Not riding as much, but why fret about it?

I missed a week. Didn't write a thing. Maybe because I didn't really do a great deal. Well, I didn't ride the bike that much. Last week I didn't really do a great deal either. Alright, I got out on Sunday last week to meet Andy at the Tatsfield village bus stop, but since then only one ride, a 6.13-mile jaunt around my local streets. Quite a work-out, but normally I ride two laps, this time just the one. It was still worth doing, any form of exercise is worth the effort, even if it's only for half an hour. When I say I haven't done much, I mean cycling, nothing else. I don't want anybody thinking I haven't been working. In fact, I'd say work has kind of taken over a bit, or it did last week.

Velo Barn today

Today the ride was blessed with heavy fog. I mean, there's always fog at this time of the year around the Botley Hill area, but today was something else, it was everywhere. Once I found myself on the 269 there was fog and it went all the way down Clarks Lane and was even hanging around as I made the turn left into Pilgrim's Lane on the final stretch of gravel before reaching the Velo Barn. I was going to sail right past it, ride into Westerham and then back up the hill, but in the end I decided it was worth stopping. Then I said to myself that I wouldn't order cake, just a large cappuccino with chocolate on top, but I weakened. I sat outside, wearing shorts for heaven's sake, but as I say it wasn't cold and there's nothing better than chilling in a place like the Velo Barn, among other cyclists, drinking a decent cup of coffee and munching on a piece of cake before heading back up the hill towards the fog and home.

Velo Barn last Saturday...

In recent times I've taken to riding along The Ridge and into Woldingham rather than chance my arm on the 269, which is an inherently dangerous piece of road, and even more so in the fog. But even along The Ridge there was mist, albeit not as thick. I rode down Slines Oak Road and then up the steep bit towards the lower end of the 269 and there was no fog. I cycled into Warlingham and headed down the Limpsfield Road towards Sanderstead and home and now I'm chilling. I was listening to music, but now I'm writing this blogpost and I'm amazed I skipped a week as normally I'm pretty good at regular weekly posts. I hope my millions of readers haven't taken offence at my laziness. I'm sure they haven't. I mean I've not received any complaints and none of the TV channels seem to be mentioning my absence from cyber space. Should that be two words or one?

So my weekly mileage for the current week is what? I rode around 18 miles last Sunday, then six during the week, that's what, 24 miles, and now I've added another 20 miles, so that's a grand total of 44 miles, the equivalent - in 'old days' terms - of two runs to Westerham at the weekend. Not bad really, but I should have rode my local run twice and had I done so I'd have been on 50 miles dead. I'm wishing I'd got out there earlier if the truth be know. I should have left around 0700hrs and headed for Dunton Green, that would have meant around 55 miles, which would have been even more respectable. But it's funny how the weather dictates everything and how, as the nights close in and we steam towards Christmas, that desire to go all out and ride 20 milers three or four times a week disappears. I think the key thing here is not to fret, not to get uptight about mileage and just get out there, even if it's on a short ride round the block.

Tomorrow I'm hoping to meet Andy and possibly Phil and/or Geoff in Tatsfield. Tomorrow starts my cycling week and next week I'm hoping to get two local rides in. Let's see. The key is not to get uptight about anything, as I'm prone to do.

This week my sanity has been preserved by watching I'm a Celebrity, Get me Out of Here. I know, it's rubbish television, but for some reason I look forward to it and I think it's because I need that escapism at the moment. Rubbish TV on one hand, Chuck Palahniuk on the other, both good in their own ways, but if I had to make a choice, it would be Chuck as there's a big difference between escapism and inspiration.

