One of the things that I really enjoy about cycling is the wide range of people I meet, the friends that I have made and the new areas that I have visited
And during this last year, whilst I was attempting to get fit enough to ride the London100, I have met an even wider circle of people than usual. And in particular I have ridden with people of all ages and it has become apparent that the majority of these youngsters ( defined as anyone below the age of 50 years old ) are in need of some serious education in cycling etiquette when riding with Old Age Pensioners like myself.
Their appreciation of what is considered a safe and reasonable pace leaves much to be desired; and their understanding of what the correct Cycling Food on the Go should be seems non existent despite the fact that they have generously supported me earlier in the year when I was giving away Cycling Food recipe booklets in exchange for a donation to my chosen charity.
So, in order that they will be better prepared in the future I have devised a set of Rules for Cycling for OAPs
Rule 1 Triple Chain Rings are allowed and the lower the tooth count the better
Rule 2 Cassettes with a 32 sprocket ring are ideal
Rule 3 OAPs do NOT have to pedal downhill
Rule 4 Tea and Cake Shop stops are MANDATORY on all rides greater than 25km
Rule 5 Carbon belongs in steel, NOT in plastic
Rule 6 Pockets should be provided in cycling clothing but NOT on the back where they are literally a pain in the arse
Rule 7 All zips should be a big and chunky as worn by construction workers, builders and other he-men
Rule 8 Any more ??
Monday, November 18, 2013
Monday, September 30, 2013
Chick Whipped !
I have a couple of friends who are cyclists.
Indeed they are quite good cyclists.
In fact, being multiple gold medal winners at the 2013 World Games in both Time Trialling and Road Racing you could say they are outstanding cyclists.
From this you can easily imagine that their fitness levels, drive, determination, dedication and courage are far greater than anything that I can muster. So naturally I don't ride or train with them but just meet them at the coffee shop at the end of their session and regale them with stories of my youth when the wind was windier, the rain was wetter, and the hills were far, far steeper. ( The fact that I have only been cycling since I retired does not prevent me from reliving these youthful fantasies :-) In my stories I can naturally put these whipper snappers in their place by pointing out that, despite their wondrous efforts, they would have been no match for me in my prime; safe in the knowledge that I will never have to put this boast to the test.
And then along came Strava with its ability to compare and share cycling routes and segments of routes between different riders. I am in danger of my boasts being exposed!
Did I mention that my two friends were young ladies?
I am in real danger of being chick whipped :-()
And they are not just ordinary girls, being both bionic and brave.
Both have been through the anguish and agony of having vital organs replaced and if it was not for the National Organ Donation Register neither would be here now.
Mel had a major riding accident at age 13, though it was only later that it was realized that she had damaged her kidneys and it was discovered that she had Chronic Renal Failure. This soon led to the need for regular 3 hour sessions of dialysis 3 times a week whilst she waited for a donor. One was eventually found and the road to recovery began. To overcome a vital organ transplant you have to climb a mountain, only the brave can do it. And Mel was, and is, a very brave young lady.
Both these girls are Cyclists on Drugs. They need them to stay alive following life supporting organ transplants and racing their bikes is their way to encourage others to sign the Organ Donor Register and help save lives.
But in all seriousness, these girls have achieved something remarkable and I am proud to be able to call them my friends.
If YOU have not yet signed up to the Organ Donor Register, why not do it RIGHT NOW ?
Indeed they are quite good cyclists.
In fact, being multiple gold medal winners at the 2013 World Games in both Time Trialling and Road Racing you could say they are outstanding cyclists.
From this you can easily imagine that their fitness levels, drive, determination, dedication and courage are far greater than anything that I can muster. So naturally I don't ride or train with them but just meet them at the coffee shop at the end of their session and regale them with stories of my youth when the wind was windier, the rain was wetter, and the hills were far, far steeper. ( The fact that I have only been cycling since I retired does not prevent me from reliving these youthful fantasies :-) In my stories I can naturally put these whipper snappers in their place by pointing out that, despite their wondrous efforts, they would have been no match for me in my prime; safe in the knowledge that I will never have to put this boast to the test.
And then along came Strava with its ability to compare and share cycling routes and segments of routes between different riders. I am in danger of my boasts being exposed!
Did I mention that my two friends were young ladies?
