The bike is now fully winterised. The carbon Dura Ace wheels have been set aside for the spring and more rugged Gator Skin Tyres fitted.
Tuesday morning would have been a go except for the 30 mph wind gusts that had me concerned enough to postpone getting back outside.
Off up Kilimanjaro again, this time managing 26.95K in one hour.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Up Mount Kilimanjaro
While the bike us up on blocks awaiting resupply from Wiggle I took up the challenge to "ride" Mt Kilimanjaro from my wife. This is a woman who has ridden a bike twice in the last twenty years but rides up Kilimanjaro on a stationary bike three times a week at the local leisure centre gym.
I despise stationary exercise machines and usually lose the will to live after ten minutes on one. But, I reasoned, I will have to do a fair amount of stationary cycling through the winter when there is snow or ice on the ground so I might as well get used to it.
After she programmed my bike for a one hour ride up Kilimanjaro we set off together. Me whirring away at 110 RPM on the flat approach while she kept up an annoyingly steady 60 RPM for the entire one hour.
After twenty minutes I had a puddle of sweat on the floor, was feeling quite sick and quite honestly if I was not in a fierce competition with my good wife would have given it up. As I went up the smooth tarmac road of the virtual mountain my rate dropped steadily lower until I was down to 55 RPM and pushing to keep it there.
I went over the summit and managed to hang on to the finish. The pain and boredom of riding stationary bikes is going to be hard to overcome.
As a marker in the sand I managed 25.10K in 60 minutes. Not great but I can only improve on that.
I despise stationary exercise machines and usually lose the will to live after ten minutes on one. But, I reasoned, I will have to do a fair amount of stationary cycling through the winter when there is snow or ice on the ground so I might as well get used to it.
After she programmed my bike for a one hour ride up Kilimanjaro we set off together. Me whirring away at 110 RPM on the flat approach while she kept up an annoyingly steady 60 RPM for the entire one hour.
After twenty minutes I had a puddle of sweat on the floor, was feeling quite sick and quite honestly if I was not in a fierce competition with my good wife would have given it up. As I went up the smooth tarmac road of the virtual mountain my rate dropped steadily lower until I was down to 55 RPM and pushing to keep it there.
I went over the summit and managed to hang on to the finish. The pain and boredom of riding stationary bikes is going to be hard to overcome.
As a marker in the sand I managed 25.10K in 60 minutes. Not great but I can only improve on that.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Training begins
Out at the crack of dawn, my enthusiasm not dampened by the thin layer of frost on the ground and frigid temperatures.
My plan is to start off with two easy 30 mile rides during the week with a 50 miler at the weekend.
There is a great 35 mile route that I can then tackle which also includes a massive 2 mile climb half way in.
In terms of scale it is no more than a bump compared to the Pyrenees but a good place to get the legs adjusted to climbing.
Ten miles in I felt good but with no real hills to climb there was nothing to challenge the legs. Heading for home I put on a bit of a spurt and was happy to discover I could keep it going through minor inclines. At twenty miles a could feel the back wheel getting bumpy and sure enough the tire getting flat.
Being my first ride I am still poorly equipped and had no means to fix the puncture so I had to traipse back two miles in cleats.
Minutes later I was on Wiggle ordering spare tubes, tire levers, winter wheels and anything else I could think of to see me through the winter season.
Try again in a couple of days......
My plan is to start off with two easy 30 mile rides during the week with a 50 miler at the weekend.
There is a great 35 mile route that I can then tackle which also includes a massive 2 mile climb half way in.
In terms of scale it is no more than a bump compared to the Pyrenees but a good place to get the legs adjusted to climbing.
Ten miles in I felt good but with no real hills to climb there was nothing to challenge the legs. Heading for home I put on a bit of a spurt and was happy to discover I could keep it going through minor inclines. At twenty miles a could feel the back wheel getting bumpy and sure enough the tire getting flat.
Being my first ride I am still poorly equipped and had no means to fix the puncture so I had to traipse back two miles in cleats.
Minutes later I was on Wiggle ordering spare tubes, tire levers, winter wheels and anything else I could think of to see me through the winter season.
Try again in a couple of days......
Getting back on the bike
After six months of trying to find the best bike for the least amount of money I finally settled on one that fit all the criteria as a replacement for my recently departed Specialised. I found someone on ebay who had a little used Bianchi road bike that he souped up and then put under covers in favour of mountain biking. His loss was my gain (for £1600).
Carbon frame: check
Really expensive wheels: check
Other really expensive parts: check
Light as a feather and able to carry me up mountains with minimal effort on my part: we'll see!
I have not been regularly riding for over a year and a half. By regular I mean at least once every fortnight. The purchase of a new bike is an incentive to get back out there and keep the flabby gut in check - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-10965608
Now that I have the bike I need some goal to aim for. Something nice and easy like a 80 miler in the Cotswolds or perhaps a little more ambitious and go for the 110K Dragon Ride in the Welsh Valleys.
Wait, screw that, let's just go straight for the hardest and most prestigious sportive on the calendar - Etape Du Tour.
As luck would have it the registration for 2012 just opened on November 20th. I am now signed up (although I checked the insurance clause that allows you to back out for 11 euros) and shitting my pants at the prospect of trying to get up the Tormalet which does not arrive until 85K in - 2012 Act II of Etape
It will be interesting to see if a 45 year old male carrying 15 pounds of excess fat and minimal iron in the legs from the last two years can train from almost a standing start and make it to the finish of one the toughest stages of the Tour.
Carbon frame: check
Really expensive wheels: check
Other really expensive parts: check
Light as a feather and able to carry me up mountains with minimal effort on my part: we'll see!
I have not been regularly riding for over a year and a half. By regular I mean at least once every fortnight. The purchase of a new bike is an incentive to get back out there and keep the flabby gut in check - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-10965608
Now that I have the bike I need some goal to aim for. Something nice and easy like a 80 miler in the Cotswolds or perhaps a little more ambitious and go for the 110K Dragon Ride in the Welsh Valleys.
Wait, screw that, let's just go straight for the hardest and most prestigious sportive on the calendar - Etape Du Tour.
As luck would have it the registration for 2012 just opened on November 20th. I am now signed up (although I checked the insurance clause that allows you to back out for 11 euros) and shitting my pants at the prospect of trying to get up the Tormalet which does not arrive until 85K in - 2012 Act II of Etape
It will be interesting to see if a 45 year old male carrying 15 pounds of excess fat and minimal iron in the legs from the last two years can train from almost a standing start and make it to the finish of one the toughest stages of the Tour.
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