First day of Wales trip.

OK so we have pretty much done our first days riding and are sinking beers and getting ready for dinner.

Apart from a shed load of m25 and Bristol traffic the ride to Cwm Carn was pretty sweet.

I will be honest I was very hesitant and the following the climbing (which was a lot of fun) my initial downhill was very hesitant and nervy. However by the time we hit the latter parts of the run all nerves from the South Downs 100 had gone and I was flying along very happily. In fact all my time on the downs and in the gym have paid off quite well. I am controlling the bike well and climbing/descending with strength and skill. What is quite nice is that I seem to be slightly quicker in the descents than Nick now (not really near Geoff) even if he retains the edge on the climbs.

This was the first time we rode Cwm Carn and we hit the Twrch which I will would heartily recommend to anyone as it is challenging but forgiving and quick.

The second ride was when we reached Afan lodge we bumbled along to Blue Skar which was where Geoff came off and massively buckled his wheel the last time he was here.

On the way to the route Geoff and Nick started freewheeling as if they were descending. Nick then decided to steer which his shoulders not his hands. This lead to him cartwheeling through the air like a rag doll and being dumped in the grass verge.

Needless to say we treated this bin with sympathy and laughed until we cried. Nick was fine by the way.

Blue Skar is a very open and almost simple trail. With quite a bit of fire road style climbs. Now I am not the best climber however this was manageable but the open nature if it in the sunshine meant I quickly overheated and had to stop to cool off.

The downhill sections though were brilliant. Almost all of it flowed really swiftly from one curve to another.

All in all day one gave us 24km or riding and almost 700m elevation gain.

The photos below are in no real order due to blogging on my phone. I will also edit this when home with my strava for the rides.

Oh one last thing I should say is I have borrowed Geoff's mates (Mr Bob) Orange P7 bike. Last time I was here I rode an Orange Crush and loved it. So far the P7 is really living up to expectations. It makes a lot of noise but is very poised and really quick. It also feels very safe and sure which fills you with confidence when riding it. My only niggles are the slightly spongy rear break and the dodgey gears. However the bike just needs a service and so far has handled everything I have thrown at it.

More than expected?

OK so I have mentioned before that I am doing up a red road bike. However it seems like there is a bit more restoring than I initially expected.

Sure the wheels, the gears etc are all sorted. Rewrapping the bars won't be too difficult and swapping the seat should prove to be no issue.

Unfortunately I also need to do a fair bit of work on the brakes. There is also a lot more missing paint work. However the bike is still not a total loss. I am determined that I can finish fixing it and make it looked good.

After all have already sorted the chain and gears out.

Wales Monday.

Have been packing, last minute purchasing and fixing bikes up for our Wales mountain biking trip on Monday.

The knee feels OK and the shoulder no longer hurts so it should all be good times ahoy.

He says. Will be a lot of riding in 4 days so I will probably come back more tired than I go.

Not that that is a bad thing at all!

The final picture is my friend Geoff's buckled wheel from his last trip to Wales (in fair most of the bike fixing was done by Geoff). Hopefully I will not get anywhere near that kind of damage to the bike, after all I neither go fast or hard enough to do that to a bike. He says...

Wiggins, Nibali and pro cycling.

A few interesting things have happened in the last few days. Australia continued their dominance of men's track cycling at the Commonwealth games. Bradley Wiggins came out and said some more explosive things in interviews and Vincenzo Nibali has, barring a crash, won the Tour de France by a large margin.

Firstly the track cycling seems to have dropped a bit since the London Olympics. Now maybe that is not giving the Australian's credit for coming back really strongly or maybe it is looking at things too simplistically? What I do know is that having gotten used to an era of British dominance in track cycling it feels odd that we seem to no longer be bossing the velodrome any more.

Which brings me to Wiggins. I won't go into details on what he has said or try to interpret them as some others have done - those articles have been better written by people who know more than I do. However one thing that has struck me is it all feels a little bit harsh on Team Sky. Sounds strange I know but it just feels a bit like now he is not team leader at sky he no longer wishes to play. To that end he has reverted back to the track where he can be to dog. Maybe he always wanted to do this, but if he was still the main GC contender at SKY would he? I don't believe so. Which is a shame because I thought he was more understanding of cycling than that. Also this removal from the road must mean other teams weren't interested in him as maybe he thought they would be? And there I go with supposition, sorry can't help it. There will probably be another statement in the week starting something else anyway.