Postscript - riding off without my rucksack

How ridiculous and how typical of me, mind wandering all over the place, fretting about this and fretting about that and what did I go and do? I'll tell you. I was sitting in the Velo Barn on Saturday morning, enjoying a slice of coffee and walnut cake and a large espresso, and then I got up to leave. In fact, I left without my rucksack, which I'd placed on the floor beside me, resting against the wall of the Velo Barn. I got up and rode off, leaving the rucksack behind. I rode all the way home without even noticing I didn't have it and when I reached home it still hadn't twigged. There are reasons for this, of course. Because I wasn't carrying the flask and the mug and the milk, there was no cause to even think about the rucksack, and because I hadn't had a puncture (and, therefore, did not need my puncture repair kit) the rucksack was of little importance). I reached home, came into the house and got on with my day. It was only the following morning (Sunday) as I searched for the rucksack in order to place inside it my flask, mug and milk container that I realised it was missing. It wasn't in the garage and then, of course, I remembered, it was still at the Velo Barn. Everything has a knock-on effect. No rucksack meant no tea for Andy and I at the Tatsfield Village bus stop. Fortunately, Andy offered to buy me a coffee from the shop so all was not lost and then, instead of riding all the way to Woldingham with Andy on the return trip I rode in the other direction to the Velo Barn to pick it up. I stopped for another cappuccino, but no cake, and then I rode home. There was thick fog again so I followed The Ridge into Woldingham as I did on Saturday, still foggy, but not as bad as on the 269. Oddly, while we were sitting at the bus stop, Andy said a quicker way to reach the Velo Barn would be to take the off-road track past the golf course. "No, the problem with that is I'd get a puncture," I said, happy with riding along Pilgrim's Lane instead, but as I approached the off-road bit, I decided to take it and, as I suspected, the bit at the end was just as rough and muddy as I remembered it. Anyway, later, as I approached home territory I noticed a wobble and sure enough the bike had a rear wheel puncture. Very annoying. I trundled down Church Way and limped my way into Ellenbridge Road and home. As I write this the puncture ain't fixed, but I'll have a bit of time tomorrow so I'll get it done. At least it didn't happen while on the road and at least it didn't happen when I didn't have my rucksack containing the puncture repair kit. You live and learn. Or perhaps you don't.

Great week of cycling and fairly decent weather too...

I took last week off, which is a bit strange when you're working from home; it's a bit like going to the office for a holiday. Well, not really. I've grown accustomed to my work and home environment being one and the same thing and it's easy to adapt and separate the two. The first thing is just don't do any work; that's easy enough, you simply keep your desktop computer off, go nowhere near it, and don't answer your mobile phone either. 

Coffee and cake at Velo Barn...

Ultimately, therefore, I had a great week. I cycled a lot (unlike this week) and ultimately I rode around 94 miles, just over, closer to 95. This was achieved not by riding long distances like I did in the summer, but by riding short 10-milers every day. I managed to ride over 50 miles between Monday and Friday and when I added up all the fractions of a mile, the grand total on Friday night was an incredible 71.71 miles. Bon and I had talked about a ride to Redhill on Saturday, but in the end I rode to the Velo Barn for a cappuccino and a slice of coffee and walnut cake. The perfect way, you might say, to round off a week of cappuccinos and cakes. Let me see now, I had a large cappuccino and a slice of coffee and walnut cake in the Sevenoaks M&S cafe just prior to lockdown; I visited Knole on two occasions and had the exact same order, then there was a slice of cake standing on mum's doorstep and, then, of course, there was the Velo Barn on Saturday. I'm missing one more occasion, but I can't for the life of me remember what I did as we never ventured far from the house, Sevenoaks being the furthest journey. It doesn't matter. Either way I had a lot of cake and a lot of cappuccino, but fortunately, I did a lot of cycling so I think I'm in the clear where the health police are concerned.

The weather was fairly good too, a bit blowy on a couple of the local 10-milers, but generally fine and no rain. The ride to Velo Barn was, as always, wonderful. I left the house around 0800hrs, got there just after 0900hrs and sat outside eating my cake and sipping my cappuccino, surrounded by Lycra Monkeys.

