“After a weeks holiday, always take the Monday off as you get three extra days holiday for the price of one.”

Anonymous

I heard this but it wasn’t until later in the day it struck me how wise it was. 

When you finish on a Friday you’re on holiday, but the last weekend of a holiday is just the weekend as you’re back to work on Monday.  But if you take the Monday off, you’re still on holiday!

So I’ve been commuting on this bike now for 18 months so it’s time to follow up on my original report "Boardman Hybrid Team two months on”. 

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That was the advice of an Audax Ireland jersey wearing rider about 10 miles from Newry. 

The main group of 15 riders on the Around Down 200 were just visible on the crest of the hill.  I decided that this was not only good advice, but not really optional either.

I discovered the crazy sport of Audax some time ago whilst surfing the web.  Basically it’s long distance riding from 200km to 1400km.  The aim is just to finish.  There are no prizes, just a generous time limit – which I suspect is aimed more at allowing the organisers to go home rather than make you go fast.  In fact, there is even a minimum time limit to stop speeding.

This appealed to my non-competitive competitiveness.

“

Hilario: Did you have any luck?

Chris Adams: Found a man who would have been perfect. With gun or knife, couldn't ask for any better. But he wouldn't do it.

Hilario : The money, it was not enough?

Chris: He doesn't give a hoot about money.

Hilario: A man in this line of work who doesn't care about money?

Chris: Men in this line of work are not all alike. Some care about nothing but money. Others, for reasons of their own, enjoy only the danger.

Vin: And the competition.

Miguel: If he is the best with a gun and a knife, with whom does he compete?

Chris: Himself.

”

The Magnificent Seven

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I have always worn mudguards on my commuting bikes – except when I was a student when, if it was wet, I just stayed in bed. 

Personally, I find the wet bum experience pretty bad.

However, my new to me racer looks pretty sporty without guards.

But, with the great summer we’re having and the Around Down 200 Audax event coming up, I had a think (read Google) about mudguards.

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So, with a hangover, I showed up in Bangor last Sunday (17’th June) for the NDCC Bangor Coastal Challenge.

The weather was not raining but cool – which after the heavy rain of the previous days was good.

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Some years ago (about 14 or so) when I was commuting by bike between Manchester and Stockport (about 5 miles or so each way) I bought some panniers.  I can’t remember the make but they lasted about a month.

A cycling colleague suggested I look a Ortlieb as he used them for touring.  So I bought myself an Ortlieb office bag direct from Germany. 

Cost about £60 – which at the time I thought was very expensive.

It lasted 12 years of very regular use.  Fell on it a couple of times, loaded it with everything – sometimes 2 laptops, it never leaked and never let me down.

Finally last month one of the fasteners gave up completely so I bought a new one – from wiggle - the same.  Price was now £94.50.

Well actually not the same – they’ve made it better in all the places the old one failed!

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The more observant girls at the bus stop may have noticed my new to me bike.  I’ve been thinking about a road bike for training and summer sportives for a while but didn’t want to spend the best part of a grand – which seems to be the going price for anything.  Also, I don’t really like aluminium.  The frames have to be fat (for strength) and so IMO ugly and harsh.

So, I picked this Raliegh Volant up on eBay for a bit shy of £140.  Two things attracted me – Raleigh and legendry Reynolds 531 tubing (which was also used in the E type Jag).

It’s been a long time since I rode a racer (which now seems to be called a road bike) but I found it nice and pretty comfortable.  However, I struggled up my hill – which is very steep.  So I counted the cogs on the gears and found the rear has 13/23 (13 on the smallest and 23 on the biggest) and 42/52 on the front. 

A bit of internet research suggested that this was a professional cyclist setup.  A fellow cyclist advised me to man up.

I don’t do many hill climbs – but the first sportive I have in mind for 2012 is the NDCC Bangor coastal challenge – and the climb out of Newtownards towards Bangor after 90km or so would not be too pleasant.  So I studied Sheldon Brown’s gearing guide and decided to change my gearing.

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A bit dull ( unless you're a bit of a bike mechanic) but does show real craftsmen at work.

the last 2 minutes are nice.
Bikes were tested by engineers.  Today they're tested by marketing.
Bikes were built to last rather than to the latest sales trend.  Aluminium frames last 5 to 10 years, steal pretty much lasts forever (if painted). 

Carbon will snap.  Steel will bend and straighten.

So here’s mrsm’s Freelander 2 – a great car.  Some people may not consider this a “proper” Landy – but for carting the family around its comfortable, quiet, quick, warm and dry.  (Mainly because the Land Rover Brummies realised that after 70 years they couldn’t make a sunroof that didn’t leak so decided not to fit one).  Does need a fuel tanker in tow though.

Since we decided this would be our family car, we needed a way to cart 5 bikes around.  On my Disco I used a Simbars rack, which carries 4 bikes on the rear door and dropped the other in the boot.  With no rear wheel carrier it was not going to fit.  However, we picked one with a towing hitch so I looked for a tow bar mounted rack.

The MaxxRaxx fitted the bill, holding up to 5 bikes and dropping down to allow rear door access.

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Pre-race.

Big Fionnuala decided the “Whitehead Easter Monday Road Race and Fun Run 2012” should be our next timed run.

Entry was “old school”, no online entry and not too much detail of route, start point or much else.   However, Whitehead is not exactly massive, we just followed the other runners and signed up in the community centre.

The race.

The route consisted of 3 laps of the town or one lap for “fun runners”.

Fionnuala hates running the same route so I took off quickly to avoid the complaints.

Most of the runners seemed to be club runners so the event was quick.  I’d guess there was about 190 runners.  I finished in about 40 minutes which I was happy enough with.

The warm down

Tea was provided, but one of the benefits of these smaller gatherings is that sandwiches are usually abundant.  Sadly, this was not the case.

I asked the lady entering the result s into a laptop if they would be online.  She seemed a bit confused but said that they could put them on their facebook page.  Seems unlikely and hasn’t happened yet!

Conclusion

• More details online and online registration would probably attract more runners.
• A race more for competitive road runners than the casual jogger, with virtually no flat and lots of club runners,
• Lack of online (or any) time posting a bit annoying – no idea what my official time was
• Sandwiches needed!

Get with the times!