I am in real danger of being chick whipped :-()
And they are not just ordinary girls, being both bionic and brave.
Both have been through the anguish and agony of having vital organs replaced and if it was not for the National Organ Donation Register neither would be here now.
Mel had a major riding accident at age 13, though it was only later that it was realized that she had damaged her kidneys and it was discovered that she had Chronic Renal Failure. This soon led to the need for regular 3 hour sessions of dialysis 3 times a week whilst she waited for a donor. One was eventually found and the road to recovery began. To overcome a vital organ transplant you have to climb a mountain, only the brave can do it. And Mel was, and is, a very brave young lady.
( If you click on the image then you can see it in an expanded view )
Whereas Mel had time to contemplate her predicament whilst she was ill, my second young lady, Di, was taken completely by surprise. Having gone to the doctor's after feeling continually and excessively tired she was sent for some blood tests which resulted in her instant admittal to Royal Derby Hospital for a series of further tests. Two weeks later she was transferred to Birmingham Queens Hospital for a liver transplant ( and she says, some very sexy scars, though I only have her word for that ) The recovery process took over 18 months with numerous stays in hospital, a hernia and a loss of 20 kg in body weight. On discharge around February 2009, Di could hardly walk and even needed help in getting up from the sofa; but it is from this very low point that the recovery began. She took up cycling and, through hard work and dedication, made the GB Cycling Team for the 2013 World Transplant Games winning a Gold Medal. A true triumph over adversity.
Both these girls are Cyclists on Drugs. They need them to stay alive following life supporting organ transplants and racing their bikes is their way to encourage others to sign the Organ Donor Register and help save lives.
( More stories from the GB Transplant Cyclists Team can be found here )
So you can see that with the courage, determination and dedication these girls have shown, my fear of being chick whipped on Cliff Hanger is very likely soon to become true. Even as they left me I bet they were plotting what next ignominy to inflict upon me.
But in all seriousness, these girls have achieved something remarkable and I am proud to be able to call them my friends.
If YOU have not yet signed up to the Organ Donor Register, why not do it RIGHT NOW ?
Monday, September 16, 2013
A Business Case for Improved Data ?
As a friend pointed out, my last post was all about numbers.
And in particular the amount of effort expended both by myself and a friend when we went on the same ride. I also commented upon how one could compare one's effort expended on different rides. This caused a lot of debate at the local tea shop and indeed necessitated the consumption of extra cake as we could not agree. . Now all these discussions were based upon algorithms and the raw data provided both by Garmin and the bathroom scales to provide the necessary power to weight ratios. Whilst one can seek marginal gains in weight reduction by purchasing lighter kit, you are still left with estimating the power generated .. until NOW!
I have seen a new toy ( re-phase that, an essential piece of kit ) and this article is an imaginary conversation with my non-cycling wife about its prospective purchase. Your role is to comment on whether you believe that the Business Case is Incredibly Sound or, perhaps, just Excellent :-)
...............................................................................................................................................................
Me: I think I need a new set of pedals
Wife: Why? You've already got pedals on ALL your bikes. Are they broken?
Me: Well, not actually broken
Wife: Besides you have that overflowing box in the garage which you tell me is full of ESSENTIAL bits, to mention nothing of the fact that that a second box of your cycling stuff seems to have appeared in one of the spare bedrooms
Wife : and what was in those packages that arrived from Wiggle yesterday? Were they pedals?
Me : No, that was absolutely imperative winter clothing for when the weather turns. Anyway, about these pedals. They are produced by Garmin and are called Vector pedals and they allow the measurement of power asymetrically which can be viewed in real time or even as a rolling 3 second average so I can see how it changes over the course of a ride and whether one leg is working harder than the other.
Wife : How much?
Me On the positive side it measures power quickly and accurately and delivers loads and loads of useful numbers to my Garmin Edge 800 or any other ANT+ head unit
Wife : How much?
Me : It also measures the dynamic difference, and as you might know, there is often a different balance at the beginning and end of a ride, or when sitting or standing, or at low power or high power.
Wife : But you tell me that you never stand on the pedals as it hurts your knee
Wife : Anyway, would it make you go any faster?
Me : No
Wife : Would you be able to climb hills easier?
Me : No
Wife : Would you be able to ride any further?
