Yep, it’s true, I’ve married a dirty woman who has a lot to learn. It’s gonna be a rocky road for her, but she enjoys it. From never having ridden a motorbike before, to riding 70miles off-road in a day in the space of four rides. From shaking with fear to thinking about entering her first enduro, she’s got an entry form for the ‘Fast Eddie Winter Series’. Now hold on there wife. I know you like nothin better than gettin’ dirty with the boys, but there’s a lot to learn.

Ain’t never bin married before. Didn’t want to rush into it!!!

Dudes, today I am 50 years old!  🙂

It was with great sadness, and a heavy heart that I offered my beloved road bike for sale. She was beautiful, my pride and joy, Mon Petite Reine. However, she had remained virtually un ridden for two years due to my shoulder injury. Yes, I had ridden her up and down the road now and then in the vain hope that all would be well, but finally I have had to accept that my road race days are over.

She had carried me to many a victory, and to see her just sitting there, was too much to bear. She was born to go fast, built for speed, from her taut Columbus SLX lightweight body to her zinging Dura Ace wheels. I sat with her for a while as I waited for her buyer to arrive. I hung a couple of medals on her that we had won together. We shared a moment, then all to soon she was gone. I hope she’ll be happy in her new home. I’ll think of her from time to time, and I’ll always be able to relive some of our great races together in my mind.

Some of you may remember that I rode the South Downs Way in a day last year in aid of the British Heart Foundation and raised £500. Well, I’m gonna do it again.It’s a tough ride of 100 miles, mostly off-road. Last year it took me 10hrs and 20mins. This year I am hoping to do the event in under 10hrs.
“Well what’s so tough about that then, and why should I sponsor you?”, I hear you ask.
Well, because of the fantastic work that the British Heart Foundation do (check their website at www.bhf.org.uk ), and 100miles with 3000metres of climbing for an old fella with a dodgy shoulder hurts so good!!!

You can sponsor me online at my page on the BHF website.

Thanks in advance, I wish you good karma.

Two weeks holiday in France gone in the blink of an eye. One minute I was there, and the next I was back at work. All those tomorrows turned into yesterdays. All those planned routes ridden.

So that all the days would not merge into one fuzzy memory I kept a diary. This would let me relive our trip from the deep depression of my desk. Carla took it even worse than me. We have been back almost two weeks, and she’s still not back! Continue reading →

I still like to use a bottle and cage. I had a Camelbak once (1994), but hated it. It was one of the early ones. I hated the way it made my back sweat. I hated the way it rode up and started hitting my helmet on descents. I didn’t like the look of it, and I thought it was uncool. Not to mention all that faffing about keeping it clean.Hydration packs have come a long way since then. Carla has one, and she much prefers it to a bottle. She reckons it’s cleaner, easier to use, and you’re more likely to drink with one. She has convinced my brother, and now he has one. He’s even taken the bottle cage off his bike! Says it spoils the lines.

My brother (Wal) was asking me why I don’t use one. I was joking, but my first two reasons were… what if I needed something to throw at someone? I’d have no bottle, and what if someone was trying to get hold of me? They’d have those straps and things to hold onto making them very difficult to get rid of. While Wal was mildly amused, he thought it said quite a lot about the kind of confrontational person that I am. I disagreed.

Carla has washed a few bikes in her time. With several seasons cyclo-cross pits under her belt, not to mention some 24hr Mountain Mayhem sessions, the odd MTB race, and Road Stage races. She has washed bikes for professional riders, and more than a couple of national champions. So well qualified as a bike washer then, yes?Anyway, following a few questions lately from novice bikers on the best way to wash a bike, Carla has written a bike washing guide complete with pictures. You can see it here.

Over 1500 riders ferried safely to the top of the downhill course at the Pearce Cycles winter Series round 2 by the Magnificent Seven. Actually it was just over 300 riders, but each rider had 3 practise runs, and two timed runs, so that’s 1500+, it’s just that some were multiples of the same! And the Magnificent Seven? That was the team of 7 highly skilled drivers of assorted vehicles with trailers doing the uplifts. There were two Landrover Discoverys, a two wheel drive tractor, and four four wheel drive tractors. The trailers ranged from purpose built uplift trailers with racks for bikes, to cattle trailers (some of those riders are animals!).Some trailers were faster than others, and some took longer to load than others, and some had twice the carrying capacity of others. Despite this the team operated a slick service with no rider having to wait more than a couple of minutes. It was a great sight, and a great buzz to be part of a convoy snaking up the hairpins loaded down with bikes and riders. The noise of those big tractors working hard is something special!!!