I find cycling with my kids very enjoyable.  They seem to like it too, I think its the independence of going under their own steam coupled with the family time.  It costs very little and can be combined with a picnic.

Since my youngest child is only 5, my middle child unable to go in a straight line or see a car driving over her, I try and avoid roads.

Also, since Fiona, my wife, often accompanies us – the rides need to be flat.

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After my recent tour around Ards I signed up for the Glens coastal challenge from Larne to Cushendun and back.  This was a charity event in aid of Make A Difference.

I stripped off my rack, sprayed oil on my chain and donned lycra to give me an FCN 8 or so (including beard)  This time I was accompanied by JT – same starting FCN same but with flats and baggies giving FCN 10.

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Following last years Lap the Lough, the North Down Cycle Club (NDCC) Bangor Coastal Challenge was the first “sportive” in my agenda for this year and the first one using my new Boardman hybrid.

If the map above doesn’t display (which they rarely do) you can seem my ride on runkeeper here.

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Love this video made by Casey Neistat in reaction to being fined $50 for not using the bike lane.  It looks like that in NYC, like in Belfast, blocking the cycle lane is totally fine for both other road users and anyone else who wants too.

fortunately we do e these ridiculous rules – but in addition to the obstructions illustrated – we also have the “un-rideable” and the “disapearing” cycle paths.

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Bike aims

• rebuild trek 7200 hybrid
• finish building recumbent
• think about buying a road bike

Cycling aims

• 100Km NDCC Bangor coastal challenge – 19’th June
• The Glens of Antrim 100Km Charity Cycling Challenge – 2’nd July
• Lap the Lough  - 140Km around Lough Neagh - 28’th August 2011
• The Giant’s Causeway Coast Sportive undecided between 126Km and 182Km – 17’th September
• work out how to clip in my clipless pedals
• try not to brake any more bones!

I have been thinking for some time now of using clipless pedals.  Proper cyclists seem to use them and since someone recently asked if I was doing any “sportives” this summer I feel I better up my game.

However, a 1/2 hour pedal change turned into long and pricey lesson in physics and wheelie bin surfaces.

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For some reason Runkeeper's embed is not working at the moment so if your really interested in the route you can check it on Runkeeper itself.  The first couple of miles are missing as iPhone was messing me about.

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As previously blogged I recently purchased and new Boardman hybrid – mainly for commuting use but also for longer weekend rides that I’ve recently started doing.

Still a great bike, but a few build issues are creeping in.  Many people complain about Halfords ability to assemble bikes, but as I’ve said before, I’ve had issues with several bike shops and no longer trust any of them!  A bike is pretty easy and rewarding to maintain so I prefer to look after them myself.

I guess the only bike shop I have found to be truly excellent is the Bicycle Doctor Ltd. in Manchester.  The whole buying process (they let me take the bike out) and assembly of the Trek they sold me back in about 1999 was just great.  Unfortunately it’s a bit far to travel to now.

I would expect to have to adjust some things after a month or so as I appreciate that things wear in and new metal will stretch (causing screws to loosen etc.) but some of these niggles are just down to bad assembly.

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In case anyone’s wondering how the recumbent build is going, at the moment it’s not.  I actually got it pretty much assembled over Christmas but never got past half way down the drive without something falling off – not exactly reassuring.  Then, I broke my welding mask and a week later, fell off my bike in the ice and chipped a bone in my elbow.

Ironically enough, if I’d been on a recumbent the fall would not have been as far so I may have escaped injury.

Then, after a couple of weeks out of the saddle, the front gear cable and rear gear cable snapped in successive weeks.  I totted up all the things that needed fixing on my Trek – both mudguards, front derailleur, front chain set, pedals,  rear wheel straightening, cables  (brake and gear) and decided that more was not working than working.

So, after 12 or so good years, I decided to retire the Trek and, since the recumbent was not going to be ready and I have concerns over its practicality and reliability, invest in a new bike.

I’ve been looking at new bikes for a while and decided on a Boardman Hybrid Team from Halfords.  Some people have concerns or maybe some snobbery issues with Halfords and prefer their “local bike shop”.  Personally I’ve had good and bad experiences with both.  Anyway, I chose this bike as it was large, light (at least compared to my old Trek 7200), excellent value for money – with £100 off - and had some great reviews.

My bike – with mudguards, rack and other accessories fitted.

I have not been disappointed.  Ride is incredibly smooth – both in terms of vibration which seems to be absorbed better by carbon forks, and drive and gears.  I am getting to work about 5 - 10% quicker on average.  Brakes are great – hydraulic disks – I’m used to old school.  Although they don’t really stop me any quicker – they don’t seem to need constant adjustment.  However, when they do need servicing it looks a bit more complicated but I used to bleed the brakes on my 1975 mini about once a month without too much problem – although they were still useless (drums).

Had 2 punctures in a couple of hundred miles but this is probably more bad luck than bad tyres as the glass shard that caused the first and thorn that caused the second were both pretty vicious.

So – the recumbent will be done later in the year – in the mean time I’m off for a ride.

Cut and weld, grind and weld, regrind and weld, weld, grind, curse, cut and weld.

Before you start you need a good pot of coffee.

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