Me : No
Wife : Humph!!
Me : They are supposed to be transferable between bikes so they are a sort of bargain
Wife : But you would NEVER transfer pedals between your bikes, you would need a set for each of them
Me : Admittedly I would need a new set of Look Compatible cycling shoes but I think you get a FREE pair of cleats, and in comparison the shoes would be relatively cheap
Wife : How much did you say these pedals were ?
Me :Well, without the shoes , and the cleats, I think they may be on Special Offer at about £1500 each
Wife : < This is where you fill in wife's response in Comments Section below >
.....................................................................................................................................................
Is the case made?
And in particular the amount of effort expended both by myself and a friend when we went on the same ride. I also commented upon how one could compare one's effort expended on different rides. This caused a lot of debate at the local tea shop and indeed necessitated the consumption of extra cake as we could not agree. . Now all these discussions were based upon algorithms and the raw data provided both by Garmin and the bathroom scales to provide the necessary power to weight ratios. Whilst one can seek marginal gains in weight reduction by purchasing lighter kit, you are still left with estimating the power generated .. until NOW!
I have seen a new toy ( re-phase that, an essential piece of kit ) and this article is an imaginary conversation with my non-cycling wife about its prospective purchase. Your role is to comment on whether you believe that the Business Case is Incredibly Sound or, perhaps, just Excellent :-)
...............................................................................................................................................................
Me: I think I need a new set of pedals
Wife: Why? You've already got pedals on ALL your bikes. Are they broken?
Me: Well, not actually broken
Wife: Besides you have that overflowing box in the garage which you tell me is full of ESSENTIAL bits, to mention nothing of the fact that that a second box of your cycling stuff seems to have appeared in one of the spare bedrooms
Wife : and what was in those packages that arrived from Wiggle yesterday? Were they pedals?
Me : No, that was absolutely imperative winter clothing for when the weather turns. Anyway, about these pedals. They are produced by Garmin and are called Vector pedals and they allow the measurement of power asymetrically which can be viewed in real time or even as a rolling 3 second average so I can see how it changes over the course of a ride and whether one leg is working harder than the other.
Wife : How much?
Me On the positive side it measures power quickly and accurately and delivers loads and loads of useful numbers to my Garmin Edge 800 or any other ANT+ head unit
Wife : How much?
Me : It also measures the dynamic difference, and as you might know, there is often a different balance at the beginning and end of a ride, or when sitting or standing, or at low power or high power.
Wife : But you tell me that you never stand on the pedals as it hurts your knee
Wife : Anyway, would it make you go any faster?
Me : No
Wife : Would you be able to climb hills easier?
Me : No
Wife : Would you be able to ride any further?
Me : No
Wife : Humph!!
Me : They are supposed to be transferable between bikes so they are a sort of bargain
Wife : But you would NEVER transfer pedals between your bikes, you would need a set for each of them
Me : Admittedly I would need a new set of Look Compatible cycling shoes but I think you get a FREE pair of cleats, and in comparison the shoes would be relatively cheap
Wife : How much did you say these pedals were ?
Me :Well, without the shoes , and the cleats, I think they may be on Special Offer at about £1500 each
Wife : < This is where you fill in wife's response in Comments Section below >
.....................................................................................................................................................
Is the case made?
Sunday, August 25, 2013
The Aging Effect
I love numbers
One of my first memories is being a little blonde, blue eyed choir boy sitting in the Choir Stalls at St Edwards Church in Leek, Staffordshire and, during the sermon, factorizing the hymn numbers and testing them for primality.
So you can imagine how, many years later when I retired and bought a bike, how delighted I was to discover Garmin and be able to amass data streams of every variable imaginable from my rides. Of course, collecting data is one thing, turning that into information and knowledge is quite another.
My last post talked about Virtual Cycling brought on by the fact that my body needed a rest to recover from the stresses of my London 100 adventure. But now, after two weeks of complete rest, I thought it time to try and see if my knee ligament had healed. A young whipper snapper ( anyone who is more than 26 years younger than me falls into that category! ) had invited me to go on a slow, sociable ride with him and after I had examined his statistics on Strava it was obvious that he was in need of some serious education in cycling etiquette, namely the NECESSITY to stop at tea and cake shops. So I took it upon myself to induct him to the Tea Shops of Derbyshire.
