What's He Up To Now!

03 February 2013

A little too easy?

One month into 2013 and the plan to take things a little easier with the cycling this year is coming along nicely. A combination of dark mornings and evenings, rain, snow, ice, wind and a mindset of actually wanting to do less miles has seen me ride just 298.44 miles in January. This is my lowest monthly total since December 2010 when I covered just 139.26 miles.

And do I feel good about this? No, not really. If I’m honest, I’m actually finding it harder to do the shorter rides than I would if I was racking up double the distance. I’m already noticing a drop off in my fitness and my average speed is lower than I’d like. Okay, riding in the dark doesn’t help, and the strong winds certainly don’t, but I’m sure the biggest issue is the lack of riding time. Time for a re-think maybe!

Having said all that, the week of proper snow we had mid-month (before a slight melt turned it to ice) was great fun to ride in and the GT Avalanche 1 mountain bike that I purchased back in November proved to be ideal for the conditions. As well as the mountain bike allowing me to carry on riding when the snow arrived there were two or three evenings when I actually added a few miles onto the journey home, just so I could play in the snow for a little longer!

Taking time out from playing in

the snow at Alvaston Park!

Help protect the Stone Curlew!

Yet again, one of the UK’s endangered bird species is under threat. This time it is the nesting grounds of the Stone Curlew, a bird already on the amber list of conservation species.

Please take a moment to visit the follow web site, read the petition and add your name. This needs to be stopped before it is too late!

01 January 2013

Starting 2013...

Well, here we go once again. A new year and a new start. If I can find the time/the enthusiasm/the subject matter, and if the weather allows, then I'd like to post a lot more updates here this year. And, if all goes well many of them will be based around photos that I take.

Photography is something that I have enjoyed for many many years, I even studied it at school back in the dark ages of my youth. But, like many things in life, trying to find the time to really give it a go has always been a problem - most of the shots I take are either when away on holiday or on the occasional local walk. In 2013 I want to try and change that by taking more photos and in the process improve my, very mediocre, skills.

Today may not have been the best day to pick up the camera - beer, Buck's Fizz (the drink, not the '80s pop group!) and whisky last night - but the weather was fine and so Lynda and I headed off for a walk and then a pub lunch this morning. The camera came along too...

Alvaston Park lake.

Lynda and friends.

Mute Swan and Coot.

Teasel heads.

Winter trees.

Tree bark.

Fungi - around 15 feet up a tree!

No football this week!

There, I've taken the first step. Not the most awe inspiring set of photos but having just the local park to work with did at least make me look around a little more in the hope of finding things to point the camera at.

Now, where to go next time...

31 December 2012

The 6000 mile year...

Once again I’m sat, with a beer, looking back on another year of cycling. My own cycling that is, not the amazing year of pro-cycling we’ve had the pleasure of seeing in 2012! Well done Team Sky, Team GB, Sir Bradley Wiggins, and everyone else that helped make it such a great year!

So, back to my own year. Since I started recording the mileage I ride, back in 2008, I’ve tried to set myself a goal for each year. Between the middle of June and the end of the year in 2008 I managed to cover 1089 miles. In 2009, I logged a total of 3573 miles. The following year and the mileage was up to 4211 miles by the end of December. Last year, 2011, I upped my game a little and took the mileage to 5364 miles.

For 2012 I wanted to try and push myself further still. I set the target at 6000 miles. As most of my cycling mileage is made up of commuting to and from work it meant I’d have to put in plenty of extra miles on top of the basic route to and from work - I live less than 2 miles from work as the crow flies and only around 2.5 miles by bike! Time to get peddling!

This is how the year went...

January
46 rides
376.66 miles covered

February
47 rides
452.63 miles covered

March
53 rides
701.92 miles covered

April
33 rides
313.39 miles covered

May
51 rides
620.66 miles covered

June
44 rides
471.16 miles covered

July
39 rides
427.09 miles covered
*Longest single ride of the year 101.37 miles*

August
53 rides
549.08 miles covered

September
46 rides
609.44 miles covered

October
40 rides
441.23 miles covered

November
47 rides
480.80 miles covered

December
46 rides
570.51 miles covered

All that little lot adds up to a total of 6014.57 miles - 14.57 miles over my target for the year!

Using GPS, I was able to plan where I'd reach 6000 miles.

The cafe at Alvaston Park - for a bacon sandwich & a latte!

As for 2013... I think it may be time to have a year without any set targets and just enjoy cycling for the sake of it! Maybe....

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

27 December 2012

Because two is never enough...

It's taken me almost six months but I've had to admit defeat. Running just two bikes was not going to work! I need three! Not want - NEED! And so, in the middle of November I put things to rights and took delivery of a new mountain bike, a 2012 model GT Avalanche 1.

Ever since I killed off my very old Claud Butler back in the summer I've been aware that my other two bikes would be of no use what so ever as and when the snow and ice arrives. I don't mind a bit of a challenge but there is no way I'd get the road bike out if there was even the slightest chance of ice within 50 miles of where I would be riding! The hybrid is not much better - it may have slightly wider tyres but they still don't have any tread worth mentioning. The only other option would be to stop riding in the bad weather and go to work in the car. That "option" was never really an option at all! I'd rather walk!

So, I was back to the three bike option and, thanks to a very good internet deal, I now have suitable transport ready for the snow. Of course, the snow we often see before the year end has failed to appear, so far, and I could, possibly, have saved my cash. When the weather does turn, I'm ready... and if it doesn't, I still have a new toy to play with!

Fresh out of the delivery box.

A box of extra little bits ready to be fitted.

(And a free bag of sweets from the supplier!)

A gorgeous morning for the first ride. A 22 mile loop

around the lanes and off road trails of South Derbyshire.

A Mucky Nutz fender - cheap but effective.

Disc brakes - a lot more stopping power than my other bikes!

30 gears to choose from - too many maybe?

Posing in the Winter sun.

Almost home - a misty River Trent.

First time out and muddy already! Get used to it!

23 December 2012

Watchet...

Yet again, I return here after too many months away. Back in January I started to post updates again, with the full intention of keeping on top of things. All went well, in a fashion, up until July when I slipped back into my old ways - I kept on putting things off!

So, as a way of easing back into things I have a bunch of photos from our last little holiday, a very nice week spent in Watchet, Somerset. We were there in the middle of October, probably the last time the sun shone properly this year!

Our holiday accommodation - Oak Barn...