Diary Update weeks 18 & 19

Week 18 started well with a ride to work on Tuesday monring. Going to work it was relatively hard work managing 15.2 miles per hour, however coming back I was in a really good place and manged to achieve 16.7miles per hour by far my best time and I felt good!!

The weekend was the penultimate team ride, however due to various commitments only 5 of us could make it and then it was complicated!!

Friday started well with us meeting up in Guildford were e, Simon and I set off for Rich's house. As luck would have it Rich lives almost exactly half way between Guildford and John's house. John was going to be riding down to Rich's and Rich was going to meet him enroute allowing him to get his miles in even though he had commitments later that day. We made good progress and got there later than we had hoped, but this was mainly due to a late start (mainly my fault as I did not seem to get my act together that morning!!)

We had a nice cup of tea and a slice of toast before going back to Guildford. In was on the journey back that seems started to go wrong. Firstly John's chain developed a loose link. So we phoned ahead to a bike shiop which Simon knows to ensure we could get it fixed for the next day's ride and then we carried on. However, for John the bad news was just beginning for as we rode to Guildford his knee was starting to hurt quite badly (although fair play to John if he had not told us we would not have known because he did a great job of sticking with us).

When we got to bike shop John was initially told that it would cost a couple of quid to put in a new "super link". Then the mechanic measured John's chain, it had stretched by more than 1%, and thus the mechanic was concerned that the front cogs and rear cogs would need changing - this is not a cheap fix!!

Anyway John got the link put in and got a lift back with Simon to e's house, his knee was still hurting. As I put my bike into my car I noticed that one of the spokes on my back wheel was very loose. So when I got home I had to rebuild the wheel - luckily Zinn's Road Bike Maintenance came to the rescue and I was able to cure the very minor buckle.

The next day we started early, Rich had driven down to join us. John did a quick circuit on his bike and his knee had started to hurt. In my opinion John made the right decision in deciding not to go on the ride as this allows him to rest it and have the best chance of joinning us on the actual event. Simon also had to pull out of the ride, due to extreme saddle soreness!! Ouch!

So if was just Rich, e and I that set out for our 150 ish mile circuit down to Brighton, across to Portsmouth and back to Guildford. The ride started well and whilst in Brighton we took the opportunity for Rish to drop in to see his Grandad whilst e and I had a quick snack. Then is was off along the coast to Portsmouth, as it was FA cup final day the roads were very quiet. We managed to find ourselves a nice little pub and had a great meal (fish and chips!). Then it was back on the road and into the northerly wind and the rain not fun. But we put our heads down and continued with oour routine of having 5 minutes each at the front. As we came off the Sheppard and Flock roundabout on the A31 I was in the lead heading up the hill when my front wheel caught the gulley of the road bridge expansion joint (apparently this is not unusual). I went A over T, and Rich and e followed me!!! We quickly flung our bikes and ourselves of the road and then tried to catch our breath!!

The damage was relatively minor, my bike was scuffed up at the front and the side. Rich's had no problem (as it was his new bike I think he saved his bike but hurt his rear end) and e's rear derailer was slightly bent (luckily he got it fixed the next day no problem).

Anyway after we had dusted ourselves down we all agreed that we had had a lucky escape and made our way back to e's.

Sunday I was feeling a bit sore and had a nice day with the kids before I did a quick 20 mile run down the A246 and up Ranmore. I made good time and felt good - soreness had gone away.
The next week was a nightmare from a work perspective with meetings away for home office and a trip to Europe. So I could not ride to work all week, but the hotel I stayed in has a gym so I got a good work out on Tuesday night. I got back home on Wednesday and the wife and I went to the gym that night. So although I did not get any riding in during the week I did manage to get some exercise in.

On Saturday the wife had made plans for the day to allow me to go for a nice long ride without feeling guity. I set off planning to do some hills before doing a flat circuit around Cranleigh and get 100 mile ride it. As I came down Ranmore I noticed a rattle on my back wheel, I stopped but could not identify any problem. So I continued up Box Hill this time I managed to stay out of the saddle from the "National Trust" sign all the way to the top - I was very please with myself. The noise continued so I checked the bike a few more times and figured out that the spokes were slightly loose. So I stopped in at the bike shop on Box Hill to ask to borrow a spoke key. The mechanic had a quick look, then he advised that all my spokes were loose and that I should take it easy going back. This I did, getting home at 12.30. I had already booked my bike in for a service for the next week and so I took it in a day early telling them that about the problem with the spokes. So now it is fingers crossed until I get my bill next week ;-(