Author Archives: Jay Trotman

Tour of Britain

Being the Mayor means getting invited to a whole heap of civic things.  This time it was a VIP breakfast before the start of Stage 6 of the Tour of Britain in Frome.  Well, as the Cycling Mayor, I could hardly turn that one down, now could I?!  Even if it did mean not cycling down with the ACG to watch it – duty calls and all that, right? *grin*.  I took Dad as my Consort, figuring that I’d never live it down if I went without him 😉

I wore my long sleeved custom cycling jersey, over smart trousers and killer heels, with the “Bling” over the top – which went down really well.  Breakfast was lovely, but that really wasn’t the point… We headed out into the sunshine – it was a truly gorgeous morning – and wandered around the gathering spectators.  After picking up a few freebies, we spotted the VIP area – a fenced off area right by the start line – which it turned out we were entitled to be in.  Result!  Not only did that get us a great uncrowded view, but there was also a large catering trailer with a covered upper deck to it so that you could watch from up above.  Very cool 🙂

Nearly as cool as the fact that various of the cyclists and their drool-worthy machines wandered in and out, nonchalantly parking up for coffee, and generally looking way more relaxed than I would have thought they’d be.  Talk about bike envy!  I was a bit reluctant to just go up and talk to them but I did get my photo taken with a certain Russell Browning – which was a tad groupie ish but hey…  He wasn’t chatty, but at least he was obliging enough to stand still for 2 minutes and to smile 🙂

All the teams, vans, extra bikes, etc all arrived a bit after 10.00am for signing up.  A few of ’em got lost and they had to delay the start a little, but with remarkably little apparent effort, there they were all – ready to go. There was a real sense of atmosphere. Lots of press, commentary, sunshine, school kids waving flags…a final countdown (guess the music playing…) and that was it – off they went!  It was fab to watch all that colourful lycra going past and heading off.  I felt kinda jealous!  Mind you, I think they’d have dropped me quite early on…*grin*.  I followed the race online for the rest of the day, and Russell came in third – which was quite clearly due to my Mayoral influence… 😉

More of my photos to be seen here, and one of me doing my thing here 🙂  Nearly famous? 😉

As perks of the job go – this one was the best ever!

Lazy Days

OK, not so much lazy, as too tired and out of sorts this week.  I did go out for a bit on Wednesday because I was fed up of spending so much time in the gym…but only for an hour, which meant I ended up doing an hour in the gym in the evening anyway.  Doh!

Cycling time: 1:08:14
Distance: 17.3 miles
Avs: 15.1 mph
ODO: 1941 miles

My legs felt fine and the weather was nice – the flesh was willing but…no “oopmh” there behind it, so probably best not to have pushed it any further 🙂

Take the ACG train…

A little while ago The Railway Inn in Yatton got in touch with me, and invited the ACG to pop over some time.  Well, any excuse for a pub lunch works for me, so today was an ACG jolly.  Everyone was up for it, and committed to coming along, so that the pub knew roughly how many people to expect.  It all got a tad complicated but…essentially there were three groups.  One for the hill inclined, one for the Strawberry Line, and one for anyone else to get there anyhow else.  For some reason I’d convinced myself that hills were a good idea, which made me one of 5 who set off from the Square at 9:30am.

The route had nothing to do with me, which is probably just as well.  If I’d be warned I’d be going up the Gorge for the second time in a week, I might well have had second thoughts!  Yatton is only 10 miles away, but we went a properly circuitous and lumpy route that included the Gorge, Charterhouse, Blagdon, Butcombe/Redhill and Wrington Hill.  The latter was a killer so it was a case of mp3 player in, head down, and plod…for quite some considerable time!  I think my legs may feel it in the morning.  I could definitely feel that the odd glass of wine I may have had last night probably wasn’t such a good idea *grin*.

Having done the hilly bit, we did a nice flat loop round from Cleeve to Yatton, and had an awesome sprint down Kenn Moor Road into Yatton – doing some serious speed.  OK, so I started it, but if I’d remembered quite how long that road was I might not have done.  It was fun though 🙂

We were joined at the pub around midday by those from all the other routes, as well as family and friends which made around 25 people in total – a fantastic turnout.  Some of them were even mad enough to cycle home too, but I wimped out (bike racks are great!) and enjoyed a well earned pint (ok two) with a very generous and reasonably priced Roast Pork lunch.  At £5 a head for lunch, and £2 for apple pie and ice-cream, all enjoyed sitting outside, in the sun, in September…well, you can’t go far wrong with that 🙂

Cycling time: 2:02:53
Distance: 27.83 miles
Avs: 13.5 mph
ODO: 1924 miles

It was a lovely ride, and a really sociable occasion.  Definitely worth doing something similar again in the future I reckon 🙂

If you’re interested, and this works, according to GB, this was our route.  If you did the whole thing and didn’t bail at Yatton of course *grin*.

