Author Archives: Jay Trotman

Let’s get it on

OMG, I have just totally kicked arse!

Here’s my route. As you can see, if you bothered looking, it’s not flat.  Intentionally so because I need to be doing some hills to compensate for the lack of miles of late.  Besides which, I’ve decided I quite like hills.  Only quite you understand ;).  And with the weather being fairly still and sunny, with added autumnal chill in the air, it seemed like a good day for it.

So, let’s start with Shipham Hill.  Get the biggest hill out of the way first thing, right?  I pushed all the way to get there, and I pushed all the way to the top and….total result!  13:55!! That beats my previous PB by 35 seconds!!!!!  Can you tell by the number of exclamation marks how chuffed I am with that? 😀

From there I went down to Churchill, along to Sandford, and over to Kewstoke.  Hurtling along all the way, not letting myself let up.  One of those days when you look down and expect to be doing 18mph but you’re actually doing 20mph+!  Up the kicker by the Commodore Hotel.  Down into Weston.  Through Uphill, straight over and up Bleadon Hill, with the lovely descent slightly marred by an irritating elderly person in a silver Ford Focus who was clearly even more scared going downhill than I used to be!  Over the littler Bleadon Hill.  Up through Loxton and along the pretty way through Christon, before going along Barton road and up Winscombe Hill again.  See, look at all those hills?  Well, it’s quite a lot of hills for me anyway.  But that’s not the best bit.  Oh no.  Wait for it…

Cycling time: 2:04:56 hrs
Distance: 35.53 miles.
Avs: 17.0 mph
ODO: 10110 miles

OMG!  Have you seen my average speed?  And that’s on a hilly ride!  There’s nothing for it, I’m just going to have to say it, I rock! *grin*.  I’m also oddly pleased by how binary my odometer reading is.  But that would be my inner geek peeping out again so I’m just going to ignore that. 😉

(In case you were wondering the answer is 22, and if you actually were wondering that makes you almost as much of a geek as me *grin*).

Blame it on the rain

This morning it was sunny and lovely.  It was.  Honest.  Oh how deceptive appearances can be.  It was even still fairly pleasant and warm when Mim and I left my house at around 9:30 am this morning, albeit with a really strong westerly wind which we could have lived without.  However from there on in, from a weather point of view, it was all downhill…  Mim had an errand to run in Weston-super-Mare so we headed off that way.  Towards some quite obvious weather.  With that strong wind blowing in our faces and blowing that weather towards us.  There was only one way this was going…

As we turned right past the Queens Arms in Bleadon to go up Bleadon Hill proper the drips started.  The hill itself was fine, but as I plodded my way up the rain got increasingly heavy and by the time we reached a very conveniently placed and totally sheltered bus shelter at the top it was starting to fling it down properly.  We took refuge and watched the waves of rain coming over and past us for a while until finally it brightened a little leaving the skies dry but the roads far from it.  All so good so far really though, and we made our way through the traffic to PC World, where the errand was duly run.

However as we left the rain was starting up again and this time there was no avoiding it, and equally no avoiding the fact that the only way home was on two wheels and through it.  The heavens opened, the rain came down so hard that on bare skin it actually hurt, visibility dropped to nothing, there was as much water coming back up from the road as down on to it, and within minutes we were soaked to the skin, with puddles for shoes.  It was so torrential it was nearly funny.  Nearly.

So we came back through Hutton.  Into Banwell and up the hill past the Caves.  Across and up Winscombe Hill to get home.  Well if it was going to be a short ride, I wanted to at least get some training benefit out of it, and that mean hills.  Besides which, going up hill in weather like that is the only way to get warm!  The roads were like rivers, demonstrating just how much water had come down in a short space of time.  However hard I pushed it, I wasn’t really getting any warmer, thanks to the now distinctly chilly wind.  I really should know better.  My problem is that I don’t realise how cold I am until I get home, and it then takes me hours to warm up again.  Which is why I’m now sitting here in a fleece with a blanket ’round my legs!

