…it’s bl**din’ obvious that it’s rain, not drizzle!  Drizzle my ar*e!  Maybe if GW and I had stayed at ground level, and not climbed the dizzy heights of the Mendips into the cloud cover, there would have been drizzle.  Up there it was rain.

You see GW’s idea of fun, in weather like this, is to go up hills.  (There’s no accounting for taste).  So we did.  Well – up the Gorge anyway.  Which was the Gorge.  Doable but not precisely enjoyable.  Especially when GW is chatting away next to you as you gasp for breath goldfish stylee.  Still, a hill a ride seems to be the current thing, and it’s always best to get the suffering over early on.

Luckily for me, it was miserable enough on top that she revised her plan of going down East Harptree and then back up from Longbottom as neither of us are keen on wet gravelly downhills.  Instead she took us a on a very wiggly, quite long, convoluted and rather inaccurate route across the top, around Binegar and the like, to end up at the Rocky Mountain Café.

It was wet.  Very wet.  With large quantities of standing water.  Which was wet.  In fact it was more like swimming than cycling. There was no visibility.  Either because of the clouds we were cycling through, or the rain on the outside of the glasses and the mist on the inside.  Slowly the water soaked through the layers, and the spray from the road crept up into my shoes turning them into little mobile paddling pools.  The only real consolation was that at least it wasn’t windy too.  Ok, it wasn’t really a consolation at all.  But what with all the clouds around I was looking for a silver lining!

We sat in the café for a while, attracting bemused glances from the more sedately dressed clientele, with water pooling around us.  To give us credit, we did remove their nice red cushions from the chairs before we sat on them which I think was very considerate of us.  As we drank coffee, and toast/ed teacakes, steam rose slowly from our gloves, neatly lined up on the heater next to us.

Time came to leave, it could be put off no longer.  Back on went the clammy layers, the dripping helmet, the warm yet squelchy gloves.  Leaving a puddle behind us, which we warned them about in consistently considerate fashion, we headed back out into the drizzle.  Which, unsurprisingly, was still rain.  Grateful of the climb back up to the main road, which warmed us up a bit, we came home via Priddy, over the top, and back via Charterhouse and Shipham Hill again.  A hill which was, it has to be said, not as much fun as the last time I went down it.  It was however a lot more like canoeing than last time, as water cascaded across the road at every bend.  Variety is the spice of life, right?

Having left the clouds behind or at least above us, from there it was but a hop skip and a jump down the main road home.  As I dismounted at the front door, I looked down, in the expectation that all that water would have left the bike needing but a quick rub down before hanging on the wall.  Not so.  To add insult to injury, it would appear that some of that wet had mud in it, and there was nothing for it, it had to be washed.  Ah well, at least doing so gave GW time to hit the shower, and me time to cool down before I did.

Peeling off the layers was possibly the quickest weight loss diet ever.  There is now a pile of wet festering lycra awaiting space in the washing machine…  Even after a warm shower and clean clothes I swear it took me a couple of hours to feel dry again!

Cycling time: 2:39:45
Distance: 35.46 miles
Avs: 13.3 mph
ODO: 7086 miles

I’m trying to get out three times a week at the moment which for the last two weeks I have actually achieved.  Which would make today time for the first ride of the week.  Of course the fact that sunshine was forecast made the concept quite an attractive one since, as I’ve said before, a little sun makes a lot of difference.

I awoke to thick fog outside my window but decided to put my faith in the forecast and kill some time doing stuff in order to give it chance to burn off.  By the time I could procrastinate no longer it was looking promising out there so I decided to go anyway, and headed off up the road, in my outfit of many layers.  Well, sunny it may have been, warm it was not.  Actually that’s not strictly true.  Every now and then, out of the wind, with the sun shining on me there was, if not warmth, then the promise of warmth to come…which was nice.  Roll on Spring!

Anyway off I went.  Up Shipham Hill.  16:45 this time.  I did try pushing it near the top to try and beat my last time but it wasn’t happening.  The hill itself went, and felt, ok so I think I lost time getting out of town today.  But them’s just excuses.  I went up a hill because I have to go up hills.  No-one said I had to go up ’em fast!  *grin*.  Once up I went down into Winscombe and out, up and left past Banwell Castle to go along the roads on the north side of the motorway.  It’s a really nice bit of road that, quiet, up, down, views…especially when the sun shines.  You could see the fog pouring off Crook Peak and boiling in the valley below – all very atmospheric.

