Another new record - 48miles!!

Sunday was our last big push for a long distance training ride before the Coast to Coast event and we did it - a record 48 miles!! It wasn't all plain sailing, but I'm delighted we managed it, even though I was completely exhausted afterwards!

We set off with Kirby and I thought it might be another small group as no-one else joined us at the Quay to cycle out to Topsham - but Pauline caught up with us on the way and there was a good crowd in Topsham. From Topsham we cycled out past Dart's Farm, turned right onto the main road and then left to follow some lanes and I really couldn't tell you where we went from there!

Before we knew it, Roy had stopped everyone to say we were making good progress and suggested a detour to Lympstone before coffee. I was persuaded that this was a good idea and to begin with it was fine as it was mostly downhill, hoorah! The easy riding ended there though and I knew there would be a big hill back up to the garden centre. At the bottom of the hill Ant's chain came off, so I stopped to wait for him - which proved to be a big mistake. Ant was back up and going again in no time, but I got completely stuck! My saddle was higher this week than previously and I just couldn't get back on and get going up the hill. After several failed attempts, Kirby came back to rescue me and gave me a push to help me start off again. The hill was as bad as I'd expected and I was huffing and puffing my way up as the others were casually chatting away behind me. I really didn't think I'd make it to the top, but when I looked up and saw Roy directing people at the junction I dug in and eventually made it to the top. Just when I thought I'd done it, I heard the words 'just up there to the coffee stop' - did someone say up? Luckily it wasn't far at all and I could already see the entrance to the garden centre, thank goodness!

After my gleeful experiences of being full of beans at the last couple of coffee stops, I was back to my old tired self this week! I found a table in the shade and wolfed down my bread pudding (very very delicious!) and three cups of tea...after which I felt slightly sick! From the garden centre we set off up the hill again. Turning right and then coming to pull up at a junction on a hill I failed to get my feet down on the ground and crashed into Kirby who had pulled up alongside me, knocking him off his bike as well. This was a real low point for me, I felt tired and frustrated and most of all very silly. I pushed my bike across the road and then got back on again to join the rest of the group who were waiting just up ahead. Desperately trying to hold back the tears (but failing and being very grateful for my cycling glasses!) I pushed on and knew I just had to keep going. Luckily the next stretch of road was ok and I pottered along as Kirby started telling tales of other new cyclists who had caused crashes (I won't mention any names!) which made me feel slightly better!

The final stint into Sidmouth did involve a very large hill - which I'd heard several people say was a really tough one...oh dear! Getting into a low gear I tried to go slowly but surely as everyone else disappeared up in front of me (as always whenever we get to a hill!) Kirby was encouraging me to keep going, but even though I was weaving up the hill, I just ground to a halt and stepped (not fell!) off my bike. Just as I did so I looked up ahead and saw Pauline had just done the same - and just in front of her Anthoney was off his bike too. They'd both got further up than me, but at least I wasn't the only one who'd been beaten by the hill! Walking up the last bit of the hill to join the others, we took a short break to take in the views and we were now about to experience the complete opposite - a very steep downhill into Sidmouth. We stopped part way down to photograph the view, which was glorious - and then went on to join the others for lunch in Connaught Gardens. Our first lunch stop with the CTC and already well on our way to breaking our record, all we had to do now was make it back home! We had a lovely picnic lunch in the sunshine while a brass band set up on the stage in the park. Sadly it was time for us to leave just as they were starting to play...but we needed to keep pushing on with the miles.

Feeling better rested and well fed I was feeling quite bouyant as we rode down into Sidmouth and along the sea front. There were lots of people out enjoying the sunshine - it could almost have been mid summer, although if it was summer time it would have been raining! On the other side of town we came to the ford which was very clearly labelled 'Unsuitable for Cyclists' - I took that advice and went around the ford while the others plunged straight through it! I later found out Ant almost slipped and had to work hard to keep it together and come out the other side, so I'm glad I didn't try - with the kind of day I was having, I'm sure I would have come off my bike. As it was, I may have escaped one danger zone, but carelessly approached the entrance to the park as I was rushing to catch up with the group and crashed into the wall! Another completely unnecesary incident which added to my frustration - especially as I then struggled to get back on my high saddle again!

