Cycling 770 miles non-stop on a 100-year-old bike with onions

Read about   Onion Johnny
PBP is in 2015

How To Be A Mountain Biker

Today's ride

Today was a steady three hours along the coast, dipping in and out of the wooded single track. Later I got to meet Santa in my favourite café.

Guy Martin - Speed

For those of you who may know this Isle of Man TT racer and missed last nights episode of his new series, it's well worth a catch up to see what he attempted on a bicycle.

The bicycle highway: Plans unveiled for £220m 'Skycycle' that lets riders commute far above the railways of London

I know, I know, it's the Daily Mail, honestly, someone sent this to me... I think the 20 years to build this scheme may hold it back.  They rebuilt the Santa Monica highway in 14 weeks for goodness sakes.

SKYCYCLE BY NUMBERS

Three storeys high

10 mph - average cycle speed in London

15 mph - estimated speed after SkyCycle 

20 feet wide decks

20 years to build

29 minutes less journey time

135 miles over existing railway services

12,000 cyclists per hour

5.8 million people live close to proposed route

£220 million to build first four-mile stretch

Windy ride today.

A sign of rain or sleeping off the holiday excess?

More mountain biking

In the end it wasn't too bad to be out on the road bike so there was quite a few at Cobham to head off, which left Niall, John & myself heading out on our mountain bikes.
We headed up towards Leith Hill and had a try out of the 2014 club downhill championship route, Summer Lightening. I tried a bit too hard and throw myself over the handlebars planting my face in the dirt.

2014 club downhill course

When we arrived at Leith Hill tower it is now run by new management, from last weeks tea stop, Tanhouse farm. The local floods meant that the mains water could not be pumped there, the highest point in the home counties, so there was no hot drinks available. We decided to head to peaslake instead.

Leith Hill tower under new owners

After the recent rain and wind there were many fallen trees

A local hunt

Mountains

Three tough hours in the mountains today. One of Ernesto's finest, steep technical drags and sketchy, loose descents.

Climb to San Vicente

Getting a tow from Jane's sister on the climb. I'm teaching her everything I learned from Gary Smith! :))

Nice Weather for Ducks!

I thought I’d grab a few last minute miles prior to the excesses or Christmas and also survey the fallout from last night’s storms.  I decided to take my mountain bike as the roads were bound to be strewn with puncture inducing debris.  As you can see things were a bit damp in Betchworth, I have never seen the water that deep before. 

A helpful fellow in a 4x4 (apparently such people do exist) said Burford Bridge was under water too so my only sensible route was straight back up Pebble Coombe. 

Having negotiated Juniper (liberally strewn with fallen branches every few hundred metres allowing just enough room for cars to squeeze through) I had a quick look at the, soon to be renamed; “Ryke’s Rapids”. 

A return route via the Zig-Zags seemed appropriate other than the blustery squall all the way up and wet feet from riding though 9” of water at the bottom – of course the sun was out by the time I got home.

Let's hope for some better conditions in the new year!

 

Sunday club run for A's

A's at Pitch Hill

Mudguard FAIL

Remember to remove these when you puncture

Could have been an neolithic arrowhead

The helpers

Nick looking for a puncture app.

Relaxing at Tanhurst farm

Sun going down across Wimbledon common

The weather forecast for Saturday was torrential rain so it was suggested to go out on Sunday instead, which most riders in the e-mail group were quite happy with doing. After getting thoroughly soaked on my commute home on Thursday I was happy with that too. So we all meet at the usual place, usual time, the only difference being was the groups of Kingston Wheelers heading out into the Downs. Eight of us headed off but gradually some of these headed off home as they had other thing to occupy them on the bright and breezy morning. Heading over Newlands then up a few more climbs, we had chosen a route not too far away from home just in case it turned nasty. Heading for out stop at Tanhurst farm Paul got a puncture. All the rain from the previous day had washed a load of debris onto the road and he had picked up a large flint in his tyre. While the rest of us chatted paul sorted it out and we were soon on our way. Turning up at the Farm it was no surprise to find some of the B group mainly Cliff, Eric and Alan. We eat quickly and were soon heading home before the light faded for these are the shortest days of the year.

Parker International closes

Parker International closes

Boris bike vs Ventoux

For anyone looking for a challenge this may give you some ideas. Parky, fancy a PBP on one?

