Tag Archives: Rides

#June100 Cycling Challenge – Sign Up Here!

By 24 commentsCycling Challenges, Rides,

Sign Up Now!

Thanks to a good idea by Jon, and a few great suggestions by others, I’ve officially launched the June100 challenge.

As I write this, ten intrepid riders have said they want to join in.  Thank you to those people for piling the pressure on, it’s exactly what I need.

June100 Spreadsheet on Google Docs - Join us by filling the form in.

Join Us On The June100 – Just fill in the form!

If you’ve not got the spreadsheet yet, fill in this little form and I’ll invite you to join it, so you’ll be able to punch your mileage in throughout June.  Your email address will only come to me so if you start to receive spam, it’s not mine.

I’m keeping this post simple, so please sign up, join in the fun and let’s all get a little bit fitter and a little bit further!

Thanks! 🙂

The #June100 Cycling Challenge – Join Us

By 50 commentsCycling Challenges, Rides, ,

I Love It When A Plan Comes Together…

… as Hannibal (not Lecter, the one off’ve The A Team) said.  In my last blog post, I asked for ideas to motivate myself to get more cycling done.  Jon suggested that the two of us commit to riding 100 miles in June, since so far this year I’ve only done 117.

One day later, it’s amassed a bit of interest.  So much so that we’ve spawned a hashtag on Twitter, #June100, because the list of names didn’t leave any room to say anything.  June100 participant so far include:

The concept was to make sure I was ready for the Manchester to Blackpoolride on 4th July this year, but we’re spread acrossthe UK, so we won’t all be doing that ride.  The challenge is just a good way to cajole the lazy ones among us into achieving the mileage, and for those who’ll smash the target, it’ll be a good way to (metaphorically) beat their chests!

So far, the rules are thus:

  • 1st to 30th June 2010
  • Leisure miles only, no commute miles counted
  • All miles must be auditable, so GPS log, Garmin records, date-stamped photos of  bike computers or similar must be kept

A common area to log the miles will be provided. We’re working out the best – or most fun – way to do this at the moment.  Suggestions so far range from a simple spreadsheet on Google Docs to a bespoke website.

Update! – The spreadsheet is now LIVE at http://bit.ly/9S9NOu.  Input into the orange boxes and please don’t kill it.  I’ll try to back it up but just – please – dont kill it.

Are with us?  Let me know if you’re signing up.  Put your twitter address in the comment if you’re happy to share it, or just start to follow the #June100hashtag to keep in touch.  Of course you don’t have to use twitter to join in, we’ll keep it as simple as possible to participate.

p.s. This is why I cycle. Self-indulgent photo post but it’s my blog so I’m the boss.

Hollingworth Lake at Dusk

My Favourite Place As Night Falls

Finally! 100 Miles

By 42 commentsRides, ,

… And I Don’t Mean In One Day, Either.

At the beginning of the year, I set myself some targets.  You might know that on Sunday the first major one passed un-achieved.  I sat on my sofa yesterday morning feeling guilty as I ate a sausage butty and watched 36,000 runners completing the Great Manchester 10k Run.

My official time was 49 minutes 44 seconds, thanks to Fall Down Andy, my good friend and football buddy.  His £20 donation is on my JustGiving widget on the right hand of this page, so at least one of my targets has moved in the right direction this week!   Just Give it a click if you can help Springhill Hospice, too.

But back to the point… Back in January I didn’t set myself a “miles cycled” target.  Then (and indeed now), I didn’t know how much chance I’d get to get the bike out of the shed and ride.  Truth is, in the absence of a target I’ve been pretty lax, I think.

To stave off the guilt, I did open the shed yesterday.  My OH and I had a leisurely schlep to Hollingworth Lake before I went to pick up Number One Son who was staying with us in advance of his trip to Stamford Bridge today.  Yes Les, Stamford Bridge.  I advised him to take his camera as it might be the only trip there he ever makes, unless Man U secure the Premiership before the Chelsea away match some season soon! 😉

Our little Lake cycle took me past 100 miles cycled for the year.  This is a good thing 🙂  But in truth I’m still disappointed at my progress so far 🙁   I think I should be getting 500 miles in this year easily, so I need to pick up the pace and open that shed a lot more often.