PS:  S joined us for lunch and, the Man from Delmonte, he say yes!  Yes – he agreed to do the 2011 Etape with me.  He did attempt to add caveats afterwards but…really, too late…*grin*  Mind you he has deprived me of several happy months of nagging and cajoling…  Come to think of it, maybe that was why he caved.   😀

Here come the girls

Last night the girls were out on the town.  This morning felt very morning.  At some point in between, I chatted to G and decided to swop this morning’s planned gym session with a ride.  Whilst I knew, on waking this morning, that a couple of hours in the sun on the bike would make me feel fab, there was definitely a leap of faith to be taken in order to actually get me kitted up and on the bike!  Especially as G was a tad on the late side, and I could have used the extra time in bed!

Still.  We spent a couple of happy and very lovely sunny hours pottering around between Wedmore, Wookey, Wells, Wedmore and back again, and even threw in Mudgeley Hill for good value.  It wasn’t the flattest route, but the weather was stunning, crystal clear views, unbroken sunshine…well, it was worth it.

Cycling time: 2:15:48
Distance: 33.87 miles
Avs: 14.9 mph
ODO: 1896 miles

On the way back we popped in to see S and beg coffee from him – G was in dire need.  S is going to do the Etape with me in 2011.  He doesn’t know it yet.  But he is *grin*.  Go on – pretty please? 😉

Fun in the sun

Whenever I’m due to go out with S or G I feel ever so anxious beforehand.  And then when it come to it, 9 times out of 10, we have a great ride.  Well, today with G was one of those 9.  The weather was just lovely.  It was sunny and clear, but thanks to it being September, not baking hot with it.  There was wind – when isn’t there? – but since we were mostly doing hills and lanes, it didn’t impact too much.

The route is a bit of a blur…but we started off with Cheddar Gorge, where we passed a long strung out line of LEJOGers.  I’m not sure I’ve ever overtaken anyone on the Gorge before, so that was fairly motivational… After that it was over the top and down to Blagdon Lakes, down a hill which totally did my head in, as my brakes really weren’t cutting it (more of which later).  I actually had to stop as I was feeling so uncertain of them.  Or was it me?  Stunning views from up there…  Anyway…  From there was lots of wiggling around Butcombe way – lots of up and down and scenic country lanes, all the way along to West Harptree and Chewton Mendip, from where we took the long A39 uphill slog…  Not quite as far as Wells this time, as we swung a left and took ourselves off to the Rocky Mountain Cafe for tea and carrot cake.  Sitting outside basking in the sun was very lovely 🙂  There were quite a few other cyclists there, and I was even recognised!  See – the kit works *grin*.  I’ll try not to let the fame go to my head… 😉

We took the direct route back – straight along the windy top and back down the Gorge, at which point G had to head off.  Just as well considering the way I go downhill…  Oddly enough I actually prefer the Gorge going up, to going down.  Who’da thought it?!

Cycling time: 3:09:50
Distance: 43.55 miles
Avs: 13.7 mph
ODO: 1863 miles

OK, so not fast – but it was bl**dy hilly out there!  I came home via Cheddar Cycle Store – as my brakes really weren’t feeling good, and I wanted ’em checking out.  (Bad worker blames her tools?).  Turns out that, after the last time the front wheel was out, that little lever thing hadn’t been flipped back down to hold the brakes in place.  Doh!  No wonder they felt bad!  The lovely Tom adjusted them a bit too, and riding home from there they were definitely feeling better.  Be interesting to see what difference that makes on the hills on Sunday.  And if the weather’s anything like today, it should be another lovely ride 🙂

Near wild heaven

Training time again.  Today’s intention was to break the 2 hour barrier – at which I seem to have been stuck of late, due to time restrictions, routes, company, whatever…  However I couldn’t go out for as long as I’d been thinking because it turns out I have a yoga class this afternoon so I had to get back for that.

I did a nice loop from here to Wedmore, out to Shapwick, along the cycle routes behind Ashcott and the main road, to get Glastonbury.  The main road bypass road past Glastonbury was a blast.  Wind in my favour, smooth, wide…lovely 🙂   Even the nasty subsiding road across to Launcherley and the Wells is nicer when the wind isn’t in your face!  Once in Wells, it was the Burcott Road wiggle to get back on the Wells-Wedmore road again, past all the Tour of Britain signs, and then head down for my favourite stretch of road back into Cheddar, and then back home.

