I came 7,672th out of 15,051

I used the figures to work out that for the last 10 mile section we averaged 26 mph!!  If you had told me that at the start I would never have believed you, amazing what a bit of adrenaline and a downhill can achieve.

Can't remember the last time I ride that far in a day

In all the excitement I forgot to take my obligatory speedo picture,  so here it is

What a great event, we did it in 5hrs 26 min

Leatherhead done 75 miles in

38 miles done 19.9 ave and the first big hill is coming up. Great event

Nearly at the start

No such thing as a free breakfast

Maybe not,  however today at the Ride  London 100 sign on we got a free beer style recovery drink and some pistachios. Seeing the number of signing in booths make you realise the size if this event. ,#goingtobemassive

At least it wasn't raining

Got home a bit early and thought I would go for a quick ride.   Started off Ok but got a puncture after an hour, it was then I realised I had left my tool kit at home.  Started to walk the 7 miles home but luckily Dad was able to pick me up.  Was way too hot to be walking.  All good exercise though.
Now need to get some new tyres on and give the bike a service ready for  Sunday.

What a turn around

Well at 14:00 it was still pouring down so I didn't think I would be racing tonight, however it did stop eventually and I made the trip to Milton Keynes. Just as well I did, it was a glorious evening.

My Sue Ryder top arrived today so I gave it a work out. It passed the test, I manged to stay with the bunch for 50 minutes before my body cried ENOUGH. Myself and another guy helped each other till the bunch came back round and I jumped in for the last 5 laps.

So overall well pleased. Now its time to raid the fridge again.

50 miles just fly by

Went out early to beat the rain which is forecast,  just as well I did.  It's roasting out there.

Look who is riding the London Classic on the same day I'm riding the Ride London 100!!

Fresh from Le Tour de France  http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/23407297

An epic weekend

Got out at 8 in the morning while it was still cool to have a great ride.  Did 90 minutes on the flat then headed for the hills. Ended up doing 70 miles on Sunday taking it to 110 miles for the weekend and boy did I feel it in Sunday evening.

Watched the last stage of Tour de  France and realised how slow I am!

A steady 45 miles

Was an overcast start and really looked like rain although that never came. We must be getting used to all the heat because at 20C it seemed cold! Now at home watching Le Tour de France in awe at how fast those guys can go up a mountain.

Need to set the alarm for early o'clock

Unbelievable as it may be we currently have  a heatwave in the UK so I need to set my alarm early and get out on the bike before everything heats up

Say goodbye to the snow

As we have now had sunny weather for quite a while I thought I had better change my background picture.

Dont think I will be quite this quick up Box hill

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/539457/beating-the-pros-on-box-hill-tim-stevens-challenge.html

Hot night, hot pace

What a race tonight, it was 30C at 18:00 so I drank loads before the start which is just as well because it didn't get any cooler. Started at a reasonable pace for 10 minutes then the hammer went down and it was an effort just to stay in the group. Finally it settled down till we went onto the big circuit then it all went mad.

I did stay with them for about 4 laps but then that was it, blown out the back. Overall though a great race even though I felt really sick at the end, a sure sign I had pushed as hard as possible.

Well looks like they got the forecast right, it IS hot.

Looking forward to Tuesday night racing as the wind has also dropped. Should be a good turn out as everyone will be inspired by whats going on in Le Tour at the moment.

Now it's getting hot.

Was 18C when I left home at 08:00 and got to 38C by 12:00 really noticed it getting hotter as the ride went on. It just comes a s a shock when its so much warmer than just coupe of weeks back. Anyway will probably be back to normal by the weekend!!  Was shattered by the time we got home so had a afternoon nap :) 

Only 29 days to go, and half way to my sponsorship target

Well here we are will less than a month to go before a ridiculously early morning then at least 6 hours in the saddle and  a few hours to get home. Thats what you call a along day.
Really looking forward to it now, probably as the sun has come out and my legs are feeling good. Many thanks to all my sponsors, its not too late to donate and you would be really helping a great charity and giving me even more encouragement. I realise that times are tough time at the moment however if you could spare just a few quid (slang for £'s to my foreign readers) then every little really bit really does help.

To get to my sponsorship page you can either click on my black & white picture or use this link Martins Event Page

Thanks again and have a great sunny weekend.

The Final Countdown has begun

So summer is on its way?

According to the news its going to be 30C next week, we will wait and see. If the wind drops as well it will too hot for riding. Never happy are we?

