Blackpool…  On Young Farmers weekend… What do I win?

A twelve hour shift, looking after the people that look after the people of my city. Got home just after sundown. Still, lie in tomorrow before nights. Small mercies

200km permanent audax around Glos and Worcs. 7th leg of my Randonnée-Round-the-Year attempt – no calendar events near me this month.

Was quite interesting – got overtaken by a genuine race peloton – they were really moving! – overtook a traction engine, saw a steam engine – nice day out but will ache tomorrow.

Kids basketball, gardening, more gardeninfg, even more gardening, interspersed with lots of beer, gin & mojitos, bbq, late night double header NBA playoffs…. more gardening… buying a new bike… shooting hoops with the kids.  Exhausting.

cant wait for tomorrow.

Still nursing bruised ribbs and a bananna’d back after my massive crash a couple of weeks ago, and have a metric c**pload of work to do (the ‘benefits’ of being self employed….) so sat indoors most of today at the computer  doh!

Managed to find an hour to clean my bike (now that i can lift it again….) and do a bit of gentle gardening, so not all lost mind 😉

Went paddling in the north Norfolk Broads.  Here’s Mr TW enjoying a rare quiet moment.

Helping with this, interesting, pretty hard 28 hours..

https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/plane-made-incredible-emergency-landing-1539390

RAF’s 100th anniversary; Guy Martin’s replica WW1 tank, Lincoln Castle for static displays and reconstructions and Dakota flypast with No 1 son – very enjoyable.

Then 2 hours on road bike around rural lincolnshire; pleasantly warmed so drank Vedett and Pinot Noir.

Bike kit washed and on line for overnight drying.

‘Night all.

Been the best weekend for cycling that I can remember in a long time. Hence I have put in a fair number of kms. It’s been fantastic!

Nice one, Lionheart.

Tour de Yorkshire sportive – pleased Chris boardman described it as a tough day out – because it was (for me anyway). Great day though and fabulous weather and back in time to watch the pros on telly.

Working and meeting happy people who think my home county is a great place to cycle. A bit galling that I’m also on call so a bike ride is not possible until later this afternoon. Ups and downs of the job.

In some Welsh hospital after spacking myself at blackmountain on Friday. Weather looks nice out the window..

Decided to not bother going back to Weymouth as travelling by train with a bike is bad enough on a normal weekend. Did a 40mile route around Oxfordshire on Saturday and 80 miles yesterday. Not massive distances but on the singlespeed it felt a bit tiring. Best part of yesterday was ending up at a mates pu about 10 miles from home. It is basically a country pub from the 60s that has been put in a time capsule. I sat in the garden drank cider and watched flypasts of assorted things heading to and from Abingdon airshow.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/JLUXAo]photo[/url] by John Stanley, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/JLUXyj]photo 2[/url] by John Stanley, on Flickr

http://pubheritage.camra.org.uk/pubs/historic-pub-interior-entry.asp?NatPubID=WHS/058&Detail=full

Today I’m waiting for the washing machine to finish and then I’m out of the rigid cannondale for a day on the Ridgeway.

Went paddling in the north Norfolk Broads.  Here’s Mr TW enjoying a rare quiet moment.

TW That looks rather relaxing

Enjoyed the sun with Solarider Jnr and Mrs Solarider for the last 2 days with a cheeky early morning ride both days. Now sat in Wagamama Heathrow T5 watching the lovely day outside about to catch a flight to Canada then San Francisco for 2 weeks of work and receiving pictures of the 2 of them at a Teddy Bears Picnic. I know where I would rather be right now…….(clue – it doesn’t involve chopsticks and long haul travel!). Enjoy the Bank Holiday STWers!

Timidwheeler Wins

Great early morning ride around Clent until I ran out of ability and hit a tree

Had a nice afternoon down our local park yesterday. Managed to get Mrs G out of the house too which was nice. G-1on his skateboard, G-2 and G-3 on their bikes and G-4 kicking a ball around. As well as playing on the swings and slides.

Really nice chilled afternoon.

Gazebo is out and sand pit is being filled in a minute so another semi chilled day hopefully.

That looks lovely timidwheeler. Did you paddle up to a pub? Do pubs have jettys? lol

Sold my car that I’ve owned from new in 2001 😞 It’s a sad day . But a change is due

We went swimming today, and I am now going to sleep.

