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.