ACCR-Our last 'Distance' training day.

Today was the last opportunity that Jason and I had to do a full day's training ride prior to our departure in a weeks time. (John had to work today). We covered a similar distance as we did on Sunday and completed it in a similar time. The biggest difference was that our total ascent during today's ride was just under 6000ft which was more than Sundays ride.

After crossing over from Sandbanks on the chain ferry we headed out to Studland-Corfe-Wool-Moreton and Bere Regis. We then returned by the same route. The pictures today show the heavy traffic coming off the ferry on the Studland side and two shots of the tea shop at Moreton where we stopped for coffee and banana cake. I have stopped at the Moreton tea shop a number of times when I have been walking in the area and I can reccomend it. Between now and next Friday when we set off, my plan is just to do about 15miles every other day in order to keep my legs spinning.

ACCR- Preparation coming together.

Things all seem to be coming together for the Atlantic Coast Challenge Ride now. Over the past few days all the maps have arrived for the entire trip.The maps will be used more for the daily planning of the route than use on the bike. On the bike I will be using a Garmin 605 computer/sat nav system. This unit records all the details of the ride including MPH/Average speed/pace/route taken/ascent & descent/calories burned plus more and this information can all be downloaded to my computer at home on the team's return.
Earlier today I had a delivery of various nutrition items which included Carbo drinks powder - carbo gels & power bars. These items have been supplied by Endurance Sports Nutrition who do a first class mail order service. They are able to deliver within 24/48hrs.
Also today I received uprated brake block holders and pads. I am hoping that this brake upgrade will improve my braking on the Pyrenees downhill sections. Cycling downhill at 50mph
is scary enough without having concerns about your braking ability. During the next week the bikes will all be serviced and any problems found will be rectified. As I said everthing seems to be coming together quite well. Only another eight days before we set off.

Cycling for good health - but whose ?

I think that it is pretty well accepted that cycling can be good for your health. All that fresh air and exercise has got to have some good effect on your body as long as you don't attempt too much too soon. Sometimes though when I read about cycling and it's health benefits I have to ask whose health ?? I had to ask that question on two occasions over the past couple of days and it was my health that I was concerned about.....!!

'What can he mean'? I hear you say. Let me explain. There I was walking along through a shopping precinct when all of a sudden some bl**dy idiot on a bike comes weaving through the crowds travelling at some speed and misses me by less than an inch- I really thought that he was going to knock me flying. At the speed he was travelling he would have launched me into orbit!! If he had hit me my Atlantic Coast Challenge Ride would have finished before it had even started and this happened twice over the past two days. His cycling would not have been good for MY health. Riding bikes on pavements is NOT legal. That is the beginning and end of it. How much longer do the rest of us have to put up with this sort of thing with nothing being done about it? This is dangerous for pedestrians and also adds to the bad press that decent law abiding cyclists could do without. If more fixed penalty notices of £60/£80 were given out on a regular basis for riding on the pavement and an extra amount for dangerous cycling (weaving in an out of people at speed IS dangerous) I am certain that eventualy it would not happen as often as it does. If you have any doubts about how dangerous it can be - two or three years ago an old lady was killed on the promenade by a cyclist weaving in and out of people at speed. This accident was one of the things that led to cycling being banned during July & August between the hours of 1000hrs & 18oohrs along the Bournemouth promenade-trouble is it is not policed and cyclists still ignore the NO CYCLING signs on the promenade and along the chines.

Cycling good for your health? Depends whose riding the bike!

ACCR-Training on Target.

How lucky have we been? This is the second bank holiday weekend in a row that we have had really great weather.

No excuse then to not go out on another training ride-this time with the touring bikes-the bikes that we will be using on the ACCR.

John couldn't manage to get the time away to join us as he had a pre-arranged family commitment but he does assure me that he has been training and is almost ready for the off in less than two weeks time. Well I hope so because on today's ride Jason and I were bang on target for TIME/DISTANCE/AVERAGE SPEED.

Today we covered 70.34miles at an average speed of 14.5mph with 5130ft of ascent and we did it in a cycling time of 4hrs59mins burning 4405 calories along the way.

Now although this is not as fast as we can achieve on the Felt Sportive bikes -as mentioned, we did todays ride on our more comfortable tourers which are heavier than the Felt's but do have lower gearing for the big hills.

The times etc achieved today are those we are hoping to maintain on the ACCR this will then give us plenty of time for a bit of siteseeing as well as time sitting around in cafes and bars etc......!

If John finds that he has done insufficient training or/and has been eating to much and finds the going difficult at least he will have the luxury of Dave and the broom wagon to sweep him up.

Mark Beaumont on the move again.

Mark Beaumont the round the world cycling record holder is about to set out on another ultra long distance ride. This time Mark is planning to travel from Anchorage in Alaska all the way to Ushuaia in Southern Argentina. On the way he is planning on climbing two mountain peaks as well as all his pedalspinning. This trip is only about 3,000 miles short of his around the world trip and is another massive undertaking. You can catch up on Mark's training by going to:- www.bbc.co.uk/cyclingtheamericas/

Team Jerseys

Today the postman delivered the TEAM 219 cycling jerseys. If I had any doubts about going out for another training ride following yesterday's efforts I now had an incentive. On went one of the jerseys-out came the bike and I was off-the first team member to cycle in one of the new team colour jerseys. As we cycle south through France and into Spain in a couple of weeks time I am sure that no one will be in any doubt where the team comes from. Mind you we could have achieved the same effect by wrapping ourselves in a Union Jack each...!!

Getting in the Miles.

Great weather today so Jason and I decided that we would get some more miles in. Just under fifty miles was our total and this was the first time since the Duncton Sportive that Jason and I have managed a cycle ride together.It was one of those rides that whichever direction we were travelling in we seemed to have a head wind. The photo shows both the bikes outside the bakery at Wool where we stopped for coffee and Dorset apple cake. If you look closely you will see that both the bikes are standing on 'Topeak Flashstand Slim' stands that I first mentioned a couple of months ago. Whenever I use the stand it always attracts attention - today whilst we were on the Sandbanks Ferry another cyclist remarked on the stands and pointed out how good they were for allowing you to stand back and 'admire your bike' !!