Simple things by zero 7 is always a good chill out album to listen to.

Had a few of the SKS variants but they were for a bike that had no mounts and consistently rattled, it sent me nuts. When I got a new bike for winter duties I made sure it had dedicated mudguard mounts and settled on a pair of kinesis fend off. Fantastic purchase, extremely quiet and coupled with the flaps make a huge difference to keeping clean and dry.
https://kinesisbikes.co.uk/collections/mudguards/products/kinesis-fend-off-mudguards

Absolutely loved watching all the above growing up ! In fact if I was on mastermind (which I wouldn’t due to me being thicker than a piece of 3×2) it’d be my specialist subject. Another to throw into the mix would be Bravestar. He had the ability to call on certain animals powers to help him. Eyes of the hawk, speed of the puma, strength of the bear etc. As kids we used to take great pleasure to call out : Dick of a donkey ?

My work mug. The shift at my last place of work got it for me, can’t think why…

And no it doesn’t need cleaning out, it adds to the flavour ? ;-)

Get to the chopper!!!!

Got both extremes on my bikes. Shimano Dura ace hubs on my summer bike. Hope on my TT bike and scribe on the winter bike (I thought the Hope were loud but these are on another level) Give me the DA hubs anytime, in fact the scribe’s are a bit embarrassing tbh

Our three when posh, look at me poses

And in their more natural environment. As in, caked in mud 🙄

The doggy version of the red arrows. Coming soon to a air show near you

Well as they say, when one door closes another one opens. Something will turn up I’m sure.

It’d certainly come in handy for me. Just been confirmed that I’m being made redundant after 27 years 😞

It’d certainly come in handy for me. Just been confirmed that I’m being made redundant after 27 years 😞

Another ride yesterday to finish the challenge in three rides. Out early doors again to do another 100 + mile effort. Got back, washed the bike down and as I was putting the bike away it started raining. Bonus 😀

Slightly less than last year but I’m happy enough with my lot.

2nd ride of the challenge today. Rode out in a horrible headwind to Lytham then onto Blackpool before turning round. I hoping for a huge tailwind along the Fylde, into the hills ending up at Clitheroe then turning back home to Garstang. Trouble was the wind abated quite a bit so never really got back what I lost first thing. Still, it’s another 168km ticked off. Hopefully get another ride in on NYE to complete the challenge.

Out at 6:30am this morning in windy, wet conditions to knock out 167km (104miles) Done the challenge for a few years now, always trying to do it in a few rides as possible. My wife is a saint during the year letting me train as much as I do so I try not to take the piss over Christmas so normally do it in three rides (although I did do it once in two ). I’ll keep an eye out for two more half decent weather windows later in the week.

Our two male Ridgebacks are named after MotoGP riders. We even got their kennel names entwined with them (we get on really well with the breeder so gave her permission) So we have Rossi (Jimanns The Doctor) and Miller (Jimanns  Jackass) Our first Ridgeback was named after the Ellsworth Rogue MTB. His kennel name was Morlingcourt perfect Rogue, aka Rogue. 

People who walk up to a pelican crossing and  press the button without checking if it’s actually clear to cross without using the traffic management lights. They then realise it’s clear, cross the road only for the lights to turn green for them, red for the traffic after they’ve long gone forcing the traffic to stop with no one crossing.

Rogue, Miller and Rimini. All related. Rogue is the Unkle to Miller and Rimini who are brother and sister. (Same parentage, different litters)

Never remove contact lenses after chopping chillies

Yep, been there, done that. Made a curry up using a fine selection of chillies. Scotch bonnet, Carolina reaper and ghost  chillies. (I had a very high threshold to the hot ones back then). My contact lenses are the monthly verity so you take them out at night, rub them with saline solution using your finger then pop them in a case for the following morning .  Taking them out wasn’t the problem, it was the next day. The night before I basically rubbed the heat of all that fine selection of hotness into the lenses. Think I woke the whole street up screaming like a banshee at five am 😬

Our three say Hi Milo !