Fortunately that was the last major incident of the day for me! Heading out of Sidmouth we joined an off-road track. It was a rather steep downhill section at the start, so I walked down to a flatter section before attempting to get on my bike. Having just put road tyres on my bike, I wasn't too impressed! It was a very lumpy bumpy ride and I didn't enjoy that section at all, but fortunatley it didn't go on for too long and I was just glad to make it out the other side in one piece! After that the road seemed like a dream to ride on and my spirits lifted again. Roy suggested we carry on for afternoon tea at Escot and I was happy to go along. I had no idea where we were, how to get to Escot or how much longer this would make our journey - but who can turn down a nice cup of tea? Actually, I didn't have tea in the end - I opted for a nice cool glass of sparkling elderflower and a tub of toffee ice cream! It was very pleasant sitting out in the shade of the courtyard - apart from one moment when I thought a peacock was going to peck at me! The kids didn't have any such worries and started chasing after the peacock - not something I would recommend, but it least it took the peacock's attention away from me!

Despite going to Escot several times when I was younger, I still had no real concept of how far it was back home or how on earth to cycle there. As always, we were in good hands though and came back through Aylesbeare and Woodbury. I was feeling much happier now that we were on the home straight, but my energy levels did start to flag again and I knew I'd be glad to get back. Old Rydon Lane was a welcome sight - almost home - but also uphill! I'd only cycled it once before in the other direction - when it was a welcome downhill stretch after cycling up a hill! Although it's not particularly nasty, I was starting to feel really tired, my shoulders and back were starting to ache and I couldn't wait to get off my bike and not have to get back on again! I was delighted to get to the top as I knew it was all down hill and flat familiar territory from here to home. Hoorah!

Arriving back at the quay, Kirby gave us the final verdict - a record 48 miles! Congratulations to Roy for so perfectly fulfilling my wish to do more than 35 miles but less 50!! Thanks also to the rest of the riders on Sunday who so patiently kept stopping and waiting for us to catch up. Hopefully we'll be able to keep up one day!

On Sunday night I ached in all sorts of places and didn't feel up to doing anything! Monday wasn't as bad as I expected. My legs didn't really hurt, although they did feel very heavy. I was fine when I was standing up and fine when I was sitting down - it was just the transition between the two that was tricky! More than anything I was just really tired and I was ready for bed by 9:30pm!

So - that's it now. No more big rides until the Coast to Coast event - eek! Quite how I'm going to cope with camping after riding over 50 miles I really don't know! I needed all my home comforts on Sunday evening! More details about the event are available on my justgiving page - and if you'd like to sponsor us you can donate online- all the money will be going towards equipment for deaf students taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh Awards Scheme: http://www.justgiving.com/amandadenham1/

We will do a couple of shorter rides before the event - and I need to go out and find a quiet place to practice some basic skills - like being able to get on my bike!

Mechanical Mayhem!

I've finally given in to everyone telling me that even if I'm not going to get a new bike just yet, I really should get some road tyres for my bike! Ant took his in to get it serviced this week, so I asked him to take one of my wheels in with him and to ask for some tyres that would be suitable.

As requested, he came back with two lovely new tyres for it that are all nice and smooth and completely different to my old ones. We'd been offered the tyres on trial to check they were ok, so before even going to put dinner on (unheard of for me - food is always my first priority!) I sat down in the living room with the bike manual, my bike wheels...and of course some patient help and guidance from Ant, as quite frankly, I didn't have a clue what I was doing!

The old ones came off quite easily and I found putting the new tyres on relatively easy. There might actually be some hope that one day I'll be able to change it all by myself - although if I tried unsupervised and without more practice, there is a very high likelihood that I would forget to do something quite important!

So - new tyres on, pumped up and ready to go, I took the bike out for a very short test drive in our road. It was pretty dark by this stage, so I didn't want to venture too far as I don't have any lights fitted yet. It was pretty hard to make out any difference on a very small flat bit of road. Ant's bike was still being serviced and was due back the next day, so we resolved to take both of our bikes for a longer test run on Friday evening and see what difference the changes had made.

Unfortunately the test ride didn't go quite to plan. Ant was delighted with his bike - his chain no longer squeaks for every pedal rotation and with his tyres newly inflated to the right pressure, he was on a roll. I started off ok, but then developed a noise of my own and stopping to check it out, we realised my brake pads had started rubbing against the rim. We attempted to adust this and I got back on again, but shortly after it started again. After stopping for the third time - and now getting concerned as it was starting to get dark - we decided to cut our ride short and head home again.

