...when the wheels touch ground........

It's very confusing being a mountain biker these days, wheels keep changing size. We have the traditional 26" then we have 29" which is 700c and then there's 650b which 27.5", confused? Some may say it's cynical marketing others may say it's an innovative sport that's still young and is pushing the boundaries of cycle design and is constantly evolving. Road bikes never really change, a few tweaks in angles and electronic shifting because pushing those pesky levers is ever so tiring and time consuming ;) I've read the reviews, laughed at the forums and decided to take the plunge and got one of those big wheeled 29er things. It's a bike, the wheels are a bit bigger than the last one and I've called it Gilbert ' cos it's green.

So, first ride today and my mate Bonus came along to. It's a while since we've been out for a ride together so it was nice to have some company. The bike felt quicker straight away, can't explain why really, it might be the tyres, the geometry the big wheels who knows but we both made light work of the big climb, I even got to the top before Bonus which is a first. The big wheels got rolling along the top of the hill but I couldn't keep up with Bonus on the down he does fly downhill. We then went exploring, we'd passed a track on a few occasions and thought we'd head along up it today just to see where it went. There are lots of tracks around the forest not all on maps and it ended up at a house in the middle of the forest, a proper house, windows, curtains, flowers in the window. Bonus was well impressed but I wanted to leave, I'm sure I could hear the sound of banjos.

We headed up another track through some ramshackle gates which again looked ominous but we just ended up riding around what seemed to be a Christmas tree plantation and ended going out the way we came in. After finding another dead end we headed back to where we knew we could actually get somewhere and headed down to Dunster.

Up Grabbist hill in what felt like record time and back onto the ridge line. A quick blast along readers wives and down to the Combe, I was flying along, I think this could be the start of a beautiful friendship. 

Here's the Strava bit.....

....I get knocked down but I get up again.....

Whilst watching the Tour Series cycling the other night, one rider was out all on his own when suddenly his back wheel seized up and his race was over. It puzzled me as to what caused it and the commentator never enlightened us but five minutes into my ride today I discovered how.

I was moping about and in two minds about riding, it was cold and dull but I thought if I ride things can only get better. The ride did not start well, changing down the gears to go up a short hill before I hit the main road my chain decided to do a hop, skip and a jump and passed my last sprocket and wedged itself behind it. I was standing up clipped in and doing about 1 mph and over I went, crash, bang wallop. Luckily I mainly landed on my more than ample derriere which would probably give Beyonce a run for her money ! I did feel like petulantly throwing my bike in a hedge and waiting for my team car to bring me a fresh bike. That was short lived as I neither have a team or a spare bike. The chain was well wedged but I managed to free it, twist and turn things and all seemed to work again. I'd grazed my elbow and my hip was a bit sore and I did contemplate crying and going home but fuelled by adrenaline and wounded pride I kept going.

Once on the move all seemed okay and the gears were behaving themselves. I headed up the Toll road again, I've lost about two kilos or so lately and the air is a bit warmer on the lungs and I felt really good spinning up the four miles to the top. Turned right at the top and headed for Devon, in the sunshine ! Last time I went this way was on the Exmoor Beast, it was not sunny, it was slightly wet and blowing a gale. It's a lot nicer riding this way in the sunshine though, views and everything.

If you did the Beast, this was the view behind the rain ;)

I made really good progress before hitting the descent down Contisbury Hill, long, fast with a short steep bit at the bottom, even more fun on a dry road but watch for sheep !

Contisbury Hill

A quick stop at the bottom and then on up through Watersmeet, another nice steady climb. It's one of those climbs that keeps on giving, about six odd miles with the top bit on the moors included.

Up through Watersmeet

It was over the moors and up and down through Simonsbath and Exford and onto Wheddon Cross and a quick stop for something fizzy. All downhill from here with some nice new tarmac at the bottom of the hill.

So glad I decided to ride, a great route which hopefully I'll do again soon with some company?

Here's the Strava bit......

.....there is a green hill far away going back there one fine day......

As I made my way along the A39 this morning my progress was slowed by two horse boxes being towed somewhere, where I don't know, they turned off at Cannington and I made my merry way to Axbridge to visit my friend, the A.A Gill of sportive reviews, Jennifer aka The Cycling Mayor. On my way back I was stuck behind the same two horse boxes again, where had they been? The vets, had they been for a ride out with mates, do horses go shopping, I pondered all these things as I slowly made my way along the A39.

In between following horses I went for ride around the Somerset levels with Jennifer. Tradition has it that it rains whenever we meet but today thankfully the rain held off. I was a promised a flat route which is a bit of a novelty for me, it's a tad hilly were I live. I knew the first bit out of Cheddar and towards Wedmore having ridden that way on the Cheddar Sportive on a couple of occasions(great event well worth doing). After giving a nice man a tow to Wedmore we headed off towards Glastonbury. Jennifer assured me she knew where she was going, the timber yard in Glastonbury was very nice but I'm sure that was off route ;)

....Tor....

It was nice spinning along quiet straight flat roads, chatting, drafting tractors, admiring the countryside, passing fields of Swans, the sun even shone on the odd occasion. I think I kept up but Jennifer might of eased off a bit, she's not as slow as she keeps telling people. Riding on the flat is such a change for me, we even did the drafting thing but drafting behind Jennifer is a bit like drafting behind a cocktail stick, I hope my bulk had a better effect ;)

Camera shy !

A thoroughly enjoyable ride out with good company, here's the Strava bit.......

....this is where I heal my hurt....

Went for a spin on the mtb today, when the weathers like this you just have to get out. I felt remarkably good after yesterdays efforts and even made it up the last big hill of the day without stopping which is a first for me. I also took the time to take some pics, I'm very lucky to live here, I may have said that before :-)

Here's the Strava bit if you want to see where I went.