Once out on to the flats past Loxton it was a bit foggy for a while so I turned the back light on to flash just in case, but I needn’t have worried as it passed soon enough, leaving me to potter along the usual roads in the usual way.  Unfortunately the sunshine seemed to have prompted a hatching of small flying things so the line to take on the road tended to be anywhere they weren’t.  Failing that I had to resort to breathing through Buff which works but isn’t all that pleasant.  Mind you having something else to worry about works quite well in that it distracts me from worrying about corners so much…and actually from that point of view today went well – corners and downhills alike.

Sadly once in Mark I discovered the wind that wasn’t supposed to be there.  It remained resolutely and constantly and irritatingly there all the way across the Levels, making what is sometimes glorious far more of a slog than was necessary.  By the time I came to go up Mudgeley Hill there really wasn’t a great deal left in my legs and it felt like a real slog, so the long downhill stretch to Wedmore was very welcome.    Still I wasn’t feeling quite crap enough, or I was feeling quite stubborn enough…and I did not cut my route short, though I was sore tempted.  I took the Nyland loop home after Wedmore as planned and then had a lovely long zoom back into Cheddar, through and out, and back home.

Cycling time: 2:26:27
Distance: 33.41 miles
Avs: 13.6 mph
ODO: 7051 miles

I think Sunday’s long ride was still taking its toll.  It was one of those rides that even when you think you’re flying you look down at your speedo and realise you’re not…and that there’s no doing anything about it.  But the sun shone, and the bike didn’t need washing, and, as I believe I mentioned already, I went up a hill 🙂

I didn’t go to High Ham on Friday.  I did say if it was windy like Friday I wouldn’t go to High Ham today.  Clearly I wasn’t listening to myself…  Besides, I hate to let people down, and I was supposed to be riding with GB and…  OK, I know, he’d have gone anyway, but that’s not the point.

I plotted the route earlier this week, with his input, so as to make sure there were enough hills and absolutely no risk of duplicating any part of the route or retracing our steps in anyway.  And, should you be interested, here it is.  Anti-clockwise.  Or widdershins, which is a great word.

I set off at 10:00am.  Since the course started from my house, and being a stickler for the rules, I discovered that GB was waiting for me outside rather than in the Square.  Which meant, because the rules say so, that he rode back to my door with me too.

It was most definitely windy.  It was, as these things go, relatively warm.  Best of all the roads were dry, which makes a massive difference.  And not just because it means I didn’t have to wash my bike when I got in!  Although that was a bonus 🙂  It means that when the wind does blow you sideways, you don’t crab so far, and there’s less risk generally of slipping, falling off, etc.  All good in my book.

I would talk you through the route, but that would be boring, especially as it’s laid out there for you.  So you can have edited highlights, such as they are.  This mainly consists of the fact that I got up High Ham Hill again without suffering too much and, as that was today’s goal, result!  Oh, and there are some fabulous downhills between there and Fairyland – much fun to be had even by me!  I also got to have two large Americanos and a carrot cake at Heaphy’s which meant that I felt like I fair flew home for the last leg.  Well, I’m on the wagon for the season – so if I want a high for the next few months, it has to be endorphins, adrenalin, and occasional caffeine!  Actually the last leg was slightly delayed as no sooner had we left Fairyland than GB’s back tyre blew out on the roundabout, with impressive sound effects.  We never did figure out what happened, but that didn’t stop the tube from needing changing…however since we were able to pull on to a safe and sheltered bit of pavement to do so, it wasn’t the end of the world.  That just left the Levels and the usual roads to “sprint” home on, occasionally with the wind gloriously behind us 🙂

So.  High Ham Hill – check.  First 50 mile ride of the season – check.  Good coffee – check.  ODO informs me that my bike has now done over 7000 miles – check.  A few more rides like that and I reckon I’ll be set for my first event 🙂

Cycling time: 3:18:48
Distance: 50.32 miles
Avs: 15.1 mph
ODO: 7017 miles

Whilst I was mulling it over beforehand and worrying about the wind, and considering not going, GB argued that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, so he’d be out whatever. Having avoided the less attractive of the two options on offer, presumably I am now stronger.  And quite tired.  But in a happy, good, constructive way 🙂

I feel like I’ve just been three rounds with Mike Tyson.  Or maybe I’m just doing a very good zombie impression – dead woman walking.  Man that was hard work!