Cycling time: 2:39:01
Distance: 41.98 miles
Avs: 15.8 mph
ODO: 1819 miles

It wasn’t the flattest of routes – what with Mudgeley, Shapwick, and the like – so it was fairly good training really.  Real hills can wait until the ACG go out this weekend!   The weather was average – clouds like a big thick blanket that never cleared, but not cold or too windy.   I’m pretty pleased with the speed, but less so with the knee and the LH shoulder blade which is twingeing up a storm now.   Swings and roundabouts…  Time for that yoga class – that should stretch it all out a bit.   Failing that, it may be pink pill time! *grin*

All by myself

Although devoid of company, I decided that was no excuse not to ride (especially as I need to get some miles in!), and spent a really nice couple of hours out on Sunday morning.  The weather was pleasant enough – still only a one layer ride, just one with long sleeves this time.  The wind had dropped from earlier in the week, most of the world was still in bed, and it was pretty quiet out there.  I only had a couple of hours spare so couldn’t head too far afield.

I headed out on the back roads to Cheddar, ’round and down past Nyland Hill where I scared the farm chickens quite satisfactorily.  From there it was across at Cocklake, up Rug Hill, and off towards Mark.  I pretended to be doing the Tour of Britain as I briefly joined the route they’ll be taking at Blackford…though I’m guessing I was going considerably slower than they will be!  I detoured round the levels from there to Mark, and then took the road by the post office to the A38 and from there to Rooksbridge.  This then joined up with the last section of the forthcoming Cheddar Cyclosportive which I wanted to check out just to make sure I knew what was where and that I hadn’t forgotten anything too nasty hillwise – which I hadn’t.  Well – there are some ups and downs, and the nasty little bit by Banwell Castle…but the run down the main road back into Winscombe, 30mph into the wind, kinda made up for it 🙂

Cycling time: 1:49:20
Distance: 28.6 miles
Avs: 15.6 mph
ODO: 1778 miles

So, that was that.  Another enjoyable ride.  Being on my own I could concentrate a bit more on what I was doing, and having the mp3 player on helped relax and distract me a bit on the hills and corners – if that makes any sense!

Running up that hill

It’s getting increasingly hard to get out on the bike.  The weather has definitely changed for the worse, and it’s been nothing but rain and wind all week.   Well, today it was predicted to be just wind, so after I cajoled for a bit, Dad agreed to come out with me, carpe diem, and get some training in.  As the Cheddar Cyclosportive gets ever close, we decided to do some of the route ’round here and do the odd hill too.

So, off out into the quite considerable wind.  Hey – at least it was sunny.  We went out via Winscombe Hill (where I still didn’t like the down), along the back road to Loxton, along the levels to nearly Mark, and then off to the challenge of the day – going up Brent Knoll using the Cyclosportive route.  To be fair, it wasn’t as bad as I’d remembered it, and Dad wasn’t too dismayed by it either.  (Same cannot be said for High Ham which we plan on doing beforehand too if we can).  We slogged up it and the views from the top were pretty impressive, so it was almost worth the work!  *grin*.  Maybe it’s just better when you haven’t been dropped, and are left doing your tortoise impressions as the others hare off?  It’s amazing what a difference mental attitude can make to a hill you know…

Then it was back through Lympsham, over Bleadon Hill, over the Webbington Hill and home.  Just as we reached Bleadon the wind was finally behind us, and it was suddenly quiet and fast and lovely 🙂

Cycling time: 1:54:06
Distance: 26.3 miles
Avs: 13.8 mph
ODO: 1750! miles

The speed is mainly down to the strong headwind that hampered us for most of the way.  That’s when it was trying to blow us off from the side of course!  It was nice to be back out on the bike, getting some sun and fresh air – I think such occasions are going to be harder to find from here on in!   I was happier on the winter tyres, and improved a little on my downhill – though not much.  Irritatingly my knee was twinging a bit half way ’round, but it seemed to go away again.  More practice to be done methinks!

Purple Rain

Another Sunday, another ACG ride.  Only 5 of us this time – the usual suspects – and we headed out at 9:30am to go to the seaside.  We kinda made the route up as we went along – being organised like that.  First off it was out of town and up (and then down) Winscombe Hill.  I don’t like that down at all – it’s very wiggly, there’s a high likelihood of cars coming in the opposite direction, there’s frequently gravel/leaves/wet on the road…  So, that didn’t go so well (she says gripping the handlebars and braking too much) but luckily that turned out to be the worst of the downs today.  After that it was a wiggle round the back roads and then up the steep bit to come out at by Banwell Castle – a little stinker that – where a peacock was waiting for us…giving a handy opportunity for me to catch my breath whilst pretending to admire it.  😉

From Banwell we were on to the levels across towards Puxton, then round Sand Bay before another steep up past the Commodore Hotel to reach the toll road.  Along the swoopy toll road, which is always good fun, and we arrived at our coffee stop in Kewstoke.  I never can remember the name of the place, but it’s probably The Cliffs Tea Rooms, on the RHS just before and above the old pier.  I’ve always meant to stop there but never managed to.  Well, today we did, parking in the bike stands provided, and I can proper recommend the carrot cake *grin*.