Cycling time: 1:22:13 hrs
Distance: 20.45 miles.
Avs: 14.8 mph
ODO: 10074 miles

So not the world’s greatest ride, and I may have to go and do an hour at the gym later to make up for it.  However it was better than no ride, and proves that we’re really not fair weather cyclists!  I wonder how long it’s going to take for my shoes to dry out?

Here’s a photo of Mini Me, Me, and Dad on Sunday – to remind myself what a sunny ride is like 🙂

Mini Me, Me, and Dad

All I wanna do is have some fun

The Cycling Mayor has no broadband and is NOT amused.  Especially after two days of dealing with the non-uk based, hidebound, routine fixated, Orange customer service centre.  I wrote this on the laptop to add later, and since I’ve just managed to turn my HTC Android into a wifi hotspot, it looks like I get to add it now.  Which if I was more of a geek would probably be very exciting.  Oh who’m I kidding?  I’m a geek and I’m thrilled to be back online! *grin*

So with no broadband, the sun shining, and the wind being no worse than expected, it was time for a stress busting ACG ride this morning.  It was not the usual ACG ride.  It was one of those rare occasions when we try get as many ACG people together as possible – from the usual ACG group, to the Leisure Group, with three generations of my family in to boot.  Yes – me, miniMe and Dad.  With as many official ACG tops as possible too.

The ride out was a two group affair – the 5 faster folk were off, and after the odd attempt to let us three catch up, wended their own way whence we were going.  Leaving the the aforementioned generational grupetto to find our own way to Sweets Peat Museum café where, as it turns out since the fast group had taken the long way round, we were the first to arrive.  Well that’s not strictly true, the Boy Wonder, having gotten his timings in a twist as usual, had missed meeting up with us in the Square and had sprinted to and fro to find us before going straight there, so he was waiting inside reading the paper.

The four of us moved to sit outside and were basking in the sunshine when first the five fast folk, and then the Leisure Group, pulled in to join us, making a total of 17 cyclists sat in a row.  Or a circle around two tables more to the point.  Which is a pretty good turn out.   There was a fair degree of hilarity as various exploits and tales of derring do were recounted, and plans for the Tour of Britain spectator ride were discussed.  Good company and good conversation in the sun.  Very nice.  In fact one of the main reasons we’re a Group in the first place :).

However this is the Axbridge Cycling Group, not the Axbridge Coffee Group, so it was time to go and do what we’re supposed to do.  Well let’s face it, how else were we going to get home?  Although various variations on the return route were taken on the way home, we all ended up in the right places eventually.  I have to admit to having resorted to some very juvenile behaviour from time to time, but I can’t help it, I do like sprinting :).  I like that putting your foot down and hurtling away bit, and then the totally knackered feeling afterwards when you just can’t do anymore.  I made it on to the front and up to 29.6 mph on the straight back from Wedmore – which was mighty close to my 30mph goal for that stretch, but there was no cigar.  OK, so the others weren’t really racing, but it was a whole heap of fun for me. 🙂

We were blessed with the weather, if you ignore the wind, which let’s face it was also a blessing across the Levels so it would be churlish to complain about the times when it was less than helpful.  It was way better than forecast, and at this rate, it may be the last time we see the sun before next Spring!  MiniMe did his best, and I can’t wait for the day when his best is a little faster.  He coped really well though, and it was good to have Dad along to keep him company when I couldn’t keep my coiled spring legs coiled any longer.   I tried, I did, honest!  But the fact that I dragged my first half average of 14.something up to 16.0mph on the way home shows that I wasn’t doing a very good job of it by then. 😉

Cycling time: 1:51:18 hrs
Distance: 29.58 miles.
Avs: 16.0 mph
ODO: 10054 miles

Courtesy of the Eurobike Demo Day I have some fancy new Pearl Izumi tailorable shoe inserts that I tried out for the first time today and that did actually make my cycling shoes more comfortable.  They may actually have helped my knee which did little more than twinge a couple of times today.  Having support under the arch of the foot was a weird but not unpleasant feeling but I guess time will tell whether they’re really helping.

PS:  did you like the atypical alliteration?

