From "Legend" to "Hero" in 7 days - Hopefully!

I guess no bike stolen and no bits dropping off is a positive step forward although I did have a front brake cable snap and 2 punctures on the same day last week. However, touch wood, nothing has happened since to make me consider hurling the bike into the canal which was an option for a moment. I was able to mend the brake cable myself, which given my mechanical dyslexia, is remarkable.

I have been able to get out on the road twice over the last 2 weekends for 4 hour rides around 65 miles which I am quite pleased with. However the last hour is hard work, not so much on my legs, but for my back which is still giving me gip. I do feel that after a rest I could go again which is encouraging. Indeed last weekend I had been invited to play in a Worcester “Legends” reunion game. Given I had hurt my knee about 6 weeks ago and the L2P is in 5 weeks, I could not afford to injure myself again I declined to play but took my 3 year old to watch. I could not however just watch. I bribed Ava with a packet of Maltesers to sit with the subs, borrowed some kit and trotted on to the pitch for the last 15 minutes. This was after my 65 mile ride that morning!

The real test for me will be this Sunday when Stephen Jones and I are taking part in a 100 mile "Wheel Heroes" event with Geoff starting in Stratford. There is a rumour Geoff has invited a female pursuit world champion to join us which I am sure will be a great honour for her, not to mention enormous physical challenge attempting to keep up. I will state now in print, there is no way I will go slower just for her. Sunday will also give me a good opportunity to determine which group to join in the main event. I had plumped for 5 automatically but there is now some peer pressure to move up to 3! I am not so sure.

A colleague of ours has just finished a 4 day L2P which he said was an amazing experience, despite one entrant turning up on a full suspension mountain bike. I have been interrogating him thoroughly since his return and as the song goes “If I can give you one piece of advice, wear chamois cream – lots of it!”

This Week's Questions

What is defined as an old tyre?
Why does my left foot go cold?
Given the intake of fluid, how do I stop p**ing every hour?
One from Mrs H; when do I stop spending money?