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| VIEW OVER POOLE HARBOUR |
Although the weather has been very cold for most of the time I have still managed to put in more miles and I have also felt pretty good doing it.
All of my riding has been solo...the last time I rode with anyone else, was a few weeks ago when I did the short 30 mile loop with my son-in-law Scott.
One of the positives of riding solo of course is that the pace you ride is your pace.
No sprinting for that road sign because everyone else is....and no riding faster or slower than your fitness or training schedule dictates...
I have been able to stick very closely to my training programme and I am sure that it is paying dividends. I think that my level of cycling is in a good place right now and I am able to see some improvements in a number of areas...
Let's hope that I can continue to build on this throughout the rest of the winter........
On Thursday night I went to the monthly 'Gear & Beer' night of the Dorset Group of the Backpackers Club.
The idea is that we spend half an hour or so in the Bournemouth Cotswold Outdoor Store drooling over some of the latest outdoor kit before settling into a nearby pub for a pint or two of some amber nectar and a good old jaw bashing, supposedly planning future backpacking trips and putting the world to rights....and we certainly did that.
If you notice some improvements in your world anytime soon it's sure to be due to all the discussions we had about the state of the world....
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| DAVE (THE BROOM WAGON) VAUGHAN ON THE FERRY TO SPAIN FOR ROCK2UK |
I don't know how I managed to do anything when I was working, because there never seems to be enough time to do everything I want to these days (Oh, the problems of retirement)....trying to fit it all into the year planner has been proving to be a real problem.
One spot of good news concerns the Edinburgh to Portsmouth ride that JD
Dave (The Broom Wagon) Vaughan has agreed to support us for the entire event.
This means that there is no requirement for us to do this ride on the touring bikes.
With Dave giving us vehicle back up we will not need to carry tents and other gear and we will be able to ride on lighter bikes.
JD intends riding his Specialized Secteur Comp and my plan is to use the Tifosi Audax Classic.
Now you might think that Dave is looking pretty glum in the photo above that was taken on route to Santander, but I can assure you that there are occasions that he manages to break into a smile....
Like on the ROCK2UK ride back from Gibraltar last September....
Due to work commitments he could only support us for the first few days but he was laughing his head off as he climbed back into the vehicle when he left us in the middle of nowhere in Spain........
Truth is that it is great news that he will be supporting us on this latest mini adventure and I am sure that a lot more fun will be had with his involvement.
We will be starting this ride leaving Edinburgh at 09.30 on Saturday 26th May....I will let you know more details of the ride a few days before we set off.
6 comments:
Hey Trevor
It looks like Tiffany (The Tifosi) is almost identical to my cycling companion Francis' bike that he used on our France and Spain trip! He was always singing its praises, and he loved his B17 as well ;-)It certainly looked a lot more comfortable than my Peugeot!
That ferry trip to Santander is a long one huh? We were so eager to get the bikes rolling we almost had cabin fever.
I'm looking forward to following your progress this year. Best of luck!
Tim
*Tim Wiggins*
Thanks for your comments....
It is a good bike Tim....it has a great frame and was certainly worth the upgrades I've made on it including wheels and complete drive train.I have also fitted a Brooks Swift saddle...
I noticed on your blog that your cycling companion on that trip had one similar...pleased to read that he enjoyed riding it so much.
As you say it was a long ferry trip...but when we got to Santander Dave had to drive us all the way to
Gibraltar before we started spinning the pedals....
Gear and beer. Great name!
If your retirement is busier than when you were working, then you are doing it properly - congratulations!
Sounds like you have a great bunch of friends also.
While my retirement is still a few years off, you are setting a good example of what I'd like my retirement to be. Thanks!
*Steve A*
It is isn't it Steve...I think our current group co-ordinator thought it up..It sort of gives a legitimate reason to have a few beers...not that we need one of course.
*Big Oak*
Thanks for that.....I would say that retirement is something well worth working towards and looking forward to....
Good thing you guys have your beer after the gear....it just might increase spending, but that's not all bad. Keep working on the world problems, it could use some help. Thanks.
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