I went for a ride this morning.  This was my route.  I’m running out of routes…

Up from Cheddar up to the back road to Draycott.  Round Nyland.  Up from Rodney Stoke and  round the back of Westbury-sub-Mendip.  Up from Easton to Wookey Hole.  The BIG up was Bristol Hill, the A39 out of Wells.  Which was the only point at which the wind was useful.  It did actually help me up the hill (a bit), which just goes to show how strong it was.  Man does that hill ever go on.  And on.  And on.  And then there’s all the little ups over the Mendips until the final down from Shipham.  So I think it’s safe to say it was not a flat route.

However the worst bit was by far the wind.  I nearly wimped out on the Nyland road as I was buffeted around, but stuck to it, and found some shelter on the wiggly back roads.  However after Bristol Hill, on top of the exposed Mendips, it was a constant battle to keep the bike where I wanted it to be, and not to inadvertently end up either on the road or in the path of oncoming traffic.  One too many involuntary intake of breath for my liking.  Especially with the amount of traffic that uses that road.  And the sideways drizzle was a nice touch.  It became a fight just to get home in one piece.  So I fought and, by the looks of it, I won.

It was one of the least pleasant rides ever.  Due to the condition of at least half of the roads I was on I’d have been better off on a mountain bike, and had to gingerly pick my way along.  Add that to the hills and the wind…  Suffice to say I wasn’t going anywhere fast today.  Busy going nowhere most of the time!

Cycling time: 2:36:08
Distance: 32.17 miles
Avs: 12.3 mph
ODO: 6966 miles

Ah well, it’s all good training right?  My goal was to go up Bristol Hill, and that I did, so from that point of view, and that point of view alone, it was a good ride.  Can’t say as I hated the descent down Shipham Hill either 😉  Well I’d earnt it!  However if it’s anything like that on Sunday I’m going to the gym – High Ham Hill can wait…

(and to explain the title – I did all of that with stomach cramps.  I’m well ‘ard *grin*).

I was supposed to ride yesterday but, with a peculiar cold, and wind and rain, I opted for the warmth of the gym instead.  I was supposed to get up and ride this morning, and did indeed at least sit up when hubby presented me with poached egg on toast for breakfast.  But I was so tired that once the mob had gone off to school I rolled over and went back to sleep again!

So, that brings me to 9:30, when the alarm summoned me once more from the depths.  Being as how I was supposed to go for a ride, it wasn’t actually raining, or freezing, and going to the gym every day is less than exciting I decided I would indeed go for a ride.

I had good intentions vis-a-vis visiting High Ham hill, but both of the loops I created to do so were nigh on 50 miles and I really wasn’t feeling quite up to that.  So I dug out another route from my website repertoire and did that instead, setting off at around 10:40am.

As you can see for yourselves, it started with Shipham Hill.  16:37 to the top, in case you were wondering.  Faster than the first time I did it the other week, but slower than when I was trying to save GB from having to wait too long from the top.  So, not bad.  By the top I was thinking I maybe had too many clothes on but actually that was the only time that was really an issue.  I’d opted not to have a Buff around my neck – so when too warm I could drop a zip or too to ventilate, and also wore my “summer” helmet to help keep my head cool if necessary.  All of which just about worked.  Put it one way, my feet and I remained friends for the whole ride.  Hello feet! 🙂

I felt the joy of discovering a previously hideous road (from nr Puxton to the restaurant on the main road) had been unexpectedly and beautifully resurfaced.  I visited the seaside in the drizzle, where the mud flats stretched to the horizon under rain filled clouds and if you’d turned the camera upside down, I’m not sure anyone would have been able to tell.   I marvelled at how WSM was managing to look simultaneously more run down at the North end, where the massive hotel is gone, and others are boarded up, but much better in the middle where the new landscaping is going on near the WSM Wheel.  I suffered the un-remitting southerly wind on the exposed and boring roads around Berrow.  I played leapfrog with the re-cycling lorry from Loxton to Cross, as my legs sensed the finish line.  And then I was home.