While SKY have struggled at the tour with both Froome and Porte having issues one man has been in a race of his own. Vincenzo Nibali store a match on everyone in Sheffield and has not looked back. Now it is fair to say in this tour of crashes that the big hitters in the GC haven't been there pushing and challenging him in the way you would have expected however I am worried. Now for legal reasons let me say I am not claiming dodgey is going on. However he has won by a 7 minute plus margin which is unheard of outside of the Armstrong era. Also Nibali has shown total dominance on the flat and the mountains. Admittedly his team have been really impressive as SKY's have been in previous years. Its the commentators that worry me. The phrases and way of talking about him when he makes and attack sound just like sound bites from old tours with a certain Texan. I really, really hope this was just a dominant performance from a man in top shape and on top form. I really do. However I just have a niggling feeling that he is too strong too often. His poker face never looks in trouble which was something people used against Armstrong 'he's on the juice because he doesnt look like he's hurting'. This as well is before we consider the chequered history of some of his team!

Like I said it is just a doubt and I hope that he is totally clean and just racing an awesome Tour. However today's time trial will be instructive. If he competes well with the pure TT riders then I for one will stop celebrating his win. After all once bitten and all that.

And I am in.

Just under 6 miles done in 31 minutes. Summer school starts in half and hour and yes that is a missing poster for me on a bin. My head of department has a sense if humour.

Commuting to work

Even though it is the first day of the summer holidays I am off to work on my bike. I have no laptop to take and no lessons to teach so can go in fairly unloaded. We have year 6's in for transition activities which should be fun. I think the journey in should be more fun though.

What's even more exciting is its 4 days until the Afan mountain biking trip!

What makes a good road?

Slightly longer but there are many things that make a decent/good road for riding.

1. Smooth tarmac - otherwise you spend your life dodging pot holes.
2. A difficulty curve that challenges you but does not slay you - otherwise it is too easy or too hard both are not very satisfying.
3. A good view or lush scenery - need I add more?
4. Fairly free of traffic - otherwise you spend you life holding your breath hoping they give you enough room.

I have not fully explored Kent yet - I am sure there are some great rides out there - but my favourite place to ride is up at my parents. Just beyond Rugeley and off over Cannock Chase. Lots of long and fun hills, decent descents and most importantly some amazing views and scenery.

Plus what really helps is the road surfaces are normally pristine. Or at least the ones I have ridden are.

Cannock is getting a reputation as a bit of a mountain bike mecca but I do recommend it for roadie friends as well. It is worth a trip. Especially if you manage to take in the rolling roads around Uttoxeter and the stunning descent and ascent around Blithfield Reservoir as well.  

The descent down to Blithfield Reservoir is fast and stunning.

The road down and up from Birches Valley Forestry Centre - THE place to go mountain biking in the West Midlands - is an amazing place to open up on your road bike. 

One of my favourite things about Cannock Chase is the rolling hills, large gains in speed and elevation meaning you can be in sunshine before dropping through layers of mist onto the valley floor. 

So if you get the chance to visit this area of Staffordshire I fully recommend latching your road bike to the car and having an explore. There are lots of cafes and forestry centres up on Cannock Chase to call in at for a refuel.

Above all else though, it has some of the best roads I have ridden yet.

My Raleigh Scorpio

This is my ride a early 90s Raleigh Scorpio 12 speed. Love this bike but sometimes could do with a couple of extra gears!

Vintage Raleigh Mercury

A vintage Raleigh Mercury that I bought on Gumtree. A good clean and a tidy up and it is fine. A little on the heavy side though.

According to the information I've found this was Raleigh's first attempt at a mountain bike. Essentially they took a road bike and beefed it up.

Emmelle vintage road bike

Bought this bike on Gumtree. Replaced a brake cable and removed the rusted mud guards. It still needs the back wheel truing but is almost ready to go. Am tempted to rewrap the handlebars too though.