Having read up on brakes in the bike book, we attempted to adjust them and solve the problem this afternoon, but didn't have much luck! I've now come in to look at online forums and I may have found the solution. Shame Ant has locked our bikes together and to the banisters and seems to have gone out with the key....will have to wait until he gets back before we have another go at sorting it out. Ah well, for now I'll just put my feet up and enjoy a nice cup of tea!

Go West....!

Today was our first cycle out to the West of Exeter, which we soon learned is known as the hillier side of town! (There seems to be a recurring theme in this blog....!)

Feeling very tired after a busy week I was a bit apprehensive about facing a ride today, but I knew I would probably be ok once I got out there and as the Coast to Coast event is looming ever nearer, I also knew I needed to get in as much cycling as I possibly can.

We set off with Kirby and then met up with Mark down on the quayside. Mark is a colleague of Anthoney's who has heard us raving on about the CTC so much that he's decided to join us and see for himself what it's all about. (Mark - I can only apologise that you joined us this week - it really isn't normally so uphill all at once. Please come again!)

The four of us met up with the others in Ide and then the ride immediately began with a hill. A hill which went up and up and then up some more! Mark and Ant were off ahead of me and I was struggling to find any rhythm or momentum and gradually ground to a halt, despite Kirby being there to egg me on. Determined not to give up so early on, I was straight back on the pedals again and found renewed energy to carry me up to the top and to keep going.

This was just the beginning of the upness. We went through lovely little lanes but they were all upwards and never seemed to stop. I don't know that I can say much else about this section of the ride without just mentioning that it kept going up! I did need a few stops to catch my breath, but I was pleased I cycled it all and didn't end up pushing the bike, as no doubt I would have done if I'd tried to tackle this just a couple of weeks before.

Finally we joined the road and crossed over the river Teign to follow the valley into Dunsford. This was a great stretch of road and it was a relief not to be going up all the time. Obviously, this was too good to be true and there was another hill up to the coffee stop but this time I knew there would be cake at the top!

The coffee stop was truly lovely. We sat out in the garden which was a gorgeous little suntrap, with wonderful views and of course, there was delicious cake! I opted for a sticky toffee cake and a pot of tea - just what I needed! We discussed our route back with Kirby and decided we would cycle on with the group a bit further until Chagford and then turn off back towards Tedburn and take the old A30 route home. I'm starting to enjoy the coffee stops for the chit chat as well as the cakes now! We're meeting more people and recognising people from previous weeks, so it's nice to catch up - in fact, we were all told off (again!) for stopping too long, so we were gently encouraged to get back on the bikes again for the next stint.

We set off down the road for a bit (yes, I said DOWN!) - but that wasn't to be for long. We'd missed the turning we needed and went back to take our route up another hill. Oh yay, lucky us! This lane was quite overgrown and had grass growing in the middle. I tried to stick to the tracks on either side of this, but this meant coming a little too close for comfort to nettles and brambles. This section was the one I struggled with the most. I always find it hard to get going again after a break and despite trying to grit my teeth and get on with it, I got a bit stuck in a rut (literally!) and had to get off my bike. I tried to get going again, but once more struggled and didn't have the luxury in such a narrow space of being able to cycle across the road before attempting to go up it! Just a bit further up though I found a smoother bit of track and managed to get going again. Fortunately this hill didn't go on for as long as the ones this morning and we were back out onto a main road again...although, the main road started going up again too.

Another big hill climb, another little stop for a rest, but then back on the bike again and no getting off and pushing. We reached the top and were rewarded with a lovely stretch of flat road with glorious views out across fields drenched in sunshine. This is the kind of cycling I enjoy! At Cheriton Bishop we said our goodbyes to Kirby and the gang who were heading on for more adventures, whilst we were turning back towards home. We stopped for lunch at a cafe and sat outside to enjoy the sunshine. This must have been the most I've eaten on a ride and I'm sure I felt much better for it - although I think the black and white cat who briefly joined us for a while was disappointed to discover there were no leftovers!

From the cafe we cycled into Tedburn, past Pathfinder Village and back to Exeter via the old A30. This was a very pleasant route - not much traffic and most importantly, not many hills! Hoorah! We were back in no time and said our goodbyes to Mark as we retraced our steps back through Ide and home again.

I haven't worked out the final mileage yet and I know we didn't go anywhere near as far as last week, but we certainly did a lot of uphill training, which I hope will stand us in good stead for our Coast to Coast challenge (only 3 weeks to go....eeek!)

