Monday, February 27, 2012

Learning

Yesterday's ride was fun in many ways. The weather was good, the roads were mostly dry and I had some great company. But the ride was remarkable for another reason. I learnt some stuff as well. And, for me, another thing learnt is a good thing.
My goal for yesterday was simple. I wanted to repeat the hilly ride I did at the beginning of January to see how the training was going. I had intended to go out on my own this time but when the offer of company come up I was glad to take it. This time my companion for some of the ride would be my good friend Giff, with whom I play a lot of golf. He's just finding the joys of road cycling and wanted to come out on his relatively new bike to see what I got up to. I originally suggested that I would pick him up in Cupar after the main hills were over and he could then have come along for the loop back to Cupar. But, no, he decided to join up with me in Pitscottie and therefore would do the harder climbs. I'm not sure what he thinks of this decision now!
I've described the route before, suffice to say that it goes up and down a lot. The hills aren't necessarily long but some of them are quite steep and at times they grind you down a little. I think Giff found them a rude introduction. He was quite insistent that I climb at my own pace and he would get there in the end. So on the first climb we agreed to meet at the top. And we did, with no great wait for me which was a testament to his determination. Then along, down and we came to the next up. Coming out of Kilmany this climb has a nasty steep hairpin just as you really want a rest. Again I went ahead and waited. And again, I was delighted to see Giff coming up seated on the bike showing he hadn't had to get off. I took some photos to prove he'd done it. Did I mention he's a pensioner? He wanted me to make sure I told you, so I have.

Are we at the top yet?
Riding like a champion
At this point I knew we had a fair amount of climbing to do and I didn't want him to feel left behind all the time. Despite his protestations that it was alright I know I don't like it so I needed to come up with a plan so that there wouldn't be such a disparity in climbing speed. On our next wee hill I put a theory to the test. Could I just grind out a really high gear? It turns out I could but only by getting out of the saddle. And, actually it was lot of fun. So for the next two hills that's what we did. I still got up first to the cross-roads that would take us down to Balmerino but not by much and I'd had to work hard.
At this point I gave myself a new challenge. Giff would miss out the hill from Balmerino and cycle directly to Hazelton Walls while I went down and up. I would, of course, try and catch him up before the cross-roads. He beat me, but not by much and honour on both parts was satisfied. We had a rest. Most welcome and the chat was great.
Then down to Luthrie and a climb back out towards Newburgh into a stiff breeze. Giff discovered the delights of the rider in front's wind shadow and we moved along nicely. Then back to Hazelton Walls before a lovely descent to the main road. And another rest. All we needed to do now was drag along the A92 and climb up the hill at Moonzie before it would all get better as we descended into Cupar. Giff stayed on my wheel along the main road and we got up the hill easily enough before the blast down into the town.
A quick trip around town and I could leave Giff to recover at home. I headed off to do the rest of the route. Because of the slower speed in the early part of the ride and the stop start nature of morning I still felt pretty good. Until the wind and drizzle hit me above Ceres that was. I battled my way down to the village and took a quick rest in the lee of the pub. They were advertising good food all day. I was tempted, but with no bike lock I couldn't do anything about it.
Then a quick climb and descent to Cupar before finally turning for home. With the breeze at my back the way home was easier and I had enough in the tank to sprint for a couple of miles towards St. Andrews maintaining an average over them of over 30 mph. Love it! Yes they were downhill, and yes I had the wind behind me but I had already cycled 60 miles so I'm allowed some sense of satisfaction aren't I?
All in all it was a lovely day's cycling and I must remember that to come back relatively fresh a slower speed and regular breaks might be the key. Slower, yes, but great fun. Especially with good company. Thank you Giff. What a ride you did; I am in awe.

