In the old days, pre-shoulder, I could descend with the best. I would just throw the bike downhill and ride the knife edge that is control. The faster you go the sharper the blade. It’s amazing that the brain can control two brakes with fingertip accuracy while positioning the body for perfect balance, while reading and predicting what’s coming next racing down a hillside over rock, roots, grass, and dirt. Not to mention sorting out where other riders are so as not to hit them. You really are just there in the moment, there is nothing else, and nothing else quite like it.Things are a little different now, try as I might, pain and stiffness stop me from approaching adequate. It is a very humbling experience to be among the slowest going downhill. Riders coming from behind calling me to move over because I am holding them up. Then when I cruise past them on the uphill they try hard to hold me off so that I won’t hold them up on the next downhill.

I rode the Merida 100 at Builth Well last weekend, and part way down one descent I moved over to allow a couple of faster riders through. They flew past me and were gone in seconds. I cursed as I battled with the terrain, so frustrated, then as I came around the corner, there they were, stacked on top of each other in a big rut, but unhurt and laughing! Lucky lads.

I took over 5hrs to complete the course, and was the third vet home just 4 minutes down. If only I hadn’t made the daft mistake of riding my hardtail. Ah well, I’ll know next time.

First of all, a brief re-cap of how we came to be here…
As a result of crashing my bike last year, and sustaining a serious long-term shoulder injury, I needed a goal, something that would be tough, and force me to work hard. My brother suggested the Big Red Randonnee, 100 miles in a day down the South Downs Way, in aid of the British Heart Foundation. It seems like such a long time now since that first painful wobble barely 100metres down the road, but it was the start of the journey that brought me here. The plan was that my bro’ Supawal and I would ride the event, while the wonderful Carla would provide back-up… Continue reading →

The training and preparation is all done. Tomorrow I’ll ride 100miles down the South Downs Way with my brother in aid of the British Heart Foundation. Thanks to everyone who has sponsored me, over £400 for this worthy cause so far. For anyone who hasn’t, you can, online, here.I’ve worked very hard to get to this, and now I’m gonna enjoy it. I’ll post tales and pictures of our epic ‘apres Rando’.

As my final preparation for the ‘Big Red Randonnee’ I rode the Marin Rough Ride yesterday. The Marin is a 70km loop around the hills of Radnorshire. It was incredibly tough with mile after mile of moorland track. If you came to a junction you almost invariably had to turn uphill!I completed the route in 4hrs 17mins, and was exhausted, but I believe I was bettered by Carla. Despite turning her ankle two days before the event, and having a foot blackened by bruising, she toughed it out to complete the route in 5hrs 30mins. Well done or what?

So it’s rest and recovery rides for me this week, then the big one. If you still haven’t sponsored me yet, what’s the problem? You can do it here.

I rode in the first round of the Merida Marathon Series on Sunday, it was great! 100km off-road through beautiful Mid-Wales. Officialy this is not a race, but line 1000 mountainbikers up, and set them off on a marked out course, and the competitive streak comes out. It was tough, lots of climbing, tricky descents, and the odd shower or two, saw me finish tired but happy with 5hrs 17mins on the clock. The first rider home stormed round in 4hrs 48mins!Find out more about the event on the series website at www.mtb-marathon.co.uk.

Next week it’s the Marin Rough Ride for me. I can hardly wait!

My week in France was great. Marcus and I worked hard on the jobs set for us by Mademoiselle Blanc but we still had enough time and energy to fit in a daily bike ride. There are so many quiet lanes and tracks to explore, and so much to see. It’s tough terrain, hardly any flat, but that’s good because you never know what you’ll find over the next crest, or around the next corner. One evening ride we came across eight wild boar! We know people who have lived in France for over two years, and never seen one, yet we saw eight all at once. They looked comical as they trotted off into the nearest woodland. They paused in the corner of the field to look back at us. I expect they see a lot of cyclists, in France.

Over four hours non-stop on Wednesday! Chose a hilly route in and around the Severn Valley. The weather was showery to say the least, and I lost count of the number of times I got wet, and dried out. Did the last hour in the wet, arrived home tired and dripping. Reckon I covered about 60 miles.You see it could rain on the day of the Big Red Rando, so I might as well get used to the odd shower. Couldn’t beleive how tired I was. Maybe one banana wasn’t enough. Anyway, I’m off to France next week to get some miles in, I’ll keep you posted.

Carla hit her team mates at npower with the sponsorship form and raised another £30 bringing my total to £195.

Last week, while browsing the local paper, I saw an article about a long distance bike ride starting on Saturday at 07:00hrs from Wolverley. Who does these things called Audax? I decided that I would get up early, and do a pre-breakfast ride to find out more, and see for myself.I expected to see a few old duffers on ancient bikes, wearing breeches. Well, I was wrong, there were hundreds of riders, all ages and sizes, riding everything from expensive race bikes to recumbents. I got chatting to a couple of them, and they told me that the ride would take them out into Wales, over some tough mountain roads. The ‘fast’ men would be back early evening, while the cut-off time was 03:00hrs on Sunday! They went on to tell me that this event was a ‘classic’ in the Audax calendar, and that riders had travelled from all over the country to take part… Continue reading →

Lately, one of my favourite things to do has been to join Carla in her commute to work when she goes by bike. It’s an early start, just after 7am, but it’s great to ride along the canal towpath as the day wakes up. Spring is in full swing, and I think nature is at it’s best this time of year.We part company after about 10 miles, Carla does the last couple of miles through Kingswinford on her own while I swing off toward Enville. I always come back through the lanes and bridleways via Kinver, arriving home with two hours riding under my belt, and feeling like I have earned a good breakfast. After a Kings breakfast of toast, poached eggs, and fresh coffee I feel energised, and set up for the day.

Sadly though today will be the last. Carla finishes at npower this week, and this particular early morning commute will be no more.

My first event this year, and the start of my build up to the Big Red Randonnee. Along with Carla, and my Bro’ I tackled the 20th edition of the HONC. Described as…The original and Classic British Endurance event. This popular cycling event genuinely deserves it’s “classic” status, having been inspired originally by the “Hell of the North” Paris-Roubaix bike race, which takes place on the same day in Northern France. The reliability trial starts and finishes in the picturesque town of Winchcombe and uses a combination of tarmac, “white” roads and bridleways. Last year the event attracted an entry in excess of 900 riders… Continue reading →