My muscles are feeling surprisingly ok, but my legs are feeling rather battered after mishandling my bike on a couple of occasions. My left calf had a run in with my pedals just after lunch and then when we'd stopped to let the Double Locks ferry come through the bridge over the canal I thought I'd safely put my bike up against a post, but it then fell on my knee, leaving a lovely bruise on my other leg! So, although I seem to be doing ok whilst I'm sitting on my bike, I need to learn to be a bit more careful when I get off! Ah well I might at least get some sympathy at work tomorrow!

PS - I almost forgot! We should be getting a garage!! This is very exciting as we'll be able to store our bikes somewhere sensible and store more bike paraphenalia. Hoorah!! Wiggle here we come...

New Record - 34 Miles!!

What a difference from last week's ride! We had a glorious day today and I almost enjoyed every minute of it!After last week, I was a bit nervous about doing a long distance again today and thought my poor legs might still not have recovered enough. Instead we had a fantastic day of riding and definitely the highlight of my bike rides so far.

As for our first ride with the CTC we set off to cycle from Cowley to Bickleigh. We met up with Debbie on the way and it was great to see her again. Then we were joined by Michael at Cowley and as it was just the four of us we managed to persuade Kirby to take the flatter route to Bickleigh - hoorah! This was the same route we'd taken last time so everyone was keen to compare our performance!

Luckily we were much stronger this time and it felt like we'd got to Stoke Canon in no time. I remember huffing and puffing up at least one hill last time, but today it felt like no trouble at all. We were soon off down the back lanes which were more familiar this time and then we headed back on to the main road. I remember having serious trouble with the hills last time, so I got in to low gear and prepared for the worst. The second hill was a bit tough and I did have to dig in to get there - but I didn't come to a halt or need a push from Kirby this time! Very soon we were at the coffee stop and for the first time at a coffee stop I actually felt ok! I was relaxed and happy to sit down and have a chat without feeling red in the face and all puffed out.

Some other CTC members met us at the coffee stop, so there was much chatting as we enjoyed our coffee and cakes. Anthoney had met Debbie for the first time, so he got to quiz her about what the London to Paris ride was like. Mostly positive - although she wasn't afraid of telling us the not so good side of the story too! I'm not going to dwell on that though!

Feeling very positive and pleased with myself, I happily set off out of Bickleigh not realising quite what Kirby had in store for us. Kirby had suggested taking a different route back to Exeter as the main road had been very busy heading into Bickleigh. That seemed like a good idea at the time. To be fair he had warned us there was a big hill that we'd probably have to walk up, but I don't think I've ever come across such a big hill - not even in the South Hams last week! I started off quite well, but soon started to struggle and stopped just short of the target Kirby had set si that was rather disappointing, but that will be something to aim for next time! (Did I just say next time?!? - what am I thinking?!) I did start cycling again after a quick break, but soon Anthoney, Debbie and I were all pushing our bikes up the hill as Kirby demonstrated how it should be done! Even walking up, the hill seemed to go on forever and it got even steeper towards the top - how on earth Kirby stayed on his bike I'll never know!

Stopping at the top to drink some more water we admired the view down over the fields and back across to Bickleigh. It was simply gorgeous and it was such a beautiful day, if a little hot for cycling up long hills! It didn't take us long to get back down the hill again and this time instead of my legs aching, it was my arms aching from pulling so hard on the breaks for such a long time! The road was gravelly in the middle so I tried to stick to the edge avoiding being poked by the hedge, which I amazing seemed to do quite successfully, although it was rather scary at the time!

After that the roads were a bit kinder to us, with just a few little hills here and there which I coped with quite well for me, even if I was somewhat slower than the others! After slowly passing some horses we made good progress and after an excellent fast downhill stretch of road I was amazed to discover we were back at Cowley. I had a bit of a struggle to get going from here as we'd stopped at the junction after we'd been speeding down the hill and along a flat stretch of road. I was in my hardest possible gear when I'd stopped and then had to try and get going again up a hill, which I just couldn't manage! Kirby and Debbie had disappeared around the corner and despite trying to move the gears down while I was off the bike I just couldn't manage. Starting to feel tired by now, I just felt frustrated at not being able to get going - but Kirby magically reappeared and came to rescue me, expertly spinning the pedals round and getting the gears down quickly.