Sunday, of course, was the start of my cycling week and, as usual, I rode to the Tatsfield Village bus stop to see Andy and Phil. No sausage sarnies or cakes this week, which was just as well when I consider my week of over indulgence. It was, as always, just over 18 miles as I rode back along The Ridge to avoid the 269, parting with Andy at the top of Slines Oak Road in Woldingham.

Nice weather at Velo Barn and loads of Lycra Monkeys too

It would be remiss of me not to mention the US elections and the fact that Trump lost. It goes without saying that he thinks he won and that the whole thing was rigged by the Democrats. Personally, I think he should quietly and not be such a bad sport, but he's a bad loser and it looks as if he'll be going on and on about it for years to come. Don't get me wrong here, I'm not somebody who hates the Republican party, I'm not a socialist by any stretch of the imagination. Had the Republican guy been Mitt Romney or even Bush I wouldn't have been THAT bothered who won the contest, but it was Donald Trump and as most people know, if they've been watching, he's been a complete arse with his wall separating Mexico from the USA, with his Muslim travel ban and God knows what else, he's just a complete arsehole and nobody, apart from toothless Americans with guns and a prepper mentality seem to like him. Mind you, we have our 'Trump' here in the UK going by the name of Boris Johnson. He's not been in power for a year yet, which is a pity as it means we have four more years to run before we can get somebody decent in Number 10. Now, I know people say that Starmer's a good egg, and he might be, but the party he's in charge of has taken a right drubbing from the Corbyn years and there's a lot of stuff that needs to be resolved before I vote for him. 

Tatsfield Village on Sunday morning, note Phil on his bike

The virus continues and we're all under a kind of lockdown until 2nd December, but then what?

Cycling this week has been a no-no so far, but I'm aiming to get out tomorrow morning BEFORE work to put that right and then, hopefully, ride Thursday and Friday, giving me a total for the week of around 49 miles. Then, if I ride to Westerham again and repeat last Saturday's ride (or even head for Botley Hill) then I might put in a fairly respectable weekly mileage. We'll see.

To the Velo Barn and then to Tatsfield Village (in the rain)...

Not a particularly impressive week on the cycling front. I went out once on a 10-miler, two laps of local streets, and that was it. The main cause of my lack of riding was the weather. It was one of those situations where, if I left it until after work, which was roughly 1630hrs, then the chances of rain were very high and if it was raining I'd stay indoors. On the day I did go out, it was first thing in the morning, 0710hrs to be precise, and having enjoyed a good night's sleep it was a pleasant ride and not a tiresome one. Afternoon rides after a day at work are just that, tiresome. I feel weary and want it to end so I can get back home and chill in front of the television or read a book. So just one ride. The most disheartening aspect of it all was the weather app on my iphone, which sported a cloud with rain underneath it for most days of the week. Very depressing. I started to pin my hopes on the weekend, but noticed that the rain cloud symbol appeared for both Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday it looked as if my only chance was to head out early and try to get back before the rain, which, according to my phone, was going to start at 1000hrs. I left around 0800hrs, which I thought might be too late, and rode to the Velo Barn, a 10.73-mile outward journey and it was rain-free, which was just as well as I wasn't wearing any protective clothing. Well, alright, I had on an old Regatta waterproof top, that was all...and trousers, of course, underneath which I had my Lycra cycling shorts.

The other day I was wondering whatever happened to our pal "Dawes Galaxy".

As I approached the Velo Barn I did seriously consider riding further, like last week. Yes, Dunton Green sprang to mind as a 31-mile ride would give me a respectable weekly mileage figure of 41 miles. I say 'respectable' and I mean 'respectable' inasmuch as I'd only been out once during the week. But, as I reached the end of Pilgrims Lane, with the Velo Barn on my right, the temptation provided by the thought of a cappuccino and a slice of lemon cake proved too much. And besides, I'd brought my book with me and intended to read some of it, which I did. As always, the place was full of Lycra Monkeys, but I don't really mind them. Soon it was time to go and I was still in need of more cycling so instead of heading home I rode into Westerham and rode through the town and home via the usual route up the hill, adding, I reckon, about two miles to the journey, possibly two and a half miles, but let's not quibble, it's not as if I put in a great performance last week, is it?