Cycling time: 2:48:59
Distance: 40.95 miles
Avs: 14.5 mph
ODO: 6934 miles

Then I had lunch and went back to sleep.  No really, I did.  Even though I opted, as a sop to my cold, to ride “fuelled” – i.e. I ate a bar and drank properly – I was still knackered when I got back.  I’m guessing I’m not “well” yet… :/

It was a longer ride than usual as I’m trying to start to build the miles up.  It was also grey and miserable, on filthy wet roads, and I had no choice but to wash the bike when I got back.  I worked on my corners, better when you’re expecting the flat patch, and I worked on my hills, where there may be a slight discernible improvement.  And I’m glad I went.  But it wasn’t precisely fun…

Following hubby’s 40th birthday celebrations last night I was, not to put too fine a point on it, feeling pretty rancid this morning.  A state that was aided and abetted by the developing cold that my eldest has chosen to share with me (he’s generous like that).  So it would have come as no surprise if this morning’s ride had been fairly torturous.

However it’s amazing what a little sunshine can do for a girl.  Sun and the bike, and the right number of layers, and not too much wind.  From the moment GB, Dad, and I got into line on our way down the A38, legs pumping away, I started feeling better.  Yes, I even managed to get Dad to join us.  Well he was here anyway, and I wasn’t having any excuses about it being too cold, or him being too slow, or whatever.  And I certainly didn’t notice him holding us back.  In fact, as an excuse for a leisurely ride, he did a lousy job! 😉  There was I hoping for an easy ride, as it were, and  it turns out we ended up going quite fast enough for me thank you very much.  I’d definitely have been going no faster without him, not this morning anyway. 😉

GB dictated the route, which he very kindly kept nice and flat so we got to enjoy the winter sun on the gorgeous Levels, with birds a plenty.  Ok, he didn’t dictate, not really.  It was a democracy in which two out of three riders who expressed a preference didn’t have a preference at all 😉  Essentially we went around the flats for coffee at Sweets and then home again.  Coffee was more than usually essential if not particularly good as coffee goes.  Which is a shame.  Bad coffee is not good.  Obviously.  Because then it would be called good coffee not bad coffee.  Even though we were sensible enough to sit inside, having the waitress leave the front door open didn’t help with the whole warming up thing.  Having said that, watching GB literally attack chocolate cake added a degree of levity to proceedings.  Good cake apparently.  He nearly had seconds before concluding that two slices of cake could well negate the positive impact of cycling and restraining himself.

4 of the Tor 2000 lot arrived as we were finishing up, including my pit crew, Andrew, which was novel, as I almost never cross paths with him on the road.  We also met the leisure arm of the ACG outside who were arriving as we were leaving which meant we could have a bit of a catch up and chat – all very constructive and pleasant.  Sunshine makes everyone happier  🙂

Anyway essentially it would appear that, due to the low temperatures and the risk of ice, most of Somerset’s cyclists had left going out until that bit later since, having seen very few on the outward leg of our route, they were all over the place on our way back.  Couldn’t move for multi-coloured lycra!  We came back fairly directly and in relatively restrained fashion, apart from the usual stupidity on the usual stretch of road.  Which we cut short to allow Dad to catch up.  Just between you and me, I’m not sure I could have kept it up anyway 😉

It wasn’t a particularly exciting ride.  It wasn’t challenging.  It wasn’t hilly.  It was fairly fast.  It was the third ride this week – ‘rah!  And it was, due to the sunshine and the not feeling half as crap as I ought to have been and not feeling crap at all by the time I got home, a bl**dy lovely ride 🙂

Cycling time: 1:46:49
Distance: 28.29 miles
Avs: 15.9 mph
ODO: 6893 miles

Hurrah – I got another ride in today!  It may not have been as long as I’d have liked, but it was better than nowt, and better out than in.

I took my life into my own hands, braved the still busy A38, and hurtled down to Snacks ‘r Us to meet GW at 9:30am.  Quite predictably she was late, but only by 5 minutes or so, which practically counts as on time by her standards.

