samuri.co.uk

Bike: Roadlite
Distance: 40 miles

Windy. Again.

As I was passing Rivington reservoir, I passed a chap looking a bit sorry for himself by the side of the road, his chain had snapped so I lent him my chaintool to fix it. He explained it was a bit pointless as he already had someone on their way to pick him up but thanks anyway. Of course, this meant something really bad would happen to me since everytime I help someone else, reverse karma fucks me in the ass.

But it didn’t. That must be a first. I did get very sweaty because I was wearing a waterproof and it never actually rained that much. Maybe that was it.

Bike: Roadlite
Distance: 56 miles

Nice. Set off sharpish to get back early. Quite sunny to start but very windy. And it rained a fair bit while I was out, little showers each time though.

I felt great! All climbs were a simple case of churning away. Despite going fairly quickly (17.1mph average – 1360metres of climbing), I was quite happy the entire way round, could have gone much faster if required. Awesome.

Still having tummy problems. Getting a bit worried now actually. It’s affecting my riding. Feels like a big stitch when I’ve been breathing heavy for a while. Not so bad today though, not sure if it’s a muscle issue or something a bit deeper. Ho hum.

Plus, in other news, my buy a motorbike scheme is now underway. First pushbike is on ebay with another to follow when I get it cleaned up. Hoping to get at least a grand for the two which should allow me to buy a £600-£700 quid bike, plus clothes and insurance. I’ll ride it for a year and assuming I don’t die and want to carry on, will look at something nicer. It’s probably a ricidulous thing to do but mid life crisis’s are strange things.

Bike: Day one
Distance: 32 miles

What a day. Commute in. Bit wet but still warm. I was the only person to arrive so early. Waited for my sons GCSE results. Not fantastic but not terrible, average I guess. I hear that most students are lower this year than past years, B’s mostly. He’s in the college he wanted anyway, just some fine tuning which in one way is a good thing. I always thought his art was not that great, his results agree with me and now he’s doing science, maths and business, which considering his desire for money is probably a good idea. Hopwefully he will now excel rather than meander. We’ll see.

Coming home, nice and quiet, passed loads of other cyclists though, one guy on a carbon thingie tried to race me. Not about the bike pal.

In Leigh, this bloke was coming down a narrow road woth cars on both sides so I waited, a car waited behind me. As the bloke to near to us, he waved at the car driver but not me so as he passed I said ‘No problem’ through his open window.

He looked at me and said ‘I didn’t say thanks to you’, which is fine, but don’t behave like that and expect to get no retaliation. And don’t get angry when it happens, you are fat, you were ignorant and I suspect the bastard part was right too. Dickhead.

Bike: Day one
Distance: 21 miles

Quick and very nice evening blast. Thanks god fopr making late summer evenings in Britain. They can’t be beat.

All quite dry, but not dusty. Upt o Haigh Hall, back along the canal really. Some nice young ladies out, mmmmm.

Bike: Chameleon
Distance: 46 miles

Christ my riding is getting some punishment. Down to 180 miles deficit at the time of writing. I’ll be so fat soon I can’t see my feet.

Numerous bike problems, having to drive to work and sickness have resulted in quite a lot of bike downtime. Not enjoying it very much.

This ride was great though, hilly and offroady. Splendid stuff, might even have taken some pictures too.

Need to kick my ass into touch and sort things out.

Doubt it’ll happen this week though. I have passed 4000 miles for the year though. Only 2000 and so to go.

Bike: Roadlite
Distance: 56 miles

Well that was my first week of not being able to drive into work and I just managed to get enough miles in not to lose anything. Doubt I’ll do so well next week but we’ll see.

This ride, so hard. 56 miles, 1300M+ of climbing doesn’t sound so bad but the wind! Oh my god it was relentless and always in my face, that’s impossible! But it still happened. As I dropped over to Belmont I passed a large group of people at the Black Dog on mountain bikes. Turns out it was the STW TandemJeremy ride so I popped back and had a chat with Julian and Jayne and met TJ and binners and a few others. As expected, all nice people in real life.

Anyway, then the ride continued and I gurned my way through all of it. When I got home my legs were on fire. I was groaning in pain for about ten minutes after I got home my legs were aching and cramping that much.

And that’s why no ride today. I just felt goosed after that one and really couldn’t be arsed today, hence my initial statement. So now I’ve got 5 work days and 1 weekend day to do 120 miles in, and I’ll not be riding into work any of those days. Nice….

Bike: Roadlite
Distance: 32 miles

Got home from work, not ridden for three days. WOOP WOOP WOOP! Had to get out.

