and vegetables if anything has been delivered to M and S or Sainsbury’s today. Good progress at lunch with a sweet pepper and tomato soup and a brie, tomato and basil baguette from EAT. No caffeine this afternoon although I am gagging for a tea.

This weekend I intend to gather as many fellow cyclists as possible and head for Westerham. It will make a nice to change from Bexley and has a bit more hill training. I suspect only me and C will be attending. N1 is on his way back from Australia as I type although N2 may well be keen.

Now who can I get involved in my revolution…?

Purchases made at Condors, Grays Inn Road yesterday

• New sunglasses
• Thermal Socks
• Over shoe covers to keep out the cold
  
• Back Light

• and some toe warmers for £2.50

Guaranteed to get me up to 40 miles on Sunday! N2 and C will be in attendance.

See you at Westerham, 10am, don't be late.

MIssed Postings sent by email - where do they end up?

My latest post what I wrote (sic) so lovingly at work today (I spent more time on it than anything else - which is only right on the first day back after the Christmas break) and mailed to blogger did not arrive. Curses. Why does this happen? I won't recount it now but will post it tomorrow instead.

Anyway tonight I am drawing up my list of sponsors to write to. This is hard to do as I have no problem asking people to sponsor me but feel a bit awkward when it's me doing the asking. I also don't have everyone's email address so will have to send a few out tonight and the rest tomorrow. Man, this is harder than the training!

Today's attempt at detox has been a mixed bag - reduced tea but some coffee, some fish and salad but new potatoes (in butter), a little choc, no beer, some cheese. I suspect a better day tomorrow but everything back to normal by the weekend (beer, chips etc, which are allowed as I am attending a football match at Upton Park - a rare event indeed for me - one a season and this is the one for this season).

No cycling since last Thursday,Hoping to get 40 miles in this Sunday at Westerham. Must see which troops are ready willing and able. I predict a 50% turn out.....

I predict a riot.