As an aside I have noticed that many of the younger generation that I ride with, zoom along, zipping past scores of tea shops without a thought of the calorific delights that lie within. I have decided it is my personal mission to rectify this failing in their lycra clad make up.
The ride itself was only 33km and the pace was a mere 22kph with 287m of climbing. But it was hard work. Indeed it was very hard work and demonstrated to me how just two weeks with zero exercise can cause an OAP's fitness levels to drop off dramatically.
Now it so happens that my companion is also a numbers nerd and has a Garmin Edge 800 like mine and so after the ride was over I thought I would compare his effort expended to my efforts.
Total distance 33.1 km and elevation gained was 287 m
Me Mr D
Avg Power 95 watts 94 watts
Cadence 81 rpm 75 rpm
Avg Heart Rate 137 bpm 107 bpm
Max Heart Rate 160 bpm 136 bpm
Now there are many different algorthims for calculating one's Peak Heart Rate before you explode, and the most optimistic one for me gives a value of 169 bpm, so you can see from the above that I was approaching the limit whilst my companion was forever in tick over mode. It did seem to me that this demonstrated the aging effect on one's fitness quite dramatically.
What did surprise ( worry ? ) me though was that I had needed to expend so much effort and so I thought I would compare my performance this time with my Ride of a Lifetime, London 100, which was only a couple of weeks ago.
A breakdown of how my heart performed was interesting.
On the London 100, whilst the journey was obviously much longer, about half of the ride was spent at Moderate Level of effort with the other half at Tempo, which for me means * race pace * . Only 3% of the time was my heart operating at threshold level and I would need to check but that was probably when climbing Leith Hill.
Compare this to my Return to the Saddle Ride after 2 weeks complete rest
and you can see that 15% of the time I was operating in Threshold and the majority of the time at Tempo.
No wonder I felt it hard work!
So I have attempted to turn data into information, as for the knowledge gained; does it mean that I should have tried harder at London?
One of my first memories is being a little blonde, blue eyed choir boy sitting in the Choir Stalls at St Edwards Church in Leek, Staffordshire and, during the sermon, factorizing the hymn numbers and testing them for primality.
So you can imagine how, many years later when I retired and bought a bike, how delighted I was to discover Garmin and be able to amass data streams of every variable imaginable from my rides. Of course, collecting data is one thing, turning that into information and knowledge is quite another.
My last post talked about Virtual Cycling brought on by the fact that my body needed a rest to recover from the stresses of my London 100 adventure. But now, after two weeks of complete rest, I thought it time to try and see if my knee ligament had healed. A young whipper snapper ( anyone who is more than 26 years younger than me falls into that category! ) had invited me to go on a slow, sociable ride with him and after I had examined his statistics on Strava it was obvious that he was in need of some serious education in cycling etiquette, namely the NECESSITY to stop at tea and cake shops. So I took it upon myself to induct him to the Tea Shops of Derbyshire.
As an aside I have noticed that many of the younger generation that I ride with, zoom along, zipping past scores of tea shops without a thought of the calorific delights that lie within. I have decided it is my personal mission to rectify this failing in their lycra clad make up.
The ride itself was only 33km and the pace was a mere 22kph with 287m of climbing. But it was hard work. Indeed it was very hard work and demonstrated to me how just two weeks with zero exercise can cause an OAP's fitness levels to drop off dramatically.
Now it so happens that my companion is also a numbers nerd and has a Garmin Edge 800 like mine and so after the ride was over I thought I would compare his effort expended to my efforts.
Total distance 33.1 km and elevation gained was 287 m
Me Mr D
Avg Power 95 watts 94 watts
Cadence 81 rpm 75 rpm
Avg Heart Rate 137 bpm 107 bpm
Max Heart Rate 160 bpm 136 bpm
Now there are many different algorthims for calculating one's Peak Heart Rate before you explode, and the most optimistic one for me gives a value of 169 bpm, so you can see from the above that I was approaching the limit whilst my companion was forever in tick over mode. It did seem to me that this demonstrated the aging effect on one's fitness quite dramatically.
What did surprise ( worry ? ) me though was that I had needed to expend so much effort and so I thought I would compare my performance this time with my Ride of a Lifetime, London 100, which was only a couple of weeks ago.