Clipless Pedals

One other thing I learnt (or noticed) was the improvement of my footwear and shoe-to-pedal grip over Giff's. He's not there with the clipless pedal idea yet so is still riding flat pedals and trainers. It's just no contest when compared to being clipped in like I am. Although I'd read a lot of information saying how much better being clipped in is, I had never really noticed it.
Believe me, it makes a difference. So, if you are reading this and swithering about clipless pedals, do not delay. Pick a system, any system, and try it out. You won't regret it. Personally, for ease of use and the nice idea of recessed cleats I employ the SPD system. And I have Shimano A530 pedals which are flat on one side and have a binding on the other. Great for clipping one foot out of when riding through towns.

The Ride






Sunday, February 19, 2012

Cold and breezy

Today ended up being a ride I was glad to get done. In my head I know that not all rides are going to be a blast but I am still disappointed that I didn't enjoy today as much as I might. I'm not really sure why I didn't as the sun was out and the roads were dry. Perhaps the lower temperature and the cool west-northwest breeze played their part. The breeze certainly sapped my energy, both physical and mental, from me. Especially on the sections where it seemed to be blowing into my face from the wrong direction! That's just not fair.
What I can take away from the ride is that I didn't give up. I even did a little detour near the end to get the mileage up to the 60 miles I wanted to do. So I have to call it a successful day and leave it at that.
I'm hoping that when I ride the Lighthouse to Lighthouse there will not be a wind in my face all the way. And for a couple of warmer days. Of course I'm riding through Highland Scotland where winter can come on any day of the year.

The Ride

There were two sides to this ride. The first half was relatively flat, although the westward sections were hard into the wind. Then the second 30 miles went over the hills to Cupar and then home via Ceres. A good route.

Road User Notes

In reality there were no great idiots on the road today. A couple of vehicles closer than I would like but all in all a good day in the traffic. To those who gave me lots of room a great big thanks. To those a little closer, why the hurry?
Today was the first time I saw a large bunch of cyclists all out together. And I have to say that I can see why some drivers would get frustrated. They were a large bunch, probably a bus length long and taking up a fair amount of road. On the other hand they have every right to be there; just like slow tractors.
Perhaps all us road users just have to be a little more tolerant of the others out there. Of course that's not so easy when you feel a little vulnerable; as you do on a bike.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Building up the miles

With the best weather weekend for a while it would have been a shame not to get out and do some training. So I did. I decided to try and get some miles in, regardless of climbing. I'm very focussed on hills because they are what worry me, being slightly too short for my weight. But this weekend I tried not to worry that I wasn't training hard enough for them and just got some nice cycling in.

Saturday

Saturday morning was lovely and I spent it pottering about on the roads near Cupar. The route wasn't exactly flat but it didn't tax the legs too much either. And with dry roads and some evidence of warmth in the sun it was lovely trip. The average speed wasn't too shabby either. I must be getting fitter.



Sunday

I planned to do more miles on Sunday and recruited my friend Vic for the ride. I knew I would be feeling a little tired from the day before and a fresh pair of legs and eyes are always welcome.
On the morning though, I was ready to go when and popped out to get my steed only to find a flat front tire. Now, I am hopeless at fixing punctures and fitting new tubes. And try as I might the old inner tube would stay inflated after patching. Three times I tried and three times it failed. So I gave up and put in my last spare. This, of course, meant no spare in the bag. I checked with Vic and he had one so we would have to have fewer than two punctures on the road.
An hour late I left the house and hurried to the rendezvous. When I go there the cloud was low over the hills above Pitscottie and it looked bleak for the intended route. Undeterred we headed up towards Peat Inn and then across to Bonnybank. The low cloud was still about to the north ans west of us so we made the decision to head south and east to Crail, searching for some sunshine. THis had the added bonus of being relatively flat. Of course, being flat, this meant we had to pedal and keep pedalling. No rest for the wicked on the flat. Once in Crail we headed back up the hill to Peat Inn. A long but, thankfully, not too steep climb. Down into Ceres and a quick blast back to Pitscottie where we parted company and I headed home. I had enough energy to speed up down the hill into St. Andrews. Not quite a full blown sprint; I was a bit tired for that.
Incase you are wondering about the route below. I forgot to start my computer until I was a bit out of St. Andrews. Doh!