Long road to ruin

I’m back!   Well to be fair I’ve been back since Sunday, but however much I’ve wanted to be on the bike since then, the weather has disagreed with me.   Even though it didn’t look a whole heap better this morning, I had a playdate with Mim lined up, so I couldn’t really have backed out if I’d wanted to.  Besides which, I’m reliably informed by GB that at this time of the year Rule 5 applies…

By 9:30am the view outside the window had improved somewhat and this week’s wind seemed to have decided that it was indeed Friday so maybe it was time to let up a little.  It was, as last night’s weather forecast had it, claggy.  Considering the intermittent drizzle I’d intended to wear my gilet but it was too warm for that, and my arms only stayed on until we were up on the Webbington hill.

The first chunk of the ride didn’t feel great.  Oh it felt great to be back on the bike, in such a big way, but from a fitness point of view I felt kinda out of breath and off form and a bit slow.  Of course this could be because we were talking so much that it was just hard to breathe at the same time!  That’s why riding in chain gang groups is so quiet – men can’t ride that hard and talk too!  We can! 😉  Actually I was thinking it ought to be a recognised training technique, like running with back packs on in the army.  It’s hard work!  *grin*.

We made our route up as we went along, which worked out remarkably well on both the time and mileage front, as well as not including much by way of hills.  I particularly enjoyed the long stretch before Burtle where I decided to see how good I currently am at riding no-handed.  Quite good by my standards as it happens, but probably not up to taking my jacket off while doing it like the pros do.  Fun though, and good at making you feel oddly like a 13 year old again *grin*.

We came back via Mudgeley Hill as avoiding it seemed pointless and I’m pleased to say I went up it in pretty much the same way as I did before my Eurobike break, so I’ve probably not lost too much form.  In fact after that initial section, I was pushing and enjoying it.  Well you have to with Mim, she’s so fast!  My knee was a problem, even through the usual pink pill fog, but I wasn’t going to let that stop me enjoying it, and as you can see our average speed was pretty respectable 🙂  It was a lovely ride.  Lovely because I’ve missed my bike SO much.  It was just awesome being back on it.  OK, so I’ve been back at the gym, but you just can’t duplicate that feeling.  That being out there in the zone with your heart and legs pumping and the wheels going around and the world being with you feeling…  Sublime :).

Cycling time: 2:10:24 hrs
Distance: 36.69 miles.
Avs: 16.9 mph
ODO: 10024 miles

Right.  Who’s observant?  Did you spot anything interesting?  No?  Well today my odometer ticked over the 10,000 miles mark.  Come on, how cool is that?  No?  OK, it’s just me then *grin*.  I’m easily impressed 😉  My next goal is to do another 220 miles and then my overall total for both bikes will be 20,000 miles.  Since my new bike has now done more miles than my old bike, I’m thinking it possibly doesn’t qualify as “new” anymore.  Maybe it’s time to do something about that… N + 1 etc 😉

In the meantime I need to cycle another 5120 miles.  A new goal 🙂

Eurobike 2011

Just in case anyone out there wonders why it’s kinda quiet over here for the next week – that would be because I’m off to Eurobike!  I’m now working for Bike Shepherd and we’ll be on the Kryptonite stall (B2-401) telling the world all about how to best protect their bikes.  It’s turned into a bit of a road trip – as we’re driving all the way there, camping, and driving all the way back – and blogging about it as we go.  All a bit insane, but hopefully it should be good.  I’ve never done anything like it before so it’s all new to me, and quite exciting!  As far as I can see the only real downside to the whole trip is that I won’t be able to ride my bike for a week…so I’ll have to make up for it big time when I get back :).

A penny for your thoughts, my dear

I’m busy, so today’s ride was not going to be about hours or miles.  I still wanted a challenge though, and there’s not a lot left around here that fulfils that criteria.  But there was one that sprang to mind…

Many years ago, I went on a ride with GW and RL and they took me up what was, to me, a hideous hill, that I ended up walking up.  Not that they noticed because they were so far ahead.  As it turns out that hill, the one that goes up past Ebbor Gorge, is called Dear Leap Hill.  Having not even tried to go up it since, it had achieved somewhat mythical proportions in my head.  Recently both GB and GH have been up it, and I was starting to feel a little left out, so I knew I wanted to try it, but on my own, so I could do it my way and deal with it, rather than with the added pressure of keeping up with someone else.  Or them laughing at me if I had to walk of course!  So I plotted myself a circular loop to include it and set off, rather earlier than planned because I couldn’t sleep, a bit after 8.00am this morning.

