Category: Words

Didn’t want to ride tonight because pretty much from the moment I came in the door tonight it’s been raining. As I was oiling the chain and pumping the tyres up before heading out I noticed a gap between the non drive side bottom bracket cup and the frame. I’ve had problems with this coming undone on the Harry Hall ever since I fitted it, but it was particularly loose tonight. Go to tighten it up with my fingers and it just keeps on turning. Both ways. Bugger. So either I’ve cracked the cup through and the threaded section is jammed in the frame, or I’ve stripped something completely.

Then I thought about what Steve said this morning “I’m facing a 12/14 hour day today and it would have been so easy to quit, but then when I think about it I can quit drinking for a month, surely I can do something everyday for a month? Especially something that I consider defines who I am and what I do ?” and of course riding whatever the weather is no big deal. So I just took the bike out, dodgy bottom bracket and all and rode it. Just about to ride out and go to turn the iPod on – it’s completely flat. No tunes tonight then.

The news is full of the current weather. Winter Storms Bring Chaos read the headlines. Trying to avoid getting blown off his bike Tyrrell was doored on the way into work this morning and then almost run over whilst lying in a crumpled heap in the road. It happened on Upper Brook Street outside the Hospital. For a few years now ever since they started the construction work on the Hospital expansion, the contractors have parked along the side of the road. It’s been a constant threat that’s worried me so I’ve chosen to ride in the centre of the lane rather than end up too close alongside the parked cars and vans. Still he’s okay, apart from a bloody knee and the idiot responsible was lucky to escape without a bloody nose.

The council are finally building a cycle lane to connect the two ends of the University Campus, primarily it will provide a safe route between the Upper Brook Street/Grosvenor Street junction under the Mancunian Way through to Sackville Street. I bumped into the planners yesterday afternoon and the workmen started work on widening the path this morning. This is a welcome bit of trail because when the traffic is heavy the complex of bends that form the road route are a bit dangerous.

So tonight I decided that rather than get battered by the wind and rain, I would try and seek some shelter and still get the miles in. Coupled with an ambition to get a local crit-type circuit, the recent resurfacing work on the Oxford Place has now opened up a realistic route. So 15 laps later, the jobs done and the weather really didn’t matter.

18 rides now into the 30. Weather is grim. It was either hard work slogging into the wind, battling the bike to maintain a line with the cross wind or getting a glorious tale wind all through the ride. It was cold and wet too so I didn’t enjoy it much at all. I wouldn’t have minded the ride in daylight, but at night it’s just horrid. I spent most of the ride thinking about a new all mountain trail bike and riding in the Alps this summer. Well you have to dream…

I was so tired this morning. I think it was all the excitement from the weekend and three early mornings, but I was barely keeping my eyes open at about 11.30am. Tonight represented my biggest challenge to date in terms of getting the motivation to keep on riding. I felt mentally and physically drained and it was only a steady supply of caffeine that kept me going.

Suffered my first puncture on the road bike since I built it up (that’s over three years now) on the ride home tonight. Inspection revealed a shard of glass that had just pierced the tube, leading to a slow, but inevitable softening of the rear tyre. I hate it when it’s wet, I seem to get all my punctures then which makes changing tubes a messy job, so I just unweighted the rear wheel and road it home to fix it in the dry and warmth of home.

In the end managed to ride out about 8.30pm. I had been thinking it might be interesting to do a different route every day of the 30, but I destroyed that idea tonight by riding the same route to Altrincham that I covered on day 10. I really couldn’t put my mind to coming up with something else. Catch up with how everyone else is doing via the links below:

30 from 30 Riders

Simon | Sara | Grant | Ali | Samuri | Jenn | Steve | Marty | dRjOn

Yay! I’m fourteen days in to the 30, which puts me a week ahead of everyone else. Felt very tired this morning but seemed to ride well tonight and it was good to be out. Only two fools tried to kill me which is the worst so far. Running around now getting ready for the weekend and my trip to Guernsey. Should get a chance to revisit some old favourites tomorrow and then I’m racing in Herm on Sunday before getting the red eye back to Manchester on Monday morning before work. Weekend round up in the updates next week.

Finally came in from tonight’s ride at 22.40. Tired, but satisfied about having managed to shoehorn this one in. Nasty south-westerly headwind made progress out to Cheadle hard work, but with the wind at my back I flew home.

I don’t know if it’s the cold, or the sudden need for them to be doing a lot more work than they’re used to but I’m getting aching knees from all this riding. Nothing painful or uncomfortable, but just that constant reminder that they’re in recovery. Back to back meetings put the pressure on tonight and I only just managed my hour. Squeezed it in as a long commute home. Totally unprepared. No tools, spares or pump. No decent front light (just the little Photon LED). Made it back 5 minutes late for my next commitment and gave apologies. Good sense of contentment at fitting in the ride. Lots of traffic lights or a completely urban route meant another ride with a poor mileage count.

Spent the day at work glancing out of the window towards the hills which have been bathed in beautiful sunlight all day. The patches of white caused by the overnight snow have melted away and it’s been frustrating to know that my riding today will once again all take place in the late evening when it’s dark and cold. It was cold, but at least it wasn’t wet riding tonight. Rode down to Didsbury, ended up getting a bit disorientated in the maze of roads, so the mileage was pretty low tonight.