baltic pine

some of the blogs i follow (especially my friends at rat trap press) have a fantastic knack of reporting local rides that they go on in a way that makes them interesting to other riders, half the world away. local, everyday buildings, roads and fields in fort worth, texas look very different to little old leicestershire!

our start and finish point. 

early scenery.

just like the tour, they've been out laying fresh tarmac before the my ride.

the first sting to the legs is the "belgian-style" frisberg.

very english.

there will be roadside temptations.

the kaff - right next door to rutland cycling.

england's largest man-made lake - looking pretty empty just now though.

more englishness.

rolling rutland.

one last climb before home.

new shoes.

100km.

431m climbing.

people get crushed like biscuit crumbs...

  

steve and i left straight from work for a paddle on the river soar. it was the first time i've been on the water for what feels like months - it's been all about cycling recently.

as usual, we called in at the riverside pub for a quick one before paddling home into the sunset.

i can't tell you how relaxing these trips are, especially straight from work.

thanks steve.

pedal your blues away...

sunday was my third attempt at beating an hour for a 25 mile time trial.

i failed by 12 seconds!

i'll be back to try again, but have to admit i was pretty pissed-off to miss by such a small amount.

i've entered another in september. it might be time to try 'training'!

at the weekend, i saw some pictures of contador and schlek's time trial position overlaid, so i thought i'd compare my position to a specialist time trial professional.
the picture above shows tony martin and me at speed (albeit with me looking down). i was pleased to see how low i was compared to a pro, although tony doesn't appear to be carrying quite the amount of lard as me.
the main difference seems to be the extremely steep seat post angle that modern time trial bikes have, putting the rider much further forward than us mortals.

thanks to mark pinsent and mark edward for the pictures - hope you don't mind me nicking them.

i only smoke when i'm with you...

My 4x9 List:

Four jobs I’ve had in my life:

• Binman
• Air traffic controller
• Cat food stacker
• Global Supply Chain Leader!

Four films I can watch over and over:

• Delicatessen
• The Godfathers (even #3)
• No Country For Old Men
• Withnail and I

Four places I have lived:

• Hong Kong
• Brunei
• Germany
• ummm, Leicestershire

Four TV programs I love to watch:
Don’t really watch TV, but the exceptions are;

• Later, with Jools
• The grand tours and spring classics (cycle racing)
• Flight of the Conchords
• The BBC’s Glastonbury coverage

Four places I’ve been on holiday:

• Hostelling in Iceland
• Touring Canadian Rockies
• French Alps (following the Tour)
• Leicestershire (walking a lap of the county)

Four websites I visit daily:

• Google reader
• La Gazzetta Della Bici
• Flickr
• Twitter

Four of my favourite foods:

• Faggotini (in San Carlo)
• Fish fingers (burnt on the outside – soggy in the middle)
• Tesco’s tiger bread with a slab of good butter
• Proper Cornish vanilla ice cream

Four places I’d be right now:

• Outside
• The Col de Tourmalet – French Pyrenees
• Pretty much anywhere in Scandinavia
• Vancouver

What's your list?

pompino in a puddle

sniffs it through a cane on a supersonic train...

 

racing on thursday nights and a club run on saturday morning mean that my friday commute is always a more relaxed affair than the rest of the rides through the week...

through childlike ways, rebellion and crime...

lovely ride to work this morning.

the damp air hanging under the trees after yesterday's rain. 

and a few sharp climbs to stretch my legs...

memphis hip-swinging

10 years ago, i was lucky enough to be following the tour for a week around the south of france.
10 years ago today, i was lucky enough to ride up mont ventoux, just a couple of hours ahead of the race.
the atmosphere was incredible. i was wearing a vitalicio seguros shirt and so was cheered all the way up by spanish supporters.
my brother-in-law, who i was riding with, was on a beautiful mapei-coloured colnago c40 (like this one) and was cheered by the italian and belgian fans.
it was red hot and ventoux was everything i dreamed and feared it would be.
we even met didi the devil on the way up.

then this happened...





it was a day that has assured that i'll be a cycling fan forever.

kiss me out of desire baby, not consolation...

gosia is riding again.

you can love somebody, but you'll love them more riding bikes together...

*i don't care how twee matching bikes might be!

i've been waiting for this silence all night long

my summer legs

you should feel what i feel...

pictures from the bmc team at the prologue on saturday...

how many do you know?

riders (and a couple of hangers on) at the prologue. but how many do you know?

my favourite is pat mcquaid drinking 12% belgien beer!)