Off we set again and took a back route into Exwick. I'd never been on that road before, but I started to recognise where we were and was delighted that we were almost home already - and Anthoney realised where we were when he saw the Village Inn. No surprise that he recognised the pub rather than the road signs as I had!

As we got back to the Quay I was beginning to wind down again and was feeling pleased that I really felt ok, despite being tired on the last section. However, Kirby had other plans for us. As we'd only done 25 miles and we need to be doing 50 next month, he thought we should carry on to Exminster with Debbie, then cut across to the canal in the direction of Turf Locks and cycle back from there. With extra water supplies courtesy of Kirby, I agreed knowing that at least most of the route would be pretty flat.

It was a surprisingly good run (other than the dogs that kept running out in front of me!) and as I was back on the flat I wasn't struggling at all. There were a couple of hills going up into and through Exminster, but they weren't too bad, just as Debbie had promised (I'm more inclined to believe Debbie's opinion more than Kirby's on this matter!) We waved goodbye to Debbie as we went our separate ways and headed off towards the canal path. This again was a fairly easy stretch and we stopped by the canal to take a break and have some snacks in the sunshine before heading home.

On the way back, Kirby spotted that the swing bridge was open and a big boat was coming through. We cycled up fast to try and join the crowds and watch. Sadly by the time I'd caught up and got the camera out the boat had already passed through, but I did photograph the bridge. Kirby suggested we cycled on up to the road to try and get across before everyone else as quite a crowd had built up and no-one could get through the barriers. Unfortunately in my haste to get the camera away again, I dropped my bike on my leg which was rather painful and meant we didn't quite get through the crowds as planned! Getting back across the road and onto the cycle path again was quite tricky as there were loads of people trying to go across the bridge in both directions - it was certainly an experience! The path was then busy all the way back as people were all bunched up, but I was quite happy to pootle along on familiar (and flat!) territory until we got back.

Kirby gave us his verdict on the mileage and declared we'd done 34 miles - our longest ride yet! I didn't even feel like I was particularly hurting anywhere or that I couldn't possibly carry on. That was definitely a real boost after last week! Surprisingly my legs still feel ok and I'm not even suffering from being saddle sore, so we must be making progress!

Perhaps there is a slight chance that our coast to coast ride might be manageable after all...I hope those aren't famous last words....!

Attempt at an Audax

Yesterday was our first attempt at an audax event. To say that we successfully completed half of the audax would be stretching the truth a little. We registered at the start of the race and followed the route of the event, but we were a long way behind the others and didn't collect any stamps on the way. My completely blank card will be going in my journal in the hope that one day I will look back and smile!

We arrived on time as planned, but by the time we'd put our bikes together (we have to take the wheels off to fit them in the car) and got to the registration point it was only 10 minutes to the start of the race. We let other latecomers go ahead of us as we knew we wouldn't be seriously participating at the same level as them. The organisers told us that the first loop would be less hilly and easier to complete.Kirby had told us the second loop was more interesting. I can only assume that by 'interesting' he meant more hilly and challenging! We opted to go with the organisers advice and do the first half of the route - but that meant setting off with directions only and no map. In place of Kirby's map with a cafe though, we did have a hand drawn map of where to find a pub!

After a bit more tinkering with the bikes we finally set off 15 minutes after the others. We weren't at all prepared for the event and didn't even have any way to display the route instructions so we had to keep stopping to work out where to go next. The first hill up out of South Brent was steep and seemed to go on forever. Ant's chain came off his bike, so we stopped for Ant to fix it. We walked quite a bit of that first hill and I was ready to turn round and go home, but Ant was determined we weren't going to pay £7 to cycle round the corner and halfway up a hill!

From there we had a relatively easy ride for a while and stopping to check directions every now and then we made our way through Ivybridge and over the A38 looking for the next signpost towards Yealmpton. I pulled over on a grass verge just after the bridge while we consulted the signposts. None seemed to be pointing towards Yealmpton. We took the opportunity to get the camera out and take some pictures while we contemplated what to do next. It was then that I realised we were standing behind a huge array of road signs and asked Ant to go and check what they said....and Yealmpton was clearly signposted! Feeling slightly silly but relieved, we carried on our way. Just down that road I spotted a sign to Smithaleigh. We'd been told at the start that the control point wasn't in Yealmpton as on our sheets but in Smithaleigh - unfortunately that was half a mile back in the direction we had just come. We weren't sure where on earth in Smithaleigh it would be so we decided to push on and follow the directions we had on our sheets.