A breakdown of how my heart performed was interesting.
On the London 100, whilst the journey was obviously much longer, about half of the ride was spent at Moderate Level of effort with the other half at Tempo, which for me means * race pace * . Only 3% of the time was my heart operating at threshold level and I would need to check but that was probably when climbing Leith Hill.
Compare this to my Return to the Saddle Ride after 2 weeks complete rest
and you can see that 15% of the time I was operating in Threshold and the majority of the time at Tempo.
No wonder I felt it hard work!
So I have attempted to turn data into information, as for the knowledge gained; does it mean that I should have tried harder at London?
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Virtual Cycling
I wrote a couple of weeks ago how my body was beginning to fall apart and how it needed a rest. However, by natural healing, or will power and adrenalin, it recovered enough for me to take part in the London100.
Following that event I started to revert back to my normal non-training regime and whilst I managed about 150km the following week, the knee ligament pain returned with a vengance so I have decided to have a forthnght Off Bike to give it a good rest.
And so I am bored.
Very bored.
The only thing for it was to take up Virtual Cycling.
This involves reading about the adventures of others and deciding whether now is the time for a bit of cycle maintenence and upgrade.
What I enjoy most is reading about the journeys that others have undertaken, the trials that they have encountered, the social history of the places seen and in this regard one of the best books that I have read for ages is
This is not an account of the fearless exploits of a lycra clad road warrior but more the cycling rambles of a middle aged man exploring his local area and bringing back memories of his earlier life.
Compared to me of course, Alan is still a young whipper snapper but that does not prevent me considering the next addition to my cycle stable. The current stable comprises a couple of Mercians and a Specialized Sirrus Comp Hybrid so N=3. However everyone ( except possibly my wife ! ) KNOWS that the number of bikes you need is N+1
A friend may soon be leaving Europe to live in USA and has asked if he goes, would I like his european bike as he has a virtually identical one already in California.
It is a Giaint TCR Advanced SL3 fitted with an Ultegra Di2 Group Set
Admittedly it is not yet fitted with the latest Garmin Vector pedals to give continuous readings of power generated output corrected for asymmetrical effort in each of one's legs, but I am sure he would throw that in as a minor upgrade.
You may wonder whether I really need an aero shaped carbon racing machine equipped with a Compact Groupset ( compared to the triples on my other bikes ) for my gentle Tea Shop Tours, but when I rode the London100 , apart from Leith and Box Hills, I was permanently on the Big Ring making the Middle Ring redundant. So the case is virtually proven!
And it would have the added advantage, it being constructed out of Carbon, that there would be zero rusting risk if I were to take it down to the local shops to do the shopping.
Need more be said ??
Ought I to acquire it?
Is any extra justification needed to persuade my wife the merits of this essential acquisition?
Following that event I started to revert back to my normal non-training regime and whilst I managed about 150km the following week, the knee ligament pain returned with a vengance so I have decided to have a forthnght Off Bike to give it a good rest.
And so I am bored.
Very bored.
The only thing for it was to take up Virtual Cycling.
This involves reading about the adventures of others and deciding whether now is the time for a bit of cycle maintenence and upgrade.
What I enjoy most is reading about the journeys that others have undertaken, the trials that they have encountered, the social history of the places seen and in this regard one of the best books that I have read for ages is
"The man with no Bike Clips : A Lancashire Cycling Year " by Alan Duckworth
This is not an account of the fearless exploits of a lycra clad road warrior but more the cycling rambles of a middle aged man exploring his local area and bringing back memories of his earlier life.
Compared to me of course, Alan is still a young whipper snapper but that does not prevent me considering the next addition to my cycle stable. The current stable comprises a couple of Mercians and a Specialized Sirrus Comp Hybrid so N=3. However everyone ( except possibly my wife ! ) KNOWS that the number of bikes you need is N+1
A friend may soon be leaving Europe to live in USA and has asked if he goes, would I like his european bike as he has a virtually identical one already in California.
It is a Giaint TCR Advanced SL3 fitted with an Ultegra Di2 Group Set
Admittedly it is not yet fitted with the latest Garmin Vector pedals to give continuous readings of power generated output corrected for asymmetrical effort in each of one's legs, but I am sure he would throw that in as a minor upgrade.