Interestingly, I gave the Focus Fat Boy a good clean when we got home.  It’s amazing how much crap you can carry along in your chain if you over-lube it.  In most situations it’s impossible to have too much lubrication, but in terms of chains, the grit I was carrying around must have been slowing me down!  So in future, I must remember to give it a wipe after I’ve lubed it.

Anyway, here’s some evidence that I did actually go out, but looking at my famous pot belly I think a bit more time on the bike and a bit less sat outside cafes is in order!

The ride map can also be found in my MapMyRide pages.  Go on, have a shufty!  Tell ’em Phill sent you.

Any ideas how I can motivate myself to get a bit more cycling done?

Free Stuff – Gotta Love It

By 14 commentsReviews, Rides, ,

Free Cycling Jacket

A few weeks ago I subscribed to Mountain Bike Rider magazine.  I could pretend that it was for the pull-out route maps; the skills advice; the workshop articles… but to be honest, there are two reasons for me subscribing:

  1. 10% off the cover price.
  2. A FREE Altura Nevis cycling jacket.
I love free stuff, I do.

Smug Man in Free Altura Nevis Jacket.

The jacket’s last year’s model I believe, but it’s a cracking windstopper, and waterproof too.  The reflective bits on the front (as you can see here) and on the bumflap will be helpful and this used to retail at more than £50.  It cost me less than hat to subscribe to a magazine I was going to buy anyway, so I’m a winner! Hurrah for me.

Check Out My Cherries!

While I’m on a cheapo tip, look at these babies:

Tommies!

Virtually Free Cherry Tomatoes-In-Waiting

Regular readers will know about my £7-greenhouse-£25-base exploits.  Well, this propagator is full of seeds we dried out from actual cherry tomatoes, stolen from a salad.  They’re growing, actually growing and everything, which is cool.

They should be ready for transplanting outside before too long, then later in the summer we can have lots and lots of cherry tomatoes.  Salads; sauces; pizza; barbecues; soups… I’m going to be heartily sick of cherry toms by autumn but it’s pretty cool for the kids to witness.

Next year I think I should try to grow amusing-shaped vegetables. Any ideas what’s good to grow?

Target Update – Not Great News

By 7 commentsReviews, Rides, , ,

Time for Some Honesty

At the beginning of 2010, I wrote a post which aroused a fair bit of interest.  In it, I said I was going to train and complete the Great Manchester Run this weekend.  Well, to cut a long story short, I’m not running.

I broke a rib earlier this year and missed 5 weeks of running.  After the 5 week break I realised that I wasn’t going to get fit enough to do 10km this Sunday, so I’ve bottled.  The only silver lining is that I’ve raised an extra £20 for Mum’s hospice by selling the ticket on.

So there you go. I’m not proud, but I know I can’t run 10k on Sunday so I’m not going to try.  Running’s never been my forte so I think I should stick to the bike from now on.  I won’t belittle my fail, it’s a big one.

Back To The Bike

Number One Son did his distance running PE lesson on Thursday, so his little legs were aching over the weekend.  Nevertheless, we headed out for a ride.  All I can say is that exactly 10 miles later I was very proud of his efforts.  We used almost all the gears but he didn’t stop once (except for our tea break and a pee).  Top riding, sunshine. 🙂

Our Weekend Bike Ride

Nice loop around Hollingworth Lake and through Milnrow.

i-gotU @trip GPS Device

I bought Number One Son the i-gotU device for his birthday and this was its first trip in anger.  I have to say I was well impressed.  It’s a simple little GPS point marker but it also allows you to waymark points where you take photos, to load those photos to a page on the @-trip website when you load up the track data.

The beauty is in the @trip software that comes with the device, and the web page where your trails are stored.  He can now save his trails, share them with his mates and show off accordingly.  We have a little learning to do but on first impressions I’m impressed.  Check out his first tracked ride here.  Sorry about all the bogus photo points: it was in his pocket – must sort out that mount properly…  The 3D view is great if you’re 12!

I might head out to get those final 1.8 miles towards the 100 mile marker tonight.  Fingers crossed…

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