From there we had a relatively good stretch to Newton Ferrers, stopping briefly for water and our first jelly babies! Arriving in Newton Ferrers and pulling over to check the directions we realised we shouldn't have gone all the way into Newton Ferrers. Retracing our route we were pleased to discover the turning wasn't that far back at all and we sped down the hill into Bridgend. This was very welcome as it marked the halfway point of our route and our lunch stop. The map drawn for us at the start of the event made no sense to me when it was handed over, but standing in Bridgend on the curved bit of road it made perfect sense. We took the hill up to the right (getting off our bikes and pushing towards the top) and then followed the road back down into Noss Mayo to find the Swan Inn. By now the sun was shining and I finally had to admit that my lovely new waterproof wasn't really necessary! We sat outside and enjoyed baguettes and nice cold drinks before setting off on our way again.

This was the turning point for me. A nice ride turned into a very difficult ride from here on in. After stopping for lunch my legs didn't want to get going again. We had to tackle a great big hill up out of Bridgend. We had been warned about this one, but that wasn't enough to prepare us for it! We stopped to walk for a while and then seeing the hill get a bit less steep decided to get back on the bikes and give it another go. Finally reaching the top we stopped to enjoy the views across the coast. My legs were really hurting by now and I was hoping for a long downhill all the way back to the finish!

We had a bit of a reprieve on a relatively flat stretch of road and we seemed to be making good progress until we started to doubt our understanding of the instructions. The directions said to go through a cross and then take a turning for Exeter at a cross. Having been a long way without any signs for Exeter and having already passed some cross roads, we couldn't decide whether to carry on or go back. Finally seeing signs for Yealmpton we decided to push on regardless as we knew we could get back from there if necessary. Fortunately we had been right and I was delighted to come across a busy junction with a signpost to Exeter!

Initially we had a glorious downhill section on this road, but turning off to keep following the signs to Exeter, the surface got rougher and exhaustion set in. Even on downhill sections of the road I seemed to be pedalling as best I could but getting nowhere. The sun was hot and I'd brought far too many layers of clothes with me which I now had to tie round my waist. We stopped off in a gateway by the main road to rest a bit and refuel. It didn't get any easier after that though. The road seemed to be going on forever and every time I got to the slightest hill I had to get off and walk. It started to feel like we'd never make it back. Finally the long awaited sign for our turning off back to South Brent, only 2 and a half miles away...but that still seemed a long way off. Straight away we were faced with another hill, so I was back to pushing my bike very slowly up to the top.

After that things improved a little. There didn't seem to be as many hills and we were finally nearly there! We stayed on our bikes down through a little lane and even up a hill, before rejoining a road we recognised from earlier in the day. We were nearly back - but not as close as I'd remembered! Feeling completely defeated I had to get off the bike and push again up the final hill in South Brent to the rounadabout, but then determinedly got back on again for the final flat stint down the road and back to the old school house. What a relief!

There were still just a few people milling around at the end, but given that they'd gone twice as far as us and taken less time, it was all rather humbling. Somehow we got the bikes back into the car and headed home again. I couldn't keep my eyes open and kept dosing off and was very grateful to get home and have a nice warm shower and a sit down. My legs continued to ache all evening and I can still very much feel them today - not painful as such, but I definitely know I've overdone it a bit!

So now my thoughts are turning to the Coast to Coast event which is only a month away. I'm very concerned that I'm just not ready for cycling over 50 miles in a day. Yesterday we did just over 30 miles. It took us 6 hours to complete and I really had nothing left in me by the end. I guess it was inevitable that the enormity of the challenge we've taken on would catch up with me at some point and it most definitely has. The next four weeks are going to be tough.

On the plus side, now that I've got my nice new his vis all singing all dancing waterproof, we're clearly not going to get a drop of rain!

Island Adventure and a Technical Hitch

It's been a while since I last posted and since I did any serious cycling. That's not because I haven't been trying, but I've not been having much luck!

We had a bit of time off cycling partly due to our holiday. We went to the west of Ireland, which was beautiful. We did go on one cycle ride and although it didn't get off to a great start, the time we spent cycling was brilliant and definitely a highlight of the trip.

