I know I haven’t blogged for over a year now, a lot has happened in my life, back in May I split up with my wife, please no comments sorry, cause I aint this is the happiest I have been for years.
Then in September I went to the Doctors with some problems,I thought I might have Prostate Cancer,they took a blood and urine sample, I had to wait a week for the results. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t scared.I was petrefied, anyway the tests came back negative. They think it is a Prostate problem on Tablets at the moment but like John Terry I am still under investigation.
So haven’t cycled for quite awhile, I don’t think I will be, so hence the title of the post, I want to post more about video games etc.so I intend to change the direction of this blog.
I want to thank everyone in the cycling community for all there help and advice, and hope that we can all meet up soon that would be so cool.
I cycled to work last night left home feeling less tired on the bike than I have done over the previous three months. I feel this maybe due to my visit to London Bike Show
Anyway I must have been nearly halfway to work when I felt a bumping from the back Tyre, got off the bike low and behold the back tyre was very soft but not completely flat. As I looked up the road I saw a fellow cyclist as he approached I asked him if he had a pump he stopped and loaned me his pump, (message to the Bear always carry your pump with you) anyway pumped up the tyre thanked the fellow cyclist for his help, before I got back on the bike there was a feeling of Deja vu I had stopped where my accident occurred last year.
Got back on the bike cycled a little bit further only to realize the tyre had gone down again, so got off walked into work.
Left work this morning at six walked home, will use the cheapo mountain bike for the next couple of nights fix the tyre Thursday.
Its been quite awhile since I blogged last, truth be told I just couldn’t be arsed but anyway this ain’t about my laziness but about my trip with Toby and Claire To The London Bike Show.
Met up with Toby at Victoria Station, made our way to get the circle line to Embankment so busy chatting didn’t realize we went the wrong way. But anyway no great problem, eventually got there.
The main difference to this and the London Cycle Show is the size this was much smaller cycle show but incorporated two other shows “The outdoor Show” “The London Boat Show”.
But I went to perv over the bike Porn
Toby’s Favourite £849 looks so much more expensive
We did visit both the other shows, The London Boat show was a different world to “what I come from in Laaaandaaaan”
As Toby would say “if you have to ask the price don’t bother”
Had an excellent day as we left we saw this on display outside of the ExCeL
Although I have still been cycling to work this has inspired me to get out on my bike again to put some leisure miles into Phills 2011 Monthly Challenge
Was an excellent day Thanks Toby Thanks Claire excellent company
Yesterday finally got round to taking the stand out of the box and assembling it not that there was a lot to assemble basically it was a case of sliding one metal tube into another, also fitting the magnetic tool tray which I haven’t done as yet, not sure I will need to do this. It is a very heavy and very well-built piece of kit, I have no fear of trusting it with either of my bikes. It comes with a three-year guarantee, Overall an excellent piece of equipment which I thoroughly recommend at £29.99 an absolute bargain. It sold out very quickly but I suspect they might do this again with other cycle gear. I have now signed up for there email newsletter so I don’t miss out on the chance of more cycling bargains. You can sign up Here While on the stand gave my chain a thorough cleaning and replaced the battery in the Garmin’s cadence meter, to replace the battery it is whole lot easier with the back wheel removed.
I must start by saying congratulations must go to the 33 Chilean miners and rescuers 69 days trapped underground. Stating the blindingly obvious but 69 days trapped underground is a long time to spend with your work colleagues, I can think of one work colleague that I wouldn’t want to be trapped 69 nano seconds with let alone 69 days mind you I don’t know anyone who likes this person so perhaps after 69 seconds there would be one less trapped B&Q worker.
I know my commute is very short just under two miles but a couple of nights I have been suffering with the very debilitating man flu but I managed to avoid taking the car.
Wednesday I cycled to St Georges for my regular weekly physio session, this involves manipulation and strengthening work for my muscles, to help with my movement, my left arm I can as near as damn it get it straight, but my right I can’t it just wont extend to fully straight and it never will. Don’t get me wrong I am not complaining at all, when I look back at my accident I think how very lucky I am so not being able to extend my right arm fully straight is such a small price to pay. My next appointment is in five weeks time. While on the subject of accidents spare a thought for Lost Sheep Ramblings who broke her collarbone whilst out on her bike Monday wishing you a very speedy recovery Anna.
On the way back from physio I stopped at the Doctors to get the result of my blood tests which I have every six months to monitor my blood sugar levels which is marginally higher than it should be, imagine my surprise when the receptionist told me they have come back normal blood result that is she said to me “must be all cycling you do” well I don’t know about that but am very pleased.
Got up at 8am showered breakfast of porridge dressed left home just before 9am, arrived at Earls Court just about 10am where I met up with Adrian and Ben.
We chatted while we waited for Toby when Toby arrived after a brief chat, we made our way into what can only be described has Bike porn heaven.
There was bike porn that ranged from £500 to £7000, also clothing that ranged from reasonably priced to the ridiculously expensive. One of the weirdest demonstrations was for sealskinz socks
which involved a perspex container with water in it, you put the socks on your hands which you then placed in the water, your hands stayed perfectly dry, no more wet feet amazing.