Portrait of a cyclist

I was lucky to have Vic with me today as I wanted to get some pictures of me with the bike. On the road. So here one of them is. People of a nervous disposition should not look! This is what I look like about 45 miles in to a 60 mile ride. Tired!

How far to go?

Road User of the Weekend

The award goes to a white van who patiently stayed behind me on the way to Logie on Saturday. The road was mucky, pot-holed and awkward and it was great to have driver show a bit of consideration to their fellow road user. A worth winner.
There were lots of good drivers this weekend, giving plenty of room going past without incident. Well done to all of you.

Idiot Road Users of the Weekend

Of course there's always the opposite side of the coin. The award is shared this weekend, with two equally worth winners.
Firstly the young man in Cupar who doesn't appreciate that cars don't rule the road. Impatient to get passed me on a road with parked cars on the other side he waited until the junction at the top and then turned left across my intended path of travel. Luckily I know the signs and avoided any nasty situations.
The second driver obviously forgot that they were pulling a trailer full of garden waste; branches and the like. So not only did they come past too quickly and too close they then pulled in a little bringing the trailer in far too close for my comfort. It's nice to see that on a Sunday the need for speed is still alive and well on the south coast of Fife.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

The Charity Angle


Since announcing and promoting the Lighthouse to Lighthouse ride to more than those closest to me, and my fitness trainer (a whole post on its own), I have been asked one question more than any other; Are you going to do it for charity? The simple answer is yes.
I could easily have left it as a personal challenge but, as fulfilling as that might be, I think the extra responsibility of raising money will help me complete it and also raise funds for a cause I think is most worthy.

Which One?

I'd like to use this post to announce that I'm going to do this ride in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support. I have a couple of reasons for picking this particular charity.
  • My father passed away a few years ago from terminal cancer, and I know that help and support for people in this position is critical,
  • and a very good friend of mine does a lot of volunteer work for Macmillan and I would like to add my support.
Expanding on the first point a little I would like to add this. I see a lot in the press and on the web about beating and curing cancer. And a lot of good money goes into that too. But, in my opinion, there will always be people living with cancer and they, their carers and dependants need all the help we can give them. And that's where Macmillan come in.

Donations

You can donate any time you like by using the link on the side bar.
Donations given now will help spur me on in my training. If you are reading this post some time after it has been written, please donate because I managed the ride, or you want to give me that final push to achieve it.
Your donations mean a lot to me and even more to Macmillan, so a big thank you to all of you who do.

JustGiving - Sponsor me now!

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Short and Sweet

Frost delayed my cycling this morning. And, if I'm honest, so did the cricket. After the frost lifted I waited a while to make sure it would have lifted on any of the higher roads I might like to be on. So just after lunch I decided to go out out for a quick spin. And, as I wasn't going out for long, I decided to try and make it quick.
Unusually I decided to go south east to Crail. Then across to Anstruther before heading home over the low ridge south of Dunino. The first leg was easy with whatever breeze there was behind me, but the rest was a little more difficult with the breeze hurting slightly. None of it was bad though and I kept up a decent average (~17.5 mph). All great fun!

The Ride


Idiot Road Users of the Day

I'm getting used to not getting much room from some cars but today there were two cars that really worried me. On the road back from Anstruther I was passed in quick succession by two cars going very quickly. The first gave me some room, although I would have liked more. The second was far too close for my liking especially given the speed they were doing. Thanks guys.
More seriously, if they weren't actually racing they were doing a very good job of looking like they were. Personally I would like to remove all such drivers from the road. All I can hope for is that I'm not involved in any accidents they cause. And I hope nobody else is too.

Saturday, February 4, 2012

Views - one reason for cycling

Amongst the very many different reasons for cycling I do love the opportunity to explore the countryside around my home. At the pace I cycle there's plenty of time to appreciate the views. And, in Fife, you can find some superb scenery. Just like this one from last weekend's ride.

Looking across to Angus
Well worth all the effort, and well worth stopping for. Also, when you are cycling it is almost always easier to stop then if you were in a car.