Off again, and down into Weston to admire the grockles, and all the “street” cars that were attending some meet or other on the lawns.  By this time folk were getting a little spread out, and then further separated by traffic lights, so following a well-established tradition, by the time we reached the main road we were a man down.   One intrepid soul headed off in search and rescue fashion (I think he just wanted an excuse to hare off and add some miles *grin*) and we were, albeit briefly, back together again.  Rather than come back via that Bleadon Hill, we turned right off the main road instead and came back through Lympsham…by which time we were two groups.  A three – including me – and a two.  We wiggled our way back separately, past the Rookery and Webbington Hotels and back to the Square.  Ah well, it wouldn’t be right if it all went to plan!  😉

Cycling time: 2:05:14
Distance: 31.79 miles
Avs: 15.1 mph
ODO: 1723 miles

Apart from some drizzle around Sand Bay, we were lucky with the weather.   I’ve decided to work at corners, and then I can work at downhill corners.  One step at a time…  The best thing of all is that, post cleat tweaking, my knee didn’t twinge at all!  It felt a bit weird to start with, with the slightly different position, but no pain is definitely a gain! *grin*.  I know I keep saying it, but I’m really enjoying riding at the mo.  Bet it’s a different kettle of fish soon when the temperature plummets, the layers come on and the summer, such as it was, really has gone.

PS: my new Stelvio Raceguards + 2 new tubes arrived earlier this week from Schwalbe in black/silver.  Very cool :).  Looking forward to getting my Ultremo Rs as well – they should be brill for next season.

Don’t go chasing waterfalls.

Yesterday, being Tuesday, Dad came over and the two of us headed out for a ride, between showers.  We headed out fairly directly to Brean Down where, as it turns out, Dad has been before even if he didn’t think he had!  I’ve been avoiding hills to try and get my knee sorted, but we did throw in the hilly bit past the Webbington and also the “Bleadon” Hill.  I’m still much better going up hills…where I leave Dad…than down…which is where he catches me easily.  I can see I’m going to have to do some practice…can’t be having that! *grin*.  😉

Everywhere we went we could see weather ooming, clouds gathering, rain falling.  As we got to Brean, without having inconvenienced too many intolerant tourist drivers on the wiggly route, it was clear that quite recently the skies had dumped their contents all over the roads and the tourists.  But not us.  In fact having the sand that is all over the roads there be wet was a good thing – much less treacherous.

We had a coffee stop at the café there – tea and very lovely sultana scone in my case – whilst watching the less fortunate wring out their clothes and get changed.  We came back a slightly different way – via Brent Knoll – to keep things interesting, and had a good run along the flat back roads.  Again, the omnipresent threatening rain missed us!  2 minutes after we got home, it p*ssed it down.  Deeply satisfying. 😀

Cycling time: 2:01:51
Distance: 30.88 miles
Avs: 15.1 mph
ODO: 1691 miles

It was a really enjoyable ride – I’m still loving being out on the bike.  The knee was twinging a bit but nothing drastic.  The left shoulder blade said “hi” towards the end.  The right shoulder is completely unnoticeable on the bike – which is fab!  Any ride where I a) stay on the bike and b) don’t get rained, on is a good one as far as I’m concerned *grin*.

In other news:

  • earlier this week I finally got my act in gear and contacted Schwalbe about my defective tyre.  They got in touch yesterday and will be sending me out interim Stelvios, and then the new Ultremo R1s when they come in September.  How fantastic is that?!  🙂
  • I saw the Doctor yesterday re: the wreck (me!).  I’ve been referred to the physio for help to get the shoulder back to 100% and to work on the left knee.  I was advised to look at my cleat position which, following advice from Cycling Plus, I have done, so it’ll be interesting to see if that helps.  And I also have new pink pills for when it doesn’t and I’ve got a big ride and it hurts! *grin*.
  • I’ve signed up for the Cheddar Cyclosportive.  Only the 100km, which I’ve convinced Dad to sign up too.  Several of the ACG are doing it too, so it should be good. 🙂

There.  That should do you!