The view is always better when you have struggled to get there

Could not resist the heat so decided to go hill climbing, 2 hours later and the legs are burning. Still, another 38 miles in the bag so happy with that.

Over 1000 blog views!!!

I have just noticed that I have had 1007 page views!!  Thanks to all of you who have visited, I hope you have enjoyed reading my ramblings and will continue to visit as I get nearer to the big day.

I knew there was a reason why I ride

Right on target

Well the wind is still here but at least it wasn't raining. Went out with a couple of guys at a steady pace heading straight into the wind, hoping to get blown home.  Pretty hard going but it is a good work out trying to beat the wind, found some hills to climb and then headed for home, with the wind on our backs. Our plan was coming together.

Near home I decided to try one of the steepest hills around, it was seriously hard going and became more a test of my balancing skills as I dropped down to 3.9 mph at one point :(

Anyway had covered 50 miles by the time I got back to the cake. Took 3 hours 6 minutes so pretty much right on my target of doing the London ride in 6 hours. Cant complain about that, although my legs weren't so sure.

Life on the chain gang

Tonight 4 of us went out to do some chaingang training,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chain_gang_(cycling)
This is where you each do little time on the front and those behind get a slight rest before taking their tune on the front. It can be really good work out and you can really get a pace going. We did this for about 40 minutes round a local circuit before heading for home.

It was a great ride and I did 33 miles averaging 20 MPH and on top of that we missed the rain.  Which being as it is the middle of June is not something I should even be mentioning.  Lets hope its dry at the weekend so I can get a long ride in.

Let the pain comence

Did another road race tonight in Milton Keynes, The weather was not great at 18:00 very overcast with the threat of rain, with the race due to start at 19:00 it looked like we were in for a wet one.  Anyway we started doing a few warm up laps and it actually got a bit brighter, so the race was on.  Started quite quickly and a managed to stay with the fast  guys,I was almost dropped a couple of time but dragged my way back in.
This went on for about 25 minutes before they opened the gates to use the exterior circuit, this is when the pain starts. There are a few tight corners and it all starts to string out. accelerating at full gas out of the corners is hard work and slowly but surely grinds you down.
After 40 minutes I could no longer hold the pace and was well and truly dropped, I did a couple of really slow laps waiting for the pack to come back round and then jumped back in.  This time I held on for a few laps before getting cramp in my left calf and decided that was it for the evening so just coasted round for a couples of laps till the end.
Overall not too bad, managed 20 miles in 58 minutes. What I really need is some race craft so I can spot the moves and not blow up too early. Still always gives me something to aim for.

The route of pain

Route

I need a scooter

A very blustery 50 miles this morning. Luckily we got out and back before the rain came.
About 6 miles from home we were overtaken by a lad on a scooter, its not often that happens, so the chase was on. Managed to get in behind him and ended up doing about 30 mph for quite a way. All good fun.

That soon went

Now I need a drink

Today I broke the 1000 mile mark!!  Did 39 miles to take me to 1013 miles so far this year. So definitely time for a beer. These past few weeks have been so windy I have built up quite a thirst, so cheers everyone!!

Just a couple of hours this morning as I won't be able to get out on Saturday. Did 32 hilly miles with 1900 ft of climbing. This takes me to 974 miles for the year so I hope to do at least 26 on Sunday to break the 1000 barrier. I will be pleased with that as in previous years I usually do about 1200 for the year!! Lets hope the sun keeps on shining.

Its blowy out there

Another race at MK Bowl, didn't do so well tonight as its was pretty windy. Felt like I could have done with a sail. Still, 27 miles done including the warm up and cool down. Should sleep well tonight.

Made it, 100 miles in a weekend

What a great day for a ride in the Chilterns. Having done 70 miles yesterday I tried to take it easy, however it seems like all roads lead to the hills and I found myself approaching The Hale. Its a climb of only about 3/4 mile but with a 22% section, so it was bottom gear and a lot of creaking from me and the bike.

The real achievement though is having done 100 miles in 2 days, just need to get it all done in a day and we will be there!!

Well it did stay dry and we managed a great ride. Made sure we headed into the wind on the way out and got blown home, well, mainly.
Did 70 miles, the last time I did that in day was about 3 years ago. My legs are feeling it now though.

Is it too much too ask for a dry day in May?

As we come to the end of what may be one of the wettest Springs on record I hope to get out for a ride on Saturday morning without the need for full waterproofs. Lets hope.

May just try this in my water bottle

Just found this in the fridge and its really quite good. Surely that would be OK to get me up the hills, and healthy too.