Working.

Offshore.

No drink.

Was supposed to be home a week ago.

Pissed off.

But home on Wednesday.

No doubt the weather will be shite by then.

Working, first weekend of festival season and miraculously I managed to:-

Not get sunstroke

Not get sunburnt

Not lose any kit.

Eat my body weight in ice cream

All in all a good weekend

I worked all last night busy as heck with little turds burning wheelie bins round the estate got home just as the Mrs went to work and I’m catching up on jobs round the house and looking after kids and back for work tonight I leave as Mrs arrives, ships in the night,  deep joy

Did things i was supposed to do saving myself for today and getting out on a ride. Went out this morning and the garage door is jammed and i cant get in. Every bloody thing i need is in there. Man cant come until tomorrow when ill be back in the office. Turbo is the only way i can ride today. No helmet and no outdoor tyre on the back, cant even road ride. Nearly bought a tyre and helmet just to go riding, but seemed silly when i’ve alrwady got them in the garage.

Glaf i paid extra in feb for the door with the extra latches, guess which latch is stuck, yep.

Swearing at various bits of bike as I finally succumbed to servicing the pivots on my rocket after two years of use, neglect and power washing.

Should probably go for a quick shakedown ride when it cools down a bit…

Sitting in the garden watching some chicken and pork cook in the Weber, with a beer or two.

The rest of the world can F off for the next couple of hours.

Did a road ride with my mates on Saturday, with a cafe stop – hadn’t ridden with some since last year, so good to catch-up.

Yesterday, took the campervan down to Hayling Island with about 50 others for a ‘cruise’ to West Wittering. After turning-off the A27 joined a solid queue of traffic that they proceeded to crawl for 2 hours without actually getting to the beach! Dogs were getting a bit hot with little airflow so decided to bin the beach, drove back passing 6 miles of solid traffic with little chance of seeing the sea! Enjoyed our picnic lunch beside a little lake in the Meon Valley instead.

Took my freshly-build SS gravel/CX bike down the Shipwright’s Way to QECP and back today – 45mm tubeless tyres @ 30psi ideal as I was a bit over-geared for the steeper bits and was scrabbling for grip on the steeper pitches. Only stopped for a water refill @ QECP as it was a bit hot to stand around in the sunshine!

That looks lovely timidwheeler. Did you paddle up to a pub? Do pubs have jettys? lol

Why yes my friend.  Yes they do.  We stopped here

http://www.suttonstaithehotel.co.uk

for cold beer and fantastic pastry products.

Today, the very nice

http://www.wayfordbridge.co.uk

let us park and launch from their car park.  In return, we bought cold beer and sausage sandwiches when we got back.

Now stuck in traffic on the A11 trying to get home.

Sigh.

Not a mile was peddled here, but great bluebell walk with the family on Saturday,<span style=”font-size: 0.8rem;”> Stoneleigh kit car show Sunday, DIY today!</span>

Was working on Saturday.

Sunday up early made pancakes with strawberries for the family then got stuck into the garden that has been neglected since last year , trimmed the grass front and rear ant the hedges too. Took my eldest son to see the new Avengers film (liked it , nice twist) .

Today we all went for a steam train ride , had a walk in a wood that was awash with bluebells , did the shopping and just had a barbeque and a few beers feeling a bit tiddly and it’s my turn to read the little un stories.

All in all a good weekend but no bikes :-(.

…Bluebells tomorrow morning with the dogs when everyone’s gone back to work…the joys of self-employment!

Motorbikin up to Matlock Bath from Warwickshire and dipping into the Peak a bit.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/24aX6YS]Matlock Bath motorcycle ride. May 2018[/url] by kayak23, on Flickr

Cotswolds ride today on the fatty. Just insanely not shit.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/HgFrdB]Cotswolds loop, May 2018[/url] by kayak23

[url=https://flic.kr/p/24aX943]Snowshill loop.May 2018[/url] by kayak23, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/25Q83xb]Cotswolds loop, May 2018[/url] by kayak23, on Flickr

Then a cheeky bit more motor bikin. Blissful.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/26VAD7g]Long Itchington. May 2018[/url] by kayak23, on Flickr