And as it turns out it was fine.  Yes, ok it was hard work, but it was fine.  It was wet and a tad gravelly so if I had had to stop, getting back on again would have been troublesome, so apologies to the cars that wanted to get past me.  Yes, I’ll let you past when it’s appropriate, but I’m not stopping!  So I plodded my way slowly and relatively happily to the top.  What a difference a few years make.  Setting yourself a challenge and achieving it is a nice way to start the day 🙂  I know it’s not an Alpe, but it’s steeper than many of them! 😉

I came home via Charterhouse and the fun that is descending Shipham Hill.  Not the longest route, but one that worked perfectly for today.

Cycling time: 1:40:34 hrs
Distance: 25.56 miles.
Avs: 15.2 mph
ODO: 9988 miles

It was lovely just to be out on the bike.  The summer holidays mean a distinct lack of head space so it was nice to have some of that, to get some fresh air, and not to hear a single voice going “Mum…?” *grin*.

My boy lollipop

Last night’s forecast for this morning was “hint of autumn” which I suppose the fog probably was.  So when it brightened up and became positively summery, and MiniMe and I had a chance to ride, it would have been downright rude to refuse.  Although I was initially a bit reluctant, feeling a bit tired after yesterday’s longer ride, I was reliably informed that it would count as a recovery ride, so I had no excuses left.  Let’s face it Autumn will be here for real soon enough…

We did the same loop as the other day, just in reverse.  MiniMe has now been UP Rug Hill, and DOWN Notting Hill.  He’s learning to enjoy descents which might just motivate him to go up the ups with a little more enthusiasm now.  Even I had a blast going down Notting Hill *grin*.

However the traffic on the more main roads was doing the usual job of making me even less likely to let MiniMe out on his own.  One particular large lorry went past us on the bypass close enough to make me duck…like that would help.  I mean really, would it kill you to give us a bit more room?  Because if you don’t it might kill us, and I’m thinking that might delay you more than the 30 secs that taking the time to go ’round us properly would.

Cycling time: 1:06:28 hrs
Distance: 14.65 miles.
Avs: 13.1 mph
ODO: 9962 miles

That not withstanding, it was actually a lovely ride.  Warmth, sun, no wind…see look, I’m all recovered! 😉

Even when there’s no peace outside my window, there’s peace inside.

It was a relief to discover, upon pulling into the Square after our ride, that today’s average speed was a fast one, because I was feeling a tad on the worn out side, without a lot left in the tank.  However if we were doing that kind of speed, that it’s no wonder I’m tired!

As I’ve probably mentioned before, I’ve got a lot coming up in the next few weeks, getting between me and my next sportives.  It having been a month since my last sportive I was starting to wonder if I could still do the miles, and it was definitely time to get a longer ride in while I could.  This combined happily with hubby and the mob going motor racing, so I wasn’t even inconveniencing anyone.  Not only that, I managed to rope GB in, and even better, he planned us a route.  Result!

It being a longer route, it was a bit like taking two of the normal kind of loops and tying them together, including hills and some roads that he knows and I don’t. The first loop was the seaside one, and the second the Chew Valley variety.  I’m dying to say something about a game of two halves…  There was the first half, where it was early, grey, occasionally damp, and quiet because the rest of the world hadn’t woken up.  Then there was the second half where we found a head wind, the sun started to come out, and so did all the traffic.  I think I preferred the first half, but neither of them were horrible.