You may wonder whether I really need an aero shaped carbon racing machine equipped with a Compact Groupset ( compared to the triples on my other bikes ) for my gentle Tea Shop Tours, but when I rode the London100 , apart from Leith and Box Hills, I was permanently on the Big Ring making the Middle Ring redundant. So the case is virtually proven!
And it would have the added advantage, it being constructed out of Carbon, that there would be zero rusting risk if I were to take it down to the local shops to do the shopping.
Need more be said ??
Ought I to acquire it?
Is any extra justification needed to persuade my wife the merits of this essential acquisition?
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Week 12 Day 7 The Big Day..Prudential London Ride100
And so, after weeks of training; those rides in the Derbyshire Peaks in the depth of winter, the pain of the hills, the suffering in Rutland, the cadence and interval training practice, the hours spent in the saddle, it all comes down to this. In front of me lay 100 miles of the roads of London and the Surrey Hills. I have tried to stick to the training plan and I went to the start with an act of faith that having still not ever ridden beyond 130 km, the plan said that the adrenalin on the day would take me through.
My Mercian cleaned and loaded, I was ready to start my challenge of a lifetime and head to London
and get ourselves registered onto the Starting Rosta which was at the Excel Centre just across the river from the O2 Centre.
Worried about the logistics of getting to the start on time we had booked into a hotel close to the Olympic Park and that became Race HQ for the event. ( As an aside when my son asked me to join him on a * ramble * around London on a father-son ride it was just a saunter, as time went on the missives from the organizers started changing in tone,, event- sportive - teams - business relay races etc with the pressure on my usual tea shop tour meander pace increasing considerably )
And so the night before we had our final pre -event checks, with particular attention to my nutrition needs
and getting all the numbers attached to everything that stayed still long enough
And so to the event. We were one of the last few to leave the starting gate, the last wave, V, at 08-00 and this had caused us further concern as there was a 4 km neutral zone before the Official Start and as the first time cut off was at 40 km we were concerned that our race would be over before it had properly begun
In the event we proved to be well on track and my trusty Mercian must have had the shock of its life as the Big Ring was in constant use, and indeed remained in constant use throughout 90% of the ride. Previously, before I started on training for this, the Big Ring was something to look at, talk about and admire, certainly NOT to use and definitley out of the question whenever the road went upwards. As it was I only changed down to the Inner Ring on Leith and Box Hills; all those practice rides in the Derbyshire Peaks turned out to have conditioned me well.
I knew from past experience that stopping for a rest can be fatal as my legs want to shut down and rest so I did the entire 164 km without stopping apart from the need to reload my pockets with food from the saddle pouch.
Leith Hill proved a challenge, not only in its length and gradient but because of the bike pushers and those riders whose legs suddenly gave out and stopped in the middle of a very narrow ride on an 18% incline. Overtaking proved difficult and slowed me down but I kept on pedalling and eventually was rewarded with some stupendous views.
( Thanks to Andy Wright for permission to use both this and the next image )
The stream of cyclists seemed endless and you could see the look of exhileration on their faces as they crested the final summit .
With Leith and Box conquored it was time to turn to home and though there was a final nasty surprise as the road ramped skywards out of Wimbledon before I was soon finally entering the Mall with the crowds cheering cheering.
And then it was over, 7 hours after leaving the Olympic Park I was back outside Buckingham Palace. I had sent my son on ahead as we reached the start of the Surrey Hills as I did not want to hold him up but he was waiting for me at the end
Team Roberts had made it !
And this was what it was all about
But of course the real winner was the mental health charity Mind for whom we had raised over £2600 and as I cycled down the Mall it was those who I knew that needed their support that I was thnking about.
Thank you all for your support and encouragement over the last weeks and months, without you I doubt whether I would have kept going, especially in those cold dark days of winter.
My Mercian cleaned and loaded, I was ready to start my challenge of a lifetime and head to London
and get ourselves registered onto the Starting Rosta which was at the Excel Centre just across the river from the O2 Centre.