Now our youngest, Rimini is old enough she had her first session out with our dog walker. Accompanied by her brother and uncle

I think the first day declaration played a big part. If it was overcast  conditions  and the wicket was offering something to the bowlers it would’ve been a very good choice to throw the ball to Jimmy and Broad for the last 30min or so. Trouble was the wicket was a belter to bat on, Root was seeing the ball like a balloon and could’ve easily added another 40 runs. It’s all ifs and buts but that possible  40 runs might’ve changed the result ? Who knows. Still a cracking game though, bodes well for the rest of the series

Always wanted a dedicated winterbike with proper mudguard mounts. Up to this year I’ve made do with rattling clip on mudguards on my old Sensa that sent me round the bend on long rides. I’ve always hankered after a Titanium bike so took the plunge with a Hurricane on cycle to work. Didn’t get it until the end of February before it got put away for summer but after a wheelset upgrade to some Scribe’s to make it a bit lighter I’m generally impressed by it. Don’t know if it’s because of the compliance of the frame or the 28mm tyres (probably both) but it’s a very comfy ride. Still could do with loosing a little bit of weight but it is my winterbike so won’t be breaking any speed records with it

Remember talking to my Unkle, a stalwart, diehard old school motorbike rider. (He used to own and restore Velocette bikes if anyone can remember them 😃) who knew quite a few of the riders of the TT. He said of one of the passengers of the sidecar was pissing blood for two weeks after the race. Such was the battering his kidneys got 😳

We got another little ray of sunshine a couple of months ago. Please be upstanding for Rimini (or Pendle if she’s misbehaving 🙄)

Our first foray into bitch ownership (we’ve always had dogs) she’s settled in fantastically, the boys have really taken her under their wing. Probably to much, they let her get away with murder 😂

Garry_Lager
Full Member
Sounds like you going well Andy – nice results.

I did a ten this week having left my garmin at home with no power, didn’t miss it much – went long 21, about 20 secs off my course pb. I do like a few spot checks on avg speed but rpe is the boss for short TTs I reckon.

Used to ride my local midweek ten and got my course pb on feel. Rode out to it and my pm died so took off the info on the Garmin and basically mullard it from the off 😂

Done a few races up to now this season with various levels of success. Since my coach and I parted company at the end of last season (perfectly amicable, it was just a cost thing for me) my training has been a little ad hoc. One of my races was a spocco up in Cumbria so with the National 12hr being once again my target race of the year I thought I’d ride out and back to it. A nice 50mile warm up, race (coming 4th) then a 50 mile cool down 😂 Anyway I did the Anfield 100 last Monday in great weather. Had a power figure I wanted to stick to that I broke down into 25mile laps. The first 50 went well but then miles 55-75 not so. Just felt I couldn’t hit my targets. I even thought about jacking at one point which is unusual for me, my mindset is one of my strongest attributes normally. Decided to neck two gels at once and see how I felt and, coupled with catching up and passing a rider who flew passed me earlier, gave me renewed enthusiasm. In fact according to some Stravaland segments (don’t laugh at the back) I actually got into the top three of the day for the last 15 miles. It’s a tough old course though, some very grippy roads doesn’t bode well for a quick time. Finished 6th overall and 1st V40 with 3hrs 54min 13sec

Had our new little addition a week now and she’s settled right in. The boys have taken her under their wing. Blooming glad she’s had her last injection and can go on the floor, walking around with her in a rucksack last week for socialisation was killing my back 😂

Scribe do a 54t upgrade kit that not only makes for a faster engagement, it also quietens down the freehub apparently. £70 though 😬

tpbiker
Free Member
Always thought that model of slice looked lovely. Those cables are giving me the shivers however..😉😂

No I get what you’re saying, tided them up since this pic 😂

Here’s mine, a Cannondale slice. Getting quite long in the tooth (this’ll be my 6th season on it) and I’d imagine about as areo as a brick compared to the new stuff that’s around nowadays but I just can’t afford a new TT bike. It’s served me well though, finishing in the top 5 five in the last 3yrs of the 12hr National championships

And with me aboard it :

jimdubleyou
Full Member
@bjj.Andy.w – any idea if you can fit 32s and mudguards on the hurricane?

