So here it is.

There was no snow.

The sun shone.

And I gave myself a gift…

It’s a metaphor. For the wheels of time turning. For answers blowing in the wind. Or it’s just a windmill ;).

Cycling time: 1:05:11 hrs
Distance: 17.1 miles
Avs: 15.7 mph.
ODO: 1142.65 miles

Is it important that I’ve done far less mileage this year than this time last year? Probably not.
Is it important that I do some more miles to get ready for all the sportive ahead of me? Definitely so.

And with the slight disaster that was last Sunday’s Endura Lionheart, and with a day off and a forecast that didn’t involve snow, today seemed like a good day to start trying to even the score a little.  I wasn’t the only one thinking this back then, and a plan was made that involved three, was open to more…but sadly due to pesky last minute work commitments ended up being just the Pixie and Me.  It’s like the Scarecrow and Mrs King, only less retro.

The Pixie, aka Mark, arrived from further afield in time to faff in the sunshine. See look, no snow! There was some, oddly, along some of the roads around Wedmore and Edington though…so it must have snowed, or at least hailed heavily, at some point recently around here? How did I miss that?

Martyn had planned us a route, that he was then unable to join us to ride. C’est la vie! We didn’t 100% stick to it, since the last diversion to ascend Bleadon Hill proper seemed unnecessary, but we did mostly what we were told, using the breadcrumb facility in the Garmin for a change – ooh, the novelty. Maybe I should do that more often and try exploring some new routes?

We rode. The skies went grey, what a surprise ;). We did some hills, slowly. Again, no surprise. Mudgeley, Shapwick, High Ham…up and over. We did the unremitting unrelentless grey Levels which were at least, unsurprisingly, flat. We opted for just the one stop, rather than the possible two, as the first stop in Langport just seemed too soon, though we had an comfort stop at some point for the obvious reasons, for food, for drink, for the view. Admire the thoroughbred and the workhorse, side by side…

The main advantage to riding with a stranger to the area is that they don’t know where they’re going so can’t go hurtling off and drop you. Which he so could normally, even if he wouldn’t. The downside is that you have to lead the way, so end up going faster than you might do otherwise rather than show signs of weakness and also bore your company. Good for training, but quite tiring in the long run…I’m knackered now!

The coffee stop came a little late in the day for me, to be honest. I was gasping for coffee and a rest a good five miles before Burnham on Sea hove into murky view. We parked up, and then Mark re-parked us – happier to have the bikes in view. I just sat and ate gluten free chocolate cake and let him *grin*.  Incidentally, the cafe on the promenade there, which may or may not be the Bay View, now has a beans to coffee machine and does a very nice americano. We were chatting so much that I had to have two. Any excuse, right? :).  Just as well, since I’m not sure I’d have gotten home otherwise! Oddly the cake may have been nice (it was) but it was sadly lacking from a fuel point of view. Mark, on the other hand, ate chips – well he’s on holiday, and had expressed an urge to eat chips by the seaside, and we’re a very obliging bunch over here in Somerset ;).

It’s a good thing we were only the odd 16 miles or so from home. I’m not ashamed to admit I was tired.  I went right off hills, not that it stopped me having to go over them, though I got happier the closer I got to home and the blessed end. My legs felt ok, it’s just that for whatever, probably many and various, reasons, there’s just not as much in the tank at the moment as there has been known to be. Will that improve as the season goes on? Who knows….I guess we’ll see? *fingers crossed*

So now I’m happy, but tired, though in kind of a good way.  It was nice to get a ride in that was that bit longer. It made up for Sunday, at least partly. There are now more miles in my legs, hopefully meaning there will be even more miles in my legs to come. And it was about time that Pixie and I finally went for a ride…last time we planned such a thing we brought on a biblical flood!

Cycling time: 3:58:23 hrs
Distance: 63.7 miles
Avs: 16.0 mph.
ODO: 16271.69 miles

Or, more to the point, ride in the wind.  In the wind, the freezing cold, the sun, and the snow.  Yes, snow.  I frequently wonder at my sanity.  I’m probably not the only one to do so.  Anyway, yesterday I rode with George.  It was fairly short, plenty sharp, and there’s not a lot more to be said for it.  However, for consistencies sake, it should be documented.  That is, after all, what I do.  It was not a great ride, the best that can probably be said for it is that I followed all those oft-repeated velominati rules, and got out there.  Better out than in, etc.

Cycling time: 1:43:57 hrs
Distance: 22.6 miles
Avs: 13.0 mph.
ODO: 16201.69 miles

I had a fab ride around Exmoor with Gary today.  It always feels like going on holiday – riding somewhere completely different but without following little signs.  I tried really hard to take some rain with me, but had to settle for damp cloud instead, clearly my weather goddess powers were having an off day…;)

We did some hills.  Because that’s the only option around there really.  In fact we did what may well be my favourite hill – Porlock toll road.  I think if I lived there I’d just ride to it and go up and down all day! :D.  It’s long, not too steep, quiet, scenic, just lovely.  One day when I ride up there there may even be views…!  Which sounds like a very good excuse to go back and do it again if you ask me *grin*.