The ride home was as expected, except that I didn't feel in anyway phased by the ride towards the hill, which, on other occasions would have been a tiresome experience as I thought ahead to the slow incline all the way to Botley. I took the whole lot in my stride and this was because my level of fitness had improved thanks to a summer of almost daily cycling in decent weather. I can't remember what time I reached home, but I was pleased to have avoided the rain, or most of it. I managed to reach Sanderstead High Street when the rain eventually started, but I was only five minutes from home and while five minutes of rain did mean I got wet, it wasn't as bad as it could have been. 

The Sunday ride was next on the agenda and both Andy and I were hoping upon hope that it would take place, although we knew there was little chance of seeing Phil or Geoff. Rain was promised, but before I hit the sack on Saturday night I heard a weather forecaster talk about light rain in the morning and heavier downpours later. This time I thought I'd go out in full waterproofs and I did. It was raining when I stepped outside and in pre-lockdown days this would have been cause for an 'abort' text, but after a good six months of almost daily riding I wanted to be on the bike, rain or shine, so off I went and it was fine. Invariably it is fine, it's just the thought of riding in the rain that's off-putting. I kept up a reasonably good pace, rode the fast way along the 269 and Andy was there when I arrived. Our new destination appears to be the Tatsfield Village bus stop, we've moved on from our old haunt of the bus stop at the end of Approach Road. We made small talk as we always do, drank tea, ate a biscuity snack and chatted with an old guy who described as both as 'mad men' for riding all the way from our respective homes in Sanderstead and Caterham in the rain. Perhaps it was a little mad cycling in the rain to Tatsfield Village, it's not as if much goes on there, but it had to be done and we're both glad we got out and did it and that the rain didn't prevent us from going out as it used to.

The ride home was easy enough. The rain had eased, although it hadn't been too bad. I rode along The Ridge with Andy and parted company at the top of Slines Oak Road in leafy Woldingham. Even riding up Slines Oak and on to the 269 was no big deal and I reached home before 1000hrs.

A few words about waterproof cycling clothing. In a nutshell, I wish I hadn't bothered if the truth be known, although, saying that, I probably would have been wetter and more uncomfortable when I arrived at the village if I'd left it behind. My problem with it is this: it makes me sweat so when I reach home I notice that I am wet through. Everything I was wearing was wet as if I hadn't worn any protective clothing and my shoes were full of water and soaked through, so I'm now thinking I would have been better off just wearing the cycling shorts and, alright, possibly just a waterproof top to protect my upper body. It wasn't cold, that's the key thing, but as it was everything had to be peeled off and everything is now drying on radiators or on clothes horses. I jumped into the shower and now I'm dressed and washed and shaved and feeling good. 

I'm hoping to get more riding in next week, certainly more than last week, but right now I'm chilling and thinking about lunch.

Points of Order

* Incidentally, if you're wondering why there's a photograph of our old pal "Dawes Galaxy" included with this post, it's there for two reasons: First, my iphone is now such a pile of poo that the battery is always running low very quickly and invariably when I go to take a photo it packs up; Second, I was thinking about him yesterday as I rode to the Velo Barn. We haven't seen him since the above shot was taken and I fear the worst.

* Velo Barn. I've been wrongly pronouncing it as the "Veelo" barn when I should have been saying "Vello" barn, as in 'velodrome'. It's definitely 'vello' drome and not 'veelo' drome so I'm guessing it's 'vello' barn and not 'veelo' barn. Lesson learned.

* Lastly, thanks to Andy for a brand new pair of gloves. He inadvertantly found himself with a spare pair and gave them to me. Much appreciated.