I did start off like a bullet out of a gun – definitely one of my coiled spring days.  Only it had been so long since I’d had a decent ride, and I’ve been stuck in the gym all week, so being let loose on the roads on my bike was just a beautiful thing.  I assured GB it would wear off, and I guess it did later on, though I’d like to think I did my fair share at the front.  Having said that I realise I’m probably only saying that in the hope that he will reassure me that that was the case when probably it wasn’t at all!  We kicked ass all the way around the seaside, including a very juvenile display of rabbit chasing around the Kewstoke road.  Oh, and coming out of Wells.  And down the Wedmore road.  Well, it had to be done…*grin*.  I’ve also invented a new charge for those cars that pull out on you when you’re going downhill – they’re committing crimes against momentum!  Don’t they know how much work I’ve put in to get to that speed in the first place?  Darned inconsiderate I’ll have you know 😉    And when it comes to going up, I continue to enjoy the hills – Brockley Coombe was nice, as were the other nameless ones.  GB still leaves me behind, but I definitely still go up them better than I did, at my pace, and my descents are noticeably better.  And more enjoyable too.  There was a lovely long descent down into Wells, and I managed to pretty much keep up with GB, even with my cornering caution :).

We had coffee at Chew Valley Lake – where they don’t take cards (be warned) and I didn’t have cash – so had to rely on GB for a scone and coffee.  It was a slightly longer break than usual since not only was the scenery gorgeous, but I needed a bit of a breather to regroup and get going again.  I’ve not done a long run for a while, and I’d been pushing it – that’s my excuse.  Besides which, it’s not all about the ride, some of it’s about the talking, and you can’t do too much of that when you’re going too fast, because there’s breathing to be done!

Cycling time: 3:57:01 hrs
Distance: 67.62 miles.
Avs: 17.1 mph
ODO: 9948 miles

Just look at that speed.  Man we rock! *grin*.  That would be why I’m tired – because we were pushing it!  I am now drinking my Torq Recovery like a good girl, though I’m thinking that a nap may be an unavoidable option.  *yawn*.  4 sociable hours riding the bike in the (semi) sun  – not a bad way to spend a Sunday morning :).

4’33”

Yep, no mp3 player today, as it was a MiniMe ride and I felt I should be paying attention to what he was doing.  We spent an hour this morning with Andrew, getting his new (shorter) stem fitted.  His saddle also had to go up – 4cms!!  4cms since June!!  OMG!  It’s no wonder I can see his ankles all the time, and that my cycling shoes don’t fit him anymore…*gulp*.  It’s a darn good thing we bought him a decent sized frame to future proof it a bit!  He’s not been on a bike for quite a long time so today’s ride was just about getting his legs going round again, and testing that the changes made have made things better.

Anyway, we did an loop for an hour in the sun, with which he is mighty pleased.  There was barely anything that counted as a hill, though he may disagree with that.  There were lots of nice quiet country roads, very few cars, nice weather, and, well, what more can you ask for?  I am ignoring the little voice that says longer, faster and hillier would be good, on the basis that it wasn’t about that, and that I plan on doing those things with GB on Sunday.

Cycling time: 1:04:32 hrs
Distance: 14.26 miles.
Avs: 13.2mph
ODO: 9880 miles

I do think I’m going to miss those Cornish hills though, and if I end up doing another big event next year, I’m thinking a training camp session down there beforehand could well be the way to go.

I want to ride my bicycle

But I can’t.  For starters it’s the summer holidays so the mob are home.  Every time I do get a chance, even if only to ride with eldest, August decided to do a very good impression of October, and the heavens open.  If it was just me I might decide “what the hell” and go anyway but it isn’t so we haven’t.  On top of that, the nights are drawing in…  Hopefully I (or maybe even we) can get out tomorrow afternoon, and I also have a long ride planned for Sunday with GB as I need to get some decent longer miles in before the Etape Cymru.

In the meantime, there’s a new website coming along later this year for sportive riders called, unsurprisingly, Sportive.com.  My Etape blog will be on there, and to say thank me, I now have a very lovely Rapha t-shirt to go with my fabulous Rapha Etape jersey.  Somewhat amazingly not only is it lovely, but it fits, and I like it!  Result!  Shame Rapha is usually totally out of my league and budget *grin*.