Protest for better cycle facilities

On the way to work, I came across a load of cyclists from the London Cycle Campaign group having a "Die In" at Vauxhall. I joined in and we all had a lie in.
Power to the people.

A bit of help

And after the SWRC mtb party they may need one of these.

SWRC mtb office party

Me, Niall, Roger and Mark.

Wednesday Mtb

A bit splashy today after the rains. We found some nice wet rooty singletrack on Pitch Hill. 

Roger makers use of the free outdoor work stand at Peaslake.

Niall wore his festive green Xmas elf cap today.

The mighty Jens

I'm biased, Jensy is probably my favourite rider, and this interview  is priceless Voigt.  Well worth reading if only to get to his top notch analysis "That would be like nowadays all Germans are Nazis, all French are like Napoleon, or all Brits are former pirates." 

For anyone who watched him as a guest commentator on ITV4 during the Vuelta for two stages, you'll know he's great value all round and a commentary God having called the stage winner on each occasion.

Bottom Gear Shocker!

I had a bit of a shock when I got in from my Saturday ride, a face contorted & fixed with staring eyes and a menacing grimace from my hall floor. No warning or explanation for which I have seen other magazines placed on the top shelf and in opaque bags! The face of a man only 15 yards from the finish line of a World Championships not a person i recognise



Was this really the month for the SWRC magazine to get all up to date
and be posted out in a clear poly bag? It must have been a shock for all
those poor posties who had to sort and handle it to the members doors So I put out a few less stressful pictures of the week when the SWRC got itself a World Champion

A solid 8th in the Pursuit (Pic Steve Walton)

Scratch Final (Pic Steve Walton)

The race is always ahead (Pic Steve Walton)

Canadian sandwich

Flowers, Medal & Jersey for Colin Parkinson

Podium is the place to be (with Ian Emmerson)

All smiles

Pushing to take the lap

Second place, second medal (Pic Steve Walton)

Silver - to go with my Bronze & Gold (Pic Steve Walton)

 Approaching the last lap in the Cossavella (Pic Steve Walton)

What cycling tells people about you.

Here's a view. News

Balcombe tearoom 9/10

It was great to get out on the bike yesterday and have a ride with my fellow club members. Meeting at Cobham there were the usual groups going out. My brother Phil was joining the uppers and downers for a non-stop tour of the hills. We were heading east to a very popular stop at Balcombe. Usually a bit close for the A group but at this time of the year with short days it was just about right. Nine left the car park but after Mark W and Trevor turning off early it was only seven who made it all the way there. Paul wouldn't succumb to the delights of the tearoom and headed off which left just six of us to a very enjoyable lunch. The lady who runs this establishment was very welcoming, perhaps because our group wasn't too big and the food was excellent together with plenty of tea from a large china teapot. What more could you ask for on a cold winter day.

Eggs and beans on toast were very popular

It was very windy on the way home

Readers' radical solutions to protect cyclists

Readers responses to a BBC website prior article on radical solutions to the cycle deaths in London.

Cycling headline news

After many unneccesary cycling deaths on Londons roads this year, the government are at last waking up. It's head line news in the Evening Standard. more to do with the extension of the Boris bikes into SW London than anything. Over the last few months parking bays have been taken over to be replaced by lines of new bikes to hire.

Audax protocol aberration

Caught red-handed, sitting down on the job in Balcombe after just 60k, is this man a "real audaxer" we ask ourselves?  Answers on a postcard if you know the culprit.

Road Bike Party 2 - Martyn Ashton

Bike rider or cyclist?

Have you ever had this conversation?

Tuesday Mtb ride

A shortened ride for me today. Luckily I was only a few miles from home and we managed a trail side bodge with some zip ties. The tube finally burst with a loud bang on the last descent into Dorking. I finished in true 'too cold to give a flying flip' style and rode the last kms on the rim. :)

Decembers Audax

The SWRC members who ride audaxs tend to get in one a month and today the local event was from Ickenham in West London. I took Ann to the start in my car as she had arrange to ride stocker on a friends tandem. Paul and Matt rode around together and after my early start caught me at 120km at the Stoke Bruene canal village near Towcester, which was our furthest point north today in Northamptonshire.

Paul and Matt

I wasn't quick enough to keep with these two. Ann enjoyed the ride and wasn't too far behind.
One section took us through the beautiful ground of Waddesdon Manor with its majestic avenues of trees.

Waddesdon Manor gate house