Worried about the logistics of getting to the start on time we had booked into a hotel close to the Olympic Park and that became Race HQ for the event. ( As an aside when my son asked me to join him on a * ramble * around London on a father-son ride it was just a saunter, as time went on the missives from the organizers started changing in tone,, event- sportive - teams - business relay races etc with the pressure on my usual tea shop tour meander pace increasing considerably )
And so the night before we had our final pre -event checks, with particular attention to my nutrition needs
and getting all the numbers attached to everything that stayed still long enough
And so to the event. We were one of the last few to leave the starting gate, the last wave, V, at 08-00 and this had caused us further concern as there was a 4 km neutral zone before the Official Start and as the first time cut off was at 40 km we were concerned that our race would be over before it had properly begun
In the event we proved to be well on track and my trusty Mercian must have had the shock of its life as the Big Ring was in constant use, and indeed remained in constant use throughout 90% of the ride. Previously, before I started on training for this, the Big Ring was something to look at, talk about and admire, certainly NOT to use and definitley out of the question whenever the road went upwards. As it was I only changed down to the Inner Ring on Leith and Box Hills; all those practice rides in the Derbyshire Peaks turned out to have conditioned me well.
I knew from past experience that stopping for a rest can be fatal as my legs want to shut down and rest so I did the entire 164 km without stopping apart from the need to reload my pockets with food from the saddle pouch.
Leith Hill proved a challenge, not only in its length and gradient but because of the bike pushers and those riders whose legs suddenly gave out and stopped in the middle of a very narrow ride on an 18% incline. Overtaking proved difficult and slowed me down but I kept on pedalling and eventually was rewarded with some stupendous views.
( Thanks to Andy Wright for permission to use both this and the next image )
The stream of cyclists seemed endless and you could see the look of exhileration on their faces as they crested the final summit .
With Leith and Box conquored it was time to turn to home and though there was a final nasty surprise as the road ramped skywards out of Wimbledon before I was soon finally entering the Mall with the crowds cheering cheering.
And then it was over, 7 hours after leaving the Olympic Park I was back outside Buckingham Palace. I had sent my son on ahead as we reached the start of the Surrey Hills as I did not want to hold him up but he was waiting for me at the end
Team Roberts had made it !
And this was what it was all about
But of course the real winner was the mental health charity Mind for whom we had raised over £2600 and as I cycled down the Mall it was those who I knew that needed their support that I was thnking about.
Thank you all for your support and encouragement over the last weeks and months, without you I doubt whether I would have kept going, especially in those cold dark days of winter.
Sunday, July 28, 2013
The Last Lap
Following the travails described in the last post, this week I have been back on the bike and was pleased to find that both my knee and butt seem to have recovered, or at least recovered enough so that I can ride. The Plan for Beginners that the London 100 organizers sent me called for one last endurance ride before the event and this was successfully accomplished, and so now I am on the last lap.
After training since January I have now covered 4423 km, climbed 33294 m, which is the equivalent of climbing up Mount Everest four times, and expended 100925 calories. On the days when I was resting from the bike I have been swimming and covered a distance of 45 km.
The plan does call for some arduous effort up until the Wednesday of this week but I suspect that it was aimed at people far younger than me so I am going to rest more and just go for a gentle tootle around to-morrow before concentrating upon cleaning the bike and fuelling up.
I am doing all this to raise money for the mental health charity Mind and would like to thank the almost 100 people who have rallied to my cause and raised ~ £2500... now I have to do my part.
For anyone who would still like to sponsor me, and there is a free recipe booklet entitled
After training since January I have now covered 4423 km, climbed 33294 m, which is the equivalent of climbing up Mount Everest four times, and expended 100925 calories. On the days when I was resting from the bike I have been swimming and covered a distance of 45 km.
The plan does call for some arduous effort up until the Wednesday of this week but I suspect that it was aimed at people far younger than me so I am going to rest more and just go for a gentle tootle around to-morrow before concentrating upon cleaning the bike and fuelling up.
I am doing all this to raise money for the mental health charity Mind and would like to thank the almost 100 people who have rallied to my cause and raised ~ £2500... now I have to do my part.
For anyone who would still like to sponsor me, and there is a free recipe booklet entitled
Cycling Food on the Go - Recipes for Success
for everyone who does make a donation, however small. The recipes in this booklet have been contributed from friends around the world and each recipe comes with a little story of just why the recipe was special to them. If you would like a copy just go to
http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/teamroberts
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