Just slung a leg over the bike and started riding. It was of course, rush hour and chucking it down and pretty windy but no matter. And it was great! There’s nothing like going out in bad weather to make you feel good. Rode out over to Horwich, up and over to Belmont, back over to Rivington, home. Awesome!

My deficit will do badly over the next month as my son is working with me so I’ll be driving in most days, hopefully I can keep on top of it by doing rides on sat and sun plus a mid week ride.

Bike: Roadlite
Distance: 36 miles

Skyride.

Bit wet.

Set off about 9, got wet, dried out, got wet, dried out, repeat for the entire ride. Got to Manchester, quite a small turnout it has to be said. Obviously the rain put a lot of people off. It’s fecking great riding around a big city like that though knowing there’s no cars about. They really should make it the law you can’t drive a car in the city. So many more people could get about their business, faster and easier than before. Ho hum, Utopia is somewhere on the horizon I guess.

We did the ride and then headed home. The home run had this strange whining sound associated with it. It got louder the faster I went. Not sure what that was about. Ho hum.

Bike: Roadlite
Distance: 34 miles

Last weekday ride of my holiday. And national shit driver day on the roads it seems also. How many near misses did I have? I’ve left so much rubber on the roads around junctions today. The amount of people who just pulled out on me was insane!

Complete cock of the day goes to a guy on the A666 though. I was climbing up a hill up on the pedals, this big lorry was coming the other way. As the lorry passed me, I sat down and about 3 microseconds later, this van passes me on my side. But to get past the lorry, he’s come right across to me. THE WING MIRROR WEN T OVER MY HEAD! If I’d not have say down it’d hit me. The van came so close and fast to me the wind banged me into the kerb, I only just managed to keep upright.  Needless to say there followed a lengthy swearing and hand signal session. Sadly he just carried on.

Gobshite.

I do not want to go back to work. This has been a really great, relaxing holiday, lots of riding, drinking and eating and I’ve barely thought about work at all. I just know it’s going to be insanely busy the instant I get back. Bummer.

Bike: Roadlite
Distance: 123 miles

Now today was going to be a 200+ miler.  I’ve had it planned for a while now. The most I’ve ridden in a day (12 hours actually),
is 202 miles. I want to better that. But it’s not an easy task, I need to be logistically and mentally prepared for it and because
of all the messing about through the weekend, I wasn;t ready. I probably could have done it to be honest. It would have been
easier than this ride which we’ll go into in a minute but 200 miles is a big mental block. I’ve only passed it once before whereas
a century, pffft.

Anyway, got up late, couldn’t find clothes, blah de blah. Left house around 7:30. I’d downloaded a route from a chap on
biketoaster who’d started from Rivington Barn. Looking at the route it feels like he got back to the barn, realised he should bump
it up a bit and then did another loop. I rode to the barn and back so no need for me. The set route is 115 miles and around 3500
metres of climbing.

So I set off, it’s damp and cloudy but I feel great. I cane it over to Bury no problems but then I get lost. One of this chaps
climbs takes him up some farm roads but when I get there they’re closed, locked, barred, gated. So I have to turn back and find an
alternative. Plus then I do a ten mile loop and end up where I started by mistake. But apart from that, no problem. I loved the
climb from Littleborough up to the start of the Cragg Vale descent (apparently the longest road descent in England). The descent
is never that steep but it certainly goes on for a long time.

Chips and sausage in Hebden Bridge watching the pretty girls and Lesbians walk past, then up the 25% climb. Which wasn’t as steep
as anticipated. The reason for this was revealed when I checked on the map at home, I missed it by mistake. Still, it was still
hard work. Long Causeway, back down to Todmorden followed by the nasty, nasty climb to Bacup, that was hard work! Some lads in a
van hurled abuse as they passed so I shouted back at them. As I entered Bacup they caught up with me the other way. Now I’m
assuming they were coming back anyway, to chase me down would be ridiculous. They pulled alongside me and the passenger said “What
did you shout at us?” Dead aggressive like. So I told him, “I shouted ‘grow up’”. I really expected more of an argument but they
just drove off then. So yeah, grow up.

Anyway, Bacup, Rawtenstall, Ramsbottom (made the wrong turning and ended up going down the dual carriage way – horrible),
Edgeworth, up the big climb, Belmont. Stopped at the Black bull for a pint of Black, very tasty. Then rode home.
AWESOME! 3196 Metres of climbing, that’s a proper ride. And I got home feeling great, could have ridden a lot further easy.

200+ miler, maybe on Sunday, we’ll see.