Pictures looks like it might be tight if those are 28s

It’d be tight but doable I’d imagine. I’m running Kinesis Fend Off Road Bike Mudguards that are able to take up to 30mm tyres.

endoverend
Full Member
Only one of the Ti road bikes shown above is ‘nice’, all of the others have disc brakes… which aren’t needed on the road and make a Ti framed bike weigh near 20lbs. IMO. YMMV and all that.

Yeah I get what you’re saying. I much prefer the look of a rim braked roadbike and after nearly 500miles on the Hurricane in all weathers I don’t think the discs are a game changer. The only reason I moved over to discs was I was destroying a set of rims every winter (I do a lot of miles in hilly Lancashire) I’m hoping my disc wheelset should last much longer.

Purchased a PlanetX Hurricane in January for my new winter bike.Upgraded the wheels to Sribe Alloy race D and swapped the tyres out to some Hutchinson tubeless, saving 500g. Very happy with it. Not sure if it’s the titanium frame or the 28mm tyres (normally run 25’s) but find it a very nice ride.

Posted this on face ache and tagged the good lady into it :
It’s a good job she understands my sense of humour. Then again if she doesn’t get me after 26 years she never will do…

OP – WHAT A TUNE !
Remember going metal to that numerous times after far to many disco biscuits back in the day 😬😂
Another thing, why is it that nowadays someone can introduce themselves and within 5 minutes I’ve forgotten their name, put a banging tune on that I haven’t heard for 30years and I can sing it word for word 🤷

Managed to complete it yesterday with another 100 + mile ride so like my previous years I did the challenge in three rides. (Well, apart from one year when I did it in two)
24th 103 fasted miles on the TT bike
29th 107 fasted miles on the roadbike
30th 105 miles on the roadbike. Tried to do this fasted again but 80miles in I was a broken man and had to take on a couple of granola bars 😂
Done the challenge for a few years now and this was by far the hardest. Normally you get at least a couple of rides in with half decent weather but in Lancashire it never turned up.

Second ride of the week today. 172km meaning that I’ve got to do another 165km to finish the challenge tomorrow. (Family duties on NYE) Only trouble is the Christmas whiskey is going down nice atm 😬

First ride boxed off for me. 103 fasted miles (165km) Found it quite hard going today. Set off heading North with what was supposed to be a tailwind but unfortunately the wind didn’t pick up until the return leg so was fighting a headwind all the way back 😩 Hoping to get two more 100+ rides in between now and NYE

I always try an hide away. The one exception was 2hrs into a 12hr TT when the body needs to rebalance the relatively constant liquid intake. Lay-by on the A14 Newmarket bypass. It was early (about 07:30) and of course I turned my back, but there is no privacy. And it went on for ages and ages! Didn’t go again for over 10 hrs. The annoying thing is that the length of that excretion cost me 10th place – was beaten my only 300 yards.

It was during this year’s national 12hr TT that for the first time ever I did it “on the fly” Like you I can take absolutely ages, especially on a 12hr TT when I’ve taken on anything up to 4ltrs of fluid on so I’ve always been Conscious on how much distance it’s cost me. Try as I might, Up until this years race I’ve never been able to do it though. My mind kept on telling me it was just plane wrong.

The guy said the reason why was because we don’t have a consumer credit licence so can’t go over the 1k mark. However am I right in thinking that if you go through one of the schemes they have the credit license so the limit isn’t an issue? Up to now he hasn’t used any of the various schemes for any workers who have got a bike through work because, in his words, they take a cut for not doing anything. Yes he’s a tight arse, that’s why he’s in accounts 😂

Like a lot of others posting it’s time rather than miles for me. From spring to Autumn I normally get in 3 or 4 2hr rides midweek and on a weekend I get one big ride in, minimum of 5hrs, sometimes up to 8. In winter I’ll still do the hours but some of the midweek rides will be on zwift. Depending on the amount of climbing the distance can vary between 250-320miles per week. (All on the road or TT bike)