Tuesday othg ride

No Andy today, so it wasn't going to be bonkers :) We were going to (something elms),I'd never been to this cafe before. It was out toward Westerham, but avoiding every hill!

It was a nice steady ride. Four of the guys were quite happy to knock lumps off each other on the front, so I sat in and let them. :) It was feeling quite ok today just rolling along, some of the others we puffing a bit.

It was a lovely sunny day around 20' and we sat outside for coffee and teacakes. We sat too long and I had to be back for 3pm. The route back was a Gary Smith special.We took a couple of fantastic farm tracks, one of them covered in gravel. Me and one of the guys who's a ex cyclo-crosser hit it hard. I got behind him and he was flying! I've ridden gravel hard on the mountain bike with knobblies, but on road bike slicks with 100psi it was very interesting. The bike sort of floats and with no side knobs moves from side to side with each pedal turn. And once you smooth out the pedalling it steadies and and you can apply the power. It's one of those things that you learn in about five seconds or you fall off!:) As soon as I knew where I was, I lifted the pace because I needed to get back. I time trialled the next eight miles. I didn't really look back. I could hear Chris behind me,but no one came through so I just kept my head down. At the sprint for the Dorking sign there was only me and Chris left. I made it home with 15 mins to spare.

I can feel some fitness on these beautiful warm days.

Saturday and Sunday ride

Yesterday we decided on a longish mtb ride, Jane felt that she needed some km's in her legs for the Extrem. We set off towards the Downs Link go to Pulborough, but after Cripplegate we decided to go to Dial Post across country from where the Down's Link meets Partridge Green. It was a lovely hot day, about 25', and was the first time in shorts for me(in the UK) this year! On the way back we saw a slow worm in the woods!

A nice five and a half hours on the bike and 100+ km.

Today we were by ourselves - Paul has a lower body injury sustained in a handlebar/ soft tissue interface resulting from a crash in Italy. He has to take a week's rest. The Mighty D has a thumb injury, again sustained in a crash in Italy. I think we all left various tissues of some kind or other in the hills around Faenza :) It makes it difficult to get moving when there is no deadline of some one turning up to ride.

So, the sun was high when me and Jane left for a steady ride of some steeps and singletrack around Leith. On the way out we saw another slow worm, this time on the steep climb out of the vineyard. On the way back from the second time around Summer Lightning we saw a lizard! I haven't seen a lizard in the uk for ages.It was very dark brown compared to the Ibizincan lizards. The lovely weather brings everybody out :)

A nice two hours on the bike tackling very steep climbs and swoopy singletrack :)

Tuesday ride - othg

(sketch by Frank Patterson)


First othg ride for a while and I was a little bit worried that it would be too fast, because most of them were in Mallorca for a training camp a couple of weeks ago. Anyway I was in for a kicking, as I'd not done any attacking riding. Today would be one of those days because we were going to Dane Hill, which is a very hilly ride.

I didn't fancy a kicking, but I needed one :) I have the Ibiza Extreme in three weeks time and I need to learn how to suffer again. Today I suffered.

For the first hour or so I felt dreadful, nothing worked. My lungs were sore from the pollen, my legs ached and I couldn't pedal in circles.A couple of people commented on how bad I looked!
At Turner's Hill Andy kicked, and Matthew followed. I was sitting near the back, but I felt compelled to chase - sometimes I hate myself for these decisions :) I managed to bridge the gap and sat in, I was hurting but staying with them at least. After the first couple of rises Chris bridged the gap and we started working. On the last rise I came through to do my bit and stayed on the front just that bit too long and when Andy came through I just could not close the gap. They gradually pulled away from me and I couldn't do a thing about it. They made it through the traffic lights and I caught the red light - secretly, I was glad because I was stuffed :)-I could see the chasing group I waited but most of them had decided to go to a different tea stop!! Only Alan was going the same way, I thought it would be nice to give chase with Alan, But he was having a particularly bad day and couldn't stay on my wheel and I had to keep easing to let him get on. Strange, normally he's very strong.

On the way back we stayed together until Andy kicked hard on the Rusper climb. Me and Matthew jumped after him but he got a gap and just kept it the whole way to Newdigate. He is so strong Chris had joined us for the chase and we couldn't pull him back.

A good hilly 100 km in 3.5 hours. And a sound kicking for me :)

Sundayriders Sunday ride

This was our first Sunday ride since the Rally di Romagna. The mighty dinsdale came to play on her cross bike, because she'd broken her wheel. Paul was doing the Buck's 100.

We decided on a short ride around the Epsom loop, because of tmd had hurt her thumb in a crash in Italy. A nice steady hour and a half.

I've taken a week off since Italy and now need to start to train for the Ibiza Extreme in 3 week's time. I need some sunshine after the wet and muddy Rally di Romagna.

Pepe gets cold buying so much ice cream :)

Reevax tradition says podium = ice cream :)

so Pepe true to his word bought ice cream for me,Bk,the Mighty Dinsdale,Kroki and Paul.

Thanks Pepe :)

rally di Romagna

Bad time at the race for me- got lost on the 2nd day, lost on the 3rd day and tendinitis on the 4th... doh! I will write up what I have when I return, but for now I'm bit fed up.

Paul is still going strong, The mighty Dinsdale is getting stronger every day and Bk is hanging on in there :)



We have met up with the Reevax guys, Croki and Pepe from Belgium website. These guys are even funnier in the flesh than on their website :) Pepe is leading the masters at the moment and according to Reevax tradition, he has to buy ice cream if he gets a podium. As we are his new friends we will insist on our treat :) Go go Pepe !!!

The awfully nice Lorenza Menapace website has had to pull out with a broken scapula, she is 24 hour racing later this month.

Sandra klomp is winning the ladies by a long way now. Sandra has won the ironbike 7 times.



Dirk and Telse are enjoying the race more and more now.

It's a very friendly race.

Rally di Romagna day 1

The weather is beautiful today, blue skies, fluffy clouds and a summer breeze.

We have signed on and received our most excellent 'goody bags' hurrah! The prologo is at 6.30 tonight, but already Reevax are ready :)

The goody bags contained some lovely white arm warmers, a not so lovely white 'chav style' hoody and lots of bits and bobs essential to the race.

The prologo is 5km through the town. It looks quite steep in parts.

Rally di Romagna day 0

Me and Paul have arrived in the beautiful spa town of Riolo Terme. This area of Italy is beautiful, but worryingly green. Green is not good - Wales is green, Ireland is green and Austria is green too. Green = wet, and it's wet. It's raining now, not malevolent coming at you sideways screwing up your face rain, but the stuff that just idly drops out of the sky at the regulation 9.8 metres per second per second with no change in intensity or no real purpose other than than doing what rain does. There's no malice aforethought, no intention, no hate, so I can't even get annoyed with it for being peevish.

Anyway we have a briefing at 7 tonight and The Mighty D and Bk have arrived....hurrah!