I was wearing every layer I possess, including combi buff, leaving the smallest possible window of flesh twixt chin and forehead exposed to the elements.  It was a long way from warm, and it was windy to boot.  And the wind was cold too.  But I got the clothing as right as is possible without some form of electric heating.  I may have lost touch with my toes for a little while there, but the rest of me felt fairly toasty.  I wonder how I ever survived without Buffs?  And thermal undies *grin*.

GW had errands to run so basically we went straight over to Burnham and back, with nary a gradient to trouble me.  She’d done a mad ride the day before so was actually tired.  Yes, really.  GW tired.  So tired as to ask me to slow down.  I know, I know, she must have been truly knackered *grin*.  I’m not complaining though, it makes a change from keeping up.  It was also nice to have a chance for a chat and a catch up as it had been quite a while.

On the way back we parted company as I didn’t fancy going all the way back up the A38 into the wind, and opted instead to come back via Loxton and over the Webbington Hill.  A little bit of me did think that there ought to be at least one hill…which I did somewhat better than usual, so there’s progress for you.  As I headed for home the sun broke cover and brightened up everything, including me.  A huge improvement on the conclusion to Tuesday’s ride.

Cycling time: 1:42:24
Distance: 25.61 miles
Avs: 15.0 mph
ODO: 6865 miles

I’ve come to the conclusion that some of my disastrous downhill behaviour may not actually be down to me.  It’s hard to explain but when bearing right it’s like there’s a flat spot in the steering and the bike doesn’t go as sharply right as I want soon enough.  I’m thinking this could be down to the worn headset that Andrew is still trying to get a replacement for.  It behaved oddly several times today in situations where I was not panicking (well, not until it did that!) and it definitely felt like the bike not me.  I find this oddly reassuring.  And it’s something we can look into anyway.  Also progress 🙂

Is it all about the bike?  Is it not all about the bike?  What is definitely true is that it is all about being on the bike.  I’m not going to get any better if I don’t spend more time on it, now am I?

So I spent 2 hours in the saddle today, doing the usual kind of training loop, with added kinks to try and make it last longer.  There was a nasty N/NW wind which was, as the weather forecast put it, chilly.  To say the least.  And strong enough to be really quite annoying, apart from those delirious moments when you turn a corner, the noise drops, and suddenly you’re flying.   To be fair, the only time this really came together was going along the road across the Levels south of Mark, but those 3 miles, where doing 21+ miles per hour came easy, were very lovely 🙂  I even made sure to balance them out by going up Mudgeley Hill to get home.  Yes, I voluntarily went up a hill again.  Which I’m still doing better than going down the darn things…*grrrr*.

Now, to take a literary detour…

One of the things that I dislike about this interweb thing is how everyone leaves negative reviews about things.  Not enough people are positive.  So having successfully demonstrated the wondrousness of Giro Indicator helmets again, and having blogged here accordingly, I decided I would email Giro/Madison and tell them how fab they are, and point them at my blog.  Well not only did they put me on their FB page and twitter about me, they were also chuffed enough with it all that they sent me a shiny new fab Saros helmet too!  How cool is that?!  I was speechless!  Well, as close as I get to speechless anyway 😉

Today was the first time I got to wear it out, which I’ve been looking forward to ever since it arrived.  It’s definitely different to the Indicator.  It has no visor for starters and due to that and how it sits on my head, it barely impacts on my visual field at all – only when I look directly up which, let’s face it, I don’t do much when riding along.  I found it easier to adjust the straps to get it to fit properly, and the RocLoc5 system makes it fit around my head easily, as well as feeling a bit better made than the similar system in the Indicator.  It’s also slightly higher in side profile at the front, which probably explains why it’s supposed to be so good at venting – not something that I really got to appreciate today.  It hasn’t got the bug catching mesh at the front that the Indicator has, but hopefully that won’t be a problem.  The only real downside is that my hair, which is usually in a bun in the gap between RocLoc and helmet doesn’t fit there in the Saros so the bun has to go at the base of my neck.  This is going to take  a little getting used to and may be tricker once I’m no longer wearing a Buff under the helmet, but is hardly a complaint about the product! 😉