Here goes:

There.  Enough pictures for you? Well I have more…

Bit short on words today, can you tell?

For whatever reason, I really enjoyed it.  I didn’t expect to.  I didn’t beat any records.  But I went up the hills and I loved going down the hills.  The whole ride put a smile on my face :).  More please!

Cycling time: 2:39:33 hrs
Distance: 33.1 miles
Avs: 12.5 mph.
ODO: 16179.09 miles

Just as I was getting ready to ride today, my new Topeak UFO light arrived from Chain Reaction.  Good timing, no?  Well the last one may have stopped working, but it was good while it did, so it seemed reasonable just to buy a new one.  Not a case of it ain’t broke so don’t fix it, more it is broke just replace it.  Very briefly it was the cleanest thing on my bike…which as Andrew will tell you, is not difficult 😉

So I rode today.  Obviously.  Otherwise this wouldn’t be here and you wouldn’t be reading it.  Just me this time, which it hasn’t been for a while, but it was none the worse for it.  Even with no-one to witness my antics and shame me into trying to do better, I decided I should do some hills.  Well, the odd one anyway.  Maybe better without an audience too?  Well no, not according to Strava, but those that I did do felt pretty good, so maybe that’s more important than the time from top to bottom?  It’s too early in the season to hope for great things…

Yes, that was the big hill of the day.  The others can be found here, as Strava tells you what I did, in case you care.  A case of, as ever, round in round in circles, goes the teddy bear.  Or should that be the Mad March Hare?

I was pondering on the nature of life and how much of it is circles and cycles and wheels.  The annual cycle, the monthly cycle.  The world spins.  Every sportive season starts with the Mad March Hare, to which the year has rolled around again.  All the routes I ride that by necessity start from home and go out and back, over and over again in every increasing circles, in spirographic fashion.  My monthly cycle determines how much pain I’m in, for which I should apparently blame the moon.  And Elton John sang about it, so it must be true.  OK, ok, so maybe too much time on my own is not a good thing 😉 *grin*.

Which, join up the dots if you will,  reminds me of lions and gazelles, and I’ll be paraphrasing because I can’t be arsed to look up the quote but, essentially it doesn’t matter whether you’re a lion or a gazelle, all you have to be is faster than the slowest gazelle.  I like that. As goals go, that one may be achievable…

So here we are again.  March is here.  Spring may be around the corner, though I wouldn’t lay money on it.  It does however look unlikely that it will snow on Sunday which has to be an improvement on last year.  I’m looking forward to getting the season started – it feels like time to get on with it.  The esteemed GB will sadly not be joining me, due to ill health, but it would appear that I will not be left alone, and am indeed spoilt for choice when it comes to company.  Thanks guys – and don’t worry, I won’t hold you to it – apparently I’m still capable of riding on my own 😉 *grin*.

Cycling time: 2:01:19 hrs
Distance: 30.3 miles
Avs: 15.0 mph.
ODO: 16071.99 miles

Apparently using song titles for blogs is a bit clichéd these days.  Ah well, can’t teach an old dog new tricks, etc.  Habits of a blogging lifetime ‘n all that.  Sorry.  Ish :P.

Yesterday I spent another happy morning with Andrew, cheerfully contradicting myself by buying upgrades so that I can ride up grades.  To be fair, a lot of this was more maintenance than enhancement…honest!

For starters, the Cinelli now has a set of girly wuss gears – having been fitted with a new Sram 12/32 cassette.  I have no idea what gear ratios and numbers actually mean, but a lot of you do.  When you’re talking to me about them, you’ll find me nodding and smiling a lot.  However I’m afraid I haven’t really got a clue what you’re going on about…but talking about it seems to make you happy ;).  I gather what I have now is better than what I had before, in that it will make it easier for me to go up hills.  That’s my definition of better anyway.  Result!

Waste not want not…so the Cinelli cassette is now on the Cube, accidentally giving that even lower gears too!  Oops ;).  The Cube also got a new rear mech, new chain, and new brake blocks.  The only original components on it now are the cranks/front rings and the levers…and we’re going to change the cranks for 165s shortly too!  Given that my workhorse has done over 16,000 miles now, I don’t think that’s unreasonable though, right? 🙂

So, as this Sunday’s Mad March Hare Sportive is getting ever closer, it seemed wise to take the Cube, which is the bike I shall be riding, out for a test ride to make sure that everything was working.  I was spoilt for choice for company as it turned out, as both Martyn and Mim were around, but first come, first served, and I met Martyn and Paul in the Square at 9:30am for an easy bike testing loop.  After some initial bedding-in glitches the Cube was definitely feeling a lot smoother, and it was even willing to change gears when I asked it to rather than when it felt like it – always nice and somewhat novel!  It felt good going up the hills too, in so far as good and hills are two words that go together.  I did a pretty heavy gym session last night, pushing watts again, and I had fairly heavy legs today, so being able to sit and spin when necessary was lovely :).