Amazing what you can find in a hedge

What a difference a few days make. On Friday it was so wet & cold but today the sun was out so went for a long ride. Was hoping to do 40 miles but it was so good I ended up doing 60 miles including some big climbs!! Well pleased.

This fine chap is at the gateway of a large house up in The Chilterns.

At last

The sun has finally decided to show up, so out we go. Hoping to get a few hours in and some big hills.

Where has the Summer got to?

Its getting beyond a joke now, here we are at the end of May and I'm having to wear all my winter kit!  As it was so windy I decided to head for them hills again. Makes for a slow average but gets the top speed up :) Managed just over 40 MPH down past Chiltern Forest Golf Course.Now sat at home with caoffee and a few flapjacks.

That was hard work, but fun.

Second race of the year and all going well. Managed to stay with the field and not get lapped.  Great way to spend a Tuesday evening and it didn't rain till we finished.

Decided to do another short ride but push it a bit harder. Only did a couple of hills and manged to get a personal best again!! Maybe my legs are finally coming good. Lets hope so as I have another race on Tuesday.

I have got a bit of a cough at the moment so went out for an easy ride.  Ended up getting a personal best on one of the climbs I do!  There must be a lesson there. Will have to see if I suffer for it tomorrow. Anyway another 26 miles in the bag. Hoping that next week I feel better and can get a longer ride in.

Got to practice hills so here goes

This actually gets to 20% after about half a mile, but that is pretty much the top. I have only riden this twice this year but this time I manged to ride it without stopping so things are looking up.

A very blustery day, so I headed for the hills

With gusts forecast of around 25 mph I decided to run for the hills. The wind doesn't make quite so much difference when you are trying to drag yourself up a hill. Well thats the theory anyway.
I did 1400 ft of climbing and manged to get a tail wind for most of the way home. So another 30 miles in the bag and a set of jelly legs for the rest of the day.
Really do wish our summer would hurry up and make an appearance.

First race of the year, average 23 MPH!!

Did my first race of the year at Milton Keynes, had a great ride, including warm up I did 29 miles.  This is the best I have ever done there so all this extra training for the London ride is really paying off. The average on my bike computer is a little lower as I need a couple of cool down laps.

Time for a massive peanut butter sandwich and cake.

Almost there

Managed 93 miles, trouble is it took me 3 days. Cracking weather today though,  great to be riding though this countryside with 20C on your back.

Its almost warm out there

Had a great ride this morning, made sure it was a hilly route so well please with 1,287 ft of climbing over a 40 mile route and still averaged 16 mph. Time now for a BBQ and a beer, or two.

Finally manged to get on on Saturday afternoon and did 26 miles. It was pretty blustery but luckily we got the route right and had a tail wind home. All being week will get out on Sunday and Monday. Aiming to get 100 miles done on this long weekend.

275 miles for the month

Well chuffed, got a quick ride in today and have manged 275 miles for the month. Did manage to find a hailstorm though which wasn't much fun. Hard to believe it was 21C on Thursday

Must be summer

The snow has even gone from the hills and the dafs are out so it must be summer.  Beautiful day for another 25 miles in The Chilterns.

Finally got the legs out!!

Manged a sneaky 30 miles on the bike this morning, finally manged to get out in my shorts, though don't suppose the rest of the world was so impressed. Now having peanut butter on toast. Makes it all worth while. Bring on the summer.

200 miles for the month!

What a great day!!  Really cold, (my car had frost on it) but it was really bright. and no wind. Met up with some guys who I don't normally ride with and they took me on  a new route which is always good to find.

Only managed 32 miles average 16.2 mph but this took me to 200 miles for the month!!

A new record

A good group ride, and went up the Stokenchurch cutting for the first time this year. Nearly averaged 17mph but a bad head wind for the last 4 miles put pay to that. Now where is that cake?

British summertime??

Just got back from a 30 mile ride, it was cold wet and miserable!! But now I'm home the sun has come out, so lets hope I caused that.

You are kidding

Managed to get 30 miles in this morning before the sun came out. Couldn't believe it, ah well more miles in the bank

Half way there

50 miles in 3 hours, Pretty pleased with that. A cold day but 9 degrees warmer than last week so almost felt like summer.

The sun does still exist.

Great ride today, started with a group of about 25 riders, but when they headed for home after 36 miles I went on to total 50 miles in 3 hours. Well pleased with that.

Bring on the sun.