It was the first day of our holiday and we'd decided to take a boat trip out to one of the Arran Islands. It was pouring with rain when we left our accommodation in Galway and was still pouring with rain when we boarded the ferry. After a short but choppy ride we arrived on the island and much to our surprise the weather cleared up a bit. We spent a bit of time trying to find a pub that had been recommended for lunch, but we couldn't spot it as we wandered around the harbour and eager to get on with a bike ride, we opted for a quick take away burger and chips.

Next stop the bike hire place. They had an interesting way with dealing with customers - they took our money and a deposit and then waved generally in the direction of a yard full of bikes and left us to sort ourselves out! Trying to avoid particularly rusty looking bikes, we finally settled on two that didn't seem too bad and then had to go and ask if there were cycle helmets. We were directed to a huge bin full of them, which sadly didn't have a cover on it, so they were all soaking wet and that made putting them on rather unpleasant!

At last we were off...we pedalled along by the harbour and followed what we thought was a route towards an old ruin that is one of the least visited sites on the island. Just as we'd left the safety of the harbour area the rain bucketed down again. Before we could stop and get our waterproofs out we were already soaked through...and a couple of cows and a calf eyed us suspiciously as we stopped by their field to sort ourselves out. Consulting our map we discovered we'd already taken a wrong turn, so we headed back to try and pick up the right track. Unfortunately out of the two options available, we managed to pick the wrong one. This became obvious as we cycled up a very steep hill that became very rocky and then seemed to turn into a river at the top!! Despite being determined to make something of the trip, we decided to abandon the less visited areas of the island and stick to the main routes!

Heading back to the harbour to pick up the main road across the island, the rain eased off again and as we turned the corner and went up the hill we stumbled across the pub we had been looking for earlier in the day - hey ho! It didn't take long for me to direct us off our planned route again - I'd seen a sign for the seal colony and determinedly set off again. On first arriving at the look out point I thought we were out of luck, but on closer inspection we noticed that the rocks appeared to be moving and there were several seals out there. Not so fortunately, just as I got the camera out and started snapping them a mini van full of tourists pulled up which somewhat spoiled the tranquility of the spot , so we quickly moved on.

We didn't think we had time to make it right across to the other side of the island so we started to make our way back. The landscape and views were beautiful with so many small walled in fields, many with sheep or horses in them and we passed several gardens, some with goats, chickens or dogs keeping watch. We battled with the gears on the hire bikes as we climbed a long hill - they didn't seem to budge until several rotations after we'd attempted to change gear and at one point Ant's chain came off. Luckily that was quickly fixed and we were soon on our way again. Reaching the top of a hill we stopped to contemplate a road sign suggesting that cars were in danger of falling off the road. As we didn't have much choice we decided the only thing we could do was to continue cautiously....as it turned out we had a glorious downhill ride all the way back to the harbour. It was such a quick route back that we ended up getting back half an hour earlier than we'd planned!

It didn't matter though - I was quite glad to be rid of my bike! Much as I'd enjoyed the ride, without my cycle shorts and the relatively comfy saddle on my own bike, I was suffering despite only having done around seven miles - and I felt it for the following few days too! Never mind - by now the sun was shining in the harbour, so we had a final wander round and marvelled at the fact that it seemed like a completely different place to the grey and damp one we'd arrived at earlier in the day.

After our holiday, we decided to take ourselves out for a gentle ride on the bank holiday Monday but sadly I didn't even make it to the end of the road. I soon discovered I couldn't change gear. We consulted our bike maintenance manual but still weren't able to fix the problem. It was looking doubtful that I'd get it fixed for the weekend as my local bike shop couldn't fit it in and I had no way of getting it to another place during working hours. Luckily I was rescued by a lovely chap called Andy who runs a mobile bike repair service...thank you Andy!

So - fingers crossed, I'm all set for another ride tomorrow. The intention is to do half of a 100km Audax in South Devon. Ant is very keen on this and really excited by the idea. Personally I'm a bit scared about taking part in a big event like this and having to find our own way! That and the fact that's it's going to be hilly and I've not done a proper ride for a few weeks...

On the plus side, I invested in a new waterproof coat today - hoorah! (I can't quite believe how excited I was about buying a bright yellow high vis waterproof coat - but it was genuinely really exciting!) Also the lovely Kirby has kindly printed off a map for us, so there's some hope of finding our way, and even better - he's marked on a cafe stop, yay!

Right now though, I must get off to bed and get some rest before tomorrow morning....night night!