Day -29
The ride home on Friday evening strarted with the usual route through to Victoria Park and onto the Regent Canal southwards towards the Limehouse Basin. As I approached the bridge over the final lock on the canal and past the Water Chariots I made the decision to avoid the tunnel and head down to the foot tunnel through to Greenwich and then use Crooms Hill to test my fitness. I remained seated for the climb and made a steady ascent with a strava segment of 2:06 against my best of 1:56.
Day -28
The Bigfoot CC Saturday Ride was entitled 'Kent Villages' and did not disappoint this weekend. For our RAB group Hugh intended for us to follow the 48 mile route he had planned for the Level 3's but to set a slower and more steady paced ride. We waited at Hayes Village Hall while all the other groups headed out and then six of us begun our ride.
My ride download file is on Strava and shows with the ride to and from home the distance covered was 90km in 3 hours 40 minutes moving time. A typical day on RAB will be that in the morning and then the same again after lunch. Discussion on the ride was about the need to pace our riding, not starting too strongly and allowing the daily riding to improve our fitness as we work our way into the journey. So wherever possible on the climbs I stayed seated and rode an even pace not chasing those ahead but keeping well inside the red line. The Strava summary shows mostly 2nd and 3rd best times on the familiar climbs and this encourages me that I am actually fitter and stronger but am able to ride the overall distance and enjoy the experience of RAB.
On arriving home it was back to domestic duties before an evening BBQ - no trip to Rapha this weekend. Instead we took a gentle stroll across the common to the village for a few groceries and as we walked down the High Street we came to the bike stands adjacent to the pharmacy where there were two road bikes and a cyclist staring at a bike lock attached to the Sheffield stand. I had to approach him as I immediatley recognised the Enigma Ti frame of one of the two bikes. We struck up a conversation. As an aside it is wonderful how people who cycle have such a shared passion and are willing to share time for a conversation. The Enigma was an Esprit frame and looked quick. We discussed riding and his wife who emerged from the Orangery was immediately in conversation with Sara about her training and triathlon plans for the autumn. After a while we said our farewells but felt uplifted by the chance meeting.
After the BBQ and then
Day-27
Out early on Games Maker duties for the mens marathon. The event management (LM) was superb and the crossing team was happy and effective during our shift in the City. Overall the runners were amazing, the crowd were brilliant in supporting all countries not just the GB team and the Games Makers were a great team - THANK YOU!
Day -26
A typical early morning ride into work although I had stayed up late to watch the brilliant closing ceremony on TV so not much sleep.
Kit:
A text message from EvansCycles on Saturday morning informed me my order was 'now out for delivery and due with you today.' When the box arrived late afternoon it was opened slowly and with much pleasure as the expensively wrapped items were revealed. First the Gore Bike Wear Gloves were tried on for size and confirmed as good fit.
The Assos products were in the most luxurious packaging so first the Body Car Pack comprising one of a Chamois and Repair cream were removed from the box and inspected. All good. The Knog Skink light packaging was impossible to open without ripping it apart but the red plastic body and 4 LED's were just what I had hoped for and will be perfect for RAB.
The pile of packaging was building up but the most impressive was for the Assos FI.Mille S5 bib shorts, an outer sleeve and then the box itself, in which I found not only the bib shorts but they also came with a miniture Chamois cream pot, a fabric care wash bottle and a mesh bag for washing the shorts. When making the order I had spent some time deliberating over what size to purchase. I had chosen Medium initially but subsequently amended the order to a Large size. Somewhat too apprehensive to try them on and to be disappointed by the potential of them having to be returned I decided to leave that until later.
The final item at the bottom the box was the ProGold Prolink chain oil.
On Sunday evening I cautiously put on the bib shorts and was massively relieved to find that the Large size was a perfect fit. Tried on with the RAB top I felt ready to ride a 1000 miles!
Looking ahead:
After a warm sunny weekend the forecast now includes some rain but commuting each day will be the usual 26 mile round trip. Thursday will bring the return visit to Swift Cycles with Sara for the bike fit and then Friday for the start of the last of the 3 by 3 day tours planned and organised by Hugh for the RAB team.
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