The weather is meant to improve this weekend, I hope to get out for a long ride on Saturday then watch the Paris to Roubaix race on Sunday which is always a spectacle.

Hamster wheel of torture

Even though the sun is here I will have to get a turbo (read, hamster wheel of torture)  session in before the weekend so I'm ready for another big ride on Saturday. Cant wait :(

Half way there, well almost

A pretty cold morning, although it did get up to 4.5C for a little while. Went out with 3 other guys who managed to drag me round for 46 miles!!! Took 2 hrs 50 min average 16.2 MPH so pretty pleased with that. Still snow around on the high spots which made for some great views.

Easter eggs on hold

All being well I hope to get out for a 2 hour ride on Friday. Looking like it will be cold but dry.

Done it!

Literally just manged to get to 100 miles. Only taken 4 rides although my 17 mile ride was on my mountain bike, hence the difference on bike total. Must try harder. Come August I need to be able  to do 100 miles in around 6 1/2 hours!!!

No turbo today

Managed to get out for a ride. Great to be back up the hills, even if they are harder than i remember. Hope to get up to 100 miles for the year so far.

Where has Spring got to?

It started snowing this morning so decided to do another turbo session. Didn't work out too bad as I concentrated on my left leg which is the weakest!!  Should help my performance in the end. Cant wait to get out for real though.

Still drying out

My saddle is still wet from Saturdays torrential down pour, hope it has dried out by weekend.

Snow!

Just as well I went out yesterday as its snowing

Ear warmers save the day

A seriously wet and cold ride. Didn't really fancy going out but I had set the alarm and had prepped the bike yesterday so just decided to go for it. Was only 3.5C and tipping down. Was soaked through after about 20 minutes. My neoprene ear warmers proved to be worth their weight in gold. Average speed 16 mph so not too bad, used 1100 Calories though!!

Now sat down with a coffee and a Danish, so sort of makes it all worth while.

Fire up the turbo

Another day when I didn't make it out so got on the wheel of torture for 40 minutes, now sitting down with a beer and peanuts, so not all bad.

Bring on the hamster wheel

Didn't make it out today so another 40 minutes on the turbo, all helps though. Hoping to get out tomorrow for a real ride, as long as the snow stays away.

Slow down?

I use Strava and think its great, there are some people who believe it makes people ride too fast!!
Like most things the user has to take some responsibility and not just put the blame on others. See theis Strava on the BBC

Cheer up

Looks like we may get some snow this week so getting out on the road bike may not happen, which is pretty depressing, so here is  a joke:  A mate of mine recently admitted to being addicted to brake fluid. When I quizzed him on it he reckoned he could stop any time....

A no mile weekend:(

Unfortunately I'm working this weekend so won't be able to get any miles in. All being well I will get out midweek, so lets hope the rain has stopped by then.

Tipping down

As it has been wet and miserable all day I did 45 minutes on the turbo trainer, AKA my hamster wheel. Its better than nothing and gives me a chance to blast out some great tunes by ZZ Top, Undertones, Chuck Berry and the like to try and numb the boredom.

That is a long way!!

Check out this video Route Video

2 hours done

And there endeth the first road ride of the year. Averaged 16.4 with a few hills thrown in so quite happy. Now waiting to get the feelings back in my toes.

Warming up

Starting to warm up at last was 34F when i left

Route overview, now I'm getting worried!!

Found this today mmmmmm http://magazine.bikeradar.com/2013/02/07/ridelondon-surrey-100-ride-preview/#null

The ball has started rolling

Must say a big thanks to the only 2 Terrys I know who have both sponsored me today.  Cheers lads, now I really have to start pushing those pedals.

New Bars

I have now fitted some flat top handle bars, which have been recommend to me by a few people. I just need to make some  final adjustments and hopefully they will be more comfortable on longer rides.  Lets see!

Despite the constant snow flurries

Despite the constant snow flurries Brian and I manged to do 17 miles up to the Chilterns. There was a light dusting across the top which made for a great view.Overall a good ride even though it was so cold I lost the feelings in my toes.

On Saturday morning I hope to get out for a couple of hours on the mountain bike. At the moment it is getting pretty cold and we may even get some snow which should liven things up a bit.

Getting ready for a long ride

Now that I have my entry confirmed I have created this blog as a way of recording the trials and tribulations of getting my body ready to ride 100 miles in a day to take part in the first Ride London 100. I hope that people will make regular visits  and even contribute some posts in a effort to motivate me in raising £500 for the Sue Ryder charity.