Miles: 686.3
Riding Time: 42hrs 53min
Highlight: Tour of Britain TV appearance (See below)
Low Point: No racing this month
After the wettest summer I can remember the September sun shone. Although I have not had any races to report on this month, I have been out racking up the miles. In fact 686.3 is my highest monthly mileage EVER!
The backbone of this record busting distance has been my commute to work. This month I only resorted to the car on 2 of the 15 days I was in the office. Ok, it means I have to wake up 30 minutes early, but with the sun invitingly peaking from behind the bedroom blind this hasn’t been such a hardship. At the moment I obviously want to spend my evenings at home with the little one. By cycling home I get some training miles under my wheels and by avoiding the traffic I’m still home only 15 minutes later than normal. Plus there is the warm satisfaction of having saved approximately £6 every day in petrol.
The cause of the recent sunny weather was undoubtedly my new mudguards. Almost from the day I proudly fitted my SKS Chromoplastic mudguards (in gloss black) the Indian summer began. I was genuinely quite pleased when it rained on my way to work last week! My wife of course thinks I’m getting old. As she points out, only a few years ago I wouldn’t have been seen dead on a bike sporting mudflaps. Imagine the extra weight, the drag and just simply how totally uncool they look. I agree, they are the cycling equivalent of a pair of M&S slippers. However, as I tip toed through a shower the other day I did smugly smile to myself as I caught a young lad with a long brown stripe of road detritus up the back of his white Rapha jersey. I’m sure that from behind a mask of streaked mud and grit his envious eyes blearily admired my full length mudguards, clean face and unsoiled clothing as I imperiously glided past in comfort. I’m thinking of fitting a useful basket to the handlebars next....
On the racing front, I have pre-entered the Merida Brass Monkeys enduro series which runs from November through to January. Obviously 1 hour dashes along the A259 are not the perfect training for 4 hours muddy and technical MTB racing. However the motivation of a goal to work towards should help get me out on the road at 6.30am, even now as the mornings grow darker and the weather inevitably takes a turn for the worst.
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| Merida Brass Monkeys - – I missed out on a top 5 position in the series last year when I was struck down with man flu at the final round. |
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