Other mind blowing moments was the weight of the carbon fibre frames light as a feather but of course this comes at a premium price.
There was just so much to see, to much for me to cover in any great detail.
It was great meeting up with Adrian Ben and Toby an enjoyable time was had by all. If you have a chance to visit on Sunday I couldn’t find a better way to spend the day.
Done my usual commutes this week Wednesday night I nearly wimped out because it was raining very heavily but I overcame the voice in my head saying “Take the car Take the car”
Wednesday also saw another visit to the physio department of St. Georges hospital I now have to do my exercises twice a day, my muscles feel like they have been punched by David Haye.
On the way back I stopped of at Lidl Streatham to check out there cycling specials as I was very interested in their Bike Workstand but unfortunately they had sold out, so then went to Lidl at Thornton heath where they had one left, but as the item was so heavy no chance of me cycling home with it even though it is only just over a mile away. So quick cycle home to get the car drove back and it was still there so paid my £29.99 it comes with a three-year guarantee, will review this item when I have assembled it, I think it might be available again at a later date, looking on various forums and blogs there were several people disappointed that this item seemed to sell out very quickly. So count myself lucky to have obtained one well time will tell.
Very happy with my Cateye SL 120 orbit spoke lights they have performed very well in all weathers with no problems what so ever. I have no hesitation in recommending them their RRP is £19.99 But found them here for £14.38 plus £1.99 p&p this is for a set of two lights.
Unlike a lot of people in this community I didn’t start riding a bike when I was a kid apart from a three wheeler which was similar to this one except mine was red and had what I can only describe as a bread bin shape container on the back for putting items. The container was approximately 20 inches across by 12 inches high. It was fitted with a proper bike chain. I remember riding it around the garden in the the late 50s but it possibly dated back earlier than that.
I didn’t learn to ride a bike till I was about 14, I remember a mate from school said to have a go on his bike, we was in a park at the top of a hill I got on and went down the hill coming off a few times, then bingo I managed it.
In about 1968 I was riding to work on my bike I stupidly had a bag hanging from the handlebars which caught in my front wheel over the bars I went, I ended up in the casualty department of Bollingbrooke Hospital just a few cuts and bruises no broken bones.
In the 80s I purchased a Tony Doyle Viscount Road bike to be honest I don’t remember riding it that much.
Move on to August 2009 I bought off ebay my £56 cheapo Mountain Bike
The idea being to use the bike for my very short commute to work less than two miles but that was it I was bitten by the cycling bug. In January 2010 I purchased my Scott Sub 10. As they say the rest is history.
Got up at 5am as I had to take Keir to Salford Uni he is starting his second year of his politics degree. We loaded the car up with everything except the Kitchen Sink. We left at 6am the journey and traffic was fine. The only downsides was we stopped at Newport Pagnell services, there was no cooked vegetarian breakfast option for keir so he had a roll, maybe it was for the best as my cooked breakfast was never going to burn my mouth it was crap. We arrived at his accommodation at 11.30 am.
It is about a mile from where he stayed before it is a very nice place.
I texted Joby to see if he wanted to meet up for a coffee but he was already at lunch 😦 my fault should have contacted him in the week, maybe another time mate.
Anyway bid farewell to keir at 2.15 pm the traffic going back was a lot heavier any way I thought I would stop at Norton Canes services on the M6 Toll know these services very well the Chelsea coaches always stop here. When I got there it was rammed much more than on a Football day, apparently there was some bloke visiting London from some place in Italy called the Vatican City lol. Got home about 8.15pm
Saturday
Got up at 8am for my trip to East London for stage 8 of The Tour of Britain
left home about 9am arrived at custom house station wasn’t sure which way to go I see a couple of race marshals asked them where the start was they told me to follow the cones and barriers which was fine except they sent me the wrong way because where I was, if they sent me the other way it was about a mile away instead of approximately 6 miles away 😦 anyway got to start after my hike still I suppose the exercise is good. The charity bike ride was about to start participants paid £20.00 each to ride the 11km course once or twice, for this they received a medal, food, and a drink with the profits going to the Prostate Cancer charity, there looked like at least 200 people took part which included some children.
Before the race started I went off to get some food I was walking back towards Custom House I happen to come across where the support vehicles were parked there was bike porn to die for.
After eating made my way back not to the start as by now it was rammed, went further down the road where you could stand not only has the riders left the start but cross over the road for when they came back this mean’t you got the best of both worlds. What surprised me was how fast they travel when you watch it on the TV you don’t get the impression of speed. Also the number of support vehicles involved.
Overall I had a really good day on reflection watching the final stage set up as a circuit means you get to see all bikes several times compared to once on a stage that is from A to B. It’s the only professional sport that I know of you watch for free.
No cycling tonight as I have got to fill the car up with petrol ready for my and Keir’s trip “Up Norf” to Salford Uni on Friday. Plus no commuting next week, I am on holiday for a week but will be hoping to complete September 100 next week
These are my up to date stats for the September 100
lezzzzzz the moonwalking Bear 