Anyway, essentially once it was on I barely felt like I was wearing it, which was a bit weird to start with as your head feels a bit nekkid, but is lovely once you get used to it.  When it rained towards the end of the ride I did kinda miss the visor though, so I reckon it’s going to make the perfect summer helmet.  It looks pretty cool too.  Not that looks are important.  Oh no.  Not all.  It will also co-ordinate really well with my ACG cycling top 🙂

So I now have an heir and a spare and am hoping having a spare helmet is liking having insurance – if I’ve got one, I won’t need it! *grin*

Cycling time: 2:01:03
Distance: 29.2 miles
Avs: 14.4 mph
ODO: 6840 miles

Back to the ride.  Which was was not the world’s most enjoyable ride.  T’was cold, very windy, very grey, quite boring, and eventually wet too.  Lovely.  But I did it, I didn’t wimp out and head for the gym.  I did wimp out of washing the bike when I got back in though *grin*.

As I explained to GB at some point during this morning’s ride, after a crash it takes me while to reset my proximity.  Which means that not only am I not pulling my weight at the moment, but that I’m also not happy to sit close enough behind the wheel in front of me to allow someone else to pull my weight.  *sigh*.

Ah well.  Let’s face it, with every ride that I do I am making progress.  For starters, every ride I complete without having “tasted tarmac” is an achievement, along with every bend I go round properly, every bit of downhill I do that bit less cautiously.  Yes, every day, in every way, I’m getting better and better 😉  Just don’t tell me I’m doing really well.  I may have to deck you…

GB took me up hills again today.  Do you know that makes 3 hilly rides in a row?  We started with Shipham Hill which makes it twice in a week for me.  I have no idea why this seemed like a good idea but that’s what happens when you get someone else to set the route…  It took 15:30 to get to the top this time, which is an inexplicable 2+ minute improvement.  Especially when you consider that I did not enjoy it, felt crap for most of it, and developed a stitch to boot.  I can only assume I was going up it faster, in an attempt not to drop too far back, but it sure as heck didn’t feel like it!  GB, as would become habit as ever, waited for me at the top.  Very gentlemanly.  I wonder when he’ll be tired of dancing?

From there we went down to Churchill, and over to a café somewhere near Chew Valley Lake where, as it turns out, I’ve been a couple of times.  Wiggling around north of Blagdon is NOT flat.  Although apparently it’s not hilly, it’s more like interval training.  Which clears that up.  I feel much better about it now.  Yes yes, I know, it’s good for me.  As was avoiding all the mud and the occasional bits of ice on shady roads that probably haven’t seen sunshine since last September…

Coffee was as welcome as ever though in hindsight sitting inside in the warmth might have been a better call.  Especially as the temperature dropped as we sat there, and by the time we left it was bitter cold again.  Gotta love a NE wind…  At least the caffeine buzz helped us go a bit faster to warm up again.

We came back via Litton and Chewton Mendip, up the long slow climb past the Waldegrave Estate, and along the top to Cheddar.  That road is not as flat as it looks.  It’s all very well for you to whizz along it in your Scooby, but on two wheels it’s surprisingly up and down.  Until you get to the big down of course.  GB left me to panic on my own, and I did really quite well for the top 2/3 of the Gorge but the last steep S bend bit…crap as ever.  I did stop and let traffic past twice on the way down as that kind of pressure does my head in.  And all that going downhill and not pedalling meant I cooled down, and lost all feeling in my hands.  Which is not good when you’re trying to brake!  Winter gloves next time methinks.  But I got down in one piece, and that’s the main thing.  OK, I know GB says he only had to wait a couple of minutes for me at the bottom (which means it was probably more like 5 minutes) but either way that’s not the end of the world.  Shaving minutes off my time really isn’t my main concern.

Cycling time: 2:35:48
Distance: 36 miles
ODO: 6810 miles

My stats are only approximate since my computer flooped for a bit after Shipham Hill…  The time is probably ok, the rest, well…it’s not important right?  What is is that I finally got another ride in, and *fingers crossed* it won’t be the only one this week.  As promised, it wasn’t miserable, and it was another few miles under the belt and closer to where I have to be.  On top of that I came *this* close to not washing my bike when I got in but buckled down and did it nonetheless.  Who’s a good girl then?

PS: With all those hills done of late…I so have an excuse to do flat next time I go out 🙂