...I'm finding hard to believe I'm in......

Sun! Quick get the bike out! I checked the early morning conditions with my retired buddy and then took to the twitterverse for sartorial advice, deceptively chilly was the word so I dressed accordingly but wore my new Half Baked Brand Somerset jersey (other counties are available). Pastures new today after the climb to Wheddon Cross which I did in my best time yet, must be doing something right, I'm still about 200th out of 200th but the only person I want to beat is myself ;) The warmer air helps us wheezy kids, certainly feels like all cylinders are firing and not just spluttering along but it was deceptively chilly.

Down the valley into Devon and up the hill and down to Bampton, all new to me, rolling hills today and not statuesque moors, made a pleasant change. Quiet wide roads with the odd gentle up but pretty flattish for me which meant I had to keep pedalling which is a bit of a novelty. After passing several bus shelters I think I left it too late to eat and was suffering a bit once I'd stopped and started heading for home. The road from Wiveliscombe to Elworthy was deceptively hilly and the legs were aching a bit but once I got to the A39 I perked up and spun home.

Bit short of things to say today, have a tune :)

Here's the Strava bit......

......I was low on a hundred things......

I wasn't feeling it this morning but with a couple of biggish rides lined up I knew I had to get out there and get the miles in, no excuses, man up and crack on. I seem to have shook off what was wrong with my lungs and have finally stopped coughing up lumps, nice. Like a fool I believed the forecast and risked three quarters, mitts and no shoe covers but I did wear my winter long sleeved jersey which proved to be a good call. I wanted to go a bit further than the norm and start upping my mileage so I devised a new route in my head and headed off into the er.... light patchy drizzle.

Took it steady to Porlock and headed up the Toll road, again, but why not, nice steady climb and I seemed to be going quite well for me. I was pushing a slightly bigger gear today and the legs felt good as I spun up, it felt a bit odd to be honest. The rally cars went up this way on Saturday and had done a great job of sweeping all the crap off the bends which made the decent surface even more decent. Just like last week the wind and rain was hanging around the top but I spun on and even did a bit of cyclocross to avoid the sticky hill.

Cyclocross anyone ?

I headed off for Exford but I could see the rain in the distance rolling in across the hills from the coast. My progress was slowed by the local hunt assembling at the roadside, I had to pick my way through lots of horses and posh people but they were all very polite and so was I.

Rain rolling in....

I was soaked and cold once I'd got to the bottom of the hill and did think about bailing out and heading for home but decided not to and cracked on. New climb today, Muddicombe Lane, guess what, it was muddy and went up through a combe, who'd have thought it :) On top of the moors now and heading for Dulverton but the wind seemed to be at my back now and legs still felt good.

Top of Winsford Hill...

I was really enjoying myself spinning along the top of the moors and I've never ridden this way before so it was all new. The descent down to Dulverton was great and looks like a decent ascent too, so that's a another route in the pipeline. Really wet in Dulverton so I didn't hang about and headed off onto the valley road and back towards home. A quick break in Bridgetown for a snack at the roadside and back on, still feeling good, I like this feeling. Up to Wheddon Cross, windproof on and the great descent back towards home, I started pushing on, I was loving it :)

Needs a wash....

Cold, wet and knackered but I really enjoyed the ride today, glad I stuck to the plan, perseverance and all that :)

Here's the Strava bit.....

....I'm not expecting to grow flowers in the desert.....

I've had lots of great advice lately all of which I am truly thankful for. I tend to be a bit self depreciating and counter the good advice received with a dig at myself normally but please don't think I don't appreciate it, I do. If I need to improve I need to work harder and possibly try and be a bit more structured or scientific in what I do to make myself a better rider. It's about two months to my first big sportive of the year, the Dragon Ride, seventy eight miles up and over the valleys of South Wales, should be fun. My aim is to lose weight as I've previously blogged about, less weight around the middle should make those climbs easier. I've started running, well more of a slow stagger, the first couple of runs felt painful during and after but now the body seems to be used to it.

I did plan to head over the moors today and being impatient I wanted to get out early, the nice lady on the tv said it would be sunny with the chance of a shower, I believed her, fool. It was damp but not too bad when I left but once at the end of the drag towards Porlock I could see the clouds hanging to the hills.

Rant time, I was passed too closely my for my own comfort going along the straight just outside Minehead. It's a quick road but a wide one with three lanes most of its length, to be passed three times in such a short stretch is really not necessary. The last vehicle, a very large van was so quick and so close it sent me into a bit of a wobble, is a vegetable oil delivery that important? I just want to ride a bike. Rant over.

I had to stop to compose myself then headed off to Porlock and the Toll road only for my front mech to decide not to shift onto the inner ring. It decided to work once I stopped, which was a bit of a relief, tackling the toll road on the big ring might of been fun though ? The sun poked its head out as I made my way up but soon went as I ascended, the cloud was just sat there like a big wet blanket. I rode to the end, decision time, straight back down or risk a ride across the moors?

I thought I'd risk it and see if the cloud would lift but it didn't and I just got wetter and colder. It never ceases to amaze me the difference in the conditions in such a short distance albeit a fifteen hundred foot height gain. So I donned the boil in the bag jacket and decided to head for Cloutsham and was truly frozen once I had dropped down off the moor and had reached the ford.

Still not riding through it!

Headed for home a lumpy way to warm me up, a bit brighter lower down, I was a bit disappointed with the speed and mileage but the descents were very wet and dirty and I should be grateful I've been able to get out again this week. With the audax and a couple of shorter rides that's about a hundred odd miles this week and I've still got the weekend :)

Here's the Strava bit....

For Stuart...rest in peace.....