Somewhere on the return leg of our loop, heading back into the increasing NE wind, Paul asked me if I was enjoying it.  And I was.  Cold, but not as cold as I’d feared.  Dry roads.  Company.  Not at work.  What’s not to love?  OK, love might be pushing it, but I was having a pretty good time out there all things considered, even if the pair of them did keep dropping me! *grin*.

Cycling time: 2:09:14 hrs
Distance: 34.8 miles
Avs: 16.2 mph.
ODO: 16041.69 miles

And finally…I got around to getting my Bike Pure spacer put on the Cinelli.  It’s fairly clear from my performance that I’m not illegal substance enhanced, but that’s not the point.  Plus it’s blue :).

It was brass monkeys out there today.  As forecast.  This didn’t stop a few hardy ACG members from gathering in the Square at 9:30am, though at least one saw the few flakes of snow this morning, and bailed (you know who you are ;)).  As for us?  We’re all mad, quite mad I tell you!  We being myself, Martyn, Trevor, and Dave.  We did the usual…and decided the route on the spot.  And, for my sins, I asked that we go and do some hills.  They have to be done, right?  Merckx had a point…unsurprisingly.  Sportive season starts next week, and I’m fairly sure I’m not ready!  Besides, what better way to get warm?

So, up grades it was.  Shipham.  Burrington.  Bishop Sutton.  West Harptree.  That would be four hills, for the four of us.  I got dropped on every one.  But I made it up ’em.  I put my head down, hid the horizon behind the peak of my toasty winter hat, and just pushed the wheels around until I got to the top.  Kudos goes to Dave for taking me up West Harptree on a road I’d never been up before – not easy to find one of those around here!  Once again I didn’t feel too terrible out there, I didn’t feel the need to get off and walk, even when it got steep, I was just slow compared to everyone else, and to myself when on form.  So that’s ok :).

Coffee was half way round, at the Stables Tea Rooms, and came not a minute too soon.  North of the Mendips was, as ever, a good couple of degrees colder than over here, and it’s not like it was balmy to start with!  Hot coffee became an essential requirement as various bits of my anatomy started to lose sensation…mostly my face, a bit like after having a filling at the dentists.  And the coffee was good too – bonus :).

OK, there’s no denying it was cold out there, but I was all wrapped up in every layer possible, and the hills generated heat as planned.  Descents were a little nippy, but very few of them were safe enough to descend at the kind of speed that makes that a problem.  Even Cheddar Gorge, which though open again, and well patched up, still has too many obstacles to negotiate for true fun.  I had to stick to getting my kicks on the odd flat fast bits I could find.  And when I did I did :D.

It probably sounds odd, but I really enjoyed myself today.  It was one of those rides that at some point just becomes what you’re doing, and you lose track of what day it is, or where the ride fits into your schedule for that day, it just is what it is.  The rest of the world fades away…and the only things in focus are you, your bike, and the road.  Nice :).

Cycling time: 2:27:20 hrs
Distance: 32.8 miles
Avs: 13.3 mph.
ODO: 16006.89 miles

Today there were three of us.  Which is often not the greatest number, what with riding three abreast being not being practical, sensible, or even feasible most of the time.  Today however, even though I was dreading that a little in advance, it pretty much worked.  George, Mim, and I went for a ride in the sun.  This morning’s heavy frost nearly headed us off at the pass, but after a flurry of early morning texts, we decided to stick with the plan.  With skies like this, how can you not?  Ok, so on that basis it was going to be chilly out there, but it’s still sun.  Not something we’ve seen all that much of recently, right?  Gifthorse.  Mouth.  Etc.

We all have our reasons for wanting to ride.  As well as getting some sunshine, catching up with friends, today’s ride probably counted verbal therapy and expression amongst them for some.  Not so much for me though.  I wasn’t in the mood for talking. I’m bored of talking.  Some things talking does not fix.  I just wanted to ride my bike.  So I did.  Don’t get me wrong, I did join in the conversation from time to time, although probably only when directly engaged.   I’m not that anti-social.  Well, ok, sometimes I am ;).  But today I was more than happy to ride, sit on the front, and listen.  Let it all wash over me.  Push the legs that bit harder.  See if I could get up the odd hill we did a little better than sometimes.  Not get too comprehensively dropped.  Ok, so you can’t run away…but you can ride away…for a bit anyway :).

Which worked.  On several levels.  Ask Strava if you don’t believe me.  OK, it may not look that impressive, but I did good.  I’m sure Brent Knoll used to be harder.  And I tried hard back past the Webbington, and got my third best time up there.  I think the gym wattage interval training stuff is possibly showing signs of paying off, which is quite motivating.  Will try harder!  Anything that helps me go up hill better has to be a good thing :).

As we parted company, Mim commented that you could tell I was having a good day – which was presumably a compliment on my performance.  Which was nice.  Odd how sometimes you do well when exactly the opposite is true, no?

Cycling time: 1:45:56 hrs
Distance: 27.3 miles
Avs: 15.5 mph.
ODO: 15974.09 miles