Work, Eroica, Work

26th June

Since the last Blog I seem to have been working! all the time the exception being the last weekend trip to the Eroica Brittania cycle festival in Bakewell in the Peak District. The link below gives a great flavour of the event with photos.

http://eroicabritannia.co.uk/

We headed up the motorway on Friday morning, calling in to see granddaughter on the way, then it was an hour queuing to get into the campsite with the campervan!! the camping field and the motorhome fields were very full.

My eldest Rich was working for the National Trust on their stand and as compensation was given a free entry to the event, the 100 mile  and 9000 ft of climbing ride on Sunday!!
The stand was very busy with lots of interest in riding the demo penny farthing bikes, fortunately no one fell off.
There were lots of interesting stand with a 'vintage theme' through out, many pre 1987 cycles and parts for sale, sometimes at ridiculous prices. Rich was riding his 1984 Claud Butler Brevet,but! one of his team was riding a 1948 Maclean with a 71 inch single speed freewheel, AND! he did it, resect to him.
I followed the ride in the van on Sunday, criss crossing the route to cheer them on all 3500 of them. The weather on Sunday was poor, particularly round the Edale and Mam Nick area, As I waited on Axe edge later it wasn't much better. Fortunately by the time the ride was circling the 'white peak' round the Ashbourne/Cromford end it was dryer, but windy.

It was a great ride, Rich did well with the gears he had, it was a tough route, but one that looks worth doing, perhaps next year [if I can convince my wife I need another bike!!]
We did manage a ride on Saturday up the Monsal Trail, a lovely ride especially through the tunnels, views were spectacular only 16 miles but good.

The rest of my time seems to have been spent on Bikeability around the schools in the county, at least the weather was good so managed to get a good tan!!
only a 26mile mile evening ride but managed to do it with an average speed of 16.2 mph, which was a good speed. Spinning only once this week.
Should have more time to get out now as I don't have any more work until October, but! we have the twins arriving in July.............. !

Busy weeks

Tuesday 16^th June

Its been a couple of weeks since my last post on the Blog, work has got in the way of many things, but! We have managed to spend time on the beach with Grandaughter [GD] and I have ridden an Audax of 140km [87miles].

The weather has been changeable over the last couple of weeks with, chilly winds, thick cloudy skies and the occasional glimpses of the sun, however, it has now become much warmer in the daytime and positively hot  at times.

I have managed a few local rides of 30 -40 miles along with my twice weekly spinning class, which has been hard work especially in the heat. My Hamstring tendonitis still nags after sitting for a long time and I have new injury, my right calf feels as though it wants to cramp up, I have tried massage etc but it doesn’t make any difference, I have to wear a support bandage when spinning as the speed makes it feel worse. I am sure it will go in its own time, I have had it before when running.

Two weekends ago we managed to get a few hours on the beach at Charmouth with GD, even though there was a stiff wind and it was chilly at times, sandcastles were built and knocked down, holes were dug and seawater collected, ice creams eaten before we came home for a game of buses where me and Mrs B had to go upstairs on the bus!

Then began the build up to the 140k Audax from near Romsey, up to Hungerford and back the week after.

A really nice route that went up over Salisbury Plain via Amesbury, Porton Down, and Bulford Camp  to Hungerford before returning over a very steep Gibbets Hill before dropping down the very pretty Test Valley, through picturesque villages. We managed to grab a pasty and cuppa at Hungerford. Rich my son was on his last outing before the 100mile Eroica event in the Peak district this coming weekend, he rode on his pre 1987 six speed Claud Butler, and did well to complete the 87miles, but safe in the knowledge that the ‘Eroica’ is only 10 miles further, be it having another 4000ft of climbing!!

We both felt ok and could have done more, we had another friend with us DaveP who seemed as fresh as when we started, surviving on a pasty, banana and half a bottle of water, considerably less than Rich and I ate and drank to get us round the course.