I sleep in my berlingo – much better when it’s warm enough to leave the boot open but I sleep better in that than a tent. We do have a camping conversion kit that you can take in and out which has nice thick cushions and blackout blinds. Condensation does build up a bit.

Yes, or at least I did my commute home rather than going out for “fun”. The rain in itself wasn’t too bad at that stage (and nothing like what I heard coming down later), but what was slightly more concerning was a car that lost control coming towards me round a bend and which was heading towards me sideways in the middle of the road 😯

Arras to Leeds by coach.

Leaving Arras there’s a problem with the coach. The coach driver had been to fill up and forgotten to put the cap back on the fuel tank. Finally located, after a delay. Missed planned ferry but that’s OK there’s another one later. Except it then dumps us onto the UK motorway network at just the wrong time.

Get lost getting out of Dover.

Finally hit the M25 at rush hour. Spend quite a long time on the M25 at rush hour.

Replacement driver is waiting for us at the services on the M1. Only problem is that our driver doesn’t have enough hours left to get to those services. We stop at different services short of the planned handover and wait for replacement driver to turn up.

Once he does we get back onto the coach. Coach doesn’t start properly. We get off the coach again.

Finally both coach and driver are ready to set off. Start making progress and hit roadworks.

Get back to Leeds at about 1.30am. Only problem is that my car’s parked in a car park which shuts at 10.30. Having been told we’d be back at about 8.30 this didn’t overly concern me when I parked it.

Taxi home. Run back to rescue the car the next morning.

Should find out if I have a place this week – I’m in one of the four teams my club has entered. Rode just over 100k yesterday on a club ride which included all four members of the team so I’m fairly happy that the distance will be fine and the group will work nicely together, so just need to keep my fingers crossed!

I’m 35 (they went in at 23)

My ankle pins/plates have been in for 12 years plus now and I’m really hoping they don’t have to come out. Interested to know what factors are relevant in deciding whether they stay or go.

Nope

Free wine in east coast first class. Only paid £20 for the ticket and trying toget my money’s worth…

It’s compulsory at my running club training nights. (In winter)

I do tend to anyway, because even if I’m not running on roads I am crossing them, it costs me nothing to wear it (i’ve picked up enough free hi vis tops from races that i don’t need to buy any more) and it may help one day.

Not sure about a box but we did once fit a bike and four people in a C1 – wheels in the boot and the frame on the knees of the back seat passengers. It would have to be a very compact case I think.

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ghisallo[/url] by helen_goldthorpe[/url], on Flickr

It was really smooth when I had to claim – I used bikeline and it only took a couple of months. Insurers admitted liability straight away and settled at the amount we suggested. Maybe it helped that I wasn’t trying it on to get every penny I could out of them – went to them with a sensible number (about £3k for written off bike, kit and injuries) and they were fine about it. Really surprised me after some of the horror stories I’ve heard!

Happened to me once. We were out on road bikes doing a climb in gran canaria when we came across an e-bike tour. The standard of riding was fairly low and we’d overtaken them on a flat section, but when it kicked up some of them started overtaking.

I carried on at my own speed, got to the top of the hill where I noticed the ride leader (also on an ebike) sitting on my wheel. I’m sure he could have gone past and I’m not sure why he didn’t – my arse may have been female and lycra clad but it’s not *that* shapely!

Other roads have had priorities changed so that the main road has to give way to adjoining minor roads. So again, you can’t steam down at takeoff speed cos you’ve to give way after every block.

My parents town in Spain has done this to good effect – essentially it’s a grid pattern. Most of the roads are one way although there are a couple of bigger two way roads, and almost without exception they all have to give way at every other junction (the one road which does have priority all the way through is a “shared space” road where there is no distinction between road and pavement and pedestrians have priority at all times). Speeds are low and drivers will happily sit behind cyclists.

I’ve had that one on my phone and my tablet today.

Saucony

Penguin – one of them said it something like “pinwen”. I can’t remember how the other one mangled it.

I had two secretaries in a row who couldn’t say penguin.

I have no idea how we discovered this.

+2 on it being mental. My OH has refused to ever do it again.

I got cancelled and so did my other half.

I’ve damaged my own car (mainly associated with bikes rubbing the paintwork when on bike racks) but never another. Once I averted a clipless moment by using a bus to hold me up, and once I slipped on a white line while filtering between two lanes of traffic and put a hand on a van but neither caused any damage.

A friend did have a cyclist go through the rear window of her (parked) car which seems to be surprisingly common judging by this thread.

2 hours on the road, a bit windy and cool in the shade/wind but nice to be out.

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Speed (blur)[/url] by helen_goldthorpe[/url], on Flickr

Last night at the velodrome I was playing around with slower shutter speeds to capture some movement, quite pleased with how this turned out.

My parents live near a marine reserve in spain called el cabron – the bastard. Goolge also suggests arsehole and shithead as alternative translations.

No riding over the weekend but 38 road miles in gran canaria today. Big road ride planned for tomorrow too.

A slice of ham wrapped round a chunk of dairy milk.

10 days in Ireland to coincide with the Giro and a week all inclusive in Fuerteventura with 10 of my relatives 😯 for my mum’s 60th.

On a similar subject, I booked ferries to ireland for the giro earlier. 2 grand tours in one year. Bring it on! 😀

I live in leeds and have the monday booked off work but haven’t planned much more than that. I have friends who live around holmfirth so will see what their plans are for stage 2 and go along with that I think. There are tentative plans to dump a vehicle in advance then cycle out to it on the day.

Yes, my oh concussed himself going otb at the weekend and I’ve had a manic day at work and want to do parkrun in the morning so the plan is a quiet evening and a nice lunch tomorrow.

2 documents signed, the third is agreed but not signed yet, 90 emails and one conference call. The wine will be open shortly!

Other side are generating final form docs. Fingers crossed they’ll be right and I can get some wine poured shortly.

Working from home and have been really busy since 7.30am 🙁 hopefully the early start means these docs will get signed off mid afternoon then I can pour myself a stiff drink.

I’ve barely even had time to check facebook let alone indulge in the full range of internet based timewasting opportunities afforded by working from home…

Working from home. I was mewnt to be in the office but my OH knocked himself out coming off his bike yesterday so I popped in for my laptop and to get my mot done (booked into the garage near work) but am now back at home. I may be able to string out nursing duties for a day or two more…
Sadly though I’m working on a deal that’s meant to complete tomorrow so I may need to show my face at some point.

Mother goose in lytham on christmas eve. Some woman from radio lancashire who is in the lytham panto every year and some people I’d never heard of. Front row seats 😯 but my nephews loved it 😀

Lovely. Split between my OH’s family and mine (my sister’s house for christmas itself, his family on either side). Haven’t touched a bike or been for a run all week, have barely watched tv (on christmas day the only thing we watched was a dvd before the kids went to bed), almost all my family in one room for lunch, no arguments, only one brush with casual racism and lots of lego.
Shame I had to go back to work today though 🙁

First christmas together. My sister has 10+ round for lunch and 2 small kids, he is an only child and usually sees his parents. This time he is experiencing the madness. It remains to be seen whether it will put him off for life! His family and mine live quite close to each other though, they were round here today and we’re heading down there on boxing day.

My guess is 5am, sharing a room with my nephew and that’s his waking up time of choice.

I spent upwards of £100 on booze excluding wine. My dad does the wine, my sister does most of the food and various other bits get contributed by other family members. There will be 12 of us for lunch I